Triple Max Tons: September 2011

FALL 2011 TREND: RED

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

Fire engine red, crimson, scarlet, or poppy....pick your preferred red hue, and run with it. It's a classic and sexy color that never really goes out of style (there is a reason why Louboutains have a red sole!). I actually have very little red in my wardrobe, and - aside from my fave red lipstick - it's a color I don't usually wear. Perhaps that will change this season. Most of my picks featured above are under $100, making them easy on both the eyes and the wallet.

8:20 AM
6 Comments

ETSY FINDS: FORTUNE BY KIM DULANEY

Etsy

When I got a lovely little email from Kim introducing me to her line of one-of-a-kind jewelry, I was enamored instantly. Most materials she uses are either hard to find or vintage, so you know what that means...head on over to the Fortune by Kim Dulaney Etsy shop, and act fast or be forever sorry.

8:39 AM
2 Comments

HOW TO TIE A SCARF

accessories

Hi guys! So I decided to make my very first "vlog" (AHHHH!) about how to style one of my most favorite accessories for spring and fall....scarves! The volume is really quiet thanks to a super wonky microphone, so crank up your speakers to the max blast level, grab some popcorn, whip out your fave scarf and play along. I really hope you enjoy checking out this tutorial on how I like to tie my scarves....with some luck, some of you will find an inspiring new way to rock yours.

1:50 PM
7 Comments

FALL 2011 TREND: POLKA DOTS

accessories

When polka dots popped up on the fall runways of Marc Jacobs, Collette Dinnigan, and Diane Von Furstenburg, all I could think of was my pal K.Pete. It's funny how certain trends pop up, and you can't help but be reminded of a person, place or special time. Needless to say, because of their fashionable presence and the friendly face associated with them, I have a particular fondness for the dainty dots (or as we like to call them, "polkies"). They are a definite "do" for fall....just do me a solid, and don't wear all your polka pieces at once. Unless looking like a piece of confetti is your thing. Hehe!

Are any of you planning on adding this timeless pattern to your fall wardrobes? What is your fave way to incorporate polka dots into your look?

{Shop The Look}

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

10:37 AM
6 Comments

ETSY FINDS: DEATH AND TEXAS

accessories

The name may be a bit frightening, but the canvas and leather bags and belts by Death and Texas are just right. Think pared down basics with simple but beautiful details designed by a Texan - inspired by all things in her native state- living in Brooklyn.

8:20 AM
5 Comments

SKINNY SPANAKOPITA (GREEK SPINACH PIE)

food and recipes

After looking at a ton of spanakopita recipes that were laden with enough fat to put a whale to shame, I decided to "freestyle" in the kitchen yet again and took out a bunch of ingredients that were not so kind to the hips. I have to say, my version is flavorful, light, satisfying, and relatively guilt-free.This is not your typical butter-filled spinach pie that negates the benefits of its good-for-you veggie namesake. Yeah....you're gonna want to go ahead and bookmark this recipe right about now.

1 lb phyllo, frozen (you can use ½ lb to save some extra calories)

2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen spinach

1 lb. cheese – I used a 6 oz container of feta, and 12 oz of low fat cottage cheese

¼ tsp. salt

6 eggs, well beaten

1 cup onion, finely chopped

¼ cup leeks or scallions, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh dill, minced

¼ cup fresh parsley, minced

½ cup oil

½ stick butter

Defrost phyllo dough 2 hours ahead of time, then keep it cool until ready to use.

Defrost spinach by placing in a fine colander, and let thaw. Press out as much water as you can. Mix cheese, eggs, salt, onion, leeks, herbs, and spinach in a bowl. Set aside.

Melt the oil and butter in a small sauce pot. Using a pastry brush, generously grease up a square or rectangle cake pan using the butter/oil mixture.

Gently unwrap the phyllo. Take the top half of the phyllo, and cover the rest until you are ready to use it (phyllo dries out quickly). Layer the bottom of the pan one phyllo sheet at a time, carefully brushing on the butter/oil mixture in between each layer. Be sure to let the pyhllo hang over the edges – don’t trim it off!

Spread all the spinach mixture evenly over the phyllo, including the corners. Cover with remaining phyllo using the same method as before.

Roll the overhanging edges and tuck them in around the inside edges of the pan. Brush the top with oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

{Image by Triple Max Tons}

8:06 AM
3 Comments

RAVEN + LILY DEBUTS E-BOUTIQUE

giving back

Established by a group of creative artists who have a passion for social justice and the environment, Raven + Lily is a modern day design house dedicated to creating economic opportunities and partnerships for impoverished women both locally and globally. And guess what?! You can buy their pretty bits and baubles online now....yippeeee!

At first glance, the jewelry and paper goods are certainly covetable...but then you hear the story behind them. Stories of Ethiopian women taking old bullet shells found in their war ravaged villages, and turning them into the delicate beads used in the necklaces to benefit victims of HIV/AIDS. Stories of marginalized women in India who gain employment and sustainability for themselves and their families by crafting stationery and journals from 100% recycled materials. Yea. Wow. It's just a beautiful thing all around.

6:48 PM
2 Comments

SEEING DOUBLE: GOING FOR THE GLITZ

Marin, a shop by Erica Tanov & Elie Tahari Spring 2012 RTW

8:33 AM
6 Comments

GARDENER & MARKS INTERIOR DESIGN

interior design

When I saw the gorgeous work of Australian interior designers Lyn Gardener and Amanda Henderson-Marks of Gardener & Marks, I couldn't help but proclaim "Beam me up, Aussie...I'm ready to move in." An odd choice of words considering I do NOT like Star Trek...or anything involving aliens for that matter.

{via desire to inspire}

9:35 AM
4 Comments

RIFLE PAPER CO. AUTUMN 2011 COLLECTION

stationary

I can hardly believe that it is already fall...summer whizzed by so fast. That's not to say I don't welcome it though. Fall is my favorite! In the spirit of greeting this season with open arms, have you seen the latest from Rifle Paper Co.? If not, I suggest you take a peek....and while you're at it, you can also take 15% off all the 'featured' products using code AUTUMN (expires 9/27). Now that's a little something to be thankful for.

8:35 AM
0 Comments

HOMEMADE SUSHI ROLLS

food and recipes

My dearest readers, have any of you ever tried making your own sushi? It is seriously fun and surprisingly easy (once you get the hang of it). My mom, husband and I prepped by watching this DIY sushi video from Epicurious, and we decided to make our very own version of a spicy crab roll and a Philly roll. Hope this inspires some of you to get creative in the kitchen, and try this for yourselves at home. It would be such a fun thing to do for a date night or DIY dinner party!

Bamboo rolling mat
Nori seaweed
Sushi rice
Rice Wine Vinegar
Smoked salmon (lox)
Cream cheese
Imitation crab meat
Mayonnaise
Sriracha
Avocado
Cucumber
Carrot
Sesame seeds
Soy sauce
Pickled ginger
Wasabi

1. Note: Amounts of rice, water, and vinegar will vary depending on how much you are making. When I woke up that morning, I made the sushi rice according to the instructions on the package. You put the rice in a glass bowl, and basically rinse it like 7439508405943 times. The goal is to have the water run clear when you swish it around in the bowl. Once that is finished (or you loose patience like I did and decide it was 'good enough'), pour the rice and cold water into a pot. Cover, and bring to a boil then let simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the burner and let it chill for 10 minutes. After that 10 minutes is over, mix in some rice wine vinegar. Let that cool off in the fridge, since warm rice makes the nori kind of soggy and super easy to tear. Trust me.

2. Start prepping the ingredients. Peel and thinly slice the veggies. Shred the crab meat and mix in the spicy sauce (a mixture of mayo and sriracha...just keep taste testing until it's spicy enough for you). Slice the cream cheese into skinny 1/8" strips. Get two bowls of cold water (I'll tell you why in the next step). In this step, do whatever it is you need to do to make the assembly of the rolls as easy as possible!

3. After that, you are pretty much ready to rock n' roll your sushi! I saw a video tutorial where someone put their bamboo mat in a big plastic Ziploc bag, which is brilliant because it keeps your mat clean. We started with a 1/2 sheet of nori like the Epicurious video suggests, but the rolls were so overstuffed that they wouldn't close (hence the reject pile!). So, after that, we decided to make things easier and worked with a whole sheet of nori after that.

4. Dips your hands in the cold water so you don't become a sticky rice magnet. Grab about a handful of rice, and spread it out on the nori, leaving about a 1/2" of free space to seal the roll up. Sprinkle on sesame seeds. Mom got a little fancy with one of her rolls and did it "inside out" style...you can find a vid tutorial here. Now's the time to put your fillings in. Here's what we used for the Philly rolls: nori, rice, sprinkle of sesame seeds, rolled up salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, and avocado. Here's what we used for the spicy crab rolls: nori, rice, sprinkle of sesame seeds, spicy crab mixture, carrots, cucumber, and avocado.

5. Roll it up! Seal the free edge with some water. Dip your knife in some water so it glides through the roll easily, and cut it in half. Then take the two halves, put them side by side, and cut into thirds.

6. Place your rolls on a plate with some soy sauce, ginger and wasabi. Proceed to stuff yourself silly on your very delicious and homemade sushi!

12:36 PM
10 Comments

PINTEREST PINS: BLACK AND WHITE

inspiration

{1 via Haute Design , 2 via Randomitus, 3 via Vibrant, 4 via Haute Design, 5 via The Proper Stranger, 6 via Picky Palate}

12:42 PM
7 Comments

A DAY OF REMEMBERING

inspiration

{image from all things stylish via pinterest}

Today is a day of rememberance. Remebering those whose innocent lives were taken out of hatred and horror, those who courageously fought to help those in need, and those who continue to fight for our freedom and country. No matter how horrible the economy is or what drama there may be in our lives, today is a day that puts it all into perspective. Each moment that passes us by is a blessing, and the time we have here on Earth ought to be cherished. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by 9/11. God bless.

12:14 PM
2 Comments

TAKE HEART

accessories

I happened upon Take Heart by somewhat of a fluke…I was in the area meeting the two lovely ladies behind Rene Guest Jewelry, and had to walk back over to the west side of Austin to meet my husband. A very cool looking shop across the street caught my eye, and I darted on over to check it out. The shop that commanded my attention is called Take Heart, and simply put, it rocked my world.

Thanks to owner Nina Gordon’s discerning eye and impeccable taste, the shop is full of well-designed modern, handmade, and vintage objects for the home and person. I nabbed a grey and ivory striped towel from Hamamist, an agave and honeysuckle scented candle from Sydney Hale Co that I seriously can’t stop sniffing (is that weird?), and a beautiful birthday card from Dutch Door Press for my mom’s upcoming birthday. I had to stop myself there, but the beautiful pottery from Keith Kreeger, bunting banners with sweet little sayings, and super cool wooden vases from Brian David Johnson were equally tempting.

Their website states that “Our hope is that Take Heart will inspire creativity and invite one to take time to appreciate life’s beautiful details.” Mission accomplished, Nina!

Take Heart, 1111 East 11th Street, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78702

1:07 PM
2 Comments

ETSY FINDS: BARK DECOR

accessories

I am so excited about finding Bark Decor that my head just might explode. I want everything - yes, EVERYTHING - in this amazing Etsy shop. Wish I had known about Sara and her awesome scarves, pillows, tees, jewelry, and decor while I was living in Boston...would have visited her studio there, and acted like a kid in a candy shop. Keep up the amazing work, Sara!

9:04 AM
4 Comments

TASTY HOTELS BY ALEX PROFIT

interior design

With summer's end and our next getaway far off into the distant horizon, it looks as though the hubby and I will have to start getting excited for 'staycations.' Thanks to Alex Profit's website Tasty Hotels, a collection of his photographs from amazing hotels around the world, that shouldn't be a problem. Let the fantasies about dreamy locales, fluffy beds, and mini shampoo bottles begin.

{via The Wonderlust Journal}

7:36 AM
3 Comments

KALE & QUINOA SALAD

food and recipes

This is one of those 'freestyle' salads that I whipped up from whatever was on hand in the fridge...and it was oh-so-tasty. I've dubbed this my "Super Kir" salad because it fills me up and supercharges for the rest of the day. If any of you haven't ever had kale before, it tastes like a slightly bitter version of broccoli and is chock full of vitamins and antioxidants.

How did I make this leafy concoction you may be wondering? Fret not, I will share the "recipe" (if you can ever call it that). First, I washed and dried the kale then put it into a big bowl. I dumped some leftover quinoa into the bowl, grated some asiago cheese, squirted some lemon juice in, and lightly coated the leafs with some olive oil. Gave it a taste test...it was good, but missing something. I went back to the fridge, and found a fresh batch of my mom's AMAZING homemade walnut pesto, and I tossed a big dollop of that into the bowl. Magic happened. The flavors all came together in perfect harmony, and I happily noshed on my lean and green lunch after I finished its little photo shoot.

Tempted by the blueberry pie sitting on the counter but not wanting to blow my healthy lunch, I then bit into a gloriously juicy peach to appease my insatiable sweet tooth.