In Between the Bites: Savory Meets Sweet

Happy Friday my friends! I hope everyone has wonderful plans for their weekend! I plan on doing nothing other than relaxing and catching up on sleep if I can help it... And maybe a little Zumba to keep my endorphins up ;)  If you haven't already, I would seriously suggest trying out a Zumba class!  It is fun, energetic, and I can't imagine a more entertaining way to work out.  As Elle Woods once said "Working out gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy.  Happy people just don't kill their husbands!"  Speaking of being active and healthy, wouldn't it be great to indulge in a healthy dessert every once in a while?  Well, if you live in the Ellensburg, Yakima, or Cle Elum area, check out V Baked Goods!  V Baked Goods is a local company started by a very good friend of mine that bakes and sells gluten free, vegan, and soy free cookies.  They have various flavors from chocolate chip, to banana bread, to chocolate strawberry! I tried the chocolate chip cookie myself and I could not believe that gluten free could taste so good.  Take a look and give them a try, you won't be disappointed!

On another note!  The last couple of weeks I have been experimenting with different meal and food combinations.  Now I am always down for some grilled cheese sandwiches but never got more creative than the traditional cheddar and garlic on wheat.  However, the other day my roommate was on Stumble Upon and happened to 'stumble upon' this amazing blog that features NOTHING but grilled cheese sandwich recipes!  The blog is called Grilled Cheese Social and you can find every type of grilled cheese you can possibly think of from vegetarian options, cheese and fruit, proteins, and anything that you can possibly imagine!  I got inspired by the blog and decided to experiment with some of them myself.  Now I decided to start with a simple recipe in which I have the ingredients pictured AND listed below!

What I Used!

   - Daves Killer bread in Powerseed (I love the texture!)

   - Mozzarella cheese

   - Italian dry salami

   - Pure Honey

The sandwich I made was a mozzarella, salami, and honey sandwich!  It was one of the most delicious homemade sandwiches I had ever had.  It was the perfect combination of salty, savory, and sweet!  I started by spreading honey on both pieces of bread, then layered on the mozzarella (as much to your liking!), added a couple slices of salami, then finished it off with more mozzarella.  I put buttered the pan before putting the sandwich on at a medium-low heat.  The mozzarella takes a while to melt so I chose medium-low to ensure the bread would not burn.  I also used a lid on the pan to help the cheese melt faster.  I cooked both sides of the sandwich until the bread was golden brown.  Bon appétit!  And remember to check out Grilled Cheese Social! You will not regret it.

With Love,

             Traci Lee

OOTD: Blending The Seasons

TGIF and happy November 1st! I cannot believe that we are officially on track to begin celebrating the holiday season.  I am probably going to be whipping out the Christmas CDs here in just a couple of weeks long before Thanksgiving... No shame!! Christmas music never gets too old for me.  Oh my, it has been quite the week to even get to this point.  Today was the first day in nearly a month that I did not have to wake up to an alarm, and let me just say that it was an absolutely marvelous feeling!  Especially since I was up late relishing in all of the Halloween festivities.  I was a black kitty cat again *meow*!  I received a ton of compliments on my outfit and my makeup in which my inspiration I found on Pinterest (naturally). I hope everyone had an amazing Halloween evening!  The best part of mine was sitting in IHOP with my friends in the early hours of the morning and having a kind stranger pay for all of our meals!  I am sure he will have nothing but good karma for days.  It is gestures like these that remind me that there are some truly wonderful human beings in this world and that I should always try to go out of my way to treat other people.

On another note! Below is an outfit that I wore on earlier this week.  I was bored and was going through the tank top drawer of my dresser and stumbled upon my tribal print crop top that I had yet to wear.  I was immediately inspired and paired it with my mauve maxi skirt and layered on a cardigan and jacket.  What I appreciate so much about this outfit is how transitional it can be.  Depending on how I decide to layer the outerwear, I can wear this outfit in fall, spring, or summer.  I kept all the colors deep and earthy except for a pop of white to brighten the selection.  As usual, I topped my look off with some NARS lipstick and one of my many gold necklaces.  I am so excited for the fall season and to continue layering all of my looks!  It leaves so much room for creativity as well as the opportunity to mix and match.  Stay Posted!

With Love,

             Traci Lee

Get My Look!
   - H&M Maxi Skirt in Purple
   - Tribal Print Crop Top (Similar Style)
   - Nordstrom BP white cardigan (Similar Style)
   - Urban Outfitters Green Jacket (Similar Style)
   - Steve Madden Tblanket Moc Boot (Similar Style)
   - Urban Outfitters 'Rhinestone Zodiac Necklace' in Gemini

OOTD: Sunshine on a Cloud Day // Guest Threads

 Happy Monday my friends!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful Halloweekend!  Mine consisted of very little sleep due to costume parties every night, then needing to be up at the crack of dawn for a film project in the mornings.  But NO, that did not stop me from having a ball of a time!  I have probably consumed far too much caffeine for my own good.  But then again, I can never pass up a well made caramel hazelnut latte to liven my day!  I absolutely adore having an excuse to dress up so I always take full advantage of Halloween.  That being said, I was a black kitty cat one night and a Pokemon trainer the next.  Who knows what the 31st will bring! All I know is that I am going to be hanging out and having fun volunteering at a children's Halloween event! How fun!!

Anywho! The weather may be starting to simmer down and the days are becoming a little gloomy, but that won't stop me from wearing a shocking color to brighten the mood.  Below I am wearing my new red-orange H&M dress which is very simple but the silhouette is perfect for fall!  To break up the color, I accessorized with an abundance of gold jewelry and a thin gold belt that was my mother's when she was my age (so retro!).  I love digging through my moms closet and finding those timeless pieces that can be passed down through the generations.  I topped the look off with a pair of two tone suede heeled boots and my moss green Michael Kors bag for contrast. Stay posted for more fresh fall looks!

With Love,

            Traci Lee

Get My Look!
    - Dress: H&M Short Jersey Dress
    - Boots: Jessica Simpson Slouchy Heeled Boot (old)
    - Purse: Michael Kors Moss Bag (Similar Style)
    - Watch: Skagen Watch (Similar Style)
    - Bracelet: Anthropologie (old)
    - Necklace: Anthropologie 'Trios Necklace' (Old)
    - Belt: Passed down from my mom!


 

Guest Threads

Well well well! Here we are again.  Meet Haley!  Haley is my roommate and one of my best friends here at CWU.  I could not have asked for a better person to live with and we compliment each other in every way possible.  How would I describe her?  She is stunning, vivacious, charismatic, and has such a style that cannot possibly be perfectly defined.  She is the perfect eclectic combination of feminine meets grunge, meets earthy.  Imagine leather, lace, and fringe.  They are all different textures and finishes yet they all either compliment and contrast each other in the most intriguing of ways. She really should have been at her prime in the 70's!  Every day her look tells a different story and yet, she makes it look so effortless.  Yes, I envy her!  Snaps to Haley!

Get Haley's Look!
   - Dress: Tulle Dress (Similar Style)
   - Shirt: Lucky Brand Tee Shirt (Old)
   - Jacket: Nordstrom Trouve Parka (Similar Style)
   - Sweater: American Eagle (Similar Style)
   - Shoes: Forever 21 (Similar Style)
   - Black Opaque Tights

OOTD: Contrast

Well well well, look who we have here! I am so incredibly happy to say that I am back from my unnecessary hiatus!  It's funny how I told myself that the second I moved back to school, I would immediately start blogging again because I would be on a strict routine.  Little did I know that my strict routine would involve countless hours on campus every day, my weekends filled with getting up at the crack of dawn to work on movie projects, and every ounce of free time I usually spend sleeping. A woman has to get her beauty rest you know!  Let's just say that my caffeine consumption has been at an all time high and I am probably the only reason that the local Starbucks is still in business!  But hey!  I would not change what I am doing with my life with anything else in the world.  Pursuing bachelor degrees in Costume Design as well as in Fashion Merchandising, being president of my college Student Fashion Association, and all my other extra curriculars keep me busier than a bee, but I am surrounded by the most amazing and uplifting friends.  So much love for them!  

Anywho!  As we all know, fall has finally arrived! The air has a certain crispness to it, the leaves are changing colors and falling off their delicate branches, and sunset is coming earlier and earlier with each coming day.  However, for it being late October here in Ellensburg, the weather has been exceptionally warm.  I can last the day with nothing more than a cardigan and not be cold!  That being said, I have been using this as an excuse to continue wearing some of my favorite dresses without fear of the chills.  Yesterday I pulled my black and white polka-dot Urban Outfitters dress out of the back of my closet.  I paired it with a large red elastic belt with a golden clasp to break up the pattern of my dress.  As I typically do in fall and winter, I am wearing black opaque tights to keep my legs warm and stay modest.  I paired the look off with my black over-sized sweater.  Then the neighborhood cat 'Lawrence' came out to play and I just couldn't resist!  Being back at school means I have to be a little more practical with my outfits unfortunately so we shall see what this school year brings!  I plan to share the rest of my journey with all of you!  

With Love,

              Traci Lee 

Get My Look!
   - Urban Outfitters dress (Similar Style)
   - Forever 21 belt (old)
   - Aldo ankle booties (Similar Style)
   - Nordstrom BP cardigan (Similar Style)
   - Nordstrom BP opaque tights in black
   - See previous posts for rings!

OOTD: Falling into Fall

Hello friends!  It is very early Sunday morning here in Seattle and I really should be sleeping, but my mind can find many more interesting things to do!  I worked my last shift at Anthropologie for the summer today which was very bittersweet.  I have grown very close to my Anthro family but I know I will be seeing them all in a few short months for the holiday season!  I can't even fathom that Thanksgiving is only two and a half months away, let alone college classes starting back up in two weeks!  I guess time really does fly by when you are having this much fun.

Well, Seattle has seen nothing but rain and clouds for the last few days so i've been rocking more fall inspired looks.  I wore this outfit yesterday to go grocery shopping and run some errands with my best friend.  I based my outfit around my new AG Stevie Ankle jeans that I bought in the most amazing taupe/neutral color.  This is one of my favorite colors for clothing and can easily carry on into any season of the year.  I paired the jeans with a basic white v-neck tee shirt, a black dolman sleeve cardigan, and my favorite brown leather boots.  I felt my outfit was far too simple so i decided to whip out my brand new head turban that I just purchased from Urban Outfitters and add a dark, sultry lip.  I always figure, go big or go home, right? 

With Love,

              Traci Lee 

Get My Look!
   - Anthropologie 'AG Steve Ankle Jeans' in Sulfur Mocha
   - Nordstrom BP dolman sleeve cardigan (Similar Style!)
   - Target 'Mossimo Juniors V-Neck T" in White
   - Nordstrom BP 'Sutton Tall Boot' in Brown
   - Urban Outfitters 'Jersey Turban' in Black
   - Anthropologie 'Jeweled Fauna Cuff' in Red
   - Urban Outfitters Midi Ring (Similar Style!)
   - Urban Outfitters 'Rhine Stone Zodiac Necklace' in Gemini
   - NARS 'Terre De Feu' Lipstick

OOTD: Grey Skies

Happy Thursday friends! I cannot express how excited I am for the weekend.  I hope everyone has exciting plans, I know my Sunday is going to be filled with watching the Seahawks!  Anywho, below is my OOTD for the week.  I went to Seattle with my mom to do some errands and shopping (what I do best!).  Well just like every September, the days are getting shorter, it's getting a little colder, and the torrential downpours begin.  To adjust to this, I had to whip out my cozy black knit sweater and throw it over my Free People, Voile and Lace Trapeze Slip.  The voile slip is garment that needs to be in every woman's closet! It is simple, comes in an array of colors, and can be worn as a dress or a tunic top with jeans!  The possibilities are endless, which is why I own two of them!  Because I wore the sweater, I decided to balance out the heaviness of my outfit and wear the slip as a dress.  I pulled the look together with tall boots and knee high socks.  I must say, I am excited for fall, and the fashions that coincide with the season!  Stay posted!

With Love,

             Traci Lee

Get My Look!
   - Free People 'Voile and Lace Trapeze Slip' in Mustard
   - Nordstrom BP high low sweater (old)
   - Urban Outfitters 'Rhine Stone Zodiac Necklace' in Gemini
   - Urban Outfitters Midi Ring (Similar Style)
   - Pink & Pepper Tall Boot (Similar Style)
   - Knee High Knit Sock (old)
   - NARS 'Terre De Feu' Lipstick

OOTD: Transitions

Hello friends and happy Thursday!  I hope everyone has been having a fabulous week since my last post.  I know I have!  I have been all over the place really.  Between work, shenanigans in Seattle, and overnight trips to Ellensburg, I have been doing it all!  As I stated in my most recent post: SPONTANEITY is key!!  On another note, one of my favorite things about summer is the sun! (obviously...)  But what I love so much about the sun is what it does to my hair.  If you were to look at my past posts, you will notice how vivid and red my hair used to be.  This was before the sun had the chance to fill my locks with its rays of lusciousness.  I now have the most delightful natural highlights to add to my already existing balayage and frankly, I am living for it right now!  You can only get this look in the summer and It will sadly go away when I redye my hair back to the red.

Anywho...  This is a look i wore a few days ago when having a ladies day with my best friend Laura and my mom.  We did what girls do best... Shopping! I wanted to be simple yet comfortable for walking around so I threw on a dress which is a statement in itself, some ankle booties, and a neutral leather purse.  I polished the look off with a mauve lip and white rimmed aviators. (I always think they make me look kind of bad ass ha!)  I just recently put in a large order to Free People so stay tuned for a Clothing Haul!  Oh! And don't forget to enjoy some tea.  A Starbucks shaken passion green tea lemonade is my drink of the summer! what's yours??

With Love,

             Traci Lee

Get My Look
   - Free People Dress (old)
   - Target Mossimo 'Kodi Ankle Boot' in Taupe
   - Target 'Merona Satchel Handbag' in Cognac (old)
   - Anthropologie 'Albeit Lipstick' in Mauvette
   - Nordstrom BP Sunglasses (Similar Style)

Guest Threads: Sisterly Love

Hello friends! TGIF!  I apologize for my ridiculously long hiatus.  Life has kept me incredibly busy and on my toes lately.  That is one of my favorite things about life.  You can never truly plan on anything and it is always throwing you for a loop.  Spontaneity: this is my word of the summer  and the philosophy has been treating me quite well.  Frankly, I do not know what to do with all the lemonade from the lemons life has given me lately!  All I can say is do what is best for you, and do what makes you happy! Be happy, be healthy, and live your life =]

Now that i have gotten that out of my system, I have a new guest threads for you!  Meet my big sister, Stephanie! Stephanie is 24 years old and is one of my best friends.  Now, we may be sisters, but our styles could not be more different!  I would consider Stephanie's style to be preppy glam.  She is Kate Spade meets J Crew.  She loves to mix prints and patterns and is never afraid to accessorize.  If you look at her closet, you will see nothing but vivid hues, and vibrant jewelry.  Take a look and enjoy her style! 

 Get Her Look!
    - Anthropologie Skirt (Similar Style)
    - Nordstrom BP blouse (old)
    - Nordstrom Clark Artisan wedged bootie (Similar Style)
    - H&M Bracelet (old)
    - Anthropologie Necklace (old)
    - M.A.C Lipstick in 'Craving'

OOTD: Wedding Bells

Happy Saturday friends!  I am in very high spirits because I just arrived home from an incredible wedding!  Luckily, the lightning storms held off long enough for a ceremony full of sunshine and celebration.  I am a hopeless romantic and am absolutely obsessed with weddings!  It is so uplifting to see two people that love each other so much that they want to share their partnership with their family and friends.  Anywho, the wedding theme was Garden Party so everyone was instructed to wear something 'festive and bright',  So I felt that that my new cobalt Anthropologie dress was perfect for the occasion.  It is simple yet has details that make it stand out among the rest.  I curled my hair and put it into a low chignon and kept my accessories to a minimum. I wanted my look to be simple and fresh, and it helped that the corsage I was given contrasted perfectly against the blue of the dress.  They day, and the wedding was perfect.  Stay Posted!

With Love,

             Traci Lee

Get My Look
   - Anthropologie 'Aria Dress' in Blue
   - Anthropologie Wedges (old)
   - Nordstrom 'Arrow Station' Bracelet in Gold
   - Silver Bracelet (old)
   - Swarovski Bow Ring (Similar Style)
   - Bird Pinky Ring from Pike Place Market
   - Tiffany's Ring (Similar Style)
   - Garnet Ring (old)
   - M.A.C Lipstick in 'Craving'

OOTD: Lighten Up

Good evening!  Today was my big sister's 24th birthday! Naturally, we had to dress up for the occasion.  I recently splurged at Anthropologie and bought some white pants!  I am usually against purchasing white pants because they are just going to get dirty the moment you put them on.  However, I got them for an incredibly reasonable price so I decided to take a leap of faith.  I felt like rocking some pastels so I wore my mint peplum top, detailed wedges, and my new brown leather bag.  I biggest hope is that it would not make my awful sunburn more prominent.  Word of advice:  have sunscreen handy at all times!  That is all, stay posted!

With Love,

        Traci Lee

Get My Look

   - Anthropologie 'Katrine Peplum Top'

   - Anthropologie 'Pilcro Stet Slim Cropped Jeans'

   - Anthropologie Wedges (old)

   - Anthropologie 'Trios Necklace' in black

   - Target 'Merona Satchel Handbag' in Cognac

   - Lipstick 'Revlon Fuchsia Fusion'

OOTD: On a Whim

Happy Monday!  It's been a busy past few days between work, and visiting old high school friends.  Finally, I have a chance to post!  Today I did some errands with my mom, so I put on a simple frock that was easy to throw on.  This romper from Anthropologie is one of the newest additions to my closet.  It is flirty, fun, and has low back.  I paired it with bright jewel tones to contrast against the black.  I kept it simple since I only had a few minutes to get ready, but I got quite a few compliments on my romper!  Stay posted for more!

With Love,

             Traci Lee

Get My Look
   - Anthropologie 'Ruffled Lexa Romper' in Black (On sale!!)
   - Urban Outfitters Blue Flats (Similar Style)
   - Anthropologie 'Trios Necklace' n Black
   - M.A.C Satin Lipstick in Rebel

In Between The Bites: Macarons

Happy hump day!!  We have almost made it to the weekend!  So earlier this week i blabbed about my obsession for macarons.  Well I just couldn't resist attempting to make them!  I've heard from various sources that they are difficult to prep and make but I figured I would just go for it! YOLO!  As mentioned in my previous post, a Macaron consists of a meringue shell, a flavored filling, then a meringue shell.  It looks like a cute and colorful sandwich!

This post does not tell you exactly how to make the Macaron, but how the recipe I have listed below worked for me.  I have documented my progress and how it easy it was to make.  

First of all, I got the recipe that I used for the meringue shells from the Food Network.  You can find the specific recipe I used HERE.  Ingredients you will need are:

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cups almond flour or almond meal
3 egg whites (At room temperature!)
1/4 cup sugar

Lastly, a filling of your choice.  I did a homemade raspberry buttercream in which I found HERE.

The almond flour/ almond meal is very important!  This cannot be replaced with any other flour.  I used almond meal that I found at Trader Joe's.  You can find  almond flour at any natural foods store like PCC or Whole Foods, and limited Costcos carry 3lb bags.

As instructed in the recipe, you need to sift the powdered sugar and the almond meal together.  This helps blend the mixture and get rid of larger pieces of almond and unclump the powdered sugar.

 If you follow the instructions in the recipe with the egg whites and sugar, you will get a lovely meringue.  It will look very similar to what I have pictured below.  It will be glossy and create high peaks when you lift out your hand blender.  Note:  It takes a good 5 to 10 minutes of using your hand blender on high to get such results so be patient!

After you have created your meringue, you then add HALF of the almond/powdered sugar mixture into the meringue.  You do not stir but more fold the mixture until is spread through evenly.  You then add the rest of the almond flour/ sugar and keep folding the mixture another 15 to 20 times until the powder is mixed thoroughly through the meringue. 

This is when you add the food coloring!  Do not add the food coloring when you are initially creating the meringue!  This could mess up the consistency of the egg whites and never let your meringue settle.  If possible, use a food coloring paste. You want to keep as much moisture out of the macaron as possible or else it will crack when cooking.

After you have mixed together your meringue and almond/sugar, I poured the mixture into a large ziplock bag and cut a very small hole in the corner of the ziplock. (I do not have pastry bags so this is a makeshift way to pipe the macarons).  After you have lined a baking sheet with parchment paper, you ca start piping your macarons! As you can see, I added a purple food coloring paste to make my macarons purple.  Some people draw 1-inch circle guides when piping their macarons, but I did it freehand.  I had issues keeping the sizes consistent but I didn't mind too much.

NOTE: I wish I had cut the hole in my ziplock bag even smaller so I could better control the piping of the meringue.

NOTE: The recipe calls for the oven to be at 350 degrees. For better results, I would lower the heat to 325 or 300 to see how it would turn out. 

After letting meringue settling on the pan for 15 minutes, you start to bake them!  As instructed from the recipe, halfway through the baking time, Your switch the rack that your two pans are on to make sure they bake through evenly.  Below is what my shells looked like after baking!  They are a lovely purple and rose perfectly.

Here is a picture of some finished raspberry macarons!  I was very satisfied with the results, though I would make a few minor changes with baking to try to get even better results.  If you missed it, there is a link to the raspberry buttercream filling under the ingredients list above.

I hope you enjoy and try to make some yourself!  I am now off to go eat my delicious treats!  Stay posted!

With Love,

             Traci Lee