SHOES!!

Haven't posted in a while...whoops!

Well, yesterday was possibly one of the longest workdays of my life. 7 am to 6 pm. The whole day spent dealing with crazy women who wanted cheap shoes.

Where was I? Oh, the Manolo Blahnik Sample Sale of course!

It was madness! Shoes from size 5-11, piled onto tables by size, with 50+ women at a time rifling through them! But with prices well below 50% off - why wouldn't they be?!

Oddly enough, I found the whole exciting! It was great to see it and feel like you have power and have people ask you questions like you know what's up - ha! All in all a good but exhausting day!

But to top it off, I left with three new pairs of shoes. Two for free and on pair at 50% off the sale price! Jackpot!

Here they are, in all their glory:



Black suede flats, lime green suede heels, magenta linen lace up flats!! :)


XO
Allie

Vegan-ish Cookies

Tonight me and the roommates decided we needed to make some cookies. Unfortunately, no one here had eggs....

So, dilemma. I searched for a recipe that wouldn't need eggs, but at the same time, wouldn't call for a crazy egg substitute, or anything else that we didn't have in our cupboards!

Luckily, I found just the one! It was soooo easy, and they taste DELICIOUS! Not to mention they look great - really cookie shaped, and crispy but still soft, ah yummy!

Here's a sneak peak at them:

And here is a breakdown of the recipe:

3/4 C Flour
1/2 C Butter, Softened
1/2 C Oil (vegetable...)
3 TBS Water
2 tsp Vanilla
2 1/4 C Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1-1 1/2 C Chocolate Chips


Heat Oven to 375 degrees

Combine first 5 items

Then add in the rest of the items

Spoon onto greased cookie sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes (or until golden)

**these cookies don't ever turn DARK brown, they stay a light color, but look for browning on the edges and tips to know when they're done**

Enjoy!

Here's what I did...

...this weekend.

I took a long train ride upstate to visit my cousin and her husband. We then took a long car ride up to Canada to explore and visit Niagara Falls! So much fun - but since it was a lot of travel down-time, I used that opportunity to make a necklace!

Here is how it turned out:

What do you think?

I'm loving it...

xo
Allie

Project Runway

I went to MOOD in NYC the other day after work to buy some fabric and trims, and while there, I discovered that Project Runway season 8 was casting!! I wrote down the info and went home and looked into it.

I knew that I had to apply. Last year I discovered the appliaction yhe day before it was due, and had no time to do it all!

This year though, I filled out the application, photoshopped my images, and made an audition video. And mailed it off as of Thursday!

I'm so excited to even have this on the horizon. It would be such a dream to be on that show - so here's hoping...







Application Materials!

XO
Allie

Success!

I decided yesterday at work, that I wanted to make a new dress for my friends' birthday party at a club in downtown NYC...to wear that night.

Nothing like waiting until the last minute, eh?

Well, luckily, I had all day to contemplate how to make it, and when I came home, it was a piece of cake! It only took about 1 hour 15 minutes total to make it, which is great!

And here she is:

Zebra Print Dress

I'm a fan for sure! Can't wait to wear it again!

xo
Allie

I found one!

Well, yesterday I was on a mission to find the perfect notebook for my 365 days of spending! And with great luck - I found one!!

I only had to go to Barnes & Noble, and I found the perfect one. Rustic, leather, bound pages, and hopefully enough space for 365 days!

Here she is:




And here is yesterdays spending...I honestly hadn't planned on spending any money. However, it was one of those days where an Iced Latte is necessary. And I had to buy the notebook to begin this project (excuses, yes), and then of course, you can't go to a BBQ on the rooftop without taking some beer, right?! Ha. So this should definitely be an interesting way to see what I spend...





XO
Allie

Maybe I'll do this...

So, I stumbled upon this book, and I really like the idea of it...http://katebingamanburt.com/

In it, the author did a drawing of (at least) one thing she purchased each day. Or didn't purchase I guess...

I really really like this idea. It would be an interesting way of documenting 1. How much you spend per day, and 2. Where all your money actually goes, frivolous or not.

Now, just to find a 365 page journal....

Subway Sundries

So, I've had that title in my head since I started this blog...I wanted to use it when I write about something I've thought about while commuting on the subway.

In essense, my sundry thoughts while being on the subway: Subway Sundries. (I'm a huge fan of alliterations...)

Today's thought: it always surprises me when I see people reading their Bibles on the subway. I've been a Christian, Bible Reading, Church Goer for years, but at the same time, I always kept my faith to myself around those who weren't "like me". Not that I didn't reach out, and talk about God, but I wouldn't pray outloud around others, and I certainly didn't take my Bible to coffee shops, or on the train, and just read.

I've lately grown out of this, at least a little. I am often jealous of these folks that have the boldness to proclaim their faith while on the Subway. They aren't extremists, they aren't fundamentalists, they aren't even loud...they are sitting there, quietly reading. Oh how I want this to be my life.

I decided to give myself a test of faith - start waking up 30 minutes earlier, reading the Bible...taking it with me, and when I want to read something - choose that! Too often I read words about God's Word, rather than His words themselves! This is going to change.

I'll let you know how it goes! Stay posted!

Happy Tuesday : )

“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

- Jack London (author of Call of the Wild) 

oh how i want this to be my life...

Deliciousnesssssss

This is what I did this evening...

I helped my friend Richelle make this recipe a week ago, and I couldn't get it out of my head! She generously bestowed upon me, 8 overly ripened bananas, which I promptly put into the freezer.

Today, I took them out, made sure I had flour, sugar, peanut butter, and the like...and then made this delicious version of banana bread.

The original recipe comes from OhBabyO.blogspot.com, but I'm going to write it out here for you too!

Here goes:
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bread

For Bread: 

• 1/2  C Peanut Butter (I used creamy, but crunchy works well too)
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 C Sugar
• 2 C AP Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2-3 Large, Ripened Bananas, mashed...
• 1 C Chocolate Chips 

For Topping:

• 2 tbs Light Brown Sugar
• 2 tbs AP Flour
• 2 tbs Peanut Butter
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 C Chocolate Chips

Now, onto the mixing and baking!

Preheat oven to 325 Degrees (F), Grease a loaf or bread pan (I used a rectangular baking dish, which worked just fine!)

Mix peanut butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs and mix.

Add flour, baking soda, and salt to peanut butter mixture.

Add mashed bananas and chocolate chips to mixture.

Pour into greased baking pan - set aside momentarily.

Combine all topping ingredients except chocolate chips. Mix until crumbly, add chocolate chips to mixture.

Sprinkle topping mixture on top of bread mixture in the pan. Bake at 325 (F) for about 1 hr, 20 min - until a fork/toothpick comes out clean.

Cool, and Enjoy!!!

Hope you enjoy this delicious little treat as much as I do! Have a happy Easter!
 

Easter Dresses

Often when I reflect on my childhood, I attach memories of outfits to certain years.

I can recall various seasons and stages of life where one look dominated my wardrobe. In first through third grade it was white denim shorts, cuffed, with a navy and white striped top. I actually wore this for the first day of school 3 years in a row. I was devastated when I grew out of them and couldn't find those same items. I remember wearing jean shorts and plain white tees as my uniform for playing at home. Cute, frilly, girly swimsuits, in patterns and bright colors. I even recall this one swimsuit that was striped in all sorts of neon's from when I was 10 or 11 that the store left the ink tag on, and try as we might, no one could get it off (I guess it wasn't worth going back to store to have them remove it...selective memory here). I was so upset!

A large range of memories from childhood stem not only from these outfits, but mainly from Easter Dresses. When I was much much younger, my mother would make my Easter dress without fail. One's with eggs, bunnies, purples, blues, lace, and the like! Adorable, yes. But also over the top!

I remember getting older and having a strong opinion about my clothing choices, choosing to pick out a store-bought outfit instead of a home-made one, or wearing one I had. When I was 13, or so, I remember picking this outfit for Easter - white pants with blue embroideries on the side seams, and a light blue top to match. In retrospect, this outfit was a horrible idea. Horrible. Also the first time I wore a thong...hope that isn't oversharing...

So, with all these memories of Easter Dresses, I long for the day when I can dress my little one in Easter Clothes. I love how clothing and outfits can mark special occasions in life, and I can't wait to be a part of that in my future family...

But, until then, maybe I will just go back to picking out "Easter Outfits" for me...

Easter Dresses at Baby CZ...

Runway to Real Life

This is a necklace I made for my Senior Fashion Show in College. It was my last ensemble, the show stopper!

Here is how it looked coming down the runway:

And here is how I translated it and wore it in real life:

This is actually the first time I've ever worn it, and that really surprised me! I love it so much, but I think I kept imagining it for some grand outfit...one day...not today or even tomorrow. But I put it on and it worked - quite well I think!

Love it? Here is more of where this idea stems from - Pearadime on etsy

xo
Allie