Favorite Recipes

I'm not really a recipe style chef. I prefer to walk into the grocery store with some flavors in mind that I've been craving and make up meals as I go. This way, I always come up with multiple ways to use up food so that I avoid the dreaded spoiled milk, rotten vegetables, and eye-sprouting potatoes. However, when I find a recipe I really love, I'll make it over and over and over again. Here are some of my current favorite recipes, all sourced from every college student's go-to, Pinterest:

Eggplant Parmesan:

As a vegetarian, eggplant parmesan is an absolute god-send. It's filling, tasty, and without all the white carbs that go along with most vegetarian Italian meals. This recipe is crazy easy (I've made it three times in the last month or so) and it reheats really well afterwards. I like to pair it with roasted veggies like broccoli, asparagus, or brussel sprouts.

Fried Egg & Avocado Toast:

This isn't necessarily something you need a recipe for, but I'm putting it on here because it's one of my favorite food combinations. I recently discovered the glorious convenience of fried eggs on salads, sandwiches, roasted veggies, and pretty much anything else edible. One of my favorite ways to eat fried eggs is on toast for breakfast or lunch, especially with smashed avocado, tomato, and feta (my own addition to this already tasty recipe).

Roasted Chickpeas:

I REALLY like snacking. Especially crunchy, salty snacking. And while that might lead me to overdose on things like chips and Cheezits, I'm actually also a big fan of healthy food (whoa, shocker). Meet roasted chickpeas, my new best friend. These bad boys are easy to make, delicious, and long lasting. I'll roast a can of chickpeas and snack on them for a week, occasionally adding them to other foods like tofu stir fry or a hearty salad, until I'm ready to roast up some more.

Sweet Potato Risotto:

This is the hardest recipe on this list, but definitely still worth it. Risotto is recognizably time consuming, requiring on average 30-40 minutes of stirring, but that doesn't mean multitasking is impossible. When I made this a few weeks ago I read a book for my English class between stirring breaks and still managed to succeed in the Risotto game. The result was a simultaneously sweet and hearty dish that I paired with roasted brussel sprouts and asparagus. If you have some extra time to make dinner, definitely use it to try this one out.

Mid-Century Bohemian

I've always had more of a classic inclination when it comes to interior decor. Lots of soft, cream couches, icy blues and chocolate browns, warm throws and pillows; your basic nice looking, simple, and perpetually classic room. While I still definitely hold on to this aesthetic, I've been leaning towards a new look lately and I'm pretty excited about it.

It's a little trendy and a little bit of a throwback, but mid-century modern is all over the web right now and I'm totally loving it. Now, this current trend isn't your typical mid-century look, though Eames chairs are definitely running rampant on Pinterest. This increasingly popular style of design is something between mid-century modern and bohemian, combining modern lined furniture in black leather and warm wood with layered rugs and colorful prints. I love this combination of minimalist form with free flowing color, especially when paired with sprawling gallery walls and indoor plants. If you can't tell from the photo sources, this look is definitely Californian and while it's a true west coast style, I'll definitely be bringing it in to my future tiny New York apartment.

 via SF Girl by Bay

 via Style Files

 via SF Girl by Bay

 via Eclectic Revisited

via Apartment Therapy

The Big Transition

Nothing is harder than sorting out what to wear during those in-between months. Y'know when you can feel the next season coming, and with it a whole slew of fashion trends, but it's not quite here yet? These are the months in which I manically search my wardrobe for something that both looks relatively normal, if not stylish, and manages to carry me through the ever-changing temperatures/precipitations of the day. For the most part, I rely on a carefully thought out layering system to get me through, but on the days when I find the motivation to really dress to impress, here's some of my go-to winter-spring transitional tips.

I'm a huge fan of stripes and florals both as an outfit combination and as transitional pieces in general (each in all shapes, sizes, and colors as well). It's important to keep in mind when mixing patterns, however, that the size of each needs to balance the other, like how the slimmer stripes on this Alice & Olivia tee blend seamlessly with the big, bold florals of the J.Crew skirt. Another awesome way to find the middle ground between overly spring-y florals and all-black winter darks, is to blend the two with a floral print on the cooler side of the color spectrum. I love a dark floral year round, but it works especially well as a transition piece through the months of March, April, and May. As far as shoes go, it's probably best to play it by ear, swapping booties for flats for heels depending on the weather, but who could resist these Zara pumps with this outfit? Not me, clearly. Throw on some geometric Madewell jewels and top it all off with the god of all transition seasons, a classic Gap denim jacket. Warm, durable, and easily removable, this jacket will get you through the morning rain and look just as cool tied around your waist (ooh so 90's) later in the day.

1. Gap denim jacket, 2. J.Crew floral skirt, 3. Alice and Olivia cropped striped shirt, 4. Zara heels, 5. Madewell studs, 6. Madewell necklace, 7. Madewell rings

Toppers

I've always had an on and off flirtation with hats. One year I love them the next my head is suddenly the wrong shape for them. Lately I just haven't had the confidence to seek out a stylish hat that actually fits, despite my current love for them. This new Janessa Leon Spring 2014 collection may be changing some of that. With it's mix of classic shapes and modern materials, this collection has absolutely everything a hat lover might need.

via Honestly WTF

Illustrated

As an artist myself, I'm always on the lookout for new inspirational creators to discover. Lately I've been particularly interested in illustration and have been consequently stalking a lot of awesome artists' blogs/Tumblrs/general work. Here are my current favorites, in no particular order:

1. Noel Badges Pugh

This guy sparked my desire to write this post about inspirational illustrators. I stumbled upon his work on Tumblr yesterday and absolutely fell in love with his attention to detail and unique hand. For the most part he does insanely delicate ink and water color illustrations of flowers, with the occasional scientific study of a bee thrown in for good measure.

2. Katie Rogers of Paper Fashion

I've probably been admiring Katie's work for the longest out of this group, seeing as her illustrations pertain to fashion and have therefore gotten a lot of attention on the many blogs I follow besides her own. What I really like about her style is that it's simultaneously classic in line, much like sketches of Dior or Chanel gowns from the 50's, and modern in execution, with the use of things like sequins and glitter in many of her pieces.

3. Kelli Murray 

I'm a huge fan of Kelli Murray's blog, mostly because she has a totally awesome badass-boho style and her daughter is adorable, but also because her artwork is fantastic. Including a lot of braided hair, cute animals, and colorful floral bouquets, her illustration style is feminine and natural.

4. Mel Stringer

Another Tumblr find, I love Mel's style because it's at once extremely girly, cool, and cartoonish. All that combines to create neon cute illustrations of cool girls being cool girls.

5. Kelly Smith of Birdy and Me

Kelly Smith is yet another fashion illustrator who has become very popular in the industry. Her drawings are hyper realistic pencil illustrations with pops of color in clothing and flowers. I love how she combines this intensely detailed portraiture with quick brushstrokes to imply clothing or accessories.