The Gin & Tea

It’s the new G&T. Except the T isn’t tonic, it’s tea!

It started out as an act of desperation (it sucks when your overpriced on campus grocery store closes at 11), but it’s actually really delicious – and the perfect nightcap too. As I scanned my room for possible mixers, I realized that the only thing I had left were a few bags of Tazo Lemon Maté tea. A quick Google search confirmed that tea and gin is, apparently, a thing. And that was that.

With my Keurig in transit across NYS at the moment, I simply microwaved the water in a large mason jar. Protip: if microwaving a liquid to close-to-boiling, place something microwavable in the water so that it doesn’t boil over / explode. In this case, I just used one of the teabags.

Then all I needed to do was throw some German rock sugar in a few mugs, pour the tea over, stir, and add a small shot of gin. Stir gently, appreciate the awesome sound of the rock sugar crackling, and enjoy.

Recent Purchases: Items from Nasty Gal and Various Stores in NYC

Well, my Nasty Gal purchases that I talked about in my previous post ( ) just came in recently and you know what that means! A post to go along with them. Unfortunately, I was not as pleased with my purchases from the web site this time as I was the last. I ordered two pieces: one a leopard printed asymmetrical blouse with a cutout back and the second a plaid asymmetrical skirt (not pictured). The skirt I was not happy with. The fabric was very thin and cheap, not something that would be practical for the Fall or Winter. It was also quite see-through, therefore, I will be returning the skirt. The blouse I actually like a lot, but the fabric seems a little cheap for the price I paid of $88. Nevertheless, I’m keeping it. Also a note for ordering clothes from the web site is that all of the items seem to run a size too small. I noticed this last time with the studded collar blouse when I ordered a medium instead of a small because they were out of stock of the small and the medium fit good – it wasn’t too big. The skirt proved this again when I ordered a small (my usual size) and it was a little too tight on me.

All of my other purchases from the past week I bought in various stores in the city. My friend Dana from Buffalo came to visit me this past week and, therefore, many shopping days in the city were inevitable. First I’ll talk about a shirt I purchased at a store called Town House Shops located on West Broadway between Houston and Bleecker. Being collars are one of my current obsessions, I bought a two toned collar blouse of beige and black. I love the shirt and it was only $48. All of the clothing in the store seemed modern, in vintage style, and affordable – all of the main things I look for in a store.

Next I bought a jacket from a store called Chill on Broadway in SoHo. The jacket is a wonderful rustic color and has a cool cut out back. I love the jacket and it was a steal for only $30. Chill always seems to have current trendy clothes for really cheap prices. When I was browsing through the store I actually saw a dress from nastygal.com that was going for $80 on the web site for only $30 in Chill. I don’t know how they do it but one thing is apparent – it works.

Classic Mussels

Buffalo doesn’t really have much of a seafood scene (although, like the rest of the foodie scene in Buffalo, it’s growing). And while I love eating seafood, I just don’t happen to do so that often. The most impressive seafood experience I’d had in my life prior to this summer was surely at Kødbyens Fiskebar in Copenhagen, Denmark.

But that all changed this July, when I spent some time in the heart of New England: at my friend Brooks’ cottage on Orr’s Island in Harpswell, Maine. For the entire weekend, our diets consisted of only seafood and white wine (okay, we had hamburgers – once). Never before had I seen such an abundance of fresh, locally harvested, and cheap seafood! We were buying lobsters (daily, or more than daily) down the street for only $2.99/lb. and went to the local market more than once to stock up on scallops, mussels, steamers (clams), and other ingredients. And every time we went out to the best (and only) restaurant on the island, I ended up ordering the same thing: a fantastic Maine lobster roll.

The trip to Maine (and my tour of New England: NH, MA, ME, CT) left me with an insatiable want for more seafood. So while I knew it wouldn’t be the same, I picked up a few pounds of mussels my (very) first day back in Buffalo and cooked them up for dinner before heading down to the harbor. And they were actually so good that I made them again even more recently when my friend Ave came over for dinner. They’re so simple to cook; cleaning them is probably the hardest part, but even that’s not too bad.

The recipe I’ve been using is very basic, but endlessly delicious. It’s based off of Ina’s classic recipe, but I always end up using whatever I already have lying around the house: shallots, garlic, white wine, herbs, and some canned or fresh tomatoes. The only things to buy are the mussels and some crusty bread! And it really is the best kind of recipe to make with friends or while entertaining. There’s little prep work and a good amount of downtime (cleaning and steaming) – perfect for sipping on some chilled white wine while chatting away and awaiting a deliciously light summer dinner.

Buffalo, NY: The Local Fashion Scene

Recently, I traveled to Buffalo  to visit Matthew and simply get away for a bit. As you may know from reading my “about me” section or just the theme of the blog is that I appreciate and adore the city of Buffalo to the greatest extent. As you also know,  I am attending college there in the Fall. While in Buffalo I made a couple of really great purchases at some trendy boutiques.

First I bought a vintage, sequined, butterfly shaped and designed shirt from Second Chic, a great vintage store on Elmwood (located next to D’Avolio’s, behind Solé). The butterfly shirt is definitely one of the most unique items I think I’ve ever owned. It’s definitely eye catching and an outfit all on its own. There was a little rip in the shirt, but nothing a needle and a little thread couldn’t fix. Not to mention, it was good for a small discount. I recently wore the shirt to a concert on the Intrepid in NYC and got several compliments on it throughout. A few people even went out of their way to tell me how “striking” I looked in it.

I also purchased a few items from one of my favorite fashion stores in Buffalo: Modern Nostalgia (located on Hertel near North Park). There I bought a great dress that just screams “Fall” and an antiqued ring. Both purchases I am more than content with. The dress is extremely flattering and the ring I wear almost every day. Modern Nostalgia is a great place to go to get vintage inspired clothing and is always reliable.

Lastly, I bought a white and black, aztec pattered, bat wing, raincoat from Urban – another cool and trendy store on Elmwood. Although I sometimes find Urban overpriced for its quality, this buy was a steal: it was on sale for only $29.

I can’t wait to finally move in to my dorm in Buffalo only 3 days from now and see what other good fall buys I might find!

Blueberry Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Does this post even need words? Just look at that.

Well, maybe a few. At my friend AJ’s house in New Hampshire a few weeks ago, we each had a slice of blueberry loaf cake for breakfast – something that family friends of hers had dropped off earlier that week. And while the cake may have been overshadowed by the beautiful weather and the prospect of going out on the lake, I didn’t forget about it. When I got back home to Buffalo and saw homegrown blueberries appear at the grocery store, I knew it was the absolute first thing I wanted to make.

The recipe’s so simple, too. Adapted from this one at All Recipes, it’s a one-bowl masterpiece that takes less than 15 minutes to whip together. And once it’s done, I like to dust it with just a little bit of powdered sugar and fill the center with the leftover blueberries (a pint yields just a bit too much for the recipe). Expect it to disappear immediately; I made two within one week (and I’m still craving more).

 

Vintage Basics: Modcloth; She Inside; Nasty Gal

For my first post on MCL (Squared), I thought I’d do a quick overview of some of my favorite vintage clothing websites and what pieces they’re selling right now that are great for fall.

First of all, I’d like to share with you a new clothing website I recently discovered. The website sheinside.com is a wonderful collection of vintage creations – modernized – and sold for great prices. Being the vintage lover I am, I’m always looking for new vintage clothing brands that sell clothes at a reasonable price. And that’s exactly what She Inside is. The website ships from China and has special rewards for customers such as 20% off just for having your first purchase or for liking their Facebook page. You can read more about the rewards on the website. A majority of the clothes are one size as they are vintage, so you will have to check out the measurements before purchasing an item. Recently I bought four items from the website: 3 sweaters and a dress for autumn. One sweater is white with blue trimming and a v-line collar that I simply adore. Another sweater is an off the shoulder v-neck, while the last sweater is adorably striped with an oversized breast pocket. The dress, however, happens to be my favorite piece from the website with a collar around the neck, buttons down the center, and slits down the back side in a sophisticated rustic red color.

One of my favorite recent purchases was a pair of vintage La Rose Mary Jane style shoes from another great website, modcloth.com. If you haven’t heard of it before, now you have. Anyone who knows me knows that I have been slightly (if not more) obsessed with Modcloth ever since I found out about it a couple years ago. Modcloth provides you with vintage style clothing from all different brands and names. The shoes I bought are a little narrow (which is expected for vintage shoes) but are overall brilliant – and even managed to match my fall coat perfectly.

Another website I’ve recently discovered and have made purchases from is nastygal.com – another vintage, bohemian-inspired clothing website. They also give free shipping on any order over $50 – a limit I seem to reach very quickly whenever making purchases from this website. Recently from Nasty Gal, I’ve purchased a white, studded collar blouse with slits on the shoulders that I’ve received countless compliments on. I also bought an asymmetrical plaid skirt and a leopard shirt with a back that flows down to the floor – both of which I have yet to receive in the mail yet. I am waiting anxiously for them to arrive as you could imagine.

Meet Megan

Name: Megan Luongo

Hometown: Haworth, New Jersey

School: Buffalo State College

Focus: Fashion Merchandising, Dance

Current city: Buffalo, NY

Favorite Cuisine: Vegetarian Italian

Fashion Style: Bohemian with Classical Elements

Favorite City: New York City, London, Paris

Interests / Hobbies: Dance, Fashion, Music, Art, Travel