Happy New Year's!

Hi everyone! I'm back with a very very very special surprise to kick off the new year....a new blog!
I've learned a whole lot from Blooming in Technicolor....I learned about HTML code and styling, not to mention fashion and color. So I'm ready to move on to a new adventure....Mode Vintage. Things will be simpler and more streamlined in way of design.  
This blog will still be online, so you can peruse my archives, (there is some pretty good stuff back in there), but I will only be updating at Mode. 
Here's to a great year!
xoxo

A Bit of an Announcement

Hi everyone!

I'm taking a hiatus from Blooming in Technicolor. I'm working on a very special and top-secret project, and all the work has been making blogging here more of a hassle than an enjoyment. (Blogging should NEVER be a hassle.)

So from now until the top of the year, I won't be posting anymore. (Don't be sad, I'll be back soon!)

Feel free to peruse my archives; there's some fun stuff tucked away in there!

See you soon,

Eliza

P.S.(I'll announce the surprise when I come back, okay?)

Parsley, Lace, Rosemary, Thyme

Seriously. I love doing posts like this. Simple, yet beautiful. And I love that thing I created on Polyvore. I feel like a proud parent.

Have a lovely day!

xoxo,

Eliza

Hurricane Sandy

Hello friends!


Most of you know about the Hurricane that blasted the East Coast. It's times like this that people realize what life is actually about.

We lost power for a couple days, which was no fun, but still much better than some people fared. I'm so very thankful that our home, family, and friends made it out okay.

I will return to my normal postings on Friday, so check back for something fun. 

My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the storm.

xoxo,
Eliza

Yummy Yummy

Hello there!
I love glitter. And I love cake. AND I love robin's egg blue and pink together. So it's only natural that I love this:

I'm crying. It's from Sprinklebakes, aka the most wonderful baking website ever. And you can make this at home. (Warning: Do not expect it to turn out the same way, she's magical.)
Here's the recipe:
Cherry-Vanilla Layer Cake
Serves 8-10                                                                                                         

Maraschino Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 tablespoons flour for sprinkling over diced cherries

10 oz bottle maraschino cherries, finely chopped
Drop or two of red food coloring, or Americolor Deep Pink food coloring gel *optional

4 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees.  Grease two 7” spring-form pans (or one 9”) and line with parchment paper.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy.   In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder .  Combine milk,cherry juice and almond extract, and add alternately to the butter and sugar with the flour mixture.
3. In a small bowl, sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the diced cherries and stir until the flour has been completely absorbed.  Note: It’s okay if the cherries still have a little juice on them after this. 
4. Stir cherries into the batter.  Stir in food coloring if desired
5. Fold stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter.  Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting:

5 egg whites

1 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature

3 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

1. Set a saucepan filled one-third full of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
4. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase to medium-high until stiff peaks are formed.
5. Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and has cooled (the mixing bowl should feel cool to the touch).
6. Turn the mixer off and switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle. Turn the mixer on medium-low and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition.
7. Add the vanilla extract.  Divide batter and tint with food coloring, if desired.  I kept a little un-tinted frosting out to pipe around the edges of the cake. To achieve my favoriteblue/green tint, I used a dot each of Sky Blue and Kelly Green Wilton gel food colorings.
8. Beat until the frosting is thick and completely smooth.
9. Store in an airtight container until ready for use. 

Note: The heart topper is a piece of gum paste with a piece of clean, unused floral wire inserted through the center. The surface was brushed with corn syrup and dipped in multicolored sprinkles.
Almost too pretty to eat, huh? (I said ALMOST.)
Have a lovely day!
xoxo, Eliza

Illustration Love

Hi there!

Last Monday I did a post about Katie Rodgers. Well, I'm back with an amazing, almost hypnotizing video of her illustrating a pic from DesignLoveFest, another fabulous blog. Here it is:

I love it. I literally was entranced for like the entire time. It's too fabulous. I now need a watercolor set. 

Have a great day!

xoxo

Tartans and Plaid

Hi there!

I love Anthropologie. It's an eclectic, bohemian shop that, although may be a bit on the pricey side, really sings my song. Something about chunky jewelry and rich embroidery suits me.

Their new lookbook, Laid-Back Layering, has the casual plaids that are so trendy for fall. I love plaid. It's so cute. Up until like a few months ago, I had no clue as to the difference between tartan and plaid. Now I know....there is none! I was so sure that they were two different things until I did some digging. I am now enlightened to the fact that plaid is only a synonym for tartan. 

Okay, now that I've nerded out on you, I'll show you some of my favorite plaid things. Ever.

The Windowpane Plaid Buttondown is so versatile and chic, you can literally wear it any way you want.

This cute blanket would be perfect for cuddling on a chilly winter's night.

I love these fabulous flats. So cute, and I love smoking flats.

Why isn't this on me? Now?

Pugly Pixel has a fabulous tartan maker tutorial, plus free tartan downloads. (45 for FREE, people!) Oh yeah, you know I downloaded it.

So now you get it. I've elaborated on plaid and tartan, and their differences (or lack thereof), and I showed you some stuff with plaid and tartan. So now you owe me double! I'll take IOUs.

Have a more than fabulous weekend!

xoxo

                     

Peter Pan Collars

Howdy!

I love Peter Pan collars. They're just so cute. I mean, really. Feminine, cute, and mod....*sigh*. It's my idea of perfection. Modcloth has some really cute items with Peter Pan collars. (Of course, it's Modcloth! Come on!)

Here are some of my favorites.

Taking the demure Peter Pan collar to a whole new level with punchy colors. You can get this here.

I love this pretty jacket. Stylish, yet functional. Snap this up here.

Oh how I love this. So cute and fem...I would wear this with a pair of cream tights and brogues. Pick it up here.

I'll love you forever, Peter Pan collars. Soon I will acquire your beautiful pieces! Soon and very soon!

Ah well.

Have a lovely day!

xoxo

The Amazing Katie Rodgers

Hello there!

Yes, it's true. I love Katie Rodgers. Her amazing illustrations have such grace and movement, they really are works of art. Here are some of my favorites:

I love the pants! 

             

There's just something about glittery shoes....

                  

She does some amazing loose sketching, too. 

Isn't she fabulous? You can get some of her prints here. You can also buy her more than amazing iPhone cases here.

Seriously, though. She has a gift. Plus she does gifs like nobody's business. (The little moving stars on the pants above are a great example.) 

She did a collaboration with Modcloth a while ago, doing some product sketches for their bags section. 

                       

Love this. Just more of her fabulousness. (For the Sly Shopper Bag.)

Oh well...guess I can stop rambling.

Have a lovely day!

xoxo

A Few Changes

Hello all!

I'm back today to chat about some changes I'm making around here. First off, I'm going to switch my font. I was using Arial, but now I'm going to use Courier. It seems more vintage than just boring. 

Also, I'm going to start using permalinks. For the non-techy, permalinks are basically specific links to specific items. Like for my outfit posts, when I list an item, (i.e. a bag) I usually just link to the site you can find it on. But now, I'm going to link to the item itself. Get it?

AND I'm going to start putting watermarks on my sets. It's just a little "Blooming in Technicolor" placed in an inconspicuous place in a picture. So thieves beware! 

Here's a little example of watermarks and permalinks:

Shoes/Dress/Tights

Get it now? Good. Expect to see more of that.

Have a great weekend!

xoxo