Week Three

Czech Republic and Austria

Austria

I hope you all are noticing the awesome tan lines my sandals are giving me. And by awesome I mean slightly unfortunate but mostly hilarious.  

Being that I just drew your attention to my feet, you probably also noticed my footwear-less ensemble in the last photo. After spending the morning climbing a mountain in Austria, all I wanted in that moment was to eat breakfast for dinner and drink cocktails the size of my head all while wearing a comfortable, footwearless outfit. Really, was that so much to ask for? No, no, it wasn't. Which is exactly why that's what I spent my evening doing.

Apple Chai Bread

Gotta be honest, I wasn't planning on posting any recipes while traveling. But I found myself at my friends' house in Germany that just so happens to be stocked with many of the things that are necessary, and the very things I've been lacking, to bake (sugar, vanilla, bread pans, an oven? Kinda difficult to bake without those things. I mean, I'm good, but I'm not that good). In spite of my previous intentions to be recipe post-less this summer, all the proper baking products, and chai tea and apples to use up, I couldn't not create this recipe. And I couldn't not share it with you (I'm too kind, I know).



Apple Chai Bread
Makes one loaf of bread
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 medium apple
2 chai tea bags
1 Tbsp cinnamon sugar



Steep your two chai tea bags in 1/2 cup of water.



Core and chop the apple coarsely. I prefer not to peel them, but if you feel otherwise feel free to do as you wish. I'm not the boss of you and your apples (though, sometimes I probably like to think I am). You should end up with a heaping cup of apples.



Combine the apples, oil, applesauce, brown sugar, and vanilla. I read in a different recipe for apple bread that this helps release the juice from the apples creating a moister (more moist?) bread. My bread did turn out deliciously moist, but there's no telling if it's because of this step or not. You could be daring and try to do it otherwise but if your bread turns out dry then don't say you weren't warned.



Mix the dry ingredients together. Then add in your apple mixture and chai tea.



Transfer batter to a 8x4 loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until you insert a knife and it comes out clean.





Guten Appetit!

Week Two

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Poland

Czech Republic

Ok, ok, I confess! Iworeapairofmyfriend'sshortswhichclearlyarenotincludedinmy20items.

Whew, glad I have that off my chest. Now, I know you might be thinking, "it's week two and she's already cheated at her own game! How can I ever learn to trust her again?" My apologies might seem weak, but I do have a legitimate explanation that I hope will suffice. You see, it just so happened that on that day every other article of clothing severely needed to be washed. This is also why I wore the same shirt (which is technically a skirt) 3 days in a row in Czech Republic; it was the only things that wasn't wrinkled/stretched/dirtied beyond wearability.

Do I have your forgiveness? I promise to try better next time. Cross my heart.

Vegan Taco "Meat"

This vegan taco meat/spicy meat sauce was a serendipitous experimentation that either my roommate or I make just about every week. This tastes great on tacos, nachos, spaghetti, rice...pretty much anything you might want to top with spicy meat sauce. My roommate adds beans to make a chili-esque concoction. 

Ingredients:

1 package of soy crumbles

1 jar of salsa

1/2 jar of pasta sauce

1 bottle of beer

1 package of taco seasoning

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder to taste

After cooking the soy crumbles, you will want to add the salsa, pasta sauce, and about half a bottle of whatever kind of beer you have laying around. Let simmer while chopping the green pepper and onion. 

Add the chopped onion and green pepper as well as the taco mix. If the mixture is getting too thick add more beer. Let simmer for a little while -- I'd say about 20 minutes. Mix often and add spices if you feel it necessary.

Voila! Delicious meal accomplished. To fully appreciate this meal I would suggest pairing nachos with Rum Runners, the season finale of LOST, and 2 beautiful roomies.

Week One

Week One of 20 for 80

....I need to find a better name for it, I KNOW. But my creativity seems to fail me after trying to put together a multitude of outfits with a limited number of clothing. If you're feeling particualrly creative, how about sending me a suggestion...yes? I'll even give you a prize if I like your name (a prize which will most likely come in the form of a virtual high five accompanied by a "shuuuh--weet, thanks!". But hey, a prize is a prize). Or keep your suggestions to yourself and silently mock me about my name choice. I don't blame you if that is more appealing.


Edit: Huzzah! I shall call this little project of mine "Suitcase Style." Looks like I will be the receiver of my own high-five and expression of thanks. Go me!

Belgium and Luxembourg

Germany and Poland

20 for 80?

Helloooooo dear readers (most of whom, I believe are random pinteresters. But, hey, you're here, and that's what counts, so I'm not complaining)!

Here's the deal: I've been hitchhiking around Europe since May 16th and have therefore been poorly neglecting my blog. As I've gotten into the swing of traveling, however, I've decided to start writing outfit posts again. You have to put clothes on every day either way, right? (If your answer is something different, then a fashion blog probably isn't the best website for you...then again, if it'll teach you to put on clothes, maybe it is.)

I like the challenge of living out of a backpack for a summer without looking like I am living out of a backpack (minus the horrid and unavoidable wrinkles). In a Kendi-esque fashion, I've decided to see how many outfits I can make out of a limited amount of clothing. I've packed the items below (20 articles of clothing in all, 2 belts, 2 pairs of shoes) and I'm aiming to wear a different outfit everyday between now and September 5th, roughly 80 outfits total. Now, I know 20 for 80 doesn't quite have the same ring to it as 30 for 30, but I hope you'll still find the idea just as admirable.

When I return to the States, I will blog about the places I've visited (17 countries in all!) with recommendations for things to do and see. For now though, I'm sticking with the much simpler and less time consuming task of taking photos of my outfits and posting the week's worth on Saturdays (Cassie will continue to post recipes on Fridays and a random post of her choice on Tuesdays).

Wish me luck!

Tops
(starting in the top left and going clockwise)
Forever 21, Old Navy, Lacoste, Thrifted, and Forever 21. I also packed a white button up Lacoste shirt which I forgot to photograph.

Bottoms
Forever 21, Loft, Thrifted, Forever 21, and Hot Topic

Jackets & Dresses
Thrifted, Abercombie, Cotton On
Leggings/Tights
Mostly Target. Thelacy tights are from dELiA*s.
For shoes I have a pair of black flats and a pair of black gladiator sandals.

Well Then Why Don't You Marry It?

Top: Forever 21
Skirt: Printemps
Shoes: Target
Purse: Hand-me-down
Earrings: Forever 21

I eyed this skirt for almost my entre semester in France, never actually thinking I would own it. Thanks to the three beautiful and generous friends of mine, I can now call this skirt mine.

Every time I would go grocery shopping last semester with these girls, we would walk through a department store called Printemps. And every time I would stop and admire this skirt. (I kind of have a thing for tulle. Particularly pale pink tulle. One of those “well, why don’t you marry it?” type of things.) The only problem with this skirt is it was way out of my price range. Really, being that I was a poor unemployed foreign exchange student, everything was out of my price range. But you can make an argument for buying food you don’t have any money for whereas the most marvelous skirt in the world it a different story (although, I’d say not that different).

Needless to say, you can imagine my reaction when I opened a birthday package from my three friends and found this skirt inside. One of them wrote in her note to me that she thought I might “crie de joie.” I did in fact crie de joie, which freaked out my sister who was sitting in the room right next to me. But, c’mon, just look at the gorgeousness that is this skirt. Can you really blame me?

(Fine. You know what maybe I would marry it if I could. So there. Now stop judging me.)