Cozy Sweater Dress

Dress // Boots (old) similar

I have been looking for a cozy sweater dress to wear during the winter months for some time now. For the longest time all the sweater dresses that I would order would have a weird cut, shapeless or just uncomfortable. I found this sweater dress from one of my favorite brands Kiel James Patrick. I though the print was cute and wintery, so thought why not lets give it a try. It came and fit perfectly! Both the sleeves and overall dress length were long enough on my tall frame, a major win! The weight of the dress is actually very light which I like because it keeps you warm without overheating. I styled this dress with a belt to add more definition around the waist and tall boots.

Versatile Cashmere Wrap

Wrap // Jeans

Wrap // Pumps

I thought I would switch things up and do a fashion/outfit post once in awhile. Let me know if you want to continue seeing this type of post in the comments below.

I recently purchased this beautiful green Terri cashmere wrap from Lilly Pulitzer. The green color instantly drew me in. I also love the shape of this wrap as you can wear it as a scarf, a cardigan like wrap or drape it across one shoulder. I like draping it across one shoulder as it feels so elegant and classy to me. I also will wear this wrap more like a cardigan if I need more range of motion, but also want to look put together and warm such as on a Zoom call or working at my desk. This wrap comes in several other beautiful colors too.

This wrap can be dressed up or down. For my first look I paired it with jeans, booties and a sweater. It can easily be worn over a blouse or t-shirt too. For my second look I paired it with a black dress and my new Sarah Flint Perfect Emma pumps that I was nominated for and gifted by Sarah Flint as part of their best in class campaign for teachers. These pumps are the best! They are beautifully made and will last for years to come, and also so comfortable! I love the shorter heel hight as it makes the pumps so comfortable and versatile between several outfits. I cannot wait to add more Sarah Flint shoes to my collection soon.

You can get 15% off a pair of Sarah Flint Pumps using code SARAHFLINT-CCRACHEL3 here!

Vanilla Bean-Brownie Ripple Pound Cake

It’s no secret that Jake and I have a sweet tooth. The pound cake recipe is a new to us recipe that were introduced to by a family member this past year. Let me tell you it is a keeper! This recipe is originally from Southern Living. It pairs wonderfully with a cup of hot cocoa during the winter months. You can check out our perfect cup of cocoa post here. On to the recipe!

Ingredients:

Brownie Ripple Batter:

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used a little over 1/8 of a cup of semi sweet chips)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Pound Cake Batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (use the paste, believe me you will not be disappointed)

4 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat Oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Lightly coat a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line bottom and 2 long sides with parchment paper, allowing paper to extend over sides.

3. Prepare the Brownie Ripple Batter: Combine butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH until melted, about 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Whisk in sugar, flour, egg, and vanilla to form a loose batter. Set aside to cool slightly while making cake batter.

4. Prepare the Pound Cake Batter: Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

5. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. beat in vanilla bean paste. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream just until smooth. Add flour mixture, one-third at a time, and beat on low speed just until blended after each addition.

6. Spoon half of the Pound Cake Batter into prepared pan. Spoon Brownie Ripple Batter over Pound Cake Batter. Using a small spatula, smooth batter carefully

7. Bake cake in middle of preheated oven until a long wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. (If cake seems to be browning too quickly, cover top loosely with foil for last 30 minutes of baking). Cool cake in pano in a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan using parchment paper as handles, and cool completely on wire rack, about 1 hour. Slice and serve.