November 28, 2012

Coffee Secrets!





                   Sweater: American Eagle (thrifted- so lucky to snag up this gem!) Similar here at Target!
                   Vest: Marshalls (old)
                   Jeans: Old Navy
                   Boots: Kelly and Katie (old)
                   Necklace: Simply Vera at Kohl's (similar here)


Every application in the history of EVER, ok maybe just the applications related to school, are due December 1st. December 1st is this Saturday. Needless to say life is just a little bit crazy right now!

BUT, I remembered my grandmother's wonderful secret recipe for the best coffee ever, which I will share with you. 

Over Thanksgiving we were presented with brilliant coffee that reminded me of my Belgian coffee experiences (which are still the best coffee experiences I have ever had). Since my grandmother has spent a good amount of time traveling to European countries, I figured that it was something she had picked up along the way. I asked her about it nonetheless, and you will never guess what it was! Dunkin Donuts. From the grocery store. 

Now, the secret is a light sprinkle of cinnamon in the coffee grounds before it is brewed. Who would have though? Not me at lease ;) Delicious!

What are your coffee favorites?

Happy Wednesday everyone!

-PB


November 25, 2012

Thanksgiving with Luna


¡Feliz día de acción de gracias! ... or Happy Thanksgiving :)



As my Aunt Jean says, "You can't make a good gravy without a healthy amount of turkey grease!"

...

Now, my question is, can any amount of turkey grease really be all that healthy? Of course, of course, I know that nutritional health isn't exactly what my aunt was referring to, but still, that question just about sums up my feelings toward Thanksgiving cuisine in general.

Despite all that, my sister Hillary and I donned the requisite aprons in order to assist with the Thanksgiving feast preparations.


Here we are in the process of stirring said gravy.


However, in order to take a gastronomical detour from the typical American Thanksgiving spread, I threw together some "Tomatoes Teruel", a Spanish dish that I thought would add some color to the otherwise monochromatic table. These tomatoes were delicious, and I had to share the recipe with you!

Ingredientes

  • 3 very large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • Fresh parsley (optional)


Preparación

Arrange tomatoes in single layer in shallow dish. Combine oil and next 8 ingredients in medium bowl, stirring to blend well. Spoon dressing over tomatoes. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours. Divide tomato slices among 4 plates. Spoon dressing over. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve.

Here is my finished product. ¡Delicioso! These tomatoes are a 
refreshing change as a vegetable side dish!



In other news, my sister just got a new kitten whom she named Heathcliff from the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. He is as cute as can be, but definitely lives up to his namesake in temperament. He spent the week terrorizing my kitty Luna. The pictures that follow can sum up their relationship.


Hill and Heathcliff; perfectly happy.




Luna and I join the scene. Starting to look a bit apprehensive...




And there it is... the snarl.


Suffice it to say, we kept those two apart for most of the break. Regardless, it was a great time to be with family and take a break from work!

Hill and I both sported navy blue this Thanksgiving. I paired a casual Anthropologie tunic with some red denim similar to these from Urban Outfitters, while she belted a silk blouse from Banana Republic over some skinny jeans from Target. Add our white kitties to that ensemble, and we could almost be twins!


Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with family and friends!

-J

Back to school...

Out of all the things I have to be thankful for, I still find it in me to wish that Thanksgiving break was just a little bit longer! I also with that Waco and my allergies didn't keep colliding head on. Any one out there have any wonderful home remedies? (This is coming from the allergie shot, netti pot, steroid nose spray girl...yuck!)

A fun sidenote to the end of this way too short break, is that Drew (boyfriend) and I now have a Nintendo DS (with classic games like Mario Kart) and sling-shots to add to our anything but studying collection! Before the video games and sling-shots our favorite past time was shooting each other with NERF guns. I highly recommend this form of aggression release for both parties ;) Last year I was the super cool new girl friend that bought him NERF guns for Christmas, which I'm pretty sure helped me to secure the title of "Best Girlfriend Ever"! Get your man a set of NERF guns- you won't regret it!!

Today's fashion section features one of my current favorite dresses! Dresses or skirts have become a staple of my wardrobe for Texas "fall/winter" since they are so versatile. This particular dress could be styled many different ways!

1) Add either a high waisted belt or a wide ribbon to accentuate the waist.
2) Add tights (which I should have done- check out those ghost legs!!!) with boots.
3) Add a cardi, vest, or blazer.
4) Wear flats for a more casual look or pumps for a more dressed-up evening look!





Boots: Steve Madden (here)


Thanks again to Sarah for the fantastic photos! If you enjoyed today's post feel free to leave an encouraging comment and subscribe! :)

-PB

November 24, 2012

Thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving week, all!

This week has been an absolute whirlwind- but whose hasn't?!

I am very thankful for the opportunity to visit my WHOLE family (26! 29 counting the animals) in Oklahoma.

I am very thankful for the lovely individuals that God gifted to me as family.

I am very thankful for a little bit of a breather from school!

I am very thankful for quality time with my puppy :)

What are you thankful for this year?


-PB

November 18, 2012

First Look!

PB says...

Today Julie and I went on our first photo shoot together! We are super pumped.

BUT, before we really get started here is a little background on PB&J:


I am an intensely preoccupied MM music performance student, while Julie is not only a musician but a Spanish lecturer at Baylor! We love fashion but have to work within the confines our individual budgets AND daily time crunches to create fashion forward looks that compliment not only our personalities but our busy lifestyles. Julie is 5'11 and I am 5'3, so you will find that we have completely different looks but also very complimentary styles.

Julie and I look forward to sharing with you!
Happy Sunday- hope you all had a lovely weekend.

<3 PB&J


Julie is looking deceivingly short (and LOVELY) on the left, and I am on the right! Thanks again goes out to Sar for the amazing photos!!!








November 17, 2012

Introducing- PB&J!!!

We (Julie and Paige) are VERY excited to start our new adventure-BLOGGING!

Inspired by our lovely friend, Sarah, we decided to create our very own blog.
We enjoy music, cute furry animals, glitter, travel, our loved ones, and fashion!

I (Paige) am a MM student at Baylor University studying flute performance, and Julie is a Spanish lecturer- also at Baylor. She is a WONDERFUL harpist and we absolutely adore playing in the Baylor Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra together!!!

Stay tuned for fashion and fun with Julie and Paige <3