Merry Swiftmas

So I have something kind of silly to share with you all! A friend of mine played this song for me the other day and I KNEW I just had to share it with the hubs. Why? Well because he is OBSESSED with Tayolr Swift (they did, after all, grow up in the same hometown of Wyomissing, PA)! I must admit, she is adorable and has a great voice. Too cute not to share with you all! Happy (almost) Christmas!!! TS

The Gift of Hope

While I was in the car yesterday morning, thinking about all of the things that I still need to do before Christmas, I tuned into 95.5FM, who was playing lots of fun Christmas carols. As I continued to listen, I realized that the show was broadcasting from Blythedale Children's Hospital in in Valhalla, NY.

I couldn't believe my ears! This hospital holds a special place in my hubs and I hearts, as it was considered home for some dear friends and their newborn son almost 4 years ago. As I continued to listen, I realized that they had gotten all of the kids and their families together for a wonderful party full of live Christmas music and fun. It reminded me exactly of what the Christmas spirit is all about. Instead of fretting over the last minute presents that need to be bought, take a minute, or ten, and think about what the Christmas spirit means to you. TS

Christmas in New York

Yesterday was a GREAT day! My mom and I headed into NYC in the morning and bumped into friends on the trainride in...the day just got better and better as it went! First we went to the adorable MacarOn Cafe for some authentic hot cocoa. It was my first time there, but it certainly will not be my last. Only a hop skip from Penn Station, it has a surprisingly local feel to it. Run, don't walk, to MacarOn.

Then we headed to the Tory Burch sample sale at Clothingline. We've been to a bunch of these sales and there is always the longest line. Yesterday morning we walzed right on in. My mom found an adorable brown cardigan and I found a pair of great brown suede heels. All in all, a success. Mom has a favorite silversmith in NY, so we headed there next to check out some fruit spoons that they had just gotten in her silver pattern (they sell estate silver and jewelry and a few new pieces). Sure enough, they had the spoon she wanted and then some! The shop is called Jean's Silversmith's and it is a gem of a store. They have the most interesting pieces and are also amazing at repairs. It's a teeny-tiny shop, but certainly a go-to if you love old silver and jewelry. Next we headed to Saks Fifth Avenue for lunch with my aunt and uncle. Again, we walked right on up to a table. I had a delicious omlette with salad-perfect for the chilly NY weather.

After lunch we walked up to Tiffany & Co. so that I could get my sister and her hubs their wedding present (yep, a bit late, I know). Along the way I was noticing all of the beautiful windows that the various shops had. Branches were a BIG thing this year, especially if they were spray painted in white or silver. There were trees made out of branches, centerpieces with muted Christmas balls hanging from them, and just about any other kind of arrangement you could dream of. I loved the branch theme. LOVED IT! So much, that I am going to work on a New Year's Eve decor and am going to base it all around branches. Stay tuned.

Our next stop was at St. Thomas Church for the concert performed by the Boys of Saint Thomas Choir and Anna Reinersman on the harp. It was a 1 hour, two-part concert, the first half was "A Ceremony of Carols" and the second was "Dancing Day". These boys were UNBELIEVABLE. I couldn't get over their voices. I highly rec you go to one of their concerts. Here is a picture of the wonderful building!

After the concert we met my sister at the rooftop bar of the Peninsula Hotel for a glass of wine. It was freezing out, but they made it super cozy by having heaters all over the roof. For dinner, we went to the bar at The Modern. It is small plates and perfect for our little group. We shared tuna tartar, scallops, duck and more.

I think that this day in the City was one of the best Christmas presents I could have this year. Being with friends and family is so important, and we need to cherish each moment we have with each other. TS

So I have been bad, very bad, about keeping up this blog, and I PROMISE to be better about it! I have, however, been working on compiling a bunch of ideas and pictures to share with you all. Since we are full swing into the holiday season, I thought that I would share with you one of this year’s hottest trends (ok, it’s definitely not a trend-it’s been around forever, but this year it’s as popular as your annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party): TARTAN PLAID! There have been times where I’ve felt that it’s a bit of a dated look, but with the past year being the way that it has been, it seems like we could all use some good old fashioned decorating in our homes. Tartan seems to mix well with modern décor and to fit the bill perfectly.

I think this is a great dining room setup from bhg.com for a roast beef and yorkshire pudding Christmas feast. Note the pretty greens tied to the backs of all of the chairs and the simple, but impactful, paperwhites on the mantel of the fireplace. The tartain runners against the white tablecloth give the print an updated look.

If you wanted to add a little more plaid to this look, you could always place these great (and affordable) dessert plates designed by Jeffrey Banks and available at hsn.com on top of white dinner plates and use them for a first course (to me, tartan has a relaxing appeal to it, so I don't feel the need to have the table and all of its components set exactly how my grandma taught me).

These adorable little trees from Pottery Barn could act as the perfect floral arrangements on you dining room table! The next day, you can plant them in your yard.

These cute wine bottle decs from Pottery Barn would add something festive to your drinks! They could also serve as a great hostess gift for your next holiday party or as a perfect stocking stuffer for the wine lover in your family.

This bar set from Pottery Barn just makes me giggle. It reminds me of Clark Griswold and his egg nog for some reason!

You could always make pillow covers out of tartan plaids like the ones above from The Scottish Weaver. They could go right over your every day pillows in your family or living rooms. All you would have to do is leave one end of the cover open and secure it with buttons.

To add some warmth when the temperature drops, any of these cashmere throws from Restoration Hardware will do the trick.

A friend recently brought this candle from Yankee Candle to my house as a gift. It smells surprisingly fresh and airy, almost like it's not there, but then you get a little wiff and it's lovely!

This book would look oh so nice on your coffee table...and could provide much inspiration! It's available at Amazon.com at a great price.

If you're going to decorate with lots of plaid, then these simple stockings from Pottery Barn would add a nice contrast.

So those are my thoughts on plaid and the holidays. I hope that you enjoyed them and are able to mix and match this great design with your every day things! TS

Getting Cozy

So, I ventured over to the Short Hills Mall this weekend to help my little brother find a pair of jeans (and to check and see if there were any great deals that I just couldn't pass up!). I was expecting it to be absolute mayhem, with long lines, grouchy consumers and stores all messed up, but it wasn't! We found a spot after only a few minutes of searching and headed straight in. After trying on jeans at a bunch of different stores my brother finally found some at the Gap and while there I found a pair of pajama bottoms that I'm convinced are the greatest thing since sliced bread. They are tagless, soft and actually long enough to hit the ground. To top it all off, they have a narrow leg, meaning I didn't wake up in the middle of the night feeling like I had shorts on because the pant legs had crept up my leg! AND THEY WERE BOGO! Below is a picture of the pants that I got (I got them in red stripe), along with some other cozy winter outfits that I think are just perfect for a Sunday winter night. After all, if I'm going to sit on the couch pretending to watch the football game, I may as well be comfortable and look cute! TS

Gap

J.Crew

J.Crew

Anthropologie

Anthropologie

Sferra

Brown Sugar Pie

Happy (early) Thanksgiving! Tomorrow morning my hubs and I are getting up at the crack of dawn to get to his parent's house in time for lots of Thanksgiving fun. I can't wait. It's such a great day to spend time with family and friends, and, of course, to eat lots of yummy food! We are bringing a pumpkin ravioli of some sort (still not sure of the "sauce", though know it'll include lots of butter and walnuts...yum!), and then we are bringing brown sugar pie. It's a pie recipe that was recently given to me by a friend from the South. It's essentially pecan pie...only better (see recipe below). My father-in-law has a MAJOR sweet tooth and we are pretty sure that he is going to LOVE eating this pie. I'm told it's really good with sliced bananas and whipped cream, but I personally stick with the vanilla ice cream. Try making this easy pie for your loved ones, and let me know how it turns out! Happy Eating!!! TS

Old Virginia Brown Sugar Pie

1 lb. brown sugar

4 eggs

1 Tbps. melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs slightly. Add other ingredients. Mix well. Pour into 2, 8-inch (or 1 if you're feeling crazy!) uncooked pastry shells and cook in very slow oven (250-275 degrees) until done. (about 1 hour).

Tucker's Style Take One

Hello out there! This is my first post on any blog site, let alone my own! I thought that I'd start off by explaining the big yellow lab that I have posted behind the title (and the title of this blog, too). Tucker (formally Tuckerman, named after Tuckerman's Ravine in NH) was the greatest dog to ever live. He was a giant, fuzzy, relaxed pup, full of snuggles and kisses. I decided to name this blog after him because he embodied happiness at its fullest, something that I hope to bring to this blog and its readers. I added the "Style" part to the title because I like to think that I have an approachable, relaxed feeling to my style in home and fashion design, food, and ideas. Hopefully everyone else will enjoy reading my thoughts!