The Gossip Corner with Stini

It's Friday! 
Hey readers how has your week been? Mine has been a little hectic-hence the late post today, my apologies. There has been some fun new gossip happening this week.....
-Kourtney Kardashian is prego like an ego with babe number 2! Looks like she and Scott are no longer sleeping in separate rooms lol

Kourt's Us Magazine Cover spilling the exciting news

(Photo Credit: Google Images)

-Lindsay Lohan's Playboy cover was leaked over the Internet which has prompted the magazine to release the Jan/Feb issue earlier than expected

-They're back on! Kristin Cavallari and Bears QB Jay Cutler are happier than ever and are back to being an engaged couple. K Cav said that even while they were apart she still loved Jay and that they spoke often

Kristin & Jay days after her DWTS appearance

(Photo Credit: Google Images)

-Brooke Mueller is back in the news and no she is not winning, sorry Charlie! She was just arrested by authorities in Colorado for possession of cocaine and for allegedly assaulting another individual. Her lawyer is trying to get the charges dropped but anyone close to Brooke says that she needs to go back to rehab 

Brooke's latest mugshot

(Photo Credit: Google Images)

-Finally Giuliana Ranic, who has been very vocal about her battle with breast cancer, has decided to undergo another procedure to have both breasts removed rather than do radiation. For more on her decision and what advice she has for other women check out her interview in People Magazine

People.com

Giuliana's Cover shot for People

(Photo Credit: Google Images)

What are some headlines that caught your eye this week?

Thirsty Thursday's With Vicki

Boston Sports Fans!

Ever since college, I've really gotten into watching sports especially the Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. I've been around sports my whole entire life! I played softball, basketball, field hockey, soccer, and figure skating. Then there was my brother who played hockey, and baseball. Between the two of us, we were always at some type of sporting event.

Down in Fenway living up Soxtober!

Since I went to college right out side of Boston, it was easy for me to get into Boston Sports, especially when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2007. Being down near Fenway, with all the fans throughout the series was unbelievable. I loved dressing up, and just partying away on the streets with my friends while cheering for the Sox. I think it's even more fun now to be down there now that I'm over 21. The bars and clubs are so much fun to be at before, during, and after game time! Lucky for me, I've been able to get a to a few games for free. One of the best ones I went to was with my friend Joel last season. It was the first Red Sox vs. Yankees game of the season and I went for free... (Guess I couldn't complain!)

Joel and I at the Sox Vs. Yanks game!

Throughout college, I was lucky enough to attend three different New England Patriots games (once again for free), with one of them being club seats! Not too bad huh? I never really grew up around football, so for me it's been a little difficult learning the game. There's so many technicalities, I just don't even know where to begin! But ever since the start of this season began, I've really gotten into watching the Patriots games, and haven't missed one yet! I now love celebrating Sunday Football with friends, especially non-Patriots fans. It's always fun to see their faces cringe during every touch down, considering the Pats are having an awesome season thus far! 

My friend Jess brought me to a Pat's game last season!
So much fun!

But, my absolute favorite sport to watch is the Boston Bruins!  My brother played the sport from the age of 3 until he hit high school, so I was constantly freezing my butt of at hockey rink. But I sure loved going to the hockey tournaments with my family and his attractive teammates :) It's also the one sport I understood very well, and enjoy following. Since the Bruins won the Stanley Cup last year, I've been trying to follow them closely, and keep up on the teams and players stats. Unfortunately, I never made it to the parade last year in Boston, but I made sure to catch all the playoff games with my close friends over the summer! I love it all: The fights, the blood, and the good looking men!

Photo Credit: prosportsblogging.com
Boston Bruins Win Stanley Cup!!!

Photo Credit: Business Insider
After they won the Stanley Cup, the Bruins traveled to Shrine, a nightclub at Foxwoods Casino
racking up a $156k bar tab ($100,000 of it went towards one bottle of champagne!
Yup, Boston knows how to party! 

Tyler Seguin is my fave on the team, one because he's beautiful and two because he's one of the best players in the NHL at the moment, and is only 19 years old! Thorton isn't too bad either!!! Unfortunately, Seguin missed a few important team meetings, and was forced to sit out on this past Tuesday's game. Even more unfortunate was that the Bruins ended losing to the Winnepeg Jets on Tuesday night, ending their 15 game point streak. 

Photo Credit: Massholesports.com
Tyler Seguin

I've been able to attend two different Bruins games over the past few years with my best friend, Courtney. We went to a game a few weeks ago when they played The Blue Jackets, and the game ended up going into double OT, and the Bruins won in a shootout! 

Courtney and I on the T on our way to the Bruins Game!

GO BOSTON!!!!!

Some new friends and I from this past weekend!
Can you believe these are all just one person's sports jerseys?!
Oh, and there were more....but he sure isn't just a Boston fan as you can see!

Wacky Wednesdays with Jenbiff

Oldies but Goodies Christmas Edition!

It's the first Wednesday of December so I hope you realize what sort of movies I'll be writing about for this month. Of course there are certain movies that I HAVE to watch every year and I'll let you know which ones in a minute, but I figured since the point of this post is to watch movies I've always heard of and never seen...and that includes holiday movies! When I was searching to find older Christmas movies, I found out that there were a lot I had never seen or even heard of! So let's begin!

Klara and Alfred ignoring each other before work (Photo Credit: Google Images)

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Starring: Margret Sullivan, and James Stewart (Who I will talk about more later!)
The Matuschek and Co shop employees are like a close nit family. One day a young woman walks into the shop desperate for a job. Despite the fact that business was slow and there were no openings in the shop, Klara Novak, the young woman, sells a music cigarette box and wows Mr. Matuschek. But Miss Novak and Alfred Kralik, Matuschek and Co's top salesman, can't stand each other. In the meantime Kralik becomes penpals with a woman and ends up falling in love with her. And because Miss Novak can't stand Kralik, she really can't be bothered with getting to know him. But she is also distracted because she is just smitten with a man she became penpals with...wait a minute...

Elizabeth Lane trying to pretend like she can cook in Christmas in Connecticut (Photo Credit: Google Images)

Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan
Elizabeth Lane has pretended to be the perfect housewife for her column in a food magazine. When a sailor asks to spend Christmas with her and her family on their farm, she has to act fast to keep him, her boss and everyone else fooled. Can she pull it all off or will she lose her job because of her big secret?

All of the people staying in the O'Connor mansion on New Years Eve (Photo Credit: Google Images)

 It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)
Starring: Don DeFore, Ann Harding, and Charles Ruggles
Every winter, homeless man Aloysius T. McKeever moves into wealthy man Michael O'Connor's town house in New York, while he spends the winter in another home. McKeever meets Jim Bullock who was just evicted from his apartment because of a new building Michael O'Connor is going to be building. McKeever feels bad for Bullock and invites him to stay with him in the empty mansion. One night Bullock and McKeever find a young woman, Trudy, taking a few different outfits and jackets, she pretends like she just needs an outfit for an interview because the gentlemen clearly don't know who she is. They feel bad and invite her to stay with them. In the meantime, O'Connor got a call from his daughter's school telling him that she was missing class, so he went back up to New York to find her. After Trudy's interview, her and Bullock run into some old friends of his as they are trying to get an apartment for their families. The building does not allow children and pets so they are declined and have no where to go, so Bullock invites them to the mansion. One day after Trudy is leaving work she runs into her father: Michael O'Connor. He tries to take her to their home on 5th Ave, but she knows there are many people living there that he doesn't know about. What is he going to do when he finds out how many people are living in his home? And what sort of plan do the rest of the guys have to get jobs and homes of their own?
*Side note: McKeever looks just like Jack Black, I actually thought it was him at first!*

*Winner this month!*

Wallace and Davis with the Haynes sisters in White Christmas (Photo Credit: Google Images)

White Christmas (1954)
Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney
After WWII, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis become a top song and dance act. Before leaving Florida for New York, they watch the Haynes sisters' perform. The boys end up following the sisters to Vermont where they run into their former commander running the Inn the girls are going to be performing at next. They realize the commander misses being in the army so they come up with a plan to make it the best Christmas for their commander.
*Runner up this month!*

George Baily and his family on Christmas in It's a Wonderful Life (Photo Credit: Google Images)

Now these are all the old Christmas movies that I've never seen...but there are some that I have to watch every year or else it really just doesn't feel like Christmas to me. Here's my list (in no particular order):
It's a Wonderful Life (James Stewart from the Shop Around the Corner is in this too!)

A Year Without Santa Clause
A Charlie Brown Christmas
The Santa Clause
Elf
Miracle on 34th Street
A Christmas Carol

What are your favorite movies to watch to get you in the holiday spirit?

Quote of the Week: "Teacher says: 'Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.'"
Last Weeks Answer: Enchanted by Taylor Swift

KM Explains it All!

The Battle of the Gloves


In the month that we've had Stella she's done some pretty odd things but normal for a dog.  She's chased her tail, sniffed other dog's butts, and eaten things she shouldn't be eating.  I'd say we're in a battle with her over certain items that she somehow obtains through magical dog powers...or through her growth so now she can stretch and reach the counter.


We learned that we have to be careful about what we leave so close to the edges of the kitchen counters because she has ripped apart some dish washing gloves as well as two pairs of oven mitts.  My mother is a little sad over the new hole in her beloved "ov-glove" and has demanded a new one for Christmas. 

The "ov-glove" that now can only be worn on your left hand...unless you want to burn your thumb

I suppose we should buy a new pair...

Mischievous little pup!

As most puppies do, she tries to bite and eat everything.  Luckily we have a lot of friends that have dogs and are willing to give us advice and one tip we received on this was to use a product called "Grannick's Bitter Apple."  I have used this on pretty much anything that I think that she will bite and it does stop her.  It has a taste to it that dog's find very unappealing.  This product is actually meant to be used on dogs to keep them from biting themselves to the point where they're hurting themselves but it does the trick on anything.  It only costs about $8 at PetSmart and I highly recommend this for teaching young dogs not to bite things.  

Stella in her Christmas attire, snuggling up with her pillow pet, Monster...
SO PRECIOUS!

Any tips for new dog owners?  Let me know!  I'd love to hear them!!!

Outfit Outtakes by Jen Bou

Re-Creating

A couple of months ago I decided it would be a good idea to start an "inspiration" folder. Since the end of summer/early fall, I have been collecting pictures from blogs, fashion websites, and magazines and have been keeping them all together so that if I need a little fashion boost, I can look through the pictures and get some ideas on how to style with different colors, textures, and layers. 

This was one of the first pictures I added to my folder. I came across it when I was reading one of my daily fashion blogs and and I gotta say I love the way she mixed all of these neutral colors together. 

{Photo Credit: Stockholm Streetstyle}

I had bought a brown leather skirt about a month ago and thought this would be the perfect outfit to try and mimic. So upon putting the outfit together, I decided to go with a black cardigan instead of the leather jacket so that the skirt would be the statement piece and I love the way it came out! It's a chic and subtle way to rock a leather skirt for work! :)

Top: Wetseal
Skirt: Delia's
Sweater: The Limited
Tights: The Limited
Shoes: Payless
Bracelets: H&M,  gifted


Do you turn to inspiration photos when making fashion choices?

The Gossip Corner with Stini

Hey Gossip Readers! For today's post I wanted to gossip about something other than celebs and instead share some helpful tips on home renovations. Now I know this may sound a little random but we are in the process of renovating the kitchen and bathrooms at my house, and I wanted to share the Do's and Don'ts of what we've learned so far.
Let's start from the beginning... As an avid HGTV watcher I have picked up on a few tips when it comes to renovating homes. Ever since we moved into our house 7 years ago I have been bugging my parents to make the necessary updates that will not only make the house nicer and up-to-date but will also help them sell the house in the future (not anytime soon). Back in October my mom finally agreed to go to a local Home Show-probably because it was free and it was right down the road from our house-needless to say I was excited! We decided to focus on the kitchen and upstairs bathrooms, since those are the main selling points of a home. 


For our kitchen we needed new counter-tops, lighter color on the floor, and more shelving space in our cabinets. When we first began this process we looked at all of the options and I do mean ALL, for example; re-facing cabinets, different types of counter-tops, and what to do with the floor. Our kitchen was WAY too dark for us so we wanted to lighten it up a bit but without breaking the piggy bank. 

 Here are some in the process shots of our kitchen

My kitchen tips:

-Check magazines for inspiration

-You DON'T have to rip everything out and start over! You can change the entire appearance just by updating the counter-tops, back splash, and the color of your cabinets

-Go to Home Shows if you can because they usually have specials and are locally owned businesses

-Get estimates from 3-4 different companies/contractors, don't just hand over a check to the first person who walks in the door no matter how much they may pressure you! 

-Have a pre-determined budget in mind that way you know how much you are and are not willing to spend

-Always ask for references and do your research on the company/person before making any commitments

-Research what you want done and roughly how much it should cost, this way you know if you're getting a good deal or not

Here's what we did in our kitchen:

-For our counter-tops we chose to go with Granite from Let's Get Stoned Marble & Granite which is a family owned business outside of Philadelphia. They were super helpful during the entire process since our kitchen was a little more complicated because of it being an older home. You right to their shop and pick out your slab(s) and how you want the layout. Installation is a few hours and then you're good to go!

Our new counter-tops!

-For our flooring we didn't want to replace it because the Spanish tile was in good shape, good for our dog, and way to expensive to replace. So we had the grout recolored and lighter color seal put on top. The company we went with is Grout Lines USA which is out of Delaware. Check out our before and after:

 Before

After

In the next week or two I will share my tips and pictures for bathroom renovations!

Happy Weekend Readers!!

(All photos my own)

Thirsty Thursday's With Vicki Live

It’s Italian Night!!!

This week for my post, I decided to switch it up a little bit and talk about something I actually never really do, which is cook. Sadly at age 22, I can probably make less than 10 different easy meals. Since I do hope to move out of the house within the next year after saving up some money, my mom thought it would be a brilliant idea if I started learning how to actually cook. Even though I do love to go out for drinks and dinner quite often (as you guys have seen in my past posts), it sure does get quite expensive after awhile.

My mom challenged me by telling me that every week until I move out,I have to prepare one meal for the family whether its by myself or with her help. With all our schedules being so different, it’s hard to find the time. Right after work I tend to go straight to the gym, and on my days off I tend to be everywhere but home. This past Wednesday though, I decided to be a good kid and actually try preparing this meal with a little help from momsie!

This week, I learned how to cook Chicken Parmesian with Ziti. I’m sure every family has their own way of cooking this scrumptious Italian meal, but this is the way my mom taught me:

1.) Defrost chicken in microwave

2.) Turn on stove and pour Ragu sauce in pan

3.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees for Boneless chicken breast

4.) Clean chicken in sink

5.) In a separate bowl put one egg and enough milk to dip chicken into

6.) In a zip lock bag add 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of Panko breadcrumbs, a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon pepper mix and dash of Italian herb grind

7.) Dip chicken into milk and eggs then put in bag of breadcrumbs 

8.) Mix around until bread crumbs are spread all over chicken

9.) Place chicken in baking dish that has Pam sprayed on it

10.) Put chicken in oven for 20 minutes on each side (may take up to an hour)

11.)In the pan, put vegetables in and saute until they are soft 

12.) Put vegetables into red sauce and mix in occasionally

13.) Once chicken is close to done start making pasta

14.)Once the chicken is cooked (no pink inside), poor spaghetti sauce over chicken then add shredded mozzarella cheese on top of it

15.)Throw chicken back in oven at 425 degrees with cheese for 5-10 minutes (or until melted)

16. ENJOY!!! Also top off the meal with some lovely Pinot Grigio, and some bread (moms and my fave!)