70 degrees

When I left my apartment this morning for the first time in a while, I left without a warm coat or jacket. The weather today, a teaser for early summer, makes me think of lazy days lounging poolside and the lovely caramel color I imagine my skin will turn after hours spent laying on the beach.(Of course I plan to have a strong SPF)  Oh couldn't we all be so lucky to have a villa in St Tropez like the main characters of the 1969 film La Piscine. The movie is a bit twisted, but lets focus on the style and the tans...

The characters Penelope and Marianne just hang out in sexy bikinis and chic/ bohemian cover-ups

Ahh summer romance, everyone should have one. Also I must admit I tend to favor when men wear the shorter swimming trunks popular in the late 60's early 70's rather than the long board shorts so many dudes wear nowadays


Until next time...

When Life Hands You Lemons...

Some say April is the cruelest month, I would not have agreed until this year when on the eve of April 1st my apartment building caught on fire. Since then,  a few misfortunate events have happened to me. It felt like one thing after the other and each time I would try to deal with one, I received another blow. I did wallow in my sadness and misery for a bit but then decided to take charge.  Life handed me some lemons, and I made that lemonade, and a lemon dessert as well.

Below is a recipe I found that can help you turn the lemons in your life into something sweet and yummy. 
Enjoy!


Lemon Squares, 
to make the yummy lemon filling
What you will need:
3 eggs                                                                                 
3/4 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of salt
2 lemons to juice and make 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons of powdered sugar


to make the crust
What you will need:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons of butter, softened - you can use margarine as well
1 cup all-purpose flour


For the crust pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and begin to mix the sugar and butter until it is creamy. I suggest mixing with a spoon by hand. Level the 1 cup of flour with a knife in a measuring cup. Slowly add the flour to your sugar and butter mixture. Keep mixing and beating until it starts to look like fine crumbs. Gently press the mixture into an 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. You do not want it to brown or cook all the way because you will be baking it again after you add the lemon filling. Remove from the oven and cool.


For the lemon filling take your 3 eggs and beat them well until they look foamy. Cut the lemons in half and begin to juice so that you get 1/3 cup of lemon juice.

Add 3/4 cups of sugar and the rest of the ingredients mentioned above. Keep mixing and beating until mixture looks well-blended. Pour mixture into your pan with the partially baked crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, when it is done it will look set. Remove from oven and cool. After 10 minutes, sift powdered sugar over the top. Cut into squares and serve. For added flavor and texture, you can add dried cranberries or cherries to the mixture.

  Enjoy your treat and just think that when things are sour you can always find a way to make them sweet.

sentimental for the southwest

Recently vintage camp blankets, navajo prints and mountaineer/lodge aesthetics' popularity have experienced a resurgence. Thrift scouts and dealers have been hunting and trading these coveted items for some time now. Certain brands like Pendelton are having a renaissance.  I certainly appreciate this current zeitgeist and in a way, it reminds me of the comforts of home a bit. Currently living in Brooklyn, it is nice to see people wearing the clothes that I used to see people of all ages rocking in my home state of Arizona. When I spotted this shirt in a re-sale shop a few years ago, I was immediately drawn to it. Not something I would typically wear but in a sense I felt a familiar connection with the pattern. With more street style gravitating towards functional and decorative fashions influenced by the southwest, it is making Brooklyn feel more and more like home. 

southwest print top: no label, purchased from Buffalo Exchange
navy blue mini-skirt: American Apparel

denim jacket: GAP circa 2000
cream waxed tweed bag with leather detail and strap: vintage Capezio, courtesy of Dusty Rose Vintage

brown leather booties with side buckle, Vintage Kenneth Cole
dove grey tights: HUE at Madewell
dark grey socks: Calvin Klein