hot chocolate with a twist

Posted by fp julia on in food, lifestyle

it’s been really, really cold in philly lately…and i’ve been craving some hot chocolate.  i found a couple of alternative hot chocolate recipes that sound sooo good i can’t wait to try them…

spiced hot chocolate

ingredients:

  • 6 cups skim milk
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

directions:

heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until lukewarm; stir the cocoa powder and sugar into the warmed milk until dissolved. add the vanilla, cinnamon, chili powder, nutmeg, and cloves. heat another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

– original recipe yields 6 cups

maple hot chocolate

ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking cocoa
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
  • 4 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 large marshmallows

in a large saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt. stir in hot water and butter; bring to a boil. add the milk, maple flavoring, vanilla and 8 marshmallows. heat through, stirring occasionally, until marshmallows are melted. ladle into mugs and top each with a marshmallow.

-original recipe yields 4 servings

if you try either of these let me know how it is!

kassia meador

Posted by fp julia on in fashion, features, inspiration, lifestyle

how awesome are these photos by kassia meador? they are part of a show opening today in los angeles called “put your finger on the button,” comprised of all female photographers.   if you’re not familiar with kassia, in addition to being skilled with a camera, she’s also a professional surfer…and she was cool enough to answer some questions for the blog!

read on to learn more about how she got started with photography, and check out some of the brand new photos she sent me below.

how long have you been interested in photography?
“i’ve been traveling the world as a professional surfer since i was 17. my family always wanted to see where i was going and what i was up to so i’d shoot photos along the way. when i was 20 i got a super bad injury that kept me out of the water for almost a full year. during that time i took some online photo classes to just learn a bit more. since then i have been shooting more and more. it wasnt ’till last year when a good friend and mentor thomas campbell saw a few of my photos and was like “yo you should show people some of your work.” he helped me edit some images and i was invited to show some work in japan for their greenroom festival. since then i have had a few shows in california and nyc. i just recently shot my first fashion story for foam magazine and am planning a shoot for their next issue. super jazzed to be shooting as much as possible and excited to see where it all goes…”

is photography more of a hobby for you or do you see it becoming a profession as well?
“it is something i love to do just like surfing. but surfing not only was my first love it also became my profession. photography is a bit like that for me as well…i really love it and am so passionate about making images that make people feel something. i’m working on shooting lil fashion stories now and i’m really into it so we’ll see where it leads.”

what inspires you on a daily basis?
“my friends, family, environment and traveling.”

who are your heroes?
“i got a lot of heroes. but some people who are super inspirational to me on a photography level are thomas campbell, david mushegain, michael halsband, and ellen von unwerth”

(we love david mushegain too! he shot our december catalog – check out our post on him here.)

and now, check out these incredible photos kassia shot on new year’s morning.  the project is titled “MARS…A NEW DAY A NEW DAWN,” which she describes it as “just a fresh perspective on a new year and all that lies ahead”

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for more info on the show, click here, and to check out more of her awesome work click here.

thank you so much kassia, we think you’re rad!!

another cool job alert!

Posted by fp julia on in design, home office, lifestyle

free people is looking for a design coordinator assistant to work here in the home office!

the objective of this position is to assist the design team to move developing programs through the process from the initial set up into production, without delays or complications, to ensure the finished product meets the original specifications.

for a full list of job responsibilities, and to apply for this position, click here.

and the winner is…

Posted by fp julia on in fashion

we are finally ready to announce the winner of the win your wishlist contest!

the grand prize winner is…………… marydea from nashville tennessee!

read on to learn a little more about her and her personal style.

why did you pick the items you did, and what’s your favorite thing you picked?
the items that i picked are mostly accessories because fp has beautiful vintage inspired items that complement my clothes. my favorite item i picked is the beaded wings cardigan. i think the beads are a lovely touch!

how would you describe your personal style?
for my personal style i tend towards old-fashioned dresses and brightly colored basics. i love victorian lockets and antique jewelry. my closet is inspired by the 1940’s/1950’s and woodland fairies.

what are your hobbies?
i love to paint, ride my bike, cook and bake, be with friends and my two sisters! i love doing anything outside on a lovely day!

what is your first memory of free people?
my first memory of freepeople was.. about 4 christmases ago my grandmother bought me a swiss dot long sleeved shirt and a deer lambs wool hooded vest that i wanted and i still wear it to this day!

here’s a peak at some of the items on her wishlist!

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congratulations marydea!

thursday poll – edition 76

Posted by fp julia on in fashion, features

welcome to the first thursday poll of the new year! i thought today would be a good time to introduce some of our different swim styles for this year and see which one you like best! it might seem a little early to talk about swim but if you’re planning a vacation somewhere warm, or just dreaming about the warm weather ahead, we’ve got some great styles for you to check out…

by the way, your favorite headband from last week was the flower cluster sequin applique headband, which beat the feather and gem headband by only 9 votes!

ok so let’s get to it…which swim style is your favorite?

the colorblock one piece:

the printed high waisted bikini:

the ruffle and lace bandeau bikini:
ruffle and lace bandeau bikini

or the blossom printed ruffle one piece:
blossom printed ruffle one piece

guest blog post!

Posted by fp julia on in design, DIY, fashion, friends, inspiration

good morning! i’m really excited to bring you a guest blog post from andrea of the blog fly, who also happens to be the artist behind our hand drawn floral converse!  read on to learn about where she drew her inspiration for the shoes.

When I was approached by Free People to use my doodle-style illustrations for a small run of sneakers I immediately thought of flower gardens. Aside from the feminine elements that can be associated with Free People and flowers, I really liked the idea of an eclectic garden of quirks and fun, much how I see the brand.

Over the years I’ve collected tons of vintage fabric swatches and ephemera (like magazine clippings and wallpaper scraps) featuring various forms of floral designs. I particularly like to use Secondhand Rose wallpaper swatches and William Morris’ floral designs for references. Using all these elements for inspiration I developed little clusters of tiny flowers, abstract roses, and dingbats to create the doodles for the shoes.

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thanks so much andrea, we love your shoes!

giveaway winner!

Posted by fp julia on in lifestyle

first of all, thank you so much for all of your thoughtful comments about your favorite blog posts- we love getting feedback from our readers, and you are all so incredibly sweet!

the lucky lady who was picked at random is francesca from massachusetts, who said her favorite post was “our new garden” from june! congrats francesca, you will be receiving this adorable coin purse in the mail shortly!  stay tuned everyone, we hope to be doing more giveaways on the blog in the future…hint hint :)