Looking for something to wear on New Years? It's the one time of the year (except maybe Christmas) when wearing outrageous amounts of sparkle is both encouraged and accepted but sometimes a less shine is what a girl is looking for.


This cute ensemble starts off with a sheer emerald top that features a sparkly gold peter pan collar. We coupled it with a pair of gold studded shorts - the perfect compromise between edgy and sophisticated.

While most people opt for dresses or skirts for occasions such as New Years Eve, we thought that wearing these dressy shorts would be a great alternative. While we paired them with bare legs, these babies would look just as cute with sheer black tights - or cable knit tights if the night is particularly chilly.

Come visit us at Out of the Blue for more New Years Eve outfit ideas!

One day, some years ago, artichoke dip became the popular kid in the party aisle at the grocery store. I’m not sure how this happened or why, but I do know that artichokes are delicious and that people will thank you for bringing this twist on the now-classic dip to a party. Plus, as we discussed last week, you’ve probably got lots of holiday parties to go to, and sometimes when you are invited to a party, you are also asked to bring some sort of food to share. This is in fact the perfect holiday party dip because it is so simple and easy to prepare. I like to pair this dip with spicy pita chips because the hint of chili powder really works well with the creamy, salty, savory goodness of this dip.

If you have no need to take a delicious dip to a holiday party, I can assure you that I tested it out, and this dip tastes equally good while watching The Expendables 2 on a rainy early December Sunday.

Roasted Garlic Artichoke Dip

½ cup good quality mayonnaise (just buy real, ordinary Hellman’s and forget about all that mayonnaise that tries to pretend to be good for you)

½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

1 head roasted garlic, roughly chopped (see tip below)

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan

½ Tbsp minced fresh parsley

½ tsp coarse salt

Generous pinch cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions: Mix all ingredients together in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour to allow flavours to develop. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional fresh parsley, serve with pita chips.

Spicy Pita Chips

1.5 Tbsp olive oil

1/8 tsp chili powder

Pinch of coarse salt

4 pita breads, cut into triangles

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oil, chili powder and salt together in the bottom of a large bowl. Add pita triangles and toss until the pita is evenly coated with oil mixture. Transfer pita to a baking sheet, spread into even layer. Bake pita for 6 – 8 minutes, stirring once during baking, until crisp but not burnt (you know, a chip-like texture).

Note: I also like to mix things up and make these pita chips with different herbs and spices. Try garlic powder, an Italian herb blend, a bit of cumin and coriander or even a touch of good curry powder. We eat these chips with hummus, Mexican-spiced quinoa salad, as a side for soup,  and for any and all occasions.

Roasted Garlic

1 head garlic – I used Canadian heirloom garlic because you really can taste the difference

Olive oil

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice off top of garlic head so that the tips of the cloves are showing. Drizzle with olive oil, then wrap in foil. Bake on a baking sheet 30 – 40 minutes until the garlic is very soft. Let sit until cool enough to handle, then squeeze roasted cloves out and discard the peel.

Note: Roasted garlic is delicious in this dip, but can be used for almost anything your heart desires. Spread roasted garlic onto a pizza crust for a delicious pizza base. Use as a topping for burgers or grilled cheese. Smear onto crostini for a simple appetizer. Just eat it any way you can think of. 

Our lovely and lucky shopgirl ,Erin is off to Hawaii for  Christmas but we dressed her up as if she would be spending the holidays with us! She looks oh so lovely in this red sheath dress with sequin detailing and black lace jacket.

We like evening bags that actually support a girls night out.This one is a perfect size and has an optional x-body strap. The patterned fishnets add some visual interest against the solid colors of her out fit.

The low back and pleated details is a lovely addition to the dress. Any way you look at it this dress is a winner:)
Happy Holidays Erin. We will miss you !

You’ve checked your list and your bags are full but where’s your party dress? We love this pretty green and black dress for it’s easy festive style and special details.

Subtle gold flecks run through the green bodice making this dress perfect for Christmas dinner or a night of dancing. The tie-back is a nice surprise and we love how it aligns perfectly with your bra for easy dressing.

 

Add some gold leaf ear-rings to play up the sparkle factor in the prettiest of ways.
These are from our newest Canadian artisan,"Brooklyn Designs". Her heart is sometimes in New York but she's really a Canadian gal:)

Add a little bow belt to detail the waist ,a splash of lipstick and a side swept pony tail and you are ready to let the Christmas magic take over. Here's to a great holiday.

Photos by Brown Paper Bag Photography

This December, we held our 12 Days of Christmas Gift Giving Guide. Every day for twelve days we uploaded items from Out of the Blue that we thought were perfect for giving to a loved one...but we also had a surprise up our sleeve!

We asked you to tag yourself in the item that you most wanted to see under your tree this Christmas. We wanted to surprise one lucky person by giving them the item they tagged themselves under. That lucky person was...Tahnee Alexandria! Congratulations Tahnee! Please contact us or come by the store to receive your prize.

Winnipeg can get a little frosty so indulge yourself in cozy knits, steaming mugs of chocolate and furry hats to keep you warm. Here’s our latest line –up:

We love the whimsical skate necklace to keep us smiling through the season.

iPod friendly leather gloves help you stay connected without freezing your finger tips

The Village on a cold Thursday afternoon during exams is basically a barren wasteland. Everyone was huddled in Starbucks getting their daily dose of coffee or running straight to their destinations. Melissa Clark was on her way to purchase light bulbs and was kind enough to stop and let me admire her outfit.
Melissa Clark's Survival tips for our Winnipeg winters

1. Good boots are a definite.

2. Large amounts of outdoor activities paired with a good cup of hot chocolate. It's a great way to keep the blood flowing and enjoy the colder aspects of Winnipeg.

3. Hibernation. A sad but true fact

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.

Brown Paper Bag Photography.