Photo: Thierry Lebraly

Happy New Year's Eve, y'all! You guys have anything special planned for tonight? We're going to be hanging with fam, noshing on black eyed peas (a good luck tradition in our fam, and I don't dare challenge it because "I'm not superstitious, just a little stitious" - high five if you know that quote!),  'cheersing' 2012 and welcoming 2013 with bubbly, making out inappropriately with the hubs at midnight (due to aforementioned bubbly)...you know, the usual low-key New Year's Eve celebrations. ;)

2012 was awesome. Homeownership, my baptism, a new job at a great little PR firm, new friends, fun trips to visit family and welcoming them all to Austin for the first time, lots of nieces and nephews welcomed into the world, fab collaborations, blog adventures and beyond. Can't wait to see what 2013 has in store. Xoxoxo!

Sorry for the double food post, but I'm not really that sorry....because why be sorry about anything when Nutella is involved? The hubs and I headed over to Costco to do some grocery shopping, and somehow a pack of double the trouble Nutella landed in our cart. What's a gal to do when the weather outside is sub-arctic? And where is a sarcasm font when you need it? No, but really, it's effing cold here in Texas. I busted out the ol' furry trapper hat again and have been wearing it around non-stop. Anyways.....the answer is make a cup of steamy Nutella hot chocolate, henceforth dubbed a cup o' heaven. Screw a cup o' jo....Nutella is where it's at. Keep reading after the jump to get the recipe...

Hello, darlings! Hope you all had a very merry Christmas. We were out at my parent's house for the holidays, and passed the days basically cooking, eating, snacking, complaining about how much we ate, singing Christmas songs and watching movies.  Oh yes, we opened presents too....huzzah! Amongst the glorious gifts were bags and bags of freshly picked Meyer lemons and Ruby Red grapefruits, thanks to our family friends Juan and Mary (thanks again, you two!). I was flipping through a great new cookbook that my mom got me called "The Spice Kitchen," and stumbled across this recipe for broiled grapefruit topped with brown sugar, cinnamon and cumin. At first, I was all "ish don't think so" but gave it a try anyways. This easy and fast dessert absolutely rocked my world. My taste buds did a backflip when I took a taste of that first scoop - it's INSANELY DELICIOUS and pretty healthy too! Keep reading after the jump to get the recipe...

1. Free Printables - I am a procrastinator in all things, and the holidays are no exception. Amy from Eat.Drink.Chic whipped up these DIY printable gift tags, and they are simply adorable. All you need to do is print and look like you were actually prepared for the holidays this year.

2. Simona V Amethyst Slice Necklace - A-thread sent me this necklace, and it literally hasn't been taken off my neck since it arrived in the mail. It goes with everything (I'm currently wearing it with a black and gold sequin top), and it's a steal for under $50...plus, you can get 10% off with code TRIPLEMAXTONS10. 

3. Glass Lined Wood Candle Holders - Definitely going on the wishlist. How perfect would these look aglow on a holiday tableau?

4. Bora Da Blanket - Ummm, this blanket is friggin' awesome. Makes me want to light a fire and snuggle with my hubs.

5. Loomed & Looped Stocking - Not your traditional stocking, I love the unexpected colors and handmade feel. Plus, a giant pom-pom on a stocking is always a good thing.

6. Decorate - A gift from my lovely boss that I am just smitten with, this Decorate book and I have been getting some major quality time together. Love love love it. Now if only I could transfer some of that old, European charm to central Texas. Hmm...

7. Oh, Laszlo! Planter - Bought this sweet and dainty succulent planted in a super smooth concrete and gold-leafed planter from Mockingbird Domestics recently. The fact that this little guy is still alive astounds me considering that 99.9% of plants wither and die within the first week of entering our house. Every time I walk by it, it makes me happy. Simple as that.

8. Measuring Hedgies - Because baking all those holiday cookies and cakes are wayyyy cuter with gold-tipped hedgehogs.

9. Bona Clara Skincare - Bona Clara hooked me up with some small samples from their line . The cleanser and scrub were my faves - my skin was legit squeaky clean afterwards. The moisturizer wasn't packing enough for my thirsty skin, but the line as a whole is great- pure ingredients that target skin dilemmas based on our age. Brilliant. A great gift idea!

10. My Parent's Christmas Tree - I am itching to go see this beaut in person....so festive and pretty! 

I'm at Crane & Canopy chatting about my fave holiday traditions and a few items on my wishlist today....come and see, why don't you?!

Ho ho ho!!! Today's post can be categorized as 'Christmas come early', because the generous folks at a-thread are offering up Triple Max Tons readers a super awesome holiday prize: $40 to shop to your heart's content at a-thread. Trust me, that $40 can get you some pretty sweet swag at this affordable and adorable online boutique. PLUS, a-thread is all about looking good and doing good. 5% of every sale goes to one of their charity partners. Makes me want to throw confetti and do a happy dance.


That's a total for 6 entries...which is pretty good odds if you ask me! A winner will be chosen on 12/21, and the giveaway is open to both US and international readers. Good luck!!

Found something you love and can't wait? Take 10% off your order now through December using code TRIPLEMAXTONS10.

UPDATE: Congrats to lucky #19, Lorenza Stornello! You are the winner. Sending you an email now!

Now this is what I call holiday decor for the overwhelmed, procrastinating, and broke folk out there. I hoarded these pine cones when we were living in Boston, moved them all over creation, primed them last year, forgot about it, rediscovered them last weekend and attacked them with metallic spray paint. Within a matter of 30 minutes, I had several dozen gold and silver pine cones at my fingertips. What to do with these little gems? Well....let me tell you!

Brussels sprouts. I was a full-on hater of those little garbage balls for the majority of my life. It wasn't until about 6 months ago that I tasted my first ROASTED Brussels sprout, and my taste buds nearly leaped out of my mouth to do a happy dance. I'm talking like, Riverdance, people. It was bananas. NO - IT WAS BRUSSELS SPROUTS!

After that healthy revelation was made, I began pairing them with everything. In our last apartment, John would burst in the door after getting home from work and shoot me an immediate eyeroll, "Seriously Kir?? Brussels sprouts AGAIN??" (He apparently knew I was cooking them because you could smell them all the way down the looooong hallway....ooops.) One thing I hadn't tried them on yet though? Pizza. My beloved pizza. We eat it frequently.....fervently, even. The melty cheese, the crunchy crust, the signature flavor of the sprouts - just yum. Yum yum yum. You have to try it next time you plan on pizza for dinner (pretending to be a professional pizza twirler is a must, as well). Click "read more" below to get the recipe details!

Last weekend, my parents came over to celebrate John's birthday. After we sung what I would call a birthday concerto that was awful enough to shatter glass, we somehow ended up playing one of our favorite card games: Hand And Foot. There's elements of strategy, a touch of luck, and a lot of cards involved. It's a bit complicated to explain, but one you get the hang of it, it's SO much fun. Naturally, I had to share our fave game with y'all. After doing some digging online, it looks like we play a slightly modified version of "Saskatchewan Hand And Foot"....who knew? Not me. So, without further ado, click "read more" below to get the scoop on how to play!