Any dress I wear must have a waistline. If it's not there, I make it. I love belting dresses, whether with a skinny belt or wide one. I'm not personally a fan of snake or crocodile skin (the scales just bug me), but leather or patent leather? I'm sold. Here are a few ways I've worn dresses with belts lately:
Work appropriate! A navy J. Crew dress, J. Crew belt, and Seychelles heels
J. Crew dress and belt - perfect for class or just running around!
J. Crew dress, J. Crew belt. Also great for class or running around!
Anthropologie shift dress, Anthropologie belt. Notice the gold beads in the middle of the belt. I wear this outfit to church all the time!
J. Crew belt, J. Crew dress. I wore this with heels to a dance this spring.
When I arrived at freshman orientation in Virginia, I was surprised to find out I was the only girl with a monogrammed towel (actually, I had three, if you count the "towel wrap"). What?! Did nobody else give and receive graduation presents up there? Turns out they did, but none of them monogrammed them. Virtually all of my graduation presents were either monogrammed or a Target gift card: monogrammed umbrella, monogrammed wallet, three monogrammed towels, monogrammed purse, monogrammed stationery, monogrammed baseball cap... and I loved it. Here is why you should monogram your graduation gifts:
Everyone else has a white or blue towel too. Hall-style bathrooms, roommates, fire drills interrupting your shower... towels can and will get confused easily. Unless you have your monogram on yours!
It shows you care enough to think ahead. You definitely didn't just pull your gift off of the shelf or out of your random gift pile (anyone else have one of those? A collection of gifts for last-minute occasions?) if you get it monogrammed. That takes time and planning.
You can get the same gift for multiple people, and it's still personal. It's personal because it's personalized! This year, my family got personalized clipboards for friends who were graduating. Several girls got virtually the same clipboard, just in a different pattern with different initials. Still unique!
This morning I spotted the Brended Wedge on the Tory Burch blog this morning. Too cute! I'm normally not a fan of platform shoes - it is way too easy for them to look trashy - but platform sandals are in this summer, and I think with Tory Burch, they'll be classy. I'm in the habit of asking myself, "how often will I wear this?" before buying anything (thanks, Mom!). If I don't think I'll wear it often, I won't buy it. I'm sure most people do the same. Anyway, Tory Burch's blog makes it easy to figure that out... it shows you three ways to wear the shoe!
Tory Burch.com, $350.
As much as I love the style and the color, and as many times as I think I'd wear these shoes, I can't justify spending that much. Instead, I'm looking at these similar styles:
For my recent birthday, I was lucky enough to get this beautiful watch from my parents. It's from Lacoste, so it's a little sporty, yet classy, and it was perfect to wear to my first day at my internship. It's not available in department or Lacoste stores, but I found it on Endless.com, a shoe and accessories website. It's also available in red, pink, white, and green! What do you think?
Like it? For some unknown reason my mom got $30 off at checkout, so if you like it, check it out!
Now, I've got my eye on these Dolce Vita sandals. I love the lightweight, strappy look, and they all look cool enough for the hot Texas summer. The metallic ones look pretty classy, too! I've had good luck with DV ballet flats before - they usually are a reasonable price, and my last pair lasted me for years. These are my favorites:
"Nyle" sandal, on sale for $38.90 at Nordstrom
"Dazz" knotted thong sandal, $49.00 from the Dolce Vita website
"Felice" sandal, $139.95 from Nordstrom. This shoe is pricier because it is Dolce Vita proper, not their cheaper DV brand, but how precious is that flower!
Tuesday was a big day for the East Coast Sister - my twenty-first birthday, and the first day of my summer internship! I'll be working at a down-town firm, full of fairly young, hopefully-stylish co-workers and fellow interns, but no one wants to have a fashion mishap on their first day. First impressions can never be redone. In particular, I want to make sure that I have the right shoes. They need to be reasonably comfortable (in case of running errands downtown), with a low heel and a soft point. Monday, I found the perfect shoes from Via Spiga, and I built my first day outfit around them. It's a little plain, but conservative. I tried to throw in a little color with the blouse.
What a beautiful expression... The shirt and skirt are from J. Crew, but both are a little old.
Yes, this is Goodness. It deserves the capital G. For my twenty-first birthday, I'm having red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting - a much underrated Southern treat. This year, red velvet cake (or cupcakes!) has become a bit of a specialty of mine. Baked goods are a perfect thank-you for little favors that friends (especially male friends) do for a classic collegiate, and cupcakes are my favorite way to serve this dessert! For those of us with small sweet-teeth, one cupcake is a perfect serving size. For those of us with larger sweet-teeth... there's always seconds... or thirds. Hey, you only live once!
Here is the recipe I use for red velvet cake, adapted from Bon Apetit. West Coast Sister and I tried these at Christmas, and they were a big hit. For cupcakes, check them after about eight minutes in the oven. They bake quickly.
Cake
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
Frosting
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.
Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.
For frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake. Arrange 1 basket raspberries and 1/2 basket blueberries atop frosting, pressing lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange remaining berries decoratively over top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)
Helpful hints: Large zip-up bags make great piping bags! For less-mess cupcakes, pour your cake batter into a large plastic bag. Cut off one bottom corner, and squeeze out the batter, a little bit at a time, into the cupcake tin (make sure not to fill each cupcake liner much more than 2/3 full! They will rise!). You can do the same for the icing. Just make sure to let the (cup)cakes cool fully and keep the frosted dessert out of the sun - otherwise, the cream cheese may melt.
West Coast Sister and I just got back from a family vacation in Florida, where that was my view every day! The gulf water was pristine and a little cool, and so beautiful. While we were there, these were a few of the tunes that got me in the beach-y mood.
Tristan Prettyman is an all-time favorite of mine. She is a surfer from California, so she really knows the beach! Her songs are light and acoustic. I especially love her first album, "Twenty Three". Her first track from that album gets me in the vacation mood instantly! Here it is: "Love, Love, Love".
What's better than Tristan Prettyman? Tristan Prettyman and friends! So far, I've discovered two of her duets, one with G. Love (top) and Jason Mraz (bottom). Fun fact: G. Love and Tristan's label (Brushfire Records) is owned by Jack Johnson, another musical surfer!
Dave Barnes is another one of my favorites. His music is typically lighthearted, with a positive message, and not too much "processing" - you hear the instruments, not technology. Again, his early music is better for a vacation than the later music (although his EP, "You, the Night, and the Candlelight" is excellent). I like these two tracks. The top is "Until You", and the bottom is "God Gave Me You". "God Gave Me You" isn't really that beach-y (although the video is shot on a beach!) but it is easy to listen to, a great reminder of the blessing of family, and one of my favorite Dave Barnes songs. Also check out "Someday, Sarah" in the middle. It's not great quality, but it's fun!
Corinne Bailey Rae is another great summer artist. This track very well may be familiar: "Girl Put Your Records On". It's so light and happy, you just can't be in a bad mood and listen to it!
Another one of my favorites is this "I'd Like To". A little more upbeat, and a lot of fun!
Matt Wertz is my final recommendation. He hails from Nashville, TN, and is a friend of Dave Barnes - they even went on tour together! He put out his latest album this year, but my favorite is "Twentythree Places". Here are a few of the happiest tunes, "Marianne" and "Everything's Right":
Even if your summer plans don't include a beach vacation, you can still be in a beach mood. Enjoy the beach music!
What Texan doesn't have a deep and abiding love for that warm, melted, dip we know as "queso"? Even the most health-conscious among us can't resist indulging now and then. Just such a health-conscious high school teammate of ours once famously exclaimed after a long tournament day, "I need queso, pronto!" and sometimes, I feel the same way. I've been experimenting with making my own queso for at least a year, and always failed miserably until a friend found this lovely recipe at Let's Dish. I have, however, adapted it to make it more like a queso from my favorite 24-hour diner at home. Without further ado, I bring you a Texas-transplant's taste of home.
Queso with Guacamole and Black Beans
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 large jalapeno, seeds and stem removed; diced
16 ounces white American cheese, shredded or cubed
4 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
3/4 cup cream or half-and-half 2 avocadoes 1/2 of a lime 1-2 cloves of garlic, diced salt and pepper 1 can of black beans
Directions: Queso (part 1) Heat the oil in a saute pan. Cook the onion and pepper until softened and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cheeses and 1/2 cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted.
Directions: Guacamole Meanwhile, cut the avocados in half and remove the seeds. Scoop the flesh of the avocados out of the skin, and set them aside in a bowl. Squeeze lime juice over the avocados, add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mash the avocados with a fork, while mixing them with the salt, pepper, lime juice, and garlic.
Directions: Queso (part 2) Back to the queso. Add additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Mix in the guacamole and black beans to taste. Serve with chips or fresh tortillas.
By the way, when served with corn chips, this recipe is gluten-free, which I know a few of our friends will appreciate. It is also vegetarian-friendly (although the dairy products are not vegan-friendly)! All in all, I think this is a great appetizer for a casual get-together, or to cure homesickness if you're missing Texas.
Note: this recipe contains 1.25 pounds of cheese, so make sure to share or save some for later! You can reheat it easily and without burning it by placing your left-overs in a heat-safe bowl, and heating them in a saucepan of gently boiling water. It may take a little while (but no more than ten minutes or so), but you'll save yourself from having to throw out burnt queso!
