2013 rewind

just like everyone else is saying, 2013 flew by. it seems like yesterday i saying hello 2013 and now i am bidding it goodbye. 2013, as with many years, was memory filled and year full of both changes and traditions. there were many firsts and many lasts, many laughs and many tears. there were losses and wins...

one of my 2013 resolutions was the "document my life more." i bought a new camera last year for my birthday so it was the perfect opportunity. i feel like i have done a decent job, but i am going to try to do even better in 2014. 2013 was a year i will always remember because it holds some of my favorite memories. so, without any further ado, here is theclairewithredhair's 2013 rewind in pictures...

2013 utk winter family weekend in the neyland skyboxes

my little cousin caroline and i at the American Girl Place

new york city with my mama (favorite thing about 2013!) 

my beautiful pledge class 

memphis with my older cousin and brother

annual braves game trip

summer days by the pool with the girls 

5k #1

blake shelton concert

ut at alabama with my best friends 

predators game 

5k #2 with one of my BFFs, megan 

and christmas eve to finish off the year!

its safe to say that i am a lucky girl. my 2013 was nothing short of fantastic and i am thankful i got to do everything i did. from CMA fest to fall saturdays spent in neyland stadium, i got to do more in one year than many people do in five... we lost my grandfather this year and he has been greatly missed by all, but we know he is in a better place. my parents celebrated 25 years together with their dream trip to europe. i fell more in love with my sorority and realized how big of an impact that greek organizations have not only on individuals but also to communities. i figured out what i wanted to do in life and at school. i grew closer to my friends and found girls who can accept me for who i am. i became closer to my family and am thankful that my mom is my best friend, i am just like my dad, and that i have a close relationship with my older brother. i believe that this year was good to me. with that, here's to 2013 - i bid it farewell, with hopes for an even better 2014. happy 2014 everybody! 

xoxo,

clp 

j. crew january style guide favorites & OOTD

its that time again! j. crew just posted their january style guide so here comes the monthly style guide favorites! this style guide was shorter than usual and honestly, there weren't a ton of pieces that i was absolutely obsessed with. along with a few statement pieces, there are some wardrobe basics that were in the catalog that i need. post-christmas is always smaller than other releases and i know that resort is about to come out so i am looking forward to that! nonetheless, these two pieces caught my eye!

Misty Fog Floral Shift Dress

Popover Sweatshirt in Floral Jacquard

last night was my cousin's birthday so we all went over for her annual italian feast! celebrating another year of family is always fun and the evening was quite enjoyable! i decided to dress to comfy-casual since it was just family! 

j. crew jeweled collar sweatshirt, AG denim leggings, ivanka trump booties, louis vuitton bandeau scarf (worn as bracelet) 

xoxo,

clp

lilly pulitzer resort favorites

if you have read my blog before, you know my love for all things lilly pulitzer. the more lilly, the better in my opinion! lilly is just now starting to release their resort collection and i am already in love! in this first release of the collection, i found a few pieces that i am drooling over and just think would be perfect for the cruise my mom and i are taking for spring break! this collection reminds me of more traditional lilly, which i really like. it still has a modern twist to it, but the original lilly is still alive and well in each design! below, i have included some of my favorites and also a few of my other favorites i came across while browsing! 

Nora Dress

Philippa Pant

Cabana Top

Marielle Sweater

Anastasia Dress

Stefani Dress

how cute are all of those! too bad that i won't be able to wear anything like that until it warms up here or on the cruise!

as scrooge-y as this sounds, i think i am ready to take down christmas. i already took down the few decorations i had in my room today. i guess i am just ready for things to get back to normal! i love christmas so much but i always hate when it is over so i just want to get back into my routine. today i went to the gym to start working off some of those extra pounds santa gave me and it felt good to be back in body pump and spin! the best way to get over an eating-indulgence is to put it behind you and get back to what you eat normally and your regular exercise.

i have seen more movies in the past week than i think i have seen all year. monday i saw Frozen which was amazing (and had a red-headed princess!). tonight after our no-more-christmas-food supper at our favorite mexican restaurant, la siesta, we are going to see Saving Mr. Banks. i have heard it is really good so hopefully i can sit still through it being the busy-body that i am!

have a wonderful last friday of 2013!

xoxo,
clp

christmas recap

well, christmas day has come and gone again. however, the spirit of christmas is still alive and well here at our house. as i sit here writing this, the tree is lit, the fire is on and i am drinking coffee from my twelve days of christmas mug while surrounded by the gifts i was lucky enough to receive yesterday. santa was more than generous this year and i couldn't be more blessed. yesterday and christmas eve were spent with the most wonderful family in the world. though it is a tiring few days, i love every minute of it, from the cookie-decorating to the dirty-santa-playing...

traditional cookie decorating 

annual christmas eve family picture

christmas tree 2013

j. jill fairisle sweater, j. crew leggings, vince camuto boots, tory burch earrings 

the day after christmas is actually one of my favorite days of the year. i am going to spend it doing absolutely nothing but lounging around in my new pj's and slippers with my parents and brother. the kitchen is closed except for the warming up of the many leftovers we have. the only thing i plan on doing today is hopping on the treadmill for a little while (way too many treats have been consumed and i have got to get back on the healthy eating wagon) and mom and i want to watch a movie or two that santa brought us!

i hope that everyone else had a wonderful christmas and that even with the abundance of presents, food and drink, we all took time to remember the true meaning of christmas. maybe you too are spending the day in your pj's surrounding by family and friends! wishing everyone a (day-late) merry christmas!

xoxo,
clp

christmas eve OOTD

merry christmas eve y'all! this is without a doubt one of my favorite days of the year. we spend it cooking and baking, cleaning, going to church and then the family comes over for a non-traditional dinner of appetizers and snacks and a game of dirty santa, which has gotten quite competitive in past years. it is an evening of no worries and no problems. it is part of the tradition of christmas that i love and i can't imagine a christmas eve any other way.

i always love dressing up for christmas eve! i obviously have to look my best for baby jesus! this year i decided to go with the traditional red, which i normally wouldn't wear because of my coloring, but i loved this dress and knew it was my christmas eve dress the moment i saw it!

j. crew drop-waist dress, green steven by steve madden bow pumps, glitter mud-pie clutch, j. crew green bangle, kate spade new york black bangle 

i want to wish all of my readers a happy christmas! i hope yours is filled with family, friends, love and laughter. merry christmas to all and to all a goodnight! 

xoxo,

clp 

festive OOTD

i was feeling quite festive today when i got dressed! here is today's OOTD for lunch with one set of grandparents, a visitation and birthday dinner and movie for my other grandmother!

j. crew peplum top, j. crew bow print cords, tory burch caroline flats, tory burch logo earrings

today starts the marathon family holiday activities! between christmas eve and christmas, two birthdays, new years and a few other holiday traditions and an annual christmas dinner (not on christmas though) we are quite busy here at the parsley house! i am turning in early so that i can get up tomorrow and it will be christmas eve! so merry christmas eve eve to all and to all a good night!

xoxo,
clp

holiday houseguest & OOTD

we have the best houseguest staying with us for christmas! i am absolutely obsessed and i don't think i'm going to let her go home... don't worry though, i'm not kidnapping a person! phillip is dog sitting for one of his friends and we have all taken a liking to Manasseh, a gorgeous husky! she is the best behaved dog and she is certainly making us want to have a dog around again! however, sapphire, our cat, doesn't have quite the same feelings about Manasseh as we do so i am not sure how she would react if we actually got another dog. still, we are loving our holiday houseguest and having the best time keeping her!

today i met up with three of my best friends, erin, ellie and caroline, to have lunch at a local favorite, Goodness Gracious. even though we all were in knoxville together last semester for school, we only were able to meet up once to have dinner. today we were celebrating ellie's admittance into the graphic design program at UT and caroline's acceptance of her first job! it was so nice getting to catch up with them and it also helped that the food was to die for as usual!

j. crew downtown field jacket, j.crew tartan button-down, 

AG denim leggings, j. crew mcalister wedge boots

today's OOTD was casual, comfortable and holiday inspired! i feel like the shirt is perfect for this time of year and reminds me of a wrapped present! i absolutely love anything tartan and it is so on-trend for this season!

xoxo,
clp

brand spotlight: leona by lauren leonard

if you know me personally, you know that i love clothes almost more than life itself. i have a shopping addiction that i can't control. today i wanted to share with y'all one of my favorite brands, Leona by Lauren Leonard. i absolutely love Leona and everything about it. Leona is a nashville-based (something i love about it), with offices also in NYC, fashion label that specializes in beautiful, timeless designs that are instant classics. Leona styles range from shorts and pants to party dresses and skirts, as well as tops and jackets and they even will do custom bridesmaid dresses. the designer draws all of the prints by hand or does them on her computer so that are all exclusive to Leona. as described on their website,

"every piece of Leona achieves the perfect balance of whimsical detailing and sophisticated silhouette. Wearing Leona means winning the adoration of your boyfriend's parents and making him swoon all in one dress; the perfect balance of charm and allure. Southern sensibility combines with city chic seamlessly through fanciful custom prints and the very best luxurious fabrications."

i could not have put it any better and i could not agree more. the quality of the clothing is unmatched and the i always get compliments whenever i am wearing Leona. Leona is sold in boutiques everywhere, but luckily i have the privilege of being able to shop at the flagship store located on 12th Avenue South in nashville. both times that i have been in, i have received the most wonderful customer service and had a great shopping experience. i think i could have bought the whole store but here are a few of my favorite pieces from their Winter 2013 Collection: 

Serena Dress

Gentry Coat

Duffy Dress

Bennett Jacket and Grace Short

Clancy Dress

Clarice Blouse

it was honestly hard narrowing it down to just these pieces... every piece of clothing flows seamlessly from day to night and every top has a bottom that pairs perfectly together. next time you are in the 12th South neighborhood, stop into the store and look around or visit their website at www.leonacollection.com. i promise you, you won't be disappointed and your closet will thank you! 

xoxo,

clp  

peppermint everything & a recipe

i love peppermint! it doesn't just have to be christmas for me to have anything peppermint, but this time of year makes me want it even more! we are loving this dessert recipe right now and it is so easy to make. the only challenge is finding the peppermint marshmallows which of course are only seasonal. the only place i have seen them is at target so get them while you can!

peppermint rice krispies

2 tbsp light butter spread (i used smart balance)

10 oz or 4 cups mini peppermint marshmallows

6 cups rice krispies

crushed peppermint, peppermint white chocolate m&m's, for topping

1. spray a large saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. melt butter on low heat and spread to coat the bottom of the pan. add marshmallows and melt on low. stir until completely melted and remove from heat. 
2. add in rice krispies and stir until evenly coated and combined (do this fast!). press into baking dish.  
3. sprinkle with topping of choice and enjoy!

these can easily be made as regular rice krispies - just use regular marshmallows rather than peppermint! and by the way, this is a lower fat rice krispie recipe so you don't have to feel as guilty!

xoxo,

clp 

one week until christmas & a recipe

this time next week, we will all be celebrating christmas! it has crept up on us! i have all but a few of our presents wrapped and mom and i are in the process of holiday baking and planning out the menus! today was busy spent running some last minute errands and such getting ready for christmas! tonight for supper i made a soup that i just had to share. it was delicious and makes a good amount so there is plenty leftover for lunches. we picked up some vegetable spring rolls from our favorite thai restaurant and called it a meal!

thai peanut chicken soup

1 1/4 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tsp red pepper

1 tsp curry powder

6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken breasts

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with onion and garlic

1/3 cup Better N Peanut Butter

1/3 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter

1/3 cup dry instant couscous 

4 cups fresh spinach leaves

peanuts and sriracha, for topping 

1. In a large soup pot, cook onion, carrots, celery and bell pepper until soft. add garlic and spices and sauté for about a minute. 
2. stir in broth, chicken and tomatoes. bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. meanwhile, cook couscous according to package directions and set aside. 
4. stir in Better N Peanut Butter and peanut butter, making sure it is well blended. add couscous and spinach and stir. cover and remove from heat. let sit for 5 minutes.
5. serve garnished with peanuts and sriracha for some spice! 

we all loved this recipe! it is quite filling and full of healthy vegetables and high in protein! enjoy!

xoxo,

clp 

gingerbread cookie decorating & a recipe

we are now on the final countdown to christmas! i can't seem to grasp the fact that christmas eve is a week from tomorrow... i have been wrapping presents for what seems like days and i think i have finally made a dent in the pile!

the past weekend i had to babysit and as something to entertain the kiddos, i decided that we would make gingerbread cookies! they turned out to be really good so i wanted to share the recipe! we decorated ours with white buttercream icing and then red and green sprinkles galore. i think the girls liked them and i know i did!

gingerbread cookies

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves 

1/2 cup Splenda

1/4 cup softened butter/butter substitute spread (i used Smart Balance)

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg white

1. Combine flour through coves in a medium bowl and mix well.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowel until light and fluffy. Add molasses and egg white, beat well. Add in flour mixture and mix until dough forms. If necessary, add in a tablespoon of water so that more of a dough forms.
3. Shape dough into large ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. 
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray. 
5. Take dough out and allow to soften. Roll out to desired thickness on a well-floured surface with floured rolling pin. Press cookie cutters into dough and then transfer shapes to cookie sheet. 
6. Bake for about 10 minutes and allow to cool before decorating.

i think the girls did a great job decorating! 

this week is going to be spent doing all sorts of holiday baking and cooking, working out, and relaxing at home. tomorrow phillip and i are going to nashville for stocking shopping and we are also going to the preds game which i am excited about! one thing to cross off my winter break bucket list! i am off to continue wrapping presents and mix up some cookies! i didn't get my christmas movie in last night so i am making sure that i watch one tonight! have a great monday y'all!

xoxo,

clp 

eleven more days & a recipe

only eleven more days until christmas? it will be here and gone before we know it! today has been filled with doing things to get ready for christmas! mom and i were up bright and early (as always - somehow she always waltzes into the kitchen right as the coffee gets done brewing) and off to get out nails done, which we both had done with christmas in mind. we both got "penny talk" by essie as our base coat and then each did a statement nail in OPI's red and green glitter polish that i got last year! this afternoon, i wrapped presents for my grandmother and visited with her! i always enjoy getting to spend time with my mawsie and miss her so much while i am at school. supper tonight came from publix's weekly ad and it was delicious. i made the quiche florentine with only a few changes and served it alongside some deer sausage for some extra, lean protein and a grapefruit-pomegranate salad.

quiche florentine

1 9 inch whole wheat pie crust

1 1/4 cups egg substitute (not egg whites) 

1/2 cup fat free half and half 

1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed 

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup crumbled basil and tomato feta cheese

1 tomato, sliced

italian seasoning and black pepper, to taste 

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. combine ingredients except for seasoning and tomato in medium mixing bowl. stir and pour into pie crust. 
3. lay tomato slices on top of egg mixture. season to taste.
4. bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center. allow quiche to rest for ten minutes before cutting and serving. 

i definitely ended up eating a fourth of the quiche by myself. unfortunately, my self-control has been put to the test lately and its getting to me. i have found that my sweet tooth is getting the best of me and i am certainly going to have to work very hard at not over-indulging. i am not used to having this problem so it is worrying me a bit but once i get back to a normal eating routine now that i am home and the stress of finals and school is over, i can get back on track! and if i forget about the three fully decorated and iced gingerbread cookies i just consumed while babysitting some of my favorite girls, all will be good...

tomorrow, i think mom and i are planning on doing some holiday baking (a test for my willpower!) and i am going to do some wrapping. a christmas movie may be in store for us tomorrow night which i would really enjoy! i am hoping that everyone is having a wonderful weekend and that y'all have a relaxing sunday as well! 

xoxo,

clp

christmas through the years

after a long, very long, week consisting of 5 finals in 4 days, i am done with the first half of my junior year. even though i am done with the actual tests, i am still holding my breath until all the grades come in and my official semester grade is posted. i think i finished up the semester well but those finals this week were no joke. i know its college and everyone has equally hard finals, but i don't remember a finals week like this one. maybe we just block the others from memory afterwards but i sure am glad this one is over.

now that i am officially home for break, the real christmas celebrating can begin! we have many holiday traditions in our family and i love each and every one of them... we can't decorate the tree without mom making peanut butter fudge, it's always a race downstairs in the morning to put the next day up on the advent calendar and its not christmas eve without some sushi. i spent part of today (when i should have been studying for marketing but let's face it, my brain was mush at that point) looking through old pictures from christmases past and i actually lolled... sitting on the couch... by myself. i have no idea what got into us at the time when these pictures were taken but i thought i would share with y'all a glimpse of the family holiday traditions that i love so much! some of these are pure gold that warrant a laugh or two and others are just favorites from my younger days!

its not christmas until i cry. 

one year mawsie brought us back hula girl outfits so naturally we had to try them on. 

the infamous barbie lamborghini that as a teenager i had a hard time giving away. 

the year our parents made us reenact the nativity scene. 

last year, when i made the whole family wear matching pajamas. 

there are many more pictures but i didn't want this to get too lengthy. i am looking forward to the christmas traditions that are about to take place and maybe even starting a few new ones. i love that i am able to help cook and help my mom with christmas shopping and wrapping presents. 

tomorrow i will be back at the gym and then am going to the puffy muffin in cool springs and whole foods with megan! two of my favorite places with one of my favorite people! i am planning on doing some wrapping and christmas baking as well! 

xoxo, 

clp

tacky sweater 5k & a recipe

today was the day of the ugly sweater 5k in nashville. megan and i signed up to run it, not really thinking at the time how cold it could possibly be. luckily though, the rain from last night ended and we ran in frigid, 32 degree, windy and spitting snow weather. though it was cold, it was a good route and we both finished together in about 27 minutes which i was happy with since i had not run since august. the most fun part was dressing in the tackiest christmas apparel we could find.

afterwards, we, including mom, dad, phillip and zac, all had a delicious lunch at the southern downtown. i treated myself to a delicious burger. we all love the southern and had a hard time deciding what to order! 

since we had a big lunch, tonight for supper i made some crockpot lentil vegetable soup (similar to my lentil, chicken andouille sausage and vegetable soup) and instead of the usual cornbread, broke tradition and tried a new recipe: sweet potato biscuits! the three of us really liked them and they would be good both sweet and savory! we are going to eat the leftover ones tomorrow morning for breakfast! 

sweet potato biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

4 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes 

1/4 cup skim milk, or more if needed

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. 
2. Mix dry ingredients together in large food processor. Add in butter and process until butter has been blended into flour mixture. Add in sweet potatoes and process until combined.
3. Add in 1/4 cup milk to mixture. Process until a ball of dough is achieved (it should be soft and sticky).
4. Roll or press with your hands the dough so that is 1/2 inch thick on a piece of wax paper sprinkled with flour. Cut into 2 inch rounds with a biscuit cutter. Place on baking sheet and repeat until all the dough has been used. 
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until biscuits are a golden brown.
6. Serve savory topped with butter or sweet topped with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. 

i head back to knoxville tomorrow so that i can take my final exams starting monday. i have gotten a good deal of studying done here and now i just have to take it one test at a time. i am really looking forward to being back home on thursday and not having to think about school again until next year! 

xoxo,

clp

home again, home again & a recipe

i realize i have been majorly slacking on posting and i apologize! by the time i get everything done, i am usually to tired to come up with something that won't bore y'all to tears so i just call it a night. i have also been quite busy with today being the last day of classes and the semester wrapping up.

i came home today (long time away i know) since i don't have an exam until the 9th. with no job up in knoxville, i feel like i would waste a lot of time this week if i stayed in knoxville and by coming up, i will be able to study during the day while my parents are at work, as well as get some things done around here.

i can't believe that today was the last day of classes for fall semester. i seriously remember thinking "this is going to be the longest semester of my life" when i first looked at all my syllabi and now i have checked off everything but the final exams. i actually am completely done with my retail class since she gave the final exam today. just four exams next week and i will be home free for christmas. they don't lie when they say that junior year is hard but it hasn't been totally awful. i have learned a lot and actually enjoyed most of my classes so i am looking forward to next semester. i also feel like i have grown closer to my friends and grown as an individual. i went on my first away game trip and had more fun this season at football games than i have ever before. nonetheless, i am grateful for christmas break at home and it couldn't have come at a better time.

i loved coming home to a decorated house today! daddy finished up the decorations while i was in knoxville and our house looks gorgeous, both inside and out! my pink tree is also up and decorated in my room! i honestly don't think there is a room in our house without a christmas decoration!

tonight for supper i made ratatouille and served it over polenta with a side salad! it was so good and filling even though it was meatless. the recipe is super easy, serves about 4 people, and i just kinda threw together some ingredients and it turned out to be quite tasty!

ratatouille over polenta

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 eggplant, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic 

1 tbsp olive oil

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato paste 

1 tbsp each thyme, oregano and basil 

ground pepper

italian seasoning, to taste

1 package instant polenta 

mozzarella or parmesan cheese, for serving

1. in a large skillet, heat olive oil. add in chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. 
2. add the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and spices and cook until softened. 
3. add tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring to combine. season to taste.
4. meanwhile, cook polenta according to package instructions. 
5. serve ratatouille warm over polenta garnished with a sprinkle of cheese. 

i am trying out some new recipes this week as well as making some favorites so i will try my hardest  not go MIA on here and keep you all updated. there is so much i want to do this month but i have to make sure i study during this trip home so i can't get too caught up in accomplishing my to-do lists. i can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but the semester isn't quite over yet! have a wonderful wednesday! 

xoxo,

clp