style inspiration: taylor tomasi hill

images from: The Sartorialist, Northern Light, and Stockholm Streetstyle

Who: Taylor Tomasi Hill
What: Accessories Director, Marie Claire magazine

Fashion M.O.: mixing prints, bold colors, avant garde designers, bold accessories
Fave designers: Dries Van Noten, Comme des Garcons, Balenciaga



The High-Low Mix
J. Crew fisherman sweater, Topshop velvet midi skirt, Dries van Noten boots, Adam leather jacket, Vince Camuto pyramid stud bracelet, Alex & Chloe cross wrap bracelet, Phillip Lim Pashli clutch

recipes: blueberry scones

While they're called biscuits in the south, the Anglophile in me insists on calling them scones. Eating scones propels me back to my study abroad days in Oxford, where the sun would set at 4 p.m., leaving me and my Georgia-based housemates confused and suddenly melancholy. My favorite snobby intellectual, Tom, and I would meet after our tutorials in various cafes for tea time just as the sun would set on that picturesque, Gothic city partly because it was too early for dinner and an odd time to start drinking. So when I found this recipe from my favorite cookbook, Breakfast Lunch Tea (from Rose Bakery), I knew it was a great way to use up the almost fuzzy blueberries in my fridge.




Ingredients (Makes 12-15 scones)

• 3 1/3 cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 handful wheatgerm or wholewheat flour (optional)
• 2 very heaped tablespoons of baking powder
• 2 heaped tablespoons of brown sugar (I usually add 3-4 because I like my scones sweet)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing
• 2 handfuls of blueberries (adjust according to your preference)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups soy milk
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 inch round cutter

Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a baking tray with butter. Sift the plain flour into a bowl and add the wheatgerm or wholewheat flour, if using.




Mix in the baking powder, brown sugar, and salt, then add the butter and rub in with your fingers until the mixture resembles fresh breadcrumbs.



Mix in the lemon or orange zest. Add the blueberries and mix well.



Beat one of the eggs in a measuring jug, then add enough milk to reach 1 1/4 cup level. Make a well into the middle, pour in the liquid and use a fork to work it into the dry ingredients. Finish by hand but without overworking the mixture - just lightly bring everything together to form a softish but firm dough. If it is too dry, add a little more milk. If it is too wet, add some more flour. It must not be sticky at all. On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll the dough into a solid shape about 1 1/4 inches thick.

Using a 2 inch cutter, cut the dough into rounds and place them on the greased baking tray so that they almost touch. Beat the remaining egg and use it to glaze the tops of the scones. Sprinkle with light brown sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden. The scones will stick together, so take them gently apart when they have cooled a little.

dressing for black friday

Waking up at 4am in hopes of being able to purchase a 42" flat screen TV for $200 calls for some serious planning. You want an outfit you can throw on with eye boogers still in your eyelashes, yet comfortable enough to take on a middle aged woman in a tug of war for the doorbuster cashmere sweater. While most of my Black Friday shopping this year entails sitting in front of a computer at midnight and clicking like a neurotic on an upper, here's what I plan on wearing to the outlets later today.



T by Alexander Wang tee - super soft and slouchy that you can wear it to bed.
T by Alexander Wang ruched skirt - comfortable and fitted so you'll be able to snag the offhand hottie who was dragged out to the malls by his mom to carry shopping bags
Balenciaga cut out boots (similar here) - to protect foot tramplers and also as a potential weapon if needed
BCBG jersey jacket (similar here) - warm with pockets for your phone and cards




Notice that I don't have a bag. Why? Because you need both of your hands - one to battle and one to snatch. Also, be prepared to run. You never know who else might be as crazy as you.

giving thanks

A few things I'm thankful for:

1. Not being a victim of theft this year. Last year, I lost a giant plastic tub of clothes while I was moving into my Decatur apartment. While nothing expensive (aside from my favorite Alexander Wang infinity scarf) was lost, my entire arsenal of "going out" clothes disappeared. Sequins, tulle, and black tops have yet to be replenished, and maybe that's a good thing.



2. Remembering to get my HPV vaccination before my insurance refused to pay for it. The cut off age for the most effective cervical cancer prevention is 26. The rules may vary by providers, but Blue Choice Blue Shield (GA) requires that you receive all three shots before your 27th birthday. I barely make the deadline. If you haven't been vaccinated, make it a priority on your list! Even if you don't have insurance, you should consider getting the shots as the benefits definitely outweigh the initial cost. You can find more information about the vaccine here.

3. Keeping my sanity this year. I have yet to jump out of a moving vehicle, disappear into the night, and ditch my friends. I haven't burned any bridges this year, either, which is turning out to be an important part of entering your late 20s. Friends are harder to come by now that you're no longer in an enclosed environment where everyone around you comes from a similar background.



4. The rise of political awareness and activism in the United States by a group that isn't the Tea Party. Also, I'm pleased that my generation is putting aside their apathy and using our tech savvy knowledge to communicate something more than "in the shower" or "eating."



5. I'm extremely thankful that the major surgery I had last year has healed well. For someone who has never broken a bone, undergoing maxillofacial surgery was the most traumatic experience of my life. This time last year, I was still extremely swollen and wondering if I would ever retain feeling in parts of my mouth. A year and some months later, I'm so grateful to my surgeon and my orthodontist for taking such good care of me last year. I've also got to send a shout out to all my friends who messaged me and Skyped with me while I was in Korea. I don't know what I would've done without your support. I couldn't have asked for a better team.

Of course I could continue this list forever, but for the sake of brevity, I'll leave off here and open the floor to you. What are some of the things you are thankful for? Please don't hesitate to show off your wit or sarcasm. I live for that.

photo credits: Boston Big Picture

how to get in a k-pop music video

Apparently, my post on dressing like a K-pop boy band member gets more hits than any other post (except for my Bonnaroo survival guide, which is kinda crap), so I decided to ride the popularity wave and give a few pointers on how to get in one of those neon-crazed, seizure inducing, faux club videos.


1. Join a Korean girl group. Not only will you be in the video, you will be featured in the song. You will have a riff where you belt out a few "whoo" and "yeah" sounds in between grammatically incorrect Engrish.


2. Look like a CF model. According to the NY Times, there are lots of options for plastic surgery in southern Seoul (read: Apgujeong). If going under the knife isn't something that interests you, dress like a hipster bag lady. (Channel Kreayshawn. And maybe Ke$ha.) You've got to stand out for being really (generically) pretty or so fugly that you're interesting.


3. Be white. But this only works if you look Russian. No American white girls. They want the tall model types with super white skin. If you have a tan, you don't have a chance. If you're black, you don't have a chance. No Latinos either. Don't be sad - typical Korean girls don't have a chance to pretend to party with G-Dragon and T.O.P. either.


4. Become friendly with anyone who works in the industry. Producers, writers, music video directors, set designers, stylists, cameramen - there are an infinite number of people with access to the set. All you have to do is befriend one with your beguiling charms, and MAGIK! You are pumping your fist in the air for two hours with 2PM.

5. Sneak onto the set. Only works if you have excellent sleuthing skills. Also, being a ninja helps.

photos: screencapped by yours truly from Youtube (Big Bang "High High", 2PM "Hands Up"), google images




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brief update

Do you feel like there are two parts of you? Your "real-life" presence and your online personality? For the past few months, I've been really cultivating my online profile and spending less time and energy on my real world self.

A few tidbits I've learned in the past few weeks:

1. There are a LOT of rats in NYC. I was sitting outside the Shake Shack at night and saw no less than five mice scurrying around the bushes. I suppose that area is prime picking for fallen fries and pieces of burger. Maybe even a lick of that strawberry shake. Note to self: don't live near the Flatiron district, no matter how appealing it may seem. Those rats gotta go somewhere when it's cold, and I refuse to let their refuge be my house.

2. Dating sucks. I don't know if this needs any more explanation, but I'll expound a bit. What makes the process of dating (aside from forcing yourself to seem less insane than you really are) exhausting are the games. You're never sure of the rules, and they seem to vary by person.

3. Alexander Wang's T line is a godsend. I'm currently lounging around in a wrap skirt and pocket tee. That's right. I'm lounging in a SKIRT. That's how awesome this fabric is. Super soft and perfectly molded to your body - I'm a little upset that the only man who knows my body so well is gay... which brings me to my next point:

4. The world is unfair. You will get a giant pimple in the middle of your forehead before an important meeting that may break or make your career. Your car will break down, your heel will break off, and you will oversleep and walk in with wet, soggy hair and eyeshadow on your cheeks instead of blush. Just accept that you will never win. The universe always has the upper hand.

5. Facebook will only make you feel horrible. It's a constant reminder of how unglamorous/unfulfilled/unfocused you are. On the other hand, there is an offhand chance that you will see your high school hottie 70 pounds overweight and balding, which will make you feel a little bit better.

6. Don't underestimate the power of a perfume. A friend introduced me to Le Labo, and I made a pit stop where I picked up Ambrette 9 after one whiff. It's the perfect combination of floral and citrus notes, and I love the lingering effects after it mixes with my skin's natural oils. (I sound like a salesman.) It's a great way to say I love you... to yourself.






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