11.30.2012

Handpicked | Holiday Fashion Guide

Finishing up our helpful holiday guides this week - why not gift yourself with some beautiful fashion?  Nine fabulous options to glam up your holiday season!!

1)  Swiss-dot Chiffon Dress - $350 - Ivory and Black with a bow?  I'm in!
2)  Black Lace Drop-waist Faille Dress - $230 - I love the classic shape of this dress and the lace is a pretty bonus!
3)  Cascading Bow Skirt - $89.50 - The perfect holiday silhouette!
4)  Hannah Slim Crop Velvet Pants - $154 - You can't go wrong with textured velvet pants this season.
5)  Auric Arrows Blouse - $118 - The chevron style in black and gold is to die for!
6)  Colorblocked Structured Peplum Shell in LOFT Scuba - $59.50 - Peplum tops are perfect!
7)  Shimmer Bow Belt - $29.50 - This lovely would be a fabulous accent to any outfit.
8)  Flax Pumps - $69 - Glitter shoes?  YES!
9)  Belina Embellished Flat - $120 - These suede flats are just adorable and would add a touch of glam!

11.29.2012

Handpicked | Children's Gift Guide

It's cuteness overload today with our Children's Gift Guide!!  Any little one would be more than happy to have these great gifts :o)

1) Ipood & Ipeed Onesie - $28 each - How cute for a twins or any newborn!!!
2) Wooden Farm Animal Set - $25.75 - I love everything about this farm set, but mostly.....this is gorgeous in wood
3) Housekeeping Cart - $149 - Sooooo, I’m kind of a clean freak...so naturally in the future I would want this for my kid!!
4) Velour Bath Wraps - $42.50 -Polar Bear or Penguin bath towels, how adorable!!!
5) Cheetah Rocker - $149 - Personalize for an extra $7 and what kid wouldn’t want something fun like this toy!!
6) Animal Hat and Mitten Set - $49.50 - I love this and you can choose between a dinosaur or owl set!!
7) Onesie - $15 - I love it, this would work for my soon to be niece or nephew!!!!
8) Elephant Growth Chart - $59 - Again, This would be perfect in my niece or nephews’s nursery :)
9) Girls Bean Bag - $96.01 - I loved bean bags when I was younger, I think this would be the perfect gift for a kid!!!

Handpicked | A Guy's Wishlist

It's that time of year again! All you ladies might be wondering "I hope Ilario gives his yearly wishlist soon so I know what to get my special guy this year." Well, without further adieu, here are some products that I would not mind getting this year for Christmas (hint, hint) and I hope there are some gift ideas for your man in the kerfuffle below.

1) T-Shirts!: Last year I directed many of you to 6dollarshirts.com and as I would recommend them again, you may also want to check out T-Shirt Hell (warning!) and Mental_Floss for additional t-shirt ideas.
2) James Bond Ultimate Collector's Set: Yep, you read that right. I'm talking 42 discs of James Bond goodness. 21 movies starting with Dr. No and ending with the 2006 Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig. Each movie has an additional disc of bonus features.
3) Streaming Media Player: With the rise of Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, and cable/satellite bills, it has become more and more common place for individuals to have a computer connected to their TV or to use gaming systems like XBOX and PS3 for uses other than actual gaming. If you have any of the above mentioned accounts or use your gaming system to watch movies, a streaming media player may be for you. I have linked a chart with information with multiple options. Find which you feel is better for your needs and visit that particular website for purchasing information.
4) Bluetooth Handset Gloves: Oh my! Not sure what my initial reaction would be to a person talking into their gloves, but I am sure once I understood what was going on, I would have many questions for that person. First off being, "Where did you get those?" The Answer: Right here :)
5) Micro-Plus EX 9-in-1 Multi-tool: I have found myself looking for a pair of pliers or a screwdriver while being outside of the home more times than I care to count. With a nice little tool like this one ... Problem solved!
6) Board Games & Puzzles: Going a little low-tech here, but there is nothing wrong with a good game night with family and friends to warm a cold winter evening. I have only recently stumbled upon Mental_Floss and when I got to the board game / puzzle section, I was unable to choose one (heck I couldn't narrow it down to less than 10) choice
7) Deluxe Valet: If your man likes to be organized and you have the desk space, this valet might do the trick! All of his essentials will have a place and a place for all his essentials. If you want to take it to the next level, there is also a Leather Valet w/ Watch Case or a Men's Valet + Charging Station.
8) Natural Wooden Watch: I just recently bought a new watch, but watches are like shoes to women ... Can you really have too many? These are the first natural wood watches I've seen and I have to say that I'm intrigued. They are also available in BrownBeige and Two-Tone. If you happen to buy one, I would love an email or comment as your thoughts on it's quality.
9) Car/Bike Smartphone Mount: Is your guy a driver or a rider (or both)? Smartphones have become such a staple in everyone's life that it is impossible to go for any length of time without checking the latest facebook/twitter-verse happenings. Smartphones however, are also useful for navigation and exercising with apps like endomondo and nike+ it only makes sense to have that phone attached to your windshield or bike handlebars. While you are at it, you may even want to get your man holder for their  arm or forearm for running or weightlifting. There are so many options out there, so I did not necessarily want to point you in the direction of one over the other, however, all are easily accessible with a quick search engine search.

Thank you for taking the time to read my yearly post and I hope that you have found some useful gift-giving ideas.

11.28.2012

Handpicked | The Newly Married or Engaged Couple

Have friends or family on your Christmas List that were recently married or just got engaged?  Here are nine fabulous gifts to give to those newly in love :o)


1)  Gardenia Soaps - $58 - The perfect addition to any bathroom in a new home!
2)  Zinc Letters - $18 - How about their last name initial in a gorgeous zinc for their mantle?
3)  Personalized Chalkboard Sign - $65 - An awesome gift for a new family - Honey Bee Invites is the best place for chalkboard signs!
4)  Monogrammable Oval Locket Ornament - $19 - Anything with a new monogram is welcome :o)
5)  Wedding Date Pillow Cover - $15 - Commemorate their day for their couch!
6)  Our First Christmas Together Personalized Ornament - $38 - You can't go wrong with a beautiful keepsake ornament from Paloma's Nest!
7)  Twist Candlesticks - $49.95 - Beautiful and meaningful for any couple.
8) Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Boxed Cookbook Set - $69.95 - This set comes with both Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook and Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Entertaining - Ilario and I have the first and love it!
9) Kate Spade Two of A Kind His & Hers Hi-ball Set - $50 - The perfect beginning for any new bar!

11.27.2012

baci's baking | Thanksgiving Dinner 2012

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving last week!!  Ours was fantastic and as usual, Ilario and I hosted his side of the family at our home.  While being 7.5 months pregnant was a bit of a challenge I was able to spread out the prep work enough to take lots of little breaks in between :)
Ilario and I - plus Baby C in belly! - getting ready to chow down!
A few years ago, I shared Our First Thanksgiving Dinner in this house - complete with grocery lists, prep sheets, lessons learned (though I still am learning!) and tips for entertaining large groups of guests. I still do things pretty much the same - with an Excel Spreadsheet and preparations beginning early. . . though this year our floors were being redone in our house the week before so I was out of town.  That made things a bit interesting, but with the help of Caitlin and my mother-in-law we were able to pull it off!  I even still make the Foolproof Mushrooms {Printer-friendly Recipe}, Spicy Praline Pecans {Printer-friendly Recipe} and Vegan Snickerdoodles {Printer-friendly Recipe} - everyone loves these recipes and rarely do we ever have any leftovers :o)

Spicy Praline Pecans right out of the oven - yum!!
I also made two pumpkin pies (my favorite thing to bake and eat!) - I make them from scratch using the Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie Recipe on the back of the Libby's Pumpkin can inside Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust. . . so simple, yet so perfectly  tasty!!  I also have been using Michael Symon's Juicy Turkey Cooked in Cheese Cloth Recipe for the past two years and it's amazing - I just remove the fennel because I really dislike it.  Other than that, I use as is - though a forewarning, be certain to cook your turkey according to how much it weighs and not his specific timing.  Trust me ;o)

I tried my hand at a few new things this time around as well!  First, my Grandma's Dressing - I was incredibly paranoid that I was going to screw it up. . . especially since we she gave me the recipe she told me I "needed to use my head", lol!  It turned out amazing though!!  My sister-in-law and I also rocked out at making homemade gravy - something that scared us both a bit :o)

The big surprise winner of the day was my Cranberry-Pomegranate Compote!  I had made Blueberry Compote before for a Baby Shower, so I took the recipe and tweaked it a bit for the seasonal fruits and it was amazing.  You'll definitely want to test out this recipe!

Cranberry-Pomegranate Compote

1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup cranberries
3 T. water
1/2 cup sugar
2 t. lemon juice

1)  Combine 1 cup of pomegranate seeds, water, 1/4 cup of sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan.
2)  Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes - seeds will begin to pop.
2)  Add the cranberries and other 1/4 cup of sugar, continuing to cook for about 8 minutes more stirring frequently.
3)  Serve warm (on cornbread muffins is my preference!!).

I kept the tablescape relatively simple this year - being sure to leave plenty of room for the actual food, lol!  I laid two ivory table cloths as a base and then topped them with a fun printed wrapping paper (only a dollar from Target - Bonus!) - the modern colors and stripes were offset by the vintage place settings.  It's so much fun to gather things up from around the house and see how they work together!  The plates were a combination of flea market and Goodwill finds (some of which were used in our Chevron Shoot earlier this year!), the gold leaf glasses were given to us by my mother-in-law - true vintage with a matching bowl and pitcher - and the centerpiece was simply fruit and candles, the perfect edible arrangement :)

Handpicked | Women's Gift Guide

It's that time of year again - time to figure out what to buy your loved ones, lol!!  We're here to help with some fabulous Gift Guides this week.  First up, it's all about the women!

Hey ladies! If you're struggling to give your family and friends a wish list this year, here are some helpful hints!

1) Coach Ipad Sleeve - This is so stylish and practical!
2) Flats - You can never have enough flats! Especially ones that are this cute :)
3) Fossil Watch - Don't need any more jewelry? Try this super sleep women's leather watch!
4) Starbucks Gift Cards - Always appreciated ;)
5) Infinity Ring - For those of you who still want something shiny!
6) Ray Bans - Every girl needs a pair of hot shades. Love this color green!
7) Boot Socks - Great stocking stuffer!
8) Towel Warmer - For all of those cold mornings :)
9) Photo Book - Very cute and personal.

11.22.2012

Happy Thankgiving From Baci!!!

Hey there Baci fans! Sorry we have been a little MIA the last few weeks, but we've been busy getting the house ready for Baby Cursaro - refinishing the floors in the office and clean, clean, cleaning :) We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. We will be back on Monday, bellies full, with some awesome holiday gift guides for you all! A Happy Thanksgiving to everyone this week!


11.11.2012

Sunday Funday, #50

Who knew an all white cake could be so beautiful?! The pink floral arranged around the cake really makes it stand out as well. Very simple, very elegant :) For other images from this inspiration shoot, see Christian Oth Studio!

Sunday Funday, #49

As happy of an occasion as weddings are, it can still be a little tough for all the dads out there. It's nice to remind him that you'll always be his little girl :) My dad and I spent many weekends traveling to softball tournaments together and I know he would love a picture like this. I'm totally doing this when I get married!

11.04.2012

Sunday Funday, #48

Watercolor menus and ombre napkin ribbons?!?!?  I'm in heaven!  For more gorgeousness from this Inspiration Shoot by Kristen Weaver Photography, visit Every Last Detail.

11.02.2012

Caitlin's Wish List | Winter Workout

Hey all! I love to hit the gym but sometimes it's great to get outside and exercise. With winter quickly approaching, here's some cool outdoor gear to keep you warm and stylin' during your outdoor run :)

1) Under Armor Compression Pants - These conform to your body for easy movement and keep your legs nice and toasty!
2) Spyder Midweight Sweater - I've been wanting one of these for a while. They are durable and not too heavy.
3) Under Armor Running Shoes - Love the color combination on this shoe! So sporty chic!
4) Headphone Ear Warmers - Genius! Who wouldn't want these?!

11.01.2012

Baci Designs | Leslie's Bridal Shower {Sherwood, Ohio}

Our Uncle Randy got married in September, so we had the opportunity to help put together an amazing bridal shower for his "soon to be" fiance, Leslie. 

Invitation done by my sister, here at Baci Designer :) 

This is Leslie's gorgeous engagement ring. Photo taken by me :) 

Now onto the actual shower!!

We had gorgeous but simple centerpieces. They were clear square vases with lemons and limes surrounding the outside of the vase and then we added beautiful flowers to add some extra color. (This was an idea Leslie had pinned on Pinterest). 

We made "diamond" ring doughnut hole favors!!

Mom made all the cupcakes and personalized them with their wedding date or initials! 

Leslie also pinned this idea on Pinterest (so I scoped out some of her favorite ideas and incorporated them into her bridal shower) and so I decorated the mason jar and had each guest write an idea for date night for Uncle Randy and Leslie. I might have gone through at the end and added SEVERAL more ideas :)  
I hope you enjoyed seeing what Amanda, Mom, and I put together for Leslie's shower because we had a blast planning it!!!