Cranberry Chic: How to use cranberries to add some flavour to your holiday fare

Waking up on Christmas morning, in either your cozy red flannels by Vera Wang or your silky cranberry hued Agent Provocateur slip is a fashionista’s way to rise and shine. With skin smelling as if it’s just been dipped in sweet cranberry sauce after languishing in a tub full of bubbles, is the right way to start of the morning.

Salivating from the smells coming from your kitchen, the freshly baked cranberry muffins, cranberry mimosa, savory ham & cheddar quiche and freshly steamed coffee is the perfect wake up call to start a day of merriment.

Cranberries are one of the mainstay ingredients in Christmas cooking as well as baking.  Cranberries are a native fruit to North America and once grew well in the eastern portions of the continent. The jury is still out on how the cranberry got its name one opinion is that it derived from the word craneberry, as the cranberry blossom perched on its curved stem resembles a crane.

The aboriginals who had been consuming cranberries for hundreds of years introduced cranberries to the settlers, who began using the berry as source of dye, and also for its medicinal properties as cranberries have a high Vitamin C content.

Cranberries are in so many of the wonderfully dishes we have today.  Some of my favourites are cranberry muffins, cranberry bread, cranberry sauce for your Christmas Turkey and the unforgettable Sex and the City cocktail, the Cosmopolitan.

So start planning your perfect Christmas morning breakfast and holiday treats using the tart, crisp, juicy cranberry.

Enjoy!

Donna for Amanda's Fashion Spot

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Kelly! Kelly! Kelly!: People's Revolution Boss Hits Bryant Park

What I am beginning to love about New York is that there always seems to be a fun event everyday. The other day that fun event was a book signing and q&a session with none other than PR Queen and MTV's The City star, Kelly Cutrone!

I am currently reading her book, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside and if you haven't already picked it up, then go buy it! The book has Kelly's well-known straight forwardness and a lot of insights to her personal life that many may be surprised to find out, such as her brief stint as a tarot card reader and recording a song. Despite all of this, Kelly has some really incredible advice for not only how to make it in the fashion industry but also how to be a strong woman.

Some of my favourite parts include:

-When it comes to one's personal life.......Chapter Three "It's Not a Breakdown, it's a Breakthrough" in which she describes that going through a tough time is sometimes there to help you learn something about yourself in order to better yourself.

-When it comes to living your life.......Her bottom line of being true to yourself no matter what and always knowing what suits you best.

-When it comes to your career........Never de-value the importance of being an intern and to always treat each task with a pro-active and positive attitude!

All in all it is an amazing book and Miss Cutrone is one wise lady, so you can only imagine my excitement when I was able to see her in-person. Dressed in her signature all-black ensemble, she arrived in cool shades and bright nails. She spoke with the same confidence and honest attitude that what we all love about her and when it came to answer everyone's eager questions, she delivered. Some of the points that I took away from it were:

-To not feel the need to follow the expectations that society places on you as a woman or a human being. For example, getting married at a certain age and having a certain amount of children, etc. It is better to be your own person and do what makes you happy.

-It is always important to know who you are, what you are and what you want to do.

Pretty good advice, eh? Kelly was really nice to everyone. She personalized each book signature and gave free t-shirts to everyone who had a birthday in the month of June. It was a great experience to hear such a successful and empowered woman speak about things that we all can identify with first hand.

Kudos to you Kelly!

Enjoy!

Amanda

Sex and the City 2 Baby!

With Sex and the City 2 coming out in just a few days who can resist the squeals, the excitement and the cocktails that are inspired by Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha! Oh and the fashion! Who can forget the fashion! It is just me? Or did Patricia Field, up the style barometer with colour, scarves, and shimmery gold!

If you are die hard fan like me, you must enjoying all the magazines with none other than SJP gracing the cover. So why not check out the latest cover of FASHION magazine and read all about it!

Enjoy!

Amanda

A Day in the Life: I Had a Fashion Dream Part Three

“I’ve Got a Closet Full of Couture and Nowhere to Live”-Carrie Bradshaw

Alrighty, so now that I know where I plan to apply for my ideal internship, there are a few more details that I need to get ironed most importantly being, HOUSING! Where will I live when I am enjoying my exciting internship? Living in Toronto, I may feel that rent and the general cost of living is bad (especially considering the recent TTC fare hike!) but New York is about 5x that, especially when you are paying for things with Canadian funds.

I have begun my research and I have found some lovely places on Craigslist. One place I found sounded great, it is located in the hip and happening Greenwich Village, close to all major subway lines, a bathtub with waterjets and a rooftop deck! Only problem? It costs $2250 a month! As a full-time student that is not exactly in my price range so, I begin to look elsewhere, mainly local New York universities and colleges that offer summer housing for people in my position. The two top places I have found are New York University Summer Housing and NYCIntern.org. Each offer fully furnished places with air conditioning, internet access and laundry services (woohoo!) each costing under $3000 for about 4 months. Whew! That’s more up my alley.

‘Til next time!

Amanda

Photo(s) of the Day: Holiday Treats

In the spirit of holiday dresses, feast your eyes on this beautiful one draped on Miss SJP. I love the bright fuchsia colour and brocade detail of this fabulous dress. Attending her premiere for her film, Did You Hear About The Morgans? Sarah Jessica Parker shows that colour can be worn year round.

Amanda

Canada's Walk of Fame Honours the Fashionably Elite

                     This September 13th, 2009 Canada's Walk of Fame in partnership with CanWest, inducts Canadian twin fashion duo, Dean and Dan Caten of DSquared and Sex and the City sexpot Kim Cattrall.

Canada's Walk of Fame is a non-profit organization that strives to celebrate Canada's home grown talent, inspire new generations of Canadian talent and basically, as they like to say, "knock people's socks off". Previous inductees include, Flare Magazine cover girl Daria Werbowy, the fashionable chameleon and exotic beauty, Linda Evangelista and Keifer Sutherland. 

Tune to Global Television on September 13th, 2009 to watch the lovable fashion designer guys of DSquared and scantily-clad, Kim Cattrall get inducted. 

Amanda