Luck of the Irish!
Whether you are heading out to join the parade, stay home watching the parade via TV, or going out to work; a piece of Irish soda bread and a glass of Irish coffee will be your companion of the day!
Here's a little history about Irish Coffee and Soda Bread:
IRISH COFFEE was invented by Joseph Sheridan, a head chef at Foynes, County Limerick after a group of American passengers disembarked from a Pan Am flying boat on a miserable winter evening in the 1940s. Sheridan then added whiskey to the coffee to warm the passengers. Since then, this coffee named as Irish Coffee and to be served in a mug shown in the picture below.
The coffee combines hot black coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and top with thick double cream poured over the back of a spoon. The coffee is drunk through the layer of cream.
IRISH SODA BREAD is a type of quick break (fast rising) made of flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. Its history dates back to approximately 1840, when bicarbonate of soda was introduced to Ireland.
If you notice the cross on top of traditional Irish soda bread, there are a couple theories as to the significance of the cross. Some believe that the cross was placed on the bread to ward off evil spirit or to let the fairies out of the bread. Another probable approach says that the cross is used to help with the cooking of the bread by allowing air circulation so that the bread rises better. (This one sounds more logical to me ^.*)
As for those of you who fancy about GREEN appetizers for after-work party rather than coffee and bread, here we found five "Get Your Greens" finger food from Food Network. They are hearty, delicious, and most importantly, they come with a touch of GREEN to dress up your St. Patrick's Day Party!
First Row (from left): Beer-Battered Broccoli, Spinach-Pesto Ravioli, and Irish Grilled Cheese
Second Row: Emerald Eggs, and Avocado Hummus
Happy Monday to all my dear readers out there! Did you have a fun weekend? I hope you did. I personally had a fun and busy weekend started from Friday night - ladies cooking/baking night (learned the making of German Chocolate Bars), grocery shopping with the girls for all things dessert (made a Tiramisu cake on Saturday night), attended a tabletop decoration class at Pottery Barn on Sunday morning (including Easter Dining Table and Farmhouse Brunch decor), went to the gym, and ended with Wedding Sunday (WEtv) last night. Love it!
For first half of the week, we are going to focus on Saint Patrick's Day celebration! We will be exploring the green outfit, green decor, green beer and Irish coffee, all things GREEN. Later of the week, the inspiration from real wedding/party will come back into place.
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St. Patrick's Day (a.k.a. St. Paddy's Day), an annual holiday celebrated by the Irish (originally) and people around the world (the holiday has become one of the biggest one-day celebrations worldwide).
An elaboration from Wikipedia:
St. Patrick's Day is named after the Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland. It began as a purely Christian holiday and became an official feast day in the early 1600s. However, it gradually become more of a secular celebration of Ireland's culture.
One of the well-known scenes in the Midwest during St. Patrick's Day/Parade is the GREEN CHICAGO RIVER. Yes, they dye the river into green color! See photo below.
In terms of outfit, you will see people wearing green, adorn with shamrock accessories, and some even dress like a leprechaun (a mischievous elf in Irish folklore). And there is a fun fact for not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day in the United States traditionally - that is - those who are caught not wearing green will be pinched affectionately.
So ladies. I bet you wouldn't want to be pinched nor wearing like a real leprechaun, and yet you want to feel like you are being part of the celebration. I created two fashion-inspired style boards via Polyvore for you from day to night.First style board
Mood: Casual, Fun midweek working outfit
Color: Navy, Green, Teal, White, and Cream
I figure out St. Patrick's Day might not be a major holiday for some of you (still need to work from 9 to 5 as usual). Therefore, wearing green from head to toe does not sound right (imagine a walking green bell pepper in the office). So I put together a navy blazer, teal tank top, white skinny jeans and a pair of navy open-toe sling back heels for you. Since it is going to be in the office setting, you probably want to minimize the amount of jewelry, other accessories and make-up. And hence, a few strings of apple green pearls, a cream tote, and some green shades make-up will be perfect for this outfit!
Second style board
Mood: Grecian, St. Patrick's Party
Color: Sage Green, Black, and a touch of Gold
Tik tak tik tak...it is 5pm and it is party time (happy hours) on St. Patrick's Day! Head to the party right away from your workplace and do not want to have bunch of hassles to pack your party outfit in the morning?
I got you this simple three-in-one treat. A sage green chiffon dress, a pair of black with gold studs heels, and complete the Grecian-look with a pair of vintage-like earrings. If you happen to have a gold bangle or black leather bracelet with gold studs to match your party outfit, bring it on!
First Row (from left): Beer-Battered Broccoli, Spinach-Pesto Ravioli, and Irish Grilled Cheese
