I might be the utmost qualified ladylove to touch in on this subject; I cry at every Zales commercial ever aired.

The elshane motto of a brighter life is woven stems from catering {lewks} for specific celebrations, and Valentine’s Day is high up on the mega list of favorite holidays to play dress-me-up.

And why is this night different from all other nights, we ask? Because on this night, we dress for our significant other(s) (it’s 2012, peoples!), or the imagination of one(s). Trends are left in the dust of classic sex appeal. Edginess may have gotten you the date, but your inner {Sofia Vergara} is paying the bill tonight…

(Jennifer Behr for DVF turban; DVF maxi; vintage necklaces and handbag; TopShop boots)

****

Table For Two…

Steak and Martinis? A dress, of course, is required. Red, of course, is required. Leave the cliché comments at the babysitter’s door. Tonight you are dressing for the ultimate date night of 2012. You are your best self: the dress, the hair, the makeup, the shoes. Leave no step behind. Take the diamonds out of the safe. Bat those lashes and deserve that second drink without a peep…

“Roughing It” with Ham Sammies? A more low-key dinner out is often preferred by most Valentine-goers because of the clockwork overpriced holiday menus. {Ru-uude!} Doesn’t mean your wardrobe should reflect that change of sassy pace. On a night like Valentine’s Day, the fantasy of romance is between you and your partner– there is no one else in the room tonight! Stand out with a body-con pencil skirt and low cut printed top. Add a bright heel to keep your partner’s eye wandering…from head to toe.

Posing as Chef Betty? Nothing says female empowerment like a home cooked meal! Light candles, dim the lights, and serve up your famous Saucy Special in a dramatic non-formal maxi dress (chiffon, silk, or cotton). And, don’t forget the heels! If you are bringing the restaurant “home” into the kitchen, keep all restaurant rules in play tonight. Last time I was in a restaurant shoe-less was, well, last week in Tokyo, Japan… So unless you’re searing sea bass and slicing sashimi, stay stiletto strong!

The Brooding Bunch? For every whimsical Sally running through daisy gardens with effervescent fervor, there is a crew of {hit the beat, DJ!} To All My Single Ladies! who will gather together this evening and reflect on bad dates, celebrating their fabulousity! {You go gurl!} Forget red and black: go bold! This is your time to celebrate yourself: go Green {with envy} for your untouchable swagger cool. GAP and Joe’s Jeans make green denim that skinny-fy any leg and add a winter zaa-zaa-zoorific to a snowy or shiny backdrop. Bring the look home with a wildly entertaining top and rewarding accessories.

And what will I be wearing? I’m going Chef Betty on this holy night. Meaning… while my Beef Tenderloin Tips and Truffle Mac n’ Cheese are a-roastin’, I’ll be doing a swift oil-proof rapid quickfire change into a beachy chiffon pink snow leopard maxi and tough chick booties. Hair long and wavy, heavy on the eyelash, and strong on the ’07 Malbac.

Ambiance and all smiles.

xoxo,

elshane

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just a few days away…2011 has flown by! As we all get ready to celebrate with family and friends, we want to share a few of our favorite things about Christmas. Christmas is one of the few times where we all slow down and pay attention to every little detail. Just another reason why we love the holidays so much!

When it comes to the Christmas tree, it’s the small details that make a grand masterpiece. And when it comes to the details, we have a little obsession with ornaments! We’ve narrowed down our favorites.

1) Rachel Roy designed ornament – Macy’s (part of the proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation) 2) Cotton Candy Machine ornament – Nordstrom 3) Glitter Football ornament – Macy’s 4) LOVE ornament – Urban Outfitters 5) Macaroon ornament – Sur la Table 6) Fireside Feelings ornament – Anthropologie 7) Double Decker London Bus ornament – Harrod’s 8 ) Dachshund ornament – Z Gallerie

If you haven’t broken down and gotten a real tree this year, or if you need some extra Christmas scents, we love stovetop potpourri. It’s an easy way to pull items you likely already have at home and fill your home with fragrant goodness!

Stovetop Potpourri Recipe

Ingredients:

• One whole orange or orange peel
• ½ cup of fresh cranberries
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 3 sticks of cinnamon

Directions:

Slice the orange into quarters and place into a saucepan with the rest of your ingredients. Fill the pan with water and place on the smallest burner. Heat on the lowest setting and refill the water as necessary.

You can certainly increase the recipe and add additional ingredients like nutmeg. And if you need a last minute gift or gifs for neighbors and co-workers, package the ingredients in a cellophane bag, add a bow (you can even add a tag with the instructions) and give the gift of a gorgeous-smelling home!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Kelli & Lisa

(DVF shirt, scarf vest, pants, luggage; vintage hat; Lia Sophia bracelets and necklace; Christian Louboutin heels)

****

{“When you figure out your suitcase, you figure out your life”} – Diane von Furstenberg.

Holiday spirits, people! Everyone’s goin-a-packin! Trains, planes, and automobiles…guaranteed you will be part of the mass exodus {“movement of ‘Jah people, oh-oh-oh yea-eah!”} – Bob Marley) this holiday season. For the sun-chasers, Cabo San Lucas? Miami? For the snow-seekers, Aspen? Vail? For the rest of us in this world who don’t follow the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills travel itinerary, Uncle Joe’s house? Down the river?

{“No matter where you’re going, you will surely be a-tow-in”} – elshane. There’s nothing chicer than a shimmery soul in a scrawny suitcase, La Petite Valise.

How to pack your La Petite Valise? {cue unlined paper, colorful pens, and an imagination…} **I’ve substituted clothing for names; see how I pack my weekend La Petite Valise from LA to NY…

FRIDAY  (69°LAà 42° NYC)

Airplane: Jimmy leggings; Kimmy sweater; Shimmy scarf; Winnie flats; Minnie

leather jacket

Dinner with parents: Binny jeans; Spiny chiffon button down; Shimmy scarf;

Winnie flats; Gwinnie fur coat

Out with friends: Binny jeans; Gimmee sequin top; Shimmy scarf; Lynnie killer stilettos; Minnie leather jacket

SATURDAY (38° NYC)      

Business meeting: Timmy harem pants; Spiny chiffon button down; Shimmy

scarf; Lynnie killer stilettos; Gwinnie fur coat

Lunch with old co-workers: same look as above

Dinner with college friends: Flynnie leather pants; Kimmy sweater; Lynnie

killer stilettos; Minnie leather jacket

SUNDAY (43° NYCà 74° LA)

Shopping Soho: Flynnie leather pants; Spiny chiffon button down; Shimmy

scarf; Winnie flats; Gwinnie fur coat

Museum tour: same look as above

Airplane: Timmy harem pants; Kimmy sweater; Winnie flats; new scarf I

purchased while shopping earlier that day; Minnie leather jacket.

Friends, we call this “hanging with Kimmy, Shimmy, Winnie, Minnie; Binny, Spiny, Gwinnie; Gimmee, Lynnie, Timmy and Flynnie.”

Therefore, when you pack a La Petite Valise, you…

ALWAYS HAVE ROOM TO “MAKE NEW FRIENDS”

xo, elshane

While it’s natural for dads to have holiday traditions like cutting down the Christmas tree at the tree farm and standing up on a ladder stringing miles of colored lights on the house, I also have one that’s a little bit more domestic: sugar cookies.

Our tradition began a few years ago when I was desperately looking for gifts to bring to work for my colleagues. I didn’t want something very expensive, but I also wanted something festive and distinctive. That weekend, when the kids were bugging mom about wanting to make Christmas cookies, a tradition was born: I’d make cookies, wrap them up nicely, and give them as gifts—with help from the kids, of course.

It’s really a win-win situation. The kids get to spend some quality time with dad, my wife gets a break, and the cookie bakers get to eat as much raw cookie dough as they want without mommy getting mad. From-scratch sugar cookie dough isn’t hard to make, and they’re tasty cookies that can be decorated pretty much any way you want.

The kids love to roll out the dough and cut shapes with our holiday cookie cutters, and of course they really like to go nuts with the frosting and candy sprinkles when the cookies come out of the oven.

Many of my co-workers are either young singles or older professionals with grown children, so they love getting these little packages of homey cookies as Christmas gifts. And I know they like them because very few cookies actually make it home from the office.

We usually either put them on colorful holiday paper plates, or tie them up with ribbon in holiday-themed plastic baggies. Either way, they’re always a welcome gift.

Here’s our family sugar cookie recipe that I’ve perfected over the last few years. It’s the juice and zest from fresh Meyer lemons that really give these a unique flavor.

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (you’ll need a little more for dusting your work surface, too)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.

In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ones in the large bowl along with the lemon juice and zest and mix together on low speed until they’re combined.

At this point you can wrap the dough in some plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour. This makes the dough easier to roll and shape.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Roll the dough out on a floured surface until 1/8 inch thick, then cut into shapes and bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 8–10 minutes or until they start to turn a little brown on the edges.

Cool on a wire rack, and then decorate.

That’s right, now that most of your shopping is complete (hopefully!); it’s time to get wrapping.  This holiday we are all about bows, the perfect presentation for your gifts!  We love picking a theme for our gift wrap… this year it’s all about red & white peppermint stripe, and of course great bows!

(Gift Accents: Whirly Pop from the Candy Store, Jingle Wine Wreath from Pottery Barn, Winter Candy Apple lip gloss from Bath & Body Works)

DIY Bows

1) Bow napkin: lay napkin flat, fold lengthwise twice to form long, ribbon-like shape.  Fold short ends in so they meet in the center and cinch in the middle with a napkin ring. (Lenox napkin- Macy’s, Chilewich gold dahlia placemat- Sur la Table)

2) Tuxedo bow: fold the ends of a piece of ribbon in towards the center and secure with glue/tape.  Wrap a second piece of ribbon around the center and secure in the back.  Cut a piece of ribbon 1 ½ inches longer than the bow and cut notches on each end.  Secure the bow to the top.

Bows aren’t just for wrapping! Finish off your holiday looks with some of these bows. And in case you get hungry from shopping, we’ve shared our favorite bow tie pasta recipe. It’s the perfect festive dish!

1) Delias chain bow necklace 2) Reiss knit silk bow tie (we’re inspired by Brad Goreski!) 3) French Connection bow felt fedora 4) LOFT bow v-neck shell 5) Rebecca Minkoff sweetie bow clutch

Bow Tie Pesto Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:

Pasta:
1 pound (16 oz) bow tie pasta (cooked)

Pesto Sauce:
1 cup packed fresh basil (1 1/3 oz)
4 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken chopped*
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes (drained and chopped)
1/2 cup pine nuts

Directions:

1. Cook pasta and drain.
2. Wash and pat basil dry.
3. In food processor (or blender), mix basil, garlic and walnuts. Add olive oil and process again. Add cheese, salt, and pepper and process again.
4. Combine 2 tbsp of hot water with heavy cream. Stir cream mixture into pesto.
5. Reserve 12 pieces of pasta, then pour pesto sauce over pasta and stir until well coated.
6. Add chicken, sundried tomatoes, and pine nuts.

That’s a wrap for us!  Happy wrapping and gifting!

Kelli & Lisa

I don’t think I’m revealing any great secret when I say that the holidays can be a busy, fun, exciting, but often stressful time of year, especially for parents. Over the years, I’ve put together a list of tips and tricks for making my holiday experience less about being overwhelmed and more about enjoyment.

With most of our family—including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins—living nearby, we’ve learned to be prepared and organized for visitors and family events and gatherings.

Here’s my list of tips for getting organized for a calmer, more enjoyable holiday season. If you have some of your own, feel free to share them in the comments.

1. Don’t over-schedule. It can be tempting to want to attend every festive holiday event and concert. It can also be overwhelming. My rule of thumb: pick one very special event and make it a time to remember. Our tradition is to see the Nutcracker at the ballet every December.
2. Get rid of the clutter. Make way for the new toys by getting rid of the old. If you’re not going to donate old toys, at least put them in a box or bin and store them in anticipation of that spring garage sale.
3. Clean up and restock. Go through your pantry and refrigerator and toss out all the old food, especially those bottles and jars of in your refrigerator door. I always get fresh baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and flour for making holiday treats.
4. Make Christmas lists. Have the kids write out their Christmas lists, in order of importance. If they can’t write, sit down and find out what they want. Circling items in the toy catalog works, too. This gets to the heart of what they want, and helps save time and money. Figure out what you’ll be buying, and then share the list with grandparents and other family gift givers.
5. Stock up on and organize wrapping supplies early. There’s nothing worse than running out of tape or ribbons on Christmas Eve. Organize wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, and boxes in a bin so everything is at your fingertips when you need it.
6. Keep the kids busy. Little ones get super excited during the holidays. I keep them occupied with a special holiday craft bin filled with supplies to make holiday decorations like paper chains, cards, ornaments, and more. This is especially useful to bring out during play dates and family get-togethers.

Most of all, keep things simple and realistic, and take time to savor some of the season’s pleasures without getting too overwhelmed. Happy holidays!

When Thanksgiving ends and December draws near, the first thing my kids usually ask is “When are we going to the Christmas tree farm!” Our yearly excursion to the tree farm is definitely one of their favorite things to do during the holidays. I myself have fond childhood memories of our wintertime trips to the Christmas tree farm, and now that I have kids of my own, I’ve made sure to carry on this fun and festive tradition.

My kids love to look for the perfect Christmas tree and help my husband and me cut it down, lug it back to check out, and tie it to the top of the car for the trip home. The kids are so proud to show everybody “their” tree, especially after it’s decorated and lit in our living room window.

Sure, it’s more convenient to go to the corner tree lot or unpack the old standby artificial tree from its box in the garage, but it’s those tree farm visits that provide lasting holiday memories, not to mention great family photo ops. Tree farms are usually more expensive than buying an artificial tree, but your kids won’t fondly remember that shopping trip as much as they will those to the farm.

We often visit a few local Christmas tree farms to take in as much holiday cheer as possible each year. Many tree farms offer fun attractions and activities like horse-drawn carriage or tractor rides, petting zoos, pony rides, visits and photos with Santa Claus, bounce houses, arts and crafts, and more. You’ll also find goodies like free hot cider and candy canes, too.

And of course you can’t argue with the fact that a tree you cut down yourself is about the freshest you’re going to get. Our tree farm trees always seem to stay miraculously green and fresh throughout the holidays. Last year, we felt kind of bad taking our tree down, since it was so fresh and hardly shed any needles at all.

Here’s to loving your perfect tree, even if your kids choose something closer to a Charlie Brown Christmas tree!

One of my favorite hobbies is taking photos of my children. I seem to carry the camera around with me everywhere, because I never know when I’m going to come across the perfect family photo op. Before the holidays, I spend hours going through my photos from over the past year looking for the perfect pictures for our holiday card.

Here are my top ten tips for fantastic family photos for the holidays, or any time at all.  They’re things I’ve learned over the years, either by experience or from those more knowledgeable than I who have been gracious enough to share their expertise.

1. Take advantage of natural light and shoot outdoors. Flash photography and indoor lighting can be tricky, so you can take away a lot of lighting guesswork by shooting outside. Taking photos during cloudy weather or in the shade can give some of the best results, with smooth and even light.
2. If you can, try to take advantage of the warm light of the “Golden Hour”—the first and last hours of light during the day—and take your photos early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
3. Use your flash as a “fill flash” to get rid of shadows caused by bright sunlight. Make sure your flash setting is set forced flash (the little lightning bolt icon). On a digital SLR you can use the manual settings or exposure compensation to adjust if things are too bright.
4. Make sure the kids are rested and fed before you try to take your photos. Nothing ruins a photo session faster than cranky subjects.
5. Work fast. Kids move fast, and so should you. Use a fast shutter speed and wide aperture (a lower f-stop number). Most digital SLRs and many point-and-shoots have a “burst” or “continuous shooting” mode that allows you to take several photos in quick succession, which is really helpful with fast-moving kids.
6. Keep props handy, especially when you’re photographing very small children. A favorite stuffed animal can serve to both distract your child and add some character to your photo.
7. Experiment with different angles and heights. Sometimes getting down to the child’s level or shooting from an angle other than head-on results in a more interesting shot.
8. Get in close. Avoid the beginning photographer’s habit of shooting the entire person from head to foot. Get close-up and fill the frame with your subject.
9. Use location to your advantage. Shooting at fun holiday places like a Christmas tree farm can result in interesting festive photos. Take your camera with you whenever you can. At the beach, at the park, or on a hike—you never know when you’ll find the perfect photo backdrop.
10. Finally, have fun with your photo shoot! Natural smiles and laughter look way better in your photos than forced “say cheese” smiles. If everyone has a good time, including the parents doing the photography, it shows in the finished product.