All Dressed Up

Last night, I had the chance to watch a great friend of mine perform in Thoroughly Modern Millie. It's a cute, cute show, and I highly recommend it! A few girls and I decided to make a night of it and go to a nice dinner, too. Here is what I wore. Look for more on the hair style soon!

Macaroon Making

   Every so often, I see these adorable cookies pop up on the internet, and I have always wanted to try them (especially since they are gluten-free, so all my friends can enjoy them).  Since I got back to school early and had a few days to kill, I thought I'd give it a try!  I found this recipe on Epicurious.com, and tweaked it a little.  Here is my version:

Raspberry Chocolate French Macaroons
For macaroons
6 oz sliced blanched almonds (not slivered; 2 cups)  OR 6 oz almond flour (from blanched almonds)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Red or pink food coloring

For chocolate raspberry ganache
3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (60 to 64% cacao), finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/16 teaspoon raspberry extract (preferably McCormick brand)

Special equipment: parchment paper; a gallon-size sealable plastic bag (not pleated)

Make macaroons: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Pulse almonds with 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a food processor until very finely ground, 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl 

OR mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar with almond flour, stirring together. Sift in remaining cup powdered sugar, stirring to combine.

Beat egg whites with salt in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. 


Add granulated sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks. Add drops of food coloring to reach desired shade and mix at low speed until evenly combined. 

Stir almond mixture into meringue with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. (Meringue will deflate.)

 

Spoon batter into bag, pressing out excess air, and snip off 1 corner of plastic bag to create a 1/4-inch opening.  

Twist bag firmly just above batter, then pipe peaked mounds of batter (the size of a chocolate kiss) onto lined sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Let cookies stand, uncovered, at room temperature until tops are no longer sticky and a light crust forms, 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 300°F.
Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and edges are just slightly darker, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on sheets on racks, about 30 minutes.

Make ganache while macaroons bake: Melt chocolate with cream in a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water or in top of a double boiler, stirring until smooth. 

(Bowl should not touch water.) Remove bowl from heat, then add butter and raspberry extract, stirring until butter is melted. Let stand at room temperature until cooled completely and slightly thickened.

Assemble cookies: Carefully peel cookies from parchment (they will be fragile). Sandwich a thin layer of ganache (about 1/2 teaspoon) between flat sides of cookies.

Helpful hints:
I baked my cookies at 325, for about 10 minutes in the bottom third of the oven.  The most important thing is to check them often, so check them well before you expect to switch the cookie sheets.  Also, the sooner you bake them after piping them out (after waiting 30 minutes for them to set, of course), the better.  I found that if I waited too much longer than 30 minutes, my cookies cracked.  But they still tasted great!  Good luck and bon appetit!

Vintage Jewelry

   It struck me lately that vintage jewelry, especially family heirlooms, are quintessentially preppy - traditionally pretty and classic.  The same goes for estate (previously owned) jewelry, in my opinion.  Not all of us are fortunate enough to have family heirlooms, but you can, of course, get the same look in a different way.  I've found that Etsy.com is a great source for anything vintage and estate jewelry, and they have plenty of options (most of which are fairly reasonably priced, which is always a good thing).  Here are a few of my favorites:

Source.  $150

Source.  $150

Source.  $305

Source.  $350

Source.  $74

Nails Nails Nails

   Let me preface this post by saying: I do not get my nails done religiously.  I do not stress over a chipped nail or a hangnail.  I do not worry about my cuticles.  But I do like to have my nails painted.
   I've seen a lot about nail art recently, and I'd like to give it a try.  I want to do something that doesn't distract too much (like this:)

Yikes.  Source.

Instead, I want to try something just a little off the beaten path, and that won't completely dominate my look for the day.  Here are a few ideas I've come up with:

All over glitter.  Source.

Glitzy ring finger.  Source.

A big design, no magnifying glass necessary.   Source.

Gradual color change.  Source.

Glittery tips.  Source.

A not-so-typical French manicure.  Source.

Which should I try?

Traveling Outfit

I'm writing this from the seat of an airplane! I consider myself an experienced traveller - it come with the territory when you go to school 1,000 miles from home. I always try to stay comfortable when I travel, and here is what I'm wearing today:

One Month Until Valentine's Day

   Valentine's Day is coming up.  Or rather, retail stores want you to think it's coming up.  One month away is plenty of time to plan that special date night or, lacking a date, a fun night with friends.  To get my creative juices flowing, I found a few V-Day related ideas on Pinterest:

Source

Source

One of the more original Valentines' I've ever seen... my room mate is getting this.  Source.

Source

Adelante

   Adelante is another of my favorite Austin boutiques.  Located just a hop, skip, and a jump from the University of Texas at Austin campus, it is full of young, ever-so-slightly funky clothes, jewelry, accessories, and furniture.  These are the kind of clothes you could wear to class or a tailgate, and your parents will still definitely approve.  The store is bright, full of windows and light colors, with a helpful staff that remembers regular customers (does anyone else feel so much more appreciated and welcomed by this?).  Unfortunately, Adelante does not do much with their website - presumably because they turn-over their clothing quickly.  However, they do have enough online to give you a sense of their style (as well as some home furnishings):

   The gals at Adelante have a unique, very "Austin" idea up their sleeves, too: taking the "food truck" craze (as noted here in Food & Wine Magazine) and applying it to clothing.  Adelante has its' own Airsteam trailer, which travels the town, stocked with clothes and accessories.  You can book it for your own tailgate or girls' night party!  I'm not sure it would be worth it, but you have to give them credit for ingenuity and creativity.

All images from Adelante's website.

Tyler's Sporting Goods

   Next up on my list of favorite places to shop in Austin - Tyler's.  Tyler's is an athletic clothing store known for a mix of genuine athletic clothes, lake gear (think wake boarding and water skiing), and unique, local flavor.  They are best known for their "Keep Austin Weird (support your local businesses)" shirts:

but they have a lot of other great, local-flavor products as well.  My favorite?  The Texas Flag shorts:

which are available in Texas college colors, as well as red, white, and blue.  If you're in the market for a pair of cross trainers, casual shoes, swimsuit, running shorts, or a just-tacky-enough t-shirt, check out Tyler's, with three Austin locations (and sister stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Tyler, TX areas).

All images from Tyler's website

Back in Business / Austin Boutique Week

   Hello all!  Please excuse me for my lack of posting lately.  Nevertheless, I am back, and I have a month's worth of Austin experience to share with you all.  Starting with...

   I don't usually focus on men's clothes, but there are plenty of reasons for women to visit Hutson.  Hutson Clothing Co. is an upscale men's clothing company - think "fratty" meets father.  You'll find preppy brands like Vineyard Vines, Southern Tide, and Coast, as well as dozens of suits and an on-site tailor.  To my dismay, I found UVA ties and cuff links... but none from my alma mater, sadly.  Still, it was well worth the visit to pick up a few things for my guy friends.  Stop by and check out their store for yourself!

All images from: Hutson website

Why I Like Local News

Regarding the fact that endangered toads are slowing post-wildfire rebuilding: "That's a load of crap! Let's just call it what it is." - local resident

Where else are people so eccentric a d uncesored?

This is how we do it in Texas.

New Years Eve, Texas-Style: Explosions in the country.

Me!

Before

After

Happy New Year, y'all!