Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Rough and Raffia

Hi lovebugs,
Today I wanted to look at a great accessory material for summertime; raffia. Whether a purse, shoe or jewelry, raffia is a fun and beachy way to accessorize a look.


Ben Amun, raffia bangle, $20
This bangle will give an earthy feel to your sundress. 

Anthropologie, Contrasting weaves belt, $48
A great belt to add to a cotton skirt. I love the hammered gold link.

Madewell, market weaver bracelet, $5
I love these colorful bracelets. They're made by women from the West African country of Togo.

Coldwater Creek, Links necklace, $79
This is a dressed up version of raffia. A beautiful addition to a black maxi dress.

Raffia is a light and airy way to add some casual chic to your outfit. It's a nice break from a heavy metal.

Be fabulous today!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Take it High and then Get Low

The weather in DC has been horrendous and all I want to do is throw on a light and breezy dress to go to work. I really like the idea of a pleated high-low dress.

Bet you wouldn't have guessed this to be Forever 21 and under $30. The blush color is perfect for summer.

A little ikat perhaps? I would add a metallic belt to this dress but I love the neutral canvas. 

I think Modcloth aptly named this dress. Give me a beautiful roof and a glass of sangria and this dress.

This is one of my favorite colors and the fact that I can wear a good bra and a great necklace is good enough for me. 

High low dresses are a great way to mix up your standard summer dress staples. Add some pleating to make it more work appropriate.

Be fabulous today!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Friday Foodday

We made it! Happy Friday lovebugs! Here are some of my favorite recipes for this week.

Peppery Punch
c/o The Bitten Word
Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups orange juice
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 2 cups gin
  • 1/2 cup elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)
  • 2 cups champagne
  • Sliced lemons, quartered strawberries and freshly ground pepper, for garnish
Directions
Make the simple syrup: Bring the sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves; let cool.
Combine the orange juice, lemon juice and 1/2 cup simple syrup in a punch bowl. Add the gin and elderflower liqueur and stir. Fill with ice, then add the champagne. Garnish with lemons, strawberries and pepper.

Sweet Corn Risotto
Ingredients
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried minced onion
1 cup arborio rice
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh corn, or frozen (thawed)
3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
1/2 tbsp herbs de provence



Directions
1- Heat the chicken stock in a pot and keep warm over a low simmer.
2- Meanwhile in a large skillet heat the oil and onion. Stir well. Add the rice, and stir, until lightly golden.
3- At this point add stock, 1 cup at a time, and simmer over low heat until all of the liquid absorbs. Repeat until all liquid is used. Season with salt and pepper.
4- Once the final cup of stock has been added mix in the corn, cheese, and seasonings. Stir well. Once most of the liquid is absorbed, serve hot. Top with additional herbs if desired.



Chocolate Eclairs in a Jar
c/o Kitchen Bellicious
Ingredients
1-2 sleeves Graham crackers
1 tub chocolate frosting

  1. For the Pudding:
  2. 2 2/3 cups whole milk
  3. 1/2 cup sugar
  4. 1/4 cup cornstarch
  5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  6. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  7. 2 tsp vanilla sugar
  8. 1 large egg
  9. 8 ounces of whipped cream
Directions
1. Break graham crackers into small pieces and line the bottom of jars with them.
2. Mix up the cream.
Bring 2 cups of the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. While it is heating, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and vanilla sugar in the bottom of a medium, heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in the remaining 2/3 cup whole milk, a little at a time so lumps do not form, then whisk in the egg. Once milk is boiling, very gradually add it to the cornstarch mixture in the bowl, whisking the whole time.
Return the mixture back to the saucepan, stirring constantly with a silicon spatula or wooden spoon. Once it comes to a simmer, cook it for one minute longer (which will cook the cornstarch and egg fully). Stir in vanilla extract and whipping cream. Divide cream mixture among jars. Fill about 2/3 to ¾ full.
3. Top with another layer of grahams. Break up here and cover entire surface as well as possible.
4. Finish off with a thick layer of frosting spread across the top like a lid.
5. Refrigerate for 8 hours with no lid then cover with lid for another 10 hours.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Hot and Unbalanced

And I'm not just talking about myself! Today, we're looking at one shoulder maxi dresses; I love maxis, and we looked at some maxi skirts last week, but today we're taking the maxi dress and cutting off a shoulder.

Willow & Clay, Zig Zag Belted Maxi Dress, $84
This flirty and fun maxi is perfect for day or night with the appropriate shoes.

Hive & Honey, Maxi Shirred Dress, $49
This also comes in navy. I think either color is the perfect neutral canvas to add some big and colorful jewelry.

Tinley Road, One Shoulder Maxi, $29
This is a little bridesmaid worthy, but also lovely for an outdoor dressy wedding.

KAS New York, Sue Bead-Neck Maxi, $98
Want to feel like a Grecian goddess? Throw this on and be ready to turn heads.

I love the idea of a dramatic neckline created by a one shoulder dress. These beauties really are a tall glass of water.

Be fabulous today!