Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispie Bars



The other day my husband put in a special request for some rice krispie treats, but I figured – why not put a spin on the original recipe? I remembered seeing a recipe a while back that seemed like the perfect combination of salty and sweet, but of course I had to alter it to complete perfection! These ended up being so good that I had to share them with friends and coworkers. I should have nabbed a picture right when they were done, but until next time…you get this lone ranger. 

Thursday, December 6, 2012

How to Personalize Your Christmas Card




When my brother, sister and I were younger, we would instantaneously call out "I get the mail!" when we heard the metal lid of our mailbox slam close as soon as the mailman made the delivery. For some reason, I still find it fun when I beat my husband to the mailbox on our lunch break…I guess some kids never grow up, ehm. But who can blame me, it's Christmas time and there's nothing more fun than a Christmas card! 

So here I am, a lover of Christmas cards, to help you add a personal touch to your cards this year! I would love to show you the cards that I'm currently working on for my household, but you'll just have to wait until they get mailed out (I know, real cliffhanger!) So instead I've collected some ideas and images for inspiration if you haven't started on your own cards yet! 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Cracker Crumb Chicken Delight

Cracker crumb chicken with sautĂ©ed garlic red potatoes and seasoned wild rice 


The other night, my husband and I had some friends over for dinner and while pondering what to make, I remembered something Paula Deen once said.

"You know it's a good recipe if it starts with a stick of butter."

Well…there I was, in the kitchen, on a Saturday night with a stick of butter, just trying to make a delicious meal for some friends. I wasn't about to serve a diabetes dish though, so I cut the stick in half – sorry, Paula.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Homemade Kettle Corn Recipe




Every time I go to the state fair I always have to get myself a big bag of kettle corn, trying to ignore the fact that I'm paying $6 for about 10 cents of popcorn. The other night I got a craving for some good ole kettle corn and I figure, why not just make some at home? Better yet, it's practically free. 

Friday, November 16, 2012

10 Black Friday Shopping Tips



You know you're a grown adult when vacuum sales excite you. Why do I want a Dyson Vac sooo bad? Seriously you'd think that someone who is in the advertising industry, wouldn't be so taken by marketing techniques, on vacuums, of all things. I saw one in an ad and started to get giddy at the thought that I'll be Black Friday shopping in a week. It's not my fault I love it so much, it's practically in my family's genetic code. Every year, my mom, sister, aunt, cousin and I all make the trek to the "big city" to do some damage on the wallet. Oddly enough, we find it fun running through crowds, fighting for parking spots and waiting in line for 20 minutes to get a humungo slice of pizza – totally worth it. Like the Doomsday Preppers, you must prepare for this day and with my 15+ years of experience, I will lead you to the light at the end of the tunnel…aka the checkout line.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Recipe :: Irresistible Chicken Pot Pie



Before throwing my chicken pot pie into the oven, I decided to get creative - forgetting that I suffer from dull-kitchen-knives syndrome. Aren't my leaves just awesome? Laugh all ya want, but do not underestimate the deliciousness of this! Just talking about it makes me hungry (or the fact that i'm in Panera and am a bread addict).

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Thanksgiving :: Giving - Thanks!

Sweet Light Studio


It's November 7th and as I look at my calendar I'm shocked at how time flies. Summer pretty much breezed by and I feel like I still haven't gotten enough of fall yet! Even though, it's probably my fault winter is coming. I've been listening to Kenny G Holiday on Pandora for about a month now, practically serenading snow to fall.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

How to Bargain for Your Wedding



After a summer full of friends, gaining the sophisticated title of "fiancĂ©" and the shiny new ring to prove it, the initial excitement is settling down and it is time to get to work! By "get to work," I do not mean, "get in a Pinterest-coma and re-pin everything that sparkles." The work I'm talking about is, learning how to get the biggest bang for your buck and how to bargain with vendors - Rosie knows what I'm talkin' bout! Oh yea and grab your man for this one, because this is where he will want to get involved! 

Still not convinced your fiancĂ© would be interested in reading a blog about wedding planning? Make him a sandwich because food (aka beer) opens up all sorts of realms with men – marriage advice #1. 

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!




Happy Halloween everybody! Halloween brings back fond memories of making homemade popcorn balls that my dad would hand out to trick-or-treaters, while blasting spooky music from our house speakers. My mom, brother, sister and I would go trick-or-treating, always making sure we went to the neighbor's house that gave out full-size candy bars. While no one hands out homemade treats for trick-or-treat night anymore, it doesn't mean that you can't still make fun treats to hand out to friends, family and coworkers! 

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Blow Money



In my Fall Boots post, I mentioned how I bought my boots with blow money and I'm sure that sparked a lot of interest as to what the heck I was talking about! First off, get your mind out of the gutter…yep I caught you. 

Monday, October 29, 2012

Anastasia Steele :: Get HER Look!



Anastasia Steele is a household name these days, if you haven't heard of her you're either living in a hole or you're a dude. The 50 Shades of Grey trilogy has inspired me to create a look for you, based off of what I believe Ana, circa "50 Shades Darker" would wear.

Pumpkin Pie Perfection




Amidst the barrage of political warfare, my ears are practically ringing from Democrats and Republicans yapping at each other, when all I want to do is watch The Real Housewives. I do find it quite the oddity, the fact that hardly any of the women on the show are actually housewives. Some are businesswomen, some are socialites and heck most aren't even married. Soon, the label, "housewife" will sit on the same shelf as dinosaurs, called extinct.


Friday, October 26, 2012

Wedding Advice from a Newlywed

Images by Sweet Light Studio

Congratulations, you're engaged (or simply just love weddings)! You're in the whirlwind of fluffy dresses, outrageous price tags and bridal shows galore, things can be quite overwhelming. As a newlywed, as of almost 2 months, I wanted to offer a little insight as to what I think are the most important things to remember during the engagement process. Especially, from my personal experience, where I think it's important to spend and where I think it's worth saving. While we may all have different insight on this, we cannot deny the fact that either way weddings are outrageously expensive! The current national average, according to the Huffington Post, is $27,021.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Banana Coffee Bread Recipe



This is only half of what the recipe makes!

Screen licking, perfectly acceptable.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Fall Boots: Spendy vs. Cheap Lookalikes

Images from amazon.com and kohls.com

Can you tell which pair is more expensive?

For 2 years now, I have been wanting a pair of Steve Madden "Troopa" boots in Cognac or Brown Leather (get them here). Last year, in Von Maur, I tried a pair on and walked around in them for about 15 minutes, trying to decide whether the $99 dollars were worth it. As soon as I stepped off the carpeted shoe area and onto the white marble floors in them, I knew that they weren't reasonable. Despite their good looks and name brand, the designer failed to realize that real women would be wearing these boots in the fall and winter…and with winter comes snow and ice. The sole of the shoes were so slick! I could only imagine walking into work, only to face plant in the parking lot…yet, I still desired these shoes. They were real leather and could be worn with skinny jeans, leggings, worn under flare jeans or even with a dress and tights – they are so versatile. 

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Falling for Fall


As a Midwestern girl, I can easily say Fall is my favorite season, it is such a sensational time of the year. I love hearing the wind blow through the trees with crunchy leaves, from my bedroom window I can even hear acorns falling onto my car that's parked right outside. Everyone's instagraming pictures of their carved pumpkins, colorful trees and the most beautiful sunsets. During this time, I want to share with you a few of my favorite fall things.




Welcome to Scantilly Cllad! This is my very first post for release, it brings back the feeling of cooking dinner for my boyfriend (now husband) for the first time. Do I whip out the big guns with twice baked potatoes and stuffed chicken breast or do I hook ya with delectable homemade cupcakes for dessert? I guess we will just have to see! I not only love to cook, but I have many passions and Scantilly Cllad is an outlet for my creativity. After all, now that the church bells have rung and I am officially a newlywed, the wedding planning process is over – yet I need something to keep my creative juices running. If you have ever seen the movie "Up", you will understand me saying that life is like "Squirrel!!!" I start going down one path and something shiny catches my eye and leads me in a completely new direction. Therefore, this is a place where no topic is off limits and you will see it all through Scantilly Cllad. So come back and visit soon! 

Have a lovely day,
Natalie

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

King of Coupons

Proverbs 31 Woman

As a 21st century woman, we all occasionally struggle with our identity. We're constantly being told by the media, advertisements, family, friends, religion/beliefs, etc how we should ACT, how we should LOOK, what we should do for a JOB and so on, it's endless. Instead of focusing on what others expect from me or want me to act like, I know that the Bible holds all truth and I try follow it as well as any imperfect human can do. Whether a believer or not, these are a good way to start being the women God calls us to be. They are all important and honorable characteristics.
  • Pursues an ongoing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
  • Loves, honors, and greatly enriches the life of her husband, encouraging and supporting his leadership within his family and his church.
  • Nurtures the next generation, shaping and molding the children who will one day define who we are as a community and as a nation. 
  • Creates a warm and loving environment for family and friends.
  • Is a faithful steward of the time and money God has entrusted to her.
  • Speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction as she encourages others and develops godly friendships.
  • Shares the love of Christ by extending her hands to help the poor and opening her arms to the needy.
        (These points were adapted from a proverbs 31 website)

Monday, February 27, 2012

"I will wait for you" by Official P4CM Poet JANETTE...IKZ

Recently viral videos of Jefferson Bethke have been going around (http://www.p4cm.com/video/jefferson-bethke-rhetoric), but my favorite one is by Janette...IKZ. I am officially obsessed with these lyrical poems. I LOVE her passion, obedience and humor. 
I wish I lived in NY because tickets to RHETORIC 2012 are only $20! If you're interested, visit this link: http://www.p4cm.com/read/2011/12/16/rhetoric-2012-tickets-sale

What is Biblical Love?

Image from http://pastordoddsblog.com/

Hello all! This is the very first post on my blog! I wanted to start it out with a Bible study on LOVE, that I had outlined from my study*. My faith in Jesus Christ is very important to me and is the reason why I am the woman who I am today. I think that whether you're a Christian or not, learning about love and how to love is beneficial to anyone.


WHAT IS BIBLICAL LOVE????