Homemade Potato Chips

We are a family of DIY-ers. On vacation when we're not reading or relaxing at the beach, we generally make lots of homemade foods. Recently on the list were home-cooked potato chips. 

Step 1: Heat up a huge pot of hot oil.

Step 2: Use a mandolin to slice a million potato slices.

Etsy Pick: Julep Cups

As my dahlias are currently in full bloom I am making flower arrangements all the time lately. I love this pair of julep cups from etsy.com. Great little vases for short, full bouquets.

• Pair of Julep Cups - from Fawn and Filigree in Toronto - $50.28 

Some super cute uses for these bad boys:

#1) Use them to actually serve mint juleps!

Image c/o Pinterest

#2) Use them for groupings of white tulips or white hydrangeas

Image courtesy of Cupcakes & Cashmere

#3) Use them for planting succulents

Image courtesy of Ruffled. 

Marissa Webb S/S 2013

More runway coverage from yours truly over at Fashion Pulse Daily. I loved being a fashion week correspondent last week! Check out my post here or read on...

Fashion Pulse Daily runway correspondent

Marissa Webb Spring 2013

9/8/2012

Images via @SorrelliSparkle on Instagram

The Show: Marissa Webb Spring 2013

The Theme: Lady-like with an edge
The Color Palette: Stark whites, ivory, and black leather were brightened by teal batik prints, pops of neon, vibrant red, and turquoise sequins.
Best/Collection’s Signature Standout Look: Marissa Webb’s highly anticipated first collection did not disappoint. The former J.Crew designer showed lady-like pieces with the requisite amount of cool-girl edge.
An army green blazer muted a highlighter-yellow sequin ensemble, complete with a neon necktie. A feminine bow blouse in vibrant red was paired with cigarette jeans in the same flame hue and black leather accessories. Another favorite look combined a turquoise sequin shell and leather leggings. The looks were the perfect balance of tailored and edgy, and the shoes were the perfect accessories in shades of violet, flame, and neon. Swoon.

Image via MBFashionWeek.com

Image via MBFashionWeek.com

Image via MBFashionWeek.com

Etsy Picks: Masked

It's officially September, which means I'm thinking about Halloween already. I abhor the transition from Summer to Fall. Not even the September issues can comfort me away from my beloved summer. One of the only things that makes me excited about the changing seasons is the creativity and fun that comes from dressing up for Halloween. And I guess the autumnal leaves are ok. And yes, the layers in fashion are great. But really I just adore the summer and its sunshine and pool-side chilling and late nights.  

These are some great masks I found on etsy.com that could be the start to some amazing costumes.

• Woodland Queen Moss Mask - from Balmasque in Honolulu - $45 
• Rabbit Leather Mask - from Sundries and Plunder in Oregon - $63

NYFW S/S 2013

I love New York. I love fashion. Last week was a sweet sweet marriage of the two. Below is the visual recap of my New York Fashion Week S/S 2013 experience. 

Driving to NYC / Upper East Side view

Rachel Zoe presents the winner of the Supima Design Competition / Le Chev Sorrelli necklace with the Minkoff MAC clutch

Supima Design Competition: NYFW 2012

Last week I was in New York City covering fashion week for my dear friend Julia of Fashion Pulse Daily. The Sorrelli girls got the chance to attend shows and be FPD runway correspondents for the season. Check out my post here or read on...

Fashion Pulse Daily runway correspondent

Supima Design Competition

9/6/2012

The Theme: Rising talent from design schools across the country compete

The Color Palette: Yellow, peach, violet, burgundy

Best/Collection’s Signature Standout Look: Kate Wilkoff’s Futuristic Fringe

Supima Cotton hosted the 5^th annual Design Competition at Lincoln Center on Sept 6th, with Rachel Zoe as the host and an army of fashion’s elite judging the competition, including designer Tadashi Shoji and Gilt Group founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson.

The contestants: 

Abigail Glass, a recent RISD grad, kicked off the show with plunging necklines in sunny hues with a  mature-Miami vibe. 

Kyle Pearson from FIT showed a lesson in pleats with leather cummerbund-wrapped dresses in coral and lime hues. 

Gardening: Flower Power

pink hydrangea, pink/white dahlia, white sedum, and blooming garlic chives

I made this floral arrangement and it was an instant mood-lifter. Pretty cool 'eh?! Plus, I grew all of the stuff in this little arrangement. Even cooler! 

Here's how it all looked outside before it was chopped off for my indoor viewing pleasure:

Blooming Pink Dahlia

White Sedum

Purple Sedum

Garlic Chives

Ok so forgot to photograph the hydrangea... whoops! Next time you've had a tough day take a walk outside. Sometimes an instant mood lifter is just a snip and a vase away. 

Gardening: White Tulip Plans

Van Engelen - Mt Tacoma Double Tulip     ::     Styled tablescape from Faded Charm Cottage

After living in our house for over 4 years I've finally decided to invest in some tulips for our front flower garden. I have a big patch of black-eyed-susans that come up in late June/July, but nothing really pops up in the early spring to greet us. 

I decided on a big patch of white tulips, as I love their sweet, almost generic beauty. I also love that the crisp white color can be picked for floral arrangements that seamlessly blend into any room of the house. Plus, don't they look gorgeous in the ground, especially en masse? 

I was told to hunt for tulip bulbs on VanEngelen.com (my mother the fabulous gardener swears that this site has the cheapest, most interesting varieties). I found the most beautiful options there. I'm psyched to get 100 of the Mt Tacoma "peony-like" bulbs and 100 of the Tulip Montreaux "intoxicatingly fragrant" bulbs in the next few weeks. 200 bulbs in total were only about $85. I plan to have a tulip-planting party with lots of wine. I'm going to need some help to get 200 of these bad boys in the ground. 

I seriously CAN. NOT. WAIT. to plant these. Spring is going to be so fabulous in 2013! Now I just need to paint more rooms of our house white to match :) 

Etsy Pick: Tick-Tock

I've been looking for a charming alarm clock to grace my bedside table. For the past 10 years I've woken up to a Bose stereo and still continue to jam out every morning with my Bose. However the old Bose clock has been relocated across the room and I have a tough time reading it with my terrible vision. I want something smaller right next to the bed, something designed well that makes me feel lovely right from the start of the day (and lets me read it easily!). Here are my top picks from the vintage side of Etsy:

• Vintage French 'Jaz' - from Kim & Martyn in France- $41 **
• Vintage German 'Junghans' - from Berliner Strasse in Germany- $85
• Vintage Italian 'Veglia' - from ILiveVintage in Rome - $50**
• Vintage American 'Westclox' - from Kelly in California -$7

**Not functioning, cannot keep time anymore. 

Do you have any great resources for vintage alarm clocks? 

Vynecrest On Main {more writing adventures}

I'm proud to share an article I wrote that was published in our local Berks County Living magazine's Sept 2012 issue. I've been fortunate to write for the BCL team over the last year, exploring local restaurants, art exhibitions, and events. This article allowed me to publish not only my writing but some of my photos. Ch-ch-ch-check it out:

WELCOME TO KUTZTOWN!

Is it us, or is Berks County just getting more and more amazing as the years go by? Here at Berks County Living, we are so excited to introduce you to the newest addition to Kutztown’s Main Street. The team at Vynecrest Wineries has added onto their Lehigh Valley vineyard operation with a new wine shop and tasting bar on the charming streets of Kutztown. Now you can meander through downtown Kutztown and find great food, locally brewed beers, amazing cold-press coffee and award-winning wines to taste, sip and bring home.

The new wine shop in the 200 block of Main Street has undergone a transformation thanks to the Vynecrest team. Beautiful hardwood floors, fresh coats of crisp white paint and bottles upon bottles of locally grown wines create a relaxing environment for enjoying your favorite vino. For just $5 a glass, you can sip an afternoon beverage at rustic wine barrel tables, with experts available for consulting and guidance. The Vynecrest team has created an inviting, relaxing atmosphere perfect for exploring their estate-grown Chardonnays, Pinot Grigios, or Pinot Noirs. Guests are welcome to stop by the tasting bar for a free wine sampling of up to six Vynecrest wines.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND...

The Kutztown shop and tasting room is the first Vynecrest outpost beyond the original Breinigsville winery location, where all of the grapes are grown. John and Jan Landis, a husband and wife team, started planting grapes on the rolling hills of Breinigsville in 1973. Jan, an editor at Rodale Publishing at the time, was inspired to grow grapes after editing the book How to Homestead on 5 Acres of Land. Shortly after this editing project, the husband and wife team were harvesting and fermenting grapes and drinking lots of homegrown wines. Sixteen years of trial and error led to the establishment of Vynecrest as an official winery open to the public in 1989.

Flash forward 23 years – John and Jan’s son, Sam Landis, has returned to the East Coast and joined the family business after working in California’s wine country. Family friend and business partner Malachi Duffy rounds out the relaxed, passionate Vynecrest management team.

YOU’VE GOTTA TRY THIS!

You’re more than welcome to stop by Vynecrest in Kutztown for a little wine and cheese at the new shop and tasting bar. Whether you’re a studied oenologist or a complete wine novice, you’ll feel right at home at this open, friendly spot. Recommendations and discoveries abound from the charming experts at Vynecrest!

Need someplace to start for your wine tasting adventures? Sam explains that if you like dry red wines, you’ll like the Chambourcin or the Lemberger. If you normally love dry white wines, try the flowery and spicy Traminette. For something a little funky and delightfully fruity, taste the award-winning sour-cherry wine, Cherry DiVyne. Look out for a brand new addition to the Vynecrest line-up, a sparkling Chardonnay scheduled to release this summer. Once you try the award-winning wines at the new Vynecrest shop, more than a few bottles of this local harvest will be coming home with you for dinner!

Vynecrest on Main | 277 Main St., Kutztown | 484.641.5149 | vynecrest.com

This article appears in the September 2012 issue of Berks County Living

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