Monday, May 23, 2011

The Trend: Summer Crochet

Summer is around the corner!  And so is crochet.  This HOT accessory will sure keep you cool and trendy for summer.  Style.com had some great inspiring pieces on their blog today.  Here are some samples.


Isabel Marant, $237
Source: Style.com


Catherine Malandrino, $195
Source Style.com

Club Monaco, $169
Source: Style.com


She Zigs, She Zags, $590
Source: Style.com

Opening Ceremony, $765
Source: Style.com
Well those were nice, weren't they? Now, about some crochets that won't break the bank and still is trendy!  Ok, here are some great pieces found at Urban Outfitters and ASOS.  Urban have had crochets for the last two summers.  But this year, they are on top of their game and have given us some really cute looks.


Starting from top row, left to right:
1. ASOS, 70's Kimono cardigan
2. Urban Outfitters, Pins & Needles crocheted shorts
3. Urban Outfitters, Staring at Stars crochet high/low sweater
4. ASOS, leather strap bright crochet bag
5. ASOS, Aldo Checo crochet peep toe boot
6. ASOS, crochet frame bag
7. Urban Outfitters, ByCorpus crochet dress
8. Urban Outfitters, Pins and Needles low back delicate crochet top
9. Urban Outfitters, crochet underwire bikini

The crochet tops and kimono cardigan would look lovely with some vintage Levi 501 cutoffs or any cutoff shorts for that matter.  Add some cool accessories like an owl necklace and chunky bracelets.  Top off your outfit with a Jeffrey Campbell Lita or some kind of woodsy platforms.

Still need some visual inspiration? Chloe Sevigny does it well with her boho chic get up.  See below...

Photo: KT Auleta / Courtesy of Opening Ceremony
Source: Style.com

The Random: Kill Bill... in Portland?


Well, not quite Kill Bill but close enough.  This is an old random picture found in the archive of the Mac. 
Had a great laugh when I drove by this car.  And today as I post this.  

Really? I mean really? Well... I guess really.  

The Recipe: Chicken Marbella



A wonderful and beloved friend of mine enlightened me to this wonderfully easy chicken recipe.  The garlic and prunes mixed with the capers and olives along with the red wine vinegar provides this simple dish with so much depth of flavors! Pair it with grilled asparagus drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper or a couscous dish.  This is a great dish to entertain guests too!  It requires little work and yield about 10-12 servings if you follow the recipe below.  Oh! And it is gluten free.

The Silver Palate Cookbook is where this came from but to save you from buying the book here it is, straight from Epicurious:

Ingredients

4 chickens, 2 1/2 pounds each, quartered 
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed
1/4 cup dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Italian parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

In a large bowl combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice.

With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

To serve Chicken Marbella cold, cool to room temperature in cooking juices before transferring to a serving platter. If chicken has been covered and refrigerated, allow it to return to room temperature before serving. Spoon some of the reserved juices over chicken.

The Know: Lululemon Athletica


Discovering something great is even greater when you share it, don't you think?  The last two exhilarating weeks have been heavily focused on yoga.  For four days a week I have been visiting CorePower yoga studio in NW Portland learning the various flows and salutations of Vinyasa in a room heated up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit.       HOT!!

Well, a room this hot is sure to make one sweaty!  So, I had to find a few pieces of athletic wear that not only is comfortable and provide ease of movement but is cute, duh!


These pants are great and they were on sale, even greater.  They are uber comfortable and wicks all the sweat outward.  Love these zippers in the back, great for holding keys and IDs.  You never know, after hot yoga I sure need a drink.  I hope no one at CorePower reads this.


Visit Lululemon Athletica.  They have stores in North America right now but they have a website!  Their clothes are geared towards yogis but you can use them in almost all types of physical training.  For women, there are various support specific to how much you will be... um... moving.  These are by far the most comfortable and flattering sports wear I have ever worn.  

The BEST PART?!?!? Free alterations at every Lululemon store.





The above tank top is great.  Its flowy with the right amount of support and lift.  Good to use in circuit training and low impact cardio.  It is NOT good for yoga, as I have found out... the flowiness tends to flow over your head as you downward dog.