Powdered Pigment

I hope you guys are enjoying the weekend.  I'm having a quiet, still-in-my-PJs kind of day:)  We ended up with free tickets to see Jim Gaffigan last night.  I'm really not a fan of going to see comedians.  Every other comedy show we have been to has been very cheesy/lame, but this one was actually pretty fun.  We definitely laughed a lot, so I will count it as a success! 

Last weekend, we celebrated Ben's birthday.  He is a whole 3 weeks older than me, so for the 3 weeks following his birthday, I like to really rub it in :)  It was especially fun last year when, for those 3 weeks, he was 'in his 30s' while I was still 'in my 20s'.  For his big day, we went out to dinner at Bollywood Theater, out for drinks at Bin 21, and then we made our way back home to enjoy some dessert I picked up from Papa Haydn.  It was a fun and delicious evening, plus I finally got to break out my Powdered Pigment Dress!

Dress:  Anthropologie Powdered Pigment Dress (Plenty by Tracey Reese)
Shoes:  All Black via Anthropologie

Double Scoop

I hope you all are having a fabulous long weekend!  Today was the perfect mixture of fun and relaxation with a little bit of productivity thrown in.  Ben's birthday was on Friday and we have been  in celebration mode since then.  We went out to pick up some dog food and ended up  making a pit stop for burgers and beer.....and ice cream:) 

Top:  J. Crew
Jeans:  AG Stevies via Anthropologie
Shoes:  Birkenstocks

Beachwear

Ben and I spent last weekend at the coast.  We had a wonderful time hanging out with friends, walking on the beach, and relaxing.   We enjoyed a beautiful hike on Sunday, and got to see some incredible views of the coastline.  We make numerous trips to the coast every year (it's about an hour and a half from home), but this is the first time we have stayed over.  It was a nice little getaway! 

Switching gears, I want to show off my new top.  After seeing the J. Crew polka dot chambray shirt on AppGal (here) and Molly (here), I decided to take the plunge and buy my very first chambray top.  I'm glad I did.  I love it and I can definitely see  this top getting a lot of wear this fall.   

Cami:  J. Crew
Top:  J. Crew Perfect Shirt in Chambray Polka Dot
Jeans:  AG Stevie via Anthropologie
Shoes:  Chaco

Drinking Vinegar

After seeing this recipe for drinking vinegar, I decided to give it a try.  I have always loved vinegar.  I add lots of it to my collard greens and fried okay, among other things (if you've never had fried okra with vinegar, you are missing out!).  Last year, I discovered apple cider vinegar drinks from Bragg (here).  I not really a fan of soda, so these have become my go-to for those times that I want something other than water or tea.  The grape is my favorite, but all of the flavors are good.       

This is my first attempt at making my own drinking vinegar, and I am very happy with the way it turned out.  Instead of peaches, I decided to go with Cherries.  We have an abundance on local/organic cherries in Portland right now, and I can't get enough.   This recipe was very easy, but it does have to sit/steep for 5 days, so plan ahead!

Here is the recipe, via Blissful Blog:

Ingredients:
1 pound ripe peaches or any other fruit you desire, pears, apples, plums, blackberries
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup fresh herbs such as thyme, basil or tarragon
½ cup sugar or more to taste
soda water
ice

Rinse the fruit and remove any seeds.  Place in a large pot and lightly mash the fruit with a wooden spoon.  Pour in enough vinegar to cover the fruit and cover the top with a lid.  Let the mixture macerate at room temperature for 5 days, stirring once a day.
  
After 5 days, stir in the ½ cup sugar bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Add the herbs, let the mixture cool for 20 minutes and then strain. 

To serve add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the syrup to a large glass filled with ice and then fill the rest of the glass with soda water.  If the mixture is too tart add a little more sugar to the syrup mixture.  The syrup will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.


Perfect for hot summer day!

Darling

Zulily is having a great sale today on items from the London-based company, Darling (thanks for the heads up Breakfast at Anthropologie!).  Anthropologie has carried a few gorgeous pieces from Darling, including the popular Wispy Cirrus Blouse.  That is how I initially discovered Darling and I have been admiring  their pieces ever since. 

Here is what I scored today:

Shadow Pandoro Sleeveless Top

Shadow Julianne Cardigan

Orchid Paula Scarf

Click here to check out the Zulily sale!  Don't forget to go through Ebates for 3.5% cashback.   Also, enter the promo code SAVINGZU82 for an extra 10% off (when spending $50 or more).  Yes, I am an enabler:)

Do you own anything from this brand?  Anything from the sale tempting you?