Straight From the Couture Runways: Peplum & Pants

Tags

Caroline Sieber, couture, fashion, fashion week, giambattista valli, runway, style, style setter

The couture shows just ended in Paris and already fashion month is about to kick off in New York this Thursday. Just like this time every year, I’ll be in New York for work but this time my trip coincides with Fashion Week. You can bet I’ll try and find time to hang around Lincoln Center to spot some of my favorite fashionistas.

But just because the Fashion Week madness begins doesn’t mean the couture shows should go unnoticed! In fact, couture is my favorite because there are way fewer shows and I feel like I really get to catch up on everything rather than scrambling to make it through a ridiculous amount of slide shows on Style.com.

One of the trends I noticed both on the runway AND in the front row was a peplum top paired with matching pants. This look can go horribly wrong or be amazingly chic. My latest post on Simon Style Setter is about how us regular people can get the look without the couture price tag. I also give some tips on how to pull the look off in style. Check it out and let me know what you think! Would you try it?

Starting UP with Mint and Lolly Accessories

Tags

accessories, entrepreneur, jewelry, mint and lolly, startup

*Editor’s note: Mint and Lolly is a new one-stop-online-shop for the best and the brightest jewelry. I had the chance to interview founders and sisters Lesley, Katie, and Meghan on what it was like to start a business. I hope you enjoy their story and stay tuned for an upcoming Mint and Lolly giveaway on Dose Of Dash!

What did you do before starting Mint and Lolly?
We all had separate careers but the same aspirations. Between us we worked in retail, restaurants, consumer goods, theater, and entertainment.

How did the idea for Mint and Lolly come to be and why did you decide to take the plunge?
Each of us has different styles; Lesley is more traditional and conservative, Meghan has a more bohemian edge with a side of social responsibility, and Katie is of the wild, urban streetwear variety. Though we were so different with our styles, we came together with our jewelry. We would always joke about starting our own jewelry business because our three styles would be awesome together. Then, one day, we decided to stop talking about it and to try and make it happen.

The idea came from our common love for jewelry. Our other common love growing up was playing the game Candyland®. We loved playing Candyland together. Candy and color make a person so happy. When a person steps into a candy shop, they automatically become happy with all the shapes and colors. We wanted to emulate that in our business – so we made it candy-inspired.

Once you had the idea for Mint and Lolly what steps did you take to make it happen?
We attended jewelry shows under the auspices of our family businesses, as we will always be employees there. We decided to attend some shows first, to see what the industry was like inside. We had our own careers going at the time, and we lived in three states. Vacations were to each other’s places so we could attend shows.

It was still in the idea phase until Meghan moved back out to California, and took a job that she thought was promising. When it turned out to be a total nightmare, she decided it was time to start Mint and Lolly and sacrifice whatever necessary to get it launched. “Now or never” was our phrase at the time. It didn’t take Katie or Lesley long to become cheerleaders of the idea. And so… Mint and Lolly was born.

9 Ways to Wear a Scarf

Tags

scarf, style, winter

Brrrrr it’s cold out there and all I want to do is stay cuddled up on the couch with a hot chocolate and Netflix. But alas, for most of us it’s off to work we go. If you’re getting bored with winter style I don’t blame you. It’s hard to want to look cute when you’re wrapped up like the Michelin Man and the only part of you showing is your eyes peeping out of your balaclava.

If you need some winter fashion inspiration, try mixing it up with scarves. Here are 9 different ways to wear one:

Row One

• Loose – the most common way to wear a scarf; forever a classic.
• Tucked – same as the ‘Loose’ look but with the ends tucked in.
• Sailor Knot – perfect for smaller, square scarves. Fold the scarf diagonally and then into a long rectangle and tie around your neck.

Row Two

• Looped – make a U shape with your scarf, drape it over your neck, and pull the ends through the loop
• Flowing – great for bigger square or rectangular scarfs; just loop around the neck and tie at the side
• Double Wrapped – take a lighter, spring scarf, wrap it around a thick scarf and style as desired

Row Three

• Kerchief – fold a square scarf into a triangle and tie around the neck
• Double Loop – make the ‘Looped’ look then twist the U shape one more time and pull the ends through again
• Tied – make the ‘Loose’ look and then tie the ends of the scarf

My favorite look is definitely the double wrapped. I have so many pretty, gauzy scarves that I can’t wear in the winter so I wrap them around a pashmina to give myself more variety while staying warm. What’s your favorite?

Recipe: Portobello Fajitas

Tags

fajita, health, healthy-living, portobello, recipe

Portobello Fajitas

• 3 portobello mushroom caps, sliced
• 1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1⁄2 cup guacamole
• 1 lime, juiced
• Fresh cilantro
• 4 Whole Grain Tortillas

Serves 4

I slightly adapted this recipe from Whole Foods’ “Health Starts Here” program. Last week I joined their 28-Day Challenge but, even though all the recipes are easy and you make lots of leftovers, my week ended up being surprisingly hectic. That’s why I simplified an already simple recipe and it still came out delicious, quick, and healthy.

1. Slice the portobello mushrooms into long strips and dice the onion and red pepper.
2. Marinate the portobello mushrooms by putting them into a tupperware with the balsamic vinegar and shaking. (Make sure there are no leaks).
3. Warm up a frying pan on low heat and get your tortilla nice and toasty.
4. Remove the warm tortilla, turn the heat up to medium, lightly coat the bottom with olive oil, and put in the onion.
5. Cook the onion for about 3 to 5 minutes until it becomes translucent. Stir frequently.
6. Then throw in the mushrooms and pepper.
7. Season and cook until tender.
8. Slather the tortilla with guacamole, top with the sautéed veggie mixture, a squeeze of fresh lime and chopped cilantro.

Roll up and enjoy!

After making myself one fajita I saved the rest of the veggie mixture in a tupperware. Then whenever I need a quick meal I just warmed up the veggies and the rest was a piece of…fajita. (Pun always intended).

What are some of your favorite go-to easy-peasy recipes?

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Just Push… Pause

Tags

life

I haven’t been posting as much as I’d like to, lately. All of a sudden life became a whirlwind of activity and I just haven’t had a second to work on anything I’ve jotted down on my ideas list.

In the meantime I wanted to share two of my more recent posts for Simon Style Setters that I particularly like (click on the photos to see the posts). Oh…and also a sneak peek of an exciting new project I’m working on. More soon and Happy Friday!

Channel Your Inner Liz Taylor with L’Wren for Banana Republic