hello 90s

I remember when bell-bottom, or flare jeans, just started to become popular when I was in 7th or 8th grade and my mom couldn't get over it.

"It's just so 70s," I remember her saying. "I don't know if I can get into it."

But of course, what goes around, comes around, especially in fashion and right now, everything that seems to be hitting stores is so 90s to me.

And I'm not sure if I can fully get on board with everything. I keep saying to myself... but it's so nineties...

crop top // acid-wash jeans // overalls // jean blouse // tie-front blouse 

What do you think? Wear it now or keep this stuff back in the 90s?

xo, erika 

p.s. can you believe it's almost July? Be sure to get your post ready for the  link up with Beth and me next Friday for the list -- where we share goals & hopes for the upcoming month.

dear shorts

Dear shorts,

For the longest time I refused to buy you, refused to wear you.

I thought you were weird and fit funny and never really appropriate for much. But I take that all back. You can be classy, elegant, and stylish and I'm only now appreciating all that you can do.

You're like summer's best version of a favorite pair of blue jeans-- totally workable for nearly any occasion.
 

So this summer let's hang out more. We can invite the blazer and wedges to come, too.

xo, erika

linking up to fashion & faith

wear: 

blazer: c/o wallis
top: c/o wallis

shorts: Target
wedges: ShoeDazzle
 

p.s. I'm competing in a contest for Wallis Fashion-- head over to their facebook page and give me a vote? Thanks!

p.p.s. looking to sponsor in July? I have a few spots open!

make: boubon-baked peaches

What's the best purpose of hard liquor? In my opinion, it's best used in dessert.


Whether it's lighting on fire for a flambe or using it make a fluffy-light pie crust, or dousing fresh peaches in it, liquor is best baked.


My case in point: these bourbon-baked peaches. It's like a boozy peach cobbler without the crust. Obviously delish.

Bourbon-baked peaches (recipe adapted from here)
2 ripe peaches, halfed and pitted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 sea salt
3 tbs bourbon
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
parchment paper or foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together sugar, salt, bourbon and vanilla until well blended.

Place peaches cut side down on a parchment sheet on a baking sheet (preferrably one with a rim)

Pour half of sugar-bourbon mixture over peaches.

Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and turn over. Pour remaining sugar-bourbon over peaches and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Slice if desired and serve hot over vanilla ice cream or with fresh whipped cream or anything else your heart desires!

Please note that it can take up to two hours for alcohol content to completely bake out of a dish, so these peaches will have a slight kick to them. See this chart for additional information.

xo, erika

friendship

I don't love that some of my dearest friends live far away.
But I do love when we get the chance to be together and it's like no time has passed at all.

Whether they are a 5-hour car ride or a 4-hour plane ride away, I feel so blessed to have friends who know me so well-- who challenge me, who aren't afraid to ask the hard questions -- who also will stay up late, drinking wine and laughing about the weirdest things until 2 a.m.

If you have friends like that, treasure them, call them often, write them a note, send them a text remind them how much you appreciate them. It's easy to forget sometimes how incredible a good friend is.

 

 

xo, erika

wear: 

hat: macy's

tee: target

necklace: c/o kintage

skirt: nordstrom  

sandals: TJ Maxx 

"a friend loves at all times..." proverbs 17:17 

linking up to style elixir, pleated poppy

half marathon

 

When my alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. on Saturday morning I kind of wondered what I was doing.

Standing in a pack of thousands, waiting for the start, I wondered again.

And at mile 11, I really wondered what made me think I could ever run a half marathon.

But on the other side of it, completely stiff and sore -- you should see me hobble downstairs -- I am absolutely astounded and amazed that I ran 13.1 miles at 7 a.m on a Saturday.

If you would have asked me a year ago if I thought I would have ever run a half marathon, I might have laughed. Why run that far and for that long?

I can answer that now.

Training and completing a half marathon has give me a small high on achieving goals -- I feel like there a lot of things that I can accomplish, if I really train and prep for it.

Running is also partially therapy for me. I don't run with music but just let my thoughts go with my feet, and that time now feels necessary. And I have to say honestly that the days that I run are often so much better -- there's something to be said for runner's highs!

The half-marathon was also fun. It was a perfect, sunny day with crowds lining the streets and bands playing every mile. I ran along an interstate, through a park lined by million dollar homes and on a major highway that crests up through skyscrapers, giving views of the moutains, Sound and cityscape.

And when I finished, I ate a huge stack of buckwheat-wholewheat huckleberry pancakes covered with wild blueberries, raspberries, fresh whipped cream and honey syrup and felt so good about every bite.

The crazy thing is that I think I'm going to run another. Portland, see you in October for the next 13.1.

xo, erika

linking up to Blair for life lately!

friday links vol 1

some stuff I read, saw and liked this week (and last week!)

 Moroccan wall stencil by royaldesignstencils

>> this is not wallpaper but a wall stencil. I want to use one on the wall behind my kitchen sink!

>> 6 tips for taking high-quality photos via jenny highsmith

 

 Laura + Nick by Benj Haisch

>> this incredible, incredible wedding shot just north of Seattle. Hat tip to Delightfully Tacky for tweeting it. 

>> the hair & makeup shoot shared by gentri lee. holy gorgeous!

>> how to throw a beer-tasting party via the glitter guide

>> good reads for small business owners & bloggers from just love.ly

>> how to wear boyfriend jeans via the dean street society (this is a trend I'm excited/nervous to try!)

new to me blog reads:
 - style honestly (love her affordable fashion & take on life!)
- jeans & a teacup (another fun fashion read)
- a cozy kitchen (recently pancakes have become a comfort food of mine -- and lately I need a lot of comfort-- so obviously I've started reading a blog by someone who just published a pancake book!)

in other news-- the half marathon is s a t u r d a y. The ankle is not perfect, but gosh darn it, I'm planning on running it! (And eating the biggest breakfast afterwards... that may or may not include pancakes...)

happy friday!

xo, erika

p.s. have a second? can I snag a vote from you in the wallis fashion contest? apparently you can now vote once an hour-- but I'm not honestly expecting that from any of you. ;)

p.p.s. if you haven't yet-- enter the giveaway for the "put your stamp on it" book here!

put your stamp on it giveaway

Before there was the etsy shop or the blog, I still had a huge love for handmade and homemade. My favorite times when after begging a bajillion times, my mother agreed to do a craft with us. (Read- set up a craft for us.)

There was a while when the craft du jour was stamping. Today, I'm no pro but I still love the look of stamped items and have even played around with making my own stamps here and here.

As I said, though, I am not a professional, which is why I was excited to read "Put Your Stamp On It" which is filled with adorable and easy projects. Some of them involve carving your own stamps-- others are as simple as finding things around the house -- in one of the projects, it's a pencil eraser! (You can watch an adorable video of the book here.)

The book is easy-to-understand and beautiful and lucky us-- there's a copy for one rouge & whimsy reader!

Simply tell me in the comments what craft you love making time for -- the craft could even be the art of sleeping or ice cream eating -- both, my friends, are crafts near and dear to my heart! ;)

I usually use rafflecopter-- but the site hasn't been working for me-- so for extra entries, follow me on facebook, instagram or pinterest and let me know you did in the comments (and share what email you used to follow. each follow counts as one entry.) 

xo, erika

p.s. if you follow me on instagram, you'll know that I had a minor ankle injury ahead of my half-marathon this Saturday (eee!) but my ankle is feeling loads better and I know it's because of your love & prayers. so thank you. :)

 

how to style a midi skirt

There's mini skirts, maxi shirts (my favorite) and then there's midi skirts.

However, and let's be honest here... sometimes midi skirts can be a little frumpy. 

BUT midi skirts can also be quite cute... and I'm talking how to reduce the frump of midi skirts over on Wild and Precious today!

xo, erika

neon shop update

 

 neon yellow clutch

While I love sending out orders and seeing people so excited to order a rouge + whimsy bag, one of my favorite things about my shop is the creative process. I love coming up with new designs and each time I try to push myself to try something new.

black leather studded clutch with neon pink polka dot lining

Each time I come up with something new, I love my new creations even more than the last-- and this is especially true this time around. The neon is just a great addition to any outfit-- and I cannot gush anymore about the leather clutch. It's so soft and just the right size.

See the neon clutch and black leather studded clutch in the shop!

And, I just created a newsletter for the rouge + whimsy shop and blog! Sign up and get updates and discounts.

Sign up for the newsletter here!

 xo, erika

farmer market style

 

I have many many favorite things, but high up on the list are farmers' markets. There a ton in Seattle, but I like the little one just 10 blocks from my house.

Also on my list? Maxi dresses. Any item of clothing that feels like pajamas but looks like fancy is a good thing in my book.

And of course if you combine the two-- farmers market AND a maxi dress, you've got a combination that can't be beat.

The strawberries were pretty dang good, too.

also-- this outfit is entered in a contest on Wallis' facebook page. Could you, if you have a moment, hop over there & give me a vote? You can vote daily. Thanks!

xo, erika

wear:

maxi dress: c/o wallis
jean jacket: from high school
bracelet: thrifted// adie's lovelies

sandals: TJ Maxx

sweet relish

I pride myself on giving good gifts or unique gifts. Sometimes my family claims I try to outshine everyone else with my gifts, but the truth is that I love finding something that someone loves but didn't even know that they wanted.

I do most of my gift hunting online on sites like Etsy, Fab and Uncommon Goods. But I'm excited to add Sweet Relish to the list.


Sweet Relish doesn't sell relish for your hot dog or burger (although I do love that green spread) but is a site where you can find new brands and products with their discover button. They also categorize gifts for the different people in your life. You can also save things that you find online to lists or look at other people's gift lists for ideas.


After looking through some cool companies, Sweet Relish sent me a bangle from Mango Tree and hand and dish soap from Eco-Me. I love the soap and the story behind the company-- it was started by a woman whose family history led her to pursue making green products.


Other cool things I found on Sweet Relish-- the Man Can, which was started by a 16-year-old and donates proceeds to hungry families and the Corkicle, which is probably the most unique way I've seen to keep drinks cold.


do you like to give unique gifts?

xo, erika

wearing:

earrings: macy's-- forever ago

dress: Nordstrom
cardigan: Old Navy

bangle: Mango Tree c/o Sweet Relish

boots: Minnetonka

lemonade icecubes

I am so pleased to have Krystina over here on the blog sharing a fun little recipe. Once upon a time we actually met at Blog Sugar and she's pretty sweet and creative.

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Sweeten that lemon in your water, replace your lemon slice with a lemonade ice cube! Stay cool and hydrate more this summer! No more watered down iced tea, soda, or cocktails!

i would call these my lovely assistants, however, they did most of the work ;)

recipe:

• for 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
• use 1 cup water
• and 1 cup sugar
• freeze in ice cube trays

add to:

• water
• your diet coke ;)
• iced tea
• citrus cocktails

cheers!

xoxo,

krystina

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delicious, right? Go say hi to Krystina on her blog or say hello on facebook, twitter or instagram. oh! she also does web design, so if you're in need-- go check that out here!

black-eyed pea salad with jalepeno cilantro dressing

I made this salad up on a whim-- it's called using what's in the fridge and cupboard. And it turned out delicious enough that I warranted it worth sharing with you!

salad ingredients:
1 can black-eyed peas
1 can black beans
1 green pepper
1 ear of corn
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

dressing ingredients:
1 jalepeno
1 handful of fresh cilantro
1/2 lime
3 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

- slice jalepeno lengthwise, remove seeds, dice
- place diced jalepenos in white wine vinegar, let sit for 20 minutes
- open and rinse peas and beans thoroughly, add to large bowl
- dice pepper, strip corn from ear and chop tomatoes-- add to bowl


after the jalepeno slices have sat in the white wine vinegar for 20 minutes, remove them and discard (you can hold onto one slice of jalepeno to put in the dressing if you like a little bit more of a kick.)
- add jalepeno vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, cilantro and jalepeno slice (if using) to food processor/blender and blend until smooth.


pour over salad, let marinate for 10 minutes.

also, avocado would be a delicious addition but I didn't have any but if you do-- you should add it. :)




I served this over an arugula leaf (more greens!) alongside grilled chicken.

xo, erika