Holiday Wish List

You’re making a list but you might want to check it twice because the following 10 girly gift ideas are things you must add to your Dear Santa list if you’ve been extra nice… 

 1. A fabulous jacket. Check Lauren Conrad’s Fall Coat Guide to find the best style for you

2. Chic tech-sessories. A new phone case or iPad sleeve is never a bad idea.

3. New boots. Get your closet ready for the winter season with a new pair of flat boots.

4. Weekender bag. This is something we typically don’t like to buy for ourselves but love to have on hand… Perfect for a last-minute quickie getaway!

5. Monogram necklace. While it might seem trendy now, a monogram necklace is a classic statement piece that will last you a lifetime.

6. Luxe polish. Pricy designer nail polish makes for a great gift—it’s definitely something that we don’t usually like to treat ourselves to but love to get!

7. Perfume! This is the gift that keeps on giving. Spritz it throughout the year and enjoy… 

8. Stylish sunglasses. Who doesn’t love a new pair of sunnies to sport in the New Year?

9. A new wallet. It’s useful and it’s something we don’t care to splurge on when we’re footing the bill.

10. A good book. We have our eye on the new Kate Moss book, but nothing tickles our fancy like an amazing coffee table book.

And there you have it—our oh-so-unofficial list of holiday gift ideas you can fill your wish list with!

Do you have your eye on anything in particular this holiday season? 

Saskia XO

P.S. Behind door 4 was a present!

Holiday DIY: Homemade Gift Tags

During the holiday season I think a lot of us get caught up in the idea of giving simply to give instead of giving thoughtfully. To ensure my presents feel personalised, I like to make my own gift tags. It’s really quite simple and doesn’t require a lot of time, but makes a big difference as opposed to using store-bought tags. 

This year, I started making gift tags with watercolours and watercolour paper. I started this project a few weeks ago and whenever I have some downtime I pull out my supplies and make a few. (It’s a great activity to do while you’re catching up on your favorite fall shows!) 

I created a tag template by tracing a playing card onto watercolour paper and then cut out a whole stack of them to decorate. Like I said before, I used watercolour supplies to create my tags this year. However, other materials I’ve been known to use include glitter pens, stamps (which I like to trace over with glue and glitter), and scrapbook letters. If you’re not particularly artistic, definitely give the stamps and scrapbook letters a try. 

What do you think? 

I encourage all of you to take a little time to give this thoughtful touch a try. It’s simple and the recipients of your gifts will really appreciate your added efforts. 

Are you going to make your own gift tags this year? What materials do you plan to use? 

Happy crafting! 

Saskia XO

P.S Behind door 3 was another christmas pud!

Sweet Tooth: Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Around this time of year, I absolutely love giving food a festive spin. Whether it’s transforming sugar cones into Witch Hat Delights for Halloween or getting frosty with Patriot Pops for the Fourth of July, I like to think of myself and my collegues as a team of holiday-loving-foodie-crafters. After brainstorming dozens of creative treats for the winter holidays, we struck gold when we came up with Christmas Tree Cupcakes (inspired by our Witch Hat Delights). By simply taking a sugar cone, frosting it with green icing, and topping it off with a gumdrop, we transformed basic vanilla cupcakes into something entirely new...and oh-so-cute! Double win! To create your own forest of these delicious treats, read on for our favorite vanilla cupcake recipe along with some tips for giving your cakes the coned-off tree look...

Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart
Makes about 30 cupcakes

Ingredients 

• 1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Basic Vanilla Buttercream
• Colored Sprinkles, for decorating, optional
• Alternate frosting: Billy's Chocolate Buttercream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

For the Christmas Tree Toppers…

Place a sugar cone on top of each cupcake and press into the cupcake firmly. Next, ice the entire cone with green frosting. (Tip: Hold the cone steady by placing your index finger on the top of the cone and pressing down.) Then, using a fork, texturise the green frosting until you reach your desired “Christmas tree” finish. We topped off our mini trees with gumdrops and added a little extra frosting around the base to make it look like snow. Decorating the trees is entirely up to you—just have fun and make them your own!

What’s your signature holiday treat? 

Saskia XO

P.S. Behind the second door was a ball ball! 

On the first day of Christmas....Eat, drink or burn!

Once again, we have arrived in the greatest month of all: December. And as a dedication to the greatest holiday of all, we have decided here at A Taste of Love, to do another countdown to Christmas blogging adventure...that means a blog a day!

So sit back, relax and enjoy the Christmas journey!

Today's post comes at you with a helping hand for Christmas present purchasing!



 When someone asks me what I want for the holidays, I always say that it has to be something I can eat, drink, or burn. I enacted my “Eat, Drink, or Burn Rule” a few years ago after realising that I didn’t really need any more stuff. Instead I prefer presents that I wouldn’t normally treat myself to... Whether it’s home-baked goodies, a great bottle of bubbly, or a lovely scented candle—these are the types of gifts that I truly enjoy.Whether it be purchasing for your best friend, teacher or sister, this rule can apply for everyone and is sure to guarantee a resounding smile!

Do you have any holiday gift-giving rules?

Saskia XO

P.S. Behind the first door was a christmas pudding!

What do your break outs mean?

No matter how old you  are, how young you are, what race you are, or where abouts you live, no one is immune from the beauty battler which is the spot. And since I have recently found myself facinated by all things skin maintainance based.. this post will hopefully act as a beacon of light in a time which can sometimes feel scarily dark and spotty!!

It's sometimes more important to know why you are breaking out, rather than accepting it. I have devised a 5 part rule guide to follow on the reasons why you may be breaking out in a particular are and what it means to break out here. 

1. Forehead. Breakouts across the forehead are often triggered by stress or sleep deprivation. Make sure to log 7 to 9 hours of beauty rest a night to keep your forehead clear.
2. Above the brow. The area above the brow is affected by your immune system. Breakouts here tend to happen right before, after, or during a cold or flu. If you notice a breakout in this zone, slow down for a couple days, drink plenty of water and eat immune boosting foods!
3. Between brows. Breakouts between the brows can be caused by overindulgence of unhealthy foods or a food allergy. Cutting back on sugar, dairy, rich foods, and alcohol can help clear up skin in this zone.
4. Cheeks. Your cheeks are linked to your respiratory system. Smoking or breathing polluted air can cause breakouts here.
5. Side of chin. The sides of your chin are affected by hormones. Breakouts here occur around the time of your period and happen on one side or another depending on which ovary is ovulating that month.

Where do you break out most commonly?

Saskia XO

Expand your mind!

Today's blogpost is delivered to you all with inspiring messages....open your mind up to all the possibilities today and make today ridiculously amazing!

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

Saskia XO

Travels: New York!

I have recently just returned from the most perfect trip to New York with my best girl friends! It was all our first time in going to the Big Apple and I can tell you that the concrete jungle did not dissapoint...in fact, it superceeded all expectations (which were pretty high anyway seen as though we're all Sex and The City and Gossip Girl fangirls!)

So this post comes delivered to you with lipstick kisses from the return with pictures of the fashion and style that we witnessed during our little adventure!

1. Pair a prim dress with tights.
Just because the temps are quickly dropping doesn’t mean you have to put away your favourite fall dresses just yet. Simply pair them with tights and boots, and carry a ladylike handbag to bring the look full circle.

2. Sport gray on gray workwear.
Lately, I have loved the idea of going full gray scale. Grab a charcoal pencil skirt, a slouchy sweater, and gray pointed pumps, and chances are you will get the most stylish employee award (in my book, at least).

3. Wear plaid on plaid.
Plaid on plaid is very on-trend right now. Just make sure you pair the right colours together. I love the combination of this dark plaid skirt with a lighter hued button-down blouse.

4. Pop of color coat.
A well-curated closet is not complete this season without a brightly colored coat. I recommend going for a cherry, orange, or emerald version, as they pair nicely with a chambray shirt and black skinny jeans.

5. Pull out your patterned jeans and leather.
A classic leather jacket goes nicely with a fun pair of patterned jeans. Just keep your colour scheme on the darker side and unified overall. If you need to add a little spice to the mix, wear a coloured purse or bright shoes for a twist.

6. Nail down neutral colour blocking.
Colour blocking is no news in the world of fashion by now. But I adore the idea of trying a neutral take on this trend for fall. I love neutral coats like the one pictured above, but a blouse or sweater can achieve the same effect as well.

7. Sport a cozy fall hat on off-duty days.
I’ve been loving the look of wide-brimmed and floppy felt hats for fall. But on weekend days when you want to stay warm and cozy, a knitted beanie can be just what the doctor ordered. Bad hair days never looked so good.

8. Wear a bohemian dress with your favourite peacoat.
There’s something undeniably stylish about a bohemian dress worn with a coat for added warmth. It’s the perfect outfit for those days when the sun is shining but the air is cold and crisp. Bonus points if you sport thigh-high socks with heels or a pair of over-the-knee boots too.

9. Chambray and stripes.
This classic combo looks great all year round. But come November, it seems to be one of my go-to looks. If you describe your style as classic, preppy, or nautical, then this style idea is for you.

10. Layer like crazy.
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to layer like crazy. November is the time to throw on your favorite white button down, a cozy cardigan, a classic blazer, and top it all off with the camel peacoat that sits in your closet all summer long.

 Have you been to New York before? Are you going to give these style ideas a try?

Saskia XO