Weekend Wardrobe: "A Christmas Coral" Weekend Getaway Wardrobe

From Acorn Farms

Based on Living Coral, Pantone's 2019 Color of the Year, as well as my imminent trip north for a holiday visit with family, I decided to create a subtly Christmas-themed weekend travel wardrobe featuring the color coral.  Actually the only Christmas-themed elements involved are the necklace and earrings, but some of us prefer not to be too over the top when it comes to holiday apparel!  Let's take a look at the items to wear in transit:

Clockwise from top left: Madewell Cora Fair Isle Wool Sweater in Multi; Sterling Silver Christmas Tree Earrings; Mammut Women's Roseg Beanie in Baroque; Uniqlo Women's Ultra Light Down Jacket in Gray; Mammut Women's Roseg Scarf in Baroque; Blondo Women's Linda Waterproof Bootie in Dark Grey Suede; Coach Chelsea Crossbody Bag in Heather Grey/Dark Gunmetal; Uniqlo Women's Ponte Slim Pants in Dark Gray; Uniqlo Women's Heattech Stretch Fleece Crew Neck Long-Sleeve T-Shirt in Pink; Center: Bloomingdale's Cashmere-Lined Leather Gloves in Gray.

And now for the items to pack:

Clockwise from top left: Merry & Brighton Iceblink Christmas Tree Necklace in Silver; Calpak Luggage Denym Carry-On Luggage in Coral; Brochu Walker Gia Hand Knit Wool Cashmere Blend Sweater in Persimmon; Uniqlo Women's Compact Cotton V-Neck Long-Sleeve T-Shirt in Dark Gray; Free People Wide Leg Crop Jeans in Terracotta; L.L. Bean Women's West End Three-Quarter-Sleeve Scoopneck Ikat Print Fitted Tee in Peach Sherbet; Land's End Women's Long Sleeve Mock Neck Cable Sweater Dress in Charcoal Heather; Leith Open Midi Cardigan in Coral Orange Heather; Center: Bos. & Co. Women's Bell Waterproof Winter Boot in Grey Suede.

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This wardrobe runs the gamut from casual to dressy, but every item is comfortable to wear and cozy enough for cold weather.  While these colors may not be traditional, I think they are suitable for any occasion, including the holidays.  After all, there is no rule that says you must wear red and green for Christmas.  If Living Coral is the color that appeals to you, I say go for it, and enjoy your own version of "A Christmas Coral"!
               

Foodie Fridays: Gnocchi with Sausage, Peppers, Spinach, and Beans

I have been seeing a lot of gnocchi recipes on food blogs recently, and lo and behold, a free magazine we received in the mail from our local Kroger also included a gnocchi recipe.  The picture of the dish looked so good that I decided to give it a try, especially as it was very easy to prepare and I had most of the ingredients on hand.  This hearty dish tastes as good as it looks!  I only modified the recipe slightly, changing some of the ingredient proportions and including some tomato paste I happened to have left over from another recipe.  I doubled up on the parsley because I did not have the fresh basil called for in the original recipe, but the basil would probably be an excellent addition (you can reduce the parsley to 2 T. and add the same amount of chopped basil).  I have another package of gnocchi left in my pantry, so this recipe will be made again soon!

Gnocchi with Sausage, Peppers, Spinach, and Beans

3 T. olive oil
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage (I used mild turkey sausage)
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. chicken stock or white wine
2 T. tomato paste (optional)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 can (15 oz.) white beans, drained
1 bag (about 6 oz.) baby spinach
1 package (16 oz.) gnocchi
1/4 C. minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausage and bell pepper and cook, breaking the sausage apart into bite-sized pieces, until the pepper is tender and the sausage is lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes.  Mix in the green onions and garlic and cook 1-2 minutes longer.  Stir in the stock or wine, tomato paste if using, Italian seasoning, and beans.  Add the spinach in batches, a large handful at a time, stirring until wilted before adding more, until all of the spinach has been added.  Reduce the heat to simmer.

Add the gnocchi to boiling salted water (I omit the salt) and cook according to package directions (about 2-3 minutes).  Scoop the gnocchi out of the water and add to the sausage mixture.  Stir about 1 cup of the cooking water into the mixture, combining well.  Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Served garnished with the Parmesan cheese.  Serves 6.
             

This 'n That Thursdays: Pantone's 2019 Color of the Year is Living Coral!

From CNN

Pantone has announced its 2019 Color of the Year, and it is called Living Coral.  The color is described as "a coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge".  According to Pantone, this warm and nurturing color from nature will "provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment".  That seems to be asking a lot from a color, but if it is true then we certainly could use it!  Personally I am glad to see a return to a warm color, and while it is still a bit too pastel for my tastes, I am happy to embrace the look of Living Coral.  Here are just a few ways to bring some coral into your life:

Clockwise from top left: Fitz and Floyd Hydrangea Dinnerware; East Urban Home Bicycle by Sam Posnick Outdoor Throw Pillow; Serrv International Coral Kilim Flat Weave Rug; Anthropologie Willoughby Two-Cushion Sofa; Crewcuts by J. Crew Gnome Fair Isle Sweater; Luyue Calla Lily Wedding Bouquet; Center: Brochu Walker Gia Hand Knit Wool Cashmere Blend Sweater.

So do you think you will be enthusiastically embracing Living Coral for 2019?  You won't even have to do any deep sea diving to find it, unless you really want to!

                

Wish List Wednesdays: Chico's So Slimming Juliet Ankle Pants

I have a couple of trips coming up in the near future, and have been looking for some comfortable travel pants suitable for winter.  Recently I stopped by our local Chico's, a clothing store I have been intending to visit but for some reason never made the time to do so.  While there I tried on the So Slimming Juliet Ankle Pants ($79.50), and realized I had found my perfect travel pants!  They are a nice heavy ponte knit, fit well and comfortably, and the friendly and very helpful salesperson told me they retain their shape well (she was actually wearing a pair that day).  I bought one pair in basic black, and may go back for a second pair in another color (my only minor complaint is that they do not come in a dark brown, my other favorite neutral).  I have short legs, so these ankle pants fit like regular length pants, which I like, but they also come in petite and tall lengths.  I am so happy with these pants that I intend to check out more of Chico's apparel soon!

I really like the Aurora Green color on the left, but the Mulberry Red
in the center and the Tapestry Teal on the right are on sale for almost
40% off and both colors appeal to me as well - it's so hard to choose!

             

Mystery Mondays: "Christmas Party" by Rex Stout

From Wikiwand

I thought I would start the holiday season by going back to some Mystery Monday posts, with mysteries featuring a Yuletide theme (after this week I will take a break from my Monday political comments until after the holidays, unless something truly noteworthy comes up!).  I recently started reading a mystery anthology called The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries, which contains a number of old favorites as well as previously unknown-to-me works.  One of the stories included is the Rex Stout tale called "Christmas Party" featuring his larger than life gourmet detective, Nero Wolfe.  The original 1957 work has some racist undertones, but if you can ignore those it is an intriguing story in which Nero Wolfe is forced to solve a murder or face personal humiliation.  You can listen to an excellent radio adaptation here, or watch this YouTube video of the equally excellent A&E Networks version from an episode of their A Nero Wolfe Mystery series:

I just love kicking off the holiday season celebration with a good old-fashioned mystery!

                

Current Events: Love Them or Hate Them?

From Yahoo! Finance

The 2018 White House Christmas decorations were revealed last week, and one area in particular has caught the attention of the internet.  The hallway of conical red trees devoid of decorations drew a number of negative comments ("blood red" was used often to describe them), forcing Melania Trump to defend the look.  Apparently a similar slew of negative comments was directed at a different hallway of trees last Christmas, this one featuring two rows of arching icy bare branches:

From Elite Daily

So what do you think?  Personally, I rather like a minimalist look and the red trees don't bother me, but I do think that the rather bilious green carpet should be replaced.  Maybe when the holiday season is over the White House could auction off the trees and use the funds for new hallway flooring.  Wood or tile would be a better choice anyway, but if carpet must be used please at least do not choose this pattern, Melania (although the red trees would probably feel right at home):

From Idyllopus Press

Here's a thought - perhaps it is time to continue this new White House Christmas tradition of the annual holiday hallway of horrors!  People are probably going to complain about some aspect of the décor anyway.  Why not have some fun with it and just give them what they want?  I'm wondering if subconsciously Melania is riffing on a theme here, as I am seeing a similarity between these images,

From New Haven Register

From The Grio

and this scene from the 1946 French film "La Belle et La Bête" (The Beauty and the Beast):

The captive beauty, the frightening mansion... the only thing missing from these images is the Beast (although we all know he is probably lurking somewhere in the building petulantly tweeting away, and highly unlikely to ever transform into a kind prince)!  Melania, might I suggest a corridor of arm-held Christmas candelabras for next year's holiday hallway?

Or how about two rows of giant nutcrackers with chomping mechanical mouths (after all, the The Nutcracker ballet is based on a rather scary tale by E. T. A. Hoffman, a writer of Gothic horror stories)?  What an image that would be with Melania walking down the middle of all those snapping jaws!  Maybe they will remind her of the news media?

There is always the theme of Christmas ghosts and greed from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  Heartless and avaricious Scrooge would be the perfect representation of our current president.  President Scrooge could be visited by the ghosts of presidents past, present, and future - maybe they can convince him to mend his ways?

I wonder if Melania grew up with the tradition of parkelj, the Slovenian version of creepy Krampus?  If so, this image will probably strike terror into her heart:

From Imgur

Come to think of it, a lot of Yuletide traditions are rather frightening, and who better to highlight these traditions at the White House than the terrifying Trump administration?

Only if the truth is a witch, little Donnie, only if the truth is a witch
(from The Everett Herald). 

             

Weekend Wardrobe: Accessories for Evergreen Forest-Inspired Winter Basic 4x5 Wardrobe

Remember this evergreen forest-inspired winter basic 4x5 wardrobe from two weeks ago?  It is just begging for some accessories, so today I will comply!  Let's start off by taking a look at some coats:

Clockwise from top left: Ash City Women's Fleece Jacket in Forest Green; Coldwater Creek A-Line Fleece Coat in Forest; The North Face Women's Aconcagua Vest II in Shiny Botanical Garden Green; Paul Smith Women's Wool and Cashmere-Blend Epsom Coat in Forest Green.

Next we move on to a few pieces of appropriate jewelry:

Clockwise from top left: UralsMaster Green Jade Beaded Necklace; Coldwater Creek Wood Heart Necklace in Brown; Avalaya Dark Brown Wood with Silver Metal Inlay Bangle Bracelet; Simbolica Fair Trade Jade Earrings in Dark Green.

Handbags are featured in the following set:

Clockwise from top left: Michael Kors Mercer Large Pebbled Leather Tote in Racing Green; Coldwater Creek Pikolinos Tri-Color Leather Messenger Bag in Brown Multi; Back in the Saddle Leather Double Zip Bag; Michael Kors Large Leather Smartphone Wristlet in Racing Green.

A few accessories especially useful for a winter wardrobe are next:

Clockwise from top left: FullSource District DT618 Slouch Beanie in Forest Green Heather; FullSource Sportsman SP04 Knit Scarf in Forest; Coldwater Creek Spirit Leather Belt in Brown; Forzieri Calf's Leather Women's Gloves in Forest Green.

A few scarves in the right colors add a luxurious touch to the wardrobe:

Clockwise from top left: Hermès Brown Multicolor Silk "Paddock" Printed Scarf; Coldwater Creek A Walk in the Woods Scarf in Forest; Orvis Dubarry Russborough Dog Print Scarf; Roberto Cavalli Women's Feather Print Silk Scarf in Brown Multi.

And last but not least, some much needed footwear is added:

Clockwise from top left: Land's End Women's All Weather Moc Shoes in Dark Spice Brown; Coldwater Creek Frye "Veronica" Booties in Brown; Land's End Women's Stitched Flats in Chocolate; Land's End Women's Block Heel Pumps in Brown (color no longer available); Center: Land's End Women's Riding Boots in Tobacco Brown.

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Next week I will begin adding some Christmas cheer to my wardrobe posts, whatever that may mean!  I think I may start with a travel wardrobe to a wintry destination, maybe to the 2019 HGTV Dream Home location of Whitefish, Montana (yes, I am obsessed!)?  Happy December, everyone!