Enjoy: 4th of July Fashion Picks

Recently, I've been loving the retro-nautical-americana vibe I've been seeing in summer clothing. With 4th of July right around the corner, I thought I would share some of my favorite fashion and beauty picks for the patriotic holiday weekend.

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1. Forever 21, High Waist Jean Short, $13.80
2. Vanessa Mooney, Classic Silver Teardrop Earrings, $42
3. Stuart Weitzman, Crocheted Ankle-Wrap Espadrille, $365
4. Jess LC, Lake Shore Navy Tote, $120
5. C&C California, Vine Stripe Empire Maxi Dress, $148
6. Urban Outfitters, Retro Swim
7. Anthropologie, Neapolitan Bucket Hat, $48
8. Banana Republic, Murphy Aviator Sunglasses, $98
9. Essie, Lollipop, $8
10. William Arthur, Vera Wang Letterpress Anchor Notes, $32
11. NYX Cosmetics, Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo, $6
12. {for the boys} J.Crew, Red Chambray Bow Tie, $39.50 

What are your must-haves for the 4th?

Fort Mason Farmers' Market {San Francisco}

One of the beautiful things about living in San Francisco is that there are a handful of Farmer's Markets within walking distance to my apartment. 

This Sunday, I went to the Fort Mason Farmer's Market.

With all of this fresh produce around, there is no excuse not to buy locally and eat healthfully.

Judy Kaufmann Prints & Sunday in the Marina

This Judy Kaufmann print perfectly sums up how I'm feeling about San Francisco after enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon strolling and shopping through the Marina.

To see more of her bright and whimsical pieces, visit the Barcelona-based artist's site.

Vanilla Cupcakes and Fresh Strawberry Frosting

Last weekend we had a couple of family friends in town, and one of them was a 13-year-old girl visiting from Ohio. I took her around the city for the day, and we had a great time shopping in the Marina, getting mini-makeovers at Benefit, and baking these vanilla cupcakes with strawberry frosting from a recipe I found on My Baking Addiction.

Swensen's Ice Cream {Russian Hill}

I'd like to introduce you to one of my favorite sweet spots on Russian Hill. It's called Swensen's, and is located on the corner of Hyde & Union.

It's modeled after an old school ice cream shop, and has dozens of the creamiest ice cream flavors I've ever tasted.

My favorite is the Mocha Fudge, but I've been dying to try the Bittersweet Chocolate and Swiss Orange Chip.

Fisherman's Wharf {San Francisco}

As I am still filling out paperwork for my second job, I've had a couple of days off a week to explore the city. We've had particularly beautiful weather recently, and I decided to take advantage of one of our warmer days to go visit Fisherman's Wharf along the shoreline. 

Living here, there are a lot of things I love (and a few things I don't) about Fisherman's Wharf. The eclectic collection of cute artisan shops neighboring tourist traps, Ghirardelli Square and fresh dungeness crab are just a few.

Some of my favorites from my "tourist for a day" excursion in Fisherman's Wharf:

Living right near the cable car line. Although noisy at night, they are a fun way to see the city. During the summer they are absolutely packed with tourists (and they cost $5 a pop, unless you have a monthly pass), so I'll be walking.

Flats for the San Francisco Savvy

As I was riding home from work on the Embarcadero F-Train the other day, the man next to me pointed at the heels I was wearing and said, "you must not be from here."

I gave him a knowing smile and flashed him the contents of my overflowing work tote, inside which (among many other things) was a pair of ballet flats. 

If you're from here, visited or seen pictures, then you know: San Francisco is known for its incredibly steep hills. Trying to get anywhere in heels is torture for your feet. So while my internship-mandated "business casual" trousers look best with a pair of 3-inch heels, it's also ideal to pack a pair of flats that are comfortable but still more appropriate for the office than flip flops.

Here are some of my favorite preppy, classic, colorful or fun styles:

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1. Kate Spade New York, Noelle, $325
2. Steve Madden, Mockk White Patent, $69.95
3. Kensie girl, Kansas2, $45
4. MICHAEL Michael Kors, Gogo Ballet Tangerine, $98
5. Jil Sander, "Tessuto" Ballet Flats, $425
6. Tory Burch, "Reva" Ballet Flats, $325
7. Nine West, Jemmy Black Leather peep-toe, $79
8. Calvin Klein, "Pritah" Ballet Flats, $119
9. TOMS, University Black Rope Sole Classics, $54
10. Report, Grover, $69.95

Update

So I've changed some things around today!

First, and probably the most obvious, I added my own header to the site. I'm still not 100% happy with the design, but I'll probably keep tweaking it to see what I like best.

Second, I changed the tabs and pages. Because of the way blogger works, I actually used to have individual blogs for each section of the site (eat, explore and enjoy), but I decided that it was too confusing. Instead, everything will be on this main page, and the tabs will just have organized lists of links to the content. This will make updating a lot easier for me, and hopefully make navigation of the site easier for everyone else.

Finally, I also added a few gadgets along the right side - connect, search, and a list of the top 5 posts.

I'm pretty happy with the way the blog is starting to look - almost like a real site!

Let me know what you think! I would love any suggestions or advice.

Blackberry Cheesecake

I made this blackberry cheesecake last night after dinner for my stepmom's girls' weekend.

I don't have pictures of the step-by-step because it was too late to take decent pictures, but the final result was too tasty not to share.

This was my first cheesecake. I was surprised and how quick and simple the recipe was - the longest part of the whole process was waiting for the cake to cook for a little over an hour.

Try waiting an hour without checking the oven every two seconds when there are delicious smells of pecans and butter wafting through the house. It's tough.

Dining In

 Sometimes there's nothing better than staying in...

Eating simple, fresh food from the Farmer's Market...

And enjoying a beautiful view on a quiet weeknight.

PhotoTour of France

Now that I'm stateside, I thought I would update with a few photos from my trip.

View from our room at the Chateau Cheneviere.

Calvados (apple brandy) from the Normandy region where we were staying.

A Culinary PhotoTour of France

While in France with my family, I was lucky enough to experience some wonderful culinary creations.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Appetizers at Chateau Cheneviere: fried pigs’ ears, toasts with tomato and smelt, cheesy bread rounds with crème fraiche, and flaky pastry bread sticks.

An amuse-bouche with zucchini, cod, and chive.

A modern take on escargot.

Escargot always makes me think of Pretty Woman, one of my favorite movies.

"Slippery lil' suckers."

Foie gras with dried cherries.

A palate cleanser of Calvados (apple brandy) and sorbet.

Veal with cauliflower puree.

Roasted duck with a reduced glaze and fingerling potatoes.

My favorite: the cheese cart! I feel like I could write a Dr. Seuss book about all the different varieties: One cheese, two cheese, brie cheese, blue cheese...

Dessert: an innovative take on rice pudding.

A deconstructed sundae-mousse dessert.

Rum-soaked genoise sponge cake with fresh strawberries and Crème Chantilly (whipped cream!).

Paris, je t'aime.

(For full effect, say that in my awful french accent).

Citrus-Scented Chocolate Tart

Hi, I’m Lindsay, and I’m a chocoholic.

There, I said it.

I have an affinity for all things chocolate. Truffles, cakes, pies or straight from the Hershey’s bar, chocolate is definitely my weakness. I have been known to skip breakfast entirely and head straight for the Godiva if I have a box lying around.

Don’t pretend like you haven’t done it.

This Citrus-Scented Chocolate Tart is an elegant dessert to serve to guests and fellow chocolate-lovers. It looks like a flourless chocolate cake, but a little orange and lemon zest in the filling give it a light citrus flavor reminiscent of those chocolate oranges that you would crack open on the counter. The recipe for the filling is a snap, and the homemade cocoa pastry crust is surprisingly easy to make in a food processor for those who have never rolled their own crust before (me).