Spring Style

I learned a few things about myself in the past couple of days.

1: Polyvore is the BEST way to procrastinate ever. I had two 6 page papers due yesterday and today, and I took several errr... breaks- if you will- experimenting with Polyvore and making inspiration boards.

2: I am terrible when it comes to stepping out of my comfort zone regarding fashion. As you'll see in this post, almost all of my boards have some type of stripe, navy, black, mint/aqua, and lots and lots of matching. I've just never been good at not color-coordinating.

But anyways, now that Spring is hopefully here to stay (just watch I'll jinx it), I've been brainstorming lots of outfits for inspiration. I hope you find some inspiration too!

Hello Saturday errands. That's all I can think about with this board. Comfy loafers, a flowy skirt, and a nice big purse to carry all the essentials. Comfortable and effortless.

 

I think this board would be a perfect travel outfit. I hate putting hats in my suitcase because they get all squished, so I usually end up wearing one on the plane. I love that bracelet, and the cheetah print that combines with an otherwise pastel color combo.

 

Can we just examine the shoes here? Woah baby woah baby. I honestly don't think I could ever wear either of them, but I love how they dress up this outfit, that would be perfect for a night on the town. AND THAT BLAZER.

 

I love the look of floral prints with fun stripes this season. And though I'm still not a huge fan of the neon fad, these bright pops of color brighten up any outfit where black is a main focus.

 

I honestly can't think of an outfit that is more me than this one. I love the classic shape of the dress (in my favorite color pink!), dressed up with girly heels, sparkles, and classic pearls. I would wear this outfit to any and every wedding. Anyone want to buy it for me? Didn't think so.

 

This might be my favorite inspiration board yet. Honestly, when I found that shirt (10 euros online!) I bought it. I just straight up bought that shirt from the UK. I DON'T DO THAT EVER. It was a well-worth-it impulse buy. But let's be real, what don't you love about this outfit? It has everything great for spring. Stripes, peplum, bright lips, a cognac bag, kelly green, bright pants, loafers, patent leather, a white watch, and a statement necklace. okay yes.

 

I created this outfit as a wear to work sort of outfit. Since I'll be starting my internship (!) this spring, I really am in desperate need of some sophisticated work clothes. These would fit a very expensive bill.

 

I love this outfit for a hot summer day. The bright summer colors scream, "take me to the beach!" And I am lusting over that comfy looking button down. White oxfords for the win.

 

Sometimes I wish I was a city girl. Just sometimes so I could wear outfits like these. And who's with me that they want a burberry trench someday? I'll be saving my pennies till I'm 40 so I can get one.

 

 I based this outfit around the striped dress, which I love. I love how the blazer makes it so feminine, and already owning these shoes, I know you can wear them with just about anything.

 

And almost last but not least, a preppy number for a rainy spring day. Because who doesn't love pink hunters?

 

Okay last one I promise. I love the tribal look this year, and am a personal huge fan of teal and orange.

 

To find out where each specific item is from/how much it costs, visit my polyvore profile HERE.

spring treats #7: Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp & the farmer's market

 on saturday morning, after sleeping in and listening to the pigeons chat with each other outside of our window (this is a daily occurence. they seem to gossip like it's nobody's business), i woke up and headed to the Provo Farmer's Market. Chin was playing basketball with his buddies, and i found it so peaceful to take a little me-time and head to the market for a little date with myself (although i did miss chin!). 

i had never been there before but had heard great things about the PFM, and i was so pleased. i plan on making it a weekly tradition, and also plan on taking my girlfriends with me to do a little market shopping.

loot i came home with:

delicious, fresh, chewy, soft, did i mention fresh (?) Orange Cranberry Walnut bread.

oh yeah. that. good.

also, i bought handmade earring for two dollars a piece, an herb box with six new herbs for fresh seasoning all summer long, and a bundle of rhubarb.

i'm actually not even sure why i bought the rhubarb. there was the cutest old man selling it, and we stirred up quite a conversation. i couldn't bear to not buy some rhubarb for him, and i decided to put it to good use.

 i wore these shoes to the market. i thought it was appropriate.

for a little side info:

i don't know how i feel about these oxford-style shoes that seem to be all the rage.

i never really thought they were much my style, and i would have never bought them unless i got them for the deal i did.

they were originally $100 at Nordstrom's... but as i browsed through the clearance shoe section i saw them and just glanced to see how much they might be.

to my surprise i saw that they were marked down to $20?!?! huh what?!?!

!!!!! exclamation points galore.

and so they were purchased. for i would not spend $100 on a pair of only mildly cute trendy shoes.

but they're growing on me. and i'm actually quite fond of them now.

ANYWAYS. so this crisp. it is splendid. strawberry and rhubarb has always been one of my favorite combinations, the contrast between the sweet and tart are like a party in my mouth.

plus, there is a distinct citrus tang that is subtle but adds so much to the crisp. i was pleasantly surprised during every bite!

i can't wait to make this again and again this summer.

(also, sorry for the lack of pictures. but it turned out so cute and such a pretty pinkish red color with a delectable golden brown crumble!) 

make this if you want to have eternal happiness from eating too much sugar and butter and fruit. yeah.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

adapted from barefoot contessa.

4 c. fresh rhubarb, diced (5-6 stalks)

4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

1 1/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. orange zest

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 c. fresh squeezed orange juice (about 1 and 1/2 big, ripe oranges)

1 c. flour

1/2 c. lightly packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. oats 

1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp.) butter, cold and diced into small pieces

preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

for the fruit: toss the diced rhubarb and strawberries with the orange zest and 3/4 c. of the sugar (granulated sugar) in a large bowl. in a small bowl, combine cornstarch and orange juice until the cornstarch is dissolved. mix into fruit and sugar mixture. pour the mixture into a 7x11 inch pan. 

for the topping: in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, brown sugar, remaining white sugar, salt, and oats. with mixer on low speed, add the diced butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and create crumbles and resemble coarse meal (**NOTE: you could do this with a pastry cutter or your hands if you're without a mixer!). 

sprinkle the crumble over the fruit mixture, covering the fruit completely.

bake for one hour until the fruit is bubbly and crumble is golden brown.

serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

enjoy!

spring treats #6: Caramel Oatmeal Bars

i made these delicious bars last week, and i have been dying to share them with you. my friend Maureen showed me this recipe from Martha Stewart, and I don't know why it took me so long to make them.

I guess it's because sometimes I feel as though I am just really hit and miss with good old Martha.

I mean, let's be real, she is THE domestic goddess...

but she has soooo many recipes that it's kind of impossible for them all to be perfect.

but i decided to try these Caramel Oatmeal Bars out and they were to die for.

layers of gooey caramel and melted chocolate, with a crisp streusel oatmeal top and a soft oatmeal crust.

this description sounds fantastic, and it's not even the actual dessert!

you have to make these.

plus, they're not even tough to make. 

Caramel Oatmeal Bars

adapted from Martha Stewart

48-50 soft caramel squares (about one bag)

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 c. old-fashioned oats

2 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 sticks butter, slightly cold and cut into small pieces

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Line the pan bottom with parchment paper, leaving a two inch overhang over the two sides of the pan. 

Put caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. stir occasionally until the caramels are melted and combined with the cream. Let cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Blend in the butter with either a fork or your fingers, mixing until it makes a coarse meal.

Press half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan, and bake until just set; 20 minutes. 

Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the crust with chocolate chips, then drizzle the caramel sauce over the chocolate chips. Top with remaining oat mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes, until pale golden. 

Let cool completely in the pan, then serve.

enjoy! :)

spring treats #5: Karen's Chocolate Chip Cookies

i'm not going to bore you about my cookie dilemma, because you've all heard about it a thousand times. and remember how i also said that i found the perfect recipe?!

i am so excited to share this with you my friends.

prepare to have your world rocked with fool-proof cookies.

Karen, our family friend, is an incredible cook and baker, and put together a cookbook for me when we got married.

while i was poring through recipes and cookbooks, i found Karen's recipe that she worked on  for ten years to perfect.

i've tested them out at least 4 times now, and they have been great every time.

enjoy!

Karen's Fool-Proof Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. shortening (crisco)

3/4 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. lemon juice*

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and shortening together. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. add eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice, mix well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into shortening mixture until blended (do not beat with a mixer to combine!). Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough with cookie scoop or by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on pan 1 minute then transfer to cooling rack. 

*Note: i have used fresh lemon juice and it worked fine, but store bought lemon juice works great!

Karen's Cookie Variations:

for Giada's Cookies-

Use 1/2 c. nutella in place of the shortening, and add 1/2-1 c. hazelnuts.

for Double Chocolate Cookies-

add 1/3 c. cocoa to dry ingredients.

enjoy!

picnics in the park

saturday was a day full of picnics. i woke up early in the morning and headed off to a brunch picnic with my two sisters-in-law. the weather was unbelievably perfect for a picnic. sunny and bright, warm and fresh. all of the flowers at the park we went to were in full bloom, and we had a great time walking around the duck pond looking at the baby ducks and their bossy mothers. 

morning brunch tulips. the flowers were so beautiful!

 later that evening, Chin and I went decided to pack a picnic of our own. we made some sandwiches and brought some cookies and an assortment of other things, and drove up the canyon to Vivian Park, where we got engaged. 

neither of us had been back there since we got engaged, and it was so special to revisit that meaningful place and spend some quality time together.

because of Chin's MCAT studying, it's rare that we get to spend a lot of time together and when we do, it's usually filled with stress and anxiety because of his upcoming test.

but this was such a great evening. 

Chin was so relaxed and I could tell this was exactly what we needed. Being up in the mountains, with the sounds of nature and some soft music, food (always a chin-pleaser), and just being able to laugh and have fun and relax, was perfect.

 relaxing after a good meal

 the mountains in Utah are so beautiful in the summer. They turn green and all their foliage just pops right up, it was so beautiful!

cheers to a day full of great picnics.

did you all have a nice weekend?

i'm sorry if my posts have been a little lackluster lately,

i've been in a little blogging funk!

hope you can forgive me.

easter preparations

with the weather getting nicer and Easter approaching, we've been doing some decorating to get ready.

we're also hosting a graduation brunch for Alex, Chin's brother, who graduates from BYU on Thursday.

my mom sent me this beautiful vintage tablecloth from the 1950's. you should see it in person. the colors are so vibrant and fun, and i love the vintage roses and ribbons that border the tablecloth.

isn't the detailing beautiful? along with the tablecloth she sent me she also sent three little chick egg cups. they're also vintage and match perfectly with the tablecloth. i can't wait to decorate some easter eggs and put them in their holder!

these napkins are the finishing touch for me. they tie everything together and add a funky little flare that keeps that old-fashioned look intact. made by my mother (i'm telling you she's the brains of this operation), they match the dusty blue found on the tablecloth.

when i was sick this weekend, my sister-in-law Laura dropped off these itty bitty grape hyacinth. the bottle she put them in is perfect, and the hyacinth are so pretty and cute! thanks laura :)

 laura is also co-planning Alex's brunch, and she came across an amazing "bunny ears" napkin tutorial. i was so excited, i whipped some up just now! they were surprisingly easy to create and will be great for our brunch. fabulous idea laura! to view the tutorial click here.

anybody planning anything fun for easter? any cute decorations you are extra proud of?

i would love to hear about them!