Introducing the FORAGE girls: Corinne

Corinne is a bundle of pure, not-to-be-contained joy; she bounds into the shop with a smile on her face and always the coolest outfit on - she makes your day brighter and your mood boost-ier with her hello. She's the kind of girl you want to be friends with, for sure, or at the very least, the kind of girl you want helping you to style a new outfit at the shop. Here she is, in her own words.

What's in her bag? (Megan)

I have always found the ubiquitous "what's her her bag?" blogger posts fascinating in a stalker-y, voyeur-y way. I guess maybe why they're ubiquitous to begin with - I'm not the only one, yeah? This particular installment isn't exactly a window into the depths of my soul (as some surely are) but rather a glimpse into what I consider the bare necessities. You know, the essentials to survival. My regular bag-contents would demand a four page spread rather than a single photograph (many laugh at the sheer quantity of stuff I carry on me at any given time but...they don't laugh when they have a hangnail or a blister and use my nail file and bandaids!).

Onward.
The Bag: American Apparel medium leather clutch. And oh, how I recommend this bag. I recommend it so! It is smooshy and roomy and soft and bright and all the things a clutch should obviously be. My only word of warning: you're not able to choose your zipper color (yeah, weird) so like, you could possibly say "I need a black clutch" and you buy it but then the zipper is bright red and you're thinking to yourself...."this is rockabilly goth and I'm most certainly boho preppy". So, I'm telling you. It's a gamble.
The Keys: The colorful "Megan" keychain is not ironic; it is hipster only by chance. It was a gift from my nana and so there it is on my keychain.
The Sunnies: Rayban wayfarers because they're the only sunglasses I can stand to have on my face, really.
The Altoids, Advil and Ricola: I'm obsessive about not having bad breath, I'm prone to toothaches and my allergies besiege me in the form of a terribly annoying cough all through the spring.
The Wallet: I spied this beautiful thing when one of our regular FORAGE girls took it out at the register.  I said "I love your wallet!" she said "Really? It's not exactly me - you can have it." and that's how I got this wallet. I still love it.
the Balm: I need lip balm on me the way a desert wanderer needs water. Which is to mean mostly that if I feel my lips getting the littlest bit dry, I will fixate, my day will be ruined and I will be miserable until my thirst is quenched. Korres lip butter is trendy and cool and all that - and for good reason. It's moisturizing, leaves a faint hint of color and smells great (mine is Quince).
The Business cards: Don't knock the hustle.
The Bobby pins: There are bobby pins in my purses, clutches, wallets, shower, bed, nightstand, pockets, car, floor, etc. etc. etc. Even on the ground outside our house. I pick them up, though. Don't litter.
The Headphones: I'm lucky enough to walk to work, so in they go. Today was the Andre 3000 and Beyonce cover of Back to Black from the Great Gatsby soundtrack.

Yep, yep: I knew it. You're so, so glad you were privy to all this.

xo,
Megan

How To Wear: Florals + Bold Colors

Florals have been EVERYWHERE lately, so here a three easy ways to incorporate them in your wardrobe using clothes that are currently for sale at the shop.

1. Floral Dress : alone a floral dress can sometimes be a bit too much, but throw on a denim jacket and a statement bag and you're done!

2. Floral Top : A floral top is a statement in itself, so keep the rest of the outfit simple.  Here we just paired it with a black skirt.

3. Floral Skirt : Again like the floral top, keep it simple.  Just throw on a white top and a bold bag and you're ready!

Incorporating bold colors is a great way to update your wardrobe. Above are two ways to add a bit of color using clothes currently at the shop.

1. Color on Color : It might be a bit of a statement, but pairing a brightly colored skirt with a solid colored tee can be extremely flattering. 

2. A Touch of Color : A brightly colored bag is probably the easiest and most cost efficient way to add some color to your wardrobe. 

happy hour friday at FORAGE: southern Pimm's cup

I only listen to Jack Johnson in the summer, Deathcab when it's raining, exclusively. I binge on Talenti gelato for dinner on those 90 degree evenings in July and stock up on hot chocolate in the cooler months. I can't put peppermint anything in anything unless December 25th is around the corner and the neon sneakers stay on the back shelf of my closet until I can wear them with a sundress. All this to say: I like celebrating a season with things I consider its most essence-y.

Enter the summery Pimm's Cup. I first had this throw-back British invasion drink last May, when I was visiting my girl LT in Portland, ME. It's refreshing, light and decidedly different - it's just as easy to mix up a pitcher of Pimm's as it is sangria but feels a bit more exotic (as anything British feels more exotic than Spanish, right?). I found a recipe for a "southern" version of a Pimm's Cup in InStyle magazine last summer and just tried it out last night. Purists will most assuredly balk at the extra ingredients (while researching, I stumbled upon a comment thread on a PC recipe on a mixology website and things got heated re: the right way to make a PC) but whatevs, this was great!

Ingredients:
(serves 4)
1 1/2 cups Pimm's liquer
1 cup lemonade
1 bottle ginger ale (I used Reeds)
1 small bunch fresh mint
4 strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 lemon, sliced thin
20 thin slices cucumber

Prep your mint, strawberries, lemon and cucumber.

Evenly distribute those ingredients in chilled pint glasses and gently muddle (I use the end of a wooden spoon)

Combine Pimm's, lemonade and ginger ale in a pitcher and stir.

Fill glasses with ice, pour and enjoy! I think you could just as easily combine all the ingredients in the pitcher ahead of time and just cut up extra cucumber, lemon and strawberry to add to the glasses when you're ready to serve. 

I made my friend Jacquie the guinea pig for this particular recipe - we sat outside on my front porch for hours, enjoying the warm evening air until the ice melted in our glasses. We had a third member of our party - my cat Stormy couldn't allow herself to not be privy to the conversations, as evidenced above - that little head got as close to the screen as she could manage.

Happy Memorial Day weekend to all our FORAGEers. We say thanks to all the men and women who have died protecting our country.

Cheers,

Megan

Introducing the FORAGE girls: Cristina

Though I've only been officially working at the shop for a short amount of time, I can't express just how much I love my job!  It's a pleasure to get to know all of our wonderful customers each time I work, and hopefully you'll get to know me a little bit better with this survey. 

Introducing the FORAGE girls: ALICIA

Because the shop is located in a small downtown with a strong sense of community, I often times find myself getting very close to our regulars...and eventually, before you know it, we're friends. It's one of the best parts of the job. BUT-it doesn't matter how close we become, there are probably a few things you'd never know about me. So, read on and see if you find out anything interesting or surprising! And check back tomorrow to see what secrets Cristina will be divulging here on the FORAGE blog.

recipe friday at FORAGE: SUMMER MEXICAN TORTILLA SOUP

Summer weather showed up this week with little to no warning. The heat caught me off guard resulting in a switch up in dinner cravings. In addition to the upper 80 temps happening outside, my reluctance to turn on our jet-engine-loud window units, and it being a Thursday night, I knew I wanted to make something fast and light...but without skimping on flavor. (cause ain't tastiness the only reason to eat anything? Ever?) So, I gathered some ingredients and threw them all in a pot. The result? Summer Mexican Tortilla Soup! It's tangy, thanks to the limes; hearty without being dense, thanks to the rice; and chock full of healthy, summery veggies. It involves hardly any prep since I used mostly pre-made ingredients, and it's super fast and makes enough for seconds, thirds...and lunch the next day.

INGREDIENTS:
rotisserie chicken
1 box yellow Spanish rice
48 oz chicken broth
4 limes
16 oz tomato salsa
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
crushed tortilla chips
monterey jack cheese
sour cream
chopped cilantro
avocado

1. Cook rice according to the directions on the box. I use Goya.

2. Shred the rotisserie chicken. (I love a rotisserie chicken! $5, perfectly cooked, and loaded with flavor.)

2. Pour the chicken broth and salsa into a large pot and bring to a boil. Go ahead and squeeze the juice from all 4 limes in there.

3. Add peas, corn, chicken, and cooked rice to pot. Give it a stir to incorporate everything, and let it simmer for 5 minutes while everything heats through. If you're like me, you like a thicker soup. I let everything boil until some of the extra liquid evaporated.

 4. Put it in a bowl, garnish it up, eat it all! (I forgot to cut up my avocado, but I know that buttery green goodness would have been a delicious addition!)

XO,
A.

Introducing the Forage girls: Megan

We recently put together this little questionnaire as a sort of non-traditional introduction of all the FORAGE girls to the blog. Today we hear from Megan, who is currently coming out of a near-death allergic coma. Come back Monday to see Alicia's answers!

Megan's May Playlist

Justin Timberlake, Let the Groove In
Lana del Rey, Young and Beautiful
Passion Pit, Carried Away
Tame Impala, Elephant
Local Natives, Airplanes
Taylor Swift, Stay
Brandon and Leah, Showstopper
The Head and the Heart, Down in the Valley

happy hour friday at FORAGE: anniversary punch

We're big on birthdays, anniversaries and holidays here at FORAGE -- we're never ones to miss an occasion to celebrate!  Wednesday was beaucoup vintage's 3rd anniversary and while bv no longer exists in its physical form, we cheers'd to my first biz venture anyway. I texted Alicia at 2:30 to ask if she'd be down for a cocktail before our mid-week shift change (she gets mornings, I get afternoons) and   she said yes (duh) so I threw together a cocktail before running out of the house. It turned out surprisingly well (we continued to text about it that evening. Alicia: "Remember that cocktail you made us at 3pm today?" Me: "Yes, I remember it." Alicia: "I've been thinking about it.")

I plan on posting cocktail recipes here on the reg since cocktails are something we drink on the reg. Here's the first!

Anniversary Punch (makes 2 cocktails)
1 handful fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
14oz lemonade
3oz vodka
Splash of blueberry lemon sparkling water
Sprigs of fresh mint
Ice

Macerate the blueberries in a small bowl with the sugar and lemon juice until the berries are just smashed and the juice and sugar have become incorporated.

Fill 2 mason jars with ice. Add 7 oz lemonade and 1.5 oz vodka to each jar. Add a couple spoonfuls berry mixture to each jar and screw the lids on to the jars. Shake well.

Re-open the jars and add the sparkling water and mint to the top of the jars. Add a straw and enjoy!

What's in my bag - FORAGE girl edition (Cristina)

Bag: American Apparel Cotton Clutch

Ever wonder what's inside a FORAGE girl's bag? Well here it is...

1. Iphone:  I rarely am without it, and spend a little too much accessorizing it.  Picture above is my Rabito Iphone case in pink.  The case is adorable and super handy!  It's fluffy tail isn't just for looks, but it acts like a stand as well.

2. Hair Tie:  I think it's always important to have hair ties on hand, you never know when you may need to tie your hair up into a quick top knot.

3. Tom Ford Sunnies:  I've had these since they came out and they're still my all time fav sunnies since they go with every outfit.

4. Korres Lip Butter in Plum:  If you haven't tried this stuff, you definitely should.  It gives your lips a fair amount of color while moisturizing your lips.

5. Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray:  This stuff is amazing!  Just spray a couple of pumps in your hair and you suddenly have tousled beach hair.  It also provides some volume which is great for those with hair on the thinner side.

6. Solid perfume:  I purchased this solid perfume at Anthro not too long ago and I love it! It smells just like honey.

7.  Missoni for Target Hair Pins:  It's always a good idea to keep hair pins in your bag, just in case and these are so cute!

8. Hand Sanitizer: Predictable I know, but it's totally a necessity.

whurk photo shoot outtakes

It isn't hard to get great shot after great shot when you've got a talented photographer, photogenic friends and the bubbly is flowing. It just isn't hard to look like you're having fun when you're having fun.

Stay tuned - these photos are only part one of this photo shoot. FORAGE friend and filmmaker, Ryan Poe, is also turning this party into a video look book, set to be released in late spring!