Friday, December 20, 2013
Shot of Brandi Gift Guide: Barnes & Noble
I love giving books as gifts. Like hard copy books.
Snuggling on the couch or in bed or at the beach reading a book to me is the
ultimate way to relax.
If you are still looking for some last minute gifts, may I
suggest these books!
- The Cuckoo’s Calling – J.K. Rowling (Editor’s Note: This book is AMAZING! I read it last month and couldn’t put it down!) - $15.90
- The Day The Crayons Quit - $14.93
- The Pioneer Woman Cooks – A Year of Holidays - $20.99
- Lean In - $14.01
- It’s All Good - $22.42
- Steve Jobs - $12.90
- What Does The Fox Say - $11.99
- The Can’t Cook Book - $19.59
Hands down, Sephora has the best beauty gift sets. The
options are seriously endless. Check out these amazing beauty buys!
- Dior Backstage Hero - $49.00 (editor’s note – this is my favorite mascara brand. Worth the splurge on the full-size tube).
- Drybar Blowout in a Bow - $199.99
- Drybar The Morning After Kit - $35.00
- Sugar Rose Royalty Set - $32.00 (this lip gloss came in a Birchbox and it’s amazing!)
- YSL Love and Lacquer Reds Set - $58.00
- Deborah Lippmann Best of Both World Pop Rock Mini - $19.00
Last weekend at Target, the lady behind me in line asked if
they were having some sort of sale that she didn’t know about because the LINES
WERE THAT LONG! And we were more than three weeks away from Christmas. I can’t
wait to go there this weekend (eye roll).
If you are hitting up Target and still have some people
to shop for, here’s my suggestions.
- Cabbage Patch Kid - $34.99
- Pajamas - $24.99
- Black Swirl Glasses (set of 4) - $22.99
- Beats by Dre - $139.99
- Chi Flat Iron with mini iron - $99.99
- Record Player - $59.99
- Heated Blanket - $47.99
- Apples to Apples - $14.79
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Shot of Brandi* Gift Guide: Wine & Spirits
Maybe my friends and family members are just alcoholics, but
I can always find a gift at the liquor store! Oh and if you are wondering - a lot of my local strip malls have liquor stores here in Pittsburgh. I specifically like the ones in Robinson and McKnight Road. Each are next to a JoAnne's and Michael's respectively!
Here’s some ideas for the boozer on your list!
- Veuve Clicquot Champagne - $49.00 (this is typically cheaper in the liquor store)
- Downton Abbey Wine - $29.99 for the pair!
- Arnold Palmer - $14.99 – sometimes this is on Chairman’s Special in Pittsburgh for $11.99. That’s when I stock up!
- The Dreaming Tree Crushed Red Blend - $15.00 – this is Dave Matthews wine!
- Barrymore Pinot Grigio - $16.99 – Drew Barrymore’s winery!
- Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select - $15.99
- Crown Royal XR Extra Rare Canadian Whisky - $179.99
- Whistle Pig Whiskey – The internets told me that this wine scored the highest ever score by Wine Enthusiast for a Whiskey! Must be good!
- Wigle Bitters - $18.00
After 10 years of glitter, feathers, gems and other miscellaneous craft items, I've decided to retire at making my own Christmas cards.
At first my list was about 40 people. Then, after adding in Brady's list and making new friends along the way, the list has more than doubled. While this is a good problem to have, it makes crafting a large amount of cards quite the task.
So for my readers that received the 10 year anniversary card this week, I wanted to call out its meaning.
You may recall the ribbon tree from 2004. I recreated that card (it was one of my favs!) with ornaments that are a tribute to cards of Christmas past! The snowflake (2005), Santa hat (2009), ornament (2006), gingerbread man (the first! 2003), and finally the stocking (2011).
Missing from above are the snowman (2011) and stockings (2012).
Like Michael Jordan, Jay-Z, Brett Favre, Rocky, and maybe Amanda Bynes...all greats have retired and made a comeback. So in the words of Justin Beiber I'll "never say never," but it's see you later for now!
Oh and just for reader clarification, I'm not boycotting Christmas cards! I'll still send those!
Peace, love and glitter,
Brandi
Today, I’m shopping Nordstrom for gift ideas. And, I’m
shopping Nordstrom from my couch. If you live in Pittsburgh, I suggest you do
the same because the Ross Park Nordstrom doesn’t have the best selection! It’s
not totally awful – I’ve scored some sweet deals there, but as far as Nordstroms
go, I’ve seen better ; )
- Confetti Throw - $49.00
- Jouer Sparkle & Shine Holiday Party Favors - $58.00
- Pillow - $29.00
- Oak Whiskey Barrel - $78.00
- Burberry Gold Nail Polish - $21.00
- Jo Malone Candle Set - $100.00
- Kate Spade iPhone Case - $45.00
- Water Bottles - $90.00
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Shot of Brandi* Gift Guide: Williams-Sonoma
True story: We have a Williams-Sonoma on our street. I personally think this story gets a bad wrap for being pricey - which for some items it certainly is. However, you can totally walk into a Williams-Sonoma and find a gift for a number of people on your list at a variety of price points. Go ahead! I dare you to walk in and find something!
- Farmers Market Herb Wreath
- Salted Caramel Sauce
- Pancake Gift Set
- Bride & Groom Cookbook
- Champagne Cork Catcher – Shot of Mom Approved!
- Gingerbread House
- Copper Mugs
- Veggie Chopper & Measure (Your editor needs this – wink, wink)
J. Crew has become one of the Smithkowski’s favorite
stores. While I pride myself on scoring some great deals here, Brady should
receive an award for the amount of under $20 polos he’s scored at J. Crew.
Not only is J. Crew great for adults, but their kids and
baby lines are great for gifts. And who can forget the outlet stores!
Here are my current favorite gift options.
- Maclister Boots - $198.00
- Lambswool Sweater - $75.00
- Tartine Mini-Satchel - $398.00
- Sequin Dress - $69.50
- Shimmer Earrings - $58.00
- Chef’s Apron Set - $45.00
- Boys Anchor Sweater - $59.50
- Minnetonka Baby Booties - $19.95
Friday, November 29, 2013
Shot of Brandi* 2013 Gift Guide: Mall Maddness
Welcome to the sixth year of the annual Shot of Brandi*
gift guide!
Shot of Mom has always said that this time of year brings
out the amateurs – the people that don’t shop all year and come out just for
Christmas shopping. Not like us ladies that go on a weekly basis.
I spent some time at the mall the last two weekends and
let me just say it makes me MAD! Specifically:
·
The massive amounts of people that are walking
around the mall with NO BAGS. What!? You are going to wait all year to come out
and NOT buy anything!?
·
Strollers. I’m sorry moms, but stores just
weren’t made for your double wide stroller. I don’t like running into you in
stores and by the sounds of your kids, they don’t want to be there either.
·
Parking Lots. Just when you think you’ve found a
spot, the person who you think is getting into their car proceeds to take 10
minutes to back out. THEN someone comes out of nowhere and tries to take the
spot that you’ve now been waiting 15 minutes for!
·
I recently went into Express & The Limited
for two specific things: tights and a solid t-shirt. I spent under $20 on both,
yet both stores had to ask me: if I wanted a credit card, if I wanted to sign
up for rewards, for my phone number and my email address. Both stores got 4
no’s from me!
So in conclusion, what does the mall do to me? It makes
me MAD!
The theme of my gift guide this year is Mall Madness.
In honor of me being angry and one of my favorite board games ; )
Over the next few weeks, I plan to show a number of gifts
for family and friends categorized by different stores at the mall. I may throw
in some online stores as well – you never know!
Sit back, relax, grab a glass of wine and let’s shop
online.
While I’ve blogged about Ugly Sweater parties before, I
must admit that I’ve never actually hosted or attended one. But this year, that
may just change, so I needed to prepare. And let me tell you, this is no easy
task!
At first, I thought I would just go to my staple –
EverythingSequins.com. But the holiday vest that I liked was $30 PLUS $30 to
ship – I couldn’t justify the price.
I then scoured the internet for the perfect sweater. I
still haven’t found it (I got something that is OKAY), but here are a few that
I saw! Warning – some are adorable, but still pricey! What the heck!?
- Lot78 via The Outnet
- Mason by Michelle Mason
- Asos Holiday Pattern Sweater
- Topshop
- Asos Vintage Look Sweater
Urban Outfitters has an um, odd selection of sweaters.
Some are a little risqué, but it’s worth checking out!
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Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Family Recipes: Aunt Linda's Sweet Potato Casserole
One thing that I’m thankful for this year is coming from a
family of amazing cooks – on both sides! You’ve been treated to recipes from
Shot of Mom and Godmother Aunt Michelle (Shot of Mom’s sister), so today I
wanted to introduce you to Shot of Dad’s sister – Aunt Linda.
Aunt Linda makes the most AMAZING Sweet Potato Casserole
on Thanksgiving. This thing shouldn't just be called a Casserole - but a Kick-ass-erole! Legend has it, my sister Jillian once ate an entire plate of
this dish.
I decided to attempt it for the hubs’ family two years
ago and it turned out okay. Well, I made it again tonight to take with us to
New Jersey and it was SO EASY!
You’ve gotta trust me on this one. It doesn’t look that
appetizing, but it’s DELICIOUS!
Aunt Linda’s Almost Famous Sweet Potato Casserole
· 3 cups (4 medium) mashed cooked sweet potatoes (I use the canned version – 1 40oz can of yams = 3 mashed cups)
· ¼ cup of sugar
· 1 stick of melted margarine
· 2 eggs
· 1 teaspoon of vanilla
Mix and mash all ingredients together and put into a buttered square Corning dish. Cover with Topping
Topping:
· 1 cup brown sugar
· ½ cup margarine, softened
· ½ cup flour
· 1 cup chopped walnuts nuts (Shot of Mom uses walnuts or pecans or a combo of both)
· ½ cup coconut
Mix topping together.
Bake 350 for 20-30 minutes.
Without Topping & With Topping (not baked)
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And we can’t forget my in-laws – you haven’t met their
tasty recipes yet, but maybe Aunt Donna will share the details on her secret
Magic Cookie Bars soon ; )
Reader Dana recently asked me about a potential holiday
party theme. Once she got my brain wheels spinning, I came up with a pretty rad
theme that I said “I need to blog this.”
So I’m blogging it.
You’ve done the ugly sweater party. You may have done the
plaid party. Now, I give you – the Christmas Movie Character Party!
Encourage guests to come dressed as their favorite
holiday movie character. Need suggestions? That’s what I’m here for!
·
A
Christmas Story: Ralphie, The Leg, Randy in the Bunny Costume.
·
Elf:
Elf. Lol.
·
National
Lampoons Christmas Vacation: Clark Griswald, Uncle Eddie
·
Frosty
The Snowman: Frosty.
(image)
·
Home Alone:
Kevin McCallister, the burglars, Gus Polinski (The Polka King of the Midwest)
·
Babes
in Toyland: Mother Goose, Bo Peep, Mary Contrary, Jack-Be-Nimble, Jack,
Jill or Boy Blue.
·
Charlie
Brown: Sad tree, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, Schroeder, Patty,
Sally.
·
The
Grinch: Cindy Loo Who, The Grinch, Whos from Whoville
(image)
·
Mean
Girls: No, not really Christmas, but you can do the Mean Girls and Amy
Pohler in school skit scene.
·
Nutcracker:
Ballerina, Nutcracker, The Mouse, Sugar Plum Fairy
(image)
·
Rudolph
the Red Nosed Reindeer: Reindeer! Sam the Snowman (voiced by Burl
Ives), misfit toys.
·
Miracle
on 34th Street: Santa Claus.
·
A
Christmas Carol: Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, Ebenezer
Scrooge or Tiny Tim.
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Still looking for a last minute Halloween costume? Feel
free to borrow my idea! I was ME - just a younger version!
We attended a last minute party last night – filling in
for some missing team members in my parents bowling league (I bowled my average
103, but Brady bowled like the series of his life – almost hitting 200 one
game!).
Given that it’s the week before Halloween, costumes were
optional, so I couldn’t resist and took my own advice – I was #TBT (aka Throwback Thursday).
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Here’s how I pulled this one off:
·
I went to the mall with a series of pictures
from my youth with the intention of replicating one of my outfits.
·
My blue shapes sweater 1st grade pic
was the easiest and most cost effective to pull off, but finding a blue sweater
was a pain in the butt. I finally found one at Target for $21.
·
I purchased some felt for the shapes for $3. The
necklace was a few bucks from Claire’s.
·
After scoring such deals, I decided to make the Instagram
frame. The posterboard was under $5.
·
Making the sweater was easy…the Instagram frame
was a bit tricker. I cut printed the word Instagram on two 8x10 prices of paper
and then cut it out in just a solid white.
·
I took a screenshot of an Instagram pic and then
cropped the buttons, made them bigger and then glued them to the board.
In the end, it was a cheap, easy costume that was perfect
for bowling!
(source)
If you are celebrating Halloween with your ghoul-friends
(see what I did there) this weekend, then you may be looking for some festive
sippers to celebrate.
Here are some brews to consider:
Cleaning out my shoe closet a few weeks ago, I realized
that I have an obsession for shoes with bows. It’s so strange, but it’s just
what I gravitate towards.
Since I seriously can’t possibly add another pair of
bowed shoes to my closet, I figured that I’d share a list of bowed shoes here.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Shot of Brandi* 2013 Halloween Costume List
OMG you guys. I don’t have any Halloween plans this year!
You know what that mean? NO plans for a costume! Eek! I mean this may break a 32-year-old
tradition! I can’t even think of the last time I didn’t dress up! And I’m the
girl with an arsenal of costume ideas in a secret folder!
I have faith that my readers are cooler than me, so I’ll
still share my annual list of Halloween ideas with you all!
(source)
2013 Shot of Brandi Pop Culture Halloween Costumes
·
What The Fox Say:
This would fantastic for a group theme. One person is a fox, and the rest are
the animals. Bonus points for learning the dance moves!
·
Amanda
Bynes: Sorry – I know there are some sensitivities here because this
kinda deals with mental illness, but once I saw her in court earlier this year
with that blonde wig, I knew this would make it on my Halloween list.
·
Sharknado:
The best-worst made-for-TV movie of the year. Tornado costume with sharks.
·
Miley
Cyrus: I should say DO NOT do this one – it’s too obvious. Add a Robin
Thicke in a striped suit for an MTV Music Awards couple costume.
·
Government
Shutdown: Park rangers, zoo keepers, congressmen…dress as your favorite
employee put out of work.
·
#TBT: Throwback
Thursday – be a picture of yourself from a yesteryear!
·
Royal
Baby: Diaper. Crown. Enough said. Oh and I didn’t want to mention this
because I hate Kim K, but baby North West is a potential idea.
·
Catfishing:
Based on the popularity of the show and the Manti Te’o scandal earlier this
year, a little pun costume could be a cat with a fishing rod!
Costumes Ideas
That Need To Be Retired:
·
Black Swan/White Swan
·
The Cast of the Hangover
·
Bath Loofah(s)
Here we are, three years later and a popular cupcake
location here in Pittsburgh closed in the last month and what opened? A French bakery
specializing in…you guessed it: Macarons.
The hubs and I picked up a six pack this past weekend at
the new Gaby et Jules in Squirrel
Hill. While I don’t believe they are as tasty as cupcakes, they are rather adorable,
make for a cute little gift AND are a bit less expensive ($13 for six).
While Gaby et Jules doesn't have ordering information online, I'd totally look into them for party favors or gifts!
I’ve mentioned before that the owl was a symbol of my
sorority. And back 10+ years ago, owls weren’t cool. But now they are chic…reallll
chic according to my latest installment of beaHOOTiful owl apparel.
I mean, some of these are so adorable, whooo gives a hoot
about the price ; ) When you have a piece of cute owl apparel, everything is
going to be owlright.
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Oh Marc Jacobs, You're Making Me Blush
Sorry if I’m a little late to the game on this one, but I
just had to gush about my new beauty find. I’ve been looking for a good blush
for about a year now and last week I spontaneously wandered over to this
beauty.
Marc Jacobs, designer behind his namesake brand and Louis Vuitton, now has his own makeup line….and it’s life-changing! I’ve been looking for a blush that picks up nicely on to my brush. I tried a number of different blushes in a variety of price points – a Cover Girl, Stilla and Mac and none of them were hitting the mark. After one little brush of my finger on the Marc Jacobsto my hand, I was sold. Like seriously – this was a 1.1 minute decision.
When I was checking out, the lady at Sephora said that
someone recently came into the store and fell so in love with the blush line,
she bought them all.
I know the price is a bit steep on this one, but I only
buy one blush a year and I wear it daily, so when you do the math, it’s a good
investment (.8 cents a day!).
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As part of my “relaxation” period, this weekend I decided
to “relax” by cooking a number of new dishes. Two dishes via my favorite
website SkinnyTaste. If I’m going to cook at home, why not try and cook healthy!
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Key Learning from This Weekend: The $9 Rotisserie Chicken from
Whole Foods (or your local grocery store) can be totally worth it. Brady put
some on his Chili today, so we are getting like a dip and two dinners from one
chicken. Shot of Mom has a chicken salad recipe that she makes that calls for
Rotisserie Chicken, so hopefully I can get that to share with you all next
week!
This Saturday, the Smithkowski’s watched football at
home, so I made lunch, an app and dinner. On Sunday, I cooked up a little
dessert. Here’s what I’ve been making.
·
Saturday
Lunch: BLT’s with Canadian Maple Bacon on Pretzel Breads. Not so
healthy, but all organic (and perfect for watching football since the little
pretzel buns look like little footballs). These may have been my favorite thing
I made all weekend – no recipe required!
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·
Saturday
Appetizer: I wanted to vary things up from the usual Buffalo Chicken
Dip or Taco Dip, so I whipped up a BBQ Chicken Dip. It's unbaked above and missing the top layer of cheese. The verdict: It was a little too sweet for me. I may try this again with a different BBQ
sauce. Oh and I love how this recipe calls for a rotisserie chicken. It used
less than half of a $9 Whole Foods chicken, so we have the rest to eat as left
overs. I’m also going to put some on a flatbread whole-wheat pizza this week!
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·
Saturday
Dinner: After I made the BLT’s, I threw the ingredients for some Turkey
Chili into my crock pot. Can I pause for a moment that this recipe calls
out that it is “Kid-Friendly.” That means if you effe it up, you really may
need some cooking classes. It also means that it is SUPER easy to make! It
think I would have liked this more if it had some beans OR was a bit more
spicy. But as the hubs noted, it was almost better on day 2! Of course I served
this with some Whole Foods Cornbread on the side. Yummm.
·
Sunday
Dessert: I’m calling this a ½ fail. Today I made Skinny
Pumpkin Spiced Snickerdoodles. So I didn’t follow the instructions
correctly and my Snickerdoodles aren’t “camera-ready” to make an appearance on this
blog. I mean they aren’t overcooked or undercooked, they just aren’t pretty and
kinda spread out a little too much. This recipe calls for wheat flour to make
them “skinny,” but if I make them again, I may go for the regular flour. They
don’t taste bad, but they just taste a little off.
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Saturday, September 28, 2013
Now That It's Fall, Here's Where I Was This Summer
When I started this little blog back in 2006, I promised
myself that I’d never write a “sorry I haven’t posted in a while” post because:
·
I don’t think I’m that important
·
I don’t think my readers care where I’ve been
·
I don’t get paid to write here
·
I believe in living life offline vs. worrying
about my online life
If you ever feel like you need a little Brandi* in your
day, you can always follow me on Twitter or Instagram.
This summer I’ve been up to some cool and not so cool
things, so I’d thought I’d do a little recap post.
May
·
I started a new job! I migrated from Public
Relations to Social Media/Digital Strategy. It makes me giggle to think that I
post once a year on Facebook, yet now post daily on behalf of clients!
·
My computer broke. The screen digitally cracked
on Old Blue. Only having one laptop in the Smithkowski house forced me to use
the iPad more and I loved it! It was great for reading blogs, but not so great
for blogging. FYI – Old Blue is back up and running and this post is coming to
you from my boy!
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June
·
The hubs and I celebrated three years of marital
bliss with a trip to a local winery and an overnight stay at the beautiful Bedford Springs
resort. Highly recommended!
·
This spring/summer, I got really into yoga and
even more into buying yoga apparel. Having a Lululemon on my street is super
dangerous, but at the same time I find some super awesome deals. Recently
though, my yoga pants haven’t made it to a single yoga class (more on that in
September).
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July
·
I had the chance to catch some Pirates games
this summer. Can you believe the team has had their first winning season in 20
years AND made the playoffs! Heck yeah Bucktober!
·
We celebrated the nuptials of my favorite (and
only) brother-in-law Ryan and his beautiful bride Carli. Not only does she also
spell her name with an “i,” she also shares a birthday with myself and Brady’s
Aunt Chrissy! This was our only wedding this year, after nine last year, and it
was awesome!
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August
·
I visited Facebook HQ in Palo Alto. I could go on
and on about its amazingness. And yes, I saw Marky Z! (Yes, those photos are from inside the Facebook factory...errr I mean campus. That little red building is the BBQ shack...all food = free to employees & guests!)
·
I have my first Fantasy Football team and I LOVE
it! It also helps that I’m 3-0 right now!
September
·
We visited the Outer Banks with my family for a
week. We haven’t taken a rest & relaxation week-long vacation since 2010,
so it was a welcome break to lay on the beach and read books! On the way to the
Outer Banks, we stopped in D.C. to do some sightseeing and pick up some
Georgetown Cupcakes. YUM!
·
We took a trip to New Jersey to celebrate my
sister-in-law Amanda’s birthday and the return of the Miss America pageant to
Atlantic City. We attended the “Show Me Your Shoes” Parade. The awesomeness of
that deserves its own post at a later date.
Now this brings me back to current posting….I’m on a
doctor ordered relaxation because I’m dealing with pneumonia. Relaxing doesn’t
come easy to me, so more on that later ; )
So that’s what I’ve been up to! I have a lot of posts
that I haven’t completed, so maybe I’ll have some time to finish them now that
I’m on “relaxation!”
A few weeks ago I was searching for something on the
intenets and stumbled up on this recipe
for Snickers Dip.
Yes, you read that right. A dip made with Snickers.
Immediately I emailed this to myself and the subject line
said, “MUST MAKE THIS.”
So when I found out that we had some guests in town and
Brady said “get some snacks,” I got some snacks…and snickers!
This dip was SUPER easy. You basically crumble 6 bars of
snickers in your food processer (this looked super gross, but was super fun)
and then mix the Snickers and other ingredients in your mixer. EASY, right?!
Here is the recipe for Snickers Dip adapted from Culinary
Cool.
Snickers Dip
·
6 Snickers Bars (one pack, full size)
·
8 oz of cream cheese
·
1 tub of Cool Whip (I used the Giant Eagle light
version)
·
¼ cup of brown sugar
·
Caramel Sauce
Mix the cream cheese, Cool Whip and brown sugar. Crumble the
Snickers in a food processer (note that this is also loud!). Then, mix the Snickers into the cream cheese
mixture.
Layer the dip mixer in a dish, then drizzle some caramel,
then repeat. Serve with pretzels. I picked up some chocolate pretzels, but I think
regular ones would be better.
Like the Cookie Dough Dip, this is better after is refrigerated
for a few hours.
Seriously. Make this.
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