Suits and Songs

I thought it would be fun to pair bathing suits with summer jams that come to mind when I see them.  You know, for no reason in particular other than it giving me an excuse to bathing suit shop online.

Canadian Girls by The Walkmen

Summertime by Janis Joplin

Suffragette City by David Bowie

Natural's Not In It by Gang of Four

Animal by Miike Snow

Ho Hey by The Lumineers

Bones by The Killers

Check out the songs online if you're interested in hearing them, and the suits are all linked to a site where they can be purchased.  I'll take one of each, por favor!


post by Amanda

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Arkansas in Oregon

So fellas, we just got in the Arkansas Mid Lace boot by Frye and I just wanted to give you guys a bit of fashion advice. This boot will be your perfect non-work boot work boot.  Wear it with a pair of relaxed, straight leg dark jeans and cuff 'em. Pair them with a button up...solid or print, and make sure you iron and starch your shirt and throw in a matching pocket square for good measure. Get yourself a chocolate brown belt to match the boots, and you're good to go.

Like this.

Mmmmm, and like this, but you know, with boots.

Very sexy.



post by Amanda
photos via liquidlevelhigh.blogspot.com

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Somebody Make Me: Buffalo Chicken Rolls

As you know, I have major feelings for Frank's Red Hot sauce, so naturally a hot pocket-esque thing that contains it would appeal to me.  Furthermore, I support food that is perfect for eating in bed while gettin' my Hulu on.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you...BUFFALO CHICKEN ROLLS! BOW DOWN TO YOUR QUEEN!
  

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

(adapted from Can You Stay for Dinner?)

{I didn't take step by step pictures, but you can find some great ones on Andie's blog using the above link.}

3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 2 cups)
1 cup hot sauce
12 egg roll wrappers
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
water
nonstick cooking spray
blue cheese or ranch dressing, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 F. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and spray the rack with cooking spray.

Stir the chicken and hot sauce together in a medium bowl until moistened - you can use more or less sauce depending on how spicy you want your rolls.

Place one egg roll wrapper on a clean work surface. Add about 1 tablespoon of the celery on the diagonal of the bottom right corner. Top with about 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken, and finally some blue cheese crumbles. Be careful not to overfill the wrappers.

To fold the roll: Bring the bottom right corner up and over the filling to cover it completely and make it snug. Fold each side over to form an envelope, then roll the wrap almost all the way to the top. Wet your finger with water and moisten the top corner, then fold it over the roll, pressing to seal. Place the roll on the prepared rack.

Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Spray each roll lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes (flipping the rolls halfway through), or until the rolls are golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve with either blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Whoever brings me these soon shall have my heart for a thousand years.


post by Amanda
content by can you stay for dinner?

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Our Favorite Things

We thought we'd share some of our current favorite things with you...

Jen:

Superfeet 3/4 High Heel inserts

Leaders In Leather satchel

LuluLemon Wunder Unders

Stacey:

100% Pure Grapefruit Lotion

Gerolsteiner Sparkling Water from Germany

El Naturalista N119

Amanda:

Evian Facial Spray

Frye Cameron Clutch Crossbody

John Fluevog CBC

 


Halle:

Frye Maggie Perf Wingtip

Maya Moon Single Pocket Hobo

LuluLemon Power Y Tank

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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DIY: Chalkboard Paint!

Years ago I came across an image (the first one below) where an accent wall was painted not with some unique, bright color, but with chalkboard paint.  The options are limitless.  You can draw decor on that wall if you want.  You can write quotes.  You can let your kid doodle on it.  You can use it for notes and reminders.  I mean, whatever the hell you want.  Since then, I've seen people use chalkboard paint on everything.  Mugs, wine glass bases, pots, refrigerators...you name it.

I found these pictures to be pretty inspirational:

gadget.com

dressinginspiration.tumblr.com

anorangewinter.tumblr.com

lacey13.tumblr.com

herfunkylittlefurnitureblog.tumblr.com

diyhowtogoodies.tumblr.com

 

cukri.tumblr.com

It seems that Hudson makes some pretty good chalkboard paint and they even offer color options besides the classic black and dark green.  Spray chalkboard paint sounds like it works pretty well on smaller projects, especially where there are little crevasses (i.e. a skull).   Sheesh, you can even make your own paint by using the ingredients below...

abeautifulmess.typepad.com

Pretty cool, right? I decided I'm going to purchase a large piece of wood to paint and to prop against an empty wall in my bedroom.  What are you going to put chalkboard paint on, DIY'ers?


post by Amanda

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What Do You Mean By A "Walking Shoe?"

A lot of women come into the store looking for "walking shoes."  I typically give them another store to check out, because in all honesty, we don’t carry a "walking shoe."  We definitely carry shoes that are comfortable to walk around town in, but when I think of a walking shoe, I picture it as a running shoe.  We also have a lot of women asking if they can ‘hike’ in our shoes.  The shoes in our store are in no way designed specifically to support your feet and ankles as most hiking shoes are, so that answer will always be no.  That being said, of course it’s completely possible to hike in a non-hiking shoe, but do you really want to beat up your pretty and shiny new shoes?

Here are some general guidelines to follow when looking for a "comfort shoe." For starters, I find that shoes with solid leather uppers are the most comfortable. A leather lining and exterior will allow the shoe to mold to your foot, giving you a custom fit, and making it feel as if your foot is being held delicately by soft, dreamy angel hands.  Leather is naturally breathable, durable, and at the very least odor resistant.  Secondly, a rubber sole makes a HUGE difference when pounding pavement.  A thick rubber sole will offer shock absorption and make a huge difference in how your knees and hips will feel at the end of the day.  Also, a lot of people are under the impression that the "squishier" the insole, the more comfortable it will be. However, a softer sole will do nothing for you unless there is support in the shoe that provides stability.  Steer clear of squishy shoes that you can bend in half.

If you’re looking for a "walking shoe" or something sneakerish, go to Rogue Valley Runners, but if you’re looking for something that doesn't look athletic, I’d suggest one (or more!) of the following:

 CYDWOQ

CYDWOQ 'Lignum' $299

CYDWOQ 'Branch' $299

EL NATURALISTA

El Naturalista 'N151 Iggdrasil' $130

El Naturalista 'N541 Campos Ella' $155

GROUNDHOG

Groundhog 'Pensacola' $139

Groundhog 'Randa' $119

OTBT

OTBT 'Springfield' $99

OTBT 'Copan' $109

How comfortable a shoe feels to any given person is is very subjective.  Your "crazy comfy" could potentially be another's "oh hell no," so of course the shoes pictured above won't work for everyone.  Keep in mind that comfort is relative from style to style.  A flat is going to be more comfortable than a heel, obviously.  Try not to compare your 5 year old, completely broken in and wonderful shoes with a brand new pair of anything similar.  Old shoes take time to get that comfy, but how easily we forget that when trying to find a replacement.   

Happy shopping! 

post by Amanda

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Somebody Make Me: Corn and Cheddar Pudding

You know when you go to some Mexican restaurants and they serve a little scoop of that sweet corn stuff? Well, I think that stuff is AWESOME and I believe that this receipt is that plus cheese on top which equals yum. Yum squared. Halle and I were browsing through recipes and decided that someone should really make this for us. We also decided that that someone should be Halle's boyfriend. (Seriously, Shawn. We're not joking.)

We found this receipt on the Budget Bytes blog.

Corn and Cheddar Pudding

This recipe is a little indulgent with the cream, cheese, and eggs... but every now and then I think you're allowed. It's all about moderation, right? Right.

Corn pudding is another one of those recipes that can go so many different ways. Originally, I wanted to use poblano peppers (my fav) but my local grocery was out. So, instead, I decided to go the honey and cayenne route. It's a little sweet, a little spicy, very rich, and definitely delicious. If you're not all about the spicy stuff, leave out the cayenne and you'll still have a nice contrast between the sweet honey and salty cheddar. You can also try dicing up some regular green and red bell peppers for extra color. There are many possibilities!

Total Recipe cost: $3.57
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Cost per serving: $0.45
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 1 hr. Total: 1 hr. 10 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
3 cups	frozen corn	$0.89
1.5 cups	milk	$0.56
1/2 cup	half & half	$0.36
2 large	eggs	$0.32
1/4 cup	cornmeal	$0.06
2 Tbsp	honey	$0.30
1/2 tsp	cayenne (optional)	$0.03
1 tsp	salt	$0.05
4 oz.	cheddar, shredded	$1.00
TOTAL		$3.57

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Allow the corn to thaw (this is very important). Place the milk and half of the corn into a blender or food processor and puree.

STEP 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the corn/milk mixture, half & half, cornmeal, honey, cayenne, salt, and the rest of the corn kernels. Make sure to whisk really well so that the egg is fully incorporated or else you'll end up with chunks of baked egg in your pudding. If your corn is still frozen, the honey will not dissolve so make sure the corn is no longer cold.

STEP 3: Shred 4 ounces of cheddar cheese. Stir half of it into the corn pudding mixture. Coat a 8x8 (or similar size) baking dish with non-stick spray and pour in the pudding. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

STEP 4: Bake in the preheated oven for about one hour or until the center of the pudding shakes like a bowl full of jelly. Check the pudding at about 50 minutes by shaking the dish slightly. If the center wiggles like a liquid, let it cook just a little bit longer.

STEP 5: Allow the pudding to rest for about five minutes after baking. Serve warm!


Step By Step Photos



Allow the corn to completely thaw. Puree half of the corn with the milk. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Whisk together all of the ingredients except the cheddar. It is probably easiest to whisk together the pureed mixture, eggs, cornmeal, honey, cayenne, and salt first, and then add the whole corn last.


Make sure to whisk well so that the egg is well incorporated or else you'll have pockets of baked egg in the final product.


Shred 4 ounces of cheese (half of a regular sized block). Stir half of that into the corn pudding mixture.

Pour the batter into a baking dish coated with nonstick spray and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.


Bake in the preheated 350 degree oven for about an hour or until the center of the pudding barely wiggles when you shake the dish. If it wiggles and waves like a thick liquid, let it bake longer. I usually check the it at 50 minutes just to be sure. Every oven is different!

Let the pudding rest for about 5 minutes before serving.


It's good. It's REAL good.

OM NOM NOM NOM! (Shawn, we expect this by the end of next week.)


post by Amanda
content courtesy of Budget Bytes

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