Sandal Season

Now that the weather is cooperating and I'm considering a badly-needed pedicure, a new pair of sandals are in order. I tore last year's pair to shreds, so I'm looking for something a little less wimpy this time around. The issue: I have...shapely legs, which means that with the wrong pair of shoes, my legs can resemble Christmas hams. Trying to avoid ankle straps on sandals leads me into the flimsy V straps of flip flops, which are neither comfortable nor stylish whatsoever. Alber Elbaz can't even make flip flops look cute. And if you cite Tory Burch's number with her little medallion on them, those do not count particularly because they have that little medallion on them.

The solution: nude sandals. Just as nude heels elongate the leg because they create an illusion of length, a similar hue on an ankle strap doesn't break (and thus shorten) the line of the leg. If the shade of the sandal is close enough to your skin tone, it works. Here are a few versatile options that would look just as cute with shorts as they would with a sundress:

1. These KORS Michael Kors leather sandals ($125; Click to Buy) have a more substantial sole than what you'd find on a typical flat sandal, and I love love love the look of the double ankle-strap. It lends a touch of the gladiator look without going all Russel Crowe on your footwear. The shade's a little dark, but it's not a jarring contrast.

2. This pair of J.Crew leather sandals ($118; Click to Buy) is the trifecta: made in Italy (read: better quality than most at this price point), the perfect shade of nude, and has a padded sole for comfort. These would look great with shorts, or a maxidress, or a skirt, or a sundress. Do you see where I'm going with this?

3. If you need a little lift, Marais suede wedges ($160; Click to Buy) are a sophisticated option. They're not exactly nude (the height of the wedge excuses the grey shade)(I make the rules)(this is an autocratic blog!)(just kidding)(kind of) but I love Marais shoes for the focus on comfort and urban designs. That T-strap just kills me. Come to mama.

4. Coral counts as a nude if you have VERY pink undertones or didn't slap on enough sunscreen before hitting the beach. (Doesn't it?) I understand that I'm taking a lot of liberties with the definition of "nude" here, but if you think about, the color nude for a Swedish girl isn't exactly nude for Eurasian me. Anyway, these Delman calfskin sandals ($195; Click to Buy) are simple and pared-down without looking stark. I love the small details on the sides; they're a great option for the more feminine of ladies.

Current status: team J.Crew. You?

A Day in May

May is my favorite month — daylight lingers, the breeze is warm but not sweltering, the trees burst into whites and pinks, crickets begin chirping at night again. May had better not have an identity crisis and resign itself to weeks of rain, though (cough spring in Chicago cough); on the bright side, I get to practice my willpower by walking past tulips and not bolting back to my apartment with a stolen bouquet in hand. I used to do a number on my parents' landscaping handiwork and blame it on the rampant hordes of deer that live by my house. Mom and dad weren't amused... plus, it was pretty obvious when their Dutch tulips somehow found their way into a vase and onto my dresser.

Days in May should always consist of:

Milkshakes. Particularly the kind made with crushed Oreos
from Edzo's (the place I'll miss most when I leave Evanston). 

Laying in the sun, preferably on something soft and luxurious.

Or outside, somewhere new but no less luxurious.

Fresh-cut flowers. You deserve them, damn it.

A chic haircut... particularly this wavy bob.

[photo cred to 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5]

Pink Blossoms and Chocolate Mousse

Ahh, the buds on the trees are this close to bursting into whites and pinks, and walking under the canopy of new blooms always makes my stroll to class delicious. From time to time, I take off my headphones and just try to soak it all up: the shimmering puddles, the teensy green buds, and that biting Chicago wind on my face.

What are your plans for this week? I can finally eat cheese again(!), so I'm buying ingredients to make a spinach and strawberry salad with goat cheese as well as orechiette with broccoli rabe, sweet Italian sausage, and parmigiano reggiano (the easiest recipe ever, and so, so yummy). And pizza, I'm definitely making myself an enormous pizza with gooey mozzarella, mushrooms, and onions. I've slid into this awful habit of eating frozen chicken patties with a side of frozen onion rings, and I feel like this is the perfect opportunity to stop.

I also found this spectacularly simple recipe for chocolate chantilly!
Chocolate Chantilly
(by Herve This and Heston Blumenthal, via Cafe Fernando)
9.35 oz bittersweet chocolate (ideally 70% cocoa) chopped
1 cup water
4 tbs sugar, optional

1. Fill a mixing bowl with ice and cold water. Place a slightly larger mixing bowl on top; be sure its bottom touches the ice.
2. Melt chocolate, water, and sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour melted chocolate into the top mixing bowl and whisk with a wire whisk (or electric handheld mixer) until the mixture thickens. Over-whipping will make a grainy mousse, in which case you can put it back on the stove, partially re-melt it, and whisk again.
4. Divide into cups and serve immediately; serves 4.


[photo cred to 1 via Dress Design Decor, 2 via Patterson Maker, and recipe via Oh Joy!'s pinboard]  

Spring Flowers

If only the cans of tomato paste sitting in my pantry looked as pretty and delicate as these...

[photo cred to here]

Spring Escape

I've handed in my last final for winter quarter and now I'm frrreeeeeee, free as the wind free! For the next week and a half, at least. Tomorrow morning, I'm heading off to sunny (it'd better be sunny...) Puerto Rico to sip mojitos by the pool and go salsa dancing with my friends. I'm excited to return back about fifteen shades darker (even with sunscreen), because I tan easily and my skin tone in the winter resembles jaundice. We also had the luck to schedule our trip for the same weekend as a festival, aptly named "A Taste of Rum" (my parents weren't too pleased to hear this). Olé!

In the meantime, I have a SPECTACULAR line-up of guest bloggers, featuring Alison of Long Distance Loving, Carly of The College Prepster, Ashley of a {little} dash of ash, and Roxy of A Cup of Te! They're all fantastic and deserve a huge thank you for covering for me while I'm away. Have a lovely weekend (and a mojito, because livers need exercise too)!

[photo cred to Free People and Cooking Light]

Petals and Windows

The arches on these windows are so elegant and luxurious. Sunshine pours in, petals begin to unfurl, and it's a little easier just to breathe. Hope your Wednesday is sunny and bright!


[photo cred to 1, 2 & 3, all via Patterson Maker, and 4]

By the Seashore

As inspired by all things nautical:

1. I actually don't own a striped bateau top as of yet (I know, I'm so ashamed of myself) but I am beyond head over heels for this one by Cardigan New York, which was featured in a photo shoot on A Cup of Jo. It looks so gorgeous (and French!) with the red lipstick.

2. I adore the detail on these anchor earrings from Catbird. I rarely wear earrings and when I do, they're usually studs, but this pair is just so pretty and the fossil ivory, unexpected and quirky.

3. I already bought/have worn/won't stop wearing the black and beige pair of Marais flats, and now I'm hankering after the blue. A straight guy complimented them. A straight and very attractive guy. If that's not a good reason to buy a new pair of shoes, I don't know what is.

[photo cred to Our Edge via We Heart It]

The Palest Pink

Good things to come in the next few weeks of spring:

1. Rising temperatures that call for wispy, light dresses in the most delicate colors.

2. Longer days, late sunsets, and even later nights.

3. Playing outside in the grass...

4. ...barefoot!

5. Wearing pretty shoes without having to worry about stepping in slush (or worse, on ice).

6. Mango iced tea and lemonade.

7. Not having to find somewhere to stash my coat when I go out.

This weekend, I caught up with old friends, went to a party at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and worked on my final papers. It was lovely, with the exception of Saturday night — I had trouble breathing and almost went to the hospital. By the time I woke up the next morning, though, I was breathing normally and had received phone calls, texts, and photos of cheap champagne that my best friend had sent me from New Orleans to cheer me up. I'm going to the doctor when I go home (home! La la la my favorite word ever) on Tuesday, just to be safe. How was your weekend?

[photo cred, clockwise from top left, to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, 2-6 via Linda's Pinterest]

Delicate Neutrals

This morning, I discovered this pair of L.A.M.B. crepe booties (pictured, lower right) and let me tell you, we're having the love affair of the century. This isn't our fault — winter has done a number on me, and I'd might as well admit it now that I am sick of wool, sick of fur, sick of Wolford tights, and even a little sick of my navy Hunter rain boots, which are, in their own right, pretty fantastic when I'm trying to wade through three feet of snow. I am so over you, winter. We are dunzo. I should really just give you a restraining order.

But seriously, these shoes! They look like they were made by fairies. I'm also one of those people who thinks that peep-toe booties are the most useless things ever, so this is an especially big personal breakthrough. All I want to do is wear these with dark skinny jeans or a frothy pale skirt, a white silk tee (I'm obsessed with these, although the white is now sold out), and no coat. Not even a light jacket. Maybe, maybe, a cardigan, but only for looks.

By the way, is anyone else as excited as I am about Matchbook magazine? They even have a editor's wish list for bookworms and it's calling for me. I can't wait to curl up with it and a steamy mug of green tea tomorrow morning.


[photo cred, clockwise, to 1 via Musings in Femininity, 2 and 3 via Patterson Maker]