Clean-out-the-fridge fritatta

I love this frittata - from Taste of Summer -- but I decided to, of course, alter the recipe to use what was in the fridge. I love trying new recipes, but I am not afraid to leave something out or replace an ingredient. No food goes to waste at my house, so we use what is in the cupboards before we go buy a bunch of new stuff. Especially fruits and veggies.

Preheat the over to 400, and use a cast iron pan so you can move from stove to oven in the same pan. I started by frying up 5 chicken sausages, then set them aside to cool/drain on a paper towel. In the oily pan, I cooked broccoli while 8 small golden potatoes were steaming in the microwave. Once the potatoes were soft I chopped them and tossed them in with the broccoli, sliced the sausages and laid them on top. In a large bowl I beat a dozen eggs with a 1/2 cup of milk and a healthy dash of garlic salt. Pour the eggs over the meat and veggies, sprinkle the top with cheese; cook in the pan till the eggs are a bit solid on the bottom, then move the whole pan into the oven for 15-20 min.

Curtain Skirt

  I had this left-over fabric from some Ikea textiles I bought for curtains several years ago. I just love the colors and print so I had to make something with the remnant. I whipped up a dress, but I had made the yoke too small and the body of the dress had no drape since the fabric is so thick so I ditched that. And then I attempted this skirt.
  I made it without a pattern and made a few errors. But these were excellent learning errors, like putting in darts in the rear before attaching the waistband, and how best to shape the waistband before cutting it, and cutting it on the bias. Excellent exercise for sharpening those sewing skills.
  I am very pleased with the end result. Cute skirt. Eye-catching and bright, like me!  One-of-a-kind! :)

Sophie Dahl's Chicken Stew

This stew recipe ...

...was in Glamour last winter and I ripped it out long ago and finally made it. OF COURSE, I did not follow the recipe exactly... adding extra this and that... But it came out great. Really, it's the wine and the olives that made it so tasty. I didn't even add a bit of salt or pepper and it was very very flavorful. Make this tonight!!!

 

From Sophie Dahl's cookbook...but I altered it a bit...

In 3 tbsp. olive oil, brown the chicken pieces. I used 8 thighs (about 4lbs) but the recipe calls for a whole chicken. Once they are browned, sit aside. It's ok if they aren't done; the chicken will cook through when you let the stew simmer. Add another tbsp of oil, "sweat" a diced onion and 3 cloves of garlic chopped. Sweat means cook on low, covered until soft but not browned - about 5 min. Add 2 cans diced tomatoes, 1 cup of white wine, 1 can of chicken stock, and 3/4 cup of green olives (I like mine sliced). Put the chicken back in. Lastly, I added a tbsp of dried basil and about 8 small golden potatoes, diced. Cook for 30-40 minutes on med. heat till potatoes are soft.

YUM-YUM-SUPERYUM!!!!!

Made by Me Sheer Blouse

I am loving the 80's-style big billowy blouses this fall, especially the necktie ones like these:

(Gucci)

(Chanel)

(Marc Jacobs)

So I made my own from this vintage pattern:

At first I was annoyed because chiffon is a pain to sew, but as I went, taking my time and being very careful, the thing started to come together. When I first tried it on, I thought it looked awful. The nude sheer fabric looked like a shirt made of pantyhose! But after finishing it up and properly styling it with a vintage black silk cami underneath and this Made-by-Me black pencil skirt, I'm now really liking it. To self: Well done!

Fall Butterfly

Long sleeves, fall colors, and light fabrics. This is essential dressing for LA fall. It's a mild season, but we DO have seasons out here. You just have to really REALLY pay attention to notice. :)

I'm not into the butterfly motif at all -- it smacks of fairies and fantasy -- but I just loved the colors and cut of this vintage blouse and had to get it (thrifted from Goodwill). Old suit skirt from Santee Alley; belt from Tin Box of Curious Artifacts. I've had the wedges forever and the necklace is look-a-like Van Cleef from the LA Flea Market.

This blouse gets so many compliments. I think it's the colors and fabric -- it's very soft silk and the muted brown, gray, and blue are just so lovely. I hope you find something lovely to wear today too.
Happy Monday.

Friday Funday

It's a bright sunny day here in LA. I dug around in the closet this morning for something that has been ignored. Something that has long been overlooked. I ended up with this crisp sky-blue cotton blouse. Simple and soft and just waiting to be dressed up. I paired it with my Made-by-me cheery cherry skirt and my new vintage navy blue braided belt (and lots of cheap gold jewelry -- including my new OWL ring from Modcloth). I bought the belt this past weekend at the NELA ArtWalk from the Tin Box of Curious Artifacts-- a traveling vintage shop!!! BRILLIANT!!! LOVE IT!!!

Poulet Roti

I made this one-pot-meal last night. Super-yum. Super-easy. I used small golden potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and onion for my "bed of root vegetables." Chop and toss with olive oil and diced garlic (and a bit of S&P).

Lay the chicken on top, rub with butter (and sprinkle w/ S&P); bake at 475 for 20-25 min, then at 400 for 45-50 min.

I used this recipe as inspiration, but pared it down to bare essentials...

The best part is the veggies which cook in the chicken drippings and butter. OMG- absolutely DEEE-licious!
Bon Appetit!

Moon manicure

I'm loving the reverse French manicure or moon manicure for fall. I've loved this look since I saw it in an old book of fashion photos from the 1930's.  I'm not one to follow trends; I prefer to start them. But since no one I know or have seen in real life has tried this, I thought I'd be the one to bring it around in my area. (It's been in the fashion mags and on runway for a while now.) The ladies at my nail salon hadn't even seen it. That's cool. Start something new!

My first moon manicure

 

Windy & Wet Fall Days

They say Los Angeles doesn't have seasons but this week it got really cool and wet. It's here - FALL! or as the anglophiles I know love to say...Autumn. This comfy chic green dress (from ModCloth) was perfect for the cool weather this week. Nice flats and a little black cardigan. I felt dressed-up but not overdressed at all. And when the weather is bad, you do not want to be wrestling with a fussy outfit or worrying about something very delicate getting ruined by rain.
What do I love wearing for fall? you ask... tights! sweaters! jackets! scarves!!!
It's time to layer and dig out those pretty coats we don't get to wear much in SoCal. Shop your closets ladies!
Have a good weekend, everyone.
<3

Tie skirt

I've always loved men's suits, ties, and nicely tailored shirts and jackets. (I especially always loved those crisp pastel oxford shirts so popular in the 80's....Oh, and everything at Brooks Brothers too!)
I started collecting vintage men's ties a long time ago and occasionally wore them with a nice button-up. About a decade ago, my dear old friend Niki said one day she saw a girl in San Fran wearing a skirt made of ties, and that was it! I was like, HELL YEAH! That is fabulous and I will be making one today. And I did. And I made many more... 
It's such a show-stopping conversation piece. And that is what I love about fashion and crafting and sewing and even thrifting. Having and wearing unique pieces that stimulate the eyes, mind, and even conversation.
Have fun and get creative!