A Mutual Crush

We were so surprised and thrilled when the Gap asked us to be part of their online magazine.  We were even more excited when we learned they'd be sending each of our little munchkins a pair of their awesome white skinny jeans for kids.  We had a blast styling these shots and we want the Gap to know... we have a crush on you right back.

Photos from "Blog Crush: The Style Collective"

What’s in a Shoe?

And is fashion art? I think The Style Collective would think so. Designed, sculpted, drawn, rendered, hand crafted, embellished, cut, sewn and painted. If we accept this philosophy then shoes are like sculptures to the feet. They may adorn, but they are also a form of line and expression. In the best of shoe design, the proportions and lines meld perfectly together. One might even find no need to wear the shoe but to gaze at it and appreciate the creative process that went into one tiny miracle. A shoe can evoke a strong emotion and aesthetic appreciation? Theory is conclusive for me- fashion is a medium of art. While I agree there are certainly more profound art pieces in our world...variety and diversity in creative expression is not a bad thing.

Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon these YSL boots for a fraction of the orginal cost.

Images by S.S.- digi watercolors by Jaiden Steele

A true connoisseur of shoes… Jane from seaofhshoes.com. She’s got the best documented by her photographer mother.

(stylist note- Chanel Candy)

Images courtesy of Sea of Shoes

An amazing drawing by Marzena from definitelygolden.com. Please just study the exquisite detail. I would say that she and Alexander McQueen are undoubtedly artists.

Future seaofloubs.com blogger and art connoisseur - Lana Weber.

Photos by S.S.

If you’d like to draw your own conclusions about the debate of Art and Fashion here are two articles TSC would recommend to read:

The Guardian Debate

Plato and Stanford Definition of Art

SPECIAL Guest - Julie Crosby

We are so excited to share today's guest with you! Julie Crosby is a friend of The Style Collective, check out her last guest post here. Well she's started her own blog, The Crosby Kitchen, and it's all about vegetarian (yet yummy) cooking. It's fantastic! Trust us, we're picky and these recipes rock. Here are two of our personal favorites...

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Portobello Mushroom Sandwich with Caramelized Fennel & Onion



Portabellos

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed

Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix up the oil, soy sauce and pepper and rub over the mushrooms.
Baked on rimmed baking sheet for 15 min.


Caramelized Fennel & Onion

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced into thin crescents
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon organic cane sugar
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar salt & pepper to taste

Add oil to skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and fennel and cook 5 min.
Add the sugar and cook 1 min.
Add the red wine and vinegar and cover, reduce heat, simmer for 10 min.
Remove lid and cook until liquid evaporates, about 5-10 more min.


Sandwiches

4 rolls (I bought whole wheat buns, but get whatever suits your fancy)
4 Romaine leaves, torn
Goat cheese or Caper Aioli or both (or for the truly time constrained: dijon and/or mayo)

To serve:
Preheat oven to 400F.
Slice mushrooms and arrange on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Top with the fennel/onion mixture. Bake for 5 min.
Warm rolls in the oven as well, then assemble with the lettuce, cheese, etc.

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Cherry Pie





Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups organic unbleached flour
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup cold non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (earth balance is great)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-7 Tablespoons ice water

Blend together above ingredients, except the water, together in food processor until coarse.
Add 4 Tbsps water and pulse.
Test a small bunch of dough and if it doesn't hold together, add 1 Tbsp more at a time until it does.
Do not overwork the dough.
Turn out onto work surface, divide into 8 portions.
Smash each portion a couple times to distribute the fat.
Then gather together to make 2 balls, and flatten each into a 5-6" disc.
Wrap tight in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.


Filling

5 cups fresh tart cherries, pitted
1 cup organic cane sugar, more if cherries are very tart
1/2 cup organic unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon organic cane sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400F.
Roll out one of your pie crust discs, fit into 9" pie pan and return to fridge.
In a large bowl, gently fold together pitted cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon almond extract.
Pour into pie crust.
Roll out the top crust, slice into 1/2" strips and lattice the top of the pie (or try some other fancy design and send me a pic).
Fold the edges of the bottom crust over and press edges together with your thumbs.
Sprinkle top with sugar.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden brown and cherries are bubbling up.
I always cover the edges with a piece of aluminum foil, and remove for the last 10 min. of baking so they don't burn.

Yum.
Serves 1 -12


Enjoy!

Friday Favorites - Websites For Inspiration

Although we love picking up a glossy magazine sometimes we need more instant gratification so we check out our favorite go-to websites, blogs and online stores. Here's our list of favs.

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Sybil's Picks...

It's amazing how hard it is to get a hold of a certain magazine when you want it... especially indie magazine Lula. Because I can't always find it, I settle for their online version. The photos on the blog are nostalgic, ethereal, and fun.

The fashion editorials are dreamy and gorgeous but with photographers like Ellen Von Unwerth shooting and some of the best in stylists and art directors in the world, of course it's a coveted fashion bible.

I am still trying to track down all 10 issues of Lula but for now I'll get my fix online.






Another favorite also falls along the same lines of the Lula aesthetic. Minimal and fashionable. Kat's Blog - Follow her for inspiring interior photos such as these...



Or her illustration and photography site, where you'll be inspired by great images like these...

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Laura's Picks...


SeaOfShoes.com - One girl's online love affair with shoes. How can you not love this site?





Style.com - My go to source to stay connected to designer collections, trends, runway shows, editors picks, styling tips, and more. I spent an hour drooling over the Chanel Fall 2010 RTW last night.

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Leslie's Picks...

Brown - part online store, part idea source, Brown not only boasts a very cool site design it also offers some great one-of-a-kind treasures to make your home feel as unique as you are.




Styleite is a brand new online only fashion site that has a slight gossip-rag feel but always keeps me updated on the latest fashion news. A true guilty pleasure.



Happy surfing!

Guest Stylist - Our Own Laura Weber!

We love having in-the-know-guests give us their tips and favorites and it looks like other blogs do as well. Our own Laura was recently asked to be a guest blogger on BreezyMama.com. Chosen because she and her adorable daughter are always the epitome of style, Laura gave her picks on chic and affordable ensembles for little style mavens. Check out her post here!

Laura and her daughter

Some of the great pieces Laura suggests...








For shopping details on the above items visit the post on BreezyMama.com.

Share the Love... Great Blogs

If you've ever spent time searching through blogs for ideas and inspiration you know that there is no shortage of great sites out there. There are blogs for just about everything (I even found one all about pickles - don't ask why I was even looking!). The point is there is a plethora, some good, some bad and we at Style Collective certainly don't claim to be the only game in town. In fact, we search blogs all the time looking for inspiration. So don't feel like you're cheating on us if you spend some hours perusing other sites, we understand. Here are just a FEW of my personal favorites...


Absolutely Beautiful Things

A fun and feminine interior design blog.

This is Glamorous

Insanely beautiful photography of lovely spaces and things.

The Look For Less

Want the trendy designer looks for a fraction of the price? This blog is spot-on with their recommendations.

Rock Paper Scissors

A blog from the online store, Rock Paper Scissors, this is a fun and quirky blog for creative types.

Habitually Chic

A NYC based blogger writes about all things she finds chic, we agree!

Elements of Style

Fantastic site for everything from interior design to fashion (kind of like us!)