Flea Markets and Pie

In honor of the True Blood premiere (yes, I am this much of a nerd), I made a strawberry rhubarb pie with a crumble top.  Which disappeared in about 5 minutes, so I made another one today without the rhubarb, which is insanely hard to find in SoCal, even though it's apparently rhubarb season.  Anyways, I used this recipe for the pie and this recipe for the crumble topping, and I used a Trader Joe's pie crust because I am insanely lazy (and sans food processor), and it came out AWESOME.  No false modesty here.  Strawberry rhubarb is the perfect summer fruit combo, sweet but still tart, and the crumble topping is my new favorite instead of another heavy pie crust.  The only tip I have is that if you're like me and don't want to clean caramelized strawberry juice off the bottom of your oven, bake said pie on a cookie tray, and if you're even lazier (again, like me) cover that tray in aluminum foil/parchment paper.  Which I clearly forgot to do the first time.

Also this weekend, I hit up the local flea market.  Oh, how I've missed flea markets on the east coast.  If you need a costume for a '80s party, '90s party, or a party at the Playboy Mansion, this is the perfect place.  They also have some really, really high quality vintage pieces.  I picked up this candystriper-inspired dress for $3.  THREE DOLLARS.  What's up.  I didn't even bother trying it on because of that.  Of course, when I got home I realized that while the waist fit, which I was worried about, the chest area definitely did NOT.  By multiple inches.  Determined to make it work, I came up with something that I thought would be insanely clever and turned the back into a corset-type thing.  I got a 2 or 3 foot 2-inch wide white ribbon, cut about 8 little holes parallel on each side of the zipper, and then laced the ribbon up the back and tied it in a bow at the top.  Of course I forgot that I'd have to actually put on the dress before I laced it up, and I spent like 15 minutes in front of the mirror lacing myself into it.  Ack.  I think it was worth it through, the corset thing gives it a little extra edge, and it's very summery-retro without feeling too dated.  I'm going to try to turn the neckline in the front into a sweetheart to make it a little more flattering, but overall, for $3 I declare this a win.  Also note my lovely sunburn.  So cute.

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Flora Nymphea, $48 for 2.5 oz. at sephora.com,  Foley + Corinna Striped Dress, $358 at shopbop.com: This Guerlain perfume sounds so lovely and summery, with notes of orange blossom, syringa (no clue at all), honey.  It seems like, uncomplicated, and girly, which is exactly what I want when the temperature gets to 90 degrees.  But to honest, the real reason that I want it is that bottle.  That honeycomb design is getting to me.  I want it on my dresser, stat.  I have mixed feelings about this Foley + Corinna dress.  I find the Mark Fast-esque cutouts on the Breton style sweater dress both charming and a little annoying.  But the biggest problem: the hilarious tan you'd get on your shoulders.

All Bath & Body Works: Twilight Woods Body Lotion, $4 for 8 oz. at bathandbodyworks.com, White Tea & Ginger Body Splash, $5 for 8 oz. at bathandbodyworks.com, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Body Splash, $5 for 8 oz. at bathandbodyworks.com: I am very much not a Bath and Body Works person.  I walk by that store and get a reflexive migraine.  But, I had a few hours to shop this weekend, and discovered that B&BW is having an awesome sale.  The body splashes are all $5 and the old line of lotions/shower gels are all $4.  I haven't picked up anything yet, but here's what I'm thinking about.  The Twilight Woods lotion has notes of juicy berry, soft mimosa, apricot nectar, warm woods. and smells slightly musky and sweet on.  It's much more subtle and grown-up than I'm used to for B&BW, and I think it would be a great base for perfumes.  The White Tea & Ginger splash is interesting.  It has notes of ginger, yuzu, lemon, bergamot, green tea, rose, earl grey, geranium, nutmeg, musk, woods, and berries. The tea note is a little sharp and almost slightly dusty, which sounds weird but works really nicely with the citrus and the ginger.  I haven't smelled the Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin splash, but it sounds so up my alley, with apple, cranberry, cinnamon, pumpkin, and clove.  I have absolutely no problem with smelling like Christmas and Pumpkin Spice lattes.  That actually sounds really amazing...





Lea Michele in Zac Posen, Scarlett Johannsen in Elie Saab: So I didn't watch the Tony Awards, but I did stumble across the red carpet pics, and omigosh, Lea Michele and Scarjo look lovely.  Lea is rocking a saffron yellow that reminds me of Michelle Williams at the Oscars a few years ago, tricky but stunning, and Scarjo is like a tall drink of water in that sparkly Elie Saab number.  Which belongs in my closet.  Just a thought.

Image Sources:
Guerlain EDP: sephora.com, Foley + Corinna dress: shopbop.com, Lea Michele, Scarlett Johannsen: glamour.com,  B&BW: bathandbodyworks.com, bathandbodyworks.com, bathandbodyworks.com,