Friday, May 20, 2011

STYLE :: High Heels

A guy asked me this morning whether any woman actually liked to wear high heels. He stared at me like I was crazy after I immediately replied, "Why yes, many women love to!" A few girls quickly swung to my defense, repeating my statement. It was a chorus of heel lovers.

Other guys joined in with question upon question about our quest for beauty.

"But don't they hurt?" "Is it hard to balance?" "Does the heel ever get stuck?"


We explained that yes, they do hurt but that they also elevate any outfit. Sometimes its just fun to wear heels. I usually wear heels when I'm doing something out to the ordinary: going out with friends, going to a celebratory dinner, going to the ballet. It always involves going somewhere, doing something.

Also, you kind of get that 'rule the world' feeling when you are suddenly 4 inches taller. 

One of the boys eventually relented. "Well, I do really love how you girls look in them."

We win.

What do you think? Are you the high heels type?

Whitney

P.S. In other news, the site where my old blog layout was from no longer exists (much to my chagrin). Looks like it is time for another blog background!

Monday, May 16, 2011

FOOD :: Banana Crumb Muffins

Announcement: After one full week of living in my new apartment, I have finally pulled out the mixing bowl and created my first baked masterpiece. This oven never knew that it would ever get to bake such deliciousness!

I ran (literally, for a morning jog) down to Food Lion with the full intention of buying ingredients to make a strawberry rhubarb crumble. To my dismay, I discovered that rhubarb is not yet in season. Never fear! I pulled out my handy dandy iPhone and found a replacement recipe in seconds.

Everybody give a round of applause for these tasty banana crumb muffins:


I know you're dying to heat up the oven immediately and bake these babies for yourself. Well it is your lucky day, because I have the recipe for you right here, on this very blog!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 bananas, mashed
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon butter


Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers. (I prefer muffin papers, solely because they are cuter)
  2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. You could probably cut these ingredients in half. It was more than enough scrumptious cinnamonness.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.


The last step, as always, is to enjoy your baked goods and share them with friends!

Whitney

Sunday, May 8, 2011

FOOD :: The drink of the South :: Mint Julep

Missed the Kentucky Derby?

Well I did too.

Yesterday marked the 137th Kentucky Derby!! I wish, I wish with all my might that I was there but it looks like I will have to wait till the 138th Derby.

Whether you were there or not, this is the weekend to celebrate the Southern classic. To get in the derby spirit, I invite you to whip up a classic Mint Julep. The up side? This mint julep, unlike the official mint julep at the event, does not have a $1000 price tag. Whew!

Here is the official recipe from Southern Living and AllRecipes.com (don't worry, I tested it):

{Image courtesy of Southern Weddings, photographed by Tracy Turpen}


  • Ingredients:
  • fresh mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Mint Simple Syrup
  • Crushed ice
  • 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) bourbon
  • (4-inch) cocktail straw or coffee stirrer
  • fresh mint sprig
  • Powdered sugar (optional)

Preparation

  • Place mint leaves and Mint Simple Syrup in a chilled julep cup. Gently press leaves against cup with back of spoon to release flavors. Pack cup tightly with crushed ice; pour bourbon over ice. Insert straw, place mint sprig directly next to straw, and serve immediately. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
  • Note: For testing purposes only, we used Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select Bourbon.

  • Now put on your big floppy derby hat and cheers to Animal Kingdom's victory!
  • ~Whitney

Thursday, May 5, 2011

LIFE :: Moving day

A lot of people hate moving. They hate the hassle of packing and unpacking, they get upset about leaving their old home behind. I'm not one of those people.


Whether I'm moving down the road (like this time) or across the country, I am always excited for the adventures that come along with moving to a new place. Right now, I'm boxing up everything in my room and hauling it out to my car. So far, it's been a great work out.

I've been collecting furniture from Craigslist and FreeCycle and I plan on posting a full round up of my (nearly) free finds next week.

Off to finish packing!!
Whitney

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

LIFE :: Busy, busy

Hi friends! I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be MIA for the next few days. Why? Well, I'm in a MAJOR period of transition. I'm finishing up finals, preparing for summer school, starting a new position at work (yay!) AND moving to my very first apartment. All this week.


I'm very excited about all of the changes in my life and I can't wait to report on some of them.

Happy Blogging!
Whitney

Friday, April 29, 2011

STYLE :: THE Dress

Truly, madly, deeply in love with Kate Middleton's Alexander McQueen gown.
{image courtesy of Getty}

Want to see more of this classic, gorgeous lace-sleeved dress? Fashionista rounded up a collection of images from the wedding that shows the gown from every angle.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

LIFE :: Sail Away

I'm considering skipping all of my finals and sailing away in this beauty.

{image courtesy of Velvet Italia May 2011 photographed by Marcus Ohlsson}

In all actuality, I guess I will continue studying.... but a sailing adventure does sound tempting.
Whitney

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

FASHION :: Water for Elephants

This weekend, I went to see Water for Elephants which finally came out in theaters and it was just as excellent as I had hoped. I have a horrible fear of movie adaptations but it has been almost three years since I read the book and I think enough time has passed for me to forgive any artistic liberties.

While the plot was wondrous, my favorite parts of WFE were Reese Witherspoon's drop-dead gorgeous outfits. From the slinky evening gowns to her casual headscarves, I'd wear nearly every piece of clothing in the film, even though it is supposed to be based in the 1930s!

Jacqueline West designed the costumes for Water for Elephants.  She has also designed the clothing for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and The Tree of Life (due out later this year).






Above are some sketches that Jacqueline made for InStyle magazine. I am fascinated by Ms. West's ability to bring these sketches to life in the film. Which sketch is your favorite? I'm particularly keen on Reese's red gown.

The time has come or me to continue studying for tomorrow's exam!

Whitney

Monday, April 25, 2011

Monday Magic :: America

I've spent the majority of the weekend and ALL of today finishing up a term paper that is due at midnight. My brain is fried and I've typed so much that I may have developed carpal tunnel in one day. Solution: the picture will do the talking for me. Enjoy this awesome infographic of sorts from HaleyForEtsy!

 P.S. According to this, North Carolina is known for fashion bloggers. I'd tend to agree!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

SPORT :: Tennis

 {image courtesy of ritzybee.typepad.com}

Off to play some tennis this morning to celebrate the lovely weather and the fact that I'm officially on Easter break!

It's taking me a while to get a hang of the game but I'm enjoying my attempts. Plus, I promised myself that once I've played for two months, I'm allowed to get a cute tennis skirt. It's all about incentives, my friends!

What's your favorite sport?

Whitney

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

FASHION :: Formal Night

This past weekend, I had my sorority formal and I got the chance to get all gussied up. Here's a Polyvore of my lovely outfit:



There are some minor differences, mainly in that I couldn't find my exact dress online. This substitute is gorgeous, but at a whopping $425 it isn't feasible on a college budget. I really, REALLY lucked out with this dress though. I walked into Nordstrom Rack on Tuesday, tried on exactly one dress and fell in love. Even better? It was 60% off the lowest marked price so I was met with a lovely surprise at the register. Final price for the gorgeous gown? $35!! You just can't beat that.

I also wore stunning earrings named after yours truly. If you haven't checked out Modest Peach, do so now. All of the jewelry on Modest Peach is exactly my style. Click on Earrings and then click on Whitney to see my pair.

Here are some pictures of the dress in action:


Tell me, are you more of the dress up type or the dress down type?

xoxo,
Whitney

Monday, April 18, 2011

LIFE :: North Carolina Tornadoes

This past Saturday, a storm system ripped across North Carolina. The weather was perfect for tornadoes and a total of 62 twisters touched the ground over the period of a few hours. The devastation is widespread and my own hometown of Raleigh was hit rather hard. Thankfully, all of my family and friends as well as their property is safe, but as of right now, twenty-two people have lost their lives in this storm and countless homes have been destroyed.

I was in Chapel Hill, a few miles down the road from Raleigh, when all of this occurred and it feels very surreal. The storm was not bad in Chapel Hill and within 20 minutes the sun was shining. It is really crazy that tornadoes can cause such destruction in an isolated area and everything else remains unharmed.




My warmest thoughts go out to all those North Carolinians affected by the tornadoes. If you would like to help out after this disaster, please make a donation to the Triangle Red Cross. This money will go to providing shelters and food as people recover and begin rebuilding their lives.

~Whitney~

All images courtesy of wral.com

Thursday, April 14, 2011

STYLE :: Sarah Pinto and Water for Elephants

At the very tip-top of my I-want-it-now list are these adorable preppy planners from Sarah Pinto.


I'm particularly in love with the pink and green elephant design. Maybe the reason behind the elephant obsession is the much anticipated movie, Water for Elephants. I LOVED the book and I'm desperately hoping that the movie won't let me down.

Either way, there have been a lot of elephant pictures floating around the blogosphere as of late and I smile every time I see one. Did you see the stunning shoot in Vogue this month with Reese Witherspoon and her elephant pal? As long as we keep getting stunning pictures like these, I don't care if the movie is good or bad!




{photos courtesy of Peter Lindbergh for Vogue}

What do you think? Do you have elephant fever? Are you planning on seeing the movie?

Until later,
Whitney

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

FASHION :: COUTURevolution

This past Sunday I attended the second annual COUTURevolution fashion show in Chapel Hill. The show featured sustainable fashions designed by UNC students and my dear roommate Liz was one of the models. Designers used vintage fabrics, recycled fabrics and natural fibers to create stunning outfits.

It was held outdoors in the beautiful Forest Theater and we couldn't have asked for better weather. 75 and sunny. Oh fab.

I was so impressed with the amount of work the volunteers put in as well as how creative and AWESOME some of the styles were. Here were my favorites:


 LOVE the back of this dress!



 Oh look! It's my roommate!
 Yes, that is a skirt made out of newspaper.
 This one stole the show. Isn't it gorgeous? It is entirely made out of newspaper. Even better, it is all created from the Daily Tar Heel, UNC's newspaper. Stunning.





 Backstage with the models.
Doesn't she look fierce? You can check out the rest of the professional photos by Chris Florio here.

Which design is your favorite?

Happy Tuesday!

Whitney

Monday, April 11, 2011

LIFE :: Google Reader

Oh jeeze. I try to steer clear of my computer on the weekends but then I have to come back to my Google Reader. Today I had 305 unread posts and after a few minutes reading, I'm only down to 246.


As much as I love Google Reader and every single blog that I follow, maybe I should do a purge soon? It is giving me some unnecessary anxiety and also is tempting me to waste a HUGE block of time as I peruse my own little blogosphere. Do you use Google Reader? How many blogs do you follow?

Friday, April 8, 2011

FRIDAY FIX :: Bakery

Mark my words, I'm going to open a bakery someday.


 And someday when I get my own kitchen (aka next month), I'm baking these puppies. Sea Salt Caramel Brownies.

What's your favorite dessert?

Thursday, April 7, 2011

LIFE :: Carolina Cup 2011 :: The Whalegate Party

Out of the three years that I've attended Carolina Cup, I'd venture to say that this year blew my other dates with the Cup out of the water!

We awoke in the wee hours of the morning (4:30am) because we were supposed to be at the fraternity house, ready to go, at 5:30. When we arrived at 5:30, we were the first ones there (of course), and the majority of the boys were still asleep (of course). So we took a string of unflattering early morning photos:

 Note the random chair on the couch. Questionable.

We eventually got on the bus (only an hour late) and started the journey to Camden, SC. Country music were the tunes of choice and more than a few sing-a-longs were involved.

Once we made it to Camden, the good news started pouring in.
1. Our tent was A5. Right on the fences. I saw so many horses!
2. lunch was CATERED barbeque. Delicious.
3. It was sunny and warm. Weather makes all the difference!






 My day mainly consisted of finding various friends from different schools, taking pictures with them, taking pictures of horses, and taking pictures of the Vineyard Vines patchwork SUV.  How awesome is that?





Unlike last year, I did not break any electronics!!! This is a big step in the right direction.

We left the fields around 5:30 and nearly every person slept on the trip home. I'm still catching up on sleep, I swear!

Okay, I'm off to go take an exam (ew). Wish me luck!

Did you go to the Cup? 

~Whitney

P.S. I promise this is the last time I'll talk about Carolina Cup for at least a year! I'm sure you are all grateful for that.
 
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