Hi friends. I hope that everyone had a delightful Thanksgiving. This year, I made a fabulous sweet potato pie with marshmallows. For me, November was a busy month. Of course, Thanksgiving was great but I also had a wonderful time at our small holiday get-together. It was such a treat to get to see how you Ripkanize your pieces. My only complaint is that I wish I could have spent the holidays with all of you.

A very special surprise guest joined us – my dear friend and QVC host, Lisa Robertson. She joined in on the festivities and wore a gorgeous pair of my heart earrings. It was so good to see her but it was also bittersweet. As many of you know, Lisa is leaving QVC and her last day is December 12th.

As anyone who has ever watched Lisa can attest to, she is truly one of a kind. Her energy, wit and spirit are unmistakable and I will miss her dearly. While it makes me sad to say goodbye to such a close friend, I will always have unforgettable memories of our time together. Lisa and I will be hosting together one last time on December 11 from 8pm – 10pm. I hope that you’ll tune in and join me in sending off Lisa in true Ripka style.

We have some especially big shows coming up this week. For the first time ever, I am introducing a tennis bracelet TSV. This is also the first 118-facet tennis bracelet at QVC.

Few pieces of jewelry are as timeless and iconic as a tennis bracelet. Elegant and versatile, this classic style is my definition of a staple. I know that you’ll absolutely adore this piece. This bracelet has round, shimmering 118 facet stones with double the brilliance that will make your wrist sparkle.

You can wear it to your holiday parties and family dinners, but it also looks great with a casual cashmere sweater while you’re out running errands. If you’re lucky enough to head south during the holiday break, wear it to the beach with your cover-up and flip-flops. I designed this so that you can wear it with everything. Anywhere, any time, any place.

Available in Sterling and Gold Clad, you can mix the metals and wear them together or pair either one with your favorite watch. I know that you all know how to mix and match and put your own special touch on things. I would call this piece modern with a classic twist – it just looks so ‘today.’ I love this bracelet and I know that it will stay in the front of your jewelry box.

The tennis bracelet isn’t the only item to watch for on this week’s shows. We’ll also feature some other great gifting options.

My Sterling Silver Gemstone ring is the perfect holiday cocktail ring. I designed this piece in green with mint quartz, in purple with amethyst and also, in brown with smoky quartz.

We will also feature a pair of earrings that you may recognize. We decided to bring back these best selling earrings after requests from all of you. A versatile customer favorite, they are perfect for gifting because each pair comes with heart-shaped garnet charms as well as cushion-shaped smoky quartz charms.

Take a break from your holiday preparations and join us on Thursday, December 11 for shows at 12am – 2am, 3am – 5am, 11am – 12pm, 3pm – 4pm, and my last show with Lisa from 8pm – 10pm.

XO,

Judith

The QVC Addicts are brightening our spirits with their beautifully decorated Christmas Trees! Here's some of our favorites that are sure to make you smile!

Sally Ackerman

Roseann Licata - "Frosty wants to play inside this year!!"

Angela Bedore - "Here is my twin trees for this year!"

Christine Dacri Bolivar

Rebekah Bono

Kim Rohrer-Brucker - "My 10 and 7 year olds actually decorated ours by themselves. (Except the bow on top)."

Tina Thomas Burns

DeAnn Hayes Carty - "My QVC tree - Angel Theme."

Karen Smith-Centimole

Cindy Christon

Rosemarie Straka Yukas - "QVC ornaments galore!"

Laurie Hansen DiDonato

Tammy Duwe - "Kringle Express 24" Pre-Lit Decorated Christmas Tree from QVC."

Deb Pooler Faelten - "Here's my beauty and it was purchased from the Q!"

Jennifer Jo Gilliam

Edna Gunnells - "This is my Bethlehem tree from QVC. New this year. It’s my nutcracker tree."

Jodi S Murphy - "Inspired by Lisa's white on white tree."

Daina Babin Whittington

 Jennifer Waldeck

Kellie VanVoorhis - "Merry Christmas"

Diane Senerchia Stetkiewicz Tortolani - "A Bethlehem tree...5 feet...in my window!"

Jane Suzette

Star A.

Ami Bowen Rumsey

Tamara Rutland - "My QVC tree"

Susie Hawkins - "Can you spot "Elvis" our scout elf?"

Nancy Wakeland Heinonen - "Seasons Greetings from KY! Soon my tree skirt will be covered in gifts from the Q."

Karyn Hoyt

Tracy Dover Huggins

JoAnn Ireland - "My QVC tree with my QVC Duraflame"

Terri Marino- Scalici - "Our tree is full of special ornaments. Everyone is a memory."

Jennifer Little

Deborah Clyburn

Linda Cribb - "Christmas is my favorite time of the year."

Pamela Muncie Isaacs - "My tree came from QVC four years ago. Merry Christmas! (I got the Angel topper there too.)"

Christine Johnson - "Happy holidays from Michigan!!"

Flo Lombardo

Dana Miko

Pj Rodgers

Dena Tenley Tempel

Thank you to all of the QVC Addict ladies for sharing your unique Christmas trees with us!

Comment below and tell us which tree brightened your day!

If you missed our Monday Morning Fashionable Early show I thought I would share some of our fun!

Today we revealed our decorated wreaths that we will be donating to our local Veteran hospital...

So many of our crew, models and of course Jayne and me had a wonderful time at our holiday party and sharing our wreaths...

We also had a very special wreath decorated by David Dangle in memory of Joan Rivers which brought tears to our eyes...

The holidays are certainly a time for being grateful for our blessings...friends, the sacrifices of our veterans and their families and the chance to share our mornings with all of you...

Jayne's lovely wreath:

My lovely creation:

The other beautiful creations!

You can find me on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/PatJamesDeMentriQVC

Twitter: www.twitter.com/pdementri

Instagram: www.instagram.com/PatJamesDeMentriQVC

toGather: www.gather.qvc.com/member/PatJamesDementri

You wouldn’t expect to see me in a bar, but my social media partner and friend, Erika, and I took a day trip to the Big Apple a few weeks ago to visit the Drybar. 

At 30th Street Station in Philadelphia

At Penn Station in NYC; we have arrived!

What is a Dry Bar? It is a salon that specializes in, and only offers blow outs after they shampoo your hair. Not cuts, no color, just a wonderful blow out with a fabulous style of your choice. And all of the styles have cute “bar” and “drink” names. I do not drink, but this type of bar is right up my alley, beauty alley!! : ) 

I chose a combination of the Manhattan and the Southern Comfort, because I prefer more volume than curl.

We learned all about our Today’s Special Value and not only was it fun, but educational as well. 

Meet "Buttercup"!  Buttercup is the mascot of the Drybar and our Today's Special Value. Ali, the founder of Drybar said "Buttercup" was often referred to as "that upside down yellow blow dryer", so she decided to give it a name and a permanent home. And, I'm so glad she did!

This powerful blow-drying tool of Drybar features nano-ionic technology which allows for faster drying time. smoother results, is super light-weight and gives you more confidence going out the door with a good hair day EVERY day .... just the way I like it!! That's our Buttercup!

Before Maria and Buttercup tackled my hair

And here are my "after" pictures! Maria did such a great job, she is a true artist at her craft!

Join me at 3pm and I'll take you through all the features of my new friend and you'll understand exactly why I love it! It does cost a little more, but to me, it's worth every penny. I can't even count the number of drug store brands I've gone through. 

Counting our blessings, 
Mary Beth Roe 

Getting our first ever live tree (joe looks less excited bc he's the one who had to tie it to the car. : ) 

Love my twig reindeer. Sometimes I glance thru the kitchen window too quickly and actually think real deer have ambled up to my doorstep (which has happened!)

Our hearth. Christmas tree is already dying bc we burn a Mac daddy fire nearly every night. That white stocking is one my aunt knitted me in 1972. And how abt those cool marquee letters from E.D. On air by Ellen degeneres?! I own two sets!

I have always loved hanging wreaths over portraits....

...and mirrors. I think it looks so chic.  ps also try writing on your decorative mirrors w chalkboard marker, inspirational quotes. Fun!

Front stoop, made possible by Valerie part hill pre lit presents, and Vickerman trees....all on qvc!

Our dining room is one of my favorite rooms. I painted it black. Risky I know but after I saw Ralph Lauren do it, I was hooked. Those are Bethlehem Lights poinsettia topiaries on the table. We don't sell them anymore but BL does awesome poinsettia items. 

My childhood angel tree topper. Grew up with her every year crowning our tree. Mom gave my brother and I big collections of childhood ornaments for our own trees and this angel is all that survived a flood in my basement a few years ago. 

...and the crowning moment, our tree. Packed full of souvi ornaments from our honeymoon in paris and Portofino, and Isaac Mizrahi ornaments from back when he did a home collection. Joe insisted on colored lights. 😊

As far as links to products I mention some r no longer avail so I suggest linking to the brand collection maybe. Hope these work and all came thru in the right order. I use ... These dots to indicate I am beginning a sentence or thought midstream. keep them in pls Xox and I'm super sorry for canceling

We asked some of the on-air guests around the studio what:  “The best gift they ever gave or received was _____”. Read below for some of their heartfelt answers:

Josie Maran

“The best gift I ever received was this bracelet from my beautiful mom.”

Susan Graver

“The best gift I ever gave was a trip to Tortola with my husband Richie.”

David Dangle

"The best gift I ever received was almost twenty years ago, Joan Rivers surprised me with an unexpected gift on my birthday.  It was a stunning pair of Van Cleef & Arpels 18 kt gold cufflinks – so Joan!  They are vintage from the 1960’s and they’re just my style.  I wore them in her honor on September 8^th– the day of Joan’s memorial service in New York City."

"And of course, who can forget Roscoe!"

Dennis Basso

"The most favorite gift I ever got was when Michael surprised me with Lily, our miniature schnauzer.  Here’s a photo of us in the snow when she was a puppy!"

Jill Martin

"The best gift I EVER received was a cabbage patch kid at the age of 6. The picture attached gives you an idea of the kind of kid I was (always playing dress-up and into the latest toys.) My Aunt Audrey waited around the corner at a local store (overnight) just to get her hands on the doll (I had to have) the first day it came out (My grandparents did the same so I actually got TWO!)  Every time I see one I get nostalgic and would actually love it again as a gift. I ran into one the other day in the studio and took a pic for old times' sake!"

Lisa Rinna

"The best gift I ever received just has to be the fabulous Cartier Trinity ring that HH gave me for my birthday this past year! On a recent episode of RHOBH, there's a scene they captured of my birthday dinner and HH giving me this treasure. On my Bravo blog, I told the story of how he gave me a similar ring upon the birth of my first-born, Delilah Belle. That ring went missing in recent years and the fact that he surprised me this year for my birthday with this one that happens to have his name and both girls' names engraved on each band means the world to me! I now have my family with me always!"

Meredith Laurence

"The best give I ever received was when I was about 12 years old.  My parents gave me a large tropical aquarium. Little did I know that they hadn’t been able to use their bathroom to shower for days before Christmas because their tub was full of tropical plants!"

"The best gift I ever gave was giving my parents a puppy one Christmas.  They call her Lagniappe - creole for “a little something extra” and she’s brought them a lot of extra love!"

Tara McConnell

"The best gift I ever gave? That was around 8 years ago, when I saved up to send my mom and dad to Hawaii. They loved Hawaii…it was one of their favorite vacation destinations. (Even way back when, as you can tell from this picture!) But this was the first time I was able to give them that wonderful experience on my own. And it was especially meaningful because it was the last big trip they took before my dad’s health complications made travel really tough. So that gift – and those memories – mean so much to me!"

Barbara Bixby

"The best Christmas present Frank and I ever got was our beautiful Grand daughter Clare who arrived Christmas morning almost 5 years ago. My family and friends are my biggest blessing and the limited edition Gretch guitar I received from Frank last week, as an early birthday present, is running a close second Just joking ! I hope everyone has a blessed and happy holiday XOXO Barbara"

Jessica Foust

"The best gift I ever received was from my great Uncle (Uncle Al, as we like to call him).  He is incredibly talented and made me this beautiful Christmas tree made out of old jewelry that belonged to my mom and my grandma.  It’s so special to me because it reminds me of how lucky I am to have such an amazing family.  I look forward to getting this out every year, it’s my favorite Christmas decoration!"

Scott Grimes

"The best gift I ever gave was a Grey Pearl Ring to my sister that she had fallen in love a year prior. I was 22 years old, waiting tables in NYC when she came with friends and sat at one of my tables.  I had another waiter deliver a single oyster on a half shell to her table and when she saw the ring sitting inside the oyster shell, her friends started clapping, when I came by the table she jumped up and hugged me, everyone started clapping thinking we had just gotten engaged.  Here she is on her actual wedding day…"

 Lori Goldstein

"Giving Louise, my dog, a home!  That was both giving and receiving!"

Laura Geller

"The holidays are a time for appreciating the ones you love. When I was in my young teen years, I realized that you didn’t need to be blood related to be considered family. Growing up, my immediate family was very small and we did not have many holiday traditions. I spent the holidays in a nearby town with my very best friend, Jana, and her enormous family. Being welcomed into Jana’s home by each and every member of her family gave me an extended family of my own! Each year, everyone at the gathering would receive a gift from everyone else and none of them ever forgot me! As a young woman, this was truly beautiful to me and these memories still hold a special place in my heart today."

CHAZ Dean

"The best Holiday gift I have ever received was something that cannot be purchased. It was the year 2000 and I was able to spend Christmas with my late Mother, sadly, she lost her battle to cancer two months later. The gift of time spent with my Mom that day is one of the most cherished memories I have."

Comment below and tell us about the best gift you either gave or received!

Hi, everyone!

Have you seen this #QCookieExchange challenge our QVC family’s doing on Facebook? If you’re tagged, you have to bake a batch of cookies and I was tagged by Valerie Parr Hill!

I chose to share my New England Jam Cookie recipe last night because they’re always such a hit at parties. But truth be told—all cookies are great “Make & Take” recipes, aren’t they? Whether you’re headed to a party this weekend or you’d like to give someone a gift of food, we’ve made some really yummy cookie recipes... as well as some DIY food crafts...on YHJthat I wanted to share with you.

Cookie Ornaments

New England Jam Cookies

Peanut Butter Dream Bars

Peppermint Popcorn Balls

Snowball Cookies

Hello Yummy Bars

Macadamia Chile Brittle

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brownie Chip Cookies

Cowboy Cookies

DIY Vanilla Extract

DIY Hot Chocolate Gift

Oreo Fudge

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Scotcheroos

Jill's Strawberry Jam

Sweet and Salty Shortbread Cookies

You can find all these recipes on my recipe page. And, all of these are in a great-for-sharing board on Pinterest. I’ll blog again tomorrow with another fun DIY craft…a Christmas Terrarium!

XOXO,

—Jill

Hello, foodies…

In December of last year on In the Kitchen with David we celebrated our team’s family recipes. We made Sticky Toffee Pudding, Grammie’s Noodle Soup, and a recipe called Crunchy Buckeyes, which are chocolate peanut butter bites of heaven. I loved this recipe...and you all did too because it was one of the most popular recipes in 2013.

Fast forward to July of this year, we made another recipe that struck a chord with you…S’more Dirt Cake! I LOVED the idea of marrying these two recipes so we made this Holiday Sweet: S’mores Truffles!

S’mores Truffles

This recipe is prepared with the Rachael Ray 12-Piece Gradient Porcelain Enamel Cookware Set (K39885).

Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 Tbsp instant espresso coffee granules
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 14 oz (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, divided
• 62–64 mini marshmallows

Preparation:

1. Pour the condensed milk, instant coffee, and vanilla into a 3-qt saucepan over low heat. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chocolate chips and continue to stir until the chocolate chips are completely melted and the mixture is lukewarm, about 3–4 more minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs, and stir until fully incorporated.
2. Pour the mixture into a small shallow dish (8" x 8" baking pan or a 9" round cake pan). Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until the mixture has cooled completely, about 2–3 hours.
3. Place the remaining 1/3 cup of graham crumbs into another shallow dish. To form the truffles, scoop 1 Tbsp of the chocolate mixture and make a well in the center. Place the marshmallow in the well, pinch the tops closed (to enclose the marshmallow), and roll the chocolate in your hands until a uniform ball forms. Roll the ball into the graham cracker crumbs until completely coated. Repeat the same process to form each truffle.

Your blog question today is what's your favorite holiday sweet? Is it a cookie? Maybe a peppermint cake? I’ll see you on Wednesday night, foodies, at 8pm ET for In the Kitchen with David.

Keep it flavorful!
—David

I have found that I do not work nearly as well with coworkers as I do with friends. Which is why I have especially enjoyed--and will especially miss--Monday nights. PM Style is a great show, but it is a bear! The sheer volume of 3 hours of fashion is staggering. Each item comes out of QVC's Product Central in a number of sizes, each of those sizes comes in each of the colors, and each of those options comes in multiple samples. Crazy, right? The logistics of pulling all of these items, keeping them in order, pulling them out, steaming them, arranging them, not to mention getting them on models and getting a show done is unbelievable.

It is every Monday night, and it has grown to be an evening full of people I truly admire and love being with. There is no one on this crew who doesn't have the highest standards. It is a show full of perfectionists. :-) Being on my feet for three hours talking about fashion can be challenging. If it weren't for the crew and the models, I don't think I could do it. Our team is lead once again by Jen Volansky who I talked about last week. She does an amazing job. Sherry is our coordinating producer, she runs a tight ship. I adore her. She is tough and she is direct and she is very very good at what she does.

There are a lot of private jokes there after all these years! Erin, (who worked with me on social media for awhile), works alongside Sherry. She is "whip smart", has no idea how beautiful she is, and is a perfectionist.

Fran is part of that team as well. You will never meet a sweeter soul, and he has the most beautiful baby daughter you've ever seen. Jerome worked with us for a while and will always be part of the family. He's funny, a great dresser, and my "crazy" doesn't bother him. Bill Hambrook and I have worked together for I think all of my 20 years here. He knows how to read me by now. He is always there, always on his game, and always ready with a quick joke when, once again, I look like I'm a little stressed out.

We have an amazing group of people to coordinate all the product. Russelle, who was the first person to lead in this position, (thank you, Russelle!), Kristen who is the tiniest little thing and the most efficient person you've ever met.

Amy who is quiet and understated but gets everything done before you even know it. And Jamir, with his great T-shirts, always there to make it work with a great sense of style and a laugh.

Jason Smith is our Line Producer. He is a big guy with a heart of gold. I am so glad he took this job. Once again, it's a bear, but he shows up every week, he really cares, he doesn't "phone it in".

Brian has been our Director for many years, I would love to tell you some of the running jokes on him, but he would hunt me down. Eric has been directing now for a while and he is great. He and I have done a lot of the Vicenza remotes together. I think I still owe him a gelato! Jay and Skot coordinate cameras with the control room and what's happening on the set. Corey is in charge of lighting...it takes a village!

Courtney. What can I say about Courtney? She is a light in any room she is in. I look forward to seeing her every week, and she is like a sister to me. She just makes me belly laugh. :)

Two of the most important parts of this show are Angelo and the models.

They have truly become extended family for me. They laugh, joke, dance, bake, tease, work and hug their way through every week. So Angelo, Kate, Monica, Brenda, Suzanne, Kerri, Jacque, (and Andre, Ed, Toi, and Melissa who are always part of our little band) I love you guys. Thank you for everything.

I wish I had time to really let you meet everyone, but hopefully this gives you an idea of why I will miss them all.

I can't believe it is my last PM Style. Time flies.

I like to eat gluten-free, and I'm always on the lookout for good recipes. But the key for me, as a non-cook, is that is has to be EASY! These cookies fit the bill, and taste so yummy.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

18 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine sugar, peanut butter, and egg.

3. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on un-greased cookie sheet. NOTE: If dough is too sticky, refrigerate 1/2 hour or until easy to handle.

4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from oven. Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each warm cookie.

I am now convinced that anyone like me, who is looking for a quick, easy way to curl their hair, would be thrilled to discover what I have this past weekend. Until now, I didn’t know a curler existed that does ALL the work for you.  Well, I now know it does exist, and it’s called the Kiss Pro Instawave Diamond Ceramic 1” Automatic Curler.

Before I begin, you may be wondering “who is this girl and how does she know so much about the Kiss Pro Instawave Curler?!” Well, my name is Cristina and I am currently interning at QVC’s Studio Park Headquarters in West Chester, PA. As someone new to working in the Hair Tools Category, my team decided to get my outside perspective on the Kiss Pro, thus, my weekend adventure with the Kiss Pro Instawave Automatic Curler began!

Every year in our department, Maureen organizes a cookie exchange. We have a lot of fun tasting and trading recipes just in time for holiday baking.

A cookie exchange calls for a recipe with razzmatazz and that’s why I chose David’s Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroons. I never made macaroons before, but the recipe was easy! And the batter with almond extract added smelled divine.

You can use a mixer, or do the job by hand.

Parchment paper is a must.

They browned perfectly.

The dark-chocolate puts them over the top.

After our swap, one coworker gave me a compliment I’d never, ever gotten—she said they tasted like they came from a bakery!

But best of all, look who gave them the thumbs-up!

I included David’s recipe and a couple new favorites below.

Your Foodie Friend,
Tara

Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:

• 5 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp pure almond extract
• Sliced almonds
• 1-1/2 cups dark chocolate morsels, melted (for dipping)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine the flour, coconut, and salt in a mixing bowl until the coconut is evenly coated with flour. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until the coconut is completely coated with the condensed milk.

3. Use a tablespoon to drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. (Each cookie should be about the size of a golf ball.) Place a sliced almond on top of each macaroon. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the coconut is toasted and golden brown on the outside.

4. Allow the cookies to cool for 45 minutes, then dip the bottom of each macaroon in the melted dark chocolate. Place the cookies back onto the lined cookie sheet and let them cool.

Maureen’s Caramel-Filled Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 12 caramels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a small sauce pan, melt butter on medium/low heat until it has become a golden brown color and smells kind of nutty or toffee-like. Remove from heat.

3. In a medium bowl, mix both sugars, egg, and vanilla together. After that is combined, mix in your browned butter.

4. Mix in your, oats, flour, salt, and baking powder. Once your dough is blended, refrigerate for 20 minutes.

5. Once the dough has chilled a bit, remove from refrigerator and roll into 12 equal-sized balls. Place each cookie dough ball on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

6. Push a caramel into the center of each cookie dough ball. You can form the sides of the cookies a bit if you want to cover the caramel more.

7. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are golden.

8. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes then enjoy. Store in an air-tight container and heat up in the microwave for about 10 seconds to enjoy them again! Yields one dozen.

Lesley’s Rugalach

Ingredients:

• Store-bought pie dough
• Apricot jam
• Chopped pecans
• Beaten egg

Directions:

1. Cut store-bought pie dough into 16 wedges like a pizza.

2. Starting from the tip, spread apricot jam over the top two-thirds of each wedge.

3. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

4. Roll from the fat end inward to form a crescent shape.

5. Brush with beaten egg.

6. Chill for 30 minutes.

7. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 325F.

Hello my LCNY fashionistas!

I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving.  Ours was chaotic wonderful and fun.  Everyone made it home and I had the whole gang together for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Last year was the first time I cooked the meal, apparently good enough for a repeat performance this year.  I must admit after the house was filled with craziness, noise, food and laughter the silence was deafening.  I guess this is the new normal that empty nesters go through. Fast forward to a couple of weeks later. The house is now filled and lit with Christmas joy.

Believe it or not it was hard to get motivated.  No children to insist that the tree go up.  No one pushing Mom to get the lights lit outside.  It was strange but yet less hurried. 

So what's a girl to do to get in the spirit this season.  Retail therapy my friend shop....shop...shop! I have been attacking the Christmas list each day and I am not going to lie, I've been treating myself along the way. Let's face it, it's only fair.

I have recently purchased from the Q cowboy boots with birthday money, a stinking cute turtleneck dress from LCNY,  a coat from LCNY, new heads for my clarisonic are a must, and makeup from IT cosmetics.  I also have found the most awesome present  for someone on my list.  You know how you find that perfect gift and you can not wait to give it to them. I hope I can hold back my excitement I have been known to blow the surprise. 

My holiday wish for you my friend is to relax, enjoy, listen to the sounds of this holiday.  I hope that you find the excitement as I have...it took a bit but I am heading towards the 25th full tilt....I am looking forward to our show on 12/26 and spending time with you.  Happy shopping, baking, wrapping and all of the joy and none of the craziness.

Your friend ....Linda

Icon.  Film Star.  Humanitarian.  These are just a few words that describe a legend the world still mourns.  In 1963, my Grandmother took me to see the movie Cleopatra on the big screen (my Mother thought it was too risqué for a ten year old).  I was immediately mesmerized when Elizabeth Taylor rose from the bathing pool; I fell in love and that love continues today. 

In over 35 years in the jewelry industry, I have had many incredible opportunities.  Two of them are especially close to my heart.  Several years ago I was able to work with the Smithsonian Institution on many of their great treasures.   This year, I had the honor to work with the Trustees of the Elizabeth Taylor Trust on an incredible line of jewelry inspired by Ms. Taylor’s fabulous pieces.

The Trustees include Barbara Berkowitz, Ms. Taylor’s personal lawyer, Chris Wilding, Ms. Taylor’s son, and Tim Mendelson, Ms. Taylor’s personal assistant for over 25 years.  Tim came up with the concept of Ms. Taylor’s book, Elizabeth Taylor:  My Love Affair with Jewelry.    Being able to spend time with each of them and hearing stories of the warmth, devotion, and truly caring nature of Ms. Taylor, really touched my heart and made me fall in love all over again.

 Tim Mendelson - Ms. Taylor’s personal assistant for over 25 years

Barbara Berkowitz -  Ms. Taylor’s personal lawyer

The Trustees have the great responsibility of making sure Ms. Taylor’s wishes are adhered to and have been incredibly active in every aspect of the product development and upcoming show.  They have approved every sketch and sample.   We wanted to make sure the best materials available were used for each item.   Cubic Zirconia, the finest diamond simulant, was used for diamonds and synthetic rubies and synthetic sapphires whenever a piece required colored stones.    We used our finest jewelry factory to make sure we would all be proud of the quality. Tim, who was intimately involved in the handling of Ms. Taylor’s real jewelry, personally approved the colors and often quoted Ms. Taylor about the colors of rubies or the color of prongs.  “The rubies had to be true red and the prongs always yellow gold.”

Tim, who will be the on-air guest, has made several trips to QVC to work with Lisa Robertson and discuss the show and the jewelry to be featured.   I sat there, spellbound, listening to the heartfelt stories about why a piece was important to Ms. Taylor or other tidbits of information.  Lisa asked Tim if Ms. Taylor wore her big diamond ring very often.   He replied “she wore it all the time and let everybody try it on.” 

I can’t wait for you to see the Elizabeth Taylor Simulated Diamond Ring we are featuring.  We were given a copy of the Gemological Institute of America Certificate for the actual Elizabeth Taylor Diamond and a model of the mounting for inspiration.   Our premier stone cutter cut the stone to be an exact replica, same size and cut.  Fabulous and 33.19 carats like the original!  We even did a smaller version (over 7 carats), still the exact same cutting, if the original is a little too big for you.

Please do not miss this show.  Let me know in the comment section why you love Elizabeth Taylor too.

Take care, Peyton

Tune in to QVC for The Elizabeth Taylor Jewelry Collection Friday, December 12, 2014 from 8 – 10 p.m. ET

As the holidays grow closer, so many of us are reaching for our KitchenAid mixers and putting recipes new and old to test for cookie season! This year the host team is doing something extra fun. Each host will share a cookie recipe and tag another host via his/her social page. This "tag" is social savy way of saying, "hey it's your turn to bake!" 

So thanks to my friend Melissa Epps, it is time to dish up a new recipe that I am trying out this year. They are Oatmeal, Cranberry, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies! I saw this recipe on foodnetwork.com and I must say they are delicious! 

In order to make the Oatmeal, Cranberry, Chocolate Chunk Cookies you're going to need:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 (4-ounce) 60 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate bar (recommended: Ghirardelli), chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
Special equipment: a 4-ounce (1/2 cup) ice cream or cookie scoop

Directions: 

1. Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

4. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the flour mixture. Add the oats, cranberries and chocolate chunks.

5. Mix until just incorporated (dough will be stiff). Using a 4-ounce cookie scoop, scoop slightly rounded mounds of the dough into 12 (2-inch-diameter) balls.

6. Arrange 6 balls of dough, spaced evenly apart, on each baking sheet.

7. Using the back of a spoon, flatten the tops slightly and bake until the cookies are slightly golden on the edges, about 13 to 15 minutes.

8. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before serving.

9. Enjoy :) Oh and be sure to save some for your guests!! 

This time of year can be so busy. The hustle and bustle of preparing for the holidays can leave us all feeling overwhelmed. What better way to slow down then to spend time with those you love doing something special?

One of my fondest memories from when I was little was cookie making with my Grammy and Mom. I looked so forward to that afternoon. We always had such fun! And of course, ate way too much. Now that I have children of my own and my Grammy is no longer with us, cookie making day is even more special. I love watching all five of the kiddies come together and do something with their Mom Mom that I used to share with my grandmother.

Having five children with different personalities and different levels of independence can be a challenge (Cass is 15 with involved special needs, twins Chloe and Lily are 10 and twins Brady and Cole are 7). But on this day that isn't an issue at all. Just smiles, laughs and great memories being made. I love watching everyone work together. It warms my heart and makes me so proud.

Cookie making day starts with selecting the recipes.

On this day we began with the Chocolate Drop Cookies (get the recipe here!) that were my Great Grandmothers recipe.

Then the ladies all donned our Christmas aprons.

These are very special - and were handmade by great grandmother. Cookie day isn't complete without them.

Then the division of duties is decided. We start off with adding all the ingredients to the Kitchen Aid.

Everyone gets a turn! 

After a quick lick of the finished product it's time to spoon the cookie batter onto the cookies trays.

Then time to pop in the oven!

While we wait for them to bake and cool we have time for a quick game of hide and seek

Then it's time to make the icing! 

After it's made and the cookies are cooled it's time to ice and decorate the cookies!

Of course once they are done and we have sampled them we toast to a perfect day with this delicious recipe made in our K10 personal brewer. So many bright and festive colors to choose from but we settled on Bayberry for our cookie making day.

So which one will you choose for yourself or for someone you love this holiday season?

I can't think of a more perfect gift. Something sweet to sip on while making precious memories of your own.

Xoxo,

Melissa Epps

My Tip Tuesday is all about our family tradition of making reindeer food to help Santa's reindeer fly on Christmas eve...

Reindeer Food

Recipe ingredients:

1/2 cup dry oats

1/2 cup dry cereal

1 TBSP brown sugar

1 TBSP nuts or edible candy sprinkles(no craft sprinkles, please)

Just mix all of your ingredients and place in individual bags with ribbon and special note...

Sprinkle on the lawn at night...

The moon will make it sparkle bright...

As Santa's reindeer fly and roam

They are sure to find our home...Merry Christmas!

So sprinkle Magic reindeer food outside and do not forget the cookies inside for Santa...Please share with me your family traditions.

Oats, dry cereal and brown sugar:

You can find me on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/PatJamesDeMentriQVC

Twitter: www.twitter.com/pdementri

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toGather: www.gather.qvc.com/member/PatJamesDementri

Hi, everyone!

I’ll bet all of you have made a gingerbread house at some point. (And if you haven’t, promise me you’ll fit it in before December 25…it’s SO much fun!) But what about a Christmas Terrarium?

Isn’t that fun? Depending on how much time you have, you could make everything in this jar...including the gingerbread house. I didn’t have quite that much time, so I used an already-assembled house and figurines from the craft store.

Here’s what else you’ll need to make this:

• Large glass jar
• 3 yard each of holiday ribbons of various widths
• Floral wire
• 2-4 lbs sugar
• Small gingerbread house
• Holiday figures (Santa, snowman, gingerbread men, trees, etc.)
• 10-12 gumdrops
• 4-6 candy canes

To assemble:

1. Pour the sugar into the jar to make a good base for your scene.
2. Add the gingerbread house near the back.
3. Arrange the figures around the house.
4. Create a walkway with the gumdrops.
5. Use the candy canes to make a fence.
6. Make a multi-loop bow and wire it together. Then, fasten it to the top of jar.

Finally, find the perfect place to display your terrarium…a coffee table is perfect because it’s low and really allows you to look inside. But, if you know the table will be bumped or your kids won’t be able to keep their hands out of the jar, higher might be better.

Have a great day! I'm feeling a little rundown today, so I'm headed back to the couch and my pile of blankets. And I just might have to watch It's a Wonderful Life.

From my home to yours,
—Jill

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My favorite part about the holidays is getting to spend quality time with friends and family – and nothing makes me happier than finding the perfect gift for my loved ones.  This year, QVC has something for everyone on my list and here are just a few of my favorite finds…

Dennis Basso Quilted Lamb Leather Gloves with Button Accent

For the fashionista on your list, you can never go wrong with a pair of sleek gloves. The quilted leather and button details lend a truly luxe look and they’re something she’ll look forward to on even the coldest of winter days!

Le Creuset Set of Three 8 oz. Mini Cocottes

For the baker or chef in your life, nothing says gourmet like these mini versions of the classic La Creuset French oven. They’re perfect for baking, but you could also use them to store spices or even as serving dishes for small treats!

tarte Nine-Piece Deluxe Lipsurgence Lip Set

For a stocking stuffer any girl is sure to love, try this gorgeous lip set! From rich nudes to bold brights, these luxurious Lip Cremes will make your lips your best accessory this holiday season and beyond.

E.D. On Air Set of Two 50" x 70" Velvetloft Throws by Ellen DeGeneres

For a last minute gift, you really can’t go wrong with these elegant throws. They’re oversized, super-soft and incredibly cozy…and the best part, they come in a pair so you can gift one and keep the other for you!

E.D. On Air Pre-lit Marquee Words with Rustic Metal Finish by Ellen DeGeneres

For the person that has everything, surprise them with a unique gift for their home. These adorable vintage-inspired lights make a sweet statement in any room and every time they light them up, they’ll think of you!

Photo Credit: Julie Holder Photography

About Lilliana Vazquez:

A little bit budget, a whole lot of style...sums up this pint-size fashionista. Lilliana Vazquez is making waves in the style world by revolutionizing the way women approach fashion and frugality.  Her approachable attitude and enviable style have made her one of the most in-demand fashion experts in the country. Vazquez is a contributor to The TODAY Show, Access Hollywood, E!News, Queen Latifah and the Emmy award-winning Rachael Ray Show- just to name a few. She is also the host of WNBC’s New York LIVE, the only daily lifestyle show in New York City. As the founder and creative force behind CheapChicas.com, Vazquez provides a daily source of guidance and inspiration for women who want to dress their best, for less. This past November, women everywhere joined the stylishly savvy revolution when Vazquez took her blog to the bookshelves with her highly anticipated first book, The CheapChica's Guide to Style: Secrets toShopping Cheap and Looking Chic.  It’s safe to say this Cheap Chica is taking over the style world, one steal at a time!

Follow Lilliana & The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.