Friday's Fancies #60: April Showers

Last year when we did April Showers for Friday's Fancies I shared my love for Hunter Wellies.

Well, a year has past and it's now a full blown obsession. You can find every color humanly possible, and I'm trying to decide which one to invest in. I mean, it has rained for about 95% of the days in April...so I kind of feel like I can justify them!

Classic Hunter green? Nostalgic bright yellow? Go-with-everything black? Trendy jade or burgundy?

(find all the colors on shoes.com here with free shipping and free returns)

So I'll ask it- which of these classic or fun Hunter colors would you go with?

Think I might have to go red.....

xo, lp 

FIVE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT CARE ABOUT...

I realize this is a lot more wordy than my average posts, but well, if you're really reading this blog because you like me or are even minutely interested in getting to know me better, then you should enjoy it. Plus I'll throw in some pictures of me jumping like an idiot for your enjoyment.

I promise this 5 things isn't one of the braggy ones like "OMG I WAS PROM QUEEN IN HIGH SCHOOL!/I'M FAMOUS IN EUROPE FOR MY ONE HIT WONDER!" mainly because neither of those are true...I can't sing for shit and we didn't have a prom queen so...no worries.

 Sometimes on this blog I deviate from speaking the way I do in real life- mainly because I know that without seeing I'm joking I can sound like kind of a jerk. I tried to make this post unfiltered Laura...hopefully you enjoy/learn something new/aren't too bored.

Let's begin, shall we?

1. I pretty much only wear patterned socks. I absolutely despise wearing socks, but living in the cold Midwest means it's not really an option not to. I cope by wearing ridiculous patterned socks- mainly holiday themed ones. I've got penguins, hearts, skulls, and menorahs in my repertoire- just to name a few. It has led to interesting conversations at the doctor's office, the gym, and events with get-to-know you mixers where you have to take your boots/shoes off.

2. I have excellent road rage. I don't mean swerving and speeding like a crazy person- but I do swear like a sailor when I'm on the road. Yes, I am judging your cube shaped car, your stupid family bumper stickers, and your inability to turn off your turn signal on the highway after you've switched lanes.

3. One of my many, many pet peeves includes being patted on the back when being hugged by my peers. Unless I am your grandmother (which I am not), do not pat me on the back. Hug me like a real person. After our first unofficial-ish date Michael gave me nothing more than a hug with a pat on the back. I absolutely talked crap about him to my coworkers the next day. I guess it worked out for him in the long run...

4. I've been a vegetarian for about...12 years or so.
To answer your questions:
I do it for a mix between ethics and lifestyle. // No, I don't miss meat.  // No, I'm not annoying about it and never try to convince other people to be vegetarians. // No, it doesn't annoy me if you eat meat around me. // No, Michael is not a vegetarian. // Yes, I eat more that just carrots. // No, I am not interested in a piece of your steak/bacon/etc no matter how good you say it tastes.

5. I hate horses. Correction: I'm scared of horses. Holy crap they are huge. And look like they're about to stop you out at any moment. Not quiiiiiiite as terrifying as sharks- but they're up there.


So there you have it. 5 things about me you probably didn't need to know, but now do.
Tell me something cool about yourself. Scared of horses too? Judge other people while you're driving? Share away, kiddos!

xo, lp

BEST & BASIC STIRFRY RECIPE

Michael and I have stir fry all. the. time. It's such a great way to go through veggies, especially if they're right on the edge of getting soft & wouldn't be as good raw. We've got a basic stirfry recipe down that makes a HUGE amount of food- which means leftovers for days! This recipe is insanely basic, and you could add veggies/ginger/spice to your hearts content...but for us we have these ingredients 100% of the time in our fridge, so it's our go-to. A few things:

1. If you don't have a rice steamer, get one. Ours is $19 (get it here) and is a microwaveable rice steamer. Put in rice and water, let it go- and you get perfectly cooked rice EVERY single time. I don't know about you all, but I burn rice when I make it in a pot...or make it overly soggy. This steamer kicks butt-plus it can be used to steam veggies & make pasta. Ridic.

2. Woks. They can be a little spendy- but if you average out cost per use...man ours is about $0.10 a use. I highly recommend this guy from Nordic Ware- Made in the USA!

What you'll need:

Rice:

2 cups basmati or brown rice

4 cups water

rice steamer (or pot)

Veggie Mix:

2 cups chopped broccoli

1 red pepper

2 garlic cloves

1 large onion

(+sliced almonds to garnish)

2 Tbsp oil- veggie or olive

Sauce:

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce(low sodium or regular)

1 1/2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce (we use this)

1 tablespoon Sriracha red chili sauce

1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch

squeeze lemon juice

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Get your rice cookin'! It should take about 16 minutes to cook 2 cups of rice. If you time it right you'll be done with your veggies and rice at the same time!

Step 2: Chop your veggies ahead of time. Make your onions and peppers bit sized and mince your garlic!

Step 3: Add your oil to your wok and bring to medium low heat. Once hot add your onions and let 'em sizzle for 3-4 minutes. Mmmm-mmmm. 

Step 4: Next add in your peppers and broccoli, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add your garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or so.

Step 5: Mix all your sauce ingredients together really well and pour over your veggies while still on the stove. Let heat up with your veggies and stir every 30 seconds or so.

Step 6: Scoop up your rice, dish out some veggies, and garnish with sliced almonds!

 (seriously. this rice cooker is the bomb)

 There it is! Easy, fast, delicious- and a great way to get your veggie servings in for the night!!

What is your easy go-to dish?

Anyone else have a good stir-fry recipe?

xo, lp

(like asian dishes? try my broccoli soy noodles or my crunchy asian cabbage salad!)

IT'S GONNA BE MAYYYYYYYYYY.

Why oh why did this weekend go by so quickly?

Both of our parents were in town and after everything last week, it was much needed family time. 

If you're looking for a good way to make your coworkers smile, Google this image and leave it at the end of their April calendar. My friend Emily got me with this the other week and I laugh every time I see it! If you don't get it, sing it in your best JT voice...

I cannot even say how much I love my latest grab from Kate Spade Saturday. Since I'm a big mug hoarder I couldn't resist these two- and only $10 each! Free shipping both ways, too...

Every year the UW Madison Varsity band puts on a concert-and for the last 4 years I've gone to it with Michael's family. I can't even call it a concert- it is a full out SHOW. A few hundred band members, streamers, pyro, singing-you name it, they got it. If you're ever in Wisconsin at the end of April you've gotta go!

 Sunday included a trip to Costco, aka mecca. Michael's parents hooked us up with enough toothpaste to last us for like a year. Yessssssssss. Also- how do we feel about concrete floors in homes? I kind of love the look but also kind of think I'm enough of a klutz that'd I'd slip and knock myself out?

 Sunday also meant a trip to Home Depot to get MORE plants. Can you tell we're anxious for it to finally be spring around here? I'm already coming up with some killer cocktails with this rosemary, mint, and basil!

 Speaking of recipes, tomorrow I'll be sharing a recipe for this:

What did you do that was great this weekend, friends?

Tell me something good!

xo, lp

pssssssssssssst: find me on Instagram here! 

#instasky

I take a ton of pictures of the sky on Instagram.

Yeah, yeah, I know. REAL original, right? I know along with brunch, manicures, and cats that the sky has got to be the most overly taken subject for peoples' oh so creative shots. It may not be an earth shattering, mind blowing picture time after time- but put it all together and it makes one hell of a collage, right?

Springtime in Wisconsin has been full of a lot of gray days and sunless skies - so I was in need of these pictures to remember that when it's good in the Midwest- it is so good!

So there it is. 

35 gorgeous skies from 35 gorgeous days!

What cliche thing do you love taking shots of?

Down with pretty sunset shots too? Find me here: @lpodlich

xo, lp

psssssssssst: leave your instagram handle in the comments so I can check out your creative shots!

STRAWBERRY LEMON STARBURST VODKA.

Let's talk liquor. 

I'm mainly a whiskey girl, and in general avoid fruity drinks like the plague. 

Ever since an...eventful...night in college that involved wayyyy too many colorful, candy-like cocktails I can't quite stomach those sugarbombs like I used to. Don't get me wrong- nothing is better than a lime margarita on the rocks on a hot summer day- but not too often.

Now, all that being said you're probably wondering WHY I'm writing a post about strawberry lemon vodka. HYPOCRITE! LIAR! FRAUD! Well, sort of yes, and sort of no. 

1. I had some  really crappy vodka to get rid of.

2. I was in the mood to experiment with some leftover jellybeans from Easter.

3. I figured I'll save it for a day where I'm craving sweets or have it for fruit-lovin' guests.

So here's the deal: a few times in college my friends and I made Skittles vodka, and I figured Starburst jelly beans would work just as well! This "recipe" is crazy simple and you could do it with all different flavors- I'm thinking RAINBOW vodkas, people.

-----

What you'll need:

1/2 liter of vodka (any kind will do)

1/3 large bag of Starburst jellybeans.

Patience.

Sprite.

How to make it happen:

1. Choose two flavors from the Starburst jellybean bag. I went with lemon and strawberry! For the love of all that is good- don't pick two colors that will make brown. No one wants to drink brown vodka. If you choose apple & orange you deserve the nastiness that is coming your way. ::shudder::

2. Pour your jellybeans right into your vodka bottle. Enjoy watching the alcohol rip the coatings of those little guys right off!

3. Wait 4-5 days, shaking the vodka + beans once a day or so. You REALLY can't mess this up. You can leave them in longer, shake more or less. This is the beauty of booze, people.

4. Because these guys have more gelatin or faux-gelatin in them than Skittles they probably won't dissolve all the way- unless you have vodka that is borderline rubbing alcohol.  You can either strain out the mini remains of the beans or leave them in the bottom of the bottle for looks. Orrr you could eat them and get super intoxicated. Bleh.

5. Put it in a cute bottle and label it with washi tape. Then pour 2 ounces out into a glass with ice & Sprite and you have yourself one delicious, sweet treat!

Watch out, this stuff is dangerous. Sweet and a little tangy-perfect with soda water or lemon-lime soda!

Are you a fan of sweet drinks (alcoholic or not)?

You might just have to try this recipe- use those leftovers from Easter!

xo,lp

if you do, try out my grapefruit margaritas or raspberry blueberry champagne fizz recipes!

DOING PUZZLES UNTIL MIDNIGHT

Have you guys seen Buzzfeed's "Life in your Early Twenties vs Life in your Late Twenties?". If not, I highly recommend you look at it over your lunch break.  For those of you in the 25+ club with me, you'll enjoy it...and for those of you not quite there yet- this is what you have to look forward to!

My photographer sister came in town this weekend and we spent some much needed time together. We've kind of found a rhythm when she comes to visit, and each time it just gets better. We visit our old college stomping grounds & get coffee and bagels at our favorite place. We have our fair share of girl talk, family talk, and advice time. We watch ridiculous TV (or in this case, Pitch Perfect...twice..), go out to dinner, and then relax at home with Michael.

 Saturday night after watching a movie we did a puzzle. Yes, you read that right. a PUZZLE. Until MIDNIGHT. It started as kind of a joke, but ended up being a competition to see if we could finish it. Early twenties Laura would have begged her to go bar hopping.Early twenties Laura would have been like " YOU HAVE GOT TO BE EFFING KIDDING ME". But man, I have to say, it was awesome. We had a hefty supply of beers, some great music, and were laughing so loud I'm not sure why the neighbors didn't call the landlord. It feels pretty good to get to a point in your life where you can do whatever the hell you want (be it lame to others or not) and don't feel like you need to justify it or hide it. 

It snowed Saturday night. Sure, it was gone by late Sunday morning, but still. I almost took a picture for Instagram whining about it, but decided there were prettier things to share. Take what's on our bedside table currently: this years V-day rose in a glass pop bottle. Shouldn't all pop come in bottles still? So much cooler.

Coming tomorrow I'm sharing a super odd recipe. At least odd for me. I tried my hand at candy vodka...you'll have to check back tomorrow to see how it turned out!

In other news, Michael taught my 3 year old niece how to shoot spitballs this weekend. At a T.G.I Fridays. 

Sigh.

Can't wait until she's in school, uses that knowledge, gets detention, and we get a call about it. 

What thing did you do this weekend that young-you would have laughed at?

I'm probably the only that did a puzzle, but I know some of you must have something to share!

xo, lp

psst: check out more in Instagram HERE

Friday's Fancies #59: Shoe in.

This Friday's Fancies was an easy one- {av} simply gave us the theme shoes- and that's something I can run with. 

Mother Nature has a cruel sense of humor, and has decided to give us a week of rain & snow in APRIL. Rain, I get-all that "april showers" and crap. But snow? C'mon man! Killing me. 

Thus, for today's post I rounded up my favorite collection of must-have spring flats. I figure if I think sunny spring and show sunny spring on the blog, maybe sunny spring will come. Fingers crossed.

Now, for those of you who are oh-so quick, you'll notice these are all from one place: Gap!

I absolutely love their spring flats because they're not only comfy- but they come in an array of patterns and colors. Not only do they have springy dots and stripes, but also the basics like a great rich tan and a simple black. I tried a bunch of these on this weekend at Gap and they were super comfy- now if only the weather could stop stinking so I could WEAR SOME!

Which of these would you add to your spring assortment?

I'll take the tan, coral, and navy/white dots, please!

xo, lp

Find those pretty shoes here- Gap usually has online only deals that rock, and their shoes run true to size!

PLAYING FAVORITES

 It's been dark grey and rainy for the past few days, and it's been hard to get out of a cranky mood.

I figured today I'd share some of my favorite links in the good old blogland lately!

If you don't already, go check these ladies out:

SRIRACHA POPCORN RECIPE from Christin at With a C.H. : Holy crap this looks amazing and I need to make this asap. Genius.

GOLD BAMBOO from Emily at Recently: I'm convinced every inch of her house is pure perfection. Oh. My. Goodness. 

CHERRY BLOOM RECIPE from Emily at Blue Dog Belle : Makes me with I was still living in Richmond so I could go drink these with her! Yum!

BEESLY'S NEED READ GREED from Ashley over at One Fine Day: Ashley runs this awesome series (which I've even been a part of!) and yesterday did it from the perspective of her gigantic dog. It was kiiiind of hilarious. 

CHOCOLATE OMBRE CAKE HOW TO from Erica at Fashion Meets Food: Talk about making bakery-style cakes! Insane!

Now it's YOUR turn!

What's a blog you love? Leave a website or name in the comments so I can find them!

xo, lp

PARMESAN GARLIC QUINOA (you'll never eat mac & cheese again!)

I love quinoa.

Being a vegetarian I used to eat a lot of pasta, but lately have been trying to eat a little less processed pasta- especially boxed mac & cheese. I am in NO means claiming to be a part of any whole30, paleo, ANYTHING, just realized every time I ate boxed pasta I felt sleepy & sluggish. Thus, I've started eating quinoa more and more. For those of you who aren't totally behind it, I totally get it. I know it's a texture thing for a lot of people, but I promise once you learn how to cook it properly and infuse it with great flavor, you won't go back!

*oh, and quinoa is not the most appetizing to look at or photograph. bear with me *

What you'll need:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water

1 medium white onion (cut in 1.5 inch strips)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (part of which for garnish)

How to make it happen:

Step 1: RINSE YOUR QUINOA. Don't be lazy. It takes two seconds! Rinse in cold water. Your stomach will thank me later. I won't get graphic but that's all I'll say.

Step 2: Heat up your olive oil in a large sauce pan and saute your onions for 4-5 minutes. Throw in your garlic for a minute, stirring so it doesn't burn.

Step 3: Add in your water and quinoa and cover the pot, bringing the water to a boil.

Step 4: Bring down to low and allow to simmer. Quinoa should take about 15 minutes to cook or so- but you'll know when there is a ring around the outside and the center is clear- plus about all of your water should be absorbed!

Step 5: Mix in your salt, basil, black & red pepper, and 1/3 cup of your cheese. If you want it a little more creamy, go ahead and add more!

Step 6: Dish it up while hot and sprinkle with pepper and cheese for garnish!

You'll be left with a creamy, salty, smooth dish! It's really worth it to use good, grated Parmesan cheese- the flavor will be so much better!

Willing to give up mac & cheese for this?

Try it friends. It's seriously delicious!

xo, lp

----

Want an even healthier, VEGAN quinoa recipe?

Check out my veggie quinoa stuffed peppers!

INSTAGRAM FUN!

find me here:

*Psst: if you're an online shopper, you HAVE to use Ebates. For real, y'all. Find out more HERE*

55 DEGREES? THAT'S SHORTS WEATHER!

Oh geez. 

Do you ever have one of those weekends that REALLY feels like a weekend? You weren't rushed, or working from home. You weren't too busy or bogged down with chores. Come Sunday night you feel refreshed and ready for the week ahead.

That was this weekend for me. It was the perfect balance of time with friends, family, and Michael. I even went to the gym twice. Boom. Champion.

Here's what's been up lately:

Word on the street is the weather is going to turn nasty again, so I'm getting in springy clothes while I can!

I came home from work the other day and Michael had gotten home early and cleaned the apartment & bought a bouquet of gorgeous flowers. He's a keeper, folks:

This weekend we did one of my favorite things: blow up the air mattress and put it in the living room with all of our blankets. Saturday night we watched a movie and Sunday afternoon we took cat naps and watched some hockey. Best. Idea. Ever.

In Michael's cleaning escapade he cleaned off our coffee table, which is usually overly cluttered with mail, books, cups, and other random things. I took the time to put out some of my favorite items to spruce it up. I give it about 2 days to stay this nice looking...

Sunday was GORGEOUS. We decided to walk around downtown Madison and a local tea shop had this sign outside:

It's true! There were people wearing shorts! 

We also walked around UW Madison campus (where we met-cue the "awww!")- and man I appreciate how gorgeous the buildings are so much more now that I'm not racing to class. 

 Finally, we had dinner at a restaurant I used to work at off the capitol square...and took the obligatory iPhone panorama of the empty square!

How was your weekend?

If you didn't camp out in your living room, I highly recommend it! 

xo, lp

** also- i'll be sharing my new favorite quinoa recipe tomorrow! quinoa is one of the worst looking, best tasting super foods- be sure to check back tomorrow! **

psssssssst: let's be instagram friends, shall we?

i'm @lpodlich- find me here!

Friday's Fancies #58: Dots Done Right

I started writing this post and realized I sounded like a complete fool babbling about polka dots. 

Some people write deep, emotional, personal blog posts- and I'm legit talking about the fact that I like polka dots. ::sigh::

Welp, might as well run with it, right? Maybe you'll get a powerful tear-jerking post soon...but no promises.

-------

So here goes. Polka dots people. 

I like 'em. Feminine without being overly prissy. Easy to wear pattern.

Proof:

(via instagram)

Madewell always has an array of cheery dots, and these are some of my favorites at the moment:

 As you can see above I love me some polka dotted chambray- and this one is perfect for layering or wearing on it's own. Since I already have one of those guys, this minty subtle dotty button-down is next on my list!

Speaking of mint dots- these Keds kick ass. Everyone and their mother has a collaboration with Keds, and I love every single one of them. I've DIY-decorated my fair share of shoes and I might make these next...

Finally- the black and white polka dot. If you can't figure out pattern mixing- this stripes & dots shirt does it all for you. Boom. And if you're a purist- this linen racerback will layer well in spring and stand all alone in summer.

Anyone else writing shallow posts about patterns lately?

Share 'em. Or, tell me what your weekend plans are. Eiiiither way.

xo, lp

AND THE WINNER IS....

Gosh I love doing giveaways, and this one with The First Snow was so much fun! I absolutely LOVED seeing all of your favorite items in Darah's shop- she's one talented lady, right?

Well, I wish I could give you all a bunch of free stuff, but that just ain't in the budget!

I did a double take when Rafflecopter announced the winner- my name is Laura Rachel- and the winners name is:

Laura Rahel from Laurel Lane

Creepy close, right?

Laura loved the bridesmaid paper doll garland and the gold foil "Bonjour" greeting card!

Well lady - you are in luck- because you have the choice of a print or a set of greeting cards- the Bonjour one included! We'll be contacting you shortly!

Thanks to all who entered- stay tuned for more fun to come. AND if you didn't win- don't forget to go back and check out Darah's shop!

BLUEBERRY LEMON GLAZED DROP SCONES

You know sometimes when you make a recipe and just kind of wing it...and it turns out AWESOME?

Okay, okay... so maybe not everyone does. I know by your comments some of you aren't fans of making more than mac & cheese- but well, just go with me here, okay?

I wanted to bring a treat for Michael's parents this weekend and he suggested I should make scones. Rather than fall back on my usual cranberry orange scones, I decided to mix it up (I live a WILD life, everyone).

For those of you Southerners out there, I'm SURE you've had drop biscuits before- and this is the same idea. Basically, this is just the lazy version of scone making. Which is awesome. AND for the record: no, they are not dry. They are soft and delicious.

Here they are:

What you'll need to make it happen:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 eggs- (separate yolk from white in one of the eggs- set white aside)

1 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh - or if frozen thawed fully.

One lemon- full zest and juice of half of one

1/2 cup powdered sugar

parchment paper

How to make it happen:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Mix together your flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder.

3. Add in your softened butter until dough is crumbly.

4. In another bowl take 2 eggs plus the yolk of the third and mix it fully with your buttermilk. Add to your dry ingredient bowl!

5. Add in your blueberries and almost all of your zest- mixing carefully so the blueberries don't all burst open.

6. This batter will be STICKY! Drop them to the size you desire (i normally do about half cup- which makes  7) onto your parchment paper. Don't even try to mess with them much- you'll just get covered in sticky dough! 

7. Brush lightly with your egg white and bake for 20-25 minutes- until golden brown.

8. While your scones cool, mix together your powdered sugar, lemon juice, and leftover lemon zest together to make a quick icing. Drizzle over your scones after they have cooled for about 10 minutes. This will allow the icing and lemony flavor to absorb into the scones, making them even softer. 

9. Pour yourself a mug of coffee and enjoy!

So there you have it. Delicious, soft, tangy sweet scones- easy to make, bake, and bring anywhere. 

I don't think I'll ever go back to forming scones again. This was WAY too easy!

What easy recipe do you keep up your sleeve?

Share your secrets, people!

xo, lp

Scone lover? Try my cranberry orange scones and cinnamon oat & brown sugar scones!

Blueberry lover? Try my blueberry crunch muffins or blueberry lemon streusel bars!

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE CLEARANCE CANDY

Before we go any further, let me just say:

To my friends observing Passover- I hope you all haven't turned into a giant piece of matzah.

To my friends celebrating Easter- I hope you enjoyed your egg hunts and pastel treats.

To my friends not partaking in either- I hope you enjoy the 50% off candy at Target.

-------

A few things:

1. I like all of you A LOT! That's why I'm doing an awesome giveaway with The First Snow. You can win a gorgeous print or set of cards (worth up to $50)- and all you have to do is tell me your favorite thing in her shop. Easy right? No hoops to jump through! Click HERE to enter! Ends in less than 2 days! 

prints all via the first snow

2. I've finally ditched the sweaters! HURRAY for being 40 degrees!!!

3. We went back to Michael's hometown this weekend since his family has a big Easter celebration. We were lucky enough to see Michael's best friend's play a show in town! (If you live in MN, check out Rochester Revival!)

4. I did traditional Easter egg dyeing for the first time...turns out I'm not to great at it (I thought it was foolproof?). Please note my hideous rabbit that looks more like a voodoo doll. Aaaand Michael's jack-o-lantern. #holidayconfused

5. Tomorrow I'm sharing one of my favorite sweet recipes in a while. It is totally baking for lazy people- so if you love making baked things for family/coworkers but don't like the effort- this will be the recipe for you!

What did you do this weekend?

Brownie points if you entered the giveaway!

xo, lp

pssssssssssssssssssst: find me on instagram! @lpodlich