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Top 3 Holiday Party Must Haves

We’re hosting our annual Christmas party with our friends after the holidays again this year and I love doing it. As the years go by we see less and less of our friends simply because life gets in the way. But we all remember that at the very least, we hope to be together during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If you’re hosting Christmas this year here are my top 3 must haves:

1. Christmas decor. Inside and out people! 🙂 Help your guests get in the Christmas spirit by decking your halls with festive decorations. I know the thing that warms my heart this time of year is seeing all the lights and decorations. I always look on Pinterest for inspiration and budget friendly decor that I can make myself like this Coffee Filter Wreath by Lilluna. I got so many compliments on this bad boy, and it cost me less than $10!

2. Christmas music. Have a Spotify account? Make a playlist of your favorite Christmas jams that fits the mood of your party. Have a Pandora account? Start curating your “Pentatonix Holiday” radio station well before your party. Hit thumbs up on those songs that you know will get your guests singing along. Add artists to your station to get more variety. The last thing you want is the wrong song playing that kills the mood. For me, my favorite Christmas album is Home for Christmas by *NSYNC.


3. A menu centerpiece. During Thanksgiving the main attraction is the turkey. For Christmas, the main attraction at our parties is the beef roast. Pick one or 2 dishes that set the theme for your party. This Christmas, ours is a roast beef and ham!

Xoxo,

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2017 Card Designs and building my Product Line

I can’t believe there are only 2 weeks left in December! This holiday season was one of our best yet, I’m so grateful! But I don’t have much time to celebrate. I’m ready to take 2017 on by storm!

First thing’s first, vacation. 😉

Then it’s beast mode! We’re doing a trade show in the summer and I’ve been planning since last year. I’ve been working on new designs, refining my current line, and restocking our best sellers after the holiday season. 


I really want my 2017 designs to reflect me, what I like, and what I’m about and I think the designs are progressing nicely. 🙂 I’m really starting to build my confidence as I go and the more I sketch. 

As a designer, I’m my worst critic. Nothing is ever good enough for me but what I’m starting to see is that those things that I thought were “imperfections” are actually more like personality. It’s what makes my designs unique!

Do you ever suffer from confidence issues? Especially when you compare yourself to the other awesome people in your field? Happens to me all the time. But what I learned is that if I keep at it and don’t get lazy I gain more confidence. I think simply because I’m focused and I don’t have time to love other people’s work more than I love my own lol!

Xoxo,


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4 Step Pesto Meatball Recipe

This is one of my favorite dishes right now! Mainly because you can buy these ingredients pre-made if you’re don’t have a lot of time/on the go but you can also make the ingredients from scratch so that it fits your dietary needs better. It’s super easy with just 4 steps and 4 ingredients!


Ingredients (makes 2 servings):

  • 1 cup pesto
  • 16 oz. cooked egg noodles (or your favorite pasta)
  • 10 1 oz. meatballs – I used half chicken half beef meatballs and it was yummy!
  • 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Note: Because life has been so busy lately I bought all these items pre-made and it only took me 15 mins in total to make. I encourage you to make the pesto and meatballs if you have the time that way you can control what is put into your food which is never a bad thing. 

Directions:

  1. In a medium pot bring water to a boil, add a pinch of salt. Add noodles and let cook until desired texture (I like my noodles slightly al dente so 7 mins on medium heat is perfect for me). Strain immediately.
  2. In a saucepan sear your meatballs until golden brown on at least 2 sides.
  3. Add pesto and cooked noodles.
  4. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Enjoy!


Xoxo,