Recipe File: The Most Amazing Blueberry Muffins

Have you ever heard of Sally's Baking Addiction? It's the most amazing baking blog, literally everything I have ever made from there has been completely delicious! My absolute favorite recipe that she has ever posted (and that I've tried) is her Sparkling Jumbo Blueberry Muffins.  They are seriously the most perfect blueberry muffins that I have ever made. Granted, I'm a bit of a baker, it's my stress release (same with cleaning), but I've never been that great at making breads. Cakes, cookies, even candy I can handle, but breads and muffins have always been difficult for me. I can just never get them to that perfect balance of moist and tender and fluffy that makes the perfect muffin or slice of loaf cake. So, when I find a good recipe, I hold on to it!

To make the muffins, you'll need:
3 cups all-purpose flour (very careful not to overmeasure - use a knife to level off the measuring cup)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, room temperature preferred
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk (I use buttermilk, as Sally suggests, and I prefer that.)
1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable or melted coconut oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract - the best you can find! 
1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries - I've used both, and can't really tell a difference. 
coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)

When it comes to baking: 

1. Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Spray your muffin tin of choice with non-stick spray or line with muffin liners. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, gently toss together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until all dry ingredients are combined - a 20 second toss to disburse everything together. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until combined. Mix in milk, oil, and vanilla. Mixture will be pale and yellow. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix everything together by hand. Avoid overmixing. Gently mix until all the flour is off the bottom of the bowl and no big pockets of flour remain. The batter will be VERY thick and somewhat lumpy. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins, filling all the way to the top. Top with a sprinkle course sugar, if preferred. Bake at 425F degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and continue to bake for 25-26 minutes until tops are lightly golden and centers appear set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan before enjoying.
5. Muffins taste best fresh the same day. Store muffins at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Muffins freeze well for up to 3 months.

Seriously, these are the best muffins I have ever made! Definitely go and check out Sally's Baking Addiction, you won't regret it! 

Until next time, 

xo 

T

Road Trip Attire

Jacket: AG Jeans; Sweater: Vince; Pants: JCrew; Shoes: Tory Burch; Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs; Sunglases: Karen Walker; Watch: Kate Spade; Bracelet: C Wonder; Rings: Jennifer Zeuner and BaubleBar; Necklace: Dogeared

Matt and I are on yet another road trip this weekend - last weekend we headed up to Whistler for a last weekend of snowboarding before the snow conditions get to bad, and this weekend we headed south back home to California. This outfit is basically my go-to travel outfit, especially when I'll be driving on a road trip. An oversized sweater, paired with my favorite pixie pants from JCrew, a jean jacket (or something warmer like a pea coat in the winter months) and a big tote to carry all of my essentials like my lap top, planner, a book and my water bottle. Top it all off with some simple jewelry, a top knot and big sunnies and you're good to go! 

Until next time, 

xo 

T

#TBT: Grace Kelly Style

1955 Academy Awards

With Carey Grant in "To Catch a Thief"

A beautifully draped bodice (and a statement necklace!) in "To Catch a Thief"

An amazingly un-matronly skirt suit in "Rear Window"

Seriously, if I ever need a black tie ready gown, this one from"Rear Window" will be my inspiration.

Her amazing wedding dress at her wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco

Grace Kelly is an undeniable fashion icon.  But, she is also so much more than that. She grew up in a privileged Philadelphia family, won an Oscar, became a princess - and did that consistently with style and, well, grace. She truly epitomized her name. I have always seen Grace Kelly as my personal icon, not just for style, but also for how to present myself to the world.  And, in a world of Snookis and Mileys, it's nice to have an icon like that.  In terms of her fashion, though, part of credit belongs to costume designer Edith Head, who worked on the Alfred Hitchcock movies ("Dial M for Murder", "Rear Window", and "To Catch a Thief") that Kelly is so widely known for.  But her personal appearances, such as her blue silk 1955 Oscar dress, are also the embodiment of chic and taste. Even Kate Middelton, another perennially tasteful fashion icon, drew inspiration for her own Sarah Burton designed wedding gown from Kelly's. So, when in doubt, ask yourself: What would Grace Kelly do? Or wear :) 

Until next time, 

xo 

T

Quilted Leather

Jacket: Alice and Olivia; Tank: Vince; Jeans: Rag and Bone; Shoes: Converse; Beanie: Target

Spring has sprung here in the Pacific Northwest, which is great because the sun has started to shine and it's started to get just a *little bit* warmer. With that said, it's still warm one minute cold the next like any other place in April, so while I could forgo the sweater I usually wear under this jacket, I still had to rock a beanie! Now, more about this jacket. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it at Alice and Olivia, and after a month or so of saving, it was finally mine. Woohoo! Because it's a little bit glam rock with it's navy quilted leather, I kept the rest of the outfit fairly low-key and a little grunge with a simple white tank, black skinnies, and my beat up converse.  With that said, I can't wait to wear it with a cute pastel shift dress (maybe lilac with a cute collar?) come warmer weather! 

Until next time, 

xo 

T

Good Girl Classics: Trench Coats

Alexa Chung in a Burberry coat with a navy dress and nude Valentino Rock Stud flats. 

Kate Middelton looking flawless as usual in a trench with a fluted skirt. 

Emma Watson wearing a glam punk Burberry coat with matching bag. 

Emma Stone using her trench as a topper for a casual jeans and tee look. So chic! 

The trench coat was originally developed in World War I by Thomas Burberry as an alternative to the heavier weight serge coat. The double breasted coat featured a belt and d-ring to hold things like swords and maps, and was made of waterproof gabardine to help soldiers stay dry during inclement weather. After the war, many soldiers started wearing them at home, and the other countries started to commission them during World War II. Once the war ended, the trench coat became a fixture in popular culture, made more famous by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca and Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther. Since then, it has become a wardrobe staple. 

Style icons like Audrey Hepburn have worn them in movies and in their everyday life, and in more recent years, Shoes favorites like Alexa Chung, Emma Stone, and Kate Middelton have all worn them.  They have all demonstrated that the classic piece can be anything from casual (Emma Stone) to girly (Kate Middelton) to cocktail appropriate (Alexa Chung) and even edgy (Emma Watson). It is the perfect spring layering piece to keep you dry during April showers and warm on cool nights and mornings. It polishes a simple jeans and flats look, and adds a dress and pumps.  It is the perfect piece to tone done trendy accessories, and is something that every girl should have in her closet. 

I know I'm saving up for a Burberry one! 

Until next time, 

xo 

T

April Layers

Hat: Vineyard Vines; Jacket: Barbour; Button-up: JCrew; Dress: Joie; Boots: Hunter; Bag: Kate Spade

It was *almost* warm enough this weekend to get away with bare legs... I was so excited! My poor pale legs are in desperate need of some sunshine.  This sweater dress, though, is one of the most versatile pieces in my closet. It's a great example of a "wear now, wear later" type item, as you can easily layer it as I did here, with a jacket and a button up, or you could wear it alone once the weather gets warmer. It's also great with boots in the spring and winter, which you can swap for sandals or flats later.  My baseball hat is perfect for casual days this time of year, when it's not raining enough to need a rain coat, but you still don't want your hair to get soaking wet thanks to those April showers! 

Until next time, 

xo 

T 

Book Report: The Paris Wife

I recently finished reading the book The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, and I had to post about it. I had had the book sitting on my bookshelf for probably about 2 years, and had yet to crack the spine because, quite frankly, I had other more interesting seeming books to read in the mean time. However, I recently undertook a project where I read all of the left over books on my bookshelf based on their jacket color (i.e. I'm reading all of the red books right now) because I'm working on color coding my bookshelves.  I know, super OCD and vaguely bizarre. But it's ok because it got me to finally read The Paris Wife, and I'm so glad that I did. 

The book tells the story of Ernest Hemingway's first wife, Hadley, and the extent of their relationship.  It begins in Chicago in the 1920s, with a shy and insecure Hadley who meets the dashing war hero Ernest at a party while staying with a friend. Ernest pursues her, and they begin exchanging letters after she returns home to St. Louis. Not long after, the two have gotten married and are on their way to live in Paris so Ernest can pursue his writing. The lively scene of Paris in the 1920s is worth the read alone, but the adorable story of two people in love, barely making ends meet but loving every minute of their adventure regardless, is touching and romantic. That's how the story goes for the next hundred or so pages, and the two remain very much in love through a baby, a move to Canada and then back to Paris, lost manuscripts and more. 

Spoiler alert: the story takes a sad turn at the end. I mean, it is about Ernest Hemingway's first wife, so obviously their relationship ends at some point. That ending is described in the last bit of the novel, and although it is incredibly hard to read at parts, it's also incredibly relatable to any of us (myself included) who have experienced some sort of heart break. In that light, it's also incredibly optimistic, as even after Hadley has her heart broken in a million pieces by Ernest, she picks herself up, takes care of her son, and finds love again. It really does give the sense of hope in love and the promise of life; that whenever one door closes, another opens. 

So, I would definitely recommend picking up The Paris Wife the next time you're in need of a new read.  Even though you might tear up a little at various parts, the end will leave you feeling pretty good about life. 

Until next time, 

xo 

T