Kansas Couture for Lawrence Magazine: Summer 2015

The Summer 2015 Edition of Lawrence Magazine is out! For this issue, my sidekick and I styled night and day looks inspired by the County Fair. Read the article here!

Sips and Sounds, Volume 14

Vol. 14

The Sip: Muddy Hymnal 

The Sound: Iron and Wine, The Creek Drank the Cradle

I hadn't listened to this favorite in forever and was amazed at how well it stands the test of time. Not to mention, it sounds especially beautiful on vinyl. The idea of a wine cocktail didn't sound particularly appealing to me, but I felt like it would be a missed opportunity with such a literal booze reference in the name of the band. Good thing I went for it because the cocktail was delicious!

MUDDY HYMNAL
Muddle a few cherries in the bottom of your shaker (I used morello cherries from a jar). Add 1 oz bourbon, 2 oz red wine (any kind you like), a spoonful of fig jam and a dash of bitters. Shake well with ice and pour over a mesh strainer into your glass.

Sun Day

In contrast to Saturday's chill, Sunday was sunny and borderline hot. I took the opportunity to show a little shoulder with this sweet new vintage top. I had noticed the off-the-shoulder trend popping up recently, so I ordered a dress online. Disappointingly, it didn't work out, but then I found this gem at a thrift store the same day. Meant to be if you ask me!

Top: Vintage
Jeans: H&M
Sandals: Sam Edelman

Opposite Day

This past weekend was comprised of one cold, dreary day and one warm, sunny day. The variety was actually quite nice. Here's the casual getup I wore for dinner and a show on Saturday evening.

Shirt: Zara
Jacket: Courtesy of H&M
Hoodie: Old Navy
Jeans: H&M
Boots: Swedish Hasbeens

Sips and Sounds, Volume 13

The Sip: Smoky Dog

The Sound: Moondog, Moondog

I'll be honest - I barely paid attention to this record! It was a busy evening, and I have a hard time with solely instrumental music. But the story of Moondog is a fascinating one, and the presence of his music on the Big Lebowski soundtrack makes me approve it automatically. For the drink, I decided to do a variation on a Salty Dog. It ended up not being a Salty Dog at all because I used tequila, but it turned out really yummy!

SMOKY DOG
Rim your glass with a combination of sugar, salt and cayenne. Rinse the glass with liquid smoke (swish it around and then dump it out). Add 1.5 oz tequila, 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice (about half a grapefruit), .5 oz simple syrup, and the juice of half a lime. Add ice, stir and enjoy!

No Muss, No Fuss

Thanks to a busy schedule and gloomy skies, this week is all about cozy, comfortable clothes that are easy to throw on and go.

Sweater: Line & Dot
Leggings: H&M
Boots: Minnetonka
Hat: Urban

Sips and Sounds, Vol. 12

Vol. 12

The Sip: Islands

The Sound: The xx, xx

This delightfully sweet tropical drink was inspired by the track "Islands" from the amazing debut record of the xx. ♪If you like pina coladas...♪ ...you'll like this drink. Ha!

ISLANDS

Shake the following with ice: 1.5 oz white rum, 2 oz caramelized pineapple puree*, 1 oz unsweetened coconut milk and the juice of half a lime. Pour over ice, top with soda water and stir. 

*I didn't really measure when I made the puree (oops!), but I basically cut up half a fresh pineapple into small chunks and cooked them up in a frying pan with a bit of butter (tablespoon?), sugar and water (a couple tablespoons of each?) until they started to caramelize. Then I pureed it in a food processor. 

Places to Be, People to See

I recently got gussied up in a new dress and shoes for a downtown outing. Because I don't dress up often these days, it felt great to strut around like a lady on a mission. Oh, and I swear my hair was freshly washed (a rarity actually), but of course some rain gave it a nice greasy sheen before snapping these pics. Curse you, Portland!

Dress: Hot & Delicious
Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens (Note: the link is for a slightly newer model than the ones I'm wearing)
Jacket: Sam Edelman
Necklace: Courtesy of Julie Vos