Light as air

Vintage top, skirt, and belt; Target wedges; Lanvin for H&M sunglasses, Forever 21 bracelet

During the summer a few of my favorite things to wear are silky pieces that blow perfectly in the wind. I love their light weight and ability to make any sort of walking in a slight breeze instantly more fun. I've collected a number of silk shirts from vintage stores over the years and this bright yellow one has been a piece that has made it through many moves and relocating. Paired with a pleated blue skirt and a worn in leather belt, the afternoon winds were infinitely more fun to play in.

Color swatch

It's been a while since I've done a color swatch post and with all of the bright colors and neons I've been obsessed with lately, I thought a little cleanse was in order. I've always loved the clean look of white decor. It's instantly refreshing and can be both calming and energizing at the same time. Whether it's fluffy white towels, a creamy pearl, or sheets on one of those amazingly plush hotel beds, I've taken my love for the milky hue and worked it into my everyday life.

A stack of white dinnerware

Plush white sheets turned down at night

Gleaming pearls and diamond white

A silky wrap to throw on in the bathroom

Simple Sunday

Forever 21 dress, vintage bracelet

This weekend was spent visiting with family and touring around some of our favorite local restaurants and outdoor spots. Topped off with a boat ride around a local lake, the few days of activities were the perfect intro to summer. By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around I was ready to curl up on the bed and catch up on a growing stack of magazines while enjoying the pretty views outside. I picked up this light silk dress right before my honeymoon and it's become the perfect thing to throw on when the weather is warm. Paired with a few accessories my afternoon lounging didn't feel like a complete waste of the day, but rather a more dressed up version of lounging in sweats.

Fancy Friday

Fresh peonies mixed with garden roses and freesia & mini macarons from Delightful Pastries in Chicago

It's already that time again and after a week that grew consistently busier with each day I'm definitely in need of a little bit of fancy for the weekend ahead. While in Chicago I happened upon an adorable bakery in Old Town where I enjoyed a little cup of macarons and a coffee, the perfect excuse to linger at the table a tad longer to people watch. Paired with vibrant peonies for the home, these two bits of luxury were small, but amazingly comforting. Can't wait to hear your Fancy Friday indulgences.

Papardelle with baby squash and mushrooms

Most days I peak into my lunch bag only to find the same thing I ate 500 days in a row...salad with turkey and some form of veggie, maybe an additional tomato to spice things up a bit, and a yogurt. It's pretty plain and most likely consumed well before a normal lunching hour. However, there are those days when I open the bag to reveal a tasty leftover set aside from the night before and yesterday's papardelle was the perfect reason to savor lunch a little longer. Just saying that pasta's name instantly makes me want to linger on the "L's" a tad longer, I think it makes the recipe sound more official and authentic. Nonetheless, this recipe for papardelle with mushrooms, sage, and baby squash was concocted in my head during a salad break epiphany and tasted amazing for dinner as well as crammed into my Tupperware the next day. A little chopping was the majority of the effort, while the rest of the assembly really fell into place.




Papardelle with baby squash, sage, and mushrooms

1 package papardelle noodles
9 baby zucchini (squash)
4-5 fresh sage leaves
1 glove garlic
1 shallot
1 pack (2 cups) mushroom of choice
1/2 tblsp butter
1 tblsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
salt & pepper

- Bring large pot of water to boil. In the meantime slice zucchini on a sharp bias to form slivers, chop garlic, onion, and roughly shop the sage. Sprinkle squash with salt and pepper.
- In a large saute pan with high sides, melt 1/2 tblsp butter with 1 tblsp olive oil on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add squash, sage, and mushrooms and cook until squash is lightly brown and shrooms are slightly soft. Reduce heat to low.
- Cook pasta according to package, then strain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Add noodles to saute pan of veggies along with the pasta water. Stir to combine and toss with half of the grated parmesan.
- Plate and top with remaining parmesan.

Slightly obsessed with

This amazingly delicate gold floral cuff from Leif. The entwined branches and matte gold are the perfect bit of whimsy for your arm.

Maxi blooms

Dress, purse, and sandals from H&M, shirt from Urban Outfitters

Everywhere I look, there are peony bushes blooming, bright purples and soft pinks sprouting in flower beds and farmers market buckets. To enjoy the tail end of the buds, Paul and I journeyed down to a local botanical garden that has a huge field of peonies. The beds are nestled among grassy hills and park benches perfect for a little afternoon lounging. It reminds me of home and weekend excursions to Huntington Gardens. To match the day at the garden I paired a floral maxi dress with a staple denim shirt, two pieces that have always lived in my closet. The break in the day was a perfect escape between errands, working, and cleaning.

Fancy friday

A champagne toast and a holder full of glistening vintage and sentimental jewels

The week really flies by when you're traveling for the first part of it, I can't believe it's time for Fancy Friday. I had so much fun reading about everyone's little bits of luxury from last week, champagne before dinner, haircuts, and dinner at an English Tudor inn, it all sounded lovely. This week I wanted to reminisce about a perfectly chilled bottle of champagne paired with an exceptionally sparkly jewelry holder. Two things that definitely make me feel extra fancy.

Summer wraps

During the summer I like to dream about lounging on the beach, drinking something on ice, and maintaining flawlessly air-styled hair. Unfortunately, my life has yet to turn me into an all summer jet-setter and the morning routine doesn't quite include a salt water styling session. Instead of giving up on the vacation beauty routine, I've worked up some perfect hairdos that incorporate that effortless summer feeling into everyday life with a little help from a drawer full of fun and bright scarves. Over the years, I've found myself drawn to vibrant scarves, they're the perfect accessory that require little attention while dressing, but instantly perk up a look. Paired with soft tousled hair, a just washed high bun, or a retro pouf, these little strips of silk and chiffon are the perfect way to mentally jet off somewhere tropical.

Tie a long scarf into a large bow right behind your ear, then loosely gather hair into a low bun.

Gather front section of hair into a small pouf and secure with pins. Cover with a medium size scarf folded into a strip.

Pull hair into a high bun then wrap base with a small scarf.

Tease the crown of your head then gather hair into a ponytail. Wrap with a medium scarf and let ends hang long.

Chi-ca-go!

Poster via Ork! Posters

I'm in Chicago until Wednesday on a little impromptu father/ daughter trip, followed by a few working days. I always love coming into the city and basking in the towering buildings, amazing restaurants, and peaceful store lined streets. It's the perfect way to go on a mini vacation...even if I am here for work. Enjoy the week and I'll be back with photos by Thursday!

Fancy Friday

A surprise gift of macarons & a dream rack of wedding gowns during my last dress fitting

As I'm sure you can begin to tell from reading my blog, I have my fair share of girly moments that include some sort of sugar filled confection, an arranged bouquet of flowers, or flirty summer dresses. However, sometimes the weeks fly by, the daily routine becomes the norm, and before I know it, I haven't indulged in that special something that is enjoyed purely for the sake of being fancy. For me, it can be as small as a swirl on a latte or more meaningful, like a special trip with a loved one, but taking a moment to reminisce about the moments of luxury in life (that often pass without notice) seems like the best way to start a weekend...and why not call it Fancy Friday! So, I hope you all look forward to this at the end of the week and I would love to hear about your weekly fancy indulgences as well.

Build a bar

Selected bottles: Pick a handful of bottles that are used frequently (preferable clean or unique bottles).
Rotating item: Use the top shelf for a rotating item like wine or flowers.
Assorted glasses: Keep a small amount of glasses for different drinks. I chose red and white whine glasses, champagne flutes, and martini glasses.
Drink additions: Pick a few drink additions to display, like lime juice, and store the rest in the kitchen.
Bar tools: Pick a sleek bucket or vase to hold the essential tools like ice picks and spoons

After unpacking all of the wedding gifts and organizing our cozy place until every corner was packed with something, I began to realize that I didn't have nearly enough space to properly house some newly gifted barware. Those registry guns are dangerous and my kitchen counter full of martini glasses, champagne flutes, and highballs was definitely the testament to that statement. After a few weeks of hunting I came across this great glass shelf that now doubles as the living room bar cart. Rather that piling everything onto the three shelves I took a more organized approach and came up with some rules which left the corner of the room with a well stocked bar perfect for impromptu cocktail hours.

Taste of home

Now that life has fully gone into summer mode I've begun to notice the city opening up. People are cheerful, weekends are productive, and there is always a festival or activity to visit. One of my favorite, and recently discovered, warm weather additions is nestled between a few parking lots and rests on a concrete slab...the food cart collective, Mark's Carts. LA had its explosion of roaming food vehicles and their daily routes were one of my favorite things to track (I still follow Coolhaus just for fun), but after moving to Ann Arbor I figured I could only indulge in their tasty creations when I visited home. So, I was pretty excited to happen upon the mitten's addition to the mobile food gang. The sunny patio houses a handful of tasty vendors, ranging from steamed pork buns to seasonally inspired breakfast burritos. This weekend Paul and I treated ourselves to an al fresco lunch after a long morning of redecorating. Perched on a wall, under a tree, with a cold soda was the perfect way to enjoy the afternoon.

Links a la Mode

This week I was so excited to be included in the IFB Links a la Mode. There are some wonderful posts that give a peek into other bloggers lives (a fun guilty pleasure I must admit). Hope you all enjoy!

Windows Into Our Worlds

Edited by Meghan Donovan of WIT & Whimsy

I've said it before, but one of the reasons I love fashion blogging so much is because it has the power to be very personal and connect you with people whom you may never have met otherwise. This week's Links a La Mode show you just how intimate one's blog can become when you open up your readers to visits to neighborhood boutiques, DIYs done on a rainy Sunday or similar styles perfected by fellow bloggers. Our blogging allows for little windows into our worlds and its often what makes writing and photographing for posts so very worthwhile.

Links à la Mode: June 2nd

• 1972: McQueen and Menswear


• Aesthetic Alterations: Summer Scarves become a Summer Handbag


• Aqui: The Boyfriend Style Project


• Best of Bklyn: How to Pack for Two Weeks


• The Button Owl: How to Identify Eras in Vintage Clothing


• Crashing Red: Styling a Classic Louis Vuitton


• Garbish: Achieving Nicole Richie's Style


• Girl Loves Color: A Closer Look at Italian line Braccialini


• Grit & Glamour: Lipstick Favorites, Tips and Tricks


• The Loud Mouth: Bloggers Do Hair Buns Better


• North on Harper: DIY Hair Feathers


• Out of Order: Gingham: Past and Present


• Soulful Souls: A Look inside Raleigh Denim


• Style Delights: The Best of Rain Boot Styles


• Stay in the Lines: Achieving the Perfect Summer Glow


• The Stylish Butterfly: Knits in the Middle of Summer


• Style Notebook: Trenspotting: Neon Bags


• Susu Paris Chic: Paris Museum Highlights the Art of Draping


• Vanity Press: Previews Thoughts on the CFDA Awards


• WIT & Whimsy: Hamptons Summer Style

SPONSOR:

Cami Tops at Shopbop: Free People, Tucker tops, Alexander Wang tees, Lanston tees, Blue life, Rory Beca, Rachel Pally tops, Georgie clothing, Dallin Chase, Parker tops, Blue Moon.

On the table

It's been a month since the wedding (which means I promise to stop talking about it...soon...) and I'm just getting around to organizing all of the little touches, decorations, and photos that made up the day. One of the main things I enjoyed during the planning was designing all of the stationary. Using silhouettes I sketched of Paul and I that were woven through the invites, announcements, and reception cards, I crafted a menu that went along with the yellow theme. Paired with striped straws and a sunny hued bundle of bakers twine, the dinner table gave off a that perfect little touch of DIY.

The final table as photographed by One Love Photography

Sweet corn salad

I admire people who can walk up to a produce stand, poke around at the ripe zucchini and tomatoes, then confidently buy baskets full of fresh from the farm food. I on the other hand usually rely on the little plastic containers that Trader Joe's offers me. I put all of my faith in the fact that Joe picked only the best fruits and veggies, then packed them just for me, no poking and prodding needed. This belief has definitely backfired on occasion and I've thrown a few too many molded goods into the trash, that's why while grocery shopping over the weekend I marched up to the husked corn and began ripping away and the fibrous leaves myself, no pre-selected package in site. The result was sweet fresh corn that hadn't traveled a great distance to feed me. For a refreshing picnic side, I mixed together the slightly cooked kernels, edamame beans, cherry tomatoes, and a handful of basil to make a crispy and fresh summer salad whose only journey in a plastic container was too and from the park.





Sweet corn, edamame, and tomato salad: Serves 8-10
(halve the recipe when you're not cooking for a large group)

7 corn cobs with husks removed
2 cups shelled edamame beans
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 large handful sliced basil
1 tbls olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place corn cobs in large pot of water and heat on medium. As soon as the water begins to boil, remove from heat and transfer corn to a bowl to cool. This makes crunchy corn every time.

2. Hold each cob upright and run a sharp knife down each side to remove the kernels. Transfer to a large serving bowl.

3. Add edamame, sliced tomatoes, chopped basil, olive oil, salt and pepper

4. Toss well and refrigerate until ready to serve.