Shimmering daydreamS

TEMP DROPPING, TEARS FORMING

2011-08-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

i am desperate to stick with the bold colors summer has brought us. the closest you will get me to fall is a full-length pant. two weeks of summer in pdx just wasn't enough, come back, please.

Summer Color, Stay with Me! by stephdanielle featuring gold jewelry

TopShop cami tank top
$45 - topshop.com

Goldsign skinny leg jeans
$205 - net-a-porter.com

TopShop beaded jewelry
$85 - topshop.com

TopShop gold jewelry
$18 - topshop.com

New Arrivals - Francesca's Collections
$38 - francescascollections.com

Color Me Khaki

2011-08-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

i'm in love with these colors for fall and excited to try some fun nail applications with them. maybe even some crackle. i included both the original inspiration and my likely chose for dollar reasons.

Color Me Khaki by stephdanielle on Polyvore.com

essie nail polish - chinchilly
essie.com

essie nail polish - mink muffs
essie.com

essie nail polish - hot coco
essie.com

Best Bet: Les Khakis de Chanel -- The Cut
blogue.us

GOTTA HAVE IT?

2011-07-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

for months now i have been swooning over these michael kors watches. trying again and again to decide whether the feeling of need will surpass into a slightly less frantic feeling of want. so far, no dice. now that it is anniversary sale time at nordstrom, it may just be the universe telling me to dive in to the world of over-sized watches. final thought is, do i need the real deal or would a much less expensive version satisfy my short attention span long enough to find a new item to lust after. less expensive example here.

MICHAEL Michael Kors gold watch
$250 - nordstrom.com

MICHAEL Michael Kors ball watch
$250 - bloomingdales.com

MICHAEL Michael Kors chronograph watch
$169 - bloomingdales.com

KEEPIN' IT COOL

2011-07-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

we are set to finally have a summer day in portland and i am ready. we are talking a high of seventy-nine people. i still had to dress in appropriate layers to compensate for the chilly morning but i'm ok with that. in the end, i have; my current favorite boat shoes, hints of gold, skinny jeans, bright white loose tank, three-year old standby target scarf and my caslon jacket which i adore. makes me feel like i'm ready to walk on a boardwalk at sunset; calm, cool and casual.

** i couldn't quite find all the pieces i have on at polyvore so i don't think it necessarily does my outfit justice, i may have to post my very first 'real' outfit shot of how it all comes together on my own canvas.

Boardwalk Attire by stephdanielle featuring a zipper jacket

Forever21 racer back tank
$3.80 - forever21.com

Richard Nicoll zipper jacket
$925 - net-a-porter.com

Forever21 stretch skinny jeans
$11 - forever21.com

Canvas shoes
$30 - dsw.com

Forever21 bangle bracelet
$2.80 - forever21.com

Forever21 necklace
$2.80 - forever21.com

White shawl
$36 - topshop.com

**i didn't quite go as far as shooting myself but i'm warming up to it....here are some shots i took at lunch today:

like i was saying before, i couldn't find my caslon jacket on polyvore so here is a quick shot of it after i took it off at lunch along with my vintage (ha) scarf from target. so awesome it finally made it to sleeveless weather in p-town.

my boat shoes which i am loving this spring and summer, good staple for so many different looks.

had a great chat with my gf at pastini where we enjoyed the sun, salad and iced tea. summer is the best. you can see her fidgeting with her hair in the window, haha.

one of the many reasosn i love downtown portland, i think their buildings are just mesmerizing. not that i have any particular draw to the hilton but it was right in front of me and i thought the red lettering and that awesome red brick building in front of it against the blooming trees was a great view for lunch.

THIRTY-ONE DAY PHOTO CHALLENGE

2011-06-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

new month, new experience. i found a great idea when i stumbled across white peach photography and their 30 day photo challenge . i am adding a day since there are thirty-one in july and adjusting the criteria slightly to make it my own by including a few of my passions and also a few things out of my box to ensure it is a new journey which makes me stretch a little. i am hoping this will assist me in forming a habit of posting daily which i have so far found quite difficult. another motive is to learn a few new features on my eight month old camera which i still only know the basics of.

challenge as follows:

day one: doorway

day two: self-portrait

day three: clouds

day four: yellow

day five: from a high angle

day six: from a low angle

day seven: food

day eight: a bad habit

day nine: someone you love

day ten: childhood memory

day eleven: household object

day twelve: cityscape

day thirteen: long exposure

day fourteen: eyes

day fifteen: silhouette

day sixteen: my street

day seventeen: technology

day eighteen: your shoes

day nineteen: something orange

day twenty: create and use a bokeh

day twenty-one: faceless self-portrait

day twenty-two: hands

day twenty-three: sunflare

day twenty-four: letters

day twenty-five: pink

day twenty-six: close-up

day twenty-seven: from a distance

day twenty-eight: flowers

day twenty-nine: black and white

day thirty: something furry

day thirty-one: #31

i will see you tomorrow with the first of my postings, so excited.
.

TREAT TIME: ALMOND AND RASPBERRY TART

2011-06-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

this weekend r and i decided to try out a new recipe. in typical fashion we took a few shortcuts......here is our baking adventure.

dough:
pre-made

filling:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup superfine sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup ground almonds
6 tbsp raspberry jam
powdered sugar

the original recipe of included making dough for the crust but we decided to cut 20 minutes off our commitment and make use of some pre-made dough hiding in the freezer. we had pillsbury pie crust but any will do. leave dough out until room temperature. choose your dish and grease with butter, we chose a 9-inch cake pan. roll dough out in to dish and push into nooks and crannies. crimp ends of dough in whathever fashion you prefer, we used a fork. poke bottom of dough with fork to allow breathing during baking.

cover with wax or parchment paper. set approximately 1.5 cups of rice on parchment paper to weigh down while baking. bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

while crust is baking, make the filling.

begin by chopping almonds in food processor until finely ground.

beat butter and sugar in mixer until creamy.

slowly add lightly beaten eggs and mix until fully incorporated.

add almond extract and ground almonds. mix, just until combined.

remove pie crust from oven and allow to cool. spread jam over pastry.

spoon filling into shell on top of jam.

bake 350 for 25 minutes. top will be slightly darker than golden brown. center should be set but still slightly soft to the touch.

allow to cool on bakers rack. dust with powdered sugar. slice and devour.

COLOR ON THE CANVAS

2011-06-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

i love the combination of such bold items with such bare items.

due to continually forgetting to bring my picture files to the office and not allowing enough time in the evening to upload, i am stuck with sharing another outfit post. kitchen time blog to be posted this evening, i'm positive of it.

Blank Canvas, Color Splashes by stephdanielle featuring zara shoes

Nude dress
$95 - topshop.com

Zara shoes
$50 - zara.com

Dorothy Perkins black patent leather clutch
£10 - dorothyperkins.com

TopShop stone ring
$13 - topshop.com

Necklace
$25 - topshop.com

DIY, I THINK SO

2011-06-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

thanks to the always entertaining and fashionable blog, The Blonde Salad , i have a new diy idea. this cut out sweatshirt is so fun and with the right hunting tactics, i will find one lightweight enough to be the perfect summer top for evenings out and about. wish me luck, i will keep you posted when i am ready to begin slicing and dicing.

DENIM AND GOLD

2011-06-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

i am in love with this look for a summer night out. i like mixing casual pieces with dressier and or work wardrobe pieces. time to begin searching for a version which will be a little nicer on the wallet.

Evening Out by stephdanielle featuring a coin necklace

TopShop white racerback tank
$10 - topshop.com

TopShop gray blazer
$120 - topshop.com

True religion shorts
€359 - jades24.com

Zara wide sandals
$109 - zara.com

Zara messenger bag
$100 - zara.com

Bex Rox costume jewelry
$295 - stylebop.com

Diamond jewelry
overstock.com

Forever21 coin necklace
$3.80 - forever21.com

FRIDAY NIGHT BETTER WATCH OUT

2011-06-16T11:00:00.001-07:00

these heels make the top five of my current wish list.

DATE NIGHT by stephdanielle featuring kate spade necklace

Diane von Furstenberg pink dress
£229 - matchesfashion.com

Zara shoes
$100 - zara.com

Zara leather clutch
$90 - zara.com

MICHAEL Michael Kors gold watch
$250 - nordstrom.com

GALA Curios gold cuff bracelet
£199 - kabiri.co.uk

Kate spade necklace
$78 - couture.zappos.com

SUMMER COMFORT

2011-06-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

i could live in this until october, i'm sure of it.

Summer Comfort by stephdanielle featuring plastic sunglasses

Cardigan
hfm.co.jp

Cotton tank
$30 - witchery.com.au

Boyfriend jeans
€129 - conleys.de

Toms shoes
55 CAD - gravitypope.com

Zara leather handbag
$149 - zara.com

Loopie Love leather studded bracelet
€47 - youheshe.com

House of Harlow 1960 gold plated bracelet
$79 - shopthetrendboutique.com

Kendra Scott gold plated jewelry
$195 - charmandchain.com

Costalots plastic sunglasses
£128 - amrag.com

SHELLAC, NO NEED

2011-06-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

i'm a girl who wants instant satisfaction thus i have a strong hate toward waiting around for 15 minutes after painting my nails waiting to touch anything until they dry. i was reeled in to this product by the 'insta' and took the bait when i saw the price tag, under $5. it really does dry instantly (hints the name), as long as your definition of instant is under 45 seconds. it can stay looking fresh for up to a week and a number of people have mistaken my current color, petal pusher, for being shellac, the new nail craze which costs around $30.

do it, check out sally hansen's insta-dry....perfect for us girls on the go.

Better Than You Would Think by stephdanielle on Polyvore.com

Amazon.com: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color - Snappy Sorbet...
$12 - amazon.com

Amazon.com: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color #28 Mint...
$4.54 - amazon.com

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG

2011-06-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

for the past two years I have been juggling the idea of creating my own blog. after much deliberation surrounding time, material and ability to be consistent, I have finally made the leap and am officially committing. i will use this platform as; an inspiration board to get some of my thoughts and visions in the flesh, internet flesh, that is, share my bargain-finding techniques and diy fails and successes. you will also find copious amounts of food porn and dog related finds as these are two of my obsessions. in the end, i hope by sharing the things which make me smile will act as a 'pay it forward' technique and you to will find something each day that will cause you to show your pearly whites. welcome to my wild world of sarcasm, fashion and paw prints, enjoy.

--steph xx