Inspiration... Cozy Stripes

Perhaps obsession would be a more fitting word rather than inspiration, but striped sweaters are a current wardrobe must-have, particularly of the navy blue and white variety. Although I already have a fair amount of striped sweaters, I repeatedly find myself being drawn to them and want to keep adding more to my collection. What fascinates me about these knitted beauties is their versatility, whether it be layered over a maxi dress or paired with a pair of silky scalloped shorts, you can simply never go wrong. Perhaps it's the nautical flair or the androgynous factor, but whatever the case, I simply can't get enough.

(Late Afternoon)

(Cupcakes and Cashmere)

-Michelle

Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy

Being one of my most favorite sweets, I was very excited to make my very first  Fresh Fruit Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream. What I was not prepared for was the agony I had to go through to make the darn thing. I started making the tart at 1pm, and did not finish until 11pm. You can see I didn't take any pictures of the crust/custard making process, because I was pulling out my hair due to complete frustartion. HOWEVER, please don't let me frighten you from making it. It was my first time and I learned a lot from the process. As for the final result? Outstanding. The crust was the perfect amount of flakiness, the vanilla custard was to die for, and I made sure to pick out the freshest fruit from the store. Well worth all the pain it caused me, because the reward was sweet.

-Lauren

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Tulle Time

Forever 21 dress, Urban Outfitters fedora and sandals,
vintage belt, Disneyland necklace

When you're itching to wear an ensemble that screams out "girly", I find that one of the best fabrics to turn to is tulle. Whenever I put on this dress, I feel like a ballerina, constantly wanting to twirl around and plié to my hearts content. For some personal touches (as I always like to add to each outfit) I opted for a summery fedora, simple sandals, a vintage leather belt I picked up from my travels to Paris, my umbrella I obtained from Rome and a little flair of Disney with my sparkly Mickey Mouse ears necklace.

Check This Out...Claire Wendling

Claire Wendling, is a well known artist amongst my fellow art students and throughout the art community. A french illustrator that can draw anything from comic books to fine art. She is truly the most inspiring artist for me personally. What I love so much about her work is how clearly she shows her knowledge of form and anatomy, and how she accomplishes it in the simplest of lines.

-Lauren

Pool Side Salad

When you find yourself feeling both hungry and in need of temporarily escaping the summer heat, nothing does the job right better than a salad. We both felt this exact way a few weeks back after we spent the afternoon by the pool and were ready to fill up our bellies. With a fridge and pantry full of a wide array of choices, we created our very own salad, perfect for consuming both indoors and by the pool. With the peppery arugula, sweetness from the dried cranberries, crunch from the walnuts, bright onion flavor from the red onion, creaminess of the avocado, and the tart and salty vinaigrette, this salad is absolutely perfect as a side dish or a meal unto itself. We opted for the latter, as we had more than enough room afterwards for a major calorie fest.

Pool Side Salad
Arugula
Dried cranberries
Walnuts, roughly chopped
Red onion, thinly sliced
Avocado, cubed
Strawberries, roughly chopped (optional)
Season with freshly ground pepper

Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free
Yields 6 tablespoons

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon prepared Dijon mustard (e.g. Grey Poupon)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Option 1: combine all ingredients in a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds until emulsified.
   Option 2: Combine the lemon juice, mustard and salt in a bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuosly.
2. Taste and adjust the salt, and add more lemon juice or olive oil to achieve a pleasing balance of acidity.

My So Called Life

(Vintage sunglasses and jewelry, Vintage sweater, Forever 21 dress, Vintage Doc Martens, Dooney and Bourke purse)

This dress has become one of my favorite go to pieces. I love the 90's feel of it and I was immediately reminded of the show "My So Called Life" when I tried it on. As much as I adore this dress, I came dreadfully close to not buying it. Perhaps it was the bad lighting in the dressing rooms, but I stood in front of the mirror for a good five or ten minutes debating on whether or not to make the purchase. Thankfully I had Michelle there to convince me it was worth investing in. Good call Michelle, that was a close one! I decided to pair the dress with my vintage Doc Martens, giving the outfit a more edgy look.