Home is where the Heart is

Necklace: c/o Pure Impressions

Sweater: Forever 21

Headband: Forever 21 [similar]

Purse: PacSun [similar]

Boots: c/o Ariat

Hope you all had a great Turkey Day!

I'm still recovering and am currently in a food coma. But it was sooooo worth it.

Oh what a lovely Etsy shop I'm introducing to you folks today!

Pure Impressions is an online jewelry store that I have just fallen in love with! The owner, Laura, is such a doll and get this: she hand makes every single piece of jewelry she sells. All her pieces are create one piece at a time, with love, in the heart of Wyoming. All the metals she uses are coated in 2 coats of Renaissance microcrystalline polishing wax, to avoid any unsightly tarnish. She also hand solders all the components on her pieces for durability! Pure Impressions is the queen of personalized jewelry. Also, Laura is a pro when it comes to amazing customer service. She is quick to respond to any questions or emails and loves a great custom challenge. Yes folks, this lady is a genius at custom pieces!

I absolutely love the Silver Airplane Necklace that she made just for me (seen in my pictures above)! I had her engrave the letters "ITO" to represent my hometown airport in Hilo, Hawaii. Now whenever I wear it, it'll remind me that home is where the heart is (see what I did there?). I also have declared this necklace my official traveling accessory. From now on you won't find me flying an airplane without this darling piece of jewelry around my neck.

I also styled my outfit based on my "airplane attire." Normally when I fly I stick to the most comfortable things in my closet. And what's more comfortable than an oversize sweater and leggings? I usually go with footwear that's easy to get on and off for security check (aka no laces), so these zip-up boots from Ariat are perfect. I'm wearing the thick headband simply because it was cold that day and my ears were freezing. ;)

What's your favorite airplane attire?
Let me know in the comments below!

Best of November: Thankful Edition

thankful to be able to film awesome documentaries in kanab // thankful for unicorn head masks // thankful for kittens that like to cuddle // thankful for girls night out and waffles // thankful for my husband // thankful for santa claus kittens // thankful for the so you think you can dance tour // thankful for matching sodo hoodies // thankful for baby hats // thankful for tucanos and brother in laws // thankful for little brothers who go on missions // thankful for catsitting // thankful for the discovery of wallabys // not really thankful for apple maps that took us to the middle of nowhere when trying to get to the cinemark in american fork // thankful for floating singing cats // thankful for lazy cats that hang out with you when you're sick all week

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Hope you stuff all your faces with turkey and pie.

Blue Nile Jewelry

Bracelet: c/o Blue Nile

Sweater: H&M

Scarf: [similar]

Sunglasses: Choies

Boots: c/o Ariat

Let's celebrate the day before Thanksgiving with GIVEAWAY, shall we?

Today, I'm teaming up with Blue Nile to give you all a chance to win their Sterling Silver Infinity Bracelet! Blue Nile is the largest online retailer of certified diamonds and fine jewelry. I love that their company is built on this unique idea: "Diamonds can be simple to understand. Making the right choice can be easy."

Guys, I was basically drooling when I was looking through Blue Nile's engagement rings. They are all so PRETTY! I'm pretty sure my own engagement ring was getting mad at me for paying so much attention to other bling. Go ahead and check their engagement rings and other jewelry out! And ladies, if you're looking for that special ring for your finger, you should for sure check out Blue Nile. ;)

Crumbed-Topped Apple Slab Pie + Link Up!

NC Grown // Auteur Ariel

Tia
from A Caffeinated Brunette

Welcome to Recipe Swap Hop on Tasty Tuesdays!

Recipe Swap Hop is a fun link-up for all you chefs and cooks out there! If you have a yummy recipe you've posted in the past or have one you want to post now, link it up below! This is a great way to share your favorite recipes with fellow bloggers and to discover new ones!

Also, every week we will spotlight our favorite recipes from the previous week so dust off those cookbooks and pick your best recipes to share!

Spicy Oven Fried Chicken

submitted by Laura from I do deClaire

--This recipe is perfect for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday! Nothing like a little fried chicken for a home cooked meal! Thanks for sharing Laura! 

How to join our link-up:

1) Follow the hosts: NC Grown and Auteur Ariel via GFC
2) Follow the guest host: Tia via Bloglovin

3) Link up your blog post below using the widget [must be recipe/food-related!]

4) Post our button (grab it below) or a text link within your blog post so others can link-up as well!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.ncgrownblog.com/" title="NC Grown"><img src="http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u547/jessmae45/RecipeSwapHopPicture_zpsb883869e.png" alt="NC Grown" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

We are also looking for co-hosts for our future Recipe Swap Hops!
Email either one of us and we'll set it all up.

Ariel [arielhamilton14@gmail.com]
Jessica [jmmcgill45@aol.com]

DON'T FORGET TO LINK-UP BELOW! :)

************************************

I found this yummy looking recipe on Pinterest and I could help but share it with you all! I'm planning on making it for Thanksgiving dinner this week so maybe I'll let you guys know how it turns out (although, I don't see it being anything but delicious)! ;)

image credit to bhg.com

Crumb-Topped Apple Slab Pie

credit to bhg.com
-makes 25 servings-

Ingredients

Pie
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening
8-10 Tbsp cold water
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 1/2 lbs tart-cooking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (10 cups)

Crumb Topping
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup pecans

Directions

1. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with 18-inch wide foil, extending the foil up over the edges of the pan; set aside.
2. For dough: In a large bowl, stir together the 2 1/4 cups flour and the salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, until all of the flour mixture is moistened. Using your fingers, gently knead the dough just until a ball forms.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 19x13-inch rectangle. Wrap it around the rolling pin; unroll it into the prepared baking pan. Ease dough into the pan and up the sides, being careful not to stretch it. Trim dough to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pan. Fold dough edge over and flute as desired.
4. In an extra-large bowl, combine sugar, the 1/3 cup flour, and the cinnamon; add apples. Toss lightly until apples are coated. Spoon apple mixture into dough-lined pan; spread evenly.
5. For crumb topping: In a large bowl, stir together quick-cooking rolled oats, packed brown sugar, and flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until topping mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in chopped pecans. Sprinkle crumb topping over pie (pan will be full).
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until apples are tender. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover top with foil for the last 5-10 minutes of baking. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack.
7. Serve warm or cool completely. Cut into rectangles.

Stay Classy.

Amorium Jewelry Giveaway

Bracelet: Amorium Jewelry

Thumb Ring: Amorium Jewelry

Cardigan: Forever 21

Pants: PacSun

Boots: Wet Seal

Necklace: Wet Seal

Purse: Coach

Hello Monday and Hello Thanksgiving Break!

My only class today (and this week) is cancelled so I am officially on break! I'm soooo excited to stuff my face with turkey and pie this weekend, it's crazy. Besides the food, the best part of Thanksgiving break is that once it's over, I only have one more week of school then it's dunzo for the semester! Yay! Okay, now on to fashion-related things.

Amorium Jewelry is an online handmade jewelry boutique that sells a variety of products! Amorium Jewelry aims to bring back the traditional methods of jewelry production in the age of plastics and mass production. The thing I love most about Amorium Jewelry is that no two products are the same. Every single Amorium piece is handmade by using millenia old Aegian methods. They bring unique jewelry for unique souls!

I absolutely love my Red Thick Swarovski Bracelet and Silver Zigzag Ring! The bracelet is the perfect shade of red for the upcoming Holiday season and you can't go wrong with a little bling on your wrist! I've also been looking around for a cute ring I can wear on my thumb and this one is perfect! I love how it veers away from tradition and takes a zigzag form!

Beanie Weather x CULTivate

Shirt: CULTivate

Beanie: CULTivate

Cardigan: Cotton On

Jeans: American Eagle

Boots: Bamboo [similar]

I'm loving my Ipanema Beach Tee and Black Cultivate Logo Beanie from CULTivate! CULTivate is an awesome online apparel store based in the UK that I absolutely love--check out my previous post where I styled their Classic Logo Tee! They sell high quality, reassuringly priced garments, empowering young people throughout the process. Their apparel ranges from classic fit tees to beanies and snapbacks! You should definitely head over to their site and check out all they have to offer!

Last night Connor and I went to the Catching Fire premiere! I've been babbling on and on about this premiere all week so you guys can imagine my excitement when I was finally sitting in the movie theater! Ahhhhhhhhhh guys, it was so so SO good! I was impressed with how close they stayed to the book (or what I remember of it, it's been I while since I read it). All the parts I wanted them to have in the movie were there! And oh my gosh, I forgot how emotional this second movie was!!! Guys, I cried 10 minutes into the movie and I hardly cry in movies. In fact, I cried like three times. It was super embarrassing... but so worth it.

I highly recommend it to all you Hunger Games fans and even you non-Hunger Gamers.

The only thing I'm sad about is now that I've watched it, I have nothing to look forward to..... Connor reminded me that Christmas is on it's way, but it's just not the same. :(

Let me know what you guys thought of the movie! I wanna hear your feedback!

Ariat Boots + Giveaway

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ariat.

Boots: c/o Ariat

Sweater: H&M

Cardigan: Forever 21

Necklace: Wet Seal

I am so so excited to talk about these ah-mazing Stanton H2O boots I got from Ariat!

Ariat is an American footwear brand with an equestrian heritage that carries throughout their classic fashion offerings. Now let's be real, I do not ride horses. I think the last time I rode a horse was over 3 years ago at my friend's house and I was awful at it. But that doesn't stop me from rocking these awesome equestrian-inspired kicks! Ariat is driven by world class design, innovation, and technology and are all about delivering the highest quality, authentic Western and English footwear and apparel. Besides their adorable boots, they also sell jeans, outerwear, and trendy handbags! They are America's number one English and Western performance footwear brand, so you know they are legit.

As you can tell by the boots that I'm wearing in my pictures, Ariat's deep equestrian roots are a natural inspiration throughout their classic fashion footwear. I seriously love, love my Stanton H2O Ariat Boots! From the moment I slipped them on I could tell these babies were quality. The leather is super thick so they keep my feet nice and warm in this chilly weather. They are also waterproof (hence the "H2O"), which is perfect for this crazy rain we've been getting lately in Provo. My favorite part about these boots is the brass buckle details! I think they add a nice sophisticated touch to the rustic feel the boots have! They are also comfortable, which makes me oh soooo happy because you guys all know I'm all about the comfort zone. These boots fit perfectly into my wardrobe because I have a lot of rustic/bohemian pieces that I could style them with. I'm looking forward to finding fun outfits to build around these boots!

Jealous of my Ariat boots? 

Ariat is hosting a sweet giveaway on their Facebook!

- One winner will receive a product of their choice from Ariat.com.

- Three winners will receive a pair of Ariat boots of their choice.

- Two winners will receive a pair of Ariat jeans of their choice.

You only have until November 27 to enter so don't wait! The winners will be announced on December 2 via the Ariat Facebook page and will be contacted via email, having 3 days to accept.

So what are you waiting for?

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ariat.

To learn more about Ariat and enter their fabulous giveaway on Facebook, please visit: http://bit.ly/1hQteNk.