Chico’s No-Iron Sateen Shirt is a classic must-have

classic no iron shirt bay area street stylechicos no iron sateen shirt

wearing: bold blue and gold earrings / fall sunglasses / lipstick / No Iron Sateen Shirt c/o Chico’s found on Amazon / holiday nail polish / vintage belt / black handbag / grey bootcut jeans / black boots (old, also love this pair)

There is nothing like a classic shirt for your closet. I love a shirt which makes jeans look sleek and put together, and that also can be paired with trousers, or a suit, for the office. That is the ultimate in versatility!

This shirt is by Chico’s, and can be found in their Amazon shop online. It comes in a TON of colors and prints; so I definitely want more than one, don’t you? It’s really comfortable this time of year since the fabric is just thick enough for moderate weather, and it is just thin enough to be layered under a blazer, jacket, or sweater. Love that!

It’s been really cold this week, which is fun because it finally feels like we are moving towards winter! The sky has been grey, but not grey enough to give us rain; which we always need more of here in California! haha You can see the grey skies, and dark weather in these photos. This is how it has been all week! Brrrrr!

You always know it’s darker than normal when the holiday lights are still on during the day on the trees! You can just make them out in these photos. I love how downtown Saratoga has holiday lights on the trees throughout the year. It’s beautiful at night, and the lights also signal grey days when they don’t shut off during normal daylight hours!

I might need to pick up this shirt in some more colors to off-set these grey days! You can find yours online here.

Shop my late fall outfit featuring Chico’s no iron sateen shirt:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

*sponsored by Chico’s, all thoughts and opinions are my own

san jose bloggerschicos shirt

Homemade Potatoes Au Gratin recipe

potatoes au gratin recipe homemade

One of my favorite types of potato dishes is Potatoes Au Gratin. I cook potatoes often at home since my husband loves them, but I never tried to cook Potatoes Au Gratin at home in fifteen years of marriage! So, over the weekend, I decided to try cooking it, but couldn’t find a recipe I liked. What do I do when I don’t like the recipes I find online and in cookbooks? I make up my own!

I tested out this recipe with my whole family, and served it with seared scallops, and fresh carrots. I have to say, carrots don’t really go well with scallops; so lesson learned! Haha That being said, they all loved the way I cooked the scallops and the Potatoes Au Gratin! Yay!

Potatoes Au Gratin is a tasty side dish, especially during the colder months. There is something comforting about them; so I will place this dish in the comfort food category!

This is a great side dish to serve at home, or to cook and bring to a family or friend gathering that is pot-luck style! It goes great paired with steak, meatloaf, pork, or a vegetable stew if you are vegetarian. It was a little overwhelming with seafood; oooops! Still tasty though! haha

Without further ado, here is my new Potatoes Au Gratin recipe! I hope you enjoy it with your family!

Tools you’ll need:

13 x 11 casserole dish

Mixing bowl.

Wooden spoon

Cutting board

Mezzaluna or cutting knife.

Aluminum foil

Ingredients:

4 russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced.

½ pint heavy whipping cream (I prefer Clover)

½ stick of butter (I use unsalted and prefer Clover or Land O’ Lakes)

1 8 oz. package of Sargento Italian Blend shredded cheese. If Sargento isn’t sold near you, this is a mix of mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, provolone cheese, Romano cheese, Fontina cheese, and Asiago cheese.

Season to taste: salt, paprika, and finely ground basil

how to make potatoes au gratin at home

Prep:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and make sure there is a shelf in the middle of the oven.

Melt butter, and ensure it covers the bottom of the casserole dish.

Slice potatoes as thinly as possible.

In a mixing bowl: pour whipping cream and add salt, paprika, and basil to taste. Whisk or stir to blend.

Line the bottom of the casserole with potatoes, overlapping each other. The first layer should be about two potatoes.

homemade potatoes au gratin recipe

Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes.

Use 1/3 of the cheese mixture, spreading it out evenly over the top of the creamy potatoes.

Layer the rest of the potato slices over the cheese. There should be about two potatoes left.

Pour the remainder of the creme mixture, about 2/3, over the potatoes, ensuring they are all covered.

Cover the top with the rest of the cheese.

Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil.

yummy potatoes au gratin recipe

Cooking instructions:

Bake for 60 minutes at 400 on center rack.

After 60 minutes, remove, serve, and enjoy! Makes about twelve servings.

Calories per serving: about 259

potatoes au gratin recipe

There you have it! A yummy Potatoes Au Gratin recipe to enjoy with your friends and family! I hope you love it for the holiday season and anytime you want a yummy, comforting side dish.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

*My apologies for the so-so photos. I took them in my poorly lit kitchen at night. 

comfort food side dishes

Dior nail polish holiday 2018 Diorific collection

diorific nail polish collection holiday 2018 dior nails

Dior nail polish holiday 2018 Diorific nail polish from left: Diorific Lively nail polish / Diorific Promosse nail polish / Diorific Audace nail polish / (not pictured) Diorific Triomphe nail polish /

Every holiday season, I love seeing which colors Dior has created for the most festive time of the year. The Dior holiday 2018 nail polish collection is from the Diorific collection, and includes four fabulous colors for the holidays. I am reviewing three of those colors for you, since the fourth color is a classic red; and my favorite red of the 2018 holiday season can be seen here.

The Dior nail polish holiday 2018 collection features two festive red hues, a golden party shade, and a sweet, sparkling pink. This is a fabulous array of colors for the holiday season! The two reds, Diorific Audace and Diorific Triomphe, give you a choice of which classic holiday color to wear throughout the season. The golden hue, Diorific Promesse, is ideal for holiday parties, and New Year’s Eve. Lastly, Diorific Lively is a sweet and sparkly pink, which is perfect for winter weather; yet sparkly enough to wear to holiday celebrations. Love this!

So, without further ado, here are my three favorite colors from the Dior nail polish holiday 2018 collection!

Dior Diorific nail polish holiday 2018: Dior Audace

dior diorific audace nail polish holidays 2018

Dior Audace nail polish is a beautiful, deep red hue which is ideal for moving from fall into the holiday season. It is a classic color, so it will work with any color palette your wardrobe serves up. This nail polish hue can take you from right now, into the new year. Love!

I tested out Audace by Dior with one base coat, and two coats of color. It is really long lasting, yet I found it easy to remove with nail polish remover; which cannot said for most red nail polishes!

Dior Diorific nail polish holiday 2018: Dior Lively

dior lively nail polish holiday 2018 diorific

This is my favorite color from the collection! I am not normally a pink nail polish person. I really thought the gold hue would be my favorite, but when I tested out all the colors, I fell in love with Diorific Lively. This is a medium pink with blue undertones which also features sparkles! The sparkles are not tiny bits of glitter, they are extremely dainty particles which add a festive, holiday element to an an otherwise classic pink polish.

I tested out Lively by Diorific with one base coat, and two coats of color. The polish went on smoothly, leaving a solid, streak-free color on my nails. While the Diorific application brushes bug me a little bit due their short length, it was easy to apply the polish. Lively was also quick-drying. This is something I found amazing! It dried right away, allowing me to clean up a little bit in the kitchen after polishing my nails; which is normally a big no-no in my book!

Dior Lively nail polish for the holiday 2018 season is a great everyday hue. The sparkles allow it to go from day into night; making it easy to wear to holiday soiree’s. Since pink is a classic nail polish color, Lively by Dior is also easy to wear with any color palette in your wardrobe this season. Love!

If you are looking for an easy color to wear to the office, to holidays parties, and on weekends, this is your go-to holiday hue!

Dior Diorific nail polish holiday 2018: Dior Promesse nail polish

dior promosse nail polish diorific holiday 2018 collection review

Diorific Promesse nail polish for the holiday 2018 season is surprisingly understated! Normally when you think of gold nail polish, you imagine a bright, bold, sparkling gold which borders on gauche. Promesse by Dior is none of those things! This is a pale gold hue with particle-like sparkles. It is soft and sweet, making it easy to wear during the day. Due to it’s gold hue, I also believe this is a fabulous color for New Year’s Eve!

I tested out Diorific Promesse nail polish with one base coat and two coats of color. The polish goes on smoothly, and is not dense. I could easily have applied three coats since the polish is not opaque. If red or pink isn’t your thing, and you want something fun this holiday 2018 season, then Dior Promesse nail polish is your color!

Shop Dior nail polish holiday 2018 from the Diorific nail polish collection online:

This is a well-done holiday nail polish collection by Dior. The colors are classic yet festive; and easy for everyone to wear! Which color will you choose?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

dior holiday 2018 nail polish collection diorific