Vintage brooch and plaid coat

san jose winter stylegucci bag and rain bootssan jose street stylevintage brooch 1960sthe wall santana row

wearing: sunglasses / lipstick / ivory, cz, and silver earrings / red turtleneck sweater (last seen here) / plaid coat (under $100!) (last seen here) / belt (vintage Prada, also love this one) / dark wash skinny jeans / vintage brooch c. 1960s (also love this green one) / Gucci bag / holiday nail polish / black ring / black rain boots /

Disclaimer: I broke my own cardinal fashion rule; never wear red and green together because you will look like a Christmas tree! Ugh! So, what did I do on the morning I planned to meet my friend Dawn for breakfast at Santana Row? I pinned my green vintage brooch to my coat and threw it over a red turtleneck. What was I thinking???

When I looked at these photos a few days later, I took a deep breath. I look like a Christmas tree, but somehow, it’s OK since it is the Christmas/Holiday season! Any other time of year, and I would go for a clear stone brooch with this outfit. Now that my looong explanation of my red and green together is done, let’s chat about this brooch!

This brooch was my Mothers’. Around the turn of the century, I was in a huge brooch mood. My Mom, who loves jewelry, had a fabulous collection of brooches from the 1960s that she bought when they were all the rage. I raided her stash, and she gave me two of her brooches! I couldn’t believe it. I was so grateful! She never got back into the brooch look, so she is happy the two I took are getting some use.

I love vintage jewelry and accessories. I also have a few vintage clothing pieces which I am too afraid to wear. If something were to happen to them, how would I replace them? It would be impossible! At least with accessories and jewelry they are easy to clean and keep nice.

This brooch is my favorite vintage brooch from my Mom’s collection. Its’ stones are crystal clear, and they sparkle so much! The green is a beautiful hue, and I love the design. My daughters love it too; someday they will be able to split the vintage brooch collection, and I am thrilled that they appreciate vintage and understand how special it is in the world of fashion.

Shop my winter outfit:

Shop modern brooches which can pass for vintage:

Are you into anything vintage? If so, what types of clothing and/or accessories?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Photos taken by the fabulous Dawn Lucy of Fashion Should be Fun at Santana Row.

vintage broochsan jose holiday style

5 Easy non-alcoholic drinks for the holidays

pictured: low calorie soda with raspberry Torani syrup, vanilla Torani syrup, and Perrier sparkling water in a Waterford wine glass /

The holidays are here! Chances are, you are hosting at least one party or event this season at your home. When hosting an event or party, it’s always a good idea to have non-alcoholic drinks for guests who are underage, designated drivers, or who don’t drink. Of course, it’s easy to provide water, soda, coffee, and tea; but what hostess wants to be that boring?! N’est pas de moi!

Since I am all about “easy” recipes when I entertain, I wanted to share my five favorite, easy non-alcoholic drink recipes for the holidays with you. I hope you love them; and I hope your guests do too! Of course, you don’t have to be a hostess to make these drinks. They can be made on any evening and served with dinner; or randomly throughout the day as a snack! They are that yummy! So, without further ado, here are five easy non-alcoholic drinks for the holidays:

Easy non-alcoholic drinks for the holidays

  1. Egg Nog Hot Chocolate: One of my favorite holiday drinks is hot chocolate with egg nog! I like to mix hot cocoa with one ounce of Budd’s Egg Nog. Budd’s is really the best egg nog, but if you can’t find it in your area, Southern Comfort also makes a good one!
  2. Butterbeer: If you are a Harry Potter fan, or you like sweet drinks such as cream soda, then you will love Butterbeer! Click here to read my no-fail recipe so you can make it at home for yourself, or any event you are hosting.
  3. Low Calorie Italian Soda: My favorite way to enjoy soda, without actually drinking soda, is with this trick! One tablespoon Torani Syrup, flavor of choice, and then fill the glass with mineral water. I prefer San Pellegrino or Perrier. To sweeten a fruit Torani Syrup, add half a tablespoon of vanilla Torani syrup. Works like a charm! Makes a 20-40 calorie soda, unless you use sugarless Torani syrup, then it’s a zero calorie soda! Love!
  4. Shirley Temple: This is an old fashioned favorite! Chances are, you grew up drinking Shirley Temples when your family went out to dinner. It was definitely my go-to drink as a child! It’s really easy to make at home too; so you don’t have to wait to go to a restaurant to order one. You can make them for the kids at your holiday parties; and any adult who wants a fun drink that is alcohol free. Love! To make a Shirley Temple, you use a high ball glass (or red wine glass if you’re feeling fancy), fill it with 3-4 ice cubes, one shot of Grenadine, and then fill the rest of the glass with Sprite. It’s that easy! Pop in a cocktail straw and/or maraschino cherry, and you have a fun mocktail for your guests!
  5. Hot Apple Cider: Most hot apple cider recipes are crazy! They have ten steps, and want you to do fancy things with cloves. Ain’t no-one got time for that! I don’t have an original recipe for hot apple cider, what I do have, is a link to an easy version. Click here to check it out. I love any recipe which is easy, and includes whip cream! Love! This is an apple cider recipe both kids and adults will love. It’s perfect for the holidays; and any cold evening when you want to warm up! It’s the coziest, low calorie drink I can think of! Enjoy!

A few things you might need to make these holiday drinks:

There they are! Five easy non-alcoholic holiday drink recipes for kids or anyone who doesn’t want alcohol. What are some of your favorite non-alcoholic drink recipes you like to make for yourself, your family, or your guests? Please share in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Bracelets that keep your health goals on track

casual holiday style winter booites outfit ideas holiday outfit ideaswinter outfit ideasbracelets holiday gift ideas

wearing: silver disc earrings / sunglasses / lipstick / grey floral scarf / black long sleeve tee / black cardigan sweater / silver health bracelets c/o Chelsea Charles / pink holiday nail polish / vintage Prada belt (also love this one) / black stamped croc satchel / black skinny jeans (use code CATHY30 to save 30% off) / faux fur and suede booties /

The new year is fast approaching, and I am already thinking about my new goals for 2019. I know I want to continue working on my fitness goals, but being healthy isn’t just about sticking to a workout routine, it’s about an overall healthy lifestyle which includes diet, and so much more!

I was thrilled when I learned about these health bracelets from Chelsea Charles. They are so much more than pretty silver cuffs; they offer a way to look fashionable while helping you stick to your health goals. Love that!

The bracelets have little beads on them, which at first glance, look like a decorative design. What is amazing about these bracelets is that the beads move. You can pile all the beads to one side, and move each one as you hit a goal. Or, you can use them to track your daily activity. How you use the beads, is up to you!

Since I have a set of three Health bracelets by Chelsea Charles, I am using one for my fitness goals, one for my diet goals, and one for hitting milestones in my path to hitting my final goals. You can use them however you choose, which is what makes them fabulous!

If you have goals, or someone on your holiday gift list is striving to live a healthy lifestyle, then you have to check out these bracelets by Chelsea Charles! They are available in silver, gold, and rose gold. You can mix and match, or go tonal like I did. The bracelets are also available as single cuffs; which make great gifts at under $100, or as sets of three. I love having the set of three. I can wear one, two or three at a time depending upon what my goals are at the moment. They can also be split up. Two can be worn on one arm, with the third bracelet paired with a watch on another arm. There are countless ways to wear them!! Love!

I am still working on updating my health goals for the new year-so stay tuned! Do you have any health goals you are working on right now? Have you planned yours for the new year yet? Let me know in the comments below!

Shop my casual winter outfit:

You can find my bracelet set and more at ChelseaCharles.com

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

*special thank you to rewardStyle for partnering, and Chelsea Charles for sponsoring, this post

scarf and bagcomfortable holiday outfit