This is how I rocked the purple skinny jeans this weekend. By the way, I hit up the J. Crew sale this Saturday and it was AMAZING! And, good game Tigers!
J. Crew purple matchstick jeans (bought another pair this weekend)
J. Crew chambray shirt
J. Crew orange boat neck shirt
Ivanka Trump black suede pumps
Ann Taylor Loft jewelry
Francesca color block clutch
That’s right. The man is off on a hunting trip so I’ve had all the time in the world to bake coconut bars, get a pedicure, shop online, shop in-store, pot plants, clean the house and all the other things I usually put off in exchange for doing something with the man.
Oftentimes, I hear women complain about their man’s hobbies — hunting, fishing, golf, working out, and so on. After the man proudly sent me a picture of his kill last night, I started feeling pretty lucky that not only does he have a variety of healthy hobbies but he wants to share them with me. (Until I forget to turn the ringer off on my phone and tip off the deer. Oopsie.)
We’ve been to a few pretty special places in pursuit of one animal or another. Now I don’t mean “climb the highest mountain” special, but more like a winding creek tucked deep into the marsh, an old logging road flanked with giant oaks, a mile long trail speckled with wild flowers, 60 acres of nothing but wheat, gorgeous sunsets, stunning sunrises, you get my point now, right?
These places have such a stillness about them that contrasts so drastically with my normal day of emails pinging, iPhone ringing, deadlines, budgets, meetings… Even though these places are so still, I can feel so much life in them and in exchange, they energize me.
Now I’ve never been married so I can’t really say for sure that women who vent about their husband’s hobbies don’t have valid reasons. Maybe he isn’t pulling his weight around the house or spending enough time with the children, that’s not my business. But, last weekend, we decided to take a break from paddle boarding so we linked our boards together and just laid down and drifted wherever the tide took us. The man reached for my hand and I felt completely content in that moment. I was happy that we had abandoned laundry, phone calls, emails, house work and everything else going on in our busy lives to instead, spend time in that magically still but electric place.
Here are a few pictures I’ve collected along the way in our pursuit of bird, deer, fish, alligator and each other.
Old oaks, stretching out towards the water.
Acres and acres of wheat. Surprisingly beautiful.
Coral honeysuckle.
Oyster shells, bleached by the sun.
Reef in The Keys.
Sunrise in Islamorada, FL.
This is the life, really.
Wasn’t expecting to see him there.
One of the most beautiful things about the South. Old oaks.
Paddle boarding in the creeks, winding through the marsh.
Just so you know, this is what the man looks like when he’s ready to hunt. Southern men are so stinkin’ cute.
And this is the kill he is so proud of. Partially proud too, partially sad.
Thank goodness it’s Friday! I actually took the day off, which explains why I’m day-blogging. I love not having to set the alarm clock on a weekday. Of course, my body wakes up anyway but there’s something freeing about waking up on your own accord. I’m prepping for a pretty low-key weekend but of course, game-day has me thinking about what to do, what to wear and what to cook!
I love chicken wings as much as the next person. Actually, I might love them more. My college sorority had a wing eating competition and little ole’ me won (our secret). My grand total was only 26 – not much compared to what I’ve seen some of you fellas scarf down but among the dainty southern belle sorority sisters, that was a feat!
But, despite my love for the little savory, crispy delights, I do not have a love for fat, calories and everything fried. Over the years, I’ve found a few tried and true recipes that offer the same delicious flavor without all the fat and calories. So, here ya go. Guilt free chicken wings. Oh! And these recipes are super, super easy.
Teriyaki Glazed Chicken Wings – Don’t these just look delicious!
Ingredients:
6-8 chicken drumsticks
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons tamari
1/2 to 1 tablespoon honey
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coat the drumsticks with coconut oil and place the drumsticks on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and fairly crisp.
Combine the balsamic vinegar, tamari and honey in a saucepan and bring to boil. Let the mixture boil for 5 minutes or until it has reduced to about 1/3 of a cup.
Take the drumsticks out of the oven and pour the glaze on top. Bake for another 5 minutes then take the pan out of the oven and use tongs to roll the drumsticks around in the glaze (it will have thickened a bit more in the oven) and/or use a brush to coat them with the glaze. Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro if you like.
Cornflake Crusted Chicken – Amazing!
Ingredients:
3 cups cornflakes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 pounds of wings and drumsticks
Preparation:
Heat the oven to 375º. To make the coating, pour the cornflakes into a sealable gallon-size plastic bag and use a rolling pin (or your palms) to crush the cereal. Open the bag and add the flour, paprika, onion powder, and sage. Shake salt and pepper (about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of each, depending on your family’s taste) into the bag, reseal, and shake until well combined.
Pour the milk into a shallow bowl. Rinse the chicken pieces. Dip one piece in the milk, drop it in the bag of cornflake mix, and shake until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Place the chicken skin-side up in an ungreased baking pan. Repeat until all the pieces are coated.
Bake for 50 minutes. Take out of the oven, do not wait to cool because you can’t. Dig in, burn roof of mouth! (Just kidding, that’s how I usually do it. I wouldn’t recommend.)
Baked Greek Chicken Wings – Lemony, salty, peppery, hmmmmm.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 pounds chicken wingettes
Preparation:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the lemon juice, oil, honey, oregano, garlic and salt. Add the chicken wings, seal bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate overnight for extra flavor.
Drain and discard marinade. Place wings on a rack in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan covered with olive oil. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear, turning once.
Classic Baked Chicken Wings – Unbelievable easy, seriously.
Ingredients:
3 to 4 lb chicken (breasts, thighs, legs, wings, kitchen sink, you pick)
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse chicken pieces in water and pat dry with paper towels. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan with olive oil and rub olive oil over the chicken pieces in the roasting pan. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the pieces skin-side up in the roasting pan.
Cook for 30 minutes at 400°F, then lower the heat to 350°F and cook for 10-15 more minutes. If your chicken pieces aren’t browning to your satisfaction, you can put them under the broiler for the last 5 minutes of cooking, until browned sufficiently.
Remove roasting pan from oven. Remove chicken from roasting pan to a serving plate. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Hope you enjoy! For more skinny tailgating recipes find us on Pinterest at Pinterest.com/purpleskinnyjns.
In celebration of college football season, gift-giving just got a whole lot easier. Why not give the gift of team spirit? I needed ideas for a birth, a birthday and a baby shower and found these team-themed treats to be a huge hit.
For the man of the house, a stainless steel flask wrapped in dyed leather – his team color, of course. You’re in charge of sips after it ships though.
You know us southern folk love to dress up on game day, baby boy included. How about a tiny bow tie? In team colors, duh.
If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Well, get her this adorable phone case. Mix and match her team colors with multiple shell options.
Papa is always proud when his baby girl shows school pride. Team logo’ed diaper covers – adorbs!
Hope you enjoyed these, my friends sure did. Or, they pretended to my face to enjoy them. For more gift ideas, follow us on Pinterest at Pinterest.com/purpleskinnyjns.
After paddle boarding on Saturday, I’ll be making a mad break for the closet to start planning my game time get-up. Who am I kidding? I’ve been thinking about it for days.
I once went to a John Mayer concert where Mr. Mayer expressed his love for receiving and opening packages. If he could have his way, he would have boxes shipped inside of boxes with more boxes inside of another box because it brings him so much joy to open packages. (I think he could actually afford to arrange that.) Anyhow, I have to admit, I feel the same way. (Eeeeeeeee!) Anytime I order something online I anxiously check my in-box for the shipping detail and then count the days down until I arrive home and there, perched on my doorstep is – my PACKAGE! So, the next three days, I will experience that joy each night as I pull into the driveway, rush inside and rip open whatever glorious treat Mr. UPS has left me. Here’s what I’ve got to look forward to.
Banana Republic Envelope Clutch
Nine West Stacked Loafers – Nine West seemed to have quality control issues for a few years but these were an amazing deal, versatile and I love the color. So, don’t let me down Nine West.
Banana Republic Tortoise Stud Earrings – I’m loving the tortoise trend right now.
Ivanka Trump Pumps – I feel pretty cheesy buying anything branded “Trump”. But, now it’s out there. Judge me.
Banana Republic Tortoise Cocktail Ring – See what I mean about the tortoise trend?
Well, that’s about it. Oh, an a little something from Sephoria came today. I’m gonna need a polish touch up after tearing through all of this corrugated cardboard.
And by that I mean this content. Thank you Damsel In Dior for this standard operating procedure on how to wear one of fall’s biggest trends, stackable bracelets.
A couple of these are worth the investment because you can throw them on with anything and it gives your look an instant update.
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So, this weekend is big – big gameday, big plans and the big one year anniversary for me and the man. That’s right. Did you know it is still legal in South Carolina to beat your wife on the courthouse steps? Well, I haven’t been drug down there yet but I’m also not a wife. There’s still time.
Anyhow, the man has planned a big fancy dinner for Friday night. I’m looking forward to sinking into a big, plush chair and having a 2 4 giant glasses of delicious red wine and a steak. Doesn’t that sound so country? My man is takin’ me out fur a big ole steak! Seriously, he’s made reservations at quite a lovely place and it will be nice. We’ve also got brunch planned on Saturday at Two Burroughs Larder (is anyone picking up on the meaty theme here?) and then we are going paddle boarding for the day.
Speaking of meat, the man went hunting tonight but didn’t bring anything out of the woods. Probably for the best though since we seem to have our proteins covered for the weekend. Saturday’s game will be a big time and we’re going over to a friend’s home to watch with our pals. So, to balance out our red meat and wine binge, I’m going to rustle up these two recipes. I know the slicing and dicing is a lot of work but so is burning off 11,765 calories from chicken wings and blue cheese. Just give it a try. These are man tested and approved. Plus, they’re always a hit when I make them and my purple skinny jeans still zip without having to use a coat hanger.
Shrimp Salsa w/Black Bean Chips
Ingredients:
16 oz cooked peeled shrimp, diced fine
4 vine ripe tomatoes, diced fine
6 tbsp red onion, finely diced
3 tbsp jalapenos, diced fine (more or less to taste)
2 tbsp minced cilantro
2 limes, juice of (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Preparation:
Combine diced onions, tomatoes, salt and lime juice in a non-reactive bowl and let it sit about 5 minutes. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, taste for salt and adjust as needed. Refrigerate and let the flavors combine at least an hour before serving. Or, don’t and pretend you did. Either way, it tastes yummy and you’ll be the belle of the ball for bringing a delicious snack. Oh. Get some chips. You figured that much out, right? I do black bean.
Zucchini Chips
Now, I know you can’t swing a dead cat on Pinterest without hitting a few hundred recipes for these. Does one use their mouse to swing a dead cat on Pinterest? Is that ironic or just a really bad example like Alanis Morrisette’s entire song, Ironic? Make these – they are amazing!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Homemade Breadcrumbs Er, Panko works well too
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional) (puh-lease)
1/8 tsp black pepper
heaping 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cold milk (I used oat milk)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar Oopsie, I didn’t have this ingredient
2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 small zucchinis)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl combine breadcrumbs, cheese (if using) and black pepper. In separate bowl add flour, milk and vinegar. Gently stir until combined but do not over stir. Dip zucchini slices in flour mixture and then dredge in breadcrumb mixture.
Place coated zucchini slices on a baking sheet (I line mine with non stick foil for easy clean up!) and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the slices over once halfway through cooking, or until browned and crisp.
Hope you enjoy these! Thank you Pinterest by way of skinnytaste.com and thecleankitchen.com for the recipes.
Purple Skinny Jeans is just getting started on Pinterest.
Follow us at pinterest.com/purpleskinnyjns/
I’m not suggesting you buy an outfit that demands four inch heels if you can’t navigate a tailgate in four inch heels. Lord knows no one wants to be maneuvering down the stadium stairs like a newly born fawn. Alcohol will get most of you. The shoes are just an unnecessary obstacle. Anyhow, let’s check out how celebrities are color-blocking in orange and purple this season.
Jessica Alba all aglow in her maternity maxi.
Kim K. in Gucci. Did she just come out of that bottle she is holding?
However you color block, I wouldn’t recommend sitting like that. Sorry Ri-Ri.
Isn’t this British celebrity Cheryl Cole? This is how I imagine Wonder Woman would color-block.
J. Hudson looks amaze and I’m really happy she seems healthy.
Well, this is my first stab at representing my blog’s namesake. My purple skinny jeans. Of the toothpick variety, J. Crew, ankle length. A tailgating staple this year. It is still about 126 degrees in the south so I pranced around a little on the sweaty very warm side today. As fall unfolds this will hopefully get cuter with more layering potential and a few 274 cute accessories. Check out nugget in the background. Isn’t he adorbs? He’s trying to stay anonymous too.
Paired with a white summer lace shirt from Ann Taylor Loft, Banana Republic neutral peep toes, purple chunky stone necklace and stacked bangle bracelets.
A southern suitor, fashion & football, festivity & more.
PURPLE SKINNY JEANS 