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If You're Ever in Joshua Tree. . .

You should visit Hicksville Trailer Palace. A themed compound that can be rented out by groups, it is filled with kitschy themed trailers to sleep in, bb guns to shoot your eye out with, bbq's, hot tub, archery, outdoor showers, old soda/beer machines, ping-pong, darts, horseshoes, and just general super-fun-ness.

The BF took the big plunge of turning 25 and I wanted to plan something really special. So we took a group of 13 friends,  and trekked out to Joshua Tree to celebrate my man getting just a wee bit older.
It. Was. So. Fun!
We rented the whole place and just relaxed, drank beer, made tacos, and had a good time.

We ate breakfast at a little country kitchen and dinner at Pappy and Harriet's, a honky tonk bar with good food & good music.
We watched sunsets while soaking in the hot tub and took a look around Joshua Tree National Park.

It was so nice to see old friends and to celebrate a person whose life is worthy of celebrating!
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The End As We Know It; A Yummy Beef Stifatho Recipe




Something I swore I would never happened. . . has happened.

I. Own. A. Crock pot.

I have cooked with said crock pot.
I liked it.

I know, I'm so embarrassed. I am so old.

Would it be less mortifying if I explained that the crock pot was a Christmas gift? Along with five or six cookbooks, some copper pans (yes, yes yes, totally compensates for the fact that I am a crock-potter now), an electric mixer, salad bowls & accessories, etc etc so on and so forth.

I basically have a completely restocked kitchen as of December 25th 2010.

So get ready for a whirlwind of recipes, food porn posts, and just general yummy goodness from Little Girl, Shiny World.  Blame the people in my life who think I'm a budding Julia Childs.

Ok no one thinks that. But whatever lol. For my first act of crock-pottery I made a Greek dish called Beef Stifatho for the bf's big 25th bday dinner.
Red wine, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, sugar.
Tell me that doesn't sound delicious.

Below is a variation of the recipe I used.  I threw everything together in the pot the night before & refrigerated it, then started the cooking the next morning before work. So easy, so good. The way it should be.


Directions:
  • In a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker, toss the beef with the flour until evenly coated. Mix in the onions. In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, red wine, cumin, cinnamon, lemon juice, and water until well blended. Stir into the beef mixture in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-7 hours or until meat is tender, but not falling apart. Stir in the sugar.







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    Deckin' the Halls for 2011

    I hate when people rephrase things to make them sound better.

    We all know that a "Winter Wonderland" is really a "Frozen tundra" and that
    "Jack Frost nipping at your nose" is code for "Frost bite rotting your nose off"

    So in the spirit of honestly I will tell you. The things I'm sharing are not just for the New Year.
    At least not for me. I have an obsession a healthy appreciation for all things glittery, sparkly, shiny, gold, silver and gaudy.

    For those more reasonable, this is my little guide to looking good & livin' good this New Year's Eve.

    Pairing a LBD with some gold pumps (or--be still my heart--gold oxfords!) would be gorgeous.

    Or maybe feathers are your thing and you could pair a LBD with a great feather cape or necklace.

    I am loving the Little Gold Dresses, and a mesh neckline & sleeves. Wouldn't that be so cute with a simple topknot hairstyle?

    Give me a Voluspa "Crisp Champagne" candle to go with my flutes of rose and I will be a happy camper.

    For me it's all about containing the crazy. Which means these guides were created with the idea of using small glittery accents to celebrate the New Year. That way they are easily interchangeable and your house doesn't look like a craft project exploded all over it! If that makes any sense. . .


    New Year at Home
    Urban Outfitters, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie
    Little accents to make your home feel festive.


    LBD & LGD
    Rare, TFNC, De.De, MinkPink, Lands' End Canvas
    Little Black Dress & Little Gold Dress for NYE