Lemonade seems to be the beverage of choice of summer (unless you are: a- a lemonade addict like my roommate and you drink it like it's going out of style or b- a die hard southerner who's day just isn't complete without a 99 cent large sweet tea from McDonalds.) Whether it's Country Time or Mike's Hard, people just seem to be drawn to the idea of an ice cold glass of the sweet (and sour) stuff.
Seeing as my friend Holly is, truly, the hostess with the mostest, we always look forward to evenings at her place: great food, great company, and her cats (but that is a blog post all on its own). We went over there last weekend and she offered us some lemonade. I noticed it was pink, but I didn't think much further than that. And then I took a drink. AND THAT is when I was introduced to watermelon lemonade.
It seems to be kind of a trendy thing this summer (and by that, I mean I saw it on a poster at Genghis Grill the other night), but I think it could be something really cool and new to take to fourth of July parties this weekend.
WATERMELON LEMONADE (like Martha S. does it)
Okay, this recipe is real easy (prep time is 5 minutes) and should make about 8 glasses. If you want to make more, just increase the ingredients as you need.
Speaking of which...INGREDIENTS
2 lemons, quartered 1 cup fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 medium seedless watermelon (about 9 pounds), rind removed, flesh (the pink tasty part) cut into chunks and JUST FOR FUN 1 cup vodka (optional, of course)
DIRECTIONS 1. Squeeze lemons into a large pitcher; add squeezed lemon quarters. Add mint and sugar; mash with a wooden spoon until mint is bruised and sugar is dissolved (Jesus, Martha. So violent with your spoon) 2. In a blender, puree watermelon in batches until smooth; pour through a fine mesh sleeve into pitcher (you should have about 8 cups of juice). Stir to combine. Refrigerate covered (for up to 3 days). Add vodka, if using. Serve over ice.
Not only is the recipe simple, but I can tell you from experience that (sans vodka) it is both refreshing and delicious. Martha Stewart's recipe can be found here, but also know that lots of other places have put out recipes as well. When I was googling earlier I saw that whole foods has one on their website and I think that would definitely be worth trying.
Bring this to your parties this weekend. It'll get more attention than the bottle rockets.
Waking up last week with the satisfying feeling of knowing it was 70 degrees outside was such a refreshing way to wake up after this winter's brutal reign. But for it to have lasted more than a week would, clearly, have been too good to be true. Wind, rain, and gloom have encompassed this postless week for long enough, and I decided now was a great time for a spring pick-me-up post. Some things to look forward to, if you will. Namely: color.
According to Pantone these are the top 10 fashion colors for this spring. These colors were the quintessential colors seen at New York Fashion Week. They will be taking over our favorite stores, makeup counters, and accessory boutiques so might as well pick a few favorites. The colors are bright, exotic, and a definite remedy for the dark browns and blacks that have made up our winter wardrobes.
I think the coolest thing about these colors is that a lot of them can be mix and matched. Pairing the yellow and purple would complement the two of them well, but putting the orange with the purple would give it an unexpected pop. The 3 neutrals (the brown, the pink, and the gray) are very easy to toss around every day as well. These colors not only will be big in spring, but will be easy to transition into next fall as well.
A combination of these trendy colors, a bold lip, wedges, and a pair of your favorite sunglasses are all you'll need to look drop dead fabulous this spring and summer.
And believe me, there is nothing dull and dreary about that.
until next time Lo
currently listening to: Ben Folds & Nick Hornby - Lonely Avenue
Things have been a little ridiculous since birthday weekend. Assignment after assignment, weekend shifts at the PF, and work study have been consuming my free time. Good news? There are a lot of exciting things coming up from here on out. Spring break is so close I can taste it. And then after spring break it's smooth sailing, other than the dreaded finals week, all the way to my Italy adventure and Bonnaroo!
Official Italy countdown: 83 DAYS.
I have some goals before Italy. Namely: lose about 10 pounds and about 5 inches as well. I thought I could document that on here as well, because who doesn't love a good tip on staying healthy and fit. I technically started last week, but with the amount of free food that is being hurled in my direction it's been really difficult to stay on track. Sidebar: when trying to eat healthier, there is nothing wrong with eating what sounds good when it sounds good...because if you shove it away, you will likely come back at it, when it is presented to you again, with a vengeance.
My eating habits aren't unhealthy, by any means. But I am going to monitor my cheese and my sweet intake. If you know me, or have seen my cheese drawer in my refrigerator, then you may know that I have a bit of a problem NOT putting cheese on things. Cheese on broccoli and rice, cheese on vegetable burritos, cheese on salads...I know. It's out of control. I'd really like to only be eating cheese 3 times a week, and sweets about the same amount. This doesn't mean I'm going to cut out my annual weekend pizza veg out, but it does mean that the mexican shredded cheese probably won't be finding it's way into my shopping bags as often.
Something to remember though: is that when you are making something, such as broccoli cheese rice, is that you can add more beneficial things TO THEM to make them a)last longer, b)better for you, and c)more filling (so you eat less of the bad stuff.) Good example: when you make broccoli cheese rice, you can toss in some frozen broccoli before the water boils, and then serve it over a small can of tuna (white, canned in water), and you'll find that there is more broccoli and tuna than there is cheesy rice. LOOPHOLE, AM I RIGHT?
If you're looking for a website with recipes to keep your calorie count down, check out Hungry Girl. They have lots of tips and tricks for staying healthy, and eating what you like. If you sign up for their daily emails, you'll receive recipes in your inbox, and if that isn't enough for you then they have a few books out (available at your local book store) and they also have a whole bunch of recipes available on their website as well.
**Not only do they have recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between, but they have news on new products at the grocery store that are healthy options, or dupes for recipes that, otherwise, might not be the best idea if you're trying to think thin.
Another thing I'm going to do [much] more frequently is make regular appearances at the gym. The eliptical machine, weight machines, and I need to become much better friends, and I need to get back to running at the park as well (I much more prefer running outside to running on a treadmill. Much more fun.)
Fro yo for you
For those of us who live in moderately sized cities, I'm sure we have all witnessed the fro-yo craze that began a couple of years ago. I know in middle Tennessee when the topic of frozen yogurt rolls around there are, probably, only two words that pop into people's mind: Sweet Cece's. Sweet Cece's began in Franklin, TN and has now spread further east, south, north, and west. It has grown from a single flagship store to new locations opening (what seems like) every week. I've been to a few fro-yo places and I can honestly say that Sweet Cece's is my favorite. Their variety in flavors and toppings and their atmosphere are what keep me coming back. My most recent favorite combination: Peanut butter (low fat) swirled with New York Cheesecake (no fat!) and topped with a few strawberries, a couple bits of reeses pieces, and some peanut butter chips.
Why the fro-yo freakout? Besides the high variety of toppings and flavors, Fro-yo is a lot less worse for you than ice cream. But, as shape magazine pointed out, it still shouldn't be considered "healthy." There are still calories and sugar in it, and when you fill the cup and pile on the toppings you aren't really helping your case. If you're watching your weight, try and stick with fruit and sugar free fro-yo's. You won't feel like you're missing out. Promise.
Ship Shapely Speaking of spring fashion and shaping up, I subscribe to a channel on Youtube called "The Style Diet." Anna, the woman who films videos for it is constantly talking about hair, makeup, fashion, and healthy cooking/habits. She has even written a book called, "The Style Diet." Anna recently posted a video about dressing for your body shape that I thought was really good and informative, check it out.
March Wishlist Because what girl doesn't have a list of things she would buy if she had unlimited money at her disposal. The 3 cosmetic items are very much going to be a part of my collection ASAP :)
dress modcloth; nail polish- lilacism, essie; mineralize skin finish- soft and gentle, MAC;
lipstick- vegas volt, MAC; purse, ModCloth; Shoes (all) -ModCloth
Until next time, Lo
Currently Listening to: MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
"This whole bipolar login situation is killing me. I want to have a semi-regular posting schedule. But at the moment this desire of mine seems a little bit impossible. Fingers crossed though. I have a big post due during this weekend :)
2011 Color of the Year
"Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life."
Honey suckle is going to be the source of inspiration for many a color schemes in design this year. A seemingly spring/summer color, honeysuckle has already proven it's diversity, appearing in fall shows in Berlin's fashion week last week. Color's that would work well when paired with honey suckle include: neutrals (white, black, tan, cream, etc), reds, oranges, turquoise, yellow, blue, and many pastel type colors (except, what i'm going to call, orange sherbert. You can picture it. I know you can). This color has the potential to look amazing on every skintone (especially in cosmetics, but do be weary of how pigmented the certain item is. If it's blush: use sparingly. Clown doesn't look good on anyone.)
Don't forget: this color won't just be relevant for fashion, but for all types of design: interior, graphic, web, etc.
Keep your eyes peeled for the pink.
all images/quotes in this segment cited to pantone
Feather Hair Extensions
I am in love with my feather extensions. My obsession started around Christmas time when I noticed my friend Holly (and several of her friends I didn't know) had them in at her Christmas party. While I was at home for the holidays they were all I could think about so, immediately, when I got back I got some put in!
Feather extensions are put in using a method called "cold fusion." This means, the placement of the feathers are determined, a bead is slid around the hair and feathers, and then the bead is secured to the hair. The cold fusion method is damage free and will hold until you get it removed. Feather extensions can be blow dried and styled, but can only take minimal heat. What does this mean for straightening and curling? You must must must allow your heat tools to cool before you use them on your feathers. Otherwise you risk damaging them.
I know from experience that they are easy to manage, add edge to any look, and are quite the conversation starter. I got mine done at Lucy Pop Salon in Nashville. All of the stylists there are super stylish, super cool, and super good at what they do. If you're looking for a salon in the 615 I highly recommend them.
Wishlist-Cocktail Dresses Because every girl has that list of things she drools over when she's online shopping. all dresses are available for purchase on modcloth.com
starting from top left and going across then starting at bottom left etc: 1) Romantic Incarnation dress, $89.99 (2) Under the Dark Sky dress, $84.99 (3) Classic Combination dress, $72.99 (4) Break Fashion Myths frock, 74.99 (5) Gold Deposit dress, $97.99 (6) Debut of Venus dress, out of stock.
