Sips and Sounds, Volume 1

Vol. 1

The Record: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Boatman's Call

The Refreshment: Old Fashioned

It's the inaugural edition of Sips and Sounds! In case you missed the explanation last week, I'm changing the name of Vinyl Vednesday, but the feature will stay the same. 

Nick Cave is an artist I admire but don't know extremely well. There are a handful of songs I know and adore (including the first track on this record), but I enjoyed sitting down for a full listen of one of his many albums. As for the cocktail, I wanted to make something stiff and no-nonsense. Rather than inventing something, I opted for the classic Old Fashioned. Recipe below!

Ingredients

Sugar Cube

Bitters

Maraschino Cherry

Whiskey

Water

Instructions

Put a sugar cube, a few dashes of bitters and a maraschino cherry in your glass and muddle. Add 1.5 oz of whiskey and a tiny bit of water and stir. Add a single extra large ice cube and enjoy! For whiskey, I love Old Overholt rye. It's super smooth and a great value. 

Keeping it Casual

Whether I chalk it up to laziness or style evolution, my looks have leaned super casual and, dare I say, a bit grungy lately. Either way, a lot fewer skirts and heels have been popping up in my rotation recently. 

Shirt: Thrifted
Tee: Sandlot Goods
Jeans: Urban
Jacket: Courtesy of H&M
Shoes: Target

Cozy Socks & Clogs

 Apologies for the indoor iPhone photos. I've just been so bad at getting blog-worthy pics lately (especially with the sun setting so early), that I've decided bad pictures are better than no pictures! This is what I wore to a Friendsgiving feast over the weekend. I simply couldn't wait for warm weather to break out the sunny Swedish Hasbeens I recently found on super sale! Cozy socks and clogs? Perfect for the season in my book. 

Sweater: Courtesy of Lulu's
Jeans: Courtesy of H&M
Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens via 6pm.com

Boot Season + Trask GIVEAWAY! - CLOSED

This giveaway is now closed, and the randomly selected winner has been notified. Thank you to all who entered!

Winter weather blew in overnight recently and has lingered since. Once the temperature dips, I live in boots...with jeans, with dresses, with everything! That's why a good quality pair is essential. Trask, a heritage brand that prides itself on the finest craftsmanship inspired by the great American West, was kind enough to send me a pair. I chose the Abbey, a classic heeled riding boot. When I pulled them out of the box, I was immediately struck by their sleek, polished beauty, and I can tell they'll only look better as I break them in. And, guess what?! You have a chance to win a pair for yourself! Comment on this post for a chance to win the Abbey. The winner will be chosen at random next Friday, November 28th, and announced that day. Open to international readers. 

Dress: Old Navy

Jacket: H&M

Scarf: Target

Socks: Forever 21

Boots: Courtesy of Trask

Vinyl Vednesday, Volume 36 + A Name Change!

Vol. 36

The Record: Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues

The Refreshment: Montezuma

Fleet Foxes is one of my all-time favorite bands. I never tire of their lush harmonic sound and gorgeous lyrics. They're definitely a cold-weather band for me, so the timing felt just right. For the cocktail, I decided to put a wintry spin on a margarita. I know I've been featuring a LOT of cranberry recipes lately. Usually my cocktails are put together with whatever I happen to have on hand, and I always have cran in the fridge. I'll mix it up next time. Promise! 

Ingredients

Smoked Salt

100% Cranberry Juice

Triple Sec

Tequila

Lime

Instructions

Rim your glass with smoked salt. In a shaker, combine .5 oz cranberry juice, 1 oz of triple sec and 1.5 oz tequila. Pour into your glass, add a generous squeeze of lime and enjoy!

I also have a Vinyl Vednesday update to share. For a few reasons, I've decided to retire the Vinyl Vednesday moniker in favor of a new name: Sips and Sounds! Not to get too nit-picky, but I'm not always able to stick to the Wednesday schedule and sometimes I don't have the desired album on vinyl, so the name can feel disingenuous at times. Also, it seemed a little silly to me that the cocktail component (obviously important) was not included in the name. So, the feature will stay the same, but next week will mark Sips and Sounds, Volume 1. Change is good, right? Thanks for following along!

Kansas Couture for Lawrence Magazine: Winter 2014

The Winter 2014 issue of Lawrence Magazine is out! This edition of my fashion column is my favorite so far. Rather than talking seasonal trends, I put together outfits inspired by three of my favorite movies. Check it out here!

Fall in Love

Here's what I wore as a bridesmaid in my dear friend's Halloween wedding. It was a chilly, light-dappled morning, and these photos aren't the best. But the bride (in person and in pictures) looked stunning, and my memories of the day are picture perfect. 

Dress: Vintage
Boots: H by Hudson

Vinyl Vednesday, Vol. 35

Vol. 35

The Record: Matthew Sweet, Girlfriend

The Refreshment: Tuesday Muse

I was only familiar with the titular track on this album, so it was fun to listen to the rest of the catchy assortment of songs. The irresistible vintage photograph on the cover was my starting point for drink inspiration. I went with a girly, luxurious cocktail with some cozy seasonal flavors and named it for actress Tuesday Weld, the subject of the photo. Recipe below!

Ingredients

100% Cranberry Juice

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

Sparkling Wine

Instructions

Combine .5 oz cranberry juice and .5 cinnamon simple syrup in your glass. Top with champagne, stir and enjoy! It tastes a little like Christmas. 

I'm not much of a snob when it comes to sparkling wine, especially because I almost always use it as a cocktail ingredient rather than a solo sipper. As long as it isn't too sweet, I'm happy! I always have Trader Joe's Blanc de Blancs on hand. It's a yummy dry bubbly and only costs $6 a bottle. Prosecco and Cava are also good bets. 

To make the cinnamon syrup, combine equal parts sugar (I used brown but granulated works too) and boiling water. Stir in a generous dash of cinnamon. 

Alexander Wang X H&M

The much-anticipated Alexander Wang X H&M collection launches today! This sporty, city-inspired collection is both functional and fashionable. Featuring cutting-edge techniques, the line includes performance pieces for both the street and the gym. Check it out online or in select stores worldwide!

Jersey: Courtesy of H&M
Leggings: H&M
Shirt: H&M
Shoes: Nine West

Vinyl Vednesday, Volume 34

Vol. 34

The Record: The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow

The Refreshment: Pink Bullets

The Shins...one of my favorites from way back when! I had a hard time choosing between this album and Oh, Inverted World, but you can't go wrong either way. Okay, confession time. Because of taking a break last Wednesday, it's been two weeks since I made this cocktail, and I can't exactly remember the recipe! I'm pretty darn sure it was gin, lemonade (I like Simply Lemonade brand) and a bit of cranberry juice topped with soda water. Simple but yummy!