Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you are all going to be eating well & enjoying the company of whomever you're spending the day with. I'm off to Iowa tomorrow to be with my family enjoy a huge turkey dinner {w. all the fixins, of course!}. Have a great & safe holiday weekend!

♥

Holidays with the Crew

J.Crew, that is. Whoa, ho ho, aren't I clever?

Honestly though, I've always liked J.Crew, despite their ever-increasing price points, but this holiday season they've really stepped it up beyond their usual pretty pieces. I love how glam everything is - fur trims, sparkly clutches, silks, satins, & jewel-toned dresses. Love it all.

(via J.Crew)

Now, if I just had some fabulous parties to go to...

♥

PS...I'm hoping to get my comment posting for your blogs figured out sometime this week - it's been super hard to be able to post on your blogs without being a creepy 'anonymous' creature - I will hopefully get this figured out ASAP!"

I have to admit...

I think Dakota Fanning has grown up to be quite the lovely little lady. I used to think she was more on the "freakish child star" end of things until I saw her spread in Teen Vogue (my guilty pleasure). She looks gorgeous! And I cannot wait to see her on Friday in New Moon.

The dresses from the shoot are also pretty much amazing. My fave? This gorgeous leopard option that is going to be in Target (yes, TARGET!) in December. Thank you Rodarte.

How fun is this dress, seriously? I must own it.

As for New Moon, this still alone looks great. I would take 'Jane's' outfit for sure.

I am so excited.

Conor is taking me see it at a new theater (w. booze!) on Friday afternoon.

We have reserved seats, ha! What a guy.

{all photos via Teen Vogue}

♥

I'm {sort of} Back! And some cupcakes, too...

I am making a huge effort to get back to my blog this week. I've been really busy at school (end of the semester, yeehaw!) with studying & projects, so I will do my bestest.

I'm also still on the sad, dilapidated Macbook, but have discovered I can use Safari to blog. I hope this comes out okay.

Just to get restarted, here's a little action for the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book - aka, the Book o' Dreams. Custom-made Cupcake Car anyone? I personally enjoy the expressions on the drivers' faces. So bizarre. I want two.

Or maybe just one for my mom, cuz it's her BIRTHDAY.

Love you Mom! Go "sip some Bacardi, like it's yer berfday," says Sir 50 Cent.

♥

Happy Halloween!

It's costume time! I'd hoped to have a super fabulous, totally creative, blow your mind costume planned this year, but moving to a new place & midterm exams kinda got in the way. I have two of my best friends coming to town, so I think we'll just get all dressed up & have some fun with makeup!

My inspiration? This glam-zombie face from M.A.C.'s 2009 Halloween looks.
That's what it's really about anyway - the hair & makeup. This coming from a former cosmetics consultant, of course!
I promise to take pics & post whatever I do come up with. It should be worth a laugh, at the very least.

♥
PS...I am still having major computer issues. This is actually being typed from a creepy public lab at school...blah! I can't actually log onto Google at home, so I am unable to keep up with your blogs too well. I'm hoping to have something worked out soon, please don't forget about me!

Gore & More

{"Oh my goodness," says Miss Rosemary, "these movies are scary!"}

Yesterday I gave you my faves in the more 'suspenseful' area of scary movies. Fret not, my gore-loving friends, I've got a list for you as well!

Without further ado...

10. Pet Sematary {I loved my pets too, but let them go!}
9. Scream
8. Saw {but not Saw II, III, IV, V, VI...etc.}
7. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre {1974}
6. Night of the Living Dead {1968}
5. Drag Me to Hell
4. Friday the 13th {classic, & kinda hilarious}
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street {classic, & totally hilarious}
2. The Shining
1. Shaun of the Dead {as you can see, I'm truly not a fan of gore, which is why this is my fave}

Sleep with the lights on!
♥

My Favorite {s c a r y} Movies

{doing my best scared/suspense movie face}

Everyone likes scary movies, right? The adrenaline, nerves & giggly fear they instill inside us can become quite addicting. While I'm not a blood & gore lady, I do like some good, classic, thrills & chills. In the spirit of Halloween, here are my top 10 faves.

Check them out, turn out the lights, & get scared!

10. Mothman Prophecies {I actually got so upset watching this, I cried, ha}
9. The Exorcism of Emily Rose {Pipee not like demons}
8. Invasion of the Body Snatchers {1956}
7. Nosferatu {1922}
6. The Orphanage {El orfanato}
5. The Sixth Sense {Mischa Barton alert!}
4. Halloween {again, the original, please}
3. Rear Window
2. The Birds
1. Rosemary's Baby {wouldn't walk to a friend's car alone after this one}

♥

Oh no!

So I got a little too sure of my Macbook's abilities when it turned itself back on a few weeks back. It has since succumbed to the damage inflicted by the 52 ounces of water previously spilled upon it's sad little self. SO, no computie. Or hard drive for that matter. Plus I'm in the process of moving to a new place, so it's a bit hectic around the Van Buskirk/McChesney household.

Blah.
I will be back.

Until later, my pets!
♥

Football {food & drink}

I had planned to post weekly party ideas for you football-lovin' peeps out there. Then the Macbook had a tragic accident & it did not work out. BUT, we still have about half of the season left, so here we go!

{A round of lavosh. I keep them on hand in case people show up unannounced!}
One of my favorite party snacks is definitely lavosh. If you haven't heard of it, it's actually Armenian cracker bread that you can toast with toppings or soften to make rolled up sandwiches. It's awesome. Whenever I purchase this, the checkout dude or other customers always ask what in the hell it is.

To start, I spray the surface of the lavosh w. PAM olive oil spray.
You could use whatever, or even real oil, too.
My favorite is Thai.

• First sprinkle shredded Havarti over the surface, followed by chopped green onion & diced chicken breast (already roasted, of course).
• Place in 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. Just keep on eye on it (cheese will bubble & edges turn brown...we've all cooked pizza, right?).
• Remove & immediately top with chopped tomatoes & cilantro.
• Drizzle your favorite peanut sauce over the top, break into chunks & enjoy!

{obviously you could use a huge variety of toppings, get creative!}

As for cocktails, this was inspired by Miss Candace Rose, one of my favorite bloggers.
Beer Margaritas!

One cup white tequila...
one frozen limeade tube...
4 beers {I used High Life, obviously}.

Mix together, chill & enjoy! These are seriously unreal.
SO GOOD.
I drank about 2 pitchers too many.

Now go...eat, drink, & be merry!
♥

Fall Break {Chicago!}

I'm going out of town. So happy, so excited. I've been blessed with 2 days off, so am heading to the Windy City to visit my best friend, Chuck. I promise to post a blog while I'm there, hopefully from the warmth of a window seat at a bar in Boystown, ha!

{I hope to get some good pics, as these are usually what come out from our visits...}
On the agenda? Yummy dinners, football {Arkansas & USC, our faves} on Saturday, brunch & plenty of cocktails Sunday, & maybe a little shopping on Monday.
Stay tuned!
♥