(vintage fur vest and belt; DVF dress, bangles, and handbag; Lizzie Fortunato Jewels necklace; TopShop shoes)

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The bittersweet memories of stepping on our scales in mid- December and weighing in like a champion have since drowned in our sorrows of pumpkin pie and cured-meat-ten-ways. I recently heard a very chilling tale that each holiday season, the average person {I know…we are anything but average} gains two lbs and never looses it! Ten years later, you look back at your boy-sized Jets jersey that you used to wear for Sunday football and, well, it’s been passed down to your boy. Scaaaaary!

In efforts to support the two lb gain each season, for all of the wonderfully delicious and deserving {foodies} out there {me, me!}, there is a way to well-rounded (wink) holiday success! Belts. To cinch or not to cinch? Here’s a guide to hiding and skinnifying that twice baked potato belly button:

{The Skinny}…

Dress n’ Fly: Throw on that A-line dress and fly out the door, not without, of course, a skinny minnie belt in rich embossed leather cinching your waist. Finish the look with a classic pointed pump. Your friends will gasp, “WOW! How do you look so polished and trim,” all while hiding behind their potato sack dresses… Victory!

Back to School: Get your “ladies who lunch” on with a shift dress, cropped cardigan sweater, and skinny minnie belt. Of course, hold on the desert while looking so Vogue-worthy. Anna Wintour-approved.

High Tides: Break out the high-waist, wide-leg trouser this new year! Add a chiffon button down blouse and finish with a skinny minnie trouser belt. Are you there, Diane Keaton? It’s me, your cinched twin.

{The Wide Load}…

Shift Over: Grab that mini shift dress…I see it…peaking out the far back corner…behind your pile of “way too” mom jeans that you still haven’t parted with {cue: Closet Raid article that you didn’t follow!} and yank it back to life. Add an wide waist belt and get your boogie on.

Posh Spice: Have a muy importante business meeting and need to woo away? Add a wide waist belt to a below-the-knee sheath and stomp through the glass-on-dewy-carpet-doors like a true Beckham.

Risky Business: Add style and skinnify your daytime routine in an oversized men’s shirt and a wide belt. With tights and ballet flats, you lead with a win-win in your battle with expired coupons at the grocery store.

Moral? Belt shopping is typically more fun than doing crunches…

xoxo, elshane

Thanksgiving is the All-American holiday; we don’t know anyone who doesn’t look forward to indulging in the best life has to offer- food, football, family & friends!  One thing we really look forward to is making this holiday even more unforgettable by mixing unique and traditional touches.

When it comes to the table, this year we’re breaking out an oldie, but goodie… gold flatware.  The metallic palate melts our thankful hearts!

This setting was given to Lisa by her aunt but you can find a similar set, from Diane von Furstenberg Home, at Saks or Neiman’s.  It doesn’t have to stop there… make your table complete with sparkling pumpkins, candles and scented pine cones.

(Crackle Stemware- Pier 1, Glitter Leaf Foliage- Pier 1, Lustre Ivory Napkin- Crate & Barrel, Gold Shimmer Placemat- Pier 1, Gold Charger- Z Gallerie, Murano Cream Dinner Plate- Crate & Barrel, Avilla Salad Plate- Crate & Barrel, Sparkle Pumpkin- Z Gallerie)

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about the kids! We always like to do something a little different and fun for their place settings, so this year we’re giving the little tail feathers a feather napkin ring!

(Feather Napkin Ring- Pier 1)

To get everyone in a thankful mood, we suggest incorporating thankful notes into your crescent rolls.  The deets:

• Email your guests beforehand and ask them to send you something they’re thankful for (or have them write it on a piece of paper when they arrive)
• Type and print their responses into strips and roll them into your dinner rolls
• Cook as directed
• It’s fun to guess who wrote each thankful note!

Last, but not least, if you know us you know that we can’t leave our guests empty handed!  The perfect gesture when parting ways with your guests is to give them cinnamon-scented pine cones that will keep their home smelling festive throughout the holiday season (tuck your favorite Thanksgiving recipe inside the bag for them to enjoy for years to come)!

We hope everyone has a wonderful week preparing for this festive holiday!

Kelli & Lisa

Now that Halloween is behind us and the candy coma has set in, it’s time to think about how you can continue making use of your pumpkins. They’re the gift that keeps on giving!

We love the idea of hosting a “Pumpkin Party”.  It’s a fun way to share wonderful pumpkin recipes with friends and get a little more use out of your pumpkins. Our personal favorite way to host the occasion is to make it potluck and have everyone bring a dish with pumpkin as a primary ingredient. Your only job is to set the theme and put everyone in a pumpkin kind of mood!

Preparing the décor for your party will be easy if you already have pumpkins. Carve out your miniature pumpkins and place votive candles in them for the perfect lighting. Use your larger pumpkins (if they haven’t already been carved) to carve out your house numbers. Need your beverages on ice?  Your pumpkins have that covered, too!

If guests need recipe ideas think pumpkin mashed potatoes, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin pie croissants, roasted pumpkin soup and even pumpkin spiced red wine (it’s amazing!). These are recipes you can easily find online. If you really want to impress your friends, we recommend crusted pumpkin wedges. We’ve shared the recipe below.

Crusted Pumpkin Wedges with Sour Cream Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds pumpkin (skin on)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• 3 tablespoons dried white bread crumbs
• 6 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 2 ½ teaspoons finely chopped thyme
• Grated zest of 2 large lemons
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Salt and white pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut pumpkin into 3/8 inch thick slices and lay flat (cut side down) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

• Mix together Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, half of lemon zest, garlic, tiny amount of salt and some pepper.

• Brush pumpkin with olive oil and sprinkle with a thick coat of crust mix. Gently pat the mix down onto the pumpkin slices.

• Place pan in the oven and roast for 30 minutes (stick a knife in the middle to make sure pumpkin is tender). If topping begins to darken, loosely cover with foil.

• Mix sour cream with dill, some salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining zest and serve warm with sour cream mixture on the side.

Some tips we’ve learned from our own Pumpkin Parties….

• Place blank signs and have your guests fill in the name of their dish (since these dishes are unique).
• Ask everyone to send their recipes ahead of time and have them printed for your guests to take home with them. Everyone will be asking for them!
• To go boxes are a must! As with any potluck, there is plenty of food left and guests will likely want to take some treats home.

Good luck with your party! Get creative and put those pumpkins to work!

Kelli and Lisa

The month of November is usually time for a wonderful break after Halloween and before the Christmas rush sets in. One of the things we like to do as a family in November is to head outdoors and go on an autumn nature hike.

Here where we live, November offers some of the best weather of the year, so it’s only natural to want to spend time outside. With fall’s golden light, it’s also a great time to take outdoor family photos.

When we go on family nature hikes or walks during the fall, the kids love to collect colorful leaves, pinecones of all shapes and sizes, and acorns to take home. They really have a lot of fun trying to find the perfect fall leaves, and we try to identify what kinds of trees the leaves are from.

I bring a bag for each of the kids to collect their autumn treasures. When we bring them home I pull out a decorative platter and we arrange the best of our leaves and pinecones on it to make a colorful fall display. This makes a great dining table centerpiece or decoration for the coffee table, and it’s become something of a fall tradition in our home. The kids love to show off their handiwork to family and friends, too.

A simple and fun autumn craft project that we also like to do is to make leaf prints from the leaves we bring home. This is an easy project that all ages can do, and the results can be really stunning. You’ll need:

• Leaves of different shapes and sizes
• Construction paper
• Crayons

Lay out a sheet of paper and place a leaf on it, then set another sheet of paper over the leaf (or leaves—you can use more than one if you like). Peel the wrapper off a crayon and rub the side of it over the top sheet of paper. The leaves below will magically appear!

We like to use paper and crayons with rich autumnal colors: red, brown, yellow, or orange. You can use white paper, too, but we find that colorful construction paper gives the best results.

The finished product is suitable for framing, using in a scrapbook, or making into note cards and greeting cards. Happy fall!