Shirt-tail Hems

During a recent lunch break in downtown D.C., I saw two women wearing shortish dresses with shirt-tail hems (not to be confused with the fish-tail hems of last summer :).  One of the dresses was a shirt dress — like a long, tunic-y Oxford shirt, with a placard that went all the way down to the hem.  The color was a classic cornflower blue, with a white collar.  Lest this description bring to mind a stiff, stuffy dress, let me tell you that the dress had been lived in.  It had not been starched, for sure.  And any pressed perfection had worn off by the two o'clock hour when I saw it in action.  But the dress was breezy, with the slightest air of sophistication.  Lovely.

On an overcast day, with autumn chill sneaking up on us, and in a city known for its general fashion risk aversion, this choice of work wear struck me as a little rebellious.*  I loved it!  And it made me think about extending (perhaps arbitrarily) the season of my own summer-specific dresses.

What do you think of this style?  Do you like it for summer, only, or would you wear it (maybe with an addition, like a cardigan or shawl or tights, for warmth) into the early fall months?

*Maybe my threshold is low?

Happy weekend!

What does your weekend have in store?  I'm going to head over to the District Flea for the first time since it launched two weeks ago.  It'll be fun to check out the vendors and see how the District Flea distinguishes itself from D.C.'s other open-air markets, Eastern Market and the Georgetown Flea Market.  I'm hoping for a healthy mish-mash of independent junk sellers and local artists.

Here are some links for your reading and browsing pleasure!  Hope you have a great weekend.

Churchkey will host a beer garden at the District Flea, starting this Saturday.

Saturday night, check out Art All Night in Shaw.  It's modeled after the Parisian Nuit Blanche and will showcase D.C.-based painters, sculptors, dancers, and other artists across multiple gallery spaces.

On Monday evening, an event organized by CrowdTrust will discuss how new SEC regulations impact start-up fundraising.  RSVP here.

With cooler weather on its way, I can't wait to try these Indian restaurant-inspired recipes.

Hopefully, we won't have occasion next week to listen to the City Paper's soundtrack for a government shutdown.

Hang on to some summer brightness with a watch in winter white.

Beauty bloggers have been raving about this eye shadow palette.  The last time I bought Wet 'n Wild cosmetics was probably when I was in middle school, but I'm tempted to try these shades! 

Jimmy Fallon's completely hilarious lip-sync battle.  The nine-minute video is very worth your time.  I cried with laughter.

For the New Yorkers out there:  A handy field guide (maybe a bit too generous a term) to Central Park fauna and some flora.

(Photo via Apartment Therapy, Fallon video tip via C., and CrowdTrust event tip via B., and Art All Night tip via J. :)

Diane Keaton on Style

Diane Keaton in Los Angeles, 1975, via Diane Keaton Fan.

People recently featured a great mini-interview with Diane Keaton.

I've always appreciated Diane's style point of view -- she seems practical, irreverent, and unabashedly herself.  Amidst a 1970s sea of bold-print polyester, Diane chose muted menswear.

Photo via Yahoo! Shine.

In her People interview, Diane articulated her preference to wear color in brief shots:

"Colors as accessories punch more.  If it's the whole show, count me out.  I don't want to be in that show.  I mean, do you?" 

Diane's stance on color speaks to my own affinity for neutrals.  This topic probably deserves a post of its own, but, to give you an idea, an overwhelming proportion of my closet consists of neutrals.  I, too, prefer wearing color in concentrated doses. 

Do you have style "rules"?  Do any of them fly in the face of trend or convention?

(Really) Simple Food: Cannellini Bean Dip

I like making foods that are hard not to love. 

That's really what I aim for when I make food at home.  I want delicious, totally lovable food that elicits a (positive) verbal reaction.  If, in addition to being delicious, a food is both nutritious and cheap, then it stands a pretty good chance of meeting my definition of "totally lovable".

Beans, whether the canned or dry variety, have always been a favorite of mine.  My reverence for beans may rival Martha Stewart's love of eggs.*  I love beans for their versatility (universality, even) and humility.  They can fit any mood and most any meal.  They are remarkably nutritious and conveniently take the place of animal protein in a balanced diet.

It's no surprise, then, that beans star in one of my favorite, extremely easy go-to recipes, smashed cannellini bean dip.  Lately, I've been making a batch on Sunday in preparation for the week ahead.  I'll slather it on Wasa crackers for breakfast, or pack it in a plastic container with salad greens for a workday lunch.  It also makes a perfect, substantial-enough snack with pretzels or carrots. 

The ingredients and process are all so simple that I feel a little silly writing this out, but....

Yield: 2 cups
Time: 5 to 10 minutes

You'll only need four ingredients to make the dip:

Cannellini beans, 2 cans, drained (If you prefer, use two cups of cooked dry beans.)
Olive oil**, 2 tablespoons
Salt, 2 teaspoons
Red pepper flakes, a generous pinch (May be omitted, but why would you do that? :)

You'll also need something to transform the whole beans into a dip.  Lots of options would work just fine:

Molcajete or mortar and pestle
Food processor
Immersion blender and bowl
Bowl and fork, spoon, wooden spoon, potato masher, or other implement to smash with

Now, here's what I do.***  I rinse my canned beans thoroughly before putting them into the bowl/molcajete/food processor.  I tend to use a mortar and pestle, and I smash the beans in batches, before putting them into a smallish mixing bowl.  I smash until the beans are about seventy percent smoothish paste, and about thirty percent still-relatively-whole bean.  (If you want your finished product to be completely lump-free, then using a food processor or immersion blender is your best bet.)  I transfer the smashed beans into my mixing bowl and then add the seasonings, which are all to taste, though I've estimated quantities above.  I'm quite generous with the olive oil and salt, since they both highlight the buttery and savory qualities of the beans.  Apparently, cold recipes also need to be seasoned more than hot recipes, and generosity here, as in most instances, yields karmic benefits.  The pepper flakes add a nice edge to richness of the salt and fat.  They make the stuff harder not to love.

*Martha has said that eggs are her favorite food.  I don't think that I am making this up, but a quick Google search didn't turn up any proof of a statement, aside from tons of Martha's egg recipes.

**People always recommend using "good" olive oil.  Do not confuse "good" olive oil with over-priced olive oil.  For most recipes that call for olive oil, including this one, I prefer using a dark-colored, fruity extra virgin olive oil.  The darker oil contributes complex, fragrant flavor that lighter oils lack.  This difference is especially notable in cold recipes, or when the oil is added at the end of a hot recipe preparation.

***You could make major changes in your own recipe, and it would still turn out great.

Dust

I didn't warn you as to a potential change of name or look, but it was on my mind and then it happened.*  So, welcome to Simple District, friends.  You may notice simplicity as a theme of this blog, moving forward.  I want to share with you my viewpoint of some of life's indulgences - style, beauty, food, design - enjoyed simply.

I'll be changing the Twitter feed and other social media accounts to reflect the blog revamp.  Watch for updates.  :)

*A certain friend, who knows who she is, helped me pull the trigger and came up with the new name during a post-dinner brainstorm at my house.  If Off the Record had white paper napkins, however, this is the kind of brainstorm that probably would have happened there.

(Photo from the State Library of Victoria via Illustrated Obscurity.)

We're back!

Rowhouses next to Mt. Zion Church, Georgetown, D.C., by Mary Belcher.

That's the royal "we", I suppose.  In other words, I'm back.  In the last year plus, I've experienced some pretty big milestones. (Finishing law school! Taking - and hopefully passing - the bar exam!  Most recently, a "big" birthday. :)  Now, the time feels right to return to this space and share my thoughts with you. 

For the near term, I'll focus on the blog, and my Etsy business will take a back seat.  I'll leave the sidebar link up, though the store will be closed.  (Feel free to browse through photos of past work on my facebook page.)  If you have special requests for handmade jewelry pieces, then please contact me, and we'll see what we can do.  :)

You can also follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.  If I succumb to the loving encouragement of my friends, I also may dip my toes into the world of Instagram.  If (when?) that happens, you will be the first to know.

Also, I'd love your feedback on the content that you'd like to see here.