Drowning My Valentine's Sorrow with Gretchen Scott Tunics

Happy Valentine's Day to you! I've always loved Valentine's Day - love the colors of pink and red, love exchanging cards, love receiving candy and flowers from someone you love that loves you back! It's just a sweet day that always makes me happy! 


Unfortunately, today's celebration is a bit "lacking" - the DH is out of town, and I'm working very late tonight (although I was happy to sleep past 5am this morning so I'm not complaining, promise). Today there will be no candy, no flowers, no swanky dinner out to celebrate. Hubby should be home this weekend, and we plan to celebrate then. So....


What does a Shopaholic, left alone on Valentine's Day, do? Shop - of course! When I received the email from Uscoop about scoring Gretchen Scott at half price, I was intrigued. Then I went on the website and literally feel in love...

Photo by Wayra Photography, exclusively for Voguette.com. 

Do you own any Gretchen Scott tunics? I'm trying to decide which one I will purchase (well, maybe I'm buying at least two of them) - but I love the choices above! 


If you want to get your own Gretchen Scott piece at 50% off, here is the deal.  You can purchase a voucher on Uscoop for only $44, however the voucher is valued at $88! Once you purchase the voucher on Uscoop, you'll receive an email with a unique coupon code good for $88 on the Gretchen Scott website. Then you can place your order on Gretchen Scott. Easy peasy!  :-) 


Your free invite to Uscoop is HERE. I'd love to hear your thoughts - do you own any Gretchen Scott? What is your experience with the sizing - true to size? Large? Small? 


Have a fantastic Valentine's Day! 

Popcorn Cake: Easy, Fun and Delicious

Have you ever had a Popcorn Cake?  They are so easy to prepare, and are a huge hit! For your next party or gathering, you might want to consider making one - especially if any children will be in attendance. A popcorn cake also looks beautiful on a serving platter and the colors can be changed to celebrate the various seasons or holidays! 


I originally found the idea on Pinterest and knew I had to try it! I made the cake pictured above for a family gathering and it was a smashing success! Don't worry - I have all the instructions for you so you can make your own Popcorn Cake! 

Ingredients:


(2) Bags of Microwave Popcorn
(2) Cups M&M's
(1.5) Cups Broken Pretzel Sticks (not crushed, I broke mine in half)
(1) Stick of Butter
(8) Cups of Mini Marshmallows
(1) Bundt pan, spray with Pam or cooking spray before beginning


Instructions:


(1) Pop both bags of popcorn according to directions. Be sure to remove any kernels that didn't pop (no one wants an emergency dental visit). Place into a large mixing bowl (make sure it's a really big one!)


(2) Mix in the M&M's and the pretzels. Stir thoroughly. 

(3) Melt the stick of butter over low heat, and mix in the marshmallows. Stir until melted and smooth, being careful not to overcook or turn heat too high. Remove from heat and pour over popcorn mixture, stirring thoroughly. 

(4) Once stirred, place the mixture into your prepared Bundt pan. Press down to make the mixture as even as possible. Cover with foil and allow your cake to sit up for at least an hour. Note: I actually placed mine in the refrigerator for a while, because it was pretty warm and humid here that day! 

 (5) When you are ready to serve the popcorn cake, run a butter knife around the edges of your pan to loosen. Place on a serving tray and enjoy! 

The cake can be sliced with a sharp knife, and served like "real" cake.  Additionally, you can just pull it apart (if you're not concerned about the appearance of your creation or germs - I'm not one of those people - as I'm a little germaphobic). I also tried this recipe once with colored marshmallows, and the cake turned out very dark. I didn't think it looked nearly as pretty as when prepared with the solid white marshmallows. 


Wouldn't this look pretty for spring if you used the pastel colored M&M's? I will probably make another one soon.


What do you think? Have you ever had a Popcorn Cake? They are delish and oh so easy to make! Enjoy! 

I'm Still Standing, But I Missed My Anniversary!

Were you wondering if I was still among the living? No worries, I'm alive (barely!) and still standing (again, barely!). It's been a completely crazy time in my life. I never imagined that going back to work (you know, a real job with 40 hours a week and a 2 hour daily commute) would be so tough. Does one ever get used to getting up at 5am? I don't think so...


At any rate, I just realized that with all the craziness going on I haven't updated my blog in over a week. And to top it off - I actually missed celebrating the 2nd anniversary of Shopaholic In Alabama. Oops. 


Today I wanted to take a moment to thank you all, for following my blog and allowing me to share my life with you. I hope you've found it entertaining, informative and most of all FUN! Again I can't believe I forgot my own anniversary - thank goodness it wasn't my wedding anniversary...that wouldn't have been cool! 


Hope you are having a wonderful weekend, and look for more updates coming this week!