Wish List Wednesday: Cute Crab Finds from Serengeti Catalog

As usual, I am always on the lookout for crustacean-themed items, and right now the Serengeti catalog has several offerings.  How could I resist the Crab Embroidered and Appliqué Top ($39.95-$44.95)?  The navy and white 100% cotton knit has a jewel neck and 3/4 sleeves in addition to the fabulous embroidered red crab.  It would be perfect for any patriotic holiday!

The perfect accessory for the crab shirt is this Crab Stretch Bracelet ($19.95), featuring etched silver tone crabs.

And if I had pierced ears, I would also have to own these cute Crab Earrings ($19.95), decorated with red Egyptian crystals and suspended from French hooks.

I may not like the beach, but I do love these coastal crustaceans in wearable form!
             

Weekend Wardrobe: Flights of Fancy Flamingo Travel Wardrobe

A Trusting Moment by Frederick Stuart Church
(from Fine Art America)

After my recent series of flamingo-related posts, it should come as no surprise that these birds would inspire me to come up with a bird-brained travel wardrobe.  This week's offering is a mere fantasy for all but the most fanatical flamingo fan, but I like to think that there are a few female fashionistas out there who would flock to this collection like birds of a feather.  Flamingo pink is combined with basic black and white plus an accent color of pale blue to create an eye-catching palette -- after all, flamingos are rather flamboyant birds!

Let's get started with the "in transit" options:

Clockwise from top left: Univibe Flamingo Lingo T-Shirt; Belle Etoile Flamingo Black and White Bangle; Dorothy Perkins Tall Black Cotton Cardigan; Flamingo Backpack; ModCloth The Fast Resort Slip-On Sneakers in Flamingos; Only Women's Royal Skinny Acid Wash Jeans in Coral.

The birds are rather subtle in this ensemble, but show up on the shirt, shoes, rather expensive bracelet, and even the backpack.

Next up is the apparel to pack, which includes a fair number of items for a trip of about a week.  Luckily the carry-on bag plus the backpack should hold everything with careful packing:

Clockwise from top left: Pink Crystal Flamingo Pendant in Sterling Silver; Banned Flamingos Bag; Cambridge 20" Hardsided Carry-On Spinner in Pink; Dorothy Perkins Pale Blue Cotton Cardigan; Chicwish Flamingo Fun Flare Print Dress; Women's Aerosoles Super Soft Slip-On in Light Blue Nubuck; Flamingo Big Shirt; Violeta by Mango Cotton Bermuda Shorts in Sky Blue; L.L. Bean Premium Washable Linen Pants in White; Steve Madden Donddi Flat Sandals in Black; ModCloth Birds of a Feather Rock Together Skirt; L.L. Bean Sleeveless Premium Double L Polo in White; Center top left: Land's End Women's Cashmere Short Sleeve Sweater in Cloud Heather; Center top right: Becksy Fabulous Flamingo Silk Twill Scarf in White; Center bottom: L.L. Bean Short-Sleeve Crewneck Tee in Strawberry Pink.

These pieces easily mix and match, and every combination can be accented by flamingos on at least one item, even if it is only the colorful purse or the simple necklace.

Oh, how I would love to meet the woman who is quirky and adventurous enough to wear this unique travel wardrobe!
             

Foodie Fridays: Lemon Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

I love citrus flavors, and lemon desserts are my favorite sweets.  Since my obsession with bundt cakes continues, I have been looking for a good lemon bundt cake recipe, and finally found one in the May issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  Of course I am never content to leave well enough alone, and just had to add some chocolate chips to the batter.  I also eliminated the glaze, since I don't care for icings.  Finally, I replaced some of the milk in the original recipe with lemon juice to increase the lemon flavor.  This moist, tangy cake is just what I was looking for in a lemon bundt cake, and I will be making this again, although the weather around here is starting to get a little too warm for baking!

Lemon Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

3 eggs
1 C. milk
1/2 C. vegetable oil
1/2 C. butter, melted and cooled
1 T. lemon extract or oil
3 lemons, zested and juiced
3 C. flour
2 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. chocolate chips

In a very large bowl, whisk together the first five ingredients plus the lemon zest and juice (if the juice from the lemons is less than 1/2 cup, make up the difference with more milk).  Combine the next four ingredients in another large bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two additions, beating until smooth after each addition.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Pour into a greased, floured bundt pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for about one hour.  Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center.  Continue baking for up to 15 more minutes if needed.  Remove from the oven when the inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.  Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely.  Serves 16.
             

This 'n That Thursdays: Flamingo Flair Living Room

From The House That Lars Built

Please forgive me while I focus on more flamingo foolishness!  I could not resist creating a living room style board using the flamingo-themed rug and pillow I found on the Company C site last week.  Along with the obvious choice of pink, I included shades of turquoise and green for the color palette.  I think this room has a distinctively bold tropical feel:

Clockwise from top left: Atwood Sofa in Berkeley Coral; Pillomatic Solid Turquoise European Linen Pillow Cover; Moe's Home Collection Redondo Glass End Table; Flamingo Lamp; Company C Fancy Flamingo Pillow; Roy Armless Chair in Blue; Flamingo Acrylic Oil Painting by Anatoli V; Uttermost Teak Wood Natural Console Cabinet; Santiago Flamingo Metal Sculpture in Antique Silver Finish; Caroness Coffee Table in Turquoise Blue; Molly Wright 14" Round Flamingo Tray; Center: Company C Fancy Flamingo Rug.

Have you had your fill of flamingos yet?  This room is certainly not for everyone, but as a festive flight of fancy it is fantastic, don't you think?

             

Wish List Wednesdays: Waterfall Necklace

Normally I prefer silver jewelry to gold, and warm-hued stones to cool tones, but something about this Waterfall Necklace (on sale for $54.99) from Soft Surroundings appeals to me.  Perhaps it is the longer length (35 inches) which allows it to be worn as one strand or two, or maybe it is the unusual shape and arrangement of the stones.  Then again, I think this necklace would be quite versatile and could be worn with so many different outfits, from casual to formal.  For whatever reason, I may just have to add this one to my (already extensive) necklace collection!
             

Weekend Wardrobe: Mint Green and Indigo Blue Travel Wardrobe

From Click4Bargain

Last week, while driving into town to run errands, I spotted a lovely young woman walking on the side of the road dressed in quite an eye-catching ensemble of mint-green peplum jacket with dark indigo skinny jeans.  The outfit suited her lean curves and long legs perfectly, and the mint green was a wonderful complement to her cocoa-colored complexion.  This pretty lady's attire inspired the color combination for this week's travel wardrobe post, starting with the "in transit" outfit:

Clockwise from top left: Ladies Zip Peplum Blazer in Mint; Kate Spade New York 'Shawna' Sunglasses in Pale Mint; Jacqueline Rousseau Shibori Chambray Scarf; AJ Faux Leather Shopping Bag in Tan; Donald J Pliner 'Dian' Leather Thong Sandal in Natural Burnished Calf; Iris and Ink Luna Printed Silk Top; Center: Boden Skinny Jeans in Indigo.

I only had a fleeting glimpse of my inspiration woman's outfit, so I do not know what top, shoes, and accessories she wore.  However, that jaguar print shirt really caught my eye with its great color combination and powerful animal pattern, so I had to go with it (I think she would approve).  The scarf is supposed to be for men, but I thought it looked just right with this ensemble.

You may have noticed that I chose leather wedge sandals for this outfit rather than more comfortable shoes.  That is because I believe this stylish woman would undoubtedly be perfectly happy, confident, and comfortable even in heels like this:

From V-Luxury

However, just looking at that ankle-breaker makes me wince with pain, so I am afraid that, on my style boards, she will have to resign herself to the more sensible options I have selected.  The wedge sandals are my compromise on heels of any sort.  Of course, she may decide to choose comfort over fashion and wear the sneakers or flats from the "what-to-pack" collection instead, stowing the sandals to wear once she arrives at her destination:

Clockwise from top left: George Double Compartment Crossbody Bag in Green; Necklush Mint Green Scarf; Chinese Porcelain Bead Necklace and Bracelet; Coldwater Creek SS Linen Camp Shirt in White; Orcival Breton-Stripe Cotton T-Shirt; Fair Indigo Organic Fair Trade Pencil Skirt in Dark Ocean; Steve Madden Klaraa Flat in Navy Leather; Topshop Knitted Tank Top in Blue; Keds Champion Women's Oxford Shoes in Brooke Green; The Blue Door Boutique Mint Ankle Pants;  Ricki's Extended Shoulder Cowl Top in Honeydew Print; Center top: Topshop Colourblock Lace Tank in Blue; Center bottom: Topshop Metallic Bandage Bralet in Mint.

I was all over the internet looking for just the right shades of mint and indigo for this wardrobe.  My most interesting find was the metallic mint green bralet, which I thought would work well as a layer under the tank tops in case the arm holes were too revealing, or with the camp shirt to add a touch of color (and of course the more daring among us might opt to wear it on its own).

A carry-on bag is a necessity for travel, and I found one in the perfect color (even though it is labelled as "turquoise", it looks more like a slightly darker shade of mint green to me):

Travelers Club Modern 20-Inch Hardside Spinner
Carry-On Luggage in Turquoise.

👗👗👗👗👗👗👗👗👗👗👗👗👗👗👗👗

I'm sure the woman who inspired this collection is much bolder than I am when it comes to fashion, but I believe she would find at least some of my choices interesting, and maybe even acceptable!
             

Current Events: Happy Earth Day!

From Earthjustice

Today is Earth Day, a good time to think about environmental problems.  I thought I would highlight just one of many such issues by focusing on the recent widespread die-off of honeybees.  Although the domesticated honeybee (Apis mellifera) is not native to the United States, it is an integral part of our agricultural success (see the poster above).  The causes of the recent die-off are thought to include parasites, pathogens, poor nutrition, and pesticides. While we may not be able to eliminate all of these problems, they can all be controlled to some extent, and almost anyone can help.

One of the major issues leading to honeybee die-off is the way crops are pollinated.  Large numbers of bee colony hives are transported long distances to pollinate crops as needed.  This causes overcrowding of bees from many colonies in one area, which facilitates transmission of parasites and pathogens and can result in colony collapse disorder.  Poor nutrition can also be a problem, because of the tendency to grow crop monocultures, giving the bees little diversity in food sources.

What can you do to help?  If possible, start your own hive!  The more isolated each bee colony is from others, the less likely it is that pests and diseases will spread.  If you know of a bee colony that has naturalized in your area, try to keep it protected, or have a local bee club remove it to a safer location rather than allowing it to be destroyed.  Anyone with a garden can help bees tremendously by avoiding the use of pesticides and planting bee-pollinated flowering plants that can give these insects a greater variety of food sources.  The plants will help not only honeybees, but native bees and butterflies as well, which are also important pollinators.  By keeping all pollinators healthy, we can keep our native plants as well as our food crops healthy, and healthy plants contribute to a healthy planet!

Taking care of pollinators is just one way we can all help to care for our planet.  One small act by many people can indeed make a difference, and I hope we all can contribute on Earth Day and every day to make a this world a safer, healthier, better place for all of its inhabitants.

Honeybee on aster flower (from Wikimedia Commons)