Recipe: Hot Weather Salad

It is 93º here. We keep breaking records every day and it's not supposed let up anytime soon. I don't even cook anymore. Lean Cusines are so much easier when moving makes you melt. But I was in desperate need of some fresh fruit and veg, so I whipped up this super easy, heat-free summer salad.

I discovered the mix in Palm Springs and have developed my own version. It's pretty free-style and takes advantage of summer's most delicious produce.

Ingredients:

1-2 peaches

2 ears of corn

2 ripe tomatoes

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Basil

1/2 cup fat-free Feta Cheese

Tablespoon grated Parmesan

Olive Oil & Balsamic

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

In no particular order, slice the peaches, chop the tomatoes, and cut the corn of the cob. Toss in a bowl with basil, a teaspoon or two of olive oil, two tablespoons vinegar, and the cheeses. Add salt and pepper to taste. Eat all of it.

♠

Look of the Day: Cool Enough for Jeans

Oh, thank goodness. It was cloudy all day and didn't get any hotter than 72. Only Seattlites miss the clouds, right?

I got to wear long sleeves and pants all day! These Levi's are my current favorite. I wear them pretty much whenever I'm not at work. The glasses are vintage Liz Claiborne and are up for grabs in my Etsy shop!

 Oh! And the bag! It's the Coach I've been wanting for forever. I found it at Value Village a couple weeks ago. It's in beautiful condition. I couldn't be happier with it! I found the Via Spiga sandals at the same time. They were a steal.

♠

Three Summer Looks

 I took tons of photos the other day, but the lighting just wasn't right. The photos for these 3 outfits were all pretty ho-hum, and two photos just doesn't seem like enough for a post, so I decided to combine them!

This chambray skirt was thrifted in Palm Springs and just sold on Etsy.

I had this dress hemmed to a shorter length and is still available in my Etsy shop! I love the rainbow pattern!

 I've been eyeing this Baggu bag at work for, like, the whole time I've worked there and decided to buy it for Palm Springs. The combinations of short and long handles made it great for travelling! My only complaint is that the blue rubbed off on my white romper -_-

The marbled shorts are just $10 (in-store) at Gap right now!

One final note, I'm having a mid-summer sale in my Etsy shop. Gotta make room in my apartment for Fall stuff! Use coupon code MIDSUMMER20 to get 20% off anything, even sale items! Ends 8/2

♠

Look of the Day: Daisy Mini Dress

This dress is a little shorter than I usually wear, but it's been so unusually hot here that I've stopped caring. I wore it a lot in Palm Springs, too. I love it paired with the other yellows and patterns. It's pretty stretchy, so it fits like a glove. You want it? Well, you can buy it in my Etsy shop!

♠

Look of the Day: Summer Blues

 Always in search of the perfect baby doll dress. This is may be it. I love the color, the simpleness; and it's the nicest lightweight chambray.

F21 Chambray Baby Doll - Old Navy Oxford Scarf - Thrifted Aeropostale Platforms

♠

In Photos: Moorten Botanical Garden

♠

Long Weekend: Palm Springs

 If you follow my Instagram, you're probably sick of hearing about Palm Springs by now. If you don't, well, get ready for the onslaught of cactus pictures! I've got another blog post planned featuring just photos from our outing to Moorten Botanical Gardens.

This was, like, our first real vacation. You know, the kind where it's really hot and you wear sunhats and sit by the pool and can start drinking whenever you feel like it? Now I know why people go on these things.

 We stayed at Alcazar Palm Springs. It's a lovely, little boutique hotel in the Design District. Our room had its own private patio, which I enjoyed in 10-15 minute intervals. As expected, it was very hot, but the humidity was a surprise (61% the day I flew in). It's the middle of the desert and we managed to arrive right in the middle of a weird weather pattern!

Luck and the wrong bus stop led us to Ernest Coffee. They serve Stumptown, which is always delicious, and both our baristas had connections to the Northwest. It was like being home.

Palm Springs is so beautiful and the grounds at Alcazar were no exception; shady and green.

"Hey Trevor, go stand by that rock wall and look sullen. Perfect."

♠