Finn Discovers his Cowlick

How to Wear this Season's Hottest Sweaters

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Cookies

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Approx. 1/4 cup Nutella

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla.

Mix until well blended.

Add flour, baking soda and salt.

Drizzle Nutella on top of the dough then swirl it through the dough with a butter knife.

Chill dough 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Roll into balls by hand.

Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.

Using a fork, press down the balls to flatten slightly.

Bake until edges are very lightly browned (about 7 to 10 minutes).

Allow to rest 2 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.

Blueberry, Caramel, White Chocolate, Oatmeal Cookies

Blueberry, Carmel, and White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup white sugar

2 sticks softened butter

1 c packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 T vanilla

2 1/2 c all purpose flour

2 1/2 c oatmeal

1 t baking soda

1 t kosher salt

2 c Caramel Bits, by Kraft (I found it at Walmart/Target)

1 1/2 c dried blueberries ( I found mine at Costco- and I usually use only 1 cup)

1 c white chocolate chips (guittard)

Oven 350

Cook 9-11 mins

Cool for 5 mins before removing from pan.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Place flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients along with the caramel bits, blueberries and white chocolate.

Mix until just combined

The Perfect Pant Glossary

Introducing Guest Blogger: Presley Walker!!!

SHALYSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love my aunt shalyse she has

a <3 boyfriend dallen these are the funny names i love to call

him,dillmoney,dill pickle money,dillrinosures,dillpickle,dillin,dwirdow.

the first time he met me he threw me againts my wall.

shalyse plays games with me.

she also lets me play on her phone.

she is awesome and really really really cool

BYE BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy 90th, Grandpa Joe!

You're never too old to love your birthday,

and my grandpa Joe is no exception.

Last year for his 89th, we had a sit down dinner

at a reception center with a full program at his request.

This year, when asked what he wanted for his birthday,

he said a parade...

and a parade he got!!!

The cute Spanish Fork High School band

(his alma mater) came to the care center

where he is recovering from his stroke and marched for him.

My darling grandma Flossy was the "Queen" of the parade in

Uncle Ed's vintage mustang,

and all the grandkids decorated and rode their bikes

as we literally paraded to the park for a big barbeque.

It was so fun.

I haven't seen my grandpa that happy in a long time.

I think he was most surprised that we took his request literally.

And you know Flossy loved being queen for a day.

Happy 90th, Grandpa Joe.

We're so lucky to have you.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Coconut Cookies

I absolutely love cooking,

but I'm not much of a baker.

I think it's because

baking requires exactness...

and...details aren't really my thing.

But I have fallen in love.

Actually, we've been in love for some time now.

Except I couldn't make love.

Wait...What? Nevermind.

I meant I could never make good cookies.

Cookies=Love,

just in case you didn't catch that.

I got this recipe from my old roomate,

Angelique, who got married this weekend.

(congrats!)

I digress...

I can't stop eating these cookies.

These are too good.

Even if you're not a coconut person,

please try it in these.

They add so much moisture and just plain

delicious, divine, delectable, delightfulness to them.

Other secret ingredients?

The exact butter brand (Meadow Gold),

triple the vanilla when compared with other chocolate chip cookies recipes,

and dark brown sugar.

Oh, and never compromise with the chocolate chips.

Always Guittard milk chocolate chips.

Now and forever.

Ok, now I'll put my money where my mouth is

(literally)

Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Chip, Pecan, Coconut Cookies

1 2/3 c all purpose flour

3/4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

7/8 c. softened butter (I am very particular about my butter- I use two sticks meadow gold butter)

1 c. backed brown sugar (dark brown)

1/3 c. white sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1 c. coconut (flaked)

1 c. chopped pecans (fine)

1 c. chocolate chips (guittard)

Mix Flour, powder, soda, salt in bowl. Set aside.

Mix Butter, sugars, egg. Add vanilla. Beat together.

Slowly add add coconut, nuts and chocolate.

Cool on rack for 2-5 mins.

** I like to have all my dough in the fridge over night and then cook the next day- makes them fluffy and not so flat. Also use a Tablespoon to shape dough into perfect balls.

I Love Lucy

I know it's a day late,

but I should let you all know that

I really do love Lucy.

My sophomore year in high school,

one of my dearest teachers told me

that I reminded him of Lucy.

At first I wasn't sure how to take it,

but I now regard it one of the best

compliments I've ever received!

Happy 100th birthday, Lucy!

Over The Rainbow

Find more artists like ShaLyse Walker at Myspace Music

Advice Column

Birthday Weekend

Have I mentioned that Pioneer Day is my favorite holiday?

(Well, so is the 4th of July but whatevs)

I was born on the 24th of July

(not July 24th),

and I genuinely, deeply, love my dear

ancestors who crossed the plains and sacrificed so much

to come west.

Anyway, birthday weekend kicked off with a concert with

D's family with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

featuring Brian Stokes Mitchell and Linda Eder.

Incredible!

Linda Eder is kind of an idol of mine.

I sang one of her songs at Miss Idaho Falls and Miss Idaho.

The whole tribute to the pioneers and our service men and women

was so touching---tears were streaming freely.

But guess what happens tomorrow?

I'm leaving on a jetplane to the BEACH HOUSE!!

I love the beach house more than life and I'm just so happy

I get to be going at all.

In fact, when I wake up Sunday morning on my birthday...

it will already be perfect because I'm there.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh......

Let the festivities begin!!!!!!!

I did another little segment today on

crocheted fashion.

Love these little host chats with Brooke.

Modest is the Hottest

Us Utahans are always looking for ways

to cover our shoulders!

In my Studio 5 segment on KSL this month,

I found some fun, creative and modern ways to

add sleeves to a sleeveless look without ruining the outfit.

Enjoy!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things part three

I love the movie

The Firm.

They just don't make 'em like The Firm anymore.

That the piano jazz soundtrack in the background?

Love it.

(although I still couldn't tell you how the movie ends...)

Paige's new denim fabrication.

Remember when Paige's were way too low and

ran a size small?

Not anymore.

These are my favorite jeans.

I could sleep in them.

Run, don't walk to buy the Skyline.

I'm normally a strictly Definicils girl,

but have you tried YSL's Volume mascara?

It's incredible.

I'm not embarrassed to say that

Who Says by Selena Gomez

is my summer song.

C'mon you can't tell me it isn't good.

I love it.

You'll love it too.

I'm admittedly, not a dog person...

or even a pet person for that matter.

But have you ever seen a Golden Doodle

or Labradoodle?

I really don't think I've even seen anything cuter.

There was one that lived in my building in NY

and I was obsessed.

They are so adorable.

What are your favorite things this summer?

70's Babe

While we're on the topic of blasts from the past,

I simply have to share these photos with you.

This babelicious bombshell below

(alliteration anyone?)

is Dallen's mom,

Sherron.

That hair!

Isn't she ethereal and breathtaking?

Here's one more:

There's something to be said about good genes.

(Sorry about the iphone pictures of these photos. I do my best.)

Texas

I'm proud of being an Idaho girl...

but I might be a Texas girl too.

In fact,

my friend Casey used to call me "Dallas."

Probably because of my big hair. I love it. I don't care.

I'm still not sure whether or not that was a compliment,

but I liked it.

I went to Houston with D last week

and loved every, every second.

Everyone warned me about Houston in July,

but I guess when you don't live in weather like that,

you appreciate it.

It reminded me of Hawaiian vacations.

And the food?

Please don't even get me started.

To sum it up, we shopped,

soaked up the sun by the pool,

ate way too much Bluebell,

drove around reliving Dallen's childhood,

drove through some amazing neighborhoods with

the biggest houses I've ever seen (that's Texas),

and the best part...

all of the childhood photos I could ever want

at my dispense of D.

It was like a goldmine!

Here are some of the gems:

Isn't there something just scrumptious about looking

at kid pictures of your lover?

Am I the only person that feels this way?

Look at da baby!

I love how the little wrinkles around his eyes still look exactly like this!

Such a little prince, that one.

Contest: can you find Dallen's pupil?

I'm offering a $10,000 reward for anyone who can find

Dallen's pupil.

Going full blast!

(on a side note, Dallen had a dog named Girbaud. Couldn't leave out that little jewel)

Junior Jazz MVP!

That's my boyfriend, everyone.

Did you hear that?

MVP.

Isn't Sherron pretty?

I leave you with this tasty morsel.

God bless Texas!

Transformations

A couple of weeks ago

I styled two of the sweetest women I had ever met

for a photo shoot.

They had both recently

won a weight loss contest by

MonaVie and were flown into town for a

the shoot,

and a weekend getaway.

I was so impressed by their stories

and by how their "after" photos turned out,

I had to share.

Don't they both look absolutely stunning?

This is Leah.

Click here to read her story.

She emailed me today,

and she's now lost over 100 pounds!!!!

She is one of the most positive, upbeat, amazing people I've ever met.

And believe me, she's gone through a lot.

Here she is before:

...here she is after:

She looked so cute in this little Eileen Fisher number:

And this is Stephanie.

Can you believe the transformation?

Stephanie has now lost over 80 pounds!

Click here to read her story.

This is what she looked like before:

Here she is after:

I thought this yellow Nanette Lepore dress

just screamed

"Look at me now!!!!!"

This isn't an advertisement of any kind for MonaVie.

I'm just really proud of these amazing ladies

and inspired by their determination.

And, I mean really,

don't they look fab?

Rollieism #3

"Never do the wrong thing for the first time."

This one in particular is a Rollie favorite.

It is also engraved on a plaque.

In each of our rooms.

Love it.

Rolliesim#2

"What is the one thing I can do today,

that if I don't do, everything else I do, won't matter?"

-Rollie

Engraved in his office.

In wood.