The Top Ten

As we bid adieu to 2009, I can't help but think of the decade’s most memorable moments in style. There have certainly been a plethora of trends over the last 10 years. Some were fabulous, some were puzzling and some I’d like to completely wipe from my memory. Oh my god, did I really own a trucker hat? Was I on drugs? Anyway...below in no particular order are my top ten: the good the bad and the ugly!

Fendi Bags (Big Break in 2000)
Thank the good Lord for Sex and the City. Not only was it my favorite show of the decade and my biggest overall style inspiration, but it introduced me to Fendi Bags. They’re a little slice of Italian- made heaven! I’d give up my pinkie toes for a lifetime supply of Fendi bags. I’m not kidding...who needs pinkie toes?

Uggs (Big Break in 2003)
I blame Jessica Simpson. Back it 2003 while watching an episode of Newlyweds, I spotted my first pair of Uggs. I was so intrigued I bought a pair online a few days later. Nowadays everyone in the English speaking world owns at least one pair of Uggs. Their comfort can be described in two words: like buttah! Their appearance can be described in one word: fugly.

Skinny Jeans (Big Break in 2006)
A breath of fresh air after too many years of bell bottoms. You put on a pair and POOF!, instant cool. But skinnies on men? Just plain wrong.

Head Bands (Big Break in 2007)
Gossip Girl. Enough Said.

The Thong (Big Break in 2000)
Were once reserved for strippers, call girls or other ladies of the night. Suddenly women of all ages were flocking to Vickie’s & stocking up. Goodbye visible panty lines, hello urinary tract infections. Eww.

Vintage (Big Break in 2007)
Typically reserved for artsy high school/college girls, thank Mad Men making it mainstream.

Flat ironed hair (Big Break in 2002)
What did we do before flat irons? I can’t even remember...I guess we just walked around with frizzy heads. Perish the thought!

Vampire Chic (Big Break in 2009)
This trend usually pops up every ten years or so. We almost had a vampire-less decade, now 5 out of 10 television shows have the word “Vampire” “Blood” or “Dark” in the title.

Statement Tees (Big Break in 2003)
These also pop up every so often...remember Frankie Says Relax? 2003 was a huge year for the statement tee. You weren’t super cool unless you had “Gettin’ Lucky in Kentucky” or “Rock Star” emblazoned across your chest. Sadly, I had this Jesus tee in yellow. Don’t judge.

Leggings (Big Break in 2006)
Started out as a layering piece with perfectly good intentions. Quickly turned bad as a pant alternative. It is my personal goal in 2010 to rid the world of the “No Pants” trend. Wish me luck.

You Guys Want Some Cookies?

'Tis the season for baking! And what’s better than a freshly made chocolate chip cookie? Basically nothing.

Recently I went shopping at the always fantastic Wegmans . Realizing I was out of the standard cookie making essentials, I loaded up on ingrediants including Wegmans brand chocolate chips. I'm usually a loyal Tollhouse chocolate chip-er, but the Wegamans brand was less expensive. So when I made cookies I followed the Wegmans recipe which was subtlety different than the Tollhouse recipe. Just a bit more brown sugar, flour & a little water. I don't know how but the Wegmans cookies are way better!

Tollhouse better watch their butts!

Wegmans Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) Wegmans Butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 package (12oz) Wegmans Real Chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Beat butter and sugars until light colored and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time until completely incorporated. Add vanilla and water; blend well.

2. Combine flour, soda and salt; gradually stir into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate morsels and nuts (if desired).

3. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake 12-15 minutes (at 375 degrees) or until crisp and golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

The Ugly Truth

Christmas!!! There's so much I love about this time of year. Watching my favorite holiday movies, especially White Christmas and Home Alone. Baking delicious cookies. Listening to fabulously cheesy Christmas music. And as corny as it sounds, that warm fuzzy feeling you get right after Thanksgiving that lasts until New Years. Love that warm fuzzy Christmas feeling!

With so much to love about the holiday season, there are only a couple things I detest. #1 Everyone & their mother being out...at the mall, at the grocery store, on the road...where do they all come from?? And why won’t they get out of my way! And #2 hideously ugly Christmas sweaters. I'm not sure exactly how they originated...nor do I really care to know. But I mostly blame home shopping shows like the atrociously awful Quacker Factory for selling them to the public. And ultimately, I blame the terrible judgment of all the housewives, grandmas and teachers across this country for purchasing them. Hang your heads ladies...for shame!

Luckily it’s possible to wear a festive top without looking like Christmas decorations threw up all over you. Sequined & sparkly knits are holiday appropriate without being gaudy & tacky. So I better not see anyone wearing a terrible Christmas sweater, or I might just rip it right off you...got it? :)




Faux Gemstone Cardigan $35, Old Navy

















Sequined Scarf Sweater $110, J Crew

















Sequined Shoulder Sweater Dress $54, Arden B


















Sequined Knit Top $60, Zara

Stuff It!

I’m so excited for Thanksgiving next week! Seeing the fam is great, but I'm really looking forward to all the wonderful homemade goodness :) Especially my favorite Thanksgiving side dish, the always delicious stuffing. I don’t discriminate, I love all types: in the bird, out of the bird, homemade, even good old Stove Top! Last Thanksgiving I came across a recipe for cornbread stuffing with onions and bacon. I'll definitely be making it again this year. I really love the sweetness of the cornbread combined with the smoky saltiness of bacon. It’s to die for! So if you’re sick of making the same old stuffing on Turkey Day, give this recipe a try. Happy Thanksgiving!

Cornbread Stuffing With Bacon

8 cups store bought cornbread
1 pound thick-sliced smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large white onions, diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup canned turkey or chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut cornbread into 1/2-inch cubes. Bake on cookie sheet for 30 minutes, flip cubes until lightly toasted and firm. Cool completely. Place cornbread in a large bowl.

2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and place on paper towels to drain. Save 3 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pan. Add onions to the bacon pan, cook about 8 minutes. Stir in parsley; continue to cook until onion is translucent and lightly golden. Stir into cornbread with salt.

3. Drizzle broth over stuffing and gently toss until evenly moistened (for wetter stuffing, add more broth). Spoon into a buttered casserole dish and dot with butter.

4. Bake for at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes, or until stuffing is hot and browned.

How Was Your Day Dear?

***WARNING!!!*** This post will probably make Gloria Stiman want to track me down and punch me in the face. So be it!

As un-politically correct as it sounds, part of me longs to be a housewife. But before you get all women’s lib on my ass, it’s not the life of a modern housewife I covet. I’d really like to be a circa late 50's/early 60's housewife. It sounded pretty sweet; staying home to take care of the kiddies, baking pies, vacuuming in heels & pearls...not too shabby! Ok, I’m aware this pipe dream scenario is impossible. And not completely historically accurate. But thanks largely in part to Mad Men, at least I can dress like a retro housewife! And since Thanksgiving’s around the corner, I thought I’d throw in my favorite apple pie recipe. Happy baking!

Floral dress $79, Red Dress Shoppe





















Pink Birds Apron $57, Cherry & East

















Glass Pearl Necklace $7, GirlProps
















Pink Suede Pumps $79, Nine West










Caramel Apple Pie:
1 pastry crust for a deep-dish pie 9-inch (homemade or store-bought)1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt 6 cups thinly sliced peeled Gala or Honeycrisp apples
1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 cup caramel topping

Ingredients for the Crumb Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup butter

Directions for Crumb Topping:


Stir together brown sugar, flour, rolled oats.
Cut in 1/2 cup butter and mix with fingers until topping is course crumbs. Set aside.

Directions for the Pie:
1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.

2. Add apple slices and gently toss until coated.
3. Pour apple mixture to the pie shell
4. Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture until completely covered.
5. Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil.
6. Place pie on a cookie sheet & bake in a preheated 375 oven for 25 minutes.
7. Remove foil and bake another 25 to 30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven. Top with caramel (it’s best to heat the caramel first so it’s easier to spread) Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of caramel.

Best served warm.

Chilly Willy

I need to complain a little. I’m freakin’ freezing today. Not only is it bitter & windy outside, but my office is also chilly as all heck. I’m so not ready for cold weather! So here’s a Cold Weather Playlist to ease my pain.


Baby It's Cold Outside – Johnny Mercer
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm – Billie Holiday
I Felt The Chill Before The Winter Came – Elvis Costello
It’s a Little Heat – The Black Keys
Frozen – Madonna
In the Cold, Cold Night - White Stripes
Sweater Song – Weezer
Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd
Cold Shoulder - Adele
Shiver - Coldplay

ATREYU!

If you look up Epic Children's Movie in the dictionary you'll see the movie poster for The Never-Ending Story. What an awesome yet bizarre flick! Isn’t it funny how movies marketed to kids in the 1980’s were really intense and freaky? Kid’s movies today are so safe & pansy-like.

If you’re unfamiliar with the movie, here’s a brief synopsis:

Nerdy boy gets picked on. While hiding from bullies, nerdy boy finds old book. Nerdy boy is introduced to a dreamy world called Fantasia. Residents of Fantasia include a child empress, a child warrior, an enormous furry dragon and a scary-as-shit wolf (that’s really an evil force threatening to destroy Fantasia). Many terrible, heart wrenching moments ensue, including the death of child warrior’s beloved horse and destruction of Fantasia. Nerdy boy magically gets written into the story. Many wacky adventures ensue and with the help of a bad ass amulet (pictured below), nerdy boy restores Fantasia. Everyone lives happily ever after. Nerdy boy grows some balls, and dead horse comes back to life.

So where am I going with this whole Never-Ending story shpeal? Well, lately I’ve been seeing necklaces all over the place that remind me of the bad ass amulet. So now I want a bad ass amulet of my very own. That’s about it.




Never-Ending story bad ass amulet













$8, Forever 21














$12.50, Wet Seal















Judith Jack $125, Nordstrom












$430, Ka Gold Jewelry

Seeing Spots!

Not many prints have the power that polka dots have. Think about it...what other print is kooky yet classic, whimsical but not wacky and can make you feel child-like without looking childish? It's no wonder these delightful dots have been popping up in clothing and accessories for decades. Strangely enough, the exact origin of the polka dot print is a mystery. It was most likely the influence of (surprise surprise) the Polish Polka dance craze that began in the late 19th century. From then on, ladies from Lucille Ball to Minnie Mouse have had a love affair with the print. I’m quite parcel to polka dots myself...something about them just makes me smile. Whether wearing something super casual or a show stopping piece, it’s impossible to put on polka dots and not have fun!


Mini skirt $15, Forever 21













Cashmere scarf $95, Replique













Sweater $55, Mod Cloth














T-strap pumps $100, Betseyville












Organza Ball Gown $460, Alyce Designs

Comfy Cozy Chic

Recently I saw The Cider House Rules and really really loved it. First & foremost because any movie about orphans really tugs on my heartstrings! I’m not a movie crier...but those damned orphans get me every time. Also, it totally made me want to roll up my sleeves and do some apple pickin’ on a farm. Ok that’s an exaggeration...at the very least it made me want apple cider real bad. With some ginger snaps on the side. But mostly I just adored the chunky-knit sweaters Charlize Theron’s character Candy wore throughout the film. She made a seemingly boring oversized sweater into an ultra feminine look, simply by adding a cute headband and fiery red nail polish. A neutral colored chunky sweater is a great addition to any cold weather wardrobe. Layering sweaters such as these over girlie dresses and skirts is a great way to stay comfy, cozy & chic. Just add some tights and ankle booties and you’ll be toasty yet trendy well into the winter.


Apple picking sweater $118, Anthropologie


















Donegal shawl cardigan $148, J Crew















Long button-front sweater coat $45, Old Navy

Wolfman's Got Nards!

Ah, Halloween. It was never my favorite holiday but I’ve grown appreciate it. I can eat mass quantities of Reese's Cups without remorse, dress like a trollop without being judged and indulge in deliciously bad 80’s horror flicks. What's there not to love? And who doesn't love some scary tunes? You can't fully enjoy Halloween without a petrifying playlist. So without further adieu, here’s my 13 Creepy-Kooky-Mysterious-Spooky & Sweet Playlist...mooohahahaaa! That’s my evil laugh in case you couldn’t tell.

Jenny Lewis - Run Devil Run
Spacehog – Horror Show
The Pierces – Secret
Nouvelle Vague – Killing Moon
Squirrel Nut Zippers – Ghost Of Stephen Foster
Janet Jackson – Black Cat
The Cranberries – Zombie
Santo & Johnny – Sleepwalker
White Stripes – Little Ghost
The Heavy – Sixteen
Michael Jackson – Thriller
Rilo Kiley – Jack Killed Mom
Nina Simone – I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl

Back To Basics

Is it just me or have we become completely over saturated with choices? The vastness & variety we are exposed to on a daily basis is mind numbing. Have you viewed the soup isle at the grocery store lately? Christ almighty, it gives me a headache. And don’t get me started on the hundreds of TV channels available yet there’s nothing to watch half the time. And what about the multitude of fashion trends that pop up every season? Jeez! I love and anticipate the newest trendy items...but their lifespan can be so quick, there's barely enough time to enjoy them. I know...such problems I have. Poor me!

So what to do when drowning in an ocean of options?? Easy...go back to the basics! It’s no secret that chic basic items are the glue that holds a great wardrobe together. I can always turn to eternally effortless pieces such as these when I have too many choices to choose from:










Corduroy pant $78, White House Black Market


















Stainless steel watch $195, Michael Kors















Trench Coat $49.50, Old Navy


















Striped Tee, $32.50, J Crew




















Nine West Croc Pump $78, Zappos

















Cole Haan Leather Hobo $348, Nordstrom

The Sun'll Come Out...Eventually?

Blah...rain. So necessary, yet so depressing. What a lovely Nor'easter we're experiencing, eh? The dreary weather makes me totally covet these rain boots in black or if I was a rich girl these bad boys. Notice how it all comes back to shopping? Must. Fight. Urge. TO SHOP!

I suppose a more economical way to weather the storm is to create a rainy day play list. That way while I’m at work I can listen, drink some hot chocolate & await the return of sunny days!

Ain’t No Sunshine - Bill Withers
Back Water Blues - Bessie Smith
Cloudy Sky – The Cardigans
Fool in the Rain – Led Zeppelin
I Can’t Stand the Rain – Ann Peebles
Purple Rain – Prince
Singin' in the Rain – Gene Kelly
Stormy Weather – Billie Holiday
The Rain – Melody Gardot
Umbrella – Rihanna
Tomorrow - Aileen Quinn

Calendar Boys

Ladies, I ask you. What's better than a hunky, manly man? Better yet how about a plethora of hunky, manly men? And what if you could legally have all these men for a mere twenty dollars? Well, it’s your lucky day. The 2010 "Cops for the Cure" Calendar is now available! So many dreamy beefcakes were in the running to be featured that two extra months were added to the calendar. Including the hottest of the dreamy beefcakes, my boyfriend Franny aka Mr. August. Yeah that's right. Jealous? :)

The proceeds of the calendar benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Police Family Survivor Fund. It sure beats the hell out of a lame kitty or puppy calendar! Twenty bucks may seem a little steep but remember it's for two great causes. Your place in heaven will totally be cemented.

Please contact me via email at GinaCicalese@gmail.com if you’d like to purchase one, or shoot me a Facebook message. Any additional info can be found here.

Thank you in advance!