#theskinnygetsdressed

since opening The Skinny, meg and i have been busy trying to get our name out there and share our shop and its products. it's easy, albeit time consuming, doing the usual sort of things like facebook posts, instagram, giveaways, etc. but we really wanted to get a few unique ideas out that will not only showcase our awesome products, but also be helpful to those that may want a little extra out of a site. this is where #theskinnygetsdressed comes into play. i've dedicated this to a new series on fancy napkin, as well as on instagram and our Facebook account showcasing both small shops, unique items, and ways to style certain pieces from our various collections. 

i sincerely hope you enjoy, and that you get a little use out of this concept too! also! if you have any cool shops or items that you think would be great for this series, please reach out and send them my way! i'm always on the hunt for the newest and coolest ;)

#theskinnygetsdressed [1]
pants
sweater
cowl
moccs
panda mask

#theskinnygetsdressed [2]
buffalo check dress - poppy
black shoes
grey sweater jacket
black felt floppy hat
grey tights
wood tea set
tassel scarf

#theskinnygetsdressed [3]
plaid trouser - grey
high 5 sweater
black hi-top sneakers
red scarf
little monster pendant
wood play golf set
adventure print
dude hat

.holiday cards.

with the cold weather taking over our city last weekend, my husband's skiing plans got cancelled as well as my overnight stay at my parents lake house, i found myself with an abundance of extra time on my hands. at first we were super bummed about it, but honestly, it may have been a blessing in disguise as we seemed to finally check off a few items on the ol' to-do list! cup half full, right?! 

i spent the weekend shipping out an insane amount of packages after our black friday sale with The Skinny, then we cleaned and organized our basement, and finally spent the evening doing a little online shopping, including checking out what was the latest in christmas card selections. and i was so stocked when i came across minted! their selection of holiday cards and gifts are by far the best i've seen for personalization and i am seriously having a hard time deciding on which style i want to order for my own this year! here's a few of my fave cards and a few fave gift ideas too!

minted is having a sale now till monday with 15% off all holiday card orders over $150 with code: JOY15 

dots frame || while i don't normally enjoy a frame with any sort of writing or design on it, these gold embossed dots are just too cute to pass up!
happy holidays foil pressed card || nothing like a classic happy holidays in a pretty rose gold embossed colour to brighten your holidays
recipe notebook || i adore this idea of creating a personalized recipe notebook to fill with all of baba's old recipes to be handed down year after year
card & games notebook || last year i gifted each of my family members a personalized notebook with their names on it. inside i explained that each book was to record our family card game nights. see, growing up my grandma had this old tattered notebook filled with the date, who was playing, the score, who won + who lost, and all these great funny notes about that night. it become a journal of sorts and a cherished keepsake. give this with a deck of cards to complete the idea!
more the merrier foil pressed card || obviously this applies to me personally and is a big contender for our x-mas card this year :)
luggage tag card || just adorable! and super unique!!
personalized stationary || what person wouldn't love their own personalized stationary set?! a classic gift perfect for teachers, friends, your momma or even yourself!
personalized 2015 calendar || again, a fave gift of mine to give...especially to the grandparents! minted makes just the best calendars with the highest quality!

from having nothing to do to having gotten so much done it turned out to be a most excellent weekend!

.sweet potato gratin.

not much to say about this recipe other than it is out of this world! no joking around with this one. so easy, so tasty, and makes enough for a big family or some delicious leftovers. pairs well with a roast, but chicken would be great too. i seriously can't say enough good things about this dish. try it.

.danielle's sweet potato gratin.

[recipe from the ottolenghi cookbook]

ingredients:

6 medium sweet potatoes [about 3 1/4lb in total]

5 tbsp coarsely chopped sage, plus extra for garnish

6 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped

2 tsp coarse sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

directions:

1] preheat the oven to 400F. wash the sweet potatoes [do not peel them] and cut them into 1/4-inch thick disks. a mandolin is best for this job but you could use a sharp knife too.

2] in a bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, sage, garlic, salt and pepper. arrange the slices of sweet potatoes in a deep, medium-size ovenproof casserole dish by taking tight packs of them and standing them up next to one another. they should fit together quite tightly so you get parallel lines of sweet potato slices [skins showing] along the length or width of the dish. throw any remaining bits of garlic or sage from the bowl over the potatoes. cover the dish with aluminum foil, place in the oven, and roast for 45 minutes. 

3] remove the aluminum foil and pour the cream evenly over the potatoes. roast, uncovered, for a further 25 minutes. the cream should have thickened by now. stick a sharp knife in different places in the dish to make sure the potatoes are cooked. they should be totally soft.

4] serve immediately, garnished with sage, or leave to cool down. so so so good. 

.grilled asparagus, zucchini, and haloumi.

one of the things i miss most about my old life now that i'm in this new busy time with the twins and my toddler is the ease of being able to whip up some new recipes for dinner. lately i'm lucky if i can throw in one of the previously cooked meals i made before the babes arrived, so getting a meal actually cooked from scratch is a rarity. however! on one of those rare perfect days where all kids are sleeping, i attempted a couple new recipes and both were absolutely amazing! so much so, that i am going to post them both on here back to back so you can try them at home too.

first one up took a little prep time but was super easy to make. just give yourself some time to get each step done and you won't feel stressed at all. trust me - it is worth the wait and such a crowd pleaser. also! those tomatoes are flipping' to die for!

grilled asparagus, zucchini, and haloumi

[adapted from the ottolenghi cookbook]

ingredients:

12 oz/350g cheery tomatoes, halved

9 tbsp olive oil

24 asparagus spears

2 zucchini

7 oz/200g haloumi cheese, sliced 3/4-inch or 2 cm thick [original recipe called for manouri cheese, but any grilling cheese would work well. i personally love haloumi cheese]

1 1/4 cups arugula

coarse sea salt + freshly ground black pepper

**basil oil [see recipe below]

directions:

1] preheat the oven to 325F. mix the tomatoes with 3 tbsp of the olive oil and season with some salt + pepper. spread them out on a baking sheet lined with tin foil or parchment paper, skin side down. roast in the oven for 50 minutes, until semi-dried. remove from the oven and leave to cool.

2] trim the woody bases of the asparagus and blanch in plenty of boiling water for 4 minutes. drain and refresh under cold water, making sure the spears are completely cold. drain well again, then transfer to a mixing bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and some salt + pepper.

3] slice the zucchini very thinly lengthwise, using a mandolin or a vegetable peeler. mix with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and some salt + pepper.

4] place a ridged grill pan over high heat and leave there for a few minutes. it should be very hot. grill the zucchini and asparagus, turning them over after about a minute. you want to get nice char-marks on all side. remove and leave to cool.

5] heat the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan. fry the haloumi cheese for 3 minutes on each side, until it is golden. place on paper towels to soak up the excess oil. alternatively, grill the cheese on the hot grill pan for about 2 minutes on each side. 

6] make the basil oil [recipe below].

7] to assemble, arrange the arugula, vegetables, and cheese in layers on a flat serving plate. try to build the salad up while showing all the individual components. drizzle with a much basil oil as you like and serve.

basil oil: 

ingredients:

5 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 cup basil leaves

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

directions:

1] mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. keep any leftover oil in the fridge for future salads.

.they're here.

my boys. 

my sweet twin boys. 

my middle and my youngest children. 

they have arrived and we are enjoying them so damn much.

please let me introduce you to our theodore edward + axel arthur. born on october 5th, 2014, they are truly amazing.

photography || pinksugarphotography