Look of the Day: Picnic for One

My husband, Trevor, is gone on a business trip, but that's no reason to mope around all week. That means it's times to be pretend single!

Whenever he goes away, it's always a mix of feelings. We're both pretty independent, but we got married for a reason, so of course we miss each other. It's nice, though, having a big bed to myself and doing whatever I want for dinner.

Monday was the most glorious day we've had in Seattle in a while. It was close to 60 and splendidly sunny. I didn't have much to do at work, so I threw on my Madewell sweatshirt dress (haven't had many opportunities to wear it) and some happy colors, and went shopping with Frida at University Village. We didn't buy anything (amazingly), but Frida did have her photo taken twice! And we finally met another Corgi Chihuahua mix that, somehow, had ears bigger than Frida's.

When I got home, a picnic dinner sounded like a good idea, so I stopped by Malena's, which recently opened down the block from my apartment. I ordered the shrimp taco combo, which was amazing. I expected previously frozen cocktail shrimp, but they were pretty fresh and perfectly cooked. I finished off some hard cider from an orchard in Chelan and read a bit of the new Vogue.

The best part about Spring: being able to go out with bare legs!! I've been looking forward to wearing skirts and dresses without tights for so long! I just wish the swelling would go down in my ankles. That's right, a month later, still recovering from my multiple falls. Stupid weak ankles! Luckily, I think I'm the only one who can tell the difference.

If only my husband could have as lovely a week, but that is not the life of a man who works in the thrilling field of grants administration. Hopefully his weekend will be more enjoyable than his week, though. Thursday, I'm off to Baltimore to visit friends and meet up with Trevor (back to being for-real married). I've packed 3 camera cards, so I should have some photos of my travels to share with you by next week! Hope you all have wonderful holiday weekend!

Madewell Sweatshirt Dress - J.Crew jersey cardigan (similar) - Lady Howard circle scarf (similar) - Classic Vans - vintage sunglasses (similar)
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In Photos: Dear Frida

 It's nice being able to take Frida up on the roof so she can run around. It's new for her, so she mostly just sits close to me and watches people make their way up and down our street. Her little ears flip back to the sides of her head, her corgi tail starts to wiggle, and I can tell she's really hoping they all come to say hi.

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Look of the Day: dusty dior + neon lips

Happy Spring! We've had pretty classic Seattle spring weather so far. The sun is blindingly bright one minute and then it's raining the next. Enough about the weather. As tempting as it is to drone on and on about the weather, this is a fashion blog. So let's talk fashion.

I think I've worn this outfit 2 or 3 times now. I really like the combination of colors and textures. I wore it to a Jeeves play at Taproot Theatre in Greenwood. That time I wore it with my MMM for H&M shoes, which, turns out, kill my feet. I will reserve them for special occasions. Luckily, I found these vintage silver shoes at a thrift store, which are pair #3 in my growing collection of silver shoes. Silver is the perfect contrast to the dusty salmon color of my blouse. As uncommon as this color is, I've been lucky to find a few items in it.

The second event I wore this outfit to was the Tarboo pop-up shop on Capitol Hill (the hippest of Seattle neighborhoods). My friend's partner is one half of this local design team, which is how I discovered them. It's about time I start spreading the word: they make amazing and affordable bags. I'm getting this yellow tote bag for sure and plan to get a canvas rucksack in the very near future. If you're interested in a bag, they've got a great deal on Gilt City right now, but it ends in 3 days, so you better hurry!

My clutch was made by my East Coast amie, Laurel. Such a talented and lovely lady, I'm lucky to call her friend. A week from now, I'll be hanging out with her and her husband Jon, celebrating their 2nd anniversary. Well, they'll probably do that before I get there. Here are some pictures from their wedding. Honestly, it was the funnest, most gorgeous wedding I've ever been to. Rivals my own.

Lastly, I just bought this MAC pigment, because I can't seem to find a true neon lip color. Of course, I get it home and it says "Not for use in the eye or lip area." What the heck are you supposed to do with it then? Paint your face à la Ke$ha? The MAC sales person even showed me how to mix it into lip gloss, so I imagine I'm not going to die. Immediately. Would greatly appreciate some input, my dear readers.

GAP denim jacket (similar)- Dior silk blouse (similar) - Forever21 pants - vintage silver shoes (similar)- handmade clutch (similar) - MAC pigment in Neo-Orange

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LOVE: Emerald+Ella

emerald+ella by fleur-d-elise on Polyvore

Pinterest; both a blessing and a curse. I started my evening off with a slightly varied version of a "clean eating" cookie recipe I pinned earlier this week. What I ended up with were cookies that looked like cow pies and tasted like hippies. After the 3rd (maybe 4th) cookie, I realized that eating more of them wasn't going to make them taste any better, so I retired to my room to do some more pinning. That's when I stumbled upon these adorable floral paper straws. I clicked through and found the wonderful world of Emerald + Ella.

Emerald + Ella is based in Australia and was started by Jane, a recipe writer & food stylist. If you're a lifestyle blogger, or are infatuated with paper straws (like I am) you're gonna love this site! They carry gorgeous & trendy paper goods, party supplies, house wears, and vintage garden items.

Here's a quick list of my favorite items from the site:

They carry 28 lovely variations of the paper straw including grey chevron straws & pale green polka dot straws.

I can't decide which one I like more: the olive green polka dot paper cups or the striped paper cups.

I love everything neon, therefore I love this neon twine. It also comes in pink and orange.

And then there are these washable paper bags. I can't tell you exactly why, but I'm pretty sure I need them. Also, they're shiny.
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Look of the Day: Spring Patterns

This past weekend, Seattle was blessed with sunny, fair weather. It felt like Spring, despite the chilly breeze. I tried to dress like the wind didn't exist and ended up freezing by the evening on both Friday and Saturday. It's hard not to get overly exited by sun in March. Thank goodness Spring is only a week away!

I took these photos out back, but the very bright photos were shot on the roof again. It was too sunny up there so it was hard to get good shots where my face wasn't all squished up and grumpy-looking. The reflective coating on the roof makes it very warm, as well as bright, so it always feels like summer up there! I'm still experimenting, but I think the roof is going to be a good place to shoot photos on darker days.

My mom made this amazing bracelet for me last year. The beetle is an old clasp of some sort, which she attached to a piece of velvet. I love bugs, especially beetles, so I'm pretty crazy about this bracelet!

Too bright.

I'm so glad I bought this blazer. A blazer is one of those items that every closet needs. It goes with almost everything; even this colorful, pattern-saturated outfit!

H&M striped shirt (similar)- H&M blazer - thrifted skirt (similar)- H&M purse (similar)- handmade bracelet - Banana Republic sling-backs (similar) - Rivet & Sway Spitfire frames

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Frida the Mini Corgi

Okay, so she's not really a mini corgi, but she's the closest thing to it! She's half corgi, half chihuahua. She has the short legs, a cropped tail and huge ears, just like a corgi, though! The only chihuahua traits she got were the buggy eyes, which have been making me laugh for almost 10 years.

She was really excited to be outside, off a leash, and spent most of the time scampering around trying to figure out how to get off the roof. I had a hard time getting a photo that wasn't blurred by motion.

 I had quite a spate of thrifting luck last month. One of my amazing finds was this vintage Burberry trench coat that fits like a glove. I'm usually swimming in vintage coats, but I knew it was Thrifting Destiny the minute I laid eyes on it. It even has slightly shorter sleeves, which I prefer in a coat. My husband makes fun of me, but honestly, a cropped sleeve is so much more flattering! 

The coat is missing the liner, but that just means I'll reserve it for the milder seasons.

As you may know, pattern mixing is "in" and, well, it just makes for fun outfits. A good point to remember is "When in doubt, color coordinate!" This can make any outfit look more pulled together.

Frida is known for her bewildered/worried expressions. 

Vintage Burberry Coat - H&M striped shirt - PINK cardigan (similar) - H&M mini skirt (similar)- H&M scarf (similar) - Etienne Aigner boots (similar)

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5 ways to get your 5-a-day!

Goodness know's why it's so much easier to do the things that are bad for us. Like one of my favorite Rufus Wainwright songs says "Everything it seems I like's a little bit sweeter/ A little bit fatter/ A little bit harmful for me". So what you've got to do is find tricks and ways to make it easier to put your health first. One of the easiest ways is to eat more vegetables, but that alone can seem hard for the human brain, which scientists are finding is programmed to choose the easiest ways to do things (such as grab a box of cookies when hungry).

Here are my favorite ways to maximize your veg intake with minimal effort:

1. Get them in at breakfast!

For me, vegetables sometime seem out of place at the breakfast table, but that's not so. Add some chopped peppers & onions to your scrambled eggs. Or top your toast with arugula & a poached egg. (And yes, that egg yolk was actually that bright!)

2. Prep your veggies before you're hungry

Try to always have a container of carrot sticks & celery in your fridge. Easy fresh snacking! If you don't like celery swap it for, my favorite, cucumber!

3. Hide your veggies

No, not under the bed! Hide them in your food! This is especially handy if you have picky eaters at your house. Peas are great in pasta; corn & fresh spinach are delicious additions to soup. I grate zucchini (my husband hates it) and add it to pasta, dips (like the one shown above), etc.

4. Buy in-season

For some reason, a lot of people think fresh produce is only for rich people. Those people have never priced a pound of carrots. They're like under a $1 all year long! If you get sick of carrots though, use this Peak-Season Map to find out what produce is at its peak (and cheapest) in your area. Even if it says there isn't anything, just look at California, Florida, or Texas to see what in-season produce will be on its way to your grocery store.

5. Stock your brain with veggie-centric recipes

Search for vegetarian or vegetable-based recipes. You can always add meat if you want!

Here are some recipes to get you started:

Power Salad

Emerald City Bean Spread

Veggie Wraps

Easy Beans & Rice

Spicy Pasta with Sardines & Kale

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Recipe: Poor Girl's Latte

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I always knew I could make foamy milk for lattes at home, but I was still surprised by how easy it was! I was heating up milk for my coffee when I grabbed my flat whisk and thought "I wonder..." Sure enough, the hot milk foamed up like magic and I had myself a poor girl's latte!

I was a barrista for 2 1/2 years, and let me just say, I am able to make better foam with this technique than I ever made with a professional steamer! (I kinda sucked at my job)

Ok, let's make a latte!

Ingredients:

½ cup milk

hot coffee

sugar, to taste

Tools:

Coffee filter & cone

A small sauce pan

small whisk, preferably flat

Directions:

1. Make your coffee.  Make a little less then a full cup, so you'll have room for the foam. You want strong coffee for this, so poor it through the coffee filter twice (that's the "poor girl" part, haha).

2. Put the milk in the sauce pan and heat it over low-medium heat.

3. Watch your milk carefully. It can burn easily! After about 3-5 minutes test the temperature with your finger. It should be nice and warm.

4. Start whisking! It should start foaming up immediately. If it doesn't, let it heat a little longer.

5. Poor the foamed milk into your coffee. Enjoy!

Links à la Mode

Happy Friday! If you haven't already seen, one of my posts was chosen by Independent Fashion Bloggers to be featured in this weeks Links à la Mode. It's a real honor to see my blog listed with so many amazing bloggers! Check them out. There are some amazing writers out there!

A Stylish Salad

Edited by: Jess of Fresh Jess

This is my last turn as editor for Links a la Mode, and what a treat it’s been! I’ve read hundreds of blog posts and discovered some wonderful reads I would never have found otherwise. The IFB community is a true gem on the interwebz. There’s a salad in this week’s picks that reflect the entire IFB palate: thoughtful perspectives to incite dialogue, a peek into some of fashion’s biggest events, helpful tips to better your blogging or style, and outfit posts that truly reflect personal style. Some posts are fun and cheeky, not taking fashion seriously. Others are passionate and conversational. All of them reflect IFB as a community. IFB is an invaluable resource for networking and furthering our skills as bloggers, and I’m glad to be here. I’m glad you are too.

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup For February 28th:

• Aesthete: Lighten Up, Suzy Menkes
• All Things Kate: Haters Gonna Hate
• Awkward City, Population 1: NYFW ‘13: All of Your Wildest Most Terrible Dreams
• Collections and Volumes: Pushing the Envelope
• Elle Yeah: London Fashion Week Diary A/W ‘13: Day 1
• Fashsin City: Barren Boho
• Fleur d’Elise: 5 Tips for Better Blogging
• I’m an Airhead: I Love You Blair Waldorf
• Informed Style: My Informed Style: What to Wear for Paris Fashion Week
• Laura Valuta: Style Post
• Living After Midnite: Room for Style: Fashion with Complementary Colors
• Lollie Shopping: MAGIC Market Week Las Vegas Recap
• Look Sharp, Sconnie: I Support Swag; Pros and Cons of “C/O”
• Nicole’s Revolution: Fashion Friday – OOTD Kid’s Wear
• Pish Posh Perfect: Well-Organized Closet: Ways to Maximize a Small Space
• Sara Constance: How To: Night and Day Outfit
• Simply Frabulous: Unique, Innovative, Brilliant. Prada AW13
• Spy Girl: Tech Tip: Using Google Images Search with Pinterest
• The Stylist: 15 Fashion Bloggers Then and Now
• Under a Veil: Zoon In: Etro SS 2013 – The Asian Legacy

SPONSOR:

Shopbop New: LA’t, Steven Alan, Golden Lane Bags, A.N.D jeans., Ivy Kirzhner, Chrissie Morris, Blazers, Haus Alkire, NSF, Linea Pelle, H by Hudson