Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Civil Wars - I've Got This Friend

I hadn't heard of this band until they performed at The Grammys, and now I'm all about them. Their album "Barton Hollow" came out in February 2011



They're currently touring in Europe but will be back in the U.S. in May - and are performing at Sasquatch this year.



Grammy photo via.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Andrew Belle - The Ladder

I accidentally stumbled upon this song, and have been loving it the last week. His album "The Ladder" came out back in February 2010, but his new EP "The Daylight" comes out February 28th.


I have also been listening to his song, "Don't Blame Yourself" for the past week. It's all pretty mellow, but really, the whole album is just so good.


EP cover via.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Chorizo-Tomato Stew

I have been making this stew for a number of years now, because I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, and true to a Rachel Ray recipe, it is easy to throw together.



(Thanks to my great uncle in Idaho, most everyone in my family always has a backlog of Basque Chorizo in the freezer.)

Like most stews, it is super flexible and forgiving. I don't always poach an egg to go on top, but it is super delicious. The same thing goes for making the "garlic crouton" to put in the bottom of the bowl. I probably make it half the time, but there's already garlic in the stew, so the other half of the time I just serve it with bread to sop up all the delicious broth left over.

This time I threw in some fresh thyme because I had it and didn't add in too much spice because the Basque Chorizo is pretty flavorful. I also go back and forth on the zest and parsley topping, seen below. It is tasty and brightens up the dish, but sometimes I can't be bothered. When I made this the other day, I still had some of the rosemary olive oil left over from the mushroom barley soup, and so put that over the top instead.

Chorizo-Tomato Stew, originally from Rachel Ray:

Top photo mine, bottom photo via.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

I am loving this song this week. I've been listening to it on repeat, and have yet to entertain getting sick of it.



Their four song EP, "Into the Woods," came out back in December. Their full length album, "My Head is an Animal" is coming out April 3rd in the US and Canada (it's already been released in Iceland). They're touring in North America in March and April too.


EP album cover via.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Gray Day





{Sweater: Target; Dress: Jason Wu for Target; Belt: J. Crew (old, similar to this); Tights: Target; Boots: Fergie; Jewelry: Lauren by Ralph Lauren (old, similar to these), J. Crew, Michael Kors}

It was raining like crazy, so I opted for indoor pictures near my CDR Umbrella print, with (oops) my slip showing. Stay classy San Diego.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Mushroom Barley Soup & Broccoli Quinoa

Apparently I'm on a Broccoli Quinoa salad kick, because that's all I seem to be craving recently. I think I like this one better than the last though. I'm a bigger fan of the classic dijon, balsamic, olive oil dressing instead of the broccoli pesto that went on the last one. I think throwing some acid in either a salad or soup (aka vinegar or lemon/lime juice) really just punches up the flavor a lot. So I happily ate this salad two nights in a row, once with this soup that my lovely sister brought over (which is really good, incidentally), and then next night with a soup that I made (recipe below).

Quinoa, Roasted Broccoli, and Arugula Salad with Feta from The Moveable Feast:

Contrary to her directions, I made all kinds of substitutions and changes. I roasted both broccolini and fennel (with salt, pepper, cayenne, red pepper flakes, coriander, & olive oil), and then I also chopped up some green bell pepper and threw it into the salad raw to add some more crunch. I didn't have a lemon in the house, so after contemplating and then rejecting using a lime, I just used a mix of white wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar in the dressing, made with dijon mustard instead of a grainy mustard. I also wanted to make a larger batch, so I used 1 1/2 cups of raw quinoa (cooked in 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt). And with all that, it turned out great.

I think quinoa salads are really quite forgiving. You can pretty well throw anything in there, and it tends to work out quite well.

Before heading out to a concert with some friends, I threw together some soup as well, to make a whole meal, along with some delicious rosemary bread from Trader Joe's.

Mushroom Barley Soup with Rosemary Oil from The Yellow House:

I only had one shallot, so I used that and one onion. I didn't have quite enough mushrooms for the recipe, so I threw in some chopped celery with the shallot and onion, and then sprinkled the chopped celery tops over the soup with the rosemary oil at the end, to add some more green. All in all, it worked out as a nice little dinner before heading out for the night.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Chairlift - I Belong in Your Arms

Chairlift's new album, Something, just came out in late January. (The band is previously know for Bruises.) I've really been enjoying digging in and listening to some of it, and "I Belong in Your Arms" is my favorite so far.



They're currently touring internationally, but should be back in the U.S. by March and April.


Album cover via.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Wilco & Popeye - Dawned On Me

For any Wilco fans out there, this is an awesome animated music video for their song Dawned On Me, featuring Popeye!






Screenshot image via.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Subtle sequins







{Jacket: Target; Cardigan: Halogen; Shirt: Calvin Klein Jeans; Pants: Banana Republic (old, similar to these); Boots: J. Crew; Sunglasses: Kate Spade (old, similar to these); Jewelry: Michael Kors, J. Crew, Viki; Nailpolish: Essie Lady Godiva + Motives Glam Girl}

So, some of the pictures are not so much in focus, but I thought it helped the sequin sparkle show up better.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Tennis - My Better Self

Tennis's second album, Young & Old, is coming out on Valentine's Day. You can pre-order it here. They're also touring this spring.



I really like this track, My Better Self. There isn't a music video yet, but you can stream it below.



Album cover photo via.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Put a bird on it





{Jacket: Target; Sweater: J. Crew (old, similar to this); Scarf: Scarf Shop; Skirt: Industry; Tights, Socks, Boots: Target; Sunglasses: Karen Walker; Jewelry: Michael Kors, J. Crew, Seaworthy}

The lap top is back up and running and better than ever! Wahoo Apple Genius Bar.

I also couldn't help but reference Portlandia in the post title, especially because I bought this skirt at a cute little Portland boutique up on N. Mississippi called Pin Me Apparel.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Fred & Ginger

I'm having some computer troubles, but hopefully all should be in order by this afternoon after I pick up my (fingers crossed) fixed laptop at the Apple store.

In the meantime, I thought I would share one of my all time favorite magazine editorials. It features Raquel Zimmermann and choreographer Stephen Galloway, shot by Inez & Vinoodh from the March 2011 issue of Vogue Nippon.

While her hair is admittedly totally crazy and kind of unflattering, I love the brightly colored dresses and the amazing movement she creates, not to mention just how expressive he is throughout, even with just the tips of his fingers.

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Friday, February 3, 2012

Feist - The Bad in Each Other

Feist's most recent album, which came out back in October is great. She's touring this spring a summer, back in the US in April and May.



Here's a live performance of The Bad in Each Other, one of my favorites off the album, although the whole thing is really just so good.


Album cover photo via.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Fennel Week

Apparently I am now on a fennel kick.

I had also been craving roasted broccoli and quinoa, so I made this 101 Cookbooks recipe.

Double Broccoli Quinoa from 101 Cookbooks:
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You cook broccoli and then puree half of it into a pesto, and then toss it with quinoa and the rest of the broccoli. I added some fennel and roasted the broccoli and fennel instead of steaming it as the recipe calls for. I wish I had had some ripe enough avocado to throw on top with the feta and almonds because the think the creaminess of the avocado would be a nice addition, but all of mine were rock hard.

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Now I also want to try this recipe, Spicy Roasted Broccolini Quinoa Salad, from Gaby Dalkins via Design Sponge.

I also fell back on an old favorite this week. While I don't always enjoy smooth soups, this one is just so good. I eat it both plain and with some avocado thrown on top.

Carrot-Fennel Soup from Orangette:
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The flavors are really lovely, and the splash of orange juice added at the end really brightens the whole soup. I didn't have any creme fraiche and so went without this time, but it is a nice addition if you have some on hand. I had some fresh thyme in the fridge, so I threw that in when I added the broth, and then just fished out the stems before pureeing. The whole recipe is pretty quick and easy, especially if you have an immersion blender.

Pre-blending:
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All photos mine.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Red Jeans & Navy Blazer

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{Blazer: H&M; Chambray Shirt: J. Crew; Tank: J. Crew; Jeans: Mavi; Shoes: Dolce Vita (old, similar to these); Jewelry: Lulu, Claire's, Kenneth Cole, J. Crew.}

It's been cold but clear here in Portland, so I've been wearing layers to run errands or meet up with friends on the weekend.

Photos graciously taken by my roommate Kasey.

You can also vote for me in Refinery29's The Next Style Blogger Contender contest.


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