#(all the stores around us seem to have skipped to christmas prep)

[magistralucis]

@absolut--kurant!

[chefkids]

Claire was the Cold Prep.

The Ice Chips episode will be the when he talks to her again because she is the last chip of getting stuck in the freezer he has left over to deal with. They are always connected to cold and fridges. He reconnected with her in the freezer aisle at the grocery store.

They made out in the garde manger which is the cold prep station in kitchens.

And of course they broke up by the walk in fridge.

Claire was a Cold Reading for Carmy. A rehearsal. A practice girlfriend before the real thing. Molly and Jeremy did not even do a chemistry read before they were on set running lines together, and that was not due to poor planning. It was very intentional just like Claire's entire character. Her lack of development, he costuming, their interactions, are all tied up with being a cold prep. Their entire relationship was written as practice for Carmy wanting to be with Syd, which is why he mirrors everything about Sydney into that relationship.

Fak is going to tell Claire that Carmy told him he’s still in love with her to try and get them to fix things. She will probably try to reconcile and tell Carmy that Fak told her he does love her, but I think Carmy is going to tell her he never told him that and that he’s not actually in love with her and can't be with her.

*Season 3 Spoiler Skip this paragraph* That is what is going to cause the fight that we heard, because Fak/Claire will accuse Carmy of lying about it and Carmy will insist he didn’t lie about saying he loved her.

Technically Carmy didn’t say he was in love with her. Fak asked Carmy how much he love Claire and he said he loved her a lot. Carmy does love Claire. But he’s not in love with her. 

He loves Claire same way he loves Fak or Tina or even Mikey. He loves her as an old friend and someone in his life he cares about and doesn’t want to hurt her feelings, which why he tried to gently reject her with a fake number but couldn't say no to her face.

He asked Tina how much she loved Mikey and she said a lot. Which is the same thing he told Fak about Claire, because he doesn't love her romantically.

Carmy tried to be in love with her. But he never told her I love you and he was bothered when she said it to him in the voicemail because he realized love and being in love are two very different things.

Claire loves Carmy romantically but he doesn't love her in that way.

In his panic attack he figured out the difference between the two. He loves Mikey and his family and even his mom and Claire. But he’s not in love with them. Sydney was a completely separate type of love and peace for him because he doesn’t just love her, he is in love with her.

Claire was there Christmas after Donna crashed her car. He saw that she saw the mess behind his life. He didn’t want to stay there so he left to New York. She has always been tied to horrible memories for him and it's not her fault, but he can't separate the two.

But honestly, the fact that Claire saw what his life was like that night and the full extent of his family trauma around alcohol makes me even more angry that she took him to that party and the told him that “she knows” about him having to take care of sad drunk people.

She might have said she wants to understand, not fix people. But it seems to me like she thought she could fix Carmy’s shyness and trauma around parties and alcohol by forcing him to be around it, but really she was just bringing up all the past trauma he had and bad memories tied to her.

They both tried to use that relationship for bad reasons, he tried to teach himself how to be a boyfriend and she tried to teach him how to be "normal" because she wanted a boyfriend, but the type of guy she wanted is not who Carmy really is, which is why he was pretending to be Logan at that party and why she loved seeing him act like that, even when it's not him. Carmy wanted to see Syd in Claire, and Claire wanted to see "Logan" in Carmy.

[excindrela]

12 Days of Demon Ayno- Day 1

Supernatural AU

Pairing: demon! Ayno (Noh YoonHo) VAV x Female Reader

Genre: F L U F F

Warnings: None. No, seriously. (For once)

Word Count: 1191

AN: Welcome to the 12 Days of Demon Ayno! It’s the Holiday Season, so this is gonna get F L U F F Y!! So so Fluffy! ...but don’t worry, you’ll get your smut! Promise!! (demon! Ayno is not quitting his day job) So, obvs this is coming in installments: some are very short and others are longer. I love feedback- so if there’s something you like, or something you want to see- tell me!! If you’re new to demon! Ayno, he showed up here in Summoned, and then again at Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy spending the season with him!

12 Days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9

Prologue

Back somewhere around the middle of November, you noticed that Ayno seemed restless, and it occurred to you that leaving him cooped up in your apartment all day while you were at work was rather like leaving a wild animal in a small cage.  So, you had started taking him out for walks around the gentrifying downtown that your apartment building sat in.

Within walking distance, there was a small park with a duck pond and trees, the main library, and the main City Square. The surrounding streets were filled with small shops and restaurants, some businesses, and other warehouses that had been converted to apartments like yours. Ayno learned his way around quickly, and was truly delighted the day you took him to the hardware store to get him his own key to the apartment.

By early December, Ayno had settled into a comfortable life. After he made your breakfast, and sent you off to work, he would clean the apartment and then go wander around downtown. He liked sitting in the park watching the ducks and squirrels, and hanging out at the library. You were surprised about that until you found out that Ayno was fluent in nine languages, including Dimoori Sheol (the demon language) and Enochian (the language of angels). He turned out to be a voracious reader, and when you got him a library card so he could bring books home you’d have thought he won the lottery. He had a Starbucks card so he could get the iced coffees he’d grown so fond of, and you gave him pocket money every week, but had no idea what he did with it because he never seemed to buy anything, despite his wandering through the shops. You assumed he wasn’t causing any problems because there were no reports of mayhem on the news, and no one was trying to arrest him.

For his part, Ayno was perfectly happy. He was impervious to outside temperatures, so the chilly fall weather didn’t bother him in the slightest. Human watching had become his favorite pastime. Occasionally his demon nature did take over by doing innocuous things like causing traffic lights to skip certain lanes, and re-arranging “The Library Recommends” displays to include the writings of the Marquis de Sade, the Kama Sutra, Joy of Sex and 50 Shades of Gray.

On The 1st Day of Christmas: Ayno Discovered Hallmark Christmas Movies

It wasn’t even mid-December and the temperature had already dropped a good 10-15 degrees, the last of the fall leaves had been blown from the trees, and the sky was looking like it was going to make sure you had a white Christmas whether you wanted one or not.

While you were always happy to get home to Ayno, the fact that his body burned at the un-natural temperature of 140 made him especially nice to cuddle up to. It also didn’t hurt that Ayno’s ability to make perfect pancakes was not a fluke- he was actually an excellent cook. Generally, by the time you got home, he had at least prepped dinner, and often the apartment was filled with the delightful smell of whatever he was making already in the oven. But neither of those things had happened tonight.

You heard the TV on when you came in, so you changed into yoga pants and a sweatshirt and headed for the living room. There was Ayno, sitting in the corner of the couch, legs tucked up under him, a box of Kleenex sitting next to him, and a pile of used ones on the floor in front of him. He was fixated on the screen where some 90’s B-list actress (that you recognized, but didn’t know the name of) was talking to some generic clean-cut but slightly rugged guy (who also looked vaguely familiar- but you couldn’t place him) on the snowy street corner of Anytown, USA; when the guy’s not-quite-attractive tot ran up to announce that they were lighting the tree in town square. “Ayno, what are you watching?” you inquired.

“Oh! That is Ashley. She is a lawyer in a city. I don’t know which city, but it looked big. The man is Connor. He was Ashley’s boyfriend until she went away to become a lawyer. She never came back, so he married someone else- but she got cancer and died. I do not understand why the 4th House of the zodiac seems to kill humans. Hanna is their offspring. Ashley’s dad had a heart attack, so she had to come home to help him. Connor is still in love with her and wants her to stay in this town and help him run the inn, but Ashley says she has to go back to the city, but I do not think she wants to leave.”

Oh no. No. “Ayno? What channel is this on?” you asked suspiciously.

“44.”

“44?”

“The one with the crown on it.”

“Oh my God! Are you watching Hallmark Christmas movies?!”

“Maybe?” he shrugged. Judging by the pile of used Kleenex on the floor, this was not his first one.

Your stomach growled. “I assume you have not made dinner?”

“No. I did not.” He said sheepishly. “Perhaps we could order pizza?”

“You don’t like pizza.” You reminded him.

“No, but you do! I do not actually have to eat, remember? You could come sit in my lap and eat and watch movies with me.” He said, trying to make you an offer you could not refuse.

“Do I have to watch Hallmark movies?” you whined.

“They have happy endings! You like happy endings.” he responded, trying to sell you on the idea.

“Ugh.  They’re so contrived & sappy! You seriously like these?? You’re a demon! Don’t you have brimstone in your blood or something?? Shouldn’t you be watching something with guns and blood and mayhem and death? Like ‘Die Hard’! That’s a Christmas movie!”

Ayno frowned slightly, as he took your hand and pulled you down to sit next to him, “I am enjoying getting to use all my emotions. I like these movies because they produce them. Because I am a desire and fulfillment demon, so I am mischievous- but not malevolent and I have feelings…but I only ever get to use a few of them…generally just curiosity, desire, lust, passion, satisfaction and boredom. Before this, I have never stayed in this plane of existence for more than a day or two…so other emotions never really have a chance to come. I have never really cried before today. Did you know you can cry when you are happy too?”

You nodded. “…I also cry when I’m angry. I’m sorry Ayno. I forget that a lot of this is new for you.” you said as you crawled over into his lap, feeling his arms immediately wrap around you and his nose nuzzle into your neck. “Mmmmm…this produces feelings I like too…” he responded. You laughed, “but these are the ones you already know!” He lifted his head, smiled and stroked your cheek as he gazed tenderly at you. “Not all of them. There are definitely some new ones here too.”

Stay tuned for Days 2-12!!

Special Thank You!! to @quyennie​ @emeraldbabygirl​ @kpop-4-ever​ @survivingsyl​ @itsakpopalypse​  for your kind comments, support, proof- reading, and encouraging me to make this a series. 

[selfignitingimagines]

Lydia- I Think I Do

Request-  Lydia + number 2 of the holiday prompts would be great ^^

2. “I know I was supposed to plan the entire Christmas party, but this is A LOT harder than it looks, okay?” In which decorations are destroyed, plans go awry, and someone has to swallow their pride and ask their crush for help.

A/N- I LOVE Lydia Martin, okay? I totally changed the holiday in the prompt but oh well. Thank you for the request!! Happy early New Year guys!!

“What do you think about a dutch braid?” Lydia asked, leaning forward as she held out a thick section of your hair.

You shrugged. “Whatever you want to do.”

“This is supposed to be your makeover,” she reminded you.

You tilted your head, smiling at her in the mirror. “I think we both know it’s always been your makeover.”

Lydia’s lips curled up. “Fine, so I’m a control freak when it comes to makeup.”

“Don’t forget hair and clothes too,” you added, winking at her.

Lydia blushed, and looked back down to examine your head. “I think I’m going to try a milkmaid braid on you. And then we can curl these strands right here…”

“How did I know we would be doing this when you invited me over?”

“Because you’re the perfect model,” she said swiftly. “And you’re perfectly willing. Unlike Malia, who almost took off my fingers when I tried to paint her nails.”

You laughed softly. “Sounds like Malia.”

“And, because I already talk too much about myself,” she continued. “This way, I’m too busy to gossip, and you get to catch me up on what’s been going on with you.”

“I haven’t been that busy…”

“Y/n, everytime I texted you at school, you were always studying. We haven’t really talked in months.”

“Well, I’m just glad the semester is over,” you admitted. “I didn’t do much but study and sleep when I was at school. And when I came back, I missed almost all the action.”

Lydia scoffed. “You skipped your finals to come save us from hunters, Y/n. You were the action.”

A warm feeling spread through you, a direct result of Lydia’s admiration. “Well, calculus could never be as important as my best friend. And you’re a lot more fun.”

“Speaking of fun,” she mused. “What are you doing for New Year’s?”

“Are you throwing another party to end all parties?” you wondered, teasing her just a little.

As her best friend, you had been to a fair amount of Lydia Martin’s infamous parties, and year after year, they never failed to impress. Things changed after Allison died, and it became only you and the rest of the pack, but Lydia still went all out.

“Honestly,” she told you. “This year was hell. I’m not sure I want to celebrate it.”

Your mouth fell open. “You want a quiet night in? Lydia Martin does not do quiet nights in.”

She sighed, smiling sadly. “Maybe at one point in time. I’m just not the same girl I was in high school, Y/n. None of us are the same.”

“Maybe,” you admitted. “But you’re still my best friend, and to be honest, I think we should celebrate the fact that we’re all still alive.”

“I’m just not in the mood to plan it,” she admitted. “If I’m doing it, it has to be done right. I just don’t have the energy.”

“Lydia,” you said softly. “We’re all going separate ways. And since everyone comes back for the holidays, New Year’s is the one time when the stars align and put everyone back in the same place. You really wanna pass that up?”

She frowned. “I don’t know.”

“What if I plan it?” you asked her.

She glanced at you with skeptical green eyes. “You’ve never planned a party before.”

“And?” you demanded. “Everyone has to start somewhere. We can still have it here, but I’ll do all the prep work. You can sit back, put your pretty feet up, and let me throw the party.”

She pursed her red lips. “You’re sure you want to do this? It’s a lot harder than it looks.”

You rolled your eyes. “Are you forgetting that I’ve seen you at your worst?”

Her lips curled upward, and she placed a warm hand on you shoulder. “You have...I guess it’s up to you then.”

You smiled brightly at her, ready to prove yourself. It wasn’t that you particularly cared about partying. You would have been just as excited about a movie night with the pack, but you secretly wanted to impress Lydia.

For years, you had watched her light up rooms full of people with her charisma and careful planning. You wanted that too, even if it was for one night. Maybe if she saw that, she’d finally want you as more than a friend.

As her fingers wove through your hair, you pushed away your longing and plastered a smile on your face. You were going to throw an amazing party if it was the last thing you did.

-----

It was a disaster.

The decorations you ordered ended up being for Halloween, due to some mix up at the shipping facility in Oregon. Little plastic champagne flutes were decorated with spiders and skeletons, despite your order for stars and glitter. Instead of silver and black banners, you now had purple and green ones, plastered with a shaky font reading “TIME TO GET SPOOKY.”

Your cookies had burned in the oven, the cake hadn’t arrived from the baker, and Malia had knocked over the enormous platter of cheese and crackers, intending to steal a snack.

“This is awful,” you groaned, as Malia munched on a cracker from the floor.

She was sitting at your kitchen table, staring at you with raised eyebrows. “I mean, the food is still good.”

“I literally charred these,” you reminded her, snatching a blackened chocolate chip cookie and waving it in her face.

She reached for it, took a crunchy bite, and looked thoughtful. “They’re not that bad.”

You sighed and ripped it from her hand, tossing it in the trash without a second glance.

“And why are you eating those?” you demanded. “They fell on the floor!”

“They still taste the same. Maybe a little bit dusty, but mostly the same.”

You opened your mouth to reply, but ended up closing it. It was better to just drop the subject.

“You know, you could always call L-”

“I am not calling Lydia!” you snapped, sinking down into the chair across from her and putting your face in your hands. “I told her I would take care of everything. I promised I would do it.”

“Look, I get you don’t want to look stupid in front of her, but I think you’re past that…”

You glared at her, but then your lip started to tremble, and you broke down into tears. “You’re right.”

Malia grimaced. Emotions were never something she had been good at dealing with, not even her own.

She reached forward to pat your back stiffly. “Um, hey. It’s not that bad. I mean, the worst she could do is be disappointed in you.”

You began to cry harder, and Malia groaned, reaching for your phone. “Y/n, just call her. She’ll probably be happy to help. You know how easily she gets bored.”

“I don’t want her to hate me.”

“I could never hate you.”

You glanced up, jumping slightly as you realized Lydia was standing in the doorway of your kitchen. Mortified, you asked “What are you doing here?”

She sighed. “I figured you might need a little help. And Malia, is right, I was bored out of my mind.”

She came over to wrap an arm around your shoulders. “Oh, Y/n, why didn’t you just call?”

“I wanted it to be perfect,” you explained, wiping tears away from your cheeks. “I wanted to do something special for you.”

“For me?” she asked.

“Well, for everyone,” you said quickly. “But especially for you. You always go all out, Lydia.”

She smiled. “Yes, and it’s exhausting...but the fact that you wanted to do this for me is amazing. And you almost pulled it off too.”

You buried your face in your hands, and she pulled you into a hug. “You were pretty damn close...which is why this party can absolutely be saved.”

You picked your head up and looked at her with puffy eyes. “It can?”

She nodded and winked at Malia, who didn’t seem to notice as she gnawed on another burned cookie. “It’s nothing a trip to the dollar store can’t fix.”

-----

“Wow, Lydia,” Scott remarked, as he stepped into her foyer. “This place looks great.”

“Actually,” Lydia informed him, looping an arm through yours as you stood in the entryway. “Y/n planned the whole thing. I was only here for assistance.”

Scott gave an impressed nod and smiled at you.

Kira smiled as she trailed behind him, glancing up at the cheap foil banners and balloons you and Lydia had dipped in glitter glue. As it turned out, no one could really tell the difference between expensive decorations and these.

“I love it,” she told you. “It reminds me of you. Very bright.”

You flushed, and Lydia squeezed your arm excitedly.  

Stiles showed up next, rolling his eyes as he led a chattering Liam and Mason into Lydia’s

house. He had been tasked with chauffeuring them to the party.

“Holy shit,” he said, as he walked inside. “You did better than I thought you would, Y/n.”

Lydia shot him a glare, and he swallowed. “It looks very nice.”

“Looks like that’s everyone,” you remarked as you followed them to the kitchen.

The cake was sitting on the kitchen table, decorated in silver and gold icing. It turned out that the bakery had just been running late, and on your way back from the door, you, Lydia and Malia had stopped by to pick it up.

Malia had stuck her face up against the glass, eyeing all the pastries and sweets, and she ended up choosing the cookies that would replace the ones you had burned. Even though, as Malia stated, “They tasted fine.”.

Throughout the night, you laughed and drank and enjoyed the time you had together. When Liam flicked on the TV to see the ball drop, you all screamed with joy as the new year rang in.

After the excitement had died down, everyone was either asleep (Malia), drunk (Mason and Stiles), or talking quietly.

You and Lydia had made your way to the top of her stairs, and were sitting quietly with near-empty glasses of champagne in your hands.

“Did you really want to do this for me?” Lydia asked softly.

You turned to her and smiled. “Yeah. You’ve come such a long way. I kinda wanted to celebrate that.”

She smiled, a light blush creeping onto her cheeks. “So have you. You’re the bravest person I know.”

“And you’re the strongest,” you said softly.

She gently shook her head, causing her red curls to shake. “I’m not strong. I’ve spent this entire year scared out of my mind, wondering if all of us are going to stay alive or not. I was terrified something would happen when you were at school.”

You laughed softly. “Lydia, I just went away to college. I was probably safer not being in Beacon Hills.”

“I know,” she whispered. “It’s just...there were things I wanted to tell you. I was afraid I wouldn’t get to say them.”

“Then tell me,” you said with a shrug. “We’re together now, aren’t we?”

She nodded. “Y/n, you’re my best friend. You’ve always been my best friend. Out of everyone else, I was most terrified of losing you and at first I thought that was why. But that wasn’t it.”

You felt your breath catch in your throat, and you set your glass down out of fear that Lydia could see your hands shaking.

“There’s more,” she continued. “When you did this tonight, I finally realized that you might feel the same way. That you might be in love with me too. And I really hope it’s true.”

She was staring at you with those wide green eyes, so full and hopeful. You wanted to say so many things, but you couldn’t put into words the years worth of feelings you had for her.

Instead, you leaned forward, cupping her warm cheeks and kissing her. She leaned into you, eagerly kissing you back.

With her lips on yours, you remembered all the small little moments that had told you that you loved her. They flashed through your head like a film reel, and it was like you were watching your life from the outside.

You could remember spending hours in her pool during the summer, spitting water at each other and splashing. You could see the two of you watching the notebook, hugging each other and crying. Getting ready for the first day of school together. Sitting with her after Peter attacked her. Clinging to each other for support at Allison’s funeral. Doing each other’s makeup for dances, prom, and tearfully before graduation. Saying a goodbye when you left for college, knowing it could never truly be goodbye, not with Lydia.

She kissed you back fiercely, as if she knew exactly what you were thinking and was feeling it too. When she pulled away, she reached up to run her thumb across your lip.

“You ruined your lipstick,” she remarked breathlessly.

“You can fix it,” your murmured to her, reaching forward to pull her into a hug. “Lydia, I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispered. “So much, Y/n. You have no idea.”

You pulled away to smile at her, looking into her deep green eyes.

“I think I do.”

[ghostsray]

(Merry Christmas Truce, @purpleillusn​ ! You asked for something wholesome with Dani and/or Jazz, and, well, I hope this is good enough.

Warning: Slight body horror I guess?? because of Dani melting)

Word count: 3038

     Jazz’s grip tightened around the book in her hands as she tried to drown out the sounds of her parents arguing. Last Christmas, the two adult Fentons had agreed to forget about their yearly arguments over Santa Clause. Unfortunately, they somehow moved on to arguing over Santa’s elves, which meant that the Christmas tradition of fighting over useless topics persisted, much to the exasperation of their two children.

     She could tell that Danny was trying his best not to be a Grinch after the events of last year, but after listening to around five minutes of how there was no way elves could survive the freezing north pole’s weather in those silly costumes of theirs unless they had fur or blubber, he eventually made the smart choice of spending the Christmas day out with Tucker and Sam. Unfortunately, since she had no close friends of her own, Jazz was unable to experience the same freedom. That was why she was in the living room now, sitting on a couch by herself with a book in her hands as her parents argued away.

     It became evident, once she had to reread the same sentence for the fifth time, that reading in the same room as her parents was impossible. She sighed and left the room, heading toward the stairs. She would have made a comment to her parents, but she doubted they would hear her when they were so invested in their debate.

     Halfway up the stairs, a sudden indoors breeze made her shiver—then something cold and wet landed on her shoulder. Of course, it couldn’t be snow because she was indoors and there didn’t seem to be any ice ghost around. Confused, she turned her head to look at what could have touched her shoulder. A small lump of glowing green goo greeted her.

     She jumped in surprise, nearly tripping down a step, before quickly wiping the substance off her shoulder. A green stain on her sweater was left in its place. She flapped her hand to shake the glowing goop off, and it was then that her eyes caught another stain on the stairs a few steps down. As her eyes traveled farther, she saw more and more green blotches roughly leading to the kitchen.

     She didn’t have to be a genius to figure out that this substance was ectoplasm. Why it was dripped in a trail inside her house was another matter entirely. From her experience hunting specters, she had seen only two forms of ectoplasm which leaked from ghosts. The first kind was in the form of saliva drooled by animal ghosts (which was unlikely to be the case, since there didn’t seem to be any canine phantom around). The second kind was in the form of a ghost’s blood.

     She felt a weight settle in her chest at that thought. Was this Danny’s blood? Did he get injured in a fight? But he said ghosts won’t attack on Christmas. Could he have been wrong? She cast a quick glance to the living room at her parents, but they seemed unaware of the ectoplasmic stains on the floor. Bringing her focus back to the stains, she bit her lip before deciding to follow them to the kitchen.

     Nothing was there, but she did see two more blotches on the floor. It was hard to tell because they were spaced apart, but they seemed to lead toward the basement, so that was where Jazz went. As she reached the basement’s door, she thought she heard clattering coming from below, and she hesitated, wondering what its source was doing. Steeling herself, she finally pushed the door open before cautiously stepping inside.

     Since nobody used the lab on Christmas, the lights were switched off. However, that didn’t mean the place was completely dark. Neon light came from the various ectoplasm in the lab—from the portal behind its striped blast doors, from the ectoplasm-storing weapons, from more stains scattered across the lab and from the thing these stains led to, which was…

     Jazz had to swallow back the bile that rose up her throat. There was a ghost in the basement, but a ghost of what, she wasn’t sure. It looked like it may have been humanoid at some point, but it was melting. Drops of bright ectoplasm fell from parts of its body which it failed to hold together, staining the floor where they hit. The melting ghost was frantically searching through her parents’ inventions, throwing metal scraps off tables and shelves, and Jazz realized that was the reason for the clattering she heard from the kitchen.

     She didn’t realize that her body was moving down the basement stairs until she accidentally skipped a step. She caught herself, but a loud sound echoed from her footstep as she did, alerting the ghost to her presence. It whipped around to face her—

     Jazz had to catch herself after seeing the ghost’s eyes. Though green eyes were not entirely uncommon among ghosts, there was something about the vivid, lime glow in this one’s pair that reminded her greatly of Danny. And they seemed scared. But before she could confirm if this really was her brother or not, the ghost vanished from sight.

     Jazz blinked. It was difficult to see in the dull glow of ectoplasm, so she reached for the light switch and flipped it. The fluorescent lights in the ceiling overhead turned on, giving her a clearer view of the mess that had been her parents’ lab. The girl turned her head in every angle in search for the disappeared phantom when a soft plop snapped her attention to a corner behind a shelf. There, another small blob of ectoplasm had fallen. More drops joined it in a small puddle of green; they were dripping from what appeared to be nothing, becoming visible as soon as they left the ghost’s main body.

     Slowly, Jazz made her way toward the spot. A smear in the green puddle told her that the ghost had moved, so she swiftly held up her hands in what she hoped was a placating gesture. “It’s alright,” she said. “I won’t hurt you.”

     There was a brief silence, and for a second Jazz wondered if maybe the ghost had left. But after a while, she heard an echoey voice ask, “You won’t?”

     It was a girl’s voice—a young one. She even sounded a bit like Danny when he was younger. Jazz turned to where she thought the voice came from and gave a gentle smile. “Just because I’m a Fenton doesn’t mean I’m as impulsive as my parents. If you want to talk to me, I’ll listen,” she told her. She wasn’t sure why she was being so gentle with a ghost—maybe it was because she reminded her somehow of Danny, or maybe it was because of the fear she saw briefly when their eyes met—but she had a feeling that this ghost was innocent and just wanted help.

     Another beat of silence. Jazz could almost feel the hesitation coming from the young ghost. Finally, the phantom let herself become visible again and floated in front of Jazz.

     Now that she was right in front of her and wasn’t disappearing from sight, Jazz was able to observe her appearance; and she found even more traits she shared with Danny, or at least a younger version of him. It was hard to pick them out at first due to all the melting, but she saw, in addition to the glowing green eyes, snow white hair and a faint splash of freckles across her face. She also wore a black-and-white suit akin to Danny’s, although her design was slightly different.

     As Jazz wondered why this ghost looked so much like Danny, a memory clicked in her brain—a story of one of Danny’s adventures which he had relayed to her one day. She remembered how she felt so fussy over her little brother after hearing what happened to him, and how angry she was at Vlad for having done such a thing. But her brother had shrugged it off and said that, on the bright side, at least he had a likeable half-ghost “cousin” now—the same cousin, Jazz was sure, that stood before her now.

     “I know, it looks kind of bad,” Dani said, pulling Jazz out of her thoughts. She had a sheepish smile on her face, although it looked like only half a smile since the other half was literally melting—which, by the way, her face was melting and yet the girl seemed fine by it. Jazz watched as she brought a hand up in a ‘wave it off’ gesture, and she had to swallow back bile when it caused ectoplasm to spray from her hand as she waved. “But don’t worry,” the ghost girl said, ignoring the amount of substance her body was losing, “I’ve totally got it.” Jazz didn’t seem convinced.

     “You’re melting,” Jazz pointed out, still horrified by the sight before her. The younger girl chuckled and brought a goopy hand to rub at her neck.

     “Yeah, I guess I am,” she admitted with a shrug. “…Okay, so maybe it is pretty bad. I’ve kinda been hoping I could find something here to fix me.” Quieter, she added, “Danny did last time.”

     “‘Last time’?” Jazz questioned, having heard her sentence. “So it’s not the first time this happened to you?”

     Dani looked away. “I’m…unstable,” she said after a moment. “Normally, I can keep myself together…but apparently not forever.”

     Jazz felt a surge of sympathy for the young girl, who currently seemed to be sinking lower into the ground as her body spread across the floor. Right. She was still melting. “You said Danny helped you last time,” Jazz pointed out. “How did he do that?”

     Dani scrunched her face (or what was left of it, anyway). “He used something called…Ecto Dejecto, I think,” she stated. “It sort of un-melted me.”

     Jazz nodded. Ecto Dejecto. She knew where that was…right? She always tried to pay careful attention to all her parents’ inventions in case they ever use it on her brother, but lately she’s been focused on prepping herself for college, so she wasn’t as attentive as she used to be. Her brows creased with worry as she tried to recall what Ecto Dejecto was and where her parents may have placed it. From the corner of her vision, she saw of Dani, who was more puddle than person now. The sight made her heart quicken its pace. She had to find this Dejecto thing now.

     She walked in big strides to one of the shelves and scanned the things sitting there. It was then that she realized she still didn’t know what the thing she was looking for looked like, so she turned to Dani (ignoring the churning in her stomach when she saw her) and asked, “Do you remember what it looked like?”

     “It was a liquid, in a needle,” she helpfully supplied. “Could you find it quickly, though? ‘Cause…” She didn’t need to finish her sentence.

     Jazz’s eyes zoomed past the entire shelf, but there wasn’t any needle she could find. She was missing something, she knew, but what? She shut her eyes, trying to remember anything about this Ecto Dejecto—and she did.

     With a bright glint in her eyes, she rushed toward a box in the corner of the lab where her parents dumped all their failed experiments. She rummaged through its contents, and when that took too long, she dumped them on the floor then rummaged through them again. There! A needle with a tape on it labelling it as Ecto Dejecto. She picked it up, hurried to where Dani was, felt startled when she saw that she had become no more than a green puddle, shook away her fear, and pushed the needle’s contents into the puddle that was Dani.

     At first, nothing happened. Then the puddle started to bubble. It continued to bubble, and Jazz began to fear that maybe she got the wrong needle in the dark—or, worse yet, that her parents might have perfected its original purpose of dissolving ghosts. But just as her heart was pounding and tears were beginning to form in the corners of her eyes, the green liquid began to rise, shaping itself into the form of a small girl. Jazz let out a deep breath she didn’t know she was holding, and the tears in her eyes did fall, but out of relief.

     As she watched, green turned to black, white, and tan, until Dani was once again herself, in one piece and fully solid this time. The ghost girl looked down at herself, flexed a hand experimentally, and when she was sure that it worked, a large grin broke out on her face. “Thank you!” she cried to Jazz, and she seemed to hold out her arms for a second, but then she hesitated and dropped them by her sides. Sensing her wanted embrace, Jazz smiled and pulled the girl into a hug. After a moment, the girl hugged back.

     “I’m just glad you’re fine,” Jazz said, “Danielle.”

     Dani pulled out of their hug to give her a surprised look. “You know who I am?”

     Jazz laughed. “Of course I do! Danny told me about you.”

     “Oh,” Dani said, then smacked her own forehead. “Right. Of course he did—you’re his sister.”

     Jazz giggled, enjoying the dumb expression on Dani’s face. “But hey, I guess that makes us sisters, too, right?” she said once her laughter died down. “I mean, Danny said you’re his clone, and I’m not an expert on genetics, but…”

     Dani thought about this and smiled. “Yeah…I guess we are,” she replied. She let a ring of light form around her waist, which then split and traveled up and down her body, turning her hair black, her eyes blue, and replacing her monochrome suit with a colorful hoodie and shorts. Jazz found herself faced with an almost-exact copy of a younger human Danny, wearing a smile that reached her eyes. “Sisters. I like that.”

     After getting over the surprise from her sudden transformation, Jazz smiled back. She understood, now, why Danny was willing to forget what Vlad did back then as long as it led to the creation of Dani; though she only just met her, she could tell that Dani was a sweet girl. Then Jazz broke their eye contact to look around at the lab, and she winced at the sight of scraps and gizmos scattered across the floor. “Yeah, we might have to clean this lab up pretty soon, or Mom and Dad will want to know what happened.”

     “If we’re sisters, then does that make them my mom and dad, too?” Dani asked excitedly, still wearing that grin on her face.

     “Well, sure, genetically,” Jazz said. That must have been a wrong thing to say, because Dani’s smile faded. Realizing what she said, Jazz quickly amended, “We could get them to adopt you, though! Just think about it. We could be real sisters, and you won’t have to live without a home anymore.”

     “Did Danny tell them his secret?”

     Now both the girls’ smiles were gone as that question sunk in. Of course, if they wanted to adopt Dani, then Jack and Maddie would want to know who she is, and there was no way they could answer their questions without revealing Danny as Phantom. Silence hung heavy around the two girls.

     Dani broke it with a shuffle of her foot and a saying of, “I can clean the lab. I’m the one who messed it up in the first place, after all. You should go back to your parents and celebrate Christmas or whatever.”

     At this, Jazz scoffed. At the confused look Dani gave her, she held up her hands and said, “Sorry, but no one would want to be around Jack and Maddie Fenton on Christmas. They argue all the time this day over nonsensical subjects.”

     “Huh,” Dani said. “That explains the yelling I heard when I came in…but I thought Christmas was a time for family bonding.”

     “It is, for most families. But the Fenton family isn’t like most,” Jazz informed her with a sly grin. After a second, her smile receded, and she observed Dani for a moment. “…Have you ever celebrated Christmas?”

     Dani shook her head. Then, smirking, she pointed at herself and said, “This baby is only a few months old. Today is literally the first Christmas ever in my life.”

     “Really?”

     “Yeah.” As her arms lowered to her sides, she looked away and said, “Not like I have anyone to celebrate it with.”

     Jazz frowned. Then she set her face into a determined expression. “That’s not true,” she announced. “You have me. And Danny.”

     Dani looked up at her. “But what about your parents?”

     “I already told you, no one wants to be around them today. Besides, we see them every day. I’d rather spend the day with you.”

     That seemed to put the smile right back on Dani’s face. But then she looked around uncertainly. “What about the lab?”

     “Oh, that.” Jazz took in the sight of the messy lab, then turned back to Dani and shrugged. “I can just say a ghost came in and destroyed it.”

     “Well, it wouldn’t be a lie,” Dani responded with a smirk as she allowed herself to transform again into her phantom form.

     Jazz’s smile stretched across her face once more. Then she got up and held out a hand to Dani. “Coming?” she asked. “I’m thinking about finding Danny and forcing him to celebrate Christmas with us against his will.”

     “Isn’t that kind of rude?”

     “Hey, it’s a sibling’s job to be rude. You’ll learn soon enough.”

     Dani laughed. “Alright,” she said, taking hold of her older sister’s hand. “But we’ll have to sneak past your parents.”

     “I don’t know. I bet they’re still arguing over elves and what they should wear to work.”

     “Wow. Those really are nonsensical topics.”

     Laughing, the two made their way up the basement stairs. “Oh, and Dani,” Jazz said, catching the younger girl’s attention. “You can call them your parents, too.”

[fruitful-blogger]

Flipping the Script

Check it out on AO3!

Part Two!

High School is hard enough for a goth kid, but Roman wasn’t one to let it get him down. After all, he had some great friends, including the smartest kid in the school, Patton, the star of the men’s Tennis team and teen heartthrob, Logan, and the most popular prep and student council member, Virgil, at his side.

 A High School AU with a twist – based on a Discord Conversation.

           Roman Prince was looking over his chipped nail polish with a frown. He had wanted to repaint them the night before, but he had been out of his preferred nail polish for the day – the silver and black combo that would have really brought out today’s outfit. His black and red hair was ever messy as a black leather jacket hung around his arms and shoulders, underneath a black t-shirt with spider-web design across the fabric. His ripped jeans were always on point, and his black convers were polished, if a bit distracting with the blood red shoe laces. His black and red back pack hung over his back as his headphones strung up through his pocket of his jacket to his ears, though he’d muted the music (he didn’t want to talk to anyone, really). While his nails were messy, his eye make-up was always on point, dark wings accentuating his eyes and a thin palour of lipstick to bring out his natural red tones.

           Even though he was a goth, a Prince has got to slay – as a dark prince, he thought double of that.

           Roman frowned at his cuticle again as he contemplated ditching first period to go to the drug store and get another bottle of his nail polish. It was only the first day, after all, and it was going to be boring anyway…

           “I see that look on your face, Princey, and whatever you are thinking, don’t.” Roman snapped up as he looked to the person who had addressed him. The boy before him was dressed like he’d walked out of a fashion magazine – crisp dark jeans nicely ironed, paired with a wine colored polo and purple-tinted suit jacket, all pulled together with his black and purple back pack and his loafers. His hair was messy in a way that seemed effortless even though he’d probably taken an hour this morning to perfect it.

           Most people would think that drama goth Roman Prince and Student Council Treasurer Virgil Smythe would NEVER, in a million years, interact – and they would have been right freshman year. The two boys had butted heads so many times that year, as the goth vs preps went, but all it took was the spring play of Aladdin to make them friends. Now that they were Juniors, Virgil was easily one of Roman’s best friends, and the prep would say the same of the goth.

           “I don’t know what you are talking about, Peter Prep.” Roman grinned as he pulled out his headphones. “I was just contemplating how BORING the first day would be and…”

           “And you can’t skip.” Virgil pointed as he nodded his head. The two began to walk around the school. It was still early in the day, and there were a few students there early with the teachers. Roman really hadn’t any reason to be there, but Virgil had just gotten out of a meeting with the other class reps. “So, the reps are talking already about the themes for Homecoming. It was a long-ass debate even though we aren’t voting on anything for a few weeks. And, man, the freshmen? Those adorable mofos have no idea.”

           Roman snorted in response as they rounded the school wall. A faint “THWAP THWAP” was heard now as they approached their destination. “Honestly, those fuckers have no idea. I mean, fuck, remember freshman year? You thought you were the shit.”

           “Oh like you’re one to talk, Prince.”

           “Careful, Prepington the third, sounds like you’re jelly.” Roman gestured to all of himself. “Although, anyone would love to be me.”

           “SUUUURREEE.” Virgil smirked. “So what WERE you planning?”

           “Nail polish run.” Roman noted as Virgil lifted an eyebrow. “What?”

           “Sorry, I just half expected you to try something like last year.”

           “In my defense, this school needs more blacks and reds. It’s so… pastel.” The goth made a face. “ SO overdone. You should put that into the bureaucratic mess we call a student council. More darks, more individuality!”

           “Yes, because we need more anarchy.”

           “Exactly!”

           “Hello!” A third voice cut in.

           Virgil and Roman looked up as they reached the small set of bleachers. At one of the top rows, surrounded by several books, was their resident genius and all around nerd, Patton Thompson. Patton had his usual light blue polo on with his pressed pants and simple shoes, a cardigan and matching tie with his outfit to pull the whole nerd look together. The goth and prep jogged up to meet him on the bench. Sure enough, he had a textbook on his lap, AP Biology, and he was already half way through it.

           “Hey Pat.” Roman greeted as he added a hug, the smaller nerd returning it even as he scrambled to get his books. “Uhg, what are you doing studying? It’s the first day!”

           “But it’s so INTERESTING!” Patton threw as he clutched a book to his chest. “We’re going to be learning about CRISPR soon enough, which would allow us to theoretically hack the human genome and eliminate disease! It does so by using the DNA’s own infrastructure to turn off genes that could potentially be harmful to humans, though there are fears of it causing more harm than good because it can accidentally delete more than just a single base pair.” The boy grinned. “But we won’t get too into that until Christmas.”

           “Patton, I was about to have a heart attack.” Virgil sighed as he sat on the bench next to Patton, butting shoulders with the blue boy. “I only read chapter one like Dr. Spencer wanted us to. You had me thinking we were gonna have a test on this tomorrow.”

           The nerd smiled back as Roman sat to the other side of Virgil, the opposite of Patton having a pile of books stacked there. “Sorry, you know how I am.”

           “And we love you for it.” Roman returned. “Especially because I suck at science and you are my saving grace.”

           Patton giggled as Virgil used their height to look out. They were stationed on the bleachers near their school’s tennis courts. While it was technically girls’ season, they weren’t to have practice until after school. Instead, the tennis storage unit was open and in the first court was a male figure, rushing back and forth as a ball dispenser sent out dozens of balls at him. The figure was a blur of navy blue, white, and silver – the school’s colors on a uniform, no doubt – as he expertly returned every shot.

           “How long has Roger Feder-Nerd been out here, Smart Cookie?” Roman asked to Patton.

           The nerd shrugged. “Logan’s been here longer then I have. I came early to go to the library, and he was already here when I pulled up.”

           “Jeez.” Virgil sighed as he stood, cupping his hands to his face. “LOGAN CROFTER PLEASE GET OFF THE COURT!”

           The figure paused, looking in their direction even as he deflected a ball. It somehow still went over, though it was no winning shot. “WHEN DID YOU GUYS GET HERE?” He yelled back as he deflected another ball. “WHAT TIME IS IT?”

           “TIME TO GET CLEANED UP, LO!” Roman added.

           The ball machine seemed to agree as it finally ran out of balls. Logan was sweating but easily jogged around the net to turn it off. Off to the side, a few girls oogled at the school’s star athlete. Logan stopped by his bag to throw his sports glasses in, instead replacing them with a simple wire pair. He dabbed his face with his shirt, causing the females to swoon at his abs.

           Roman bit his lips, wanting to badly to tell them off, especially since they had no chance.

           Roman and Patton were the only two in the school to now that Logan and Virgil were gay. While the latter two were more out about their sexualities – Roman would fight the man however he could, and Patton had, logically, figured that it was just a part of their brain chemistry and therefore was not a big deal. They didn’t shout it from the rooftops, but, if someone asked, they’d be honest.

           Virgil and Logan, on the other hand, had a harder time with it. Logan being the star athlete weighed on him, there being a certain expectation for them. While he himself had figured out his sexuality back in middle school, he hadn’t felt comfortable with anyone to tell them. It was only after freshman year when he’d become part of the group that he came out to them on accident. With an accidental pun (Logan HATED puns, but Patton had lost it).

           Virgil was another story. He’d let them know that, at the surface level, his parents were at least a bit homophobic, weather they acknowledged their homophobia or not. It also didn’t help that he was raised in, well, a more upper middle class society, so everyone tended to be more on the conservative side of things. While he knew his parents loved him, he was scared shitless to ever tell them or anyone else. He’d had a break down about it one day, when it was just him and Patton, and he’d finally told someone that he had never felt that way for a girl but he probably had a crush on a guy in their grade. Patton, Roman, and Logan were all supportive of him, though, and he came to them when his internal anxiety just got to be too much.

           While the kid seemed mostly together with a pretty ideal life, he was still a ball of anxiety under the surface. He was thankful, though, that he had friends like these to help him out.

           Virgil, in fact, was already up and jogging down to the court. He grabbed a second basket that stood nearby and began to help Logan clean, the two chatting. Virgil, like Logan, had grown up playing tennis, but the purple-wearing boy was on the JV team as opposed to varsity. The two had, however, become friends because of tennis and were the only freshman boys on JV all those years back (Logan, had, of course, been bumped to varsity sophomore year).

           Roman leaned back in his seat as he heard Patton’s many pens scratch the paper (his notes had a whole color coding system that Roman couldn’t hope to learn). More cars began to pull into the parking lot as the goth took in the day. It was chilly but sunny, and, while he loved his dark room and ambient light, he could appreciate sweater weather.

           “Are you two to join us?” Roman cracked an eye as Virgil and Logan approached, Logan with his tennis bag and back pack. Logan had spoken.

           “Give me a sec, kiddos!” Patton called as he scrambled to get his books into his backpack. He had so many, though, that there was no way the boy was getting them all into one bag.

           Roman stood, cracking his back as he grabbed both his and the abandoned purple bag left by Virgil. “Need help, Padre?”

           “Nah, I got it!” The small boy added as he huffed a few books into his arms. “I’ll drop a few at my locker while Lo gets cleaned up.”

           “Indeed, I should make my way to the changing room before class.” Logan added as he overheard. The two boys skipped down the steps before all four headed to the school. “Although I need to see the physical therapist again. My wrist is feeling odd the last week.” He noted as he played with his right wrist. “My serve is off by a few degrees.”

           “Well, from what I saw, you sure were SERVING up some ACE shots!” Patton giggled as Logan tried to hide a smirk.

           “Why am I friends with you?”

           “Because you love me?”

           “Debatable.”

           “Because I make cookies for the tennis bake sale?”

           “Ah, yes, there it is.” Logan and Patton shared a snigger at the comment.

           Virgil snatched his backpack from Roman as the two followed. “So, a little birdie told me that someone MIGHT try out for the hero this semester…” Virgil grinned to Roman. “What, done playing the villains?”

           Roman loved the stage, but he almost always tried out for the villain. He thought they were constantly underrated and pegged as evil when, in retrospect, they would be more morally grey characters. “Well… depends on if the play I want comes to fruition! You see, I think I can convince Larry to let us do Nightmare Before Christmas, and you KNOW I know all the Jack Skellington parts.”

           Virgil belted out a laugh. “Really? Because I thought you were just reading off cue cards every time I came over for movie night.”

           “Blah blah blah that’s all I hear from you.” He threw with a wave of his hand. The two were left bickering all the way into the school.

           It was just the beginning of another year at North Hamilton High.

[lovecharlottedupont]

DRESS belted blue midi dress (wearing size XS) // WEDGES white espadrille wedges (higher heel linked here) // EARRINGS white bridesmaid earrings // BAG straw crossbody bag (old Forever21, similar linked)

Dinner parties are one of my favorite ways to spend an evening. I love everything about them, including the planning, and I pay attention when I go to great parties so that I can improve my own. Once I was at a party with indoor and outdoor seating, and everywhere were these huge trays of minimeals—noodles and vegetables, salads, steak cut super thin. Everything was delicious. And it all felt informal and easy. Everyone was relaxed and happy, flitting around trying all these delicious foods and then lounging, chatting happily with their new friends. I took notes!

Of course, the first step to having your own party is to figure out who to invite. It’s key to get a nice, enlivening mix of folks. I always have to fight the temptation to reinvite the same gang who made for the last fun party. I’ll think, ‘That mix worked great, and it was a Friday night . . . I know, I’ll have the same people over again on another Friday!’

But you can’t have the same party twice. It’s never the same. Plus, unexpected surprises are part of the fun of hosting. You can’t rehash the same party theme or compare this year’s Christmas party to those of years past. You have to think of each new party as an opportunity to make new memories.

I tend to invite people who have something in common or know some of the same people, and I try to have a good mix of single friends and couples. Always invite at least one single friend! It makes conversation more lively. You also need a ringer or two, people who really know how to make things fun. I have a couple of friends who are my go-to guests, great people to keep the party hopping, like my friend Howell. Howell is from Nashville and can talk to anybody about anything for at least three hours—and have the best time doing it. I call him my all-purpose guest. He can chat just as delightfully with a five-year-old as an eighty-five-year-old.

When it comes to invites, I check people’s availability at least two weeks in advance, because people are really busy nowadays. When I get a time when everybody can come—and I usually go for a Saturday night, because people tend to be too tired on Friday after working all week—then I try to get everyone to confirm.

Now, this is my little public service announcement: If you get invited to something, it’s incumbent upon you to RSVP as soon as possible. A quick “no” is better than a long “maybe.” People go to a lot of trouble to plan a party, and it’s a big deal to open your home. What’s more, it’s essential to show up if you say you will. I have a busy life, but I still don’t cancel unless it’s a superduper emergency—I’m talking a hospital-visit, in-the-newspapers-the-next-day emergency. Being tired just isn’t a good enough excuse. C’mon! Make an effort!

One trick I use to determine whether or not to say yes to an invite is: Would I want to go right then and there? If the party were that second, would I get dressed and rush out of the house to go to the party? If the answer is yes, I probably do want to go, but if the answer is no, I don’t accept the invitation.

Once I know who’s coming to dinner, I start to think about food on the Wednesday before a Saturday party. I do shopping and prepping on Friday. I’ll get fresh produce, some good bread, almonds, and olives, and I’ll prep as much as I can. In my experience, it’s particularly nice to prepare a special meal in honor of someone—such as gumbo for a person from New Orleans or catfish for a friend from South Carolina.

A lot of people have moral or religious or health-based dietary restrictions, and a lot of people are just plain picky. That’s why I always include at least two dishes that are vegetarian, so no one feels left out and we don’t have to make a big deal out of it. They can just skip the meat and have the salad and vegetables, and no one even notices. In addition, I usually send out an email the night before, asking about allergies. That way, when I’m cooking I can keep the nuts or shellfish or whatever it is separate from everything else if need be.

Early on the day of the party, I’ll set the table, with the glasses and everything, because I hate stressing at the last minute about things I can do anytime.

Cooking a big meal is all about the timing. I will look at everything I’m cooking and figure it out like a math problem, what needs to go in the oven when. If you’re cooking or roasting chickens or potatoes, you know it will take a while. Start that bird first!

I often buy dessert, because making a cake in addition to a whole dinner is pretty intense, and I feel it doesn’t usually add so much. I’ll buy a cake, or I’ll just make something really simple, with store-bought ingredients.

When people arrive, the first thing I do is make sure they have a drink. You have to be mindful if someone doesn’t drink alcohol and have soda or seltzer for him or her. I usually have a nonalcoholic option like club soda with fresh-squeezed juice and a fun garnish such as lavender sprigs or fresh mint. A fake cocktail can be delicious and festive, and it’s more cheerful than a glass of water or a can of Coke.

For the drinkers, I always have red and white wine available, and a full bar. These days, it seems that the most popular liquors are vodka and tequila, so I make sure I’m stocked with those at the very least.

I make sure there’s something for people to snack on as soon as they arrive, because I’ve found most people show up really hungry at the 7 p.m. start time. You don’t want them all twitchy waiting for dinner to be served. I always set out cheese and bread, olives, hummus and crudités, or rice crackers - I love rice crackers.

At eight, once everyone’s had some drinks and snacks and settled in, I announce dinner, and we go sit at the table. I’m very proud of my dinner bell. It’s a pretty brass one I found at a thrift store ages ago.

Dorothea’s Seven Hostess Tips

My grandmother loved throwing dinner parties, and she was amazing at it. When I throw parties, I try to emulate her style. Here are some of the things she did that I try to do, too.

1. Invite people of different ages and backgrounds to make conversation more interesting.

2. Send invites (or save-the-dates) at least two weeks in advance.

3. Do as much in advance as possible (setting the table, prepping the food).

4. Decorate with fresh flowers and unscented candles.

5. Have a fully stocked bar, as well as lots of ice and sweet tea, and both red and white wine for cocktail hour and dinner. Keep everyone’s glasses full.

6. Serve dinner about one hour after the start time on the invitation.

7. Put on Louis Prima or Ella Fitzgerald and let the party begin!

Dinner parties usually follow a predictable arc. As everyone eats and talks and drinks, they get more enthusiastic and louder. Then people start getting tired, and usually the whole thing is wrapped up by 11:30 p.m. or midnight.

Ideally, that is. I’ve found that sometimes it’s hard, especially when it’s a fun party, to get people to know when to call it a night. Once I invited a couple I didn’t know very well over for a brunch party with eight or so people. We had a lovely time. At around 2 p.m., everyone had gone except that one couple. They wanted to swim. Why not? Sure! So they stayed and swam. Then it was late afternoon, and they asked, “Do you have anything we can eat?”

Bold move, but not problem. I put out snacks. Snacks turned into dinner. Dinner turned into after-dinner drinks. I began to think ‘What do I do?’ They were very nice. But I started to think, These people are never going to leave. Maybe they just live with me now.’

It had been a really fun day. But I hadn’t planned on those last several hours. I had to make dinner out of nothing. Fortunately, I found some chicken and sausages and vegetables in the fridge and roasted all that together the way a girlfriend taught me. You end up with a lot of food, and you can just serve a salad with it.

Dorothea’s Seven Guest Tips

1. RSVP promptly. Everyone’s time is valuable, and it’s no joke to organize a party.

2. When in doubt about how fancy it is, dress up. Better overdressed than underdressed!

3. Bring something. You can’t go wrong with a bottle of wine.

4. Introduce yourself to everyone you meet—first and last name, please—even if you think they should know you already. And try to talk to everyone, especially anyone who seems a little lost or left out.

5. Offer to help the hosts carry trays, set out water, clear, or whatever else needs doing. Even if she says no, it’s nice to offer.

6. Leave at a reasonable hour. Never be the last person to leave a party. This is hard for southern ladies, because we’re taught to shake everyone’s hand and wish them a warm goodbye and thank them for the delicious meal and say how fun it was to see them and so on and so forth . . . It’s like the opposite of what they call an Irish goodbye or French exit. A proper southern goodbye can take hours.

7. To show you appreciate the hospitality, send a quick, genuine thank-you the next day—by phone, email, or, even better, handwritten note—and offer to reciprocate!

Happy Dining! Love, Charlotte

[nintendoduck-blog]

Why October is the Perfect Time to Start Christmas Shopping

New Post has been published on https://www.vivrelereve.co.uk/why-october-is-the-perfect-time-to-start-christmas-shopping/

Why October is the Perfect Time to Start Christmas Shopping

Starting to plan in October or even earlier, for Christmas can seem a bit extreme. However, planning ahead and doing a little bit at a time leaves a lot more time to enjoy the season and makes it a lot easier. You also can save money by shopping all year.

As it is starting to feel Autumnal and my central heating has just clicked on, we look forward to what Autumn has in store for us. This season will bring crisp mornings, leaves falling and Christmas prep? Well, yes. Summer’s end is the perfect time to think ahead to Christmas; start Christmas planning now, and you’ll reap all of the benefits come December.

I have to say I can’t see why people get quite so worked up about Christmas items being in the shops early. It isn’t like anyone is forcing them to celebrate Christmas in October or to forget about Halloween. I think it’s for preparers. Those who like to prepare far in advance and then actually rest, relax and enjoy Christmas with parties, festivities and excitement.

Enjoy it without running around in too crowded shopping centres looking for presents at the last minute. If you are like me then getting started and finished early sounds like a great idea!

As a self-confessed Christmas-a-holic, my festive switch is never off. I plan at least eight months ahead, stockpiling stockings, crafting and buying up baubles. By November I’ve bought the stocking fillers, decided on a budget and completed our Christmas menu. This month is for Christmas drinks, family events and final Christmas shopping. I’ll have already wrapped most of the presents. All that’s left to do is access the decorations from the basement and decorate.

This probably sounds like a nightmare before Christmas, but for me it’s a simple equation: maximum sparkle for minimum stress. By mid-November, with all the dull stuff ticked off, I can have some relaxing me time. Cue baking, a lovely roaring fire and a Christmas cocktail.

So go on, join me in planning ahead. I promise it’s worth it! Here are some things to get checked off your Christmas to-do list before the Christmas season even starts:

• Buy a Christmas planner. This will help you stay on track and stay organised.

• Pick out chocolate advent calendars early to avoid disappointment!

• Make a gift list. Decide who you are buying gifts for and start writing down ideas. Keep an eye out for sales on great gifts.

• Start saving money. If you haven’t already, start putting extra money aside for Christmas expenses. Skip a coffee and save that money instead, or sell some things that are just cluttering up your home and put that aside.

• Make your Christmas card list. I’ll be honest, this year I won’t be bothering to send Christmas cards. Freeing up time for much more important family traditions.

• Make sure you have addresses. Both for cards and gifts you may be sending, you want to be sure you have current addresses. Go ahead and get them written down.

• Plan parties. If you are having any parties start planning now. Make a list of what you will need and keep an eye out for sales on the items you can buy ahead.

• Pre-make baked goods. Many baked goods are just as good made ahead and frozen. Don’t start quite yet but a month or two ahead is fine for most things. Cookies are the easiest to make and freeze. Just make up the dough, scoop balls onto baking trays lined with baking paper, freeze, and once they are hard transfer to tupperware until you’re ready to bake.

• If you enjoy DIY and crafting, make your project list and start gathering supplies.

This list can seem overwhelming if you have to do it all in a week or two but if you have a couple of months it’s not hard at all. Set aside just a few minutes each week to work on Christmas prep, or even just sometime each month, and you will be ready in no time. I’d also love to know, when do you start preparing for Christmas?

[seoservicesandpackages-blog]

Best Cupcakes Near Me

Work your way through each holiday season to unlock over 100 ingredients, and become a cupcake-crafting master! That way they will bake all the way through all at the same time. After about 7 hours of continuous IV fluids, my appetite returns in the smallest way. I created vanilla cupcakes where the cake was moist and light with an unmistakable vanilla flavor. Using an electric mixer, starting from a low speed gradually increasing to high, cream butter and sugar together until very light in colour and fluffy. Place the jug in the microwave and heat on low in 10 second bursts until the gelatine has dissolved. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. You need to have an oven, the mould in which you're heading to spot the cake and all the substances for baking cakes. Do you Need Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes?

If your modeling chocolate has seized and nothing you have tried on any of the on-line tutorials has worked, grate the modeling chocolate and add it to cookies, squares, desserts or candies so it isn't wasted. However due to a tree nut allergy in my house, we skip those - otherwise I would have packed these carrot cake cupcakes with walnuts. I store them in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese frosting, and they hold up well if you want to make them a day or two in advance. Bake the cup cakes for 20 minutes, cool and serve with a cream cheese frosting! I introduce you the Cupcakes With Whiskey Ganache and Irish Cream Frosting. And, cookie dough frosting is always a fun choice! Gooey and indulgent, chocolate brownies don’t need to be so square - you can use the mixture to make these fabulous cakes with added raspberries. I found the best cupcakes near me at the website in the link.

They are fairly easy to make and they look stunning. It makes a busy texture that gives character to the cupcake where a plain round one actually gives the cupcake a playful look despite its simplicity. Look at that glorious cup cake, It doesn't have to put efforts to sell him. If you buy the right box from these online dealers, you will have the advantage of showing off the quality of your baked goods as they can shine through the windows of the boxes. If you don't have molasses available where you live, just go ahead and leave it out. Things to watch out for! Cupcake Cakes and Pull Apart Cakes - the Hot New Trend in Cakes! The shaped bouquets are often called pull-apart cakes and are great for themed parties, depending on the number of people you are serving. There are so many different cupcake icing recipes. This serves well as an icing bag.

This time my husband requested that I try vanilla cupcakes with some Easy Homemade Vanilla Buttercream Icing. You could also try mixing the chocolate chips in with a little bit of flour to help them not sink. We always love hearing from you when you try one of our recipes. If you’re used to making boxed mix cupcakes you might only be familiar with the one bowl method but most scratch made recipes require a specific type of mixing for the ultimate fluffy cupcake. Add half the dry ingredients and mix well, then add half of the buttermilk and/or yogurt if you are using it. The next day you will first need to bring it to room temperature then beat it again. Please note that the batter will be very thin. Separate your batter evenly between two different bowls. Mix the salt and the flour together and then add half of it to the batter and mix together. It’s very important to not over-mix the batter at this point. Just add vegetable oil, water and eggs according to red velvet cake box directions. Red velvet cup cake.

A Cupcake Money Box is Cute and Practical

Christmas is creeping high on us fast and before very long the important day will be here, so why not get ready! What i remember about Christmas is my mum spending hours with the food prep baking all of our favourite cakes. But it doesn't always have to adopt hours! and with the easy cupcake recipe below you will possess luxurious Christmas cupcakes quickly in any way.

But, I can tell you what went wrong with my previous pregnancies, not an issue. When I was pregnant with my son, I couldn't get an adequate amount of hot chocolate and green olives. I know it sounds a bit icky, but keep in mind that, the rich chocolatey goodness complimented the salty olives perfectly. With my daughter, I had a whole other sweet/salty addiction: pb&j sandwiches with casino chips wedged in the centre! I would spend time at my desk at lunchtime, hiding behind my computer, quickly devouring three to four of those bad boys. And while a pb&j can be a classic kids lunch food, it is really not only a low calories treat. By the time you add the calories from the bread, peanut butter, and jelly, you're already as much as at the very least 300-400 calories! And when you add the salty, greasy goodness of the potato chip in addition, it might be a pregnancy weight atomic bomb. Thankfully, I've were able to curb those cravings up to now, but I couldn't help but think of that of a delicious cupcake a pb&j potato chip cupcake can be.

London days out make the perfect gift for couples celebrating a particular anniversary. Don't put yourself pressurized attempting to choose the entertainment that presses all of the buttons, a restaurant that's conveniently located and the like - just decide on a package that literally brings everything together to suit your needs. How about visiting your favourite attraction - think St Paul's Cathedral, the Household Cavalry Museum, or Kensington or Hampton Court Palace - accompanied by an amazing afternoon tea at Mayfair's swish Grosvenor House Hotel? Or allow lucky couple choose to use the river for a leisurely lunchtime cruise around the Thames, including a three-course meal, before getting airborne to get a flight around the London Eye. Or why don't you consider a Friday-night theatre break, with tickets to either 39 Steps, Blood Brothers, We Will Rock You, Stomp, Wicked, Thriller or Woman in Black, followed by an overnight live in a three-star hotel and leisurely breakfast? Thrill-seekers will cherish a flight over London inside a Piper Seneca twin-engine light aircraft. The half-hour journey will take them over every one of the capital's iconic landmarks: St Paul's Cathedral, the Olympic Park, Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament along with the Royal Parks. Finish off having a bottle of champagne and they will seem like their feet still haven't really touched the ground!

First key to give thought to is the appropriate dimension of the cake stand. You must have the proper dimension with the stand which also fits case. In markets nowadays, stands usually are observed in sets of plates on platforms and they are piled on the top alternatively. Have you arrived at a wedding ceremony or any event which may have cupcakes and cakes on display? If yes, you then must have viewed cake stands already. Measurement of cake stands doesn't only refer to the height with the stand, just about all refers to the dimension from the plates.

It was around 9 o'clock when Sarah went down from her long sleep for my child used-black-jeans and midrib pale-yellow rounded-neck-collar-shirt with her favorite black snickers. Missing the breakfast, she passed on your kitchen and grabbed a 12-oz.- bottle of fresh carrot-orange juice inside the ref. She poured a variety of it in a glass. She sipped it carefully and let the pulp of the orange juice played a little for my child tongue before she would swallow. She was being a young girl, joyfully drinking her favorite juice purchasing the view outside of her rose garden. She could notice over the glass wall of the dining-room straight ahead from the kitchen room. She deposit the empty glass for the sink and excitedly walked towards her precious rose garden.

[blueangel1780]

The Sweetest Christmas Present (One Shot)

Tom Hiddleston x Reader

FLUFF

A/N- this is my first writing here so I do welcome feedback. I realize it’s a bit lengthy for a one shot but figured if I am gonna put my stuff out for the world it needs to be good(haha). Story idea credit goes to @painfullythickimagines  from her “one fact imagine” post which gave me a great idea to run with so THANK YOU! If you want more imagines into a full story shoot me the idea & I can see what I can work with! –Britt =)

          The first Christmas together is usually one of 2 ways when couples are together. Its unbearably awkward & uncomfortable with lots of broken expectations or its completely and totally divine with lots of affections & implications of how the future will look with the person. This weekend was not going to be one for someone who was faint of heart & luckily enough for (y/n) you had a very good feeling that it was going to be as smooth as expected. You used your money from the small acting roles over the last year from different projects to support your favorite thing & arranged to go to the children’s hospital in your hometown to pass out presents & cheer up the kids as a surprise for them & their parents. Little did they know you had managed to talk your boyfriend into going along as well since it was carving time out of his work schedule as well.

    You always had a crush on Tom since hearing him sing in one of his earlier films & knew then that if the opportunity had ever presented itself you were going to take it to date him. You had gone to a theatre show he was in when you first met. He was coming from the back of the building where you waited after the show to congratulate him & stood off to the side while waiting for him to sign autographs; take pictures; be with his fans; which was something you still had not gotten used to, but enjoyed it none the less. You had stayed back from the crowd a good bit when a fan noticed you and squealed alerting the rest of the crowd as well. Smiling & blushing some as you are spotted, you looked up to see Tom staring at you with a modest but pleasant looking grin. It was now he who waited in a long line of people to talk with you, which didn’t seem to bother him one bit as he watched in amusement as you signed and took pictures with fans who couldn’t believe their luck.

 Finally, once the crowd had subsided Tom made his way to you with a wide grin on his face. You looked up bashful & he still had a good head above you in your 4 inch heels. “Hi there..” you say quietly while looking down, somewhat embarrassed by the disturbance you caused but now  worth it since the tables had turned and it took the edge off from introducing yourself as a fan. He chuckled some as he knew you was avoiding his gaze as he reached for you hand lifting it to his lips for a gentle squeeze and a light kiss. “Nice to finally meet you (y/n), been a long time coming that I have wanted to introduce myself.” You smile and blush harder hearing that he wanted to meet you as well. “Well here we are then.” you say softly, finally meeting his gaze and take an instant sharp breath of air as you look in his eyes seeing his gentle intent and curiosity showing just the slightest bit. Awkwardly you clear you throat as you slowly move your hand from his as you realize it’s still being held, though removing it was the last thing you wanted to have happen. His hands were much bigger compared to yours, slight callouses from his recent acting production, but still warm and inviting to hold.

  “Busy?” he asked, snapping you away from your stare at his hand and a stuttering response was the only thing able to be pushed out. “W-well.. I, no but I..” staring as a deer in the headlights as you struggle to give some sort of coherent answer back. A blush forms as you hear him let out a soft chuckle to your response. “Well, there is a great little spot a few blocks up if you want to get some dinner, I’m famished.” He responds back to you which makes your own stomach start to cramp a little from hunger so you nod & he asks you to step inside as he grabs his things up so you can leave. Suddenly you realize that you are going alone to dinner with a long-time crush that you have been internally “prepping” for to happen & you fight the internal “school girl” squeal building up. You blush some knowing he isn’t close by to see & your face lights up with a smile.

“Well now… isn’t that the most gorgeous sight in this whole world?” you hear and look up quickly and see a beaming smile that matches yours on his face which instantly makes your heart skip at least a couple beats.

  You had never really been to New York on a personal stay but found that it really was the most interesting yet terrifying place if you weren’t someone at least vaguely familiar with the city and how to navigate it. There was so much going on even with it being late, which considering where she was from in South Carolina, was like being at a massive party all the time. The walk was worth the possibilities of getting lost or mugged since she was in the best of company.

  Smiling as the memories flood your brain from a year ago as you stared at him getting everything prepared for tomorrow to visit the hospital and almost had those wonderful “happy tears” trying to come out. You had never really seen someone who was as excited to help others as it was with him. He was so generous and you already knew about his charitable side with all the different ventures he went on with other companies to help the third world countries to be able to live better lives so it shouldn’t have surprised you when you mentioned it to him & his sudden response was asking when & what to do to help you.

   A few months back you had called to schedule the visit for just you & so when you called back to let them know you were going to be coming along with a few others they were shocked but also curious to see who you were bringing with you. Keeping it a surprise until the day you were going to arrive since Tom was going in the infamous “Loki” costume for a least a little bit while you were there would surely give people a chance to talk & the kids a chance to be a hero was enough to brighten your holidays.

 It was like watching a kid in a candy store as he helped wrap and sort them by age and by request, with Tom making sure each name was on every present accordingly. His intent on making sure everything was perfect seemed to almost exhaust you, but it was fuel on his fire since he was in his “zone”. You get to the hospital the next morning, nervous from excitement. Nine a.m. was just after breakfast and just before majority of the kids had their therapy sessions. You two along with his assistant, a PR & your best friend stroll in to find the HR manager, children’s department director and 3 burly nurses to carry the overload of presents waiting in the back of the U-Haul truck you rented to make sure everyone was included.

   When everyone was gathered in the children’s department “play center” which was basically a large room with toys; art supplies and canvases; small play structures; pretty much everything to help relieve the kids of their ailments for a while, you glance at the at least 12 oversized garbage bags full of love that would at least give the kids extra happiness through the tough times of the holidays. Being a cancer survivor yourself as a small child you knew it took everything in the parents to just be there, let alone the numerous costs of everything from lodging to food and other home based finances that these illnesses took from these families so you had no hesitations to giving back when you were able in person.

 Everyone had listened to the director speak and as he introduced you, the kids eyes wide with wonder as you tell them that you know they are in a tough situation since you had been in this same hospital, most of them the same age you were when you “kicked cancer in its butt” and felt they needed something awesome to remind them of how strong they really are. As your small speech was nearing where you were introducing Tom your voice caught a small lump as you see him standing at the door waiting on the signal to come in. It takes a few brief seconds to compose yourself as you smile at them & tell the kids “Today you are all my superheroes and to be the best hero there always has to be a villain” and as you point back to the door you watch everyone turn to see Tom & his wonderfully wide but “evil” smile as he strolled in to applause and some boos from the kids which makes you chuckle yourself.

  Once the kids had been able to play and “fight” with the bad guy he went to change just as you started to pass out presents. When he came back in a long sleeve ivory sweater, khaki’s and those irreplaceable brown boots he can’t ever leave behind; you stop and take a minute to admire him. Like a man with his own children you notice as he sits down on their level to hand them their gifts and hugs/pictures if requested, making sure you are passing out the additional presents for the parents of food/gas/coffee gift cards to get through the holidays at least while trying to hold back your own happy tears as you are both thanked beyond belief to be so generous.

    As the end of your time come to a close at the hospital you meet with the director who can’t stop thanking you for everything & talk about being able to plan another visit for fun. It’s close to one when you get back to your home and as he heads to the kitchen to unpack the take out you got on the way back from such an eventful day you can’t help but think of how he is the best thing that has happened to you. He sees your smile as he turns around to finish plating everything up & smiles back as sweetly. You walk to him wrapping your arms at his waist & quietly tell him “Thank you for being the sweetest Christmas present I could have asked for.”

[themoneybuff-blog]

Questions About Weddings, Roth IRAs, Shoes, Blankets, and More!

Whats inside? Here are the questions answered in todays reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question. 1. Thoughts on caring for parents 2. Wedding question, part one 3. Wedding question, part two 4. Starbucks Visa 5. Books on home buying 6. Frugal running shoes 7. Roth IRA contribution question 8. Roth IRA or bigger e-fund? 9. Unwanted Christmas toys 10. Marketing crocheted baby blankets 11. Where do I get advice? 12. Further areas of philosophy Here in Iowa, it felt like winter did not begin until about January 12th or so, but when it did, it hit with a vengeance, with many inches of snow and a forecast for the coming week that has wind chills at our home approaching -50F. When the weather gets that cold, it interferes with all kinds of things. You simply avoid going outside if at all possible, which means that As I write this, Im bundled up in multiple layers of clothing with a cup of hot tea on my desk. I feel quite good after getting up quite early to shovel snow. I dont bother running the snowblower unless we have several inches, as shoveling our drive of a few inches of snow is good exercise. On with the questions. Q1: Thoughts on caring for parents My wife and I are in our forties. We have two adult children that are moved out and on their own. Her parents are both in their late seventies; my parents have been deceased since I was 20. Her parents are ailing. Theyre not in a situation where they need to be in a retirement home, but household tasks wear them out. They live about an hour away and we visit them two or three times a week to help out, as do my wifes siblings. We have been talking about the possibility of having her parents move in with us to make things easier on all involved. We are actually set up very well with this, as we have a large main floor bedroom that could be used by them and a main floor bathroom with a shower that could be modified a bit to make it easy for them to use. Our main worry is that the other siblings will simply stop helping or visiting in any way and just assume were taking care of it. They really like the regular visits from their children and grandchildren and we worry that will all dry up if they move in with us. Our secondary worry is financial as it will add some household expenses. What are your thoughts on this? Shaun In general, if everyone is on board with this, I think multigenerational living is a great approach for everyone involved. The key to making it work is communication people cant hold back on their feelings or else you will turn every little molehill into a mountain. You have to listen to each other and genuinely try to be supportive of one another to the best of your ability. If you can do that, itll work well. As for your specific concerns, with your primary worry, one way to handle this is to just simply have regular family dinners at your house. Make it a routine to have people over for dinner a couple of times a week. I dont know whether your home can support this, but it sounds like it can. Doing this gives people a reason to visit and see your in-laws rather than just stopping by. Its usually easier to go visit a parent or a grandparent if you have a reason to do so; if its just stopping by, its easy to skip it. If theres a meal involved, it feels more like a reason to visit. So, if the move happens, just institute some regular meals. Maybe have a regular Sunday evening potluck or something like that, and maybe start inviting a few people over on weeknights on a regular basis. For the extra meal effort, dont hesitate to ask people to come early to help prep if needed or to bring a side dish in fact, thats a good idea, because it invests them in the meal and makes the visit feel more purposeful. As for the financial concern, talk that over with your in-laws. They will probably want to feel some ownership over the situation anyway. You can simply ask them to pay the energy bill and the internet bill or something like that, something that will partially replace their utility costs at their old place and possibly cut your overall bills, too. They can contribute to buying food, too. This can end up being a money saver for you, actually. The key with any situation like this is open communication and candor. Everything wont go perfectly and youll all do things that drive the other one crazy. Just be open about it and dont let it grow into hurt feelings. Understand that everyone loves each other and you all want to make this work. Q2: Wedding question, part one I have two wedding-related questions for the Reader Mailbag. One of my best friends is getting married, and has asked me to be a bridesmaid. We are in our mid-to-late 20s. She and her fiance make good incomes and come from fairly well-off families. My friend and I have pretty different approaches to our finances as she really enjoys going out, eating out, shopping, etc. Meanwhile, Im currently in grad school. My friends wedding will be at a swanky venue in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. (Note: its not a destination wedding, but I dont live there.) I expect everything about the wedding to be top-of-line. My friend wants all of her bridesmaids to purchase bridesmaids dresses together as a group from the same store, by the same deadline. The store stylist said that this guarantees that all of the dresses will come from the same dye lot. The dress that my friend chose for everyone to wear is $300. Its not that I dont have the money for this, but thats a lot of money! I found that same dress, used, in my size online. The used dress is significantly less money than the dresss retail price. I dont feel that dye lot matters much, but some online wedding forums warn against bridesmaids purchasing dresses piecemeal to avoid inconsistencies that may show up in the wedding photos. I would feel awkward asking my friend if I can order the dress on my own rather than as part of the group, because I feel like Id be ruining her expensive photos. Again, its not that I absolutely cant afford it, but it just seems so wasteful to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress when I can find it for so much less. Is this a time when I just need to suck it up and participate in the group order for the sake of maintaining social normalcy? I already feel bad because Im skipping the bachelorette party which is across the country, so I feel like Im the odd one out. Tammy If I were in your shoes, I would sit down and talk to your friend about the situation. Simply ask if it is okay for the bridesmaids to buy the dress on their own. If she asks why, simply explain the reason youre a graduate student, $300 is a lot of money, and you found the same dress in the same color for much less. The thing to remember is that if this causes a real issue, then there are issues in the friendship to begin with. A good friend appreciates the situation that their friend finds themselves in and works to find a way around it. A wedding is not made or broken on the dress worn by a bridesmaid. Just have a conversation. The vast majority of the time, this will be a non-issue. If it is an issue, its a valuable indication of the status of the friendship. Q3: Wedding question, part two Second, how much would you recommend spending for the wedding gift? I was thinking of something from the registry thats $100, but a lot of wedding etiquette sites say that if its a really good friend, you should be spending closer to $175. I dont want to seem cheap or send the message that I dont value her as a really good friend, especially when this is going to be a really nice/luxurious occasion. But theres also a shower gift to account for Tammy You should completely ignore wedding etiquette sites when they give an exact dollar amount for a gift, especially one as weirdly precise as $175. Thats just weird, bad advice. Give a thoughtful gift you can afford. Pick something from the registry that you can afford and then also write a nice handwritten note to go along with the gift expressing your best wishes for the couple in your own words with your best penmanship. Anyone who looks negatively upon a gift given to them is a person lacking in character. Gifts should always be given freely based upon what the giver can easily afford. Q4: Starbucks Visa As a Starbucks lover, is the Starbucks Visa worth it? How does it compare to popular cards like the Chase Freedom? Lana Well, lets walk through the hypothetical example given in their sales pitch. In that example, youre spending $525 a month for a year, $25 at Starbucks and $500 elsewhere, so that adds up to $6,300. Lets say you use the card for two years, so the total is $12,600. This earns you 64 rewards in the first year and 28 rewards the second year, totaling 92 rewards. A reward is a drink or food item at Starbucks and appears to be at least somewhat Starbucks choice. Lets assume these are worth an average of $4 each, so your total rewards are $368 in value. To get that reward, you also have to pay $100 in annual fees on the card. So, youre getting $268 in value, all in the form of Starbucks items that you largely cant select yourself. Thats a little over 2% in rewards in the form of food items that are probably good but you cant select yourself. Thats not really the best card deal out there, and its going to decline in value each additional year because you only get that big bonus the first year. I dont think this card is worth it unless you drink a lot of Starbucks, in which case you might want to rethink how much youre spending in coffee shops. Q5: Books on home buying Do you have any recommendations on books to read to learn about home-buying? My wife and I are planning to purchase this year. Jim My first recommendation for first-time homebuyers is Home Buying Kit for Dummies by Eric Tyson (seriously). Its an extremely good guide to what people should know about buying their first home, and Sarah and I read an earlier edition thoroughly when we were considering buying our current home. Ignore the for Dummies part its a really good guide. From there, Id hone in on which aspects of home buying arent crystal clear to you and read articles and find books to fill in gaps in your knowledge. If I had to pick a second book, Id probably look at 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask by Ilyce Glink. While its not as thorough as the Tyson book, it does delve nicely into specific areas of the home buying experience and can complement specific areas of the Tyson book well. Q6: Frugal running shoes For a new years resolution I followed your advice and started a resolution of running for 1 minute every day this year and running more if I feel like it but not required. Its been working great! I have been running about 20 minutes a day on average on warm days and at least running a block or two on the really cold days. I thankfully have a spot to run on snowy days. Anyway Im writing to ask for frugal advice on running shoes. I used to be a big spender back when I was running and bought expensive shoes constantly. I whipped my finances in shape during a time when I wasnt running for various reasons but now that Im back at it, I need to figure out a way to do this without spending $100-200 a month on shoes. Ideas? Tom Lets get this out of the way right now: I do not advocate anyone running in worn out shoes. You are begging for various physical problems by doing so. You should be replacing your shoes 300 to 500 miles or every 18 months, because the sole of the shoe simply wears down. Look at the bottom of the shoe and see if you see a lot of creases on the shoes bottom and theres significant discoloring thats a great sign of wear and you should probably get new ones. My recommendation is to find a good mid-cost model that really works well for you, buy a pair of them, and then stalk out bargains on that specific model. I have either personally liked or heard very good things about ASICS Gel Venture, Nike Revolution 4, and Adidas Cloudfoam, all of which are available under $50 a pair with ease, so try those. Once you have a sub-$50 pair you really like, just watch very closely for bargains on those shoes and buy multiple pairs at once if you find a really good deal. You can watch them on Amazon by using tools like Camel Camel Camel, for example. Q7: Roth IRA contribution question I decided to put some money that I got for Christmas from my wonderful generous grandparents into a Roth IRA. I opened one through Vanguard and went to deposit the money and they asked if it was a 2018 contribution or a 2019 contribution. Which should I choose? Not sure of the ramifications. Julie Since this is a new Roth IRA meaning you havent made any contributions to a Roth IRA in 2018, I assume and Im also assuming that (a) you havent filed your taxes for 2018 yet and (b) the amount youre contributing is less than $5,500, then you should make a 2018 contribution. Each year, youre allowed to contribute up to $5,500 to your Roth IRA starting in 2019, that limit goes up to $6,000. That window to contribute starts on January 1 of a given year and ends when you file your taxes for that year early in the following year. So, until you file your 2018 taxes (some time before mid April), you can still make a 2018 Roth IRA contribution, and you should do so because that window is about to close forever, plus it leaves the 2019 contribution window wide open. This is a great thing to be doing with a gift from grandparents, by the way. While they might want you to do something fun with that money, if you told them that you put it aside for your future, theyll be proud of you and for good reason. Heres another good Roth IRA question. Q8: Roth IRA or bigger e-fund? I have about $3,000 in an emergency fund which would be enough to get by for about two months. I am single with a 7 year old daughter. I have about $1,000 surplus in checking. Should I add to the emergency fund or add to my Roth? Nowhere near contribution limits for the year. Amy First of all, I want to say that I am in awe of what youre pulling off here. Youre a single mother who not only has a healthy emergency fund, but is also concerned about saving for retirement. You are on the ball and deserve kudos for that. Second, two months of living expenses is a good healthy emergency fund. If I were in your shoes, I would probably make the Roth contribution with most of the surplus, leaving a little behind in checking as a buffer. Then, I would set up an automatic transfer from checking to savings each week $10 or $15 or $20 should do. This way, your emergency fund automatically grows slowly over time and if you have to tap it, you know its going to refill over time with no further effort. So, Id probably contribute around $750 to the Roth IRA, then Id set up a $20 per week automatic transfer into my emergency fund going forward. Q9: Unwanted Christmas toys My kids receive an absurd number of gifts for Christmas each year. For the last few years, my husband and I have actually removed a few items from their pile that they were less interested in and put them aside to see if they remember them and if not we quietly sell them and put the money in their 529. We figure the gifts were unwanted. This past weekend my sister came over and mentioned the toy she had bought for our middle child. It was one he had overlooked and we had put in storage in the garage. We hadnt sold it yet. He wanted it so we dug it out and gave it to him. My sister was obviously curious as to what the deal was and we explained it to her and she got really mad at us and called us thieves. What are your thoughts? Jason I honestly dont see anything too wrong with your approach. Youre putting the gifts that your children arent interested in aside for a while, giving it some time in case they do think about them, and then if they dont, you sell them off and put the money aside for their college education. Its not as if youre stealing their toys or anything youre just turning the ones they dont want into something that will help them for life. Your sisters response might have had something to do with the fact that she apparently put a lot of thought into the gift and your child wasnt interested in the gift, which hurt her feelings. Her feelings were probably hurt even worse when she found out you were going to sell it unopened. This is one of those situations where you should just give it a little time and talk about it when the situation is less raw. I think your sister will see the sense in what youre doing. Q10: Marketing crocheted baby blankets In late 2018, three extended family members had babies so I crocheted a blanket for each one. The recipients seemed to genuinely love them and two suggested that I try to sell them. I enjoy making them but I dont even know where to start. Carrie My honest suggestion is that you throw out the suggestion to your social network. Post it on social media along with a picture or two of the baby blankets and say that youre willing to make them for baby shower or birth gifts. State your price and the dimensions and what kind of customization options you offer. Im honestly not sure what to charge for the blankets. Thats something you would be much better at assessing than I am. My suggestion would be to go relatively low in price at first cover the price of the yarn and make a little for yourself, but not a mint and then raise it if your blankets become popular. You might also consider an Etsy account in order to sell your wares. Q11: Where do I get advice? You give so much great advice! Where do you go when you need advice? Jenna When Im in a situation where I dont know what to do, I usually write it all out. Im a huge proponent of doing three morning pages, which is a journaling technique where you sit down each morning and just brain dump three pages of writing in a blank journal. I try really hard to do that every day, and it often turns into a forum for me to take a problem in my life and turn it over thoroughly with pros and cons. I usually need to really understand a problem first before I can look for meaningful advice on it. Quite often, this process will make the solution to my problem screamingly obvious. The next step, if journaling doesnt give me an answer, is always to talk to my wife, even if the advice I need involves her. We communicate with each other a lot not a day goes by without a few meaningful conversations. Sarah is my primary source for advice on everything. If Im still unsure, I usually go to the library and try to research ideas on my own. I tend to trust expert advice from books, where the reasoning behind the advice is usually laid out and I can see how that advice applies to my life. If Im still unsure, I usually talk to a few people in my life that I really trust. I have a few mentors in the community. I really trust and value the views of my parents and my wifes parents and my sister-in-law. I talk to them next. If Im still not sure what to do, Ill go talk to a professional in that particular field, but its very rare that I get to this point. Q12: Further areas of philosophy I have been enjoying your semi-regular series of Saturday articles about how different schools of philosophy provide personal finance guidance. What areas are you planning to cover in the future? Dane So far, Ive covered stoicism, Epicureanism, Aristotleanism, and secular Buddhism, for those interested. Danes note actually came in before the last one was posted. Going forward, I definitely want to write an article on transcendentalism, which Ive touched on indirectly several times. This would cover Emerson and Thoreau (who I hold in very high regard), among others. I can see a useful article on utilitarianism at some point. I want to read more about various Eastern schools of philosophy which, outside of secular Buddhism and a few others, I know little. Beyond that, it really depends on where my reading takes me. I love reading philosophy, particularly those with a practical angle that provides insights on how to live, and I find that most such schools of thought that deal with the practical in some fashion have a lot of application to personal finance. Got any questions? The best way to ask is to follow me on Facebook and ask questions directly there. Ill attempt to answer them in a future mailbag (which, by way of full disclosure, may also get re-posted on other websites that pick up my blog). However, I do receive many, many questions per week, so I may not necessarily be able to answer yours. https://www.thesimpledollar.com/questions-about-weddings-roth-iras-shoes-blankets-and-more/

[alicesyrene]

I'm buying a house! (9/13/2018)

OK, so it’s been awhile since I’ve put myself on a budget, and my credit card is paying the price.

I’ve been living in Marin County (San Francisco Bay Area) for a little over two years. I don’t pay rent, and it’s been fun exploring the city and the surrounding area, making friends through work and going to concerts and book signings, but eventually we all gotta grow up, right?

I just turned 24. 24! I wish I could put numbers in all caps, because that is an all caps moment for me. I could bold it, but I think the repetition with the exclamation point gets my point across. I know in hindsight 24 will seem young and stupid, but right now I feel old. Not old in the sense of my back hurting and my knees and hips going out, but too old to still be pretty much completely dependent on my parents. I think everyone in the Bay Area feels this to some extent. Everyone I meet either lives with several more people than is reasonable to be in a house or apartment, or still living with their parents. I can’t say I blame them. Rent is too damn high around here, unreasonably, raise-your-eyebrows-and-guffaw high, and there’s really no other way to do it. Some of those nice Silicon Valley jobs pay handsomely, but a lot of those tech people are still considered “low-income” and eligible for government assistance, even if they are pulling in $100K a year.

Long story short, I’m pulling from both the “still living with my parents” and the “too many roommates” crowd. I don’t technically live with my parents, which makes sound cool when I talk to people, but I do live with my brothers. Three brothers and me, in a two bedroom, 1 ½ bath townhouse. It’s crowded. Not only that, but we don’t pay rent because it’s not ours, it’s our grandfather’s. He’s currently shacked up with my parents at their place in Idaho, because he’s blind and can no longer speak, and his throat cancer just relapsed. We’re basically holding the fort down since he can’t live on his own anymore, but doesn’t want to give up his place. I think he plans to leave it to my parents in his will.

Basically, our situation is temporary. It’s great, because real estate in this area is, if possible, even worse than in the city, and we have a real opportunity here to get a unique experience we wouldn’t get otherwise. But it doesn’t feel like home.

Living with the boys is hard. Nobody likes to clean up after others or themselves, the chores get done at varying degrees depending on who got fed up with the filth and decided to pick up, or if our parents are visiting or we have guests over. It’s too much for me to keep up with, and on top of that somebody keeps eating all my Captain Crunch and peanut butter.

Basically I’ve had enough. I miss my mom and dad and my three grandparents living in Idaho currently, and even without rent everything here is too expensive. I work best if I’m living on my own, and that’s what I want to do, so that’s what I’m working towards.

Back to going on a budget; while living here I have been living high on the hog. Concerts, baseball games, book events, dinners and lunches with friends, dating, exploring styles in fashion and make up, FOOD. It all adds up. I’ve also taken a couple of vacations, bought some furniture and new appliances, and that’s all hurt my wallet too. I’ve still got student loans I’m paying off, and now this great big credit card bill on top of all the regular monthly bills for things like my phone and PG&E. I’m…somewhat responsible. I pay my bills each month and put the rest of my balance towards paying off my card. I’ve been doing this for about a year now, and I’m kind of in the same place as I was because I keep paying down the amount I’m spending each month. This has to end.

After having a long conversation with my mom, we decided I should move back home if it’s what I really want, but I should do it the right way. I could pay everything off and save a couple thousand to put a deposit on an apartment if I wanted to in less than a year, but then I would be paying rent every month and living on my own, but not able to save too much to put towards getting a house someday, which is the ultimate goal.

Instead, I’m going on a two year plan to pay off ALL my debt as soon as possible, and spend the rest of the time saving as much as I can to go towards a down payment for a house.

I’m not a very patient person, but the idea of having a whole fucking house to myself is so sweet I can taste it. Once the idea passed its way into my brain from my mother’s fingertips I was hooked. Sure, it’s going to take a while, but the payoff is going to be so great.

I’m starting with my budget, since I need to cut back my spending in order to pay more towards my bills each month. A balance transfer and a new line of credit is in order to cut back on the interest now gaining on my credit card. I anticipate this will be the last line of credit I open in the next couple of years. Next, I need to stop driving in or ubering to work. Miracle of all miracles, our late days at work we have to do once a week are changing, so we are starting an hour earlier and getting off an hour earlier, which means I can take the bus instead of waiting an hour and a half after work to take the ferry, or ubering or driving in. Hallelujah! Once I get back on the train of taking the bus every morning again, that should cut a significant part of spending out of my life.

Here’s how bad it is. I actually have about three months’ worth of credit on my Clipper Card right now because I’ve been skipping the bus so much on the way to work. So the first step there is to cut off the auto renewal of my commuter benefits that keeps piling on my Clipper Card instead of going in my pocket. That will be an additional $250 a month that will come on my paycheck. It will be taxed now, but at least I’ll be able to put it towards some bills.

Next is my food budget. Since I’ve been ubering in, I eat out during lunch way less since I feel so guilty about spending $20 on getting to work. It doesn’t sound like it evens out, but eating out in this neighborhood can be really expensive. Now that I’m cutting both out, we’ll see how much I save. I also eat out a lot for dinner, especially on the weekends, or if the pile of dishes is just too damn high. Pretty simple solution that will actually kill two birds with one stone: no more eating out. I’ll make a menu of what I’m going to eat every day and stick to it. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’ll start packing my lunches more proactively, doing food prep and making sure when I make a big batch of food I’m not eating two dinners because I need to save at least half for lunch the next day. This will also force me to be more proactive about keeping the kitchen clean and the dishes to a minimum.

Right now my monthly budget for food is $200, but ideally I’d like to get it down to $100. I think once I get the saving momentum going, I’ll minimize my choices to the cheapest meals possible. We also have a lot of built up food in our pantry that is literally just sitting there. Cans of tuna, a couple boxes of tuna helper, popcorn, oatmeal, chili, beans, corn, pancake mix, canned soup, etc. It’s all perfectly good food, it just seems like nobody is ever in the mood for it. It’s all free game, and about to become part of my regular diet.

I just went shopping last night and spend about $165, which was pretty good for everything I got. The hardest part is going to be making sure the boys don’t steal any of it. They always say they will replace it, but I’ve lost quite a few gallons of milk in the last two years. I steal back whenever I can, but for some reason I’m the only one who can ever purchase things like flour, butter, sugar, oil, vinegar, baking soda or powder, essential kitchen items. Things everybody uses but doesn’t help replace. I have a plan though. My fridge in the garage is from college, and just a mini, but one people often forget about. I think I’ll start storing items in there, and bringing high profile dry food, like cereal and peanut butter, up to my room. It will require a little bit of extra work, but worth it if it gets me closer to my goal.

Next step, limit my spending on fun activities. Now, I already have tickets to see Craig Ferguson on Sunday in Napa, and Panic! At the Disco in February. I’m also flying home for Christmas and my mom’s birthday, so that ticket will be purchased very soon. Fortunately, my friend and I were talking about saving, and she has a travel credit card. If she gives me a referral, I can get approved too, and immediately start out with some points. Hopefully that will take care of some of my miles for my trip home. If not, we’re back to square one. But as far as ball games and other concert events and even weekend drinks with coworkers go, that will have to cut back to almost nonexistent. The problem with taking the bus is if I decide to go out after work I almost always have to get an uber home. I’m very tempted at this point to just delete my uber account. I also spend too much on drinks and food when I go out, when I could just as easily do something at home with a bottle of $5 Moscato. I’ll have to limit my excursions to special occasions, and even then maybe not partake, and plan ahead for transportation.

As for events, seeing if I really need to go, and then getting the cheapest tickets available. Fall Out Boy in October? No go. I saw them last year around the same time, and it was a part of the same tour. Hank Green in Santa Cruz? The tickets are already sold out, and I doubt I would get there in time for the event, since I’m working that day. I also saw him just in October of last year for John Green’s book tour. Maybe I’ll just spend that money buying the book. I would just check it out at the library, but it’s his first book and I want to be supportive.

I’m pretty good about my alcohol consumption. I’m not too big of a drinker, though I have been spending too much on wine lately. One of the perks and drawbacks of living so close to Napa is I now have a favorite winery, and I’m a member, which means I get free tastings, but it also means I paid for a full case of wine…a couple of times. I still have five or six bottles left from the last time I went back in May or June, and I don’t intend to buy anymore when I go to Napa this Sunday for Craig Ferguson. I do intend on going to get a free buzz though. I think I’ll spend the money for a bottle of wine on a T shirt at the show instead. That seems reasonable to me. Either way, I will eventually have to give up my membership status by not buying another case of wine, and switch back to Sutter Homes Moscato. I don’t think there’s any love lost there, just another average of $300 a year I’ll be saving.

This is my starting plan. I’m sure I’ll find more ways to save money as the months go on, but for now I’m excited to start this project and see it to completion. I think keeping this blog type will help me stay on track, and keep me motivated and excited for this long haul. I can’t wait to celebrate the day I’m debt free, and then the day I can start actually shopping for houses.

Let’s do it!

[sherlocked-avenger]

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe

A super yummy twist on red velvet cupcakes. Read on to get food blogger Dorothy Kernan of Crazy for Crust’s red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe for your next holiday gathering!

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe

One of my favorite things about the holidays is that everyone thinks about dessert. Dessert is my favorite part of the meal, so of course I love the time of year where dessert is the star. Halloween is the candy holiday, Thanksgiving is the pie holiday, and Christmas is for cookies!

Yes, you think, but where does a red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe come in? Well, did you know that in the south, red velvet is a traditional holiday dessert? The rich red color of the cake reminds me of Santa’s sleigh, so it’s not surprising. And while yes, Thanksgiving is a pie holiday and Christmas is traditionally the cookie and candy day, I think it’s always an important part of the meal to have a show-stopping dessert.

When I make desserts for our Thanksgiving potluck, I make pies, of course. But, I always include a dessert that’s something a bit different, like a cake roll, cheesecake, or cupcake. Same goes for Christmas: cookies rule the day of, but at our big Christmas Eve meal there is always a dessert star. That’s where these red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe comes in.

Holiday Traditions

Red velvet chocolate cupcake cheesecake cupcakes are exactly what they sound like: the combination of two favorite desserts. Red velvet cupcakes meet mini chocolate chip cheesecakes in this delicious mashup of flavor.

First, the red velvet cupcake is the perfect traditional recipe, complete with buttermilk and vinegar. Then comes the cheesecake layer, which goes so well with the slight tang from the cupcake. On top of it all is an easy chocolate cream cheese frosting everyone loves. Oh, and did I mention the chocolate chips? Don’t forget those!

The secret to a good cupcake isn’t just the ingredients, but it’s the pan you cook them in, too. A good pan ensures even baking and produces the perfect result every time. I used my Baker’s Secret muffin pan for baking the cupcakes and the cookie sheet for storing them in the refrigerator while they cooled. One set is all you need!

Tips for Cheesecake Cupcake Making Success

Be sure to let all your cheesecake ingredients come to room temperature for best success. You don’t want a lumpy cheesecake. Room temperature ingredients (even eggs) makes that much easier.

Only fill the liners half full of the cupcake batter so you don’t get any overflow.

Don’t skip the chilling. The cheesecake needs to set for several hours before you can frost and serve them.

The chocolate cream cheese frosting can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before trying to frosting the cupcakes.

Wether you’re making these cupcakes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even a birthday, you know they’re going to be well received. These might require a little bit of work and a few bowls. However, that’s what cooking from scratch is all about.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

¾ cups sugar

1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 large egg

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk (or 1 teaspoon vinegar with enough milk to make ½ cup)

½ tsp. white vinegar

1 tbsp. red food coloring

Cheesecake:

(1) 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature

1⁄3 cup sour cream

1 large egg

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup cocoa powder

4 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp. salt (or to taste)

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Step 1: Preheat Oven

First, preheat oven to 350°. Then, line cupcake pans with liners.

Step 2: Whisk

Then, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, white vinegar, and vanilla to a large measuring cup or extra bowl and whisk until combined.

Then, add the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.

Now add red food coloring and mix slowly until combined.

Step 3: Add 2-3 tbsp. of Batter to Liners

Place about 2-3 tbsp. of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner (about ½ full).

Step 4: Make the Cheesecake

To make the cheesecake portion, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and sour cream with a hand mixer until smooth. Next, stir in chocolate chips. Drop about 1 or 1½ tbsp. of cheesecake mixture on top of each cupcake. Smooth it around with the back of a spoon (try to keep it from touching the edges, the cupcakes stay prettier that way).

Step 5: Bake

Then, bake about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the cake part comes out clean. The cream cheese filling will be the teeniest bit jiggly still. Cool to room temperature. Then, chill for at least two hours before frosting.

(Note: the cupcakes can be frozen once cooled and frosted at a later date.)

Step 6: Make the Frosting

Now you will make the frosting. Using a hand or a stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy, then mix in the cocoa. Then, slowly add in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Next, mix until smooth. The frosting should be spreadable without milk, but if it seems too thick, add up to 1 tbsp. of milk, 1 tsp. at a time.

Step 7: Frost the Cupcakes

Finally, frost the top of each red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake with a bit of frosting. For a decorative effect, use a 1M tip with a pastry bag. Store in refrigerator for up to three days.

For more like this Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe, check out Holiday Recipes on The Home Depot Blog. Shop our Cooking & Food Prep department at The Home Depot to find all your bakeware needs.

The post Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

from garage2 http://ift.tt/2xAm5z2 via great info

[chocdono]

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe

A super yummy twist on red velvet cupcakes. Read on to get food blogger Dorothy Kernan of Crazy for Crust’s red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe for your next holiday gathering!

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe

One of my favorite things about the holidays is that everyone thinks about dessert. Dessert is my favorite part of the meal, so of course I love the time of year where dessert is the star. Halloween is the candy holiday, Thanksgiving is the pie holiday, and Christmas is for cookies!

Yes, you think, but where does a red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe come in? Well, did you know that in the south, red velvet is a traditional holiday dessert? The rich red color of the cake reminds me of Santa’s sleigh, so it’s not surprising. And while yes, Thanksgiving is a pie holiday and Christmas is traditionally the cookie and candy day, I think it’s always an important part of the meal to have a show-stopping dessert.

When I make desserts for our Thanksgiving potluck, I make pies, of course. But, I always include a dessert that’s something a bit different, like a cake roll, cheesecake, or cupcake. Same goes for Christmas: cookies rule the day of, but at our big Christmas Eve meal there is always a dessert star. That’s where these red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe comes in.

Holiday Traditions

Red velvet chocolate cupcake cheesecake cupcakes are exactly what they sound like: the combination of two favorite desserts. Red velvet cupcakes meet mini chocolate chip cheesecakes in this delicious mashup of flavor.

First, the red velvet cupcake is the perfect traditional recipe, complete with buttermilk and vinegar. Then comes the cheesecake layer, which goes so well with the slight tang from the cupcake. On top of it all is an easy chocolate cream cheese frosting everyone loves. Oh, and did I mention the chocolate chips? Don’t forget those!

The secret to a good cupcake isn’t just the ingredients, but it’s the pan you cook them in, too. A good pan ensures even baking and produces the perfect result every time. I used my Baker’s Secret muffin pan for baking the cupcakes and the cookie sheet for storing them in the refrigerator while they cooled. One set is all you need!

Tips for Cheesecake Cupcake Making Success

Be sure to let all your cheesecake ingredients come to room temperature for best success. You don’t want a lumpy cheesecake. Room temperature ingredients (even eggs) makes that much easier.

Only fill the liners half full of the cupcake batter so you don’t get any overflow.

Don’t skip the chilling. The cheesecake needs to set for several hours before you can frost and serve them.

The chocolate cream cheese frosting can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before trying to frosting the cupcakes.

Wether you’re making these cupcakes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even a birthday, you know they’re going to be well received. These might require a little bit of work and a few bowls. However, that’s what cooking from scratch is all about.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

¾ cups sugar

1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 large egg

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk (or 1 teaspoon vinegar with enough milk to make ½ cup)

½ tsp. white vinegar

1 tbsp. red food coloring

Cheesecake:

(1) 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature

1⁄3 cup sour cream

1 large egg

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup cocoa powder

4 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp. salt (or to taste)

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Step 1: Preheat Oven

First, preheat oven to 350°. Then, line cupcake pans with liners.

Step 2: Whisk

Then, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, white vinegar, and vanilla to a large measuring cup or extra bowl and whisk until combined.

Then, add the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.

Now add red food coloring and mix slowly until combined.

Step 3: Add 2-3 tbsp. of Batter to Liners

Place about 2-3 tbsp. of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner (about ½ full).

Step 4: Make the Cheesecake

To make the cheesecake portion, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and sour cream with a hand mixer until smooth. Next, stir in chocolate chips. Drop about 1 or 1½ tbsp. of cheesecake mixture on top of each cupcake. Smooth it around with the back of a spoon (try to keep it from touching the edges, the cupcakes stay prettier that way).

Step 5: Bake

Then, bake about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the cake part comes out clean. The cream cheese filling will be the teeniest bit jiggly still. Cool to room temperature. Then, chill for at least two hours before frosting.

(Note: the cupcakes can be frozen once cooled and frosted at a later date.)

Step 6: Make the Frosting

Now you will make the frosting. Using a hand or a stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy, then mix in the cocoa. Then, slowly add in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Next, mix until smooth. The frosting should be spreadable without milk, but if it seems too thick, add up to 1 tbsp. of milk, 1 tsp. at a time.

Step 7: Frost the Cupcakes

Finally, frost the top of each red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake with a bit of frosting. For a decorative effect, use a 1M tip with a pastry bag. Store in refrigerator for up to three days.

For more like this Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe, check out Holiday Recipes on The Home Depot Blog. Shop our Cooking & Food Prep department at The Home Depot to find all your bakeware needs.

The post Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

from mix1 http://ift.tt/2xAm5z2 via with this info

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Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe

A super yummy twist on red velvet cupcakes. Read on to get food blogger Dorothy Kernan of Crazy for Crust’s red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe for your next holiday gathering!

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe

One of my favorite things about the holidays is that everyone thinks about dessert. Dessert is my favorite part of the meal, so of course I love the time of year where dessert is the star. Halloween is the candy holiday, Thanksgiving is the pie holiday, and Christmas is for cookies!

Yes, you think, but where does a red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe come in? Well, did you know that in the south, red velvet is a traditional holiday dessert? The rich red color of the cake reminds me of Santa’s sleigh, so it’s not surprising. And while yes, Thanksgiving is a pie holiday and Christmas is traditionally the cookie and candy day, I think it’s always an important part of the meal to have a show-stopping dessert.

When I make desserts for our Thanksgiving potluck, I make pies, of course. But, I always include a dessert that’s something a bit different, like a cake roll, cheesecake, or cupcake. Same goes for Christmas: cookies rule the day of, but at our big Christmas Eve meal there is always a dessert star. That’s where these red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe comes in.

Holiday Traditions

Red velvet chocolate cupcake cheesecake cupcakes are exactly what they sound like: the combination of two favorite desserts. Red velvet cupcakes meet mini chocolate chip cheesecakes in this delicious mashup of flavor.

First, the red velvet cupcake is the perfect traditional recipe, complete with buttermilk and vinegar. Then comes the cheesecake layer, which goes so well with the slight tang from the cupcake. On top of it all is an easy chocolate cream cheese frosting everyone loves. Oh, and did I mention the chocolate chips? Don’t forget those!

The secret to a good cupcake isn’t just the ingredients, but it’s the pan you cook them in, too. A good pan ensures even baking and produces the perfect result every time. I used my Baker’s Secret muffin pan for baking the cupcakes and the cookie sheet for storing them in the refrigerator while they cooled. One set is all you need!

Tips for Cheesecake Cupcake Making Success

Be sure to let all your cheesecake ingredients come to room temperature for best success. You don’t want a lumpy cheesecake. Room temperature ingredients (even eggs) makes that much easier.

Only fill the liners half full of the cupcake batter so you don’t get any overflow.

Don’t skip the chilling. The cheesecake needs to set for several hours before you can frost and serve them.

The chocolate cream cheese frosting can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before trying to frosting the cupcakes.

Wether you’re making these cupcakes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even a birthday, you know they’re going to be well received. These might require a little bit of work and a few bowls. However, that’s what cooking from scratch is all about.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

¾ cups sugar

1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 large egg

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk (or 1 teaspoon vinegar with enough milk to make ½ cup)

½ tsp. white vinegar

1 tbsp. red food coloring

Cheesecake:

(1) 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature

1⁄3 cup sour cream

1 large egg

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup cocoa powder

4 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp. salt (or to taste)

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Step 1: Preheat Oven

First, preheat oven to 350°. Then, line cupcake pans with liners.

Step 2: Whisk

Then, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, white vinegar, and vanilla to a large measuring cup or extra bowl and whisk until combined.

Then, add the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.

Now add red food coloring and mix slowly until combined.

Step 3: Add 2-3 tbsp. of Batter to Liners

Place about 2-3 tbsp. of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner (about ½ full).

Step 4: Make the Cheesecake

To make the cheesecake portion, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and sour cream with a hand mixer until smooth. Next, stir in chocolate chips. Drop about 1 or 1½ tbsp. of cheesecake mixture on top of each cupcake. Smooth it around with the back of a spoon (try to keep it from touching the edges, the cupcakes stay prettier that way).

Step 5: Bake

Then, bake about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the cake part comes out clean. The cream cheese filling will be the teeniest bit jiggly still. Cool to room temperature. Then, chill for at least two hours before frosting.

(Note: the cupcakes can be frozen once cooled and frosted at a later date.)

Step 6: Make the Frosting

Now you will make the frosting. Using a hand or a stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy, then mix in the cocoa. Then, slowly add in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Next, mix until smooth. The frosting should be spreadable without milk, but if it seems too thick, add up to 1 tbsp. of milk, 1 tsp. at a time.

Step 7: Frost the Cupcakes

Finally, frost the top of each red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake with a bit of frosting. For a decorative effect, use a 1M tip with a pastry bag. Store in refrigerator for up to three days.

For more like this Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe, check out Holiday Recipes on The Home Depot Blog. Shop our Cooking & Food Prep department at The Home Depot to find all your bakeware needs.

The post Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

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Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe http://ift.tt/2xAm5z2

A super yummy twist on red velvet cupcakes. Read on to get food blogger Dorothy Kernan of Crazy for Crust’s red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe for your next holiday gathering!

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe

One of my favorite things about the holidays is that everyone thinks about dessert. Dessert is my favorite part of the meal, so of course I love the time of year where dessert is the star. Halloween is the candy holiday, Thanksgiving is the pie holiday, and Christmas is for cookies!

Yes, you think, but where does a red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe come in? Well, did you know that in the south, red velvet is a traditional holiday dessert? The rich red color of the cake reminds me of Santa’s sleigh, so it’s not surprising. And while yes, Thanksgiving is a pie holiday and Christmas is traditionally the cookie and candy day, I think it’s always an important part of the meal to have a show-stopping dessert.

When I make desserts for our Thanksgiving potluck, I make pies, of course. But, I always include a dessert that’s something a bit different, like a cake roll, cheesecake, or cupcake. Same goes for Christmas: cookies rule the day of, but at our big Christmas Eve meal there is always a dessert star. That’s where these red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake recipe comes in.

Holiday Traditions

Red velvet chocolate cupcake cheesecake cupcakes are exactly what they sound like: the combination of two favorite desserts. Red velvet cupcakes meet mini chocolate chip cheesecakes in this delicious mashup of flavor.

First, the red velvet cupcake is the perfect traditional recipe, complete with buttermilk and vinegar. Then comes the cheesecake layer, which goes so well with the slight tang from the cupcake. On top of it all is an easy chocolate cream cheese frosting everyone loves. Oh, and did I mention the chocolate chips? Don’t forget those!

The secret to a good cupcake isn’t just the ingredients, but it’s the pan you cook them in, too. A good pan ensures even baking and produces the perfect result every time. I used my Baker’s Secret muffin pan for baking the cupcakes and the cookie sheet for storing them in the refrigerator while they cooled. One set is all you need!

Tips for Cheesecake Cupcake Making Success

Be sure to let all your cheesecake ingredients come to room temperature for best success. You don’t want a lumpy cheesecake. Room temperature ingredients (even eggs) makes that much easier.

Only fill the liners half full of the cupcake batter so you don’t get any overflow.

Don’t skip the chilling. The cheesecake needs to set for several hours before you can frost and serve them.

The chocolate cream cheese frosting can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before trying to frosting the cupcakes.

Wether you’re making these cupcakes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even a birthday, you know they’re going to be well received. These might require a little bit of work and a few bowls. However, that’s what cooking from scratch is all about.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

¾ cups sugar

1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 large egg

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk (or 1 teaspoon vinegar with enough milk to make ½ cup)

½ tsp. white vinegar

1 tbsp. red food coloring

Cheesecake:

(1) 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature

1⁄3 cup sour cream

1 large egg

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup cocoa powder

4 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp. salt (or to taste)

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Step 1: Preheat Oven

First, preheat oven to 350°. Then, line cupcake pans with liners.

Step 2: Whisk

Then, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, white vinegar, and vanilla to a large measuring cup or extra bowl and whisk until combined.

Then, add the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.

Now add red food coloring and mix slowly until combined.

Step 3: Add 2-3 tbsp. of Batter to Liners

Place about 2-3 tbsp. of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner (about ½ full).

Step 4: Make the Cheesecake

To make the cheesecake portion, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and sour cream with a hand mixer until smooth. Next, stir in chocolate chips. Drop about 1 or 1½ tbsp. of cheesecake mixture on top of each cupcake. Smooth it around with the back of a spoon (try to keep it from touching the edges, the cupcakes stay prettier that way).

Step 5: Bake

Then, bake about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the cake part comes out clean. The cream cheese filling will be the teeniest bit jiggly still. Cool to room temperature. Then, chill for at least two hours before frosting.

(Note: the cupcakes can be frozen once cooled and frosted at a later date.)

Step 6: Make the Frosting

Now you will make the frosting. Using a hand or a stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy, then mix in the cocoa. Then, slowly add in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Next, mix until smooth. The frosting should be spreadable without milk, but if it seems too thick, add up to 1 tbsp. of milk, 1 tsp. at a time.

Step 7: Frost the Cupcakes

Finally, frost the top of each red velvet chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake with a bit of frosting. For a decorative effect, use a 1M tip with a pastry bag. Store in refrigerator for up to three days.

For more like this Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe, check out Holiday Recipes on The Home Depot Blog. Shop our Cooking & Food Prep department at The Home Depot to find all your bakeware needs.

The post Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcake Recipe appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

Dorothy Kern