Thursday, April 30, 2015

Clog Lady

My inkling for a pair of clogs was barely perceptible at first and then quickly morphed into an absolute obsession and relentless search! I was torn because I preferred the look of a Swedish clog with a high heel, but I wanted the comfort and walkability of something lower. Also, I didn't want to spend the big bucks. Though I was worried they might be too clunky, I ordered this pair and am oh-so-happy with them. After I break them in, I think they'll be quite comfortable. I love the way they look, and they didn't break the bank.

Shirt: Old Navy
Sweater: Old Navy
Jeans: H&M
Jacket: Courtesy of H&M
Clogs: Toffeln (This pair was also in the running)

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Sips and Sounds, Volume 11

Vol. 11
The Sip: Hop Fuss
The Sound: The Killers, Hot Fuss
I was surprised to realize last week that I had yet to feature any good ol' Killers records. This one's an old favorite and true classic. The accompanying cocktail has such an interesting flavor combination. If you like hops and herbal notes, I highly recommend it!

HOP FUSS
Combine 1 oz gin and .5 oz pineapple simple syrup*. Fill your glass with ice and top with IPA (I used Lagunitas). Stir and garnish with some slapped sage leaves.

*Simmer equal parts sugar and water with chopped fresh pineapple. Strain and cool. You can also experiment with pureed fresh pineapple or pineapple juice in the above cocktail.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Bloom & Gloom

This psychedelic floral print jumped right off the rack at me. When I first tried it on, the amount of fabric made it seem a tad frumpy, but it was nothing a quick hem couldn't fix. The long sleeves and high neck make it ideal for cool, grey days that need an injection of cheery color!

Dress: Vintage
Shoes: Kelsi Dagger

Friday, April 24, 2015

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

It was difficult to capture the vastness on camera, but the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm was absolutely breathtaking! Taking cues from the blooms, I donned an extra colorful outfit, but there was no competing with the florid fields.

Top: Vintage
Pants: J.Crew
Shoes: Sam Edelman
Necklace: Zara

Monday, April 20, 2015

Free Love

It was a warm, gorgeous weekend in Portland. For a Saturday walkabout, I fully embraced spring's '70s vibes with a free-flowing dress, fringy necklace and even a fallen flower in my hair.

Dress: Courtesy of Lulu's (years ago)
Sandals: Sam Edelman
Necklace: Vintage

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Against the Grain

These photos may look like they've been Instagram-filtered to death, but really it was just a low light situation. Rather than letting the imperfection get to me, I decided to embrace their old photo quality. After all, several of the items I'm wearing are vintage, and those palm plants just look inherently retro for some reason! 

Top: Vintage
Jeans: Vintage Levi's
Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens
Necklace: Vintage
Bag: Fossil

Friday, April 10, 2015

Apartment Tour: Part 3

Here's the final installment of my apartment tour: the kitchen and bathroom! Oh, and if the bathroom looks dirty, it's actually just kind of perma-dingy. Part of the charm of an old apartment, eh?

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Apartment Tour: Part 2

Here's part two of my apartment tour: the bedroom/closet! The open layout of my (technically) studio apartment made managing my clothes tricky. The complete lack of closets made tucking things away impossible. Instead, I opted to use my stuff as part of the decor.


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Sips and Sounds, Volume 10

Vol. 10
The Sip: Caribooze
The Sound: Caribou, Andorra


I thought the name Caribooze was funny, but it left the cocktail completely open-ended...it could be anything! It's not a spirit I usually work with, but I had some black rum leftover from Dark and Stormies I made for a party. Using that as my starting point, I decided I also wanted to incorporate egg whites -- something I've only done once or twice before but always love. Below is the recipe for what I made as well as a suggestion for what I think would be an even yummier version!

CARIBOOZE
Combine 1.5 oz black rum, one egg white, one teaspoon brown sugar, the juice of half an orange and a squeeze of lime. Shake vigorously without ice until blended. Add ice and shake some more (for at least 30 seconds). Pour into a coupe glass and top with a few dashes of bitters.

While this was good, the black rum kind of overwhelmed it. I would recommend making a riff on a Caipirinha: use light rum instead of dark, replace the orange with the juice of half a lime, use two teaspoons of brown sugar and skip the bitters. Follow the same steps otherwise. Yum!

Disclaimer: The drink contains raw eggs. Enjoy at your own risk.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

City Saturday

I wasn't kidding when I said I was wearing these white jeans a lot! This cozy outfit was perfect for wandering downtown on a crisp Saturday. 

Sweater: Line & Dot
Jeans: Thrifted
Shoes: Steve Madden (thrifted)
Bag: Fossil