The Monogrammed Life: 2015

Wednesday, December 30, 2015 6 comments

Monday, December 28, 2015 3 comments

Friday, December 25, 2015 6 comments

Wednesday, December 23, 2015 13 comments

We all have those friends that are hard to shop for, and girls can be especially difficult when picking the right gift. However, in my opinion, you can't quite go wrong with any of these gifts if you're buying for anyone twenty-one or older. There are nine gifts on this list and although most are targeted towards the ladies, some of these gifts could also be given to men in different colors. So if you have any friends that enjoy some fun, this is definitely the blog for you.

1. Cocktail Shaker

You can never go wrong with a cocktail shaker. With a limitless variety available for purchase, this is a staple item for any party. You've got your basic cocktail shaker, recipe cocktail shaker, and if you're really feeling ambitious or are entertaining guests, you've even got large cocktail shakers available to buy. For the ladies out there that want to jazz their cocktail shakers up, there are plenty of available options out there with various colors and styles. All of the links above can work for men or women but cocktail shakers can come in all sorts of patterns and colors!

2. Personalized Wine Cork

Keep your wine safe with a wine cork that has a little more class. Due to the engraved monogram on the cork, you can probably guess this is a Marleylilly item. This steps up your wine game a whole lot!

3. Flask

This particular flask is the pattern beverage flask from Marleylilly. However, Marleylilly also offers engraved drinking flasks, pink beverage flasks, and stainless steel drinking flasks. A flask is a great gift for a party "on the go" and works for men or women as a fun personalized gift.

4. To Go Wine Cup

Glass breaks. An insulated cup keeps your wine ready to go whenever you need a sip. Not only is it sturdy, but it's portable. This particular wine cup is called Vino 2 Go and is available to purchase at Francesca's. Personally I believe this is a terrific idea because it's safer against spills, keeping your clothes nice and safe.

5. Solo Cup

Behold, the classic solo cup. However this cup has a plot twist of it's own, it's not flimsy plastic! This 14 oz cup is made of melamine and as I'm sure you guessed, available atMarleylilly. This item is our party cup and it's available in multiple different color schemes and patterns. You can customize it to you! The terrific thing about this cup is that in the long run you'll most likely save money. Instead of buying multiple packs of solo cups, you can buy one cup that will last. You can also take this cup with you wherever you go. Sounds like a great gift to me!

6. Solo Cup Shot Glasses

Yes, I'm actually suggesting more solo cup related gifts. Similar to the solo cup before this, these are reusable but still keep the classic "party" feel. A great gift for ladies or for men, they're cheap and they serve their purpose well. This particular set of ceramic shot glasses can be found at Francesca's and hold 2 oz. When you're done, just throw them in the dishwasher to prep for round 2!

7. Portable Wine Cooler

This is the coolest concept ever. With this bag multiple wine bottles are able to be transported while staying cool and safe from breaking. The comfortable strap makes it easy to carry on your shoulder and there's enough space for six bottles (or more if you try hard enough). This particular bag is available at KegWorks but similar bags can be found all over the internet!

8. Wine Tumblr

Although this wine cup is somewhat similar to the Vino 2 Go cup, you can't have too many cups to hold your wine in! This durable plastic cup is 13 oz. and available at Marleylilly and comes in a variety of colors and patterns. It even comes with a straw for easy drinking! Last but not least, you can top it all off with your monogram. What's not to love?

9. Instant Wine Chiller

This is probably the best item on the list. Instead of actually chilling your wine all you have to do is place this chiller on top and pour your wine. The wine is cooled off as it passes through the chiller so your wine is the perfect temperature. This instant wine chiller is available to purchase at UncommonGoods and is a pretty awesome investment. Never again will you have to wait on the fridge to do the work for you!

While all of the gifts on here are great for a party, just remember to use them wisely and drink responsibly! Whether you're a man or a woman, these items can work for you, or as great gifts for someone else (hopefully to share with you). If you aren't of drinking age, give these as gifts to mom and dad in the hopes that they'll pass them down to you! Or, just visit marleylilly.com in a few years when you're finally legal. We hope you liked each and every one! Comment below with any more suggestions you may have.

Friday, December 18, 2015 6 comments

Wednesday, December 16, 2015 2 comments

some foods just bring back memories. these chocolate cherry cookies remind me of college, specifically of living the soho (sorority house). we had a cook named debra who made breakfast, lunch, dinner and two desserts daily. I loved the desserts. I was even known to forgo dinner in lieu of dessert in my room. it sounds sad, but I assure you it was awesome. why would I eat fried catfish when I could cut to the chase and go for the lemon poppyseed cake?

every year, the sorority house hosted a christmas morning breakfast before all the girls left for break. we anticipated this morning as much as the real christmas morning, except instead of presents - we got food galore, and fellowship of course. our house mom would play christmas music throughout the house, many of us showed up in our pajamas, and just like I liked - there were lots of sweets from debra. these chocolate cherry christmas cookies became a favorite of mine. before I graduated, years ago, I remembered to get this recipe from debra. now that I have been long gone, and debra has retired, I still make these cookies and remember my college days.

ingredients:

-1 stick of butter, softened

-1/2 c. sugar

-1 egg

-1 1/2 t. vanilla

-1 1/2 c. flour

-1/2 c. baking cocoa

-1/4 t. salt

-1/4 t. baking powder

-1/4 t. baking soda

-about 48 maraschino cherries, blotted dry

frosting:

-1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

-1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

-1-3 t. maraschino cherry juice

instructions:

1. in a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. beat in egg and vanilla.

2. in a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. gradually add dry mixture into the liquid mixture and blend until thick and smooth.

3. shape batter into roughly 48 balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

4. push one cherry halfway through each ball.

5. meanwhile, combine chocolate chips and sweetened milk on the stovetop. stir constantly over low heat until thick and smooth. remove from heat and add cherry juice to thin the mixture.

6. spoon a teaspoon of frosting over each cookie and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

7. let cool and transfer to cooling rack. enjoy!

Written by Lauren from laurensparkle

Monday, December 14, 2015 5 comments