Mandii's Muse

Since I shared with you the more casual Christmas outfits, I wanted to share with you what I wore for our Christmas Cantata and Christmas Eve service at church. Christmas Cantata: Believe it or not, you can wear your bridesmaid dress again! I wore the blue tunic as part of my very, very dear friend’s bridesmaid dress. I adapted it by not wearing the slip that goes underneath, and added black leggings, and a black tunic. Because it has a higher neckline, I opted to not wear a necklace. I added some fun druzy earrings, and my replica Duchess of Cambridge wedding ring to give me some sparkle. I completed the outfit by wearing my blue suede booties. Tunic: Free People Tank: Wal-Mart Leggings: Lane Bryant Booties: K-Mart Here is a similar one from Amazon! Christmas Eve: I repeated my sparkly reindeer shirt from the week prior. I paired it with black leggings, black booties, and simple jewelry.

I wanted to share with you a roundup of the Christmas outfits I wore this past week to work, and out and about. Now you know my theory on outfit of the day ideas. I will tell you where I got the items that I remember, but they are probably out of stock. Remember, I want to give you inspiration, not the exact pieces. Monday, I had a couple of doctors appointments so I wanted to wear something comfy, but still festive. I wore my buffalo plaid flannel. I cannot get enough buffalo plaid this time of year! I paired it with a black tank, jeans, and black booties. Flannel: Old Navy Jeans: Sam’s Club Tank: Wal-Mart Booties: Dillard’s Here is a similar one from Amazon! Tuesday, I wore my Fa La La shirt/tunic. Fun fact about this tunic-it is actually a sleep shirt! You’d never know right?! I wanted to be comfy, so I paired it with black leggings and black low booties. Tunic: Lane Bryant Leggings: Lane Bryant Booties: K-Mart Wednesday, I wore all the bling. This top is one...

I hope you find yourself surrounded by family and friends today, celebrating the true meaning of Christmas. Christ's birth in a lowly manger in Bethlehem. May the spirit of the season fill your hearts as you celebrate.

With Christmas days away, I wanted to share with you a quick make ahead breakfast menu that doesn’t leave you in the kitchen while everyone else is opening presents. I have shared these recipes before, but if you are hosting family, these would be great to have on hand. First on the list is Brunch Egg Casserole . This is what I am making for my family this year. It is quick, simple, and you can make it the night before. Plus, you can choose your meat you want to put in. I’m using sausage, but you could easily add in ham or bacon depending on what your family likes. If syrup is more your flavor, you can make the easiest French Toast Casserole . This can also be made ahead, and popped in the oven in the morning. I like to use my homemade French bread for this and shingle the slices. (The picture I have is before I decided I liked this method.) I add a streusel topping to mine, and it is positively delightful! If you have places to go on Christmas morning, and need something sweet, ...

The holiday’s have everyone up early, and up late. I wanted to share with you my favorite long wearing products that will help your makeup stay put from morning until night. The first product is a long lasting eyebrow product. Before I get started, I am probably the last one to try this product, but I have been loving it! The Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade is such a great long wearing product.  I was skeptical at first because of having to use a brush to get it on. I like my makeup routine to be simple, and the thought of having to use a brush just screamed time sucker. However, I was wrong. I can put this on at 6:00 in the morning and my brows will still be looking great at 7:00 that evening. My shade is the Taupe shade, and it is also the same shade I use in the ABH Brow Definer. The next product I want to share is an eyeshadow product. The Mally Eyeshadow Stick Extra is a fantastic longwearing product. I applied it at 5:45 in the morning, and it did crease on me, b...

I wanted to share part of my Holiday home tour with you. I’m starting off in my favorite space, my bedroom! It is just the coziest spot, and I can’t wait to just lay by the light of the tree after a long work day. My Nutcrackers are gifted to me by my grandma, and my collection keeps growing.  This reindeer came from Kirkland’s and I love how it looks on my door!   I can’t take credit for this, my mom does all the magic on the trees.   This is on my dresser, and the snowflake candle holder is from Wal-Mart. The taller ones are from Kirkland’s, and Injust have battery operated votives in there. I have a Christmas book that I have been reading in a picture easel as well.   This is my inspiration corner. This is where I have my devotional, Bible, and wax warmer on there. The canvas is lighted, and I got it through a company that comes and sets up a display at work.  This is my favorite spot in my house. I will be back to show you ...

Tuesday was my birthday. I truly had a wonderful birthday week. It was celebrated with my family, and lots of cake. Monday, I went out to dinner with my parents at our favorite restaurant. I had a free dessert voucher from them, so I had the ho ho cake which we all shared. Tuesday, my actual birthday, I went and got my nails done with my mom. Then I went out to dinner with my parents, aunt and uncle, great grandpa, and grandparents. We went to our favorite burger place, and again, had more cake. Haha! Finally on Saturday, I had my birthday party at the house with my family again! This year we had sausage sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, dirty rice, coleslaw, and the best cake ever. It was fantastic! I was able to open presents, and got my traditional nutcracker from my Bubba, and my traditional Snow Baby from my aunt and uncle. She also gifted me a plate from the antique collection that I started collecting. If you know me, you know that I collect Nutcrackers, and SnowBab...

I wanted to share with you what I wore to church a few Sunday’s ago. The weather hadn’t turned frigid yet, so I was able to wear this outfit and not freeze. Plus my church likes to keep the thermostat on “volcano” level, so it was perfect. I wore this LuLaRoe Julia dress that I bought a few years ago. I paired it with brown tights, and the most comfortable pair of brown booties. So simple! Again, I like to give you inspiration, not necessarily the exact pieces. No one likes a carbon copy of themselves! I can’t wait to share with you some Christmas posts I have coming up! I have a home tour, long wearing makeup that I’ve been loving, Christmas outfits, birthday recap, so many good things! I can’t wait to share it with you all! Stay tuned!

Outfit of the day posts are always so hard for me because I'm not a "current shopper." Sure I'll shop, but most of the things I wear are a year or two old, and probably not available online. I wanted to share with you this outfit though, because it is something that you could easily recreate today. I like to give you ideas, not necessarily the exact pieces. Maybe you have something in your closet that will inspire you to recreate this look! I just paired this brown Aztec type cardigan with a light brown ribbed tank top. I have dark denim jeans on, and brown suede booties from Ross Dress for Less. Similar Cardigan Dark denim jeans Booties P.S. I'm sorry for the work bathroom mirror picture. It's the only way I can get a decent outfit picture with good lighting. 

I wanted to share with you a look back into a previous post about gift giving. We all have those people who you should get them something, but don't want to break the bank while doing so. This post was published on December 3, 2013 but I think the ideas are just as cute today! They are simple, inexpensive, and too cute! Enjoy!

Can you believe that tomorrow is December?! Where did November go? I have plans to put my buffalo plaid flannel sheets on tomorrow, but it is supposed to be 60 on Sunday here in Western PA, so I might hold off on that. Haha! Here are a few of my favorites from this week! P.S. I am writing this from my iPad, so the pictures won’t be formatted the way I want the to. Ugh!  My first favorite is these Praline Pecans from Costco. You guys! These are so good! They are actually cheaper than regular pecans, and they have the topping already on them! My parents and I may or may not have bought two of these. We will use them in baking too. We’ll just cut back on some of the sugar since these are already topped.  My next favorite is watching TV by the Christmas trees. I watched Rudolph by the Christmas tree we have downstairs. Then, I went upstairs and watched the Duke game by the tree upstairs. So relaxing. It just happened to be my dad’s birthday when both of those were on, so he...

I shared my Wedesday before Thanksgiving over on InstaStories, but in case you missed it I thought I would share it here as well!  My mom and I had a nail appointment, so we finished that, and grabbed lunch at our favorite hot dog shop. Even though we were going to consume 4,000 calories the following day, they still tasted delicious. That evening, my poor Dukies were handed their first loss. The final score was much closer than this photo, but I for one, did not expect to go undefeated this season, and truthfully I didn't expect to win this game. Gonzaga is scary good, y'all. This Thanksgiving break should be named the ice cream break. We recently got a new ice cream maker and I have been having fun trying out some new recipes. I've made vanilla, butter pecan, and chocolate almond so far. For Christmas Eve, I think I am going to make peppermint ice cream. I've made it before and it is to die for!  As usual, we didn't have any food for Than...

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving, and have ushered in the holiday season in grand fashion. It seems so strange that Thanksgiving has passed and we are on our way to Christmas. This season is definitely my all time favorite. I love the magic that this season brings. Did anyone score any good deals for Black Friday? I'm more of a cyber Monday kind of gal, so I am probably doing that as you read this right now! I will probably split this into two posts, because while I was busy during the break, I also just relaxed a lot too. Here is how I spent part of my Thanksgiving break. Here was my Tuesday before Thanksgiving! My parents and I have a tradition of going to Kraynaks. I've spoken about this store before, but during Christmas and Easter they have a section of their store decorated with trees, and other seasonal items, and you can walk through and look at them. They also have Santa and the Easter bunny there and you can get your picture with them as well. My parents...

I hope you are finishing preparing for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Follow along on my Instagram today, and I will take you along on a little adventure I have planned. I'm @mandiiduke I'll be posting to stories, and photos! Hope you enjoy! This is from a few years ago, but this year's plate will look just as good! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and try not to eat too much!

Today, we are taking a look back at November 2015's post on Favorite stocking stuffers! I think that this post still rings true today. I know that I like to fill stockings with simple things. Especially things that you need, but won't buy for yourself. Christmas makes those "boring" things, fun to open! What are some of your favorite things to put in a stocking? Drop me a comment below!

We can never have too much coffee or tea in our lives right? I wish I could sit down and have a cup of coffee with all of my readers. This is something I hope to do on the regular. This is where I can talk to you about ideas, and you can give me feedback. Or we can talk about shows I've been loving, sports I've been watching etc. First up, I'm starting to plan my posts for the upcoming Holiday season. Is there anything you would like to see me write about? Recipes, long wearing makeup, decorations? Let me know! Second, does anyone watch Chicago Fire? Guys, these last two episodes have been GUT WRENCHING! Poor Kelly Severide. I mean, Taylor Kinney has been absolutely BRILLIANT with his acting. And I'm just saying, if they need anyone to give him a hug, (Either Taylor or Severide,) I volunteer as tribute. (wink, wink!) Thirdly, what has been your favorite Hallmark movie so far? It is really hard to choose. I downloaded the app, and the only downside is that Hallmark...

I hope you weekend was relaxing and enjoyable! Mine was pretty relaxing, and chilly! I'm still getting used to the colder weather. Will we have an "Indian summer?" That's yet to be determined! My church had a Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. Think of it as a trial run to the big day. It was nice to fellowship with our church family outside of Sunday. Mom and I spend the morning in the kitchen. I made a chocolate fudge cake, and my mom made sweet potato casserole. Then, I made my Brunch Egg Casserole for Sunday's breakfast. I think both are going to be on the menu for Christmas! (I like to practice my recipes for Christmas early, get all the kinks worked out for a smooth baking come Christmas! Sunday I went to church and afterwards, I practiced with the ladies for our Christmas Cantata. This was our first Sunday without using the backing tracks, and I think we did pretty good. It can only go up from here right? Please keep our ladies in your prayers for us to ...

It is Friday, we are in the swing of the Holiday season, and the weather is turning chilly. Now is the time to put the iced coffees away, and tap into the hot drinks. This weekend is a busy one. There are a few craft shows my mom and I want to hit up on Saturday, and then that night is our church's Thanksgiving dinner. We signed up to make food, I'm making a dessert, and she's making sweet potatoes. I don't know why I always sign up to bake something-I usually don't have the patience to bake. It is so precise. Cooking is more my cup of tea, I can throw a little of this and a little of that in and be set. Haha! I love this time of year. I love the traditions, the food, the family time, all of it! Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's stick with this Friday's Favorites! My first favorite was seeing this sweet deer outside of my chiropractor's office. Maybe she wanted to get an adjustment too! Next was getting to vote! It is a right that I ...

With the election being held today, I want to share with you something that I wrote that has been on my heart.  I want to title this "What I wish America knew," because I think some of us have forgotten. We have forgot what a privilege and honor it is to live in this country.  Ask any military member or veteran, who have seen horrible things overseas which country they would rather live in. I bet 99% of them say the USA. If you want to protest, or burn our flag, you have the right to do so. You're protected bY the constitution. Doing so doesn't solve anything, but you have a right to do it. If you don’t like our President, that’s ok! The office still needs to be respected though.  If our country is so bad, why are countless people coming across our borders either legally or illegally to get to our country? Imagine protesting an elected official in a foreign country. There is a good chance you would get mamed or killed because you had a voice. America is...

I wanted to share my reading list with you all today! I have such a wide range of titles to read, but I seriously can’t wait to dive on in! The book on top is what I am currently reading. I love Karen Kingsbury books, and I have fallen in love with the Baxter family. There is another set of books based on the one character in the Above the Line series that I am reading, so I am going to have to add about 5 more books to my list. Haha! The next three are a new author for me, but it takes place in the low country of South Carolina that I love so much. The one takes place in Pawleys Island, and the other two take place in Charleston. I would love to move to the Carolinas one day, so these will hold me off until that day. I plan to start The Christmas Pearl on December 1. The Max Lucado book is one that I am excited to read. I love his writing style, and his devotionals and other books, so I am excited to read this work of his that is Christian based, but not of a “motivational” book. The...

It’s Friday! Hallelujah! Is anyone on Halloween candy overload? We never get trick or treaters, so we don’t have a need to buy any candy. Here are a few of my favorites for the week! My hairdresser is a saint and magician. She didn’t have any power, so my dad and I both got our haircuts via flashlights and lanterns. This is my hair air dried, in the darkness. It  finished drying on the way home.   Also, how is it November already?! Seriously! Not going to lie though, I’m loving the Hallmark Christmas movies already!! Another favorite are Karen Kingsbury books. I have the Above the Line series, and I have fallen in love with the Baxter family. I took this picture to keep in my phone for reference when I go shopping so I know what books I need to get to keep reading. However my “to read” list is quite long, but I will read them all eventually. I mean, reading is way better than spending time on our phones and iPads right?!  I think this weekend my mom and I ...

I usually don’t do anything worth blogging about on the weekend, but this weekend was an exception! My mom’s side of the family  all got together and celebrated my Grandma’s 93rd birthday! You guys, she is so spunky for her age, completely has all of her marbles, and isn’t afraid to voice her opinion. She just recently gave up the crown for being the Queen of her nursing home, but she will always be the queen of our family! She is also on the food committee for her nursing home, and they had better watch out because girlfriend has got OPINIONS on the food.   We kept it really simple, and had pizza and salad. Everyone brought their own drinks and chips, and we had a party! The birthday gal requested white cake with chocolate icing, so Sam’s Club created that cake for us! She had a great day, and it was nice to see all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins who I don’t see all that often.

Hey All! I had a super busy weekend, and didn’t get to write a post for today! Sorry! I will be back again on Wednesday! Enjoy this little funny Lady Gaga meme in the meantime. 🤣

Hi everyone! I’m currently writing this from my iPad, so if my pictures are all jumbled over the place you know why. Haha! (P.S. Getting a keyboard for my iPad was a great decision.) I’m linking up with Andrea today to share with you some of my favorites for the week! First favorite, when you just go in to buy a lottery ticket and end up being on the front page of the newspaper. I went in to grab a Powerball and MegaMillions ticket, and a reporter asked me some questions and took my picture. I thought it would be a small article on page six. Instead, I wound up on the front page. My phone and social media accounts were going a little crazy on Tuesday. Haha! Next favorite is celebrating my Grandma’s 93rd birthday. We’re having a party for her this Sunday, and it will be fun to get together with my cousins and aunts and uncles. As usual, I went to my favorite pizza place this past Sunday. It never disappoints! I also made a wine slushie for the first time and it turned out reall...

The first weekend in October is OglebayFest. If you have never been to Oglebay , it is one of the most beautiful places in West Virginia. Nestled on a mountain steeped in West Virginia history, Oglebay is a year round center of activity! Oglebayfest has a section for the Ohio County fair to show off their award winning produce, flower arrangements, and livestock. When my family and I  went, we were lucky enough to be in the livestock tent when a downpour happened. On the hillside by the mansion, is where all of the crafters set up. There are also lots of food vendors that you can sample wine, dips, and even some local honey and maple syrup. Next year, we decided that we are eating at the German food area! The food sounded so good! Here is a little more information about Oglebay: Oglebay is home to the Good Zoo, a zoo that has a cheetah exhibit and other animals. If you want to make a weekend out of it, Oglebay is known for their Festival of Lights, where the entire park is d...

I.LOVE.This.Recipe! I have made this recipe several times, and it is the perfect quick side, or lunch option. It is super easy to make, and with only a few ingredients it comes together in about 15 minutes. Here's what you need: 2 Tbs. butter 1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta 1 can (14.5 oz) low sodium chicken broth 1/4 tst salt 1/4 tst pepper 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/3 cup drained oil packed sun dried tomatoes-patted dry and sliced (I use scissors!) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (I've made it without the mint, and used a little dried parsley and it turned out fine!) Directions: In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add orzo and cook stirring occassionally until lightly browned. (About 5 minutes) Next stir in chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover. Over medium heat  cook until liquid is absorbed. (Depends on your stovetop!)  Remove pot from heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes, and fluff with a f...

I want to share a few favorites with you on this Friday! The weekend is near, readers! My first favorite is that I had my favorite Wedgewood Pizza recently, and I think this might have been the best one ever. Now, I've had this pizza MANY times, and all of them were delicious, but I really think this particular pizza was the best one I've had. I also wanted to share that I did not pay this much for this book, but it took a lot of searching on Amazon to find. I needed the third book to finish my collection. P.S. This is such a great read, and book series if you like Christian books! It's Karen Kingsbury's Above the Line series! One non favorite is how my Cleveland Indians played in the playoffs. We looked like a completely different team. Maybe next year!  How are you enjoying your Friday? Leave me a comment and let me know! Thanks for the linkup Andrea !