Thursday, May 28, 2015

Kansas Couture for Lawrence Magazine: Summer 2015

The Summer 2015 Edition of Lawrence Magazine is out! For this issue, my sidekick and I styled night and day looks inspired by the County Fair. Read the article here!

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Sips and Sounds, Volume 14

Vol. 14
The Sip: Muddy Hymnal 
The Sound: Iron and Wine, The Creek Drank the Cradle

I hadn't listened to this favorite in forever and was amazed at how well it stands the test of time. Not to mention, it sounds especially beautiful on vinyl. The idea of a wine cocktail didn't sound particularly appealing to me, but I felt like it would be a missed opportunity with such a literal booze reference in the name of the band. Good thing I went for it because the cocktail was delicious!

MUDDY HYMNAL
Muddle a few cherries in the bottom of your shaker (I used morello cherries from a jar). Add 1 oz bourbon, 2 oz red wine (any kind you like), a spoonful of fig jam and a dash of bitters. Shake well with ice and pour over a mesh strainer into your glass.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Sun Day

In contrast to Saturday's chill, Sunday was sunny and borderline hot. I took the opportunity to show a little shoulder with this sweet new vintage top. I had noticed the off-the-shoulder trend popping up recently, so I ordered a dress online. Disappointingly, it didn't work out, but then I found this gem at a thrift store the same day. Meant to be if you ask me!

Top: Vintage
Jeans: H&M
Sandals: Sam Edelman

Monday, May 18, 2015

Opposite Day

This past weekend was comprised of one cold, dreary day and one warm, sunny day. The variety was actually quite nice. Here's the casual getup I wore for dinner and a show on Saturday evening.

Shirt: Zara
Jacket: Courtesy of H&M
Hoodie: Old Navy
Jeans: H&M
Boots: Swedish Hasbeens

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Sips and Sounds, Volume 13

The Sip: Smoky Dog
The Sound: Moondog, Moondog

I'll be honest - I barely paid attention to this record! It was a busy evening, and I have a hard time with solely instrumental music. But the story of Moondog is a fascinating one, and the presence of his music on the Big Lebowski soundtrack makes me approve it automatically. For the drink, I decided to do a variation on a Salty Dog. It ended up not being a Salty Dog at all because I used tequila, but it turned out really yummy!

SMOKY DOG
Rim your glass with a combination of sugar, salt and cayenne. Rinse the glass with liquid smoke (swish it around and then dump it out). Add 1.5 oz tequila, 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice (about half a grapefruit), .5 oz simple syrup, and the juice of half a lime. Add ice, stir and enjoy!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

No Muss, No Fuss

Thanks to a busy schedule and gloomy skies, this week is all about cozy, comfortable clothes that are easy to throw on and go.

Sweater: Line & Dot
Leggings: H&M
Boots: Minnetonka
Hat: Urban

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Sips and Sounds, Vol. 12

Vol. 12
The Sip: Islands
The Sound: The xx, xx

This delightfully sweet tropical drink was inspired by the track "Islands" from the amazing debut record of the xx. If you like pina coladas...♪ ...you'll like this drink. Ha!

ISLANDS
Shake the following with ice: 1.5 oz white rum, 2 oz caramelized pineapple puree*, 1 oz unsweetened coconut milk and the juice of half a lime. Pour over ice, top with soda water and stir. 

*I didn't really measure when I made the puree (oops!), but I basically cut up half a fresh pineapple into small chunks and cooked them up in a frying pan with a bit of butter (tablespoon?), sugar and water (a couple tablespoons of each?) until they started to caramelize. Then I pureed it in a food processor. 

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Places to Be, People to See

I recently got gussied up in a new dress and shoes for a downtown outing. Because I don't dress up often these days, it felt great to strut around like a lady on a mission. Oh, and I swear my hair was freshly washed (a rarity actually), but of course some rain gave it a nice greasy sheen before snapping these pics. Curse you, Portland!

Dress: Hot & Delicious
Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens (Note: the link is for a slightly newer model than the ones I'm wearing)
Jacket: Sam Edelman
Necklace: Courtesy of Julie Vos