Wishing You a Gorgeous Holiday Season and Happy New Year! Vacation Time!

We truly hope your holiday season has been filled with love, laughter, family, friends and fun...

...well all of those and maybe a few rad gifts or three ;)

And while kiss another year buh-bye and welcome in a new one (a crazy exciting one!)

We just wanted to say THANK YOU from the bottom of our sass-filled hearts for enjoying our blog as much as we enjoy writing it for you.

You guys loving it is our gift.

So while you are scouring a mall for after Xmas deals, or snuggled up with a glass or mug of yule tide fun, or cuddling with a furry creature or cute friend....

We will be taking a little vacay of our own to bake up some bunnies and get ready for a big year ahead.

Merry Holidays and Happy New Year!!!!

Be triple sure you and all of your uber rad friends follow us on Twitter to stay up to the minute (ok hour or four) with us.

We heart you!!!!

xoxo... miss twh and miss me

Decor 2 Die 4- Last minute holiday hostess gifts.

Here we are just 2 days away from the big day itself! Christmas day!

If you are anything like us, you have been shopping up to the last minute, and you still have some to do...

Well, don't feel too bad about it, even Santa waits till the last minute to drop off his gifts!!

But you never want to show up at a holiday party empty handed, so here are some last minute ideas for your host & hostess this holiday season.

3 reasons why pretty flowers are the perfect gift...

1. One size fits all.

2. Everyone (mostly) loves them.

3. Once the holiday is over only the memory of your thoughtfulness lingers....

(As opposed to that wool Reindeer Sweater that Aunt Maggie knitted and takes up WAY too much of your closet space... Thanks Aunt Mags!)

Another great gift for the last minute shopper... BOOZE!

Grab a bottle of Wine or really nice Scotch

(Macallan 18)

Skip the errr, festive bottle stoppers, and instead add a nice pair of wine or highball glasses!

(Mrs. Lilien)

Don't even have time to go grab pretty glasses? Take the lesson now and get to know yourself! Order these cute labels for next year, so you are never caught without a personal touch added to your last minute gift!!

Trust us, order them NOW and put them in your desk drawer! You can thank us at the end of 2011!!

If you live anywhere within a 15-20 minute radius of an Anthropologie store, you have no excuse for yourself...

Honestly this store is like the "hostess gift" shopping equivalent to great sex.... If you can't find something here to make you happy, then you are just being too picky!

Give this pretty Capri candle as a gift and watch the scene unfold sort of like this...

"Thank you for inviting me over for Christmas dinner Mrs. My-New-Boyfriends mom...

Here is a beautiful silver candle that smells like Heaven...

Well, yes I am a pretty special girl, thank you for noticing... You do have a lucky son and yes your right, I AM good enough for him."

If it comes down to it... A box of chocolate will work in the pinch...

Really you could take the time to make a homemade sweet gift for your sweet friend, but when your outta time, your outta time!

Just make sure that the box is pretty and the chocolate is GOOOOOD!

We wish you a Merry Christmas filled with lots of love and goodness! Remember that for as much crap as we talk over here at T-W-H the very BEST gift you can give or get is love, loyalty, laughter and of course... Lanvin.

XOXO- Things-We-Heart

Yummies: We Heart the best kind of gifts....the home made edible kind!!!

Yummm....yummm....yummmm in the tum...tum...tum!!! We are coocoo crazy in lusty heartville with edible gifts. Not only are they muy delicious but they come from the heart and always get used...unlike that weird gadget your Aunt gave you last year....

This year we decided to take the Martha S path and bake up some delectable deliciousness to the 3rd power.

We packed them up super cute style and they were a huuuge hit!***

***Disclaimer...they were also a huuuuge hit at home when of course we accidentally may have left some out of the gifts and accidentally kept them for ourselves...hey, we are pregnant! ***

So here are a few of our all time fave home made edible gifts!

We have to admit...this first one was kinda sorta for us. Once we saw the recipe for Heath Nutella Sandwich Cookies we were insta obsessed! Heath Bars and Nutella? Um...what?!?!

Nutella Heath Bar Sandwich Cookies (adapted from Cookin’ Canuck)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
14 tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup Heath bar English toffee bits (I bought several heath bars, placed them in a ziplock and took out any aggression I had, smashing it with a rolling pin)

1 cup plus 1 tbsp Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar with an electric mixer set on medium speed until the mixture is creamy and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract.

Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually beat in the flour mixture until it is just combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture a few times to make sure all of the flour mixture is incorporated. Mix in Heath bits.

Place 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. With slightly dampened hands, roll a small amount of the cookie dough between your palms to form a ball (approx 2 tsp). Roll the ball in the sugar to coat it and place it on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheets. Lightly coat the bottom of a glass or metal measuring cup with butter and dip into the sugar. Use this to gently flatten the cookies to 3/4-inch thickness.

Bake the cookies, rotating from front to back halfway through baking. They are done when the edges are set and beginning to brown, 9 to 10 minutes. The centers of the cookies should still be soft and puffy. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let cool on a rack.

Spread the bottom of one cookie with Nutella and sandwich with a second cookie. Serve as is or with a side of vanilla bean ice cream or topped with cool whip. Delicious!

Makes about 50 mini (or 24 large) sandwich cookies.

Yup...we never knew our palettes were soooo English :) and neither did the recipients who devoured these!

How f'n pretty are these peppermint chocolate cookies?!?!?!

They are like that ridiculously yummy white chocolate bark (OOOOH! You can make that too!!!!!) but with a minty cookie inside...and UBER easy to make...PROMISE!

Ingredients

Makes 6 dozen

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• 8 large candy canes or 30 peppermint candies, crushed
• 2 pounds white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, and add egg, then yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract. Slowly add flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
2. Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out circles, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll and cut scraps once. Freeze cookies until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk.
3. Bake until cookies are dry to the touch, about 12 minutes. Transfer parchment, with cookies, to wire racks, and let cool. (Undecorated cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.)
4. Sift crushed candy, and separate larger pieces from dust, reserving both. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Remove from heat. Dunk cookies into melted chocolate. Using a fork, turn to coat, let excess drip off, and gently scrape bottom against edge of bowl. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of either candy pieces or dust on top. Repeat, sprinkling half the cookies with pieces and the rest with dust. Refrigerate until set, up to 3 hours.

These will turn you into a favorite gift giver in no time!

Oh...hi there dreamy partners...What's that you say?...You say that if we make these amazing Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups we will be the queens of edible gifts? Well, done and done cuz you had us at Peanut Butter n Chocolate!

Ingredients

For the peanut butter base:
1/4 cup soft dark brown sugar
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 stick butter, softened
7 ounces smooth peanut butter
For dark chocolate:
7 ounces dark chocolate
3 1/2 ounces milk chocolate

Directions

1. Place all the ingredients for the base in the bowl of a food processor. Blend the mixture until the mixture takes on a sandy texture.
2. Place 48 gold petit four cases in sets of miniature tart tins or mini-muffin tins (each indent about 1 3/4-inches in diameter). Use 1 teaspoon of the base mixture to fill the bases of the petit four cases. Press the sandy mixture down into the cases as best you can to form a layer at the bottom of each paper case.
3. Place the milk chocolate and dark chocolate together into a heatproof bowl. Suspend the bowl over a pan of simmering water (the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl). Melt the chocolate gently while stirring. Spoon teaspoonfuls of the melted chocolate onto the top of each of the sandy bases of the petit four cases.
4. Let them set in the fridge, for about 30 minutes.
5. To package, use a small box and layer the peanut butter cups or using saran wrap cut into squares place 3 to 5 peanut butter cups in the center, gather the saran wrap in the center and tie with a bow. Create a cute label and affix it to the packages.

Makes 48 peanut butter cups.

Not finding what you wanna make here? Just think of your favorite yummies for the holidays (Fudge...Magic Bars...) and find a great recipe and start cookin!

It's soooo rewarding to your tummy and theirs :)

OH! PS Don't forget the cute packaging!

We are total suckers for that! Just Google it and get inspired :)

xoxo things we heart

Random hearts: We heart a rainy day...why? It's sooo much fun inside!

Rain...rain...go away (NO! Don't...we need you!!)

Come again another day (NO! Wait?!?! Stay!!! We looove staying indoors on rainy days)

Fireplace √ (or wall heater...or amazing vintage-esque oil heater)

Cozy Blanket or throw √

Hot Cocoa √

Cashmere PJs √√

Candles √

You got all of the above for these craaazy winter days???

OK, now what???

Baby when it's sooo cold out side. Bundle up and stay inside and snuggle like you have never snuggled before. And when you are done snuggling?

I mean how can you ever really be done snuggling...but when you are done..here are a few ways to get busy (not like that...you just got done with a snugglefest remember?)

1. Learn to cook or bake!

Grab your fave cookbook or go onto All Recipes or Madame Martha's site and have at it!

There are local markets (even some of the big guys) who do home grocery delivery if you run out of ingredients when your cookin' up a storm

2. Organize it...don't criticize it...(Peter Tosh anyone?)

Take a tip from the pros and slap that disarray and mess into submission! Go into your most feared pantry or closet and get to work! (PS donate your tossed clothing or goods to a local shelter Goodwill)

We LOVE Organize.com for their amazing ideas and labels.

3. Learn to give your self a mani/pedi!

Not only is it uber recessionista chic, but you deserve a lil' pampering!

Here's a great tutorial on how to do the perf self manicure (sounds dirty!)

4. Take a tip from Bastian and read a good book...

Let it take you to a far away land and get lost in it. Bigger brain = sexier girl (or boy)

Need another book but don't feel like going out and braving the elements?

Download one! You don't need a Nook or Kindle...

At Barnes and Noble they sell ebooks for your Iphone, Blackberry or Mac!!!

Radness!!!

5. Go thru all of your magazines (Miss Me and I are super guilty for hoarding our faves)...
Get inspired by your magazines that are lying around. Read the articles...they are great...get inspired to redecorate your abode. Play dress up in your newly organized closet and try to put together great ensembles like the ones you see in Vogue!

Go here for super cheap subscriptions and stock up for the next storm.

6. Still hungry? Order takeout...
Delivery.com has tons of restaurants in the big cities around the USofA that will deliver to you. Just type in your address and see who pops up! Try something you have never tried before...

Who needs to go outside to have and adventure?

So what ever you decide to do on a glorious rainy day...have fun...be creative...and stay cozy ;)

xoxo things we heart

Diamond Engagement Rings: Historical Fact

There is no doubt in the fact that women simply love and adore diamonds. Irrespective of the form of jewelry it accompanies, they love this rare and stunningly beautiful stone beyond words. Be it diamond rings, diamond earrings, diamond pendants, diamond bracelets or diamond necklaces, every piece of diamond jewelry is something a woman cherishes forever.

But in spite of a countless options in diamond jewelry her favorite is surely her sparkling diamond engagement ring and not without reason. Diamond engagement rings are the most popular and traditional form of engagement rings that have continued to win over the hearts of women through the centuries with their irresistible shimmer and endless beauty. But have you ever stopped to think how the immaculate diamond engagement rings came to be so popular and the history behind this highly coveted and special piece of jewelry.

Let’s start by telling you that the very first diamond engagement ring was presented to Mary of Burgundy in the year 1477 by Archduke Maximillian of Austria as a promise of marriage and this soon became a trend amongst the wealthy. Around 1870, with the discovery of mines in South Africa diamonds became a lot more accessible to people who started giving away diamond engagement rings as a sign of betrothal. This was also the time that the conglomerate De Beers was formed who ensured that diamonds reached the desired market destinations.

When Depression struck in the late 1930s and the market for diamonds was abysmally low Sir Ernest Oppenheimer of De Beers sent his team to New York and that is where the famous punch line ‘A Diamond is Forever’ was conceived. This triggered the use of diamonds in engagement rings and diamond engagement rings came to be the most desirable version.

Talking of the history of diamond engagement rings another interesting fact that deserves mention is the smallest engagement ring that was ever given. This happened in the year 1518 when the two year old daughter of Henry VIII, Mary was given the tiny engagement ring set with a diamond on the occasion of her betrothal to the infant Dauphin pf France who happened to be the son of King Francis I.

The highly sought after diamond solitaire engagement ring that women simply worship these days was introduced some time in the late nineteenth century. These diamond solitaire rings are the most popular and sought after variation of diamond engagement rings and needless to say are highly prized for their stark yet startling beauty.

Technorati Tags: Diamond Engagement Rings,Diamond Rings,Diamond Earrings,Diamond Pendants

Gemstone Jewelry as A Diamond Alternative

Gemstone Jewelry as A Diamond Alternative the most wonderful thing about jewelry is that they are available with so much variation where each kind strikes you with its full on and spectacular beauty. There is so much one can say about the different kinds of jewelry but let’s just start with saying that it is in this variation that the desire to accumulate and flaunt more and more jewelry lies. So you can hardly blame women when they keep adding the various jewelry pieces to their personal jewelry collection for who can possibly resist the uniqueness of each piece.

The other good thing about this is that jewelry gives one various options and alternatives to select from. So one can choose a piece based on things ranging from one’s personal taste and preference, the latest styles and trends as well as the budget one thinks of spending on a particular piece. So although you are someone who is in love with the dazzle of diamonds but for some reason is unable to attain the fascinating diamond jewelry then no worries for colored gemstones are a perfect alternate with their vibrant glitter.

The most wonderful quality of colored gemstones is that they are available in a wide spectrum of colors. And each has a look and appeal that is unique. So from the sensuous blue sapphires, the rich red rubies, the evergreen emeralds, the lovely violet tanzanites, the sunny citrines or the alluring aquamarines each gemstone has a beauty that is true to its own which urges one to indulge in gemstone jewelry in most of these wonderful and vivid gemstones.

Colored gemstones are also a lot more reasonably priced than their more expensive and sparkling counterparts the forever diamonds. Due to this affordable nature of gemstones they often prove to be a much more reasonably priced yet beautiful alternative to diamond jewelry. There is one more amazing aspect of gemstones where a few of them bear a close resemblance to diamonds but one thing needs mention here and that is diamonds are diamonds in all their splendor and exquisiteness, however a few gemstones that are white in color could be a good choice instead of diamonds, white sapphires being one such example.

So if you are someone who is in love with jewelry and enjoys experimentation then it is time to shift from the dizzy dazzle of diamond jewelry and experiment with the wonderful colors that belong exclusively to gemstone jewelry alone.

I am a writer working with a renowned Gemstone Jewelry firm (Angara.com). Combination of my passion for writing and my fetish for jewelry drove me to this interesting job. My feminine instinct loves collecting information on jewelry and rejoices in sharing my education with all.

Gemstone Earrings and Gemstone Pendants at Angara.com

Technorati Tags: Gemstone Jewelry,Gemstone Rings,Gemstone Earrings,Gemstone Pendants,Gemstone Engagement Rings

Beauty-Fuls....Golden Arches: Get them right, get them tight...

You know how important it is to have a well groomed brow. We all do, but how do we get the well groomed brow with our going overboard with the tweezers?

We have all done it before... Gotten in the zone with the magnifying mirror and when we pulled back and blinked, oh my.... That eyebrow is way thinner then the other side! Woopsie!

That is why it is best to leave eyebrow shaping to the experts.

Particularly, when the eyebrows you were born with look like the love child of Martin Scorsese and Brooke Shields....

(Thanks Daddy!)

What? Have you seen pictures of Miss Me as a child? No, thats right and there are reasons for that.

But for those times when you just can't get to a professional to wax, tweeze,thread, or zap your brows into shape here are some pointers for D.I.Y.B

(Do It Yourself Brows)

*WARNING T-W-H says don't try anything but tweezing on your own! We do not heart home waxing accidents!

5 Steps to a Perfect Eyebrow Shape

(source)

1. Trim your eyebrows. This will make a big difference in helping you look younger. Once eyebrows reach a certain length they start losing pigments at the ends. I love using a mustache trimmer set I purchased at a department store. It comes with a little comb and perfect point scissors. Comb your eyebrows up, trim any excess that goes beyond the natural hair line. Comb your eyebrows down, and do the same. It may seem like a lot at first but trust me, you will love the outcome.
2. Take an eyeliner pencil and place it vertically against your nose. It should run from the side of the nose, mid-mouth, and by the tear duct of the eye. This is where your eyebrow should start; any hair that is visible beyond the pencil should be tweezed.
3. Next place the pencil diagonally where it should hit the middle of the mouth, nostril, and outside the iris of the eye. This is wear your arch is. Tweeze a gradually line from the arch to the start of the eyebrow. Remember, GRADUAL, nothing harsh.
4. To determine the end of the eyebrow, place the pencil diagonally across to the opposite corners of the mouth, nostril, and outside corner of the eye. Any hair that goes past should be tweezed.
5. Place your pencil horizontal from the start of the eyebrow to the end of the eyebrow. The pencil should create a perfect straight line.

Make note, while we are all for taming your natural brow line, we are not for over plucking away your brows into nothingness.

Sorry Pam...

So, here is what you do, find the shape that is perfect for you and your face shape.

Working with your own natural brow shape follow the guidelines above to keep your brow from getting too short.

A well shaped brow can really make the difference between night and day for your looks.

Now we know all about the importance of shaping, lets talk shade... Because the color of your eyebrow is super important too!

RULES FOR EYEBROW COLOR

• dark haired people should go one or two shades lighter than the color of hair on their head
• light haired people to go two shades darker than the color of hair on their head

As demonstrated by the always classy (uh-hhem) Kim Kardashian,

If you lighten your locks, please don't forget to lighten your eyebrows!

You will end up looking just like Madonna in the Papa don't preach video.

Looks like Italians only do SOME things better.

Here are a few of our favorite brow shapes, these ladies are all working different looks... But they are all working and that is the key.

Super thick and slightly bushy, a lot of weaker women would have shrank from such a strong brow but not Jennifer Connelly. Beautiful dark brows make her stand out in the sea of starlettes.

Gwen Stefani mixed classic golden era movie star and high-school cholita together and came out with pure eyebrow magic.

Perfectly arched they play up the beauty of her dark, dark eyes.

Landing in the middle of these to options, is every boyfriends fantasy girl..

Natalie Portman.

Just thick enough with only the slightest arch, the shade of her soft brown eyes matches her brows.

Okay truth be told, it isn't just the boys who have a crush on The Black Swan....

We suggest you go and get your eye brow shaped at least a few times a year and maintain that shape yourself if you are looking to save some moolah and precious time.

Now for some things we heart tips...

If you do happen to over-pluck, and it happens to the best of us, use a pencil orpowder and brush to fill in the missing brow... Naturally!

Keep a mini brow kit in your car, for emergency moments.

Don't forget to trim and lighten or darken your brows depending on your hair color. If your brows are feeling heavy don't over pluck.. try to lighten your brows a touch. It can make a HUGE change.

Try your best to stick to the rules of eyebrow shaping above, and treat yourself as often as you can to a professional eyebrow shape.

XOXO- Things-We-Heart

(Miss Me & Miss t-w-h)