{lack}luster

As of late, a Side of Sparkle hasn't been very sparkly or shiny or filled with all those pretty things I love sharing with you all! Life happens and my two tots are keeping me on my toes instead of sitting in front of my mac with a hot cup of coffee. So, I apologize if I haven't been posting regularly. I'll post what I can when I can and hope you enjoy it all the same! 

With the holiday season comes the need for creative hostess gifts. Sure, a bottle of wine (or better, champagne) fits the bill, but it's the thought that counts, right? So think about your recipient or the occasion and flex those creative muscles. Here's a little hostess gift inspiration. I love the idea of bringing something homemade and this collection is meant to provide the basics for a morning after treat. I know the last thing on my mind when throwing a fete is what I'll have for breakfast the next day. Bake some scones, toss in some preserves (or in this case, cider syrup), add a bag of coffee, a few extra goodies and ta-da! You have a thoughtful gift your host is sure to appreciate!

Just a side note: save the delight of cider syrup from epicurean extinction. Once a New England pantry staple, this classic autumn-time sweeter is rarely around anymore. I made a batch following the post from reading my tea leaves. It came out deliciously and I am looking forward to sharing it with my friends this Christmas. I purchased a slew of these swing top bottles from IKEA for $4.00. Tie on a tag and a cinnamon stick with some pretty ribbon and you have one sweet little gift.

wordless wednesday

one | two 

upper crust

Once the month of November arrives it's difficult for me to think about anything other than food. Particularly difficult is keeping my fingers away from the dessert category in my cookbooks or my cursor from wondering the many dessert recipes I have bookmarked online. If you know my penchant for pastries, you would not be surprised to find my many recipes for pie. Baking pies with the bounty of an Autumn harvest seems an essential part of life this time of year, especially in New England. To not partake in this annual ritual would just seem un-American. 

An old favorite I keep returning to this time of year is pumpkin pie. Though I'm a sucker for a golden flakey crust, this year I thought I'd freshen things up by making a gingersnap cookie crust. Besides adding a sweetly spicy element to the pumpkin taste, the cookie crust will do away with any fears of a soggy, under-baked bottom crust. The flavor of this gingersnap crust would substitute wonderfully as the foundation for many pies and cheesecakes. It's a delicious way to update an old favorite.

GINGERSNAP CRUST
1 1/2 cups finely ground ginger snaps
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced crystallized ginger
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine cookie crumbs, sugar, and ginger in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir until mixture is evenly moistened. Transfer crumb mixture to 9-inch-diameter pie dish. Press crumbs firmly and evenly onto bottom and up sides of dish. It's helpful to use a second pie dish to place inside to tamp down the mixture. Bake until crust is firm and slightly darker in color, about 8 minutes. Cool crust completely.

image via mccormick

I break for family

Family's coming to town for a long visit and I am very excited! So excited in fact, that I haven't ben blogging. Rather, I've been gathering recipes (gluten free, btw) and planning activities for all of us and the girls. Oh yeah, and I've been cleaning the house which is taking up way too much of my free time (that I don't have). In the meantime here's a yummy recipe for creme carmel from sweet paul. Until November...

pantone color report

I just love, love LOVE these colors from pantone's fall 2012 color collection. Especially rose smoke... how gorgeous it would look with french roast or, my favorite stand-by, black. It's refreshing to see some brighter colors too, such as tangerine tango. I will feel confident wearing these gold earrings well into December! Now, I'm on the hunt for a cozy fall sweater in honey gold or rhapsody. Aren't these colors such fun...

image via pantone

wordless wednesday

one | two 

oh, wear! noir

Black feels so comfortable and familiar to me. Wearing black makes me feel safe and sophisticated even if I'm having a bad hair day. Black seems so rote when it comes to party or evening attire, but I always find it classic and appealing. After all, it's not called a little black dress for nothing. Here's my sparkly version... an ode to noir.

hello, october

October in New England is a gamble; it might be rainy, cold, raw... so miserable that you're begging for those oppressively hot August days. Or, it can be the most beautiful, colorful, crisp time of year... days that are bathed-in-sunshine. Kind days that are made for light weight sweaters, skinny jeans and leather boots, jacket optional. This October's temperament has yet to be determined, but I am hopeful it will remind us New Englanders why we live here and bestow us with the beauty of a kind October.

birthday postcard project

This past March Hero Hubby celebrated a milestone birthday. I couldn't arrange a big bash as I had hoped to, so I thought an elaborate birthday card would be a great way to gather birthday wishes from friends and family near and far. I created a bunch of postcards and sent them to friends and family with instructions to write birthday notes and mail back to the birthday boy. Here's the note I included:

Dear Friends and Family, I’ve put together a little birthday project for Paul to usher him into his 40th year! It’s a fun project that everyone can participate in. Basically, I’ve printed up a series of postcards that spell out “Happy 40th Birthday to Paul!” Each postcard represents one letter of the birthday wish and each family and friend is receiving one postcard. Please write a note to Paul and pop it in the mail so he can complete his birthday card. Thanks! Love, Marissa

Then, I strung up a bunch of clothes pins and numbered them. As cards came in the mail, Hero Hubby clipped up the corresponding cards and the full message took shape. It was great fun seeing him reading all the heart-felt notes and pictures everyone sent. Well, it's taken me this long to get my act together and finally post the results. Thanks to everyone who made his day extra bright and special! I'm going to post this project as a free printable in a separate post, but in the meantime post a comment if you would like me to send you the file for download right away!