How to Style…a Sporty Dress

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Sarah S.

DKNY, Rag & Bone, Victoria Beckham, Spring 2013

Photo courtesy of Glamour

This spring’s trendy sporty dress is fun and flirty, but how do you style it? Dress it up with wedges or down with sneakers or take it flirty and casual with colorful flats. Here are three ways I’d style a sporty dress. Add tights to my second look, and I’d wear that work now! How would you style your sporty dress?

How to Style a Sporty Dress by sspoto29 featuring steffen schraut

Steffen schraut
stylebop.com

Karen millen
karenmillen.com

Dress
modcloth.com

Tory Burch patent flat
$310 – harveynichols.com

Jessica Simpson platform sandals
heels.com

Pastry trainers
$90 – bankfashion.co.uk

Hollister Co hollister co
hollisterco.com

Dorothy perkin
dorothyperkins.com

Round sunglasses
ocshades.com

Maybelline lipstick
$21 – nelly.com

Thirsty Thursday: How to Make a Wisconsin Old Fashioned

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Sarah S.

Try switching it up at your next party. Instead of offering the usual beer and wine, serve Wisconsin Old Fashioneds. My sister and I recently brought this drink to a get-together, and it was a hit. Its sweetness and drinkability appeals to everyone, but it doesn’t come off as a fruity drink either.

Every Thursday, I’m going to feature a cocktail that is easy enough to try at home. So if your budget is tight this weekend, stay home, invite the girls to your place, and whip up an easy but delicious cocktail.

Ciao!

Sarah

How to Clean a Sheepskin Rug

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Sarah S.

My aunt gave my sister and me this beautiful sheepskin shag run from the 70s when we moved into our new place. It has been sitting in my grandma’s garage…and needless to say, needed a serious bath. Our rug isn’t actually the skin of the sheep, but has the hairs attached to a fiber, so the washing process may be different for your own sheepskin rug. As always, if there are washing directions on your rug, follow those above all else. Ours was lucky enough to have instructions still attached, so I’ll walk you through the process. Dirty and smelly to say the least but worth it for a beautiful addition to our living room!

Before

1. Brush out the rug with a dog brush. Also gently vacuum (particularly important if the rug has been sitting in a garage for twenty years…).

Already looking better!

2. Wash the rug in lukewarm water in the bath tube. Add a capful of baby shampoo if the rug needs a deeper clean.

3. Rinse off the soap with cold water and let the rug drain in the tub (we waited about an hour).

4. Transfer the rug to a drying rack and lie flat to dry.

5. When completely dry, lay out the rug and brush again.

How to Clean a Sheepskin Rug- After

After.

Looks beautiful and is so soft. It’s a great addition to our living room.

Banana Cookie Recipe- Easy & Amazing!

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Sarah S.

I was so surprised how well this banana cookie recipe turned out. After all, I used the first “banana cookie” recipe that came up on Google…plus, I used only ingredients I had sitting in my pantry! So easy and so delicious! The cookies have a wonderful cake-y texture. My cookies disappeared in a few hours at work, so it’s certainly a recipe I will repeat.

I found the recipe here on Simplyrecipes.com. The original recipe included pecans and a few spices that I didn’t have at the time. Below is my version of the recipe. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 cups of flour
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and cinnamon and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.

4 Fold into the batter the almonds and chocolate chips. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown.

Re-Painting an Old Nightstand with Pops of Color

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Sarah S.

My aunt and uncle generously gave my sister and me some old furniture of theirs for us to use in our new apartment. This sweet little nightstand was one item they gave us. I loved the shape and size of the night stand but wanted to update it with a fresh look.

Some furniture re-painting tips:

Use a primer. Generally, I use two coats for each piece of furniture.

Always sand before painting. In fact, you should sand between each coat of paint as well (yes, even after your first coat of color). Sanding between coats will give your piece a more professional and neat look.

Add a pop of contrast! For this night stand, I’ve added the pop on the side of the drawer. It’s only visible when you open it, but I think it’s a nice touch that elevates the paint job and add some additional interest.

Do you have any furniture re-painting tips?

Ciao!

Sarah

The Perfect Interview Outfit (for Us Ladies!)

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Sarah S.

When I was interviewing for positions in the fashion industry last year, I had a lot of trouble putting together the perfect outfit. My career center at college encouraged a very conservative look: black slacks, black blazer, button up shirt, and modest heels. Online, I found advice on interview outfits but most of these were directed at men. I couldn’t find any resources with advice for women on how to dress professional, stylish, and make a good impression. A conservative suit and pencil skirt sound professional…but also very, very boring. It wasn’t until I reached out to some fashionable professional women did I start to get a good understanding of what to wear to an interview.

Thankfully, Refinery 29 has put together nine fool-proof interview outfits for the successful, stylish, professional woman. Here are my three favorites. See the other outfits here.

What is your advice for interview dressing?

Ciao!

Sarah

What’s Inspiring Me Right Now…

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Sarah S.

DIY wardrobe ideas like this sweater infinity scarf. It’s still too cold to buy spring clothes, but I’m bored of my winter ones. Maybe a DIY refresher is all I need!

Free People’s hair chalk. For when you’re feeling bold…for a day. $28.

Sunny days in Madison, WI and spring photo shoots for The Uncovered Artistry Project.

Matt & Kim in Madison.

Truth

By Gwendolyn Brooks

And if sun comes

How shall we greet him?

Shall we not dread him,

Shall we not fear him

After so lengthy a

Session with shade?

Chewy Granola Bars- Wrapped with Love!

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Sarah S.

The other day I posted a recipe for delicious homemade chewy granola bars. Yesterday, I shared the recipe with a friend, who made the granola bars for her boyfriend. I loved how she wrapped them (she was sending them through the mail)! What’s even better is how much that adorable twine cost…just a dollar at Target.

I think these granola bars make a healthy alternative to sending cookies. What are some other ideas for delicious, healthy treats?

Ciao!

Sarah

Homemade Chewy Granola Bar Recipe

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Sarah S.

After the success of my first attempt at homemade granola bars (recipe here!), I found another recipe to try. This one isn’t as healthy (brown sugar included) but doesn’t crumble as easily and tastes delicious. I found the original recipe at mybakingaddiction.com (recipe here). I replaced the wheat germ with chia seeds, but I think flax seeds are also a good replacement.

Enjoy!

Sarah

J.crew DIY Denim

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Sarah S.

JcrewDYIDenim2

JcrewDYIDenim

J.crew has some unique DIY denim styling ideas, including my favorite: DIY patchwork monogram and patch-pocket fading. I’m up for giving the patchwork monogram a try one of these days, but in case you aren’t so inclined to spend time on these looks, here are some great store-bought alternatives. View all of J.crew’s DIY denim ideas here.