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Pumpkin Toffee Crunch Trifle Recipe

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Many of you have asked me to share a special trifle recipe for you to use in your beautiful new Valerie Parr Hill Trifle Bowl that I helped design.  So, here it is!  Hopefully, in just enough time for you to serve it at your Thanksgiving feast!

Pumpkin Toffee Crunch Trifle

Ingredients

2 Loaves of Pumpkin Bread (store bought or prepared Quick Bread mix)

1 Cup Toffee bits
1 Cup Granola

2 Cups Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp maple extra

Instructions

Cut pumpkin bread into 1 inch cubes. Mix toffee bits and granola in small bowl, set aside. Beat heavy cream with electric mixer. Gradually add sugar. Mix until stiff peaks.  Fold in cinnamon, vanilla, and maple extract.

Assemble:
Layer one third of pumpkin bread cubes in bottom of large trifle bowl. Top with one third of cinnamon maple whipped cream.  Sprinkle one third of the toffee mixture over the whipped cream layer. Repeat layers twice more, ending with the toffee mixture.

Enjoyable!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends.

From my home to yours,

Jill

 


Crunchy Cranberry Granola

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After you’ve had your fill of turkey and stuffing, you might be ready to lighten up.

Granola is great as cereal but it’s also delicious as a crunchy snack. I think homemade granola is the best. This recipe is yummy, and really easy to make. It also makes great gifts when packed into cello bags and tied with ribbon. If you have any left over, just store it in an airtight container like lock & lock (K39435). Enjoy!

 

Crunchy Cranberry Granola

1 1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup water

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

8 cups rolled oats

2 cups chopped walnuts (can substitute or combine pecans and almonds)

2 cups sweetened dried cranberries

 

Preheat oven to 275 degrees

 

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

 

Combine brown sugar and water in a sauce pan and cook on low heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and salt.

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats and nuts. Stir in brown sugar mixture until everything is thoroughly mixed. Spread the granola onto the cookie sheets and bake 45-60 minutes until golden brown and crunchy.

Remove from oven to cool. Once cooled, stir in cranberries and store in an airtight container.

 

Theresa's Toy Shop + The Biggest Shopping Weekend Of The YEAR!

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For this weeks "Theresa's Toy Shop" we decided not to do just one toy pick from Theresa - but THREE!!!  It is, after all, the BIGGEST shopping week and weekend of the YEAR!

 

If you're new to "Theresa's Toy Shop" my daughter Theresa, who will be turning 7 years old this Sunday, December 1st, looked over all of our QVC toys that we have for this year and picked some of her favorites!  I then sit down with her and ask her "Why would this make a great gift for a kid?". 

 

Are you ready??? Here we go!

 

 

Theresa's Toy Shop Pick #1: FlashPad 3.0 LED Touchscreen Handheld Game with Score Reader, Light & Sound (Green, Purple, Blue, Black, Red, White or Yellow)

 Click here to find it: FlashPad

 

Me:  "Theresa why do you love the FlashPad?"

 

Theresa:  "It's so beautiful with all of it's lights!  But it is tricky!  It tricks you when you play a game!"

 

Me:  "What do you mean it tricks you?"

 

Theresa:  "If you're not fast enough - you lose!  Sometimes when you're playing another game if you hit the wrong button you find the red circle and you lose!"

 

Me:  "Would this be a great gift for a kid?"

 

Theresa:  "Yea!  But you have to share with other people when you play with it."

 

Me:  "I'm glad you remembered that you need to share!  Because mommy wants to play with the FlashPad too!"

 

Theresa:  "Mommy, you need to share too!"

 

Me:  "Yes sweetie, you're right."

 

 

 

Theresa's Toy Shop Pick #2: Set of 2 Translucent Lil Turbo Twist RC Stunt Cars with Flashing LED Lights  (Orange/Green Set OR Blue/Red Set)

 Click here to find it: Stunt Cars

 

Theresa:  "Mommy, these cars are so fun!  Let's race daddy!"

 

Me:  "Who do you think will win?"

 

Theresa: "I will!"

 

Me:  "What do you like about these light up cars for a gift for a kid?"

 

Theresa:  "You can play in the dark!  The lights are so pretty and bright.  I think Grace might like them too, but we shouldn't play with her or she might try to eat one!"

 

Me:  "You're right!  No toys around the puppy!  I like that they can bounce off the walls and they don't leave any marks!  Did you know that I wanted to be a race car driver when I was a little girl?"

 

Theresa:  "What????  You can't drive a car when you're a little girl!"

 

Me:  "Ok, you're right - I meant when I grew up!  But now we can race in the house!"

 

Theresa:  "I have an idea!  Let's turn off the lights and race mommy!"

 

Me:  "I have an idea too!  Let's turn off the lights and race down the stairs!"

 

Theresa:  "YEA!!!!"

 

 

 

Theresa's Toy Shop Pick #3: Cobra Digital Party Animal Dancing Pet Speaker

Find it here: Dancing Pet Speaker

 

Theresa:  "WOW!  This is so adorable!"

 

Me:  "Wait until you see what this kitty does!"  (I plug the cord into my phone and turn on the music and Cleo the Black & White Cat starts to dance as you hear the music through the speaker.)

 

Theresa:  "Oh my gosh!  I LOVE IT!!!!"

 

Me:  "Ok, let me ask you why this would be a great gift for a kid?"

 

Theresa:  "Everyone loves music!  I love to dance!  It's a party!  Let's have a dance party mommy!  He's so adorable!"  (She's dancing all over the room!)

 

Me:  "I love that Cleo moves to the music and looks so cute!"

 

Theresa:  "Me too!  Are there more?"

 

Me:  "Yes there are!  They have Sandy the brown dog,  Spike the black and white dog, Tom the brown and white cat and of course Cleo the black and white cat!"

 

Me:  "Theresa - you did a great job this week with 3 great toy gift picks!  So do each of these get your "Theresa's Seal Of Approval"???

 

Theresa:  "Yes they do!  Kids will LOVE them! 

 

 

 Theresa:  "Mommy, I can't wait until next week - we get to have fun making something!"

 

Me:  "Yes we do!  Shhhh - it's a secret until then!"

 

Theresa:  "Ok!"  (She tried to wink at me!)

 

--------------------------------------------------------

 

Thank you all so much for your great comments on "Theresa's Toy Shop"!  We can't wait to share more toy gift ideas with you next week!  AND if you're looking more great Toy Gift ideas check out our AMAZING QVC Toy Shop here -> QVC Toys

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you all!

 

You can always find me on Facebook at:  www.facebook.com/jacqueqvc  and on Twitter at:  www.twitter.com/jacqueqvc

 

Best wishes and blessings,

Jacque :)

Have questions? Chat Live with our Experts from Dell, AMD, and Microsoft!

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Have questions about our Black Saturday Dell Laptop? Our experts from Dell, AMD, and Microsoft are here to answer your questions all day on Saturday, November 30th! Post your questions below and check back for answers!

Fireside Hot Cocoa

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The forecast for most of the country is chilly this Thanksgiving. A great way to chase away the cold is to wrap your hands around a cozy cup of cocoa in front of the fireplace. This cocoa beats store bought any time!

Enjoy!

Fireside Hot Cocoa

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch of salt

1/2 cup of water

3 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

marshmallow cream (aka fluff)

 

In a medium saucepan mix cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, salt and water. Bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Stir in milk and heat until hot (do not boil). Remove from heat. Add vanilla and mix with a whisk until frothy. (Can use hand mixer for this step). Pour into cups and top with marshmallow cream. Yum!

Winter White!

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Winter white is anything but boring. This creamy shade of white creates a crisp, bold and extra feminine look during the dreary months of winter.  We’re breaking the rules this season with a few of our favorite winter white picks to keep you chilly chic.

 

1. Candle Impressions Set/4 Deluxe 3" Votive Candles & Timer

2. Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream

3. philosophy super-size pure grace spray fragrance 4 oz.

4. Bose AE2 White Headphones w/Carrying Bag

5. Tabletops Gallery 4-Piece Hobnail Mixing Bowl Set

6.  Judith Ripka Sterling Aurora White Mother-of-Pearl Wide Cuff

7. Ciate Mattnificent Matte Top Coat

8. Keurig K10 Personal Coffee Maker with My K-Cup

9. Dennis Basso Oversized Animal Print Faux Fur Throw & Pillow Set

Designing Next Season

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After seeing my dad off on his return to Melbourne, Australia it was time to start designing my summer collection! When I begin to design a collection for a new season I always spend some time thinking about new and innovative techniques and exploring new ideas. Inspiration comes in so many different forms, from elements of nature to vintage lock closures and the natural coloring of animals and foods. 

All kinds of things inspire me, from architectural elements like the unique shape of an asymmetrical building to the details on the hem of a coat. I pin all of these images to the walls of my studio for times like these! The very start of my design process entails going through all of the inspiration I’ve gathered and organizing it into concept boards. This gets the creative juices flowing!

My next step is sketching. I spent hours upon hours in my design room surrounded by mountains of inspirations, colors and leathers that I have collected from all over the world. I turned my music on and began sketching, just letting everything that comes to mind translate onto the paper. As a designer, I spend a lot of my time talking to women about what they want in a bag and what they feel is missing in the world of handbags. As I design, I consult all of the feedback I have received from women over the years.

I laid out all of my sketches and decided which ones I felt are most unique and inspiring for the season while maintaining my focus on ergonomics and functionality. Every season I like to introduce new shapes and build new cool hardware. Fashion is about innovation, always inventing and creating “the next big thing”.

Once I had finished sketching out my ideas and choosing the strongest pieces to use for my collection, it was time to pick my color palette! Deciding on which colors to use for my collection is a very important step in the design process that determines the wear-ability of the bag. I always design bags that can be worn year round and develop colors that can go with any outfit during any season. For this summer collection I chose shades of mint, soft greys, vintage metallic, and bold blues.

Next, I create my own prints, a unique process that allows me to truly customize every element of my collection. I create my own digital artwork of patterns that I illustrate to reflect both my color palette and the season. After I created the patterns I printed them on soft, leathers. For this collection, I focused on reinventing reptile prints in different color ways.

Developing my leathers is one of my favorite steps. I work one-on-one with tanneries to create the most innovative leathers to style into my collection. Keeping with my inspiration I create textures that speak to the story I am weaving through. For this season I created soft, pliable leathers with my custom prints, metallic leathers to use as accents and neutral matte leathers to work into the body of the bags.

After a long, yet exhilarating process, the designs for my summer collection were ready to go to production! Now it’s time for me to build samples and work out the operative details of each bag. From the handle size to the clasp function, each bag needs to be examined in detail. Once they’re built I like to give them a test drive and wear them around. I have to make sure they are just right! I can’t wait to show you what I have been working on! 

I’m off to construct the collection, but before I go, what function would YOU like to see in a handbag?

Happy Thanksgiving!

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This Thanksgiving I wish you lots of good food and good company. I also hope we all take a moment to think about all we have to be thankful for. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in what you're not happy about, but it's nice that there's a day dedicated to remembering the good things and being grateful.

I am looking forward to heading to Courtney's again this year with Rachel. I adore Courtney and spending time with her and her family is so much fun. Last year Rachel and I laughed so much our faces hurt and ate so much we weren't hungry for...well, hours. Okay, it's Thanksgiving, you're supposed to eat a lot!

I am always grateful for the people who make sure I'm not by myself on Thanksgiving. I am usually working, so I can't go see my family and it always warms my heart to have friends that say, "Hey, what are you doing on Thanksgiving? Come on over to our house." If you can't be with the family you were born into on this day, be with the family you choose: your friends.

If you want to get started on your holiday shopping after all that great food, sit on the couch and tune in to QVC. I'll be on in the evening and remember we're always on...you don't have to fight traffic or go out in the cold! Yay!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!
--Lisa


TURKEY WEEK! WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THANKSGIVING?

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Who's hungry? I say that smiling because I am so excited over the anticipation of Thanksgiving Day, which is almost upon us. Can you believe it? What are your plans? Are you cooking this year or going somewhere as a guest? Maybe you are going out to your favorite place that serves up a wonderful feast…turkey or otherwise. We will be in New York City again this year to meet friends, watch the parade, and enjoy the 'Big Apple' holiday energy. My taste buds starting doing backflips last week when I was having my girls’ night. My friend Liz brought the desserts for our get-together. She brought an amazing salted caramel apple strudel. It was so beautiful that we took a photo:

It tasted even more beautiful than it looks. What is your favorite Thanksgiving recipe? Maybe one you love to make, or, even better, one to eat? Please share with us so that we can expand our holiday yumminess repertoire.  

In preparation for the holiday fun, my kids have been decorating their room. Snowflakes are always a popular one and so easy to make. Coco and Ian have been practicing their cutting skills and are getting pretty good. Here are flakes that will hang from the ceiling this evening!

When I saw this, it reminded it of one of Bob's tops that has a jeweled design that looks like a snowflake. It's perfectly festive for this time of year. It's Bob's 3/4 Sleeve Crossover Neck Top with Jewel Detail (A219654). The available colors are black and merlot, and there’s a few left of the royal in size small.

Isn't that pretty? It does look like a snowflake, right? And the neckline has a nice amount of sex appeal. Here is a close up of the neckline in the royal:

If you love to embrace the holiday as much as my children, this is a charming top to wear for the holiday season and all through the year. As the holidays approach, be sure to have your wardrobe ready for all the parties and get-togethers. You can find more choices from Bob's Wearable Art line only available at QVC and QVC.com. Do a little holiday shopping for yourself!  

I wish you a wonderful and delicious Thanksgiving Day and wonderful holiday weekend.

I'll be back after the weekend with the start of our '12 days of Christmas.'

Best,

Margaux

 

 

Shop Bob’s Wearable Art collection on QVC.com.

Tune in on Saturday, November 30th for QVC's Best Computer Value of the Year!

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The holiday season is officially here! And if you’re searching for that PERFECT gift for that PERFECT someone in your life – we may have just the idea for you!  QVC and Dell have teamed up to create a fantastic computer bundle that will surely light up your Christmas tree!  What better way to bring a smile to a face than to give a brand new Dell computer from QVC!!

Our Dell Inspiron bundle is LOADED with state of the art performance featuring the AMD A8 Quad Core Processor with gesture control and facial recognition software!   You can log into your computer using your facial attributes!!  How cool is that?!?   Complementing the POWERFUL processor is 8 gigs of memory for multitasking and a HUGE 1 terabyte hard drive to store all of your holiday photos, videos & more.  Did I mention the computer comes in seven colors including two – merlot and bronze – that are available only to QVC viewers?   AND – get this -- this will be the first time we have ever offered the NEW Windows 8.1 operating system!   (which is my favorite part about the offer by the way).

Included with your computer is a software and support package that includes Lifetime Premier PC Support, Lifetime Antivirus Support, and NEW titles like Adobe Photoshop Elements 12!  And you have the option to include Microsoft Office 2013 featuring Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and One Note for all of your productivity needs. 

There are so many reasons why I am excited to share this offer with you this Saturday on QVC.  I spoke with our factory elves and they are hard at work on delivering your new Dell in plenty of time for Christmas. 

If you have any questions watch this video below to see how you can get your questions answered.

Be sure to check back on Saturday when we will have experts here from Dell, AMD, and Microsoft answering your questions live all day!

Tune in to QVC or friend me on Facebook @ Nate Matatall – Dell Spokesman for QVC and I look forward to talking with you soon!  

Happy Holidays!

- Nate 

Christmastime in Italy with Chef Fabio Viviani & Let's Make Homemade Pizzelles!

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Hello, foodies…
 
I hope you all had a terrific Thanksgiving. I had a wonderful holiday with dear friends and I’m trying to convince myself I don’t need yet another turkey sandwich right now. (I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out…)
 
Sunday is the first day of December! Since today is Friday, that means there are 27 days until Christmas! But who’s counting? Oh right—I AM! It’s no secret that I love Christmastime and all the magical traditions that go along with it...togetherness with loved ones, caroling, snow, decorations, gifts, and FOOD! Foodies, have you ever been out of the country for Christmas? Where did you go and how did the locals celebrate? Roughly 160 countries around the world celebrate Christmas. While it’s wonderful to revel in the familiarity of our American customs, for the month of December on In the Kitchen with David, we wanted to “take” you around the world to see how our neighbors near and far celebrate.
 
Sunday marks the start of “Christmas Around the World” month and we’re going to Italy! Who better to give us some insight on Italian customs than our (hilarious) friend Fabio Viviani.
 
Fabio Viviani
 
Our girl Mary QVC had the opportunity to speak with Fabio via phone (Fabio’s a busy guy—he now has SEVEN restaurants around the country and is working on his third cookbook) and she laughed from the moment she said hello to the moment they wished each other a very happy “Buon Natale,” or “Merry Christmas!”
 
Here’s how the (crazy!) conversation went:
 
Mary QVC: Fabio, what are some of the most popular Christmas traditions in Italy?
FV: Everyone in Italy is Catholic, so everyone has the Feast of the Seven Fishes—a Christmas Eve feast that features seven seafood courses. It’s a Roman Catholic tradition to abstain from meat on Christmas Eve (in addition to Fridays and pretty much every other holy holiday). It’s such a challenge to give up meat, but since I’m a chef, and I like a challenge, I always give it a try!
 
Mary QVC: Where did you grow up?
FV: Tuscany, Italy—right in the center.
 
Mary QVC: Did you have any special family or regional traditions?
FV: My dad was drunk for Christmas and my house smelled like fish. One year my dad got a cat and the horrible thing ran all over and broke the house.
 
Mary QVC: Um, what? We were hoping for a “nice” tradition, Fabio…
FV: Oh! Well, we all decorate eggs. So you drill a small hole in them, blow out the egg, and dry the shell in the sun. Then we’d paint them—with stupid faces—and give them to each other as gifts. One year, after I start making a little money, I paid one of my employees to draw on each egg a picture of Mom, Dad, Grandfather, etc. and gave them as gifts. It was SO GOOD that we don’t do the tradition anymore. Those eggs couldn’t be topped!
 
Mary QVC: So it sounds like Christmas Eve is just as important as Christmas Day in Italy. Right?
FV: Sí. The whole family gets together, and even though you may not have heard from them all year, everyone loves all over each other. Everyone in my family worked all the time—even on Christmas. But like all Italians, we were also very into religion. The day of Christmas Eve, we’d cook all day and invite the priest over, along with other people from the church. They’d come, we’d feed them, and then my mom convinced the priest to give us mass at home so we didn’t have to go. For 10 years she did this…the priest would come over to eat and my mother would say, “Father, could you bless our house?” I remember my mom was allergic to the incense, so we’d say, “Mom, the church is coming,” and she’d say, “Let me go get my Kleenex.”
 
Even the days after Christmas were important to us…we had no extra money growing up—I mean really none at all, so we picked up the trees in the street on the 28th to have a few days of decorating the tree (if we were lucky we found a tree with the decorations still on it!) and we enjoyed the feeling of Christmas.
 
Mary: Does Santa exist in Italian culture? What are children taught about him?
FV: Oh, YES! He’s a BIG deal in Italy! But it’s totally a kid thing. Since we didn’t have much money growing up, Santa brought socks. Sometimes underwear. Maybe even textbooks. But if you were REALLY GOOD—you got a steak!
 
Mary QVC: Besides seafood, what other foods did your family enjoy at Christmas?
FV: We take a suckling pig, fill it with squash, then meticulously sew it back together. Then we roast it in an Italian version of a Cajun oven for days. It was underground, covered, and made of steel and stone. Once the pig was cooked, people were blistering themselves to eat it. My grandmother would swing a wooden spoon like Robin Hood to defend the pig—it was that good.
 
Mary QVC: Could you share the recipe for that? Or another dish?
FV: Of course! A version of the pork is actually in my cookbook. My grandmother also used to make an “overcooked” lamb shank that never was overcooked, but you couldn’t convince her otherwise. That’s also in the book.
 
Mary QVC: Fabio, thank you. How do you say “Merry Christmas” in Italian?
FV: We say “Buon Natale!” Tell all of David’s foodies Fabio says “Buon Nalate!”
 
There you have it, foodies. Christmas traditions from the one and only Fabio Viviani. (Mary, thank you for translating so well!) Here’s the recipe for that heavenly pork dish he spoke about. This appeared in his second book, Fabio’s Italian Kitchen.

Butternut Squash-Filled Roasted Pork Loin
 
Ingredients:

•    3 butternut squash, cut in half, or any other winter squash
•    6 Tbsp olive oil
•    Salt
•    1 pork loin, 4-5 lb.
•    1 Tbsp salt
•    1 Tbsp pepper
•    1 Tbsp garlic, minced
•    1 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
•    1 Tbsp butter, melted, plus more for brushing on the pork

Directions:

1.    Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.    Drizzle each squash half with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and dust with a pinch of salt. Place the halves face up on baking sheets and bake for about 45 minutes or until the flesh is tender. Remove from the oven, and when they are cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a bowl and let it cool down more.

3.    Using a large, sharp knife, “unroll” the pork loin into a flat sheet. Start by making a cut about ¼” deep down the length of the loin, then slide the knife underneath the meat and turn the loin as you continue cutting, unrolling the meat with one hand as you cut with the other. Try to stay even at about ¼” thickness. If your butcher is a nice guy, he will do this for you. Ask!

4.    Once the pork is completely unrolled into a flat sheet, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, sage, and melted butter. Rub the mixture all over the upper side of the meat.

5.    Spread the squash on top of the seasoning mix, then roll the pork back up and tie it with butcher’s twine.

6.    Place the pork loin in a roasting pan, brush it with butter, and roast it in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the interior temperature is about 170°F.

7.    Cut into thick slices and present the whole loin at the table for serving.
 
Since Fabio had such a great entrée recipe, we thought we’d make a classic Italian dessert this recipe: Pizzelles!
 
Pizzelles
 
Pizzelles
Makes 24‒26 cookies
 
This recipe is prepared using the Cuisinart Pizzelle Press (K298107).
 
Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.
 
Ingredients:

  • 1-3/4 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp almond extract
  • 1 Tbsp orange zest
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

 
Directions:

  1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-size bowl and set aside.
  2. Beat the eggs, sugar, almond extract, and zest together in another medium-size bowl.
  3. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Add in the melted butter.
  4. Preheat your pizzelle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. Drop 1 tablespoon of the batter onto each patterned cookie grid on the bottom plate of the iron. Close the iron and cook the pizzelles according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  5. Remove the cookies from the iron and place them on a rack to cool. When you’re ready to serve, dust with confectioners' sugar.

 
No matter what the cookie—Pizzelles, macaroons, sugar cookies—we Venables love to bake at Christmastime.
 


Here’s your blog question for today…what kind of Christmas cookies are you most looking forward to? Sugar? Chocolate chip? Raisin-filled? Be sure to check out my desserts page on QVC.com before you start baking. We’ve got cookies, brownies, bars, and those terrific little Buckeyes that we featured last month.
 
I’ll see you Sunday at Noon ET!
 
Keep it flavorful!
—David

Happy Thanksgiving! What Are Your Thankful For This Year?

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This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for the ability to stop the mad rush of design meetings and on-air appearances and take some time to enjoy the friends and loved ones I don’t get to see often enough. It’s so easy to get swept up in the rush of day-to-day life that it often takes extra effort to make yourself stop and reach out to those who you haven’t spoken to in a while. I’m presently travelling in Australia, doing just that. Of course, in between spending time with friends, I’m still out and about shopping the stores looking for inspiration. Working every day is a hard habit for me to break! Smile

What are you thankful for this year? Are there any friends and/or loved ones that you haven’t spoken to in too long? Who will you reach out to and thank for their years of friendship, love and support?

With Attitude (and Thanks!),

Renée

 

In response to the question posted on my last blog “How Do You Make A Casual Outfit Look Chic?”…

Hello patches,

This pant is a favorite to many of us! Please keep checking the website as they should be back in stock soon!

-Renée

 

 

Shop Women with Control and Attitudes by Renee on QVC.com.

Quacker Factory Holiday Sweepstakes Rules

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SPONSOR: This Sweepstakes is sponsored by QVC, 1200 Wilson Drive, West Chester, PA 19380 (“Sponsor”).

 

ELIGIBILITY: No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia, excluding Rhode Island, who are 18 years or older at the time of Submission and have submitted a valid Submission prior to the end of the Sweepstakes. Any person who submits any information to Sponsor or any other party in connection with the Sweepstakes is a “Participant”.  Any references to “you” or forms of “you” shall mean the Participant.

 

Employees, officers and directors of QVC or its affiliates, and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each, their agents, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and those involved in the production, development, implementation or handling of the Sweepstakes are ineligible to enter the Sweepstakes or win a Prize.

 

Without limiting any other provision of these Sweepstakes Rules, any winner may be required to sign and return a Release as a condition to receipt of a prize under this Sweepstakes.

 

SWEEPSTAKES PERIOD: The Sweepstakes begins on November 29, and ends at 11:59 PT on December 1, 2013 (the "Sweepstakes Period"). 

 

HOW TO ENTER: There are two (2) ways to enter the Sweepstakes, online via www.qvc.com or by mail.

 

To enter online, you must have access to the QVC Community.  To gain access to the QVC Community, you must open a QVC account.  No purchase is necessary to open an account.  Creating a QVC account requires providing a title (i.e., Mr., Mrs.), first name, last name, email address, physical address, and phone number.  You then submit your “Story” within the comments section of the Blog on www.qvc.com.  Follow the submissions guidelines listed in these Sweepstakes Rules and submit your Submission ("Submission").  A Submission includes any story, text or any other information or data in any form that a Participant submits in any manner, directly or indirectly, to Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes.  Sweepstakes is limited to one (1) Submission per Participant.  Duplicate Submissions will be removed.  In the event Participants exceed the stated limit, only the earliest Submission will be reviewed. No e-mail or fax Submissions will be accepted.

 

To enter the Sweepstakes by mail, send your name, address, and daytime telephone number and Submission Story on a standard 4 inch by 6 inch postcard addressed to Quacker Factory Holiday Sweepstakes, 1200 Wilson Drive MC – 201, West Chester, PA 19380. (“Mail Entry”).

 

Online Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. PT on December 1, 2013. All Mail Entries must be postmarked by December 1, 2013, and received by December 3, 2013.

               

Limit of one (1) entry per person during the entry period either by mail or online. Any person who attempts to participate with entries in excess of these entry limitations will be disqualified.Any other attempted form of Sweepstakes entry is void. Any person who attempts to participate under multiple identities or uses any device or artifice to enter in excess of this entry limitation will be disqualified; use of programmed, automated or like means of entry is prohibited. All duplicate entries will be discarded. All Mail Entries are the non-returnable property of Sponsors.

 

Sponsors are not responsible for lost, misdirected or late entries caused by hardware or software errors or other technological malfunctions or failure of any kind or invalid/non-operational device, or lost, late, mutilated, misdirected or postage-due mail. Sponsors are not responsible for the failure of the delivery carrier responsible for delivery of any entry.

 

 

DRAWING:  Each eligible submission will be entered once in a random prize drawing to be held on or about December 3, 2013. QVC, Inc. retains the right to delay the prize drawing. Winner will be chosen at random from the pool of eligible entries received. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received. Winning entry is subject to validation.

 

PRIZE: Two (2) winners will be randomly selected to each receive:

 

A Quacker Factory Sweater Pillow:  Approximate Retail Value $69.50

 

Total Approximate Retail Value of all two (2) prizes combined: $139.00

 

Prizing is limited to one prize per person per household. Prize is limited to what is listed in these official rules. Prize winner (“Winner”) is not entitled to any surplus between actual value of prize and stated retail value. In the event Sponsor is unable to award prize as stated, Winner will receive a substitute prize of equal or greater value, at Sponsor’s discretion. Any costs or fees not specifically listed herein are the responsibility of the Winner.

 

If a potential Winner is unable or unwilling to accept the prize for any reason, he/she will be disqualified and the entire prize forfeited; and, in such event, an alternate Winner shall be selected from among all remaining eligible Submissions received.  Prizes cannot be substituted or transferred by Winner. If a Prize must be forfeited, Winner will not be given the cash value of the prize or any component of the prize.  Winner is solely responsible for all expenses not expressly included. All taxes are the responsibility of the Winner. Winner may be required to sign an IRS Form 1099, Form W-9, or the equivalent for all prizes valued at $600 or greater, or for any prize as to which Sponsor, in its sole discretion, believes it is warranted.  PRIZES PROVIDED BY QVC.

 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:  Within the comments section of the blog or on a postcard, tell us “What's your holiday decorating advice?" The Winner will be selected randomly from all eligible Submissions.

 

ONCE TRANSMITTED ALL SUBMISSIONS BECOME PART OF THE SWEEPSTAKES AND MAY NOT BE REMOVED BY THE Participant, EVEN IF Participant CEASES OR WITHDRAWS FROM SWEEPSTAKES CONSIDERATION. Any Submission may be posted on Sponsor’s website and/or any other website specified by Sponsor and may be available to be viewed by anyone with access to the Internet.  All Submissions may remain on any website specified by Sponsor in perpetuity or for as long as Sponsor deems appropriate to archive.

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. By entering the Sweepstakes and making any Submission, a Participant hereby represents and warrants to Sponsor and its affiliated entities that (a) the Participant has obtained all permissions necessary to post publicly the Submission and any portion thereof; (b) the Submission is an original work of authorship, created by Participant, has not been previously published or won any award, and there are no conflicting rights in the Submission, including but not limited to copyright, rights of publicity or privacy, or other intellectual property rights; (c) the Submission will not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party, including by way of example and not by limitation, any copyright, trademark or patent rights or rights of publicity or privacy belonging to any third party; (d) the Participant is a legal resident of the United States or the District of Columbia, excluding Rhode Island, and is at the time of Submission, at least 18 years of age; (e) the Participant has the right to agree to, and fully perform the Participant’s obligations under these Sweepstakes Rules; and (f) the Participant has the consent of any third parties as required to grant the rights and licenses granted by Participant hereunder, including without limitation all licenses, rights, assignments of rights, waivers of non-transferable rights, consents and permissions to any portion of the Submission or performance contained in such Submission, and to all underlying elements or other works incorporated into the Submission (including without limitation any dialog/monologue, music, lyrics, voices, statements, photos and likeness releases for any person who appears in or is identifiable in the Submission).

 

Participant hereby agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Sponsor, and its respective parents, successors, assigns and licensees, harmless from and against any losses or expenses incurred by Sponsor relating to any right or license granted, or any breach of any representation, warranty or covenant made, by Participant under these Sweepstakes Rules.

 

PUBLICITY RELEASE. Subject to applicable law, Participant irrevocably grants Sponsor the right to use the Submission and the Participant’s name, voice, likeness and/or biographical material, and has obtained identical rights of any third parties depicted in the Submission for advertising, promotional and/or publicity purposes in connection with the Sweepstakes, in all forms of media (now and hereafter known), worldwide in perpetuity, without any obligation or consideration of Sponsor, or its affiliated entities.

 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Participant must have express written consent of any individual featured in the Submission. Please do not submit duplicate Submissions. Any Submissions that violate the Sweepstakes Rules will be removed. Any Submission using the likeness of others or uses or displays copyrighted material without permission will be removed.

 

Submissions may not portray the Sponsor in a negative light.  Submissions may not contain offensive, defamatory, inappropriate, or obscene material, in the sole discretion of Sponsor. In the event the Submission contains photographic images or likenesses of individuals, those individuals must have provided the Participant with adequate written permission to use the image, and must not be under contract or have any guild or association affiliations that would limit the right of Sponsors to use the Submission for any purpose for which a license or right is granted to Sponsors under these Sweepstakes Rules.

 

Sponsor is not responsible for legal protection or clearance of Submissions in any form. Sponsor reserves the right to request evidence of permission or original work and further reserves the right to disqualify any Submission it deems infringing or inappropriate in any form, according to these Sweepstakes Rules.  Except where expressly prohibited by law, once transmitted all submissions become part of the Sweepstakes and may not be removed by the Participant, even if Participant ceases membership or withdraws from Sweepstakes consideration.

 

Sponsor grants a limited license to use its proprietary text, logos, and trademarks provided and necessary to create a Submission.  Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, no rights in the Sponsor Content are granted to Contestant for any other purpose.  “Sponsor Content” means Sponsor’s name, proprietary text, logos, trademarks, trade names, service names and any other intellectual property of Sponsor.

 

 

WINNER NOTIFICATION: The potential Winner will be notified on or about January 16, 2013. The potential Winner will be required to respond (as directed) to the phone and/or e-mail notification within the time period specified in the notification (“Notification”). The failure to respond timely to the notification may result in forfeiture of the prizes; and, in such case, Sponsor may choose an alternate Winner from the remaining eligible submissions. The potential Winner also will be sent an affidavit of eligibility / liability / publicity release ("Release"); and together with the Notification and any other release or document required to be executed by Sponsor, the (“Prize Acceptance Documents”). Unless restricted by law, the potential Winner will be required to complete and return the Release within the time period specified therein. As a condition of receiving a prize, potential Winner shall, in the form specified by Sponsor, provide a perpetual non-exclusive license to Sponsor to use the Submission in any and all media throughout the world, in perpetuity, for any purpose whatsoever, without any additional compensation, the term of which shall be the entire life of the copyright. Should potential Winner be unwilling or otherwise unable to enter into the license, or provide such permissions and/or releases or otherwise cannot accept or receive the prize for any reason, an alternate Winner will be selected by Sponsor from the remaining eligible Submissions until one who is able to meet all requirements can be selected. Potential winner must provide Sponsor with all signatures on the Release and return all documents in a timely manner as required pursuant to these Sweepstakes Rules in order to be eligible to receive any prize.

 

USE OF SUBMISSIONS: LICENSE. Participant, by entering the Sweepstakes or making any Submission to or for the benefit of Sponsor, hereby irrevocably grants to Sponsor a non-exclusive, sub-licensable, royalty-free, fully paid license and right to use, distribute, make derivative works from and otherwise exploit the Submission, in any manner and in any medium now known or hereafter devised, throughout the world in perpetuity, including without limitation the right to use the Submission in whole or in part in merchandising, advertising, marketing or promotion or for any other commercial or non-commercial purpose related to the Sweepstakes or not related to the Sweepstakes. Participant hereby forever waives and relinquishes all so-called "moral rights (droit moral)" now or hereafter recognized.  Participant agrees that Sponsor shall have sole discretion in determining the extent and manner of use of Submission and is not obligated to use any Submission.

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Sponsor shall not be liable to Participants for, and each Participant releases Sponsor from, any failure to supply any prize or any part thereof, by reason of any acts of God, any action(s), regulation(s), order(s) or request(s) by any governmental or quasi-governmental entity (whether or not the action(s), regulations(s), order(s) or request(s) prove(s) to be invalid), equipment failure, threatened terrorist acts, terrorist acts, air raid, blackout, act of public enemy, earthquake, war (declared or undeclared), fire, flood, epidemic, explosion, unusually severe weather, hurricane, embargo, labor dispute or strike (whether legal or illegal), labor or material shortage, transportation interruption of any kind, work slow-down, civil disturbance, insurrection, riot, or any other similar or dissimilar cause beyond any of the Sponsor’s control. Sponsor is not responsible for, and each Participant hereby releases Sponsor from any claim with respect to, any: (a) lost, late, misdirected, undeliverable, incomplete or indecipherable Submissions due to system errors or failures, or faulty transmissions or other telecommunications malfunctions and/or Submissions; (b) technical failures of any kinds; (c) failures of any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes; (d) unauthorized human and/or mechanical intervention in any part of the submission process or the Sweepstakes; (e) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of Submissions; or (f) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from any Participant’s participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use of any prize.

 

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Participant it finds to be violating these Sweepstakes Rules. Sponsor reserves the right to require any Winner to submit to a confidential background check to confirm eligibility and help ensure that the use of any Submission will not bring Sponsor into public disrepute, contempt, scandal or ridicule or reflect unfavorably on the Sweepstakes as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or suspend the Sweepstakes for any reason.  Sponsor has the right, but not the obligation, to use any Submission. Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, cancel, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes should a virus, bug, computer problem, unauthorized intervention or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control, corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Sweepstakes. Sponsor may prohibit a Participant from participating in the Sweepstakes or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines such Participant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes by cheating, plagiarizing, engaging in any deception, or any other unfair playing practices of intending to annoy, abuse, threaten, undermine or harass any other players or Sponsor representatives. The internal laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will govern the Sweepstakes, these Sweepstakes Rules, and any disputes regarding these Sweepstakes Rules and/or this Sweepstakes. Any attempt to deliberately damage or undermine the legitimate operation or fair play of the Sweepstakes may be in violation of criminal and civil laws and will result in disqualification of the Participant from participation in the Sweepstakes. Should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages (including attorney fees) to the fullest extent of the law, including criminal prosecution.

 

PRIVACY: Information collected from Participant is subject to QVC’s privacy statement located at www.qvc.com (“Privacy Policy”).  By entering the Sweepstakes, you accept Sponsor’s Privacy Policy.  In the event of a conflict between these Sweepstakes Rules and Sponsor’s Privacy Policy, Sponsor’s Privacy Policy will govern.

 

GOVERNING LAW / LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:

BY ENTERING THE SWEEPSTAKES, Participant AGREES THAT: (1) ANY AND ALL DISPUTES, CLAIMS AND CAUSES OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR CONNECTED WITH THE SWEEPSTAKES, OR ANY PRIZE AWARDED, WILL BE RESOLVED INDIVIDUALLY, WITHOUT RESORT TO ANY FORM OF CLASS ACTION; (2) ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, JUDGMENTS AND AWARDS WILL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL THIRD-PARTY, OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS INCURRED, (IF ANY), NOT TO EXCEED TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS ($250.00), BUT IN NO EVENT WILL ATTORNEYS’ FEES BE AWARDED OR RECOVERABLE; (3) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL ANY Participant BE PERMITTED TO OBTAIN ANY AWARD FOR, AND Participant HEREBY KNOWINGLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO (I) HAVE DAMAGES MULTIPLIED OR OTHERWISE INCREASED RIGHTS AND (II) SEEK, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, LOST PROFITS AND/OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES, OTHER THAN ACTUAL OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES NOT TO EXCEED TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS ($250.00); AND (4) Participant’S REMEDIES ARE LIMITED TO A CLAIM FOR MONEY DAMAGES (IF ANY) AND Participant IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO SEEK INJUNCTIVE OR EQUITABLE RELIEF.  SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. 

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS:

The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Sweepstakes Rules or the Prize Acceptance Documents will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.  In the event that any provision of the Sweepstakes Rules or the Prize Acceptance Documents is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, the other provisions will remain in effect and will be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.  Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Sweepstakes Rules or any Prize Acceptance Documents will not constitute a waiver of that provision.  Participants agree to waive any rights to claim ambiguity of these Sweepstakes Rules.  Headings are solely for convenience of reference and will not be deemed to affect in any manner the meaning or intent of the documents or any provision hereof.

 

DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT: Sponsor’s policy is to respond to notices of alleged infringement that comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA").

Hosts Love Dooney Days

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Dooney Days

 

Carolyn

 

Courtney

 

Gabrielle

 

Jane

 

Jane & Sue Clifton's dog

 

Jayne

 

Leah

Nancy

 

Pat

 

Shawn

 

Sandra

Thanksgiving and Q!

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If you’ve been following my FB page [http://qvc.co/FB_Albany], you know that Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday!  I wrote a blog about ways I get the Littles involved too…. We do Blessing Bisquits  :~) {http://qvc.co/BlessingBiscuits}. 

 

Being a Military Kid, I’ve learned that it’s not always possible to spend Holidays with blood relatives; but sometimes friends who’ve become family make for the best memories!!!  QVC is committed to helping you stay home with your friends and family over the holidays but they are also committed to the well-being of the employees; so guess what they did?!?!? They catered a full Thanksgiving spread for us….3 times…to cover every shift and every worker.  How cool is that?!  In fact, many employees volunteered  to work the Holiday.  Here’s a behind the scenes look at how my day went:

 

1. Coffee in hand and heading in to Salon

2. Stopped by to chat with Antonella and grab a TDay hug

3. Off to the Salon with Dina.  Seriously this girl can work MIRACLES

4. From Turbie to final result

5. Time to talk Turkey with my Producer

6. Met with guests at the Talent Service Center

7. Mena offered me a Helping Hand too

8. Met up with 2 girlfriends for a Super Yummy lunch….best part:  I didn’t have to cook or clean :~)

I’m back all weekend to shop with you…. Just consider me your Q Concierge!  If you’re stuck on what to get that “hard to buy for “ person, just write to me on my Facebook page!  I’d be happy to help you out!


Have a Great Hair Day, Every Day

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T3 TSV

I've always dreamed of living in a small town. A place where life was simple, slow, and easy. A town where everyone knows each other and people look out for each other—a community. But, I also crave the excitement of the big city: the culture, the diversity, the great restaurants, the nightlife! After years of moving around the globe, searching for this elusive utopia, I believe that I've found it. It's a place called Brooklyn, and I have been living and working here for over two years now, and I love it! My salon is a place where people from the neighborhood gather and connect. For my family, the salon has helped us build our community and feel a part of it, especially for such a short time in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn, however, does have its, how should I say this, "shortcomings." In the city that never sleeps, where the almighty dollar reigns supreme, and where everybody seems to be working 24/7 (I'm sure that wherever you live, you can empathize with this last one), it seems like one of the most basic accoutrements of modern life has made a disappearing act in an effort to gain back a few minutes of precious time. But at what price?

I am, of course, speaking of the blowdryer. In my small town of 2.5 million, what I hear most from my clients is, "I want to look my best, but I don't want to spend a lot of time on my hair because I'm too busy."

I've been a hairdresser for almost 30 years now, and I can tell you that about 5% of the women out there have the kind of hair that looks great without having to do a thing. 5%!! That means that you're probably not one of them, and neither are 95% of my clients.

We all understand the power of great-looking hair. Everyone can agree that a good hair day is a great day. Even I wouldn't think of walking out the door in the morning without 30 seconds with my T3 Featherweight 2 Dryer. Those 30 seconds mean the difference between a hat day, and a day of, "Wow! You have great hair!".

So, if there was a way to get "WOW" days more often, to look and feel your best, and to get there in record time with minimal effort, wouldn't it be worth checking out? If that amazing blowdry was made quick and simple, if the dryer was lightweight and effortless to use, would that make it even easier? Would that give you the confidence to admit that you're part of the 95% of us that needs a little something extra in our arsenal, something to help us feel "WOW!"?

What if I told you that you could get out of the bathroom faster with shinier, bouncier, longer-lasting style? And what if I said that at QVC on December 9th, you could also choose one of these blow dryers in one of six exclusive new colors? (Pink, Purple, White, Teal, Black, and Sapphire/Green are exclusive to QVC until March 1, 2014!)

In our house, we always look for three "wins" when we decide whether or not something is worth us investing in. Let's check this against my family's criteria:

Great hair days – WIN!

Less time in the bathroom - WIN!

Healthier-looking hair - BIG WIN!

Incredible value - WIN!

Six exclusive colors - WIN!

Best Christmas gift ever - WIN!

How many more wins would you need in order to give this revolutionary product a try?

Whether you live in Brooklyn or Baton Rouge, a small town or a big city, please join me all day, December 9th, for the most fun you can have on TV. I love this blowdryer, I love QVC, I love helping make women look and feel more beautiful, and I love great hair days! Here's to all four - because that's 4 WINS, and I'm all in! See you there!

 

DAN xoxo

My First 'Mom Monday' Blog - Updates On Nesting, The Holidays And Family!

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Hi everybody!!!! Happy belated Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukah!  Hope your holidays are off to a wonderful start.  Have you started decorating and shopping?  We haven't as I write this but by the time you read this the plan is to have the house decorated and a few gifts checked off the list Smile

As promised I wanted to write blogs more freguently so I thought since it has been a little over a month since we announced the baby news, this would be a good time to catch up with you.  Our most exciting thing to share with you is that we are starting to feel the baby!!!  Well, me more then Steve only because I'm with the baby more, lol.  Plus I can feel it internally and when I put my hand on my stomach.  The first time it happened it was a wonderful feeling that made me laugh out loud and even brought tears to my eyes.  Because this is the first baby, the worry wart in me went "oh no what was that!" but it didn't take too long to figure it out and that is when the laughter and tears started.  In fact remember the night when I posted that Steve and I went to see the movie Captain Phillip's?  Well during the first part of the movie I was getting so many flutters and gentle kicks from this liitle one that Steve and I put the bucket of popcorn down (a first for us) and just placed our hands on the baby to feel all the acton.  It was wonderful!! Oh, and so was the movie by the way.

 

I know I said that we will know what we are having in December so if you are reading this the first day it is posted, I don't know yet but if you are reading later in Dec, we know!!  December 3rd is the big day and though we ultimately are most thrilled that we are having a BABY it will be exciting to hear boy or girl.  Only because I am a planner and you know I have two bedding sets picked, two color theme ideas, two different shower curtains for their bathroom, so it will just be nice to know.  Plus, you know me and I want to buy a cute baby outfit, lol!  You know how lots of couples now are learning the sex of the baby after they leave the doctors by taking a note with the sex written on it.  We thought about doing that but Steve and I also want to sit with the tech and really analyze the sonogram since you don't get to have one done on a regular basis. Plus we will have a million questions so the news of what we are having is more like the second exciting part of that appointment it's the seeing of the baby I can't wait for!  I for sure will share the news with you but I haven't decided how to tell you yet.  I can tell you the same way I'm telling the fam which is having the babies name embroidered on a Christmas stocking so when they come over for the holidays they will discover if its a boy or a girl.  I can take a pic of the mantle and put it on FB and tell you that way or I could tell you live on our first Inspired Style after the holiday. Which would you prefer?

 We also started "nesting" as they say, which pretty much means the basement underwent a complete clean up. When we moved in last year we didn't do a very good job of organizing things in our storge closet in the basement (it basically became our dumping ground). The other week we took everything out of there and went through what to donate, what to dump, and put the rest back very nicely so now there is room for more and we can finally see what we have! The plan is do the same system for every closet in the house.  We figure we will need a place to keep all the baby items that will be filling our house in a matter of months so the more space we can make, the better.  We also decided which room to use as the nursery.  We have one completely empty bedroom in the house and the other is a guest room.  We originally thought about moving the guest room into the empty room and converting the guest room into the nursery because it has a really pretty window.  Then when we went furniture shopping we realized we could get a set that fits perfectly in the empty room that allowed us to buy both a dresser and chest.  So we ordered that collection in white and decided to use the empty room.  The furniture doesn't get here until January so that will give us time to get the room painted once we hear boy or girl. I think we will do pink walls with a pink, grey, and white bedding set if it's a girl. If it's a boy we will do grey walls with this cute blue and red nautical bed set. Regardless of the sex, we went with white furniture because I just love that look for a nursery!

In other baby news, we did have two showers for my younger sis who is due in January.  Sarah and Mike are expecting their little boy mid January and so far everything is going well. Mike comes from a very large family, so to prevent having 100's of people at one party, we threw two seperate showers-- it's always fun to celebrate twice! I also personally enjoyed getting ideas for our own registry and learning about so many great things they make for babies these days. Plus there is something about seeing your younger sister becoming a mom that is very touching. When my big sis Jess was preganant it felt different, she is older and those things are supposed to happen, but the baby sister is a whole different story!  She will be a great mom and hoping I will be too.  I am the craziest of the three of us, (not in a crazy party way but in a crazy I over think everything way) so I'm scared I'll question myself instead of following my instincts.  Be prepared for me to use my Facebook page as a way of getting in touch when I have a parenting question.  It will be so nice to hear from many of you who have been there before. 

I suppose this leaves us with my random thoughts and comments. So let's see!

 - Been loving breakfast food right now and could eat breakfast for dinner a few times a week. 

- My pre-existing sweet tooth has recently magnified and it's safe to say the baby and Amy are both loving desserts!!

-I find my love for coffee has diminsihed.  Maybe because I'm drinkiong decaf but still not even loving the flavor as much as I use to. 

- For sure in maternity clothes and loving it.  They are so comfy.  I have a few of my "regular" clothes I can still wear but not many.  Let's just say the waist band was the first to be snug but now I can't even fit into my blouses in the chest area.  Time to go shopping! 

- Had a fun weekend in October with Steve's sis Kathy and her husband Dennis.  We went to an apple orchard and showed them some of our favorite fall spots.  Plus Kathy is a pro with a dutch oven so she treated us to some yummy cast iron meals. 

 

- Bought an Isaac crossbody bag that I live in and love. 

- Watched my husband go crazy over the World Series, go Red Sox!!!! 

- Had a fun weekend with my nieces at a children's amusement park. 

- Been eyeing up cute baby stores to play in when we find out what we are having. 

- Can't wait to decorate for Christmas.-- Oh, and we bought Elf the soundtrack, it's terrific!!

- Baby is drying my skin out so looking into new moisturizers from the Q. Any suggestions?

- Totally loving that Homeland is back on as I missed Sal, Carrie, and Brody.

- Looking forward to all our favorite holiday specials to start airing, always a spot for Rudolph! 

- And, lastly I might be slightly addicted to the Hallmark and Lifetime channels and their slightly cheesy but oh so fun to watch holiday movies!

I'll write again next month and I'll be sure to include whether we are having a boy or a girl too just in case you aren't on FB.  Since I won't write before the holidays let me also say have a wonderful, beautiful, warm, delightful, blessed, peaceful, exciting, fun, joyous holiday season!!!! 

 

 

Time to Light the Trees!

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Last month I shared with you a few tips on the best way to light up bushes with Christmas lights.  This month lets tackle a tougher job...trees.

Fir trees or any others that look like Christmas trees are somewhat easy to light.  Start at the top and drape the power cord down the back of the tree towards the ground so you can later hook up your extension cord to run power to it.  Then work your way down the tree towards the bottom either draping the lights or wrapping them in a cylindrical pattern.

Hardwood trees, like Maple, Oak or Elm trees provide a different challenge.  They are never symmetrical, some branches are longer than others and it is hard to estimate the number of lights necessary to complete the task. Just remember that it doesn't take a lot of lights to make a tree stand out when it is dark outside.  And the tree itself will virtually disappear after the sun sets any way...only the lights will be visible. 

You only need to make a basic out line of SOME of the branches to make a tree light up beautifully.  Start at the bottom and run a STRAIGHT line of lights up the tree trunk just off center of the trunk to the left or right.  Wrapping the lights around the trunk will confuse the eye and over load the trunk with lights as compared to the branches. 

Then when you get to your first desired branch to light up (it doesn't have to be the lowest one mind you) take your strand out in a straight line following the curves of that branch from trunk to tip. Again don't wrap the branch.  I use a staple gun making sure not to crimp the electrical line.  Then at the tip follow back on another straight line back towards the trunk.  Again, you are looking to define the trees natural lines, plus wrapping the line uses up much more light stand.  This way your lights will go farther and the tree looks more natural.

Once back to the trunk go a little higher and repeat the process.  Your final section of light strand will then come back down the trunk of the tree off centered once again to the ground were you can make your connection for power.  It sounds confusing but it is easy to get the hang of and your trees will look natural and spectacular.  Give it a try.

The Fashionably Early Gift

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The gift in Fashionably Early this week is hiding under the tree..it will go for a walk and keep you warm...Tune in to FEW on Friday to see our gift pick for you!

Fashionably Early with Jayne& Pat

Friday, December 6, 2013

06:00 - 09:00 AM EST

Wouldn't it be great if you could invite a couple of girlfriends over to talk fashion while you sip your morning coffee and figure out what to wear? Now you can with Fashionably Early with Jayne & Pat. Mondays and Fridays, join your favorite fashion friends, Program Hosts Jayne Brown and Pat James-Dementri, as they dish on the latest trends and must-have essentials. Give your wardrobe a wake-up call with wear-now fashions and accessories from some of QVC's most popular brands and designers. Plus, get "Fashionably Social" when you connect with us on Facebook. Fashionably Early with Jayne & Pat, Mondays and Fridays on QVC® - don't get dressed without it!

Find the latest styles as seen on Fashionably Early with Jayne & Pat.

Denim & Co. Chat of the Week 12/3 at 11:00 am ET!

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Hi Ladies!

It’s Heather from the design team.  I hope everyone had a wonderful & festive Thanksgiving holiday last week!!!  November went by so quickly, and December seems to go even faster.….. I wish everyone an early Happy Holidays & Happy New Year, since we won’t be chatting again until January!! 

I am excited for today’s show and can’t wait to chat with you.  There are some great pieces today, but I especially love corduroy this time of year.  Corduroy is a soft and comfortable wardrobe staple that tends to be offered in beautiful, rich colors this time of year.  It is also especially perfect this time of year for everyone enjoying the chillier weather.  And it is one of those great fabrics that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.

How do you corduroy??  Do you prefer it in a pant, or a big shirt, maybe a jacket, or maybe all 3??  We have a few items in today’s show, and check out some of our other customer favorites online.

If you have any questions about what you see today or just want to chat about Denim & Co. fashion, ask away!

And don’t forget to check out Gary’s blog this month too.

 

Heather

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