The Crop Top is usually a look reserved for Coachella, though lately it is popping up on fashionistas all over the world. The trend is not entirely new. Britney has been rocking the crop top look consistently since Baby One More Time. Fortunately, the trend has graduated from full-stomach exposure. Today, the trend is more about showing a little more than a glance of bare midriff. There are many different ways to style a crop top. If you’re feeling a little more conservative, you can layer the look with a long jacket or blazer. If you’re feeling more playful, you can rock a matching crop top and skirt ensemble. My favorite is the crop top and maxi skirt look!
If you asked me what the perfect summer drink is, I would respond with Strawberry Lemonade. One of my favorite Mexican Restaurants serves the perfect strawberry lemonade, which I always wanted the recipe for, but was too much of a chicken to ask for it. Lemonade recipes can be fickle. Too much sugar or lemon and it can easily get too sweet or too tart. Of course it’s all about personal preference. What’s too sweet for one person might be just right for someone else. If you ask me, this recipe is just the right amount of everything!
Recipe
Ingredients
1 pint strawberries
6 lemons
1 quart water
Ice cubes
Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
Instructions
1. To make simple syrup, combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cool completely.
3. Roll the lemons back and forth on a flat surface to release the juices. Cut in half and juice into a bowl. Remove the seeds. You can also pass the mixture through a strainer. You should get about 1 cup of lemon juice.
4. Cut your strawberries in half and hull. Using a blender, blend the strawberries with the simple syrup.
5. Pour lemon juice, strawberry puree and quart of water into a pitcher. Stir the mixture. Refrigerate until cool.
6. Serve over ice cubes and Enjoy!
Brocade is back as a big trend for Spring and Fall. I am loving this Renaissance-inspired print. I’ve seen some gorgeous Brocade at my local fabric store, but always wondered as to what I could possibly make with it. So far, a full circle skirt sounds like a winner. Or maybe some Brocade shorts for summer! You can try the pattern in light pastels for a soft and romantic look. Or wear it in bright, bold colors to make fashionably loud statement.
If you don’t know what alfajores are, they are dulce de leche filled cookies from South America. Surprisingly, they are made with cornstarch, which gives them a soft and crumbly texture. It’s difficult to eat just one!
Recipe:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups corn starch
2 tsp baking powder
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
Place flour, corn starch and baking powder in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl aside.
Using a stand or hand mixer, mix the butter and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the egg yolks one at a time.
Gradually add the flour mixture.
Finally, add the heavy cream and mix until the dough is soft but not sticky. Cover the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a flat, floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until it is about 1/4″thick and cut with a cookie cutter. (If dough is too sticky, add more flour.)
Bake cookies on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 mins until the cookies are firm and golden on the bottom.
Let the cookies cool.
Flip the cookies upside down and spread with about 2 tsp of dulce de leche. Recipe here. Place a second cookie on top and gently press to create a sandwich.
1. Start by opening a jump ring and hooking on a spike.
2. Stretch the hair tie so it gets thinner and easier to fit inside the jump ring. Attach the jump ring to the hair tie and close the jump ring.
3. Continue adding spike to your hair tie. I added 12 in total.
4. Repeat with the silver spikes, and you’re done! Bonus: they look cool around your wrist!
