Ignite The Fire! "I Want You To Want Me"

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie)

I've noticed an odd trend, very few couples spend any time together!  Now I'm not talking about those little lovebirds still in the climax of their relationship, please!  No, I'm referring to those couples who have hit the honeymoon stage and are way beyond it!  They are still very much in love with each other, love spending time together but for some reason, they just don't make date nights a priority.  I know, I shouldn't talk because my husband and I also have a hard time planning alone time, it gets tough with kids.  So this post is to put my fire ablaze too!

IGNITE THE FIRE!

Set the fire ablaze!  Get rid of the excuses, work to grow your relationship and above all, find time for each other!  If it means you pick the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month for date nights, then do it!  No excuses, there should be at least one date planned a month!  Show your lover that he is an important part of your life.

TRY A CHANGE-UP

Try something new.  Stop recreating the same date nights over and over again, even people who don't take risks and like consistency will at times enjoy change, just be careful not to fly them to Paris without warning!  (You got the point!)  If you always plan a dinner date, but why not try a new restaurant downtown, or a picnic near the lake or how about dinner reservations on a small boat?

BE CREATIVE

Dates are not all about spending money, they are about spending time!  Oftentimes the best dates are the unplanned, unique but intimate ones.  Try not to make it about yourself, but about the both of you as a couple.  Spice up your time together, plan something unexpected, something that will make you laugh, make you joke, maybe even make you cry (happy tears) but best of all, make some memories!

I WANT YOU TO WANT ME

As sensual beings, we all want to be loved.  We want to feel needed, caressed, cared for and above all we want to be wanted!  Show this to your loved one, whether it's a kiss on the neck as he's watching a football game, or a massage (without strings attached) or bringing home flowers, just because!  There doesn't have to be a special occasion for you to show your love, these small actions will be welcomed everyday throughout the year.  They don't have to be over the top, but once in awhile, a genuine surprise is amazing!  And no, purchasing a new shower rod is not a "surprise" or a "gift"; it is a household "necessity", can we say HOMER GIFT!

GIRLS' WEEKENDS v. GUYS' WEEKENDS

This has become the new trend, girls' weekends (manis, pedis and plenty of shopping) v. guys' weekends (golf, golf and more golf!).  There is nothing wrong with these types of vacations, we all need girl or guy bonding time, but there must be a limit and by the way whatever happened to COUPLES' WEEKENDS, or just COUPLE WEEKENDS?  Why must everything be done in social groups?  We don't have to make everything public to the world, somethings are better private.  Make time for your girl weekends and guy weekends, but spend time away as a couple...alone.

THE UNEXPECTED

A surprise doesn't have to be crazy, it just has to be unexpected.  So plan a date for you and your loved one, but something you will both enjoy!  Just remember, it's not where or how you are planning the date, it's who you are spending it with!  

Word to the Wise...You never know where the night will take you, so be prepared to have the time of your lives!

Chilly Day & Comfort Food

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie)

A day of chilly weather, overcast skies with an occasional bit of sunshine brought out my inner desire for "comfort food".

I'm not a huge fan of casseroles but this recipe was so easy and tasted extremely yummy and delicious!  Had to share!

Stove Top Swiss Casserole 

(recipe adapted from http://thefrugalgirls.com/2009/07/stove-top-swiss-casserole-recipe.html) 

4 Chicken Breasts 

(I put them in the crock pot for 4 hours on high before baking in the oven)

2 pkgs. of Swiss Cheese

1 16oz. box of penne pasta

1 box of Stove Top Chicken Stuffing

1 c. of Sour Cream

2 cans of Cream of Mushroom 

1. While boiling pasta, shred the chicken.

2. Mix the chicken, cooked pasta and soup cans together.

In a separate bowl mix the sour cream and uncooked stuffing

First spread the noodle mixture in a rectangular (cooking sprayed) pan and cover with a layer of the stuffing mixture.  Place the slices of Swiss cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
(Keep it uncovered when baking)

Make room for this warm belly food!

Next time it's dessert!

Gray Skies and Orange Hues!

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie)

With the onset of fall weather, or more likely my desire for fall weather, I felt it was appropriate to talk about fashion.  The basic colors of black, white and gray seem to be popping up everywhere (actually they never truly went out of style, we are just seeing more of them now), but how do we incorporate the neutral with the color?

My love for orange is always renewed in the fall!

A fun textured gray shirt with black undertones.

Shirt from http://www.allurebeautique.com/

"Gray Skies" Top ($28.00)

Add a basic black pencil skirt. This is a wardrobe staple!

Bring on the orange!

Shoe Brand: Andrew Geller

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird 

I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." ~George Eliot

“Over the years I have learned that what is important in a dress is 
the woman who is wearing it.”~Yves Saint Laurent

Here's a High Five for Friday!

Written By:  Danielle Marie and Katrina

We are linking up with Lauren "From My Grey Desk Blog"

Here's a High Five for Friday!

What better way to start a Friday morning while catching up on work than with coffee!  

"Coffee, the favorite drink of the civilized world."  ~Thomas Jefferson to Edmond Rogers 1824

https://twitter.com/ProvocManners

What a great way to continue the weekend than with "Wine Aerobics"!  

Credit: Facebook page of http://www.partypieces.co.uk/thepartytimes/

Beautiful sunset in the Third Ward of Milwaukee during Fashion Night Out!

Photo Credit: Colleen Jurkiewicz (www.onmilwaukee.com)

I didn't go overboard shopping yesterday at Fashion Night Out in Milwaukee, 

but mad a great purchase for a friend of a cheetah scarf and earrings for myself, of course!  

Cobalt Blue and Bling Hoops from the store, Bangles and Bags, Yum!
http://www.feelfabulousforless.com/

A friend of ours was at Fashion Night Out in New York City!  

This is a taste of the great art they experienced!

Thanks, Mary!

It's On My To Do List!

Writte By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie)

That inevitable phrase...we hear it all the time!  We all have those days when it feels like everything just continues to pile up and we accomplish absolutely nothing!  Or does this seem more in line with our lives?  Do we have a list of house projects, work projects, personal goals, hobbies to learn, friends to meet and family to visit, but we just never have the time?  Why do we not have the time?  Are we too caught up in ourselves?


ORGANIZE YOUR LISTS
     Find out what works best for you!  List your home projects separate from your daily house chores (such as laundry, dishes, bathroom cleaning, dusting, since these are necessary on a weekly basis).

Photo Credit: http://www.pacenet.org/tipaday/?p=129

WHO GETS PRIORITY
     Figure out who needs you!  Do you have a friend who is hurting and needs a bit of your time?  Is your husband craving your attention, but you have busy with work?  Are your children tugging on you for more one on one time, but you are trying to keep up with chores?  Find out what is more important, work, family, friends, hobbies, etc.  This will help you choose your priorities!



TAKE TIME TO PARTY
     Yes, we all have to work, but we also must have time to relax, enjoy life and party!  Throw a surprise party for a friend!  Plan a date night for your spouse, you both need it!  Or pack a picnic lunch and spend a day at the zoo with family and friends!  Oh, and don't forget, we all need a bit of shopping therapy!

 IT'S ON MY TO DO LIST
     Now that you have made your lists, it is time to get some things accomplished!  Check each item or task off after you complete it.  This will give you a sense of accomplishment and help you move on to the next task!  Try to enjoy your tasks, whether it's spending time with a loved one, playing outside with your kids, cleaning the basement with your spouse or finishing a work project, it will go much faster if you love what you're doing!

Sauce of Life Tip... Love life, it goes by too fast to complain!

Spending time with friends!  This is what life is about!

Margaritas All Around

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie)

It was margarita night at our house yesterday!  Our guests were in heaven!  We had everything from Skinnygirl Margarita cocktails, guacamole with a hint of tequila and for dessert, you'll never guess, we had Margarita Cupcakes!

Margarita Cupcakes: Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker

http://bettycrocker.com/recipes/margarita-cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 box Betty Crocker lemon cake mix

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup of Skinnygirl margarita (my sub from original recipe)

1 tsp. grated orange peel

3 eggs

1 box lime gelatin (.3 oz box: my sub)

1 box (4 servings) of strawberry gelatin (my substitution)

Frosting

2 containers (12oz each) Betty Crocker Whipped fluffy white frosting

Green gel food color

Decoration

1/4 cup white decorator sugar crystals

24 thin lime slices (3 limes)

24 cocktail umbrellas

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular size muffin tins.

In large bowl beat all cupcake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds.  Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

Bake 18-22 minutes (toothpick comes out clean).  Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans to cooling racks and cool completely.

In medium bowl, mix frosting and food color until blended.  Frost cupcakes.  Sprinkle sugar on small plate; roll edges of cupcakes in sugar.  Cut small slit in lime slices; twist and place on cupcakes.  Poke 1 umbrella in each cupcake.  Store loosely covered in refrigerator.  

Makes 24 cupcakes.  Enjoy a mouth watering treat!

The final result: a margarita cupcake!  Can a cupcake get any better than this?

Don't forget to enjoy a glass of Skinnygirl Margarita with your Margarita Cupcake!

Life is Good!

Be Vivacious and Strut with Confidence

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie) and Va Va Voom (Katrina)

We felt it was due time for another Be Vivacious blog post!  This time we are going to address a tough subject for everyone...CONFIDENCE!  We all lack it in more than one area of our lives, whether it's in our looks, our weight, our social skills, our professional skills, fashion and even with our family and close friends: jealousy and caddy tendencies pop up everywhere and let's be real it does take a toll on our self-esteem!  So how do we boost our self-esteem and ooze with confidence?  Let's start with the basics: dress to impress and strut your confidence!

First things first!  Be yourself!  We don't mean you have to stick out like a sore thumb, you just need to trust your instincts, love your life and accept your choices!  Work it like you own it!  (This references everything!)

FLAUNT your CURVES!  Every woman knows the best part of her body, so accentuate it...to the fullest!  This doesn't mean show large amounts of wrinkly cleavage or a bare mid-drift, no!  We want you to slim out your curves with the right clothing and undergarments!  (Don't tell us you never heard of Spanx http://www.spanx.com/  or Yummie Tummie http://www.yummielife.com/ )  Does a wiggle skirt accentuate your nice derriere or a fitted cocktail pencil skirt bring out your curvy hips?  For tops, show what you have, own your curves, but please leave something to the imagination!

Cobalt Blue Skirt: The Limited

Lemon, Cream and Metallic Clutch: H&M

DARE to be BOLD!  Color blocking is all the rage, so use it to your advantage.  You can go crazy wild or keep it conservative, but everyone looks great in a mix of hues!  Add a bit of metallic to mix up a conservative outfit!  With the start of September, we will be heading into cooler temps here in Wisconsin, so bring out those scarves.  This mustard scarf is a hot addition to any fall wardrobe!

Scarf from Allure Beautique: https://www.facebook.com/allurebeautique

STRUT the SHOES!  Whatever your preference, heels, wedges, flats: love what you wear and own your strut!  These leopard print ballet flats dress up a great pair of jeans or compliment a simple black skirt to add a bit of sass!  Word to the Wise...never wear socks with these shoes, let's just say....EWWW!

Shoes: Mossimo Supply Co.

FIND your LOVE!  Wear what works for you, but that doesn't mean a frumpy t-shirt and sweatpants everyday.  Let's be realistic, it has to fit with your lifestyle: mom, professional, coach, ballet teacher, etc., but make an effort to show off your personality through a bit of fashion.  You don't have to spend a lot to look amazing, just put together the wardrobe you feel comfortable with and STRUT with CONFIDENCE!

Tower of Pancakes

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie)

I took my own advice and enjoyed an amazing tower of pancakes with my husband and kids this morning!  There was a little more batter than expected so the pancakes kept coming, and kept coming, and kept coming!

 

Our Favorite Waffle Recipe:

Sift together

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

 

Beat 4 eggs; Add 2 cups Buttermilk;

Add sifted dry ingredient and 1 cup of butter (melted).

Blend until smooth.

Cook either in a waffle maker or on a skillet for pancakes!

Enjoy!

Here's A High Five For Friday!

 It's Friday! 

Here's A High Five For Friday!

How do you plan on enjoying the weekend?

1) Spending Time with your Lover! 

Is it your spouse, boyfriend or car?

 

2) Wear a Smile!

 

3) Enjoy an Amazing Breakfast!

Waffles?

 

4) Spend Time with a Good Read! 

Shopping Inspiration!

 

 

 



 

5) Time with History!

Ever Had a Chance to Visit Mount Vernon?

 

 

 Write a comment. 

We would love to hear what part of the world you are from!

Ridiculous, Silly and Happy Miracles

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie)

We can all relate to these!

Which fits your mood today?

Five Things: Brooches and Bouquets

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie)

Who isn't in love with brooches and who isn't in love with flowers? 

 Combine the two and a masterpiece is created!

Gorgeous brooch accented on silk bouquet stem.

Songs from the Garden

http://www.zibbet.com/SongsFromTheGarden/artwork?artworkId=868171

Beautiful fall brooch bouquet.  One way to have an array of color!

Forever Adored Flowers

http://www.squidoo.com/forever-adored-flowers)

Go for an antique look with this beautiful brooch combo!

The Ritzy Rose

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheRitzyRose?ref=top_trail

Are you planning a winter wedding?  Here is a fabulous silver and blue bouquet! 

Lionsgate Designs

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LionsgateDesigns

This peacock colored themed brooch bouquet includes silk roses as well.  

Beautiful bouquet all year round.

In Your Heart

http://www.etsy.com/shop/InYourHeart

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/09/03/made-by-you-monday-117/

Your Fork, Your Plate

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie)

Once in a while, we meet those people who feel the need to eat off of our plates.  Now we aren't talking about sharing a fabulous dessert with a close friend or loved one.  No, we are referring to those grown adults who are sitting across the table and reach over just to try our steak because their chicken is too dry.  We're are all about sharing food and letting other people have a taste, but let's have a bit of class!

If you are intrigued by the dish your friend ordered, don't ask for a bite unless you know they are willing to share.  Not every person likes to share.  Asking for a taste only works in an informal and intimate setting. 

Never, ever reach across the table with your fork and remove a piece of meat from a friend's dinner plate.  Can we say, RUDE!  Unfortunately, we have seen this happen. 

www.dreamstime.com (photo)

 

If your friend agrees to share their dinner, never, ever eat off their fork!  This is only acceptable if it is the fork belonging to your lover!

Instead of being obvious about wanting to taste your friend's food, try to ask subtly.  "Wow, that dish looks amazing!"  "I should've ordered the same as you!"  Show a bit of class, your friends will appreciate you for it!

www.examiner.com (photo)

Feminine Appeal! Bethenny Frankel or Kate Middleton?

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie)

What makes a woman a woman?  What makes her ooze with femininity? 

Is it her presence?  Her love of life?  Her style?  Her charity? Her personality and character?

Here at Provocative Manners we decided to pick two women who passionately love life, style and work for the well-being of others!  Now you may think that Bethenny Frankel and Kate Middleton are completely different women, and we totally agree, but they have each made a huge impact in their own way and with their own feminine touch!

Read about Bethenny Frankel's health and beauty routine at this link: http://theblush.com/2012/03/26/bethenny-frankel-interview/

Bethenny Frankel has a passion for adventure!  The adventures of life, family and business.  She has succeeded in ways no one believed was possible, except for her!  Bethenny is a true lover of life and a passionate entrepreneur.  The Skinny Girl Founder may have an edge to her, but that's what makes her an excellent buisness woman, mother, wife and friend.  When she commits, she commits with every ounce of her being.  What a wonderful trait for a woman to have! 

http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/03/21/bethenny-frankel-cashes-in-on-skinnygirl-brand/

The Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton) has been the talk of the world for several years and surprisingly she has been able to keep herself grounded.  After all, the Duchess does deserve credit for that, she did marry the Future King of England.  Not only has Kate kept her poise, etiquette and sanity during her over-exposed life, but she has also contributed to several charities/foundations and doing all of this in fabulous style.  Yes, Kate Middleton has become a world fashion icon!  Who can really argue with that?  Don't be jealous and caddy just because she always looks amazing.  The best part, she buys High Street Fashion!  We can all appreciate that!

Britain's Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton) makes her first public speech during a visit to The Treehouse a charity in Ipswich, England March 19, 2012.http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2012/0319/Kate-Middleton-delivers-first-speech-but-media-focus-on-blue-dress-video

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Reuters

What's the lesson here?  Do you know who you are?  You don't have to be an exact replica of another person, but sometimes others may have amazing traits that we can try to emulate and use in our own lives.  Everyone wants to be the "complete package", every woman wants to have it all and do it all, but sometimes it's best for us to find out what our strengths are.  What makes us the woman we are?  And how can we work to improve that woman, not only for ourselves but for our families, our friends and our lovers.  How can we give back to those in need?  Your "complete package", whatever it maybe, is what makes you ooze with feminity.  So, have a personal presernce of love, character and charity and portray your feminine appeal!

~ Look who made it on the cover of Vanity Fair Style, September 2012 Issue!  ~

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG9441405/The-Duchess-of-Cambridge-makes-Vanity-Fairs-Best-Dressed-List-2012.html