Foodie Lover: My Top Five Recipes for the Holidays!

Hello All! Back again with a delicious new post! Finals are over and I'm finally free from the papers, exams, pop quizzes and studying. Yay! Now, I have all the time to relax, visit museums and of course try new recipes. Anyone who knows me know I'm a newbie foodie (foodie = ultimate food lover). Not only will I try all the amazing restaurants Philly has to offer, I'm also excited to try some new recipes for the holidays as well. So, I decided to share the top five new recipes I will be making (and eating) during this holiday break!

 You can never go wrong with a classic grilled cheese sandwich, so when I saw this oozy goodness of the Crispy Bacon & Brie grilled cheese sandwich I fell in love. I never tried this recipe before but it looks to die for! This would go amazing with a side of hot soup. Find this recipe via Simply Delicious.

Speaking of soup, I am a soup lover! I love trying new soups and stews and seeing all the great recipes people come up with. One of the most interesting ones I saw was this Jalapeno Popper Chicken soup via Creme De La Crumb. This definitely sounds like a soup I can dig into.

One recipe I'm dying to try again is the uber goodness of the Creamy Chicken Lasagna! When I first made this recipe I was a little nervous about it. But after that first taste, I couldn't get enough of it! This is definitely a must try recipe! Creamy Chicken Lasagna recipe can be found via Sugar n Spice Gals.

You can never go through the winter season without eating a bowl of delicious stew. With a side of warm & buttery biscuits, you'll be in Heaven for sure!  I found a really great recipe online at Mrs. Happy Homemaker. Definitely a holiday season favorite!

Last but definitely not least, the perfect recipe for the ultimate breakfast! Eggnog Pancakes are not only amazing but there great for the holiday season. I made them for my family for Christmas breakfast and they all love them. Excited to make them again. Recipe can be found via Creme De La Crumb.

Whether you're making a feast for your family during the holidays or trying something new during the break, these five recipes are a great start to become the ultimate food lover during the winter break. I know I definitely will  be making these for potlucks & dinners in the future. Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite. 

All these recipes and more can be found on my Pinterest page. Follow me via http://www.pinterest.com/vanitylove93/

The Baking Series: Mini Cranberry Cheesecakes

Hey guys! Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend. Thanksgiving was great for me. Why wouldn't it be. Great food, family time and did I mention great food. Yum! Of course, I had to bring something to the festive meal. So, I went to Pinterest and got this awesome recipe on Mini Cranberry Cheesecakes!

 

The recipe for this yummy treat can be found on My Baking Addiction with all the ingredients and instructions. Making this dessert wasn't expensive at all. The most you will pay for is the vanilla bean which is usually up there in price. Also, it doesn't take long to make. It only took me about 30 minutes to make which is pretty fast. Plus, this is a great treat to make for family and friends during the holidays. Tis the season for baking! Be sure to check out my mini cheesecakes below. Also, follow me on Pinterest to get other yummy recipes, style inspiration & more. Comment below and let me know what you think!

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Fall/Winter Wishlist 2014

Fall/Winter Wishlist 2014 by vanitylove93 featuring a h&m sweater

I haven't gone shopping in awhile and with fall among us and winter coming soon, I definitely need some essentials for my wardrobe. I am in love with ankle boots and these really got me excited. Of course, I can't afford these Jeffery Campbell boots (right now) but I'm sure I can find some similar ones.

I'm really into prints right now, so you can only imagine my amazement when I saw this printed backpack! I'm also loving this chunky sweater from H&M! Be sure to check out my wishlist and let me know what you think!

Chicwish black long sleeve sweater
chicwish.com

H m sweater
$63 - hm.com

H M black zip jacket
$140 - hm.com

H&m boyfriend jeans
$19 - hm.com

Jeffrey Campbell black leather ankle booties
$290 - nastygal.com

Rucksack bag
$13 - beyondtherack.com

Moscot eyewear
$335 - liberty.co.uk

Event Recap: One Night Only Art Gallery

Hello everyone! Back again with another awesome new post. I've been so out of the loop lately when it came to my blog because I've been planning my art gallery on my campus but now I can finally show you guys the event. Yay me! Firstly, I want to say how fun it was to do this event. It was great to meet so many artists from my city and connect with them. I was so impressed with the amount of support I got with this event. It was so awesome!

Unconventional wearable piece made by me

Evelyn, CCP student art work, illustration

All the art work that was shown at my event was submitted by students and local artists in Philadelphia. I was really impressed by the work that was submitted. I got a lot of help from the awesome Studio Art Club on my campus. We really worked hard and promoted the event to be as successful as it was.  So many people was interested in the art and loved what they saw, which made me the happiest girl ever. 

Even I submitted one of my pieces that I completed during my time at Philadelphia University. I was inspired to do more pieces like the one seen above because everyone was in love with what they saw.

Josephine, Tyler Art student, photographs

Emily, Tyler Art student, fiber art

Illustrations from Emily

Doing this event really made me want to create a community and network with young artists and designers in my city. I know to survive in the creative industry you need a community around you to help you find resources, support you and give you inspiration. I really want to create that not just on my campus but in my city. Of course, I'm going to create another event like this. It was great to see such a positive reaction to something I coordinate and work so hard on. Be sure to look at some more photos of my art gallery and let me know what you think!

Drawings made by Studio Art Club

Painting made by Painter Abe

drawings made by CCP student Nathan

Mix Media art made by artist Cuurlzzz

Books made by the Studio Art Club

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Event Recap: The Business of Fashion

Hey guys! Back again with another post. Been so busy with school and event planning I never have time to blog as much as I use to. I am excited because I'm finally planning a fashion show at my school and I'm also doing an art gallery. I also post a new article on my fashion blog, so be sure to check it out. Anywho, I recently went to an awesome event at Moore College of Art & Design! The event was "The Business of Fashion" which was sponsored by the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator, the first of many events for their public program series. 

I was really excited to hear all the great tips and advice they had to give and I was ready to take notes!

There were two special guest doing presentations which was Mary Gehlhar, author of 'The Fashion Designer Survival Guide' and Melissa Hall, founder of The Emerging Designer. Both ladies did a wonderful job with their presentations and really giving us the right resources and tips to start a business in the fashion industry.

 The best part of the event for me was the Q&A towards the end of the event. Many of the questions were related to what I was going through now, such as finding a great internship, figuring out how to use social media to create your business and even finding the right mentor (which I have already but you can never have too many mentors.) They even answer my question on if me trying to start my own t-shirt line now was too soon. They encourage me to go for it and said it would be great experience to have when going into the fashion industry. I'm so glad I was able to go and speak with pro's in the industry. I've learned a lot about the business side of fashion and I can't wait until I have the chance to start my own business as well. 

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IG: Stellarkey1

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Fall Trends: Outer Wear

Fall Trends: Outer Wear by Keyonna B. 
 Check out some of my favorite fall outerwear. I'm really loving over sized blazers and colorful swing coats. I'm very inspired by the retro trends, mixing the styles of the 60's with the 90's. Don't worry about the prices, be sure to shop at your local thrift shop!

Mulberry tuxedo jacket
mulberry.com

Proenza Schouler short coat
shop.harpersbazaar.com

Veda pink leather jacket
scoopnyc.com

Carven heavy coat
$945 - avenue32.com

DKNY zip jacket
$400 - net-a-porter.com

Event Recap: The Philadelphia Collection 2014

Dom Streater and I at Next Fab Studio

 I'm Back! Hope that is a good thing for all my readers. Sorry it took me so long to do another post but I have been so busy with school and trying to find another job. I have been getting ready with other projects as well that I'm very excited about too. Any who, I got the pleasure to experience The Philadelphia Collection 2014 this year by not only volunteering with Philadelphia Fashion Week but also attending two amazing events as well. 

The panel at Tech Styles

This first event I attended was the Tech Styles event which was held at Next Fab Studio. Tech Styles was a great panel discussion which was moderated by Sabir M. Peele, founder of Men's Style Pro. Many topics were discussed including 3-D design and how technology is becoming a big trend and tool in the fashion industry, definitely when it comes to creating fabrics. 

Philly Eyeworks

Next Fab demonstration

Analog Watch Co.

I also got to see some really cool demonstrations from Next Fab Studio, Philly Eyeworks and Analog Watch Co. It really amaze me to see some of the things this brands came up with as far as their product. To see a watch made out of wood really blew my mind. It really excite me to see some of the things I will be doing in the future. Side note, I would so love to have a membership at Next Fab Studio.

Next, I got to volunteer for Philadelphia Fashion Week for the 3rd time. I must say this was the best time I had at Philadelphia Fashion Week. I got to assist a really great designer, Ayasa Afi, meet other great designers like Ian Alexander and even spoke with the models and other volunteers. It was still hectic backstage but I really enjoyed myself.

Ian Alexander

Ayasa Afi

Ayasa Afi

Volunteering with Philly Fashion Week really gave me the opportunity to not only connect with great designers but also peers interested in the same field I am. I really had a great experience and would love to do more fashion shows in the future.

Designer Ayasa Afi and her models

Lastly, I attended 'Fashion Under the Shambles' which was a fashion show to celebrate and showcase all the wonderful boutiques on South Street. I must say this was my favorite event because it really showed how stylish Philadelphia really is. After seeing that fashion show, I really believe we can be the next fashion city in the U.S. 

Conrad Booker design

Conrad Booker design

Cory Hindorff

Hosted by America's Next Top Model finalist, Cory Hindorff, this fashion showcases different fashions for every type of stylish person. I really enjoyed myself and even discovered some new designers that I absolutely love!

The Philadelphia Collection 2014 was a really great experience and I can't wait to see what else this city has to offer!

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IG: Stellarkey1

Twitter: @stellarchic1 (new twitter name!)