Playing Catch Up

I've been silent on here for a few weeks now. Not because I didn't have anything to say... In fact there are a lot of things I actually want to blog about. 

I've been MIA mainly because I've been doing real life things and just haven't really had time to document it on here.

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind. We flew to Denver for a couple weeks for Christmas, and then drove from Denver back to Rochester with all of our stuff packed to the brim in our car. Driving across the country in the middle of winter is something I hope to NEVER experience again.

The weather was relatively mild except for a few rough spots, but not having any rear view mirror visibility (from all our stuff) while driving on icy, windy roads made for plenty of Hayley breakdowns. I'm a nervous driver/passenger anyways, and I cried a LOT on our 1600 mile journey back to NY. I'm a baby.

Now that we're back in New York, Chin is back in school and I've been working like a mad woman on our house/trying to find a job. Our new place is coming along slowly... like molasses pace. However, we're moving in this weekend and I couldn't be more excited! We'll still have a lot to do but at least we'll be able to stay there instead of driving over to work on it every day.

Our Christmas in Denver was delightful. We spent the time with Chin's family. We ate WAY TOO MUCH (I'm still full), shopped, got our butts kicked at a few spin classes, and spent time with our niece and Chin's family's pups. 

 

How was your Christmas? 

I have to admit that I'm excited that 2013 is here. 2013 is the year we move into our new place and settle into Rochester, and we're also headed to Ireland in a few months! Plus, come June Chin will have finished his first year of medical school and here's hoping in the next little bit I'll be able to start at a new big girl job. Fingers crossed! Bring it on 2013!

The Dream List

I'm excited for Christmas this year. Maybe it's the angst I feel over not being able to decorate my own home for Christmas, or the excitement I feel about being able to spend 2 uninterrupted weeks with Chin, and then not having to say goodbye that is making me go crazy for Christmas this year. Either way, I am freaking out and I just can't wait to take naps by the fire and wrap presents and drink way too much hot chocolate. 

All I really want this Christmas is to be able to relax with Christian. I know I talk about it all the time but I am just happy to be almost done with this semester and to have our life as a married couple go back to "normal." (relative term)

I did, however, put together a little list of dream Christmas list items. Because you can't blame me for dreaming. 

 I want a leather watch REAL bad. I love my white ceramic watch that Chin gave me, but this Kate Spade one is perfect for a darker outfit.

 

This waffle maker isn't so much a dream item as much as it is an awesome item. How cute would it be to wake up to make HEART waffles? I don't think I could like breakfast any more than if I had these once a week.

 

I was driving with a bin of my dishes in my trunk a while ago, and I wasn't paying attention and drove over a MASSIVE speed bump at 35 mph. Besides freaking out (like screaming at the top of my lungs), a bunch of my dishes broke. I was pretty bummed. So this ikat dinnerware is a necessity, no?

 

 I love these loafers. They're about as classic as it gets. I'm a shoe person and I don't think I should be judged for having multiple pair of cognac-colored leather shoes! One can never have enough!

Hunters. Ohhhh Hunters. They're super trendy right now, I know. But since I'm moving to a place that has only 100 days of sun per year, I think having a solid pair of rain boots is kind of important. Plus, we're going to Ireland in MARCH, where I'm positive it will rain most of the time. So why not get drenched in style?

What's on your dream Christmas list this year?

A Very Sperry Christmas

The longer that Christian and I are married, the more I think we're becoming exactly alike. And I'm totally okay with that. I was told it would happen.

And while we are still so vastly different in several ways, it's fun to see us evolve together and see our minds start to think more and more alike.

So this year for Christmas. Chin had no idea what he wanted. His famous quote of the month of December, "but I don't NEED anything." Which is honestly a great way to think, especially during Christmas time. But anyways, I was not having it. I wasn't just not going to get my husband anything for Christmas.

So I decided on a new pair of Sperry Top Siders. He was in desperate need of some, and I found these new ones that were perfect. Brown leather, white soles, with a hidden layer of fuzzy warmth on the inside. Can you say perfect winter shoe? PERFECT WINTER SHOE.

Meanwhile, I had been hinting about these Sperry  boots that I wanted for quite some time (as noted on my Christmas list). I wasn't expecting to get them simply because Chin's not a particularly great "hint-taker" and I just figured I'd buy them with any Christmas money that I got. 

But to my surprise, we both opened up Sperrys on Christmas! It was so funny to see how our minds have molded. And not to mention the fact that last year we both bought shoes for each other last Christmas. 

A new shoe Christmas tradition? I'm not sure but it's definitely looking that way!

Has anyone else noticed that they're becoming more like their husband? Or even your roommates? 
Or maybe we're just crazy.

From a New Angle

Did everyone have a great Christmas?

I hope you got everything you wanted and that you were able to spend some quality with family.

Our Christmas was a whopping success, filled with dogs and babies and presents and family. 

Christian and I slept under the Christmas tree on Christmas eve, and Sunday proved to be a day full of naps, a huge brunch and a lot of gifts.

All my siblings were here and we had a great time opening gifts and chatting and playing with all the babies. 

And now I am so excited to be blogging from a whole new angle.

I finally got a shiny new camera to give my little blog a face lift and take even better pictures to document our life.

With all the traveling and fun things we have going on in 2012, I can't wait to start celebrating life through a whole new perspective.

I feel like I have so much to learn!

I got the Canon T2i SLR, with a 55 mm f 1/8 lens.

I would never classify myself as a photographer, but I can't wait to start this new hobby and be able to take quality pictures that we can look back on forever.

a few snapshots from Christmas:

yes i DID wear my pjs all day besides at church. and i ate a LOT.

my cute cute sisters and my mom. love them.

My sweet brother-in-law got me this awesome Cath Kidston iPhone case that I've been wanting since I first got my iPhone in June! I was so surprised and excited when I opened it.

My little chubster of a nephew, Cameron. Who also happens to be one of the sweetest little baby, like ever.

I know this picture doesn't have a whole lot of significance, but sometimes I just can't believe how grown up my niece is getting. She's only 5 and already loves makeup and clothes and skinny jeans. She is definitely related to me.

And then there's Chin. He's been such a trooper this Christmas and I love him a lot.

How was your Christmas? Did you get anything fun?

Twas the Night Before Christmas

And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse....

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there!

Merry Christmas,

xo The Pingrees

Winter Treats #7: Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes with Peppermint Candy Cane Buttercream

Okay I know that's a long title for a blog post, but these cupcakes deserve it.

Actually they deserve to be in my belly, because they are DELICIOUS.

I never classified myself as a mint person. I usually pass up a candy cane or mint chocolate chip ice cream. But recently I can't seem to get enough peppermint in my system. There's something so festive about the flavor, especially paired with chocolate.

And I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty proud of this concoction i made. I don't really like to make chocolate cupcakes because I think they are hard to perfect. They either have flat muffin-like tops, or they are fluffy as air and have no substance. But these were different. 

Dense, rich chocolate cake, topped with smooth, creamy, sinful chocolate ganache, piled high with silky peppermint buttercream and crunchy candy canes.

Merry Christmas.

Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes with Peppermint Candy Cane Buttercream

For the cupcakes:

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. hot water

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 sticks plus 1 tbsp. butter, room temperature

1 2/3 cups sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small bowl, combine the cocoa and hot water, whisk until smooth, set aside. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, whisk to blend, set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sugar, and stir occasionally until mixture is smooth and butter is melted. Transfer the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed for five minutes. until the mixture is cool. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla and the cocoa mixture until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Add the sour cream, mixing until just incorporated. Add the rest of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. 

Pour the batter into the cupcake tins, dividing the batter evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through. Let cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely.

For the ganache:

4 oz. good semi-sweet chocolate

4 oz. heavy cream

 Chop the chocolate finely and put in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat, until barely boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit one minute. Whisk vigorously until the cream and chocolate is well incorporate and a ganache forms. Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes in the ganache, and let set for at least 20 minutes.

For the peppermint buttercream:

1 cup butter, room temperature

6-7 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. peppermint extract

4-5 candy canes, crushed

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Put the mixer on low speed, then add the milk and peppermint extract, mixing well to combine. Slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar, until a thick frosting forms.

Spread or pipe the frosting on top of the ganache covered cupcakes, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

Enjoy!

DIY: Easy Anthropologie Gift Wrapping

I'm back in the blogosphere! Our trip to Phoenix had me stranded at dead grandparent's houses (more on that later) without Internet for four days. Needless to say trying to blog on your iPhone just isn't worth it. We had a great time in Phoenix and I'm excited to show you pictures, but for the next couple of days I want to talk ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS. You heard me, there are only what-- 3 days till Christmas? Um hello and goodbye December you were here for like 5 minutes.

I always get anxiety around this time of December because there is so much build-up to Christmas, and I can't handle the post-holiday depression that will no doubt ensue.

And now I'm rambling...

SO.

Today I have the easiest, cheapest craft ever for you.

I always get discouraged wrapping presents. They always look the same and it just gets to the point where glossy paper with green and red polka dots just doesn't cut it creatively for me.

So when I saw on Twitter that Anthropologie was giving away a free gift tag printable, I hopped right on that boat and went with it.

Because let's be real, Anthropologie and free don't really go together in the same sentence, and these tags were ADORABLE.

And while I love a good shopping trip to Anthropologie, I wasn't going to pay for more gift-wrapping materials that cost more money than the present being wrapped.

So I put together a little system on how to make your presents Anthropologie-pretty, but without breaking your bank.

What you'll need:

Anthropologie free gift tag printables, FOUND HERE

Cardstock for printing gift tags

Brown Kraft paper (cheap, versatile, and found at Office Depot) 

Baker's or regular twine (found at Michaels, I used red baker's twine)

tape & scissors for wrapping

Step 1: Download Anthropologie's free gift tags onto your computer. Print them out in color onto cardstock. Cut along the dotted lines to cut them into tags. Hole punch the tags where the circle at the top is.

Step 2: Grab a gift you need to wrap, and cut a piece of kraft paper that's an adequate size to wrap your gift, then wrap it all up!

Step 3: Tie up your gift all pretty with twine (or you could use grosgrain ribbon, velvet fabric strips, etc... be creative!), and before tying a bow, string your gift tag onto the twine and secure it tight.

Step 4: Label your gift tag for your special someone and place it under the tree to show up all the other wrapped gifts. :)

 

The end product! Good luck and happy wrapping. :)

Our Christmas Card

This year we actually put out a Christmas card! We were planning on doing it last year but somehow it never got done. 

We decided to do a small letter with our year from A to Z, and a picture from one of our summer vacations. And since we couldn't send one to all of you and to everyone we know, I decided to put it up on here, like a virtual Christmas card I suppose.

This year has been a great one, and it's been great to share it with friends and family, and to document our life on here.

Happy Holidays from the Pingrees!

A Quiet Morning

I woke up this morning, completely content. My bed was warm, and I had no rush to leave it. The house was completely still (Chin was gone at his 7 a.m. final), and as I stepped out of bed, I opened our blinds to see a winter wonderland outside our window.

 

 

The first real snow came and brought with it a perfect morning.

I walked out into the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of delicious cinnamon burst cheerios, and sat down on the couch in pure silence. I love moments when the only words are your thoughts.

 

 I turned on the Christmas tree lights, and looked happily at the lone little present sitting under our tree (which is actually for my mother-in-law and not for Chin or me). 

 

 

Then, I made the perfect glass of hot chocolate, and that's as far as I've gotten.

Sitting on the couch, typing away, waiting anxiously for Christian to come home to join me in a quiet bliss. Because he is the only thing that could make this morning better.

When I Can't Make Up My Mind

So remember that post when I showed you my Christmas decorations for this year?

Well I changed them. Already. And it is only December 7th.

Not completely, but I was feeling like I really wanted something new and special to add to our decor this year since we'll be here for more than two weeks to enjoy them.

Last weekend I spent mostly with my mother, and she helped me come up with some more ideas of how to decorate that were inexpensive but added a little bit more sophistication and fun to our home.

In my previous post you'll remember that my mantle was a hot mess. It was too small to have those huge stockings sitting on them, but too big for just a small nativity scene. It looked a little ridiculous. My sister had some leftover garland that she let me use, and I think with the little stockings it makes my mantle look so much better! What do you think?

Not a whole lot changed here... except for some added glitter! I found these sparkly little numbers at Hobby Lobby, and they added so much more flare than my old green candles. 

Our nativity now sits on our side table, with a jinglybell candle holder found at Z-Gallerie for three dollars.

I also changed up my tree! My mom helped me make book page ornaments (which were super easy and found on Pinterest!), cascading ribbon, and a few more ornaments to turn my color scheme from green, aqua, and red to gold, silver, green and touches of classic red.

An easy tree topper. I'd still like to find a real one, but a bow will do for now.

A refurbished tree much classier than the last.

What do you think of my changes? Be honest!

Also, don't forget: today is the LAST DAY to enter the amazing photoshoot giveaway! 

I'll announce the winner tomorrow so make to enter!