Hurray, it's Sneak Peek Time!

While the holidays are winding down I have taken the opportunity to get a shop overhaul in the works! I have been playing around with new software and it has been really fun especially with my mannequin to help me. Her name is Betty. :)

You would not believe what a time-saver it is when it comes to getting the clothing modeled and photographed. 

My Betty is the best 19 dollar purchase that I ever made on a sidewalk in Seoul. Love at first sight!

Here is a little something that I have been working on and wanted to share with everyone! I hope that everyone loves the fresh new look that will be hitting the shop in the near future.

Dinking around with the new software and photography has really helped me stave off cabin fever since the temperatures in Seoul have become pretty unpleasant. How is the weather where you are and what do you do to help stay sane when it isn't fun to be outside?

Things I love: My kids

I just want to take a moment to have a proud mamma moment.
I LOVE MY KIDS!

No, they aren't REALLY my kids, but they may as well be. Until recently I have been teaching English at a nearby hagwon or private school and during my time as a teacher I fell absolutely in love with my kiddos.

I used to be scared of little kids. They are so small and fragile looking and I was really nervous about being responsible for an entire classroom. My nervousness and anxiety about being  left alone with a room full of children dissolved almost instantly.

I couldn't help myself. I absolutely fell in love with each of them. I won't lie 10 five year-olds or 8 nine year-olds can be incredibly difficult to control with all the mood swings and tantrums, but I learned how to set boundaries and be firm while showing them all the love I could muster. The end result was all the love and hugs that I could handle on a daily basis Mon-Fri. 

Being a teacher was great, but the sense of fulfillment and direction that these kids have given my life is amazing. Even though I don't teach there anymore I have made sure to go to see them regularly and I can't believe how big they are getting! Teaching children was a new experience for me, served to make me into a better teacher, and has only furthered my desire to get my PhD.

Moral of the story: Kids rock! Also, I got baby fever, whoops.

Baked Brown Sugar Acorn Squash

I love the holidays for many reasons: time with friends and family, the decorations and lights, the great parties and clothes, the wintry weather, AND..... THE FOOD.

I can sometimes go overboard with throwing parties and making elaborate menus. My husband is a witness to me being covered in flour sitting on the floor at nearly 4 a.m. after having baked for nearly 12 hours and whining about the roast which hasn't been prepped. 

Holiday food should be delicious, but it should be simple. Time spent with family and friends is more important than slaving away in the kitchen and this recipe for baked acorn squash with brown sugar is a tasty time-saver. 

I got this wonderful recipe from Gina over at Skinny Taste and the only change that I made to it was halving the "I can't believe it's not butter" from 1 tbps to 1/2 tbsp per squash, and the brown sugar from 2 tbsp to 1. I found that letting the squash roast for an extra 15 minutes or so compensated for it and I didn't miss it when I seasoned the squash with brown sugar. Plus, it saved me a whole point which means I can eat more cake. ;)
 

Ingredients:
1 Acorn Squash
1/2 Tbsp I can't believe it's not butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Reynolds foil wrap to cover chosen pan
Baking pan large enough to put squash in
1/4 cup water

First take your medium sized Acorn squash, give them a good wash, and cut them half.  Cutting the acorn squash can be little tough since they are pretty thick so make sure to use a really good knife with a serrated edge to make speedy progress.

Next, scoop out the seeds and insides of the squash, and then evenly spread the I can't believe it's not butter evenly on the squash and top with brown sugar.

Put the squash in a baking pan and add ¼ cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with foil and put in the oven to bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 

Remove from pan, allowing the squash to cool for about 5 minutes and enjoy!

Nutrition:
Serves 2! Each half is 1 serving. 

Carbs: 54.24
Protien: 3.45
Fiber: 6.46
Fat: 8.43

Weight Watchers points +: 3 per serving

Fashion Friend: Emily Reinhardt's Outfit of the Day

I chose this outfit for a day of thrifting and seeking out second hand treasures with my friend Jen Spring. We took the non-traditional Black Friday shopping route, avoiding those stores with crazy flat screen tv deals and equally crazy shoppers. She has ignited this desire in me to find the best deals and to shop as wisely and frugally as possible.

I found a 13-piece set of brown glass tumblers in various sizes for $7, a wood framed small mirror for the wall for $3, a bronze flower/succulent pot for $6.50, and cloth napkins for $1.00 each. For just about $20 I had my arms full of treasures that truly get my heart beating. I love treasure hunting, especially when it's time spent with a good friend.

My skirt came from Zara (www.zara.com), a store I fell in love with in Washington, D.C. during a sidewalk sale. My shirt and blazer are both from H & M (http://www.hm.com) and my flats are the Gap (www.gap.com) city flats - my absolute favorite flat! So comfortable, and I now own a wide range of colors! I've never been much of a necklace girl, so pinning a mini flower pom from ban.do (www.shopbando.com) right onto my shirt is the perfect accessory for me. Makes me feel extra fancy! Like it's a real boutonniere! My jade ring was made by Debbie Carlos (http://www.etsy.com/shop/shopahc) and she and I worked out a little trade, so it cost me a few ceramic plates, and that's it!

emily j. reinhardt

     THE  OBJECT  ENTHUSIAST

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Photographer: Jen Spring

Visit Jen's beautiful blog, the fox frugal, here.

 

Shop Update!

I have been slowly getting back into the swing of things in Seoul and here is my first shop update since vacation! I am nearly done with my graduate applications, and you can be sure that these little beauties and more will be making an appearance in the shop.

Visit the shop, here, for more great vintage fashion!

Back in Seoul!!

After a whirlwind vacation home to America, I am back home and I am really happy about it. My husband, and myself Rich, were starting to have Korean food withdrawals and our return to Seoul came at a good time. ;) We had a wonderful time with our family and friends, and were pretty sad to leave them, but we held on to the fact that the sooner we left America the faster we would be able to come home for good!

We are really happy to be back, but jet-lag has started to rear its ugly head which is making being productive difficult. However, we are powering through it and are working on getting back into the swing of things.

I have great updates coming for the blog and the shop!

Also, I have some awesome and extremely exciting news that I can't wait to share!!

Here are a couple of shots from a really fun photo shoot that I was able to do with a friend while back Kansas.

Aren't these lovely? Katie is a great model, photographer, and I absolutely miss having her close by. What a babe!

Wish me luck as I push through the final graduate school applications! I can't wait to be done, breath a sigh of relief, and give the shop/blog some needed attention.

Cheers to fighting jet lag!

Fashion Friend: Alicia Brunson's Out of the Day!

When Crystal asked me to contribute to her blog, I was surprised and humbled. I don’t consider myself a fashionable person. I wear clothes that feel good, that I can afford, and are practical for the weather. If I could, I would wear pjs everywhere. On any normal weekday, I wear what I like to call “teachery” clothes. I am an instructor at Kansas State University and I am completing my dissertation to FINALLY be done with school! On teaching days, I wear dress pants or a skirt, a button up shirt with a jacket or cardigan, and eclectic jewelry to add some spunk.

This day, however, was a different day. It was date night! My husband and I dressed up to celebrate his successful defense of his Master’s thesis and our first anniversary as a married couple. Since this was a big occasion for us, we went all out and went to the swanky Harry’s Uptown in Downtown Manhattan, Kansas. We never ate at Harry’s together and we had a few thoughts about the restaurant that it would be stuffy and cold. It wasn’t! Although it looks like a replica of the Titanic, it was a very relaxed atmosphere. The chairs at our table did not match and reminded me of the chairs that the old couple in the movie Up sat in. I told my husband that we needed to get a pair of chairs like those!

I was also a bit concerned that our attire wouldn’t be formal enough. You know when you use the word “attire,” snootiness and pretension is expected. We put our irrational preconceptions aside and dressed according to how we wanted to express ourselves for that day. I wore a dress that Crystal scouted for me out in Seoul. I love the detail on the collar, the vibrant blue, and the delicate pearls on the cuffs. To go along with the dress, I wore the cutest belt with bow that Crystal again found for me. I love earrings! I wore earrings reminiscent of Indian design that I bought from Icing. My purse reminded me of roses petals, which was a detail in my wedding dress. Since we were celebrating our anniversary, I made sure to include that little touch. I found it on Idelli from a company called Lulu. I can’t stand my legs being cold. I always where tights if I am wearing a skirt. I found a pair of tights with great detail and warmth at Target. Shoes are little tricky for me to find because of my mobility issues, but I found a great company that makes adorable, affordable, and practical shoes for me. No, it wasn’t Crocs (although I do wear them)! It was Miz Mooz! I fell in love with the oxblood/burgundy color, detailed stitching, and how comfortable they are. To top it all off, I wore a white and black hounds tooth woven coat from Trendz to make the turquoise of the dress stand out even more.

Picking out something to wear and putting it on takes the least amount of time for me when getting prettified. Hair! Hair! Hair! I have a LOT OF HAIR! My hair is in its natural texture. I stopped chemically treating my hair almost five years ago. The mass on top of my head is a kinky curly texture. Some may think that hair that is not colored or chemically treated would be so quick and easy to take care of. NOT TRUE!!! I spend quite a lot of time maintaining my hair. I use Mixedchicks shampoo on days when I need to remove product build up and As I Am co-wash on other occasions to clean my hair without stripping it of its natural oils. Next, I use argon oil and Mixedchicks leave-in conditioner to feed my hair. Curly and kinky hair gets thirsty. Moisture is necessary! I tend to comb out my hair with a double-barreled comb from Ouidad to get all the snarls out. Then I rake and shake to find my natural curl pattern. I may define curls around my face by wrapping small sections around my fingers and then I let it air dry. This is a 30-45 minute process.

Makeup…I adore makeup! My current love is Bare Essentials. I start of with the purify cleanser, which is very gentle. Next, comes moisturizer with SPF 30. I am adamant about protecting my skin. I use the primer as well. A little goes a long way! Before using primer, I would have to use more makeup to get the same coverage and it would not last the whole day. With this primer, I don’t have to do any touch- ups throughout the day. The greatest product from Bare Essentials has to offer is their foundation. I use the matte foundation to cut back on my shininess. Color, or painting as I like to call it, is decided upon again where I am going and how I am
feeling. On this night, I wanted to be classic and sultry. I kept a clean yet contoured face and eye, and the focus was on my lips. I used an aubergine lip color.

My husband appreciated how I looked, but more important was that we could spend quality time together ooey-goo-ing all over each other. I have to say my most precious accessory is my husband. He goes well with whatever I am wearing!

At dinner, my husband and I relaxed, played, and enjoyed great food! If you every have the chance to stop by Harry’s be sure to try the tomato basil bisque and barramundi with creamy risotto! Delicious!