Military Lady

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Leopard blouse, jacket-Old Navy

Leather pants, scarf-H&M (affordable version HERE)

Belt-J.Crew

Ankle boots-Via Spiga

Bag-Balenciaga (similar color HERE)

Sunglasses-Stella McCartney

Happy Friday! Hope you've ended the week well and are looking forward to the weekend. I'm very excited about today's post because my awesome photographer has recently upgraded his camera to a Canon 5D Mark 3 and today's outfit post was shot using that camera. Lets just say that he's extremely happy to be working with his new gadget...I guess it equates to the same feeling I have when buying a new bag.

Today's outfit is military inspired based on an interview request I received from Washington Life magazine asking me to incorporate current trends into one outfit. For the next several week, they will feature a DMV fashion blogger and mine will be posted next week. I'll link that post when it comes out--hope you enjoy the little feature:)

The trends I chose were military, leather and ankle boots because those are all trends I've been loving (and wearing) this season. I've been wearing these leather pants constantly as shown several times on my blog and thought it would be fun to pair it with an utilitarian jacket. I added a belt to cinch the waist to give it more shape to the outfit because it's easy for your figure to get lost in a jacket and a shapeless blouse underneath. Oh and as always, a pop of red never hurts;)

Have a fantastic weekend. Xo.

Mustard+Polka Dots

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Button down-Uniqlo

Cardigan-J.Crew

Jeans-JBrand

Multistrand pearls-J.Crew Factory

Shoes-Pour La Victoire

Sunglasses-Stella McCartney

Hi everyone! Hope your week is going well. I'm on my last day of my staycation and putting the finishing touches on my home improvement projects around the house. It's going well so far and I'm excited to see what the outcome will look like after today.

Today's outfit post is somewhat redundant. Every time I wear these eggplant colored jeans I automatically think of pairing it withe the color yellow because it's one of my favorite color pairings, which I initially wore it HERE during Spring. I wanted to keep today's look conservative yet playful and what better way to make an outfit a bit more fun then with polka dots?;)

Thanks for visiting and I'll talk to you soon! Xo.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Braved the mall with my sister and shopped till we dropped on Black Friday. Our two favorite stores (Neiman Marcus and Saks) were participating in the Black Friday shopping festivity but this year's sale wasn't good as last years. Nonetheless, we both came out with some major goodies.

2. One of the best Black Friday deals my sister found was a pair of gorgeous navy blue Chanel ballet flats for about 70% off the retail price at Neiman Marcus. There was only ONE left which happened to be her size....it was meant to be.

3. Bought gold spray paint to give a makeover to some lackluster things around the house--one of them being this aluminum/silver tray I use in my bathroom to put random things on (contact case, hair bands, etc.). I love the final outcome and can't tell you how easy it was.

4. Dined at Dino restaurant, located in Washington, DC. It was my first time there and there were definite highs and lows of that evening. We ordered an appetizer dish, which was a crispy pork belly paired with Asian Pear but the appetizer came out with the rest of the meal. The server apologized and comped the appetizer but that didn't make up for the fact that it was a disappointing dish. I love pork belly and usually order it when I see it on the menu but the meat was overcooked, dry, and drenched in this anchovy salsa verde-too many flavor profiles going on that wasn't cohesive. I ordered the Pappardelle Cinghiale Bianco which consisted of ground wild boar, rosemary and cocoa, topped with pecorino cheese. Let's just say this dish made up for the appetizer we ordered.

5. Printed out one of my favorite quotes and put it in a frame to place near my work area. There are lots of little home decor details I have in mind that I want to work on and I'm hoping I'll get them done in the next couple of days.

How was your weekend?

Black Cheetah

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Cheetah (faux) fur jacket-Kate Spade New York

Jeans-Gap

Shirt-American Apparel

Boots-Chanel

Hat-F21

Sunglasses-Stella McCartney

Happy Sunday everyone! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Mine was filled with lots of family time and Black Friday shopping. I think I've finally recovered from the Black Friday shopping yesterday and have been relaxing and prepping for this upcoming week. I don't go back to work until Thursday but I have some home improvement projects I'll be working on this week during this mini vacation.

I recently bought this cheetah fur jacket because I'm a fan of leopard/cheetah print and this is the type of jacket that just speaks for itself. It's one of those easy to wear pieces that you can pair with jeans and voila, there is your no fuss, yet stylish outfit for running errands/meeting friends.

Hope you're having a relaxing Sunday before heading back to work tomorrow. Xo.

Be Bright

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Sweater-J.Crew

Pants, scarf-H&M

Glasses-Warby Parker

Shoes-Sam Edelman

Bracelet-Hermes

Ring-YSL

Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone! I hope you're enjoying the short work week thus far. Every year around this holiday, I start to feel sentimental and reflect on all the blessings in my life. I know I take things for granted many times and I love that this holiday is a stark reminder to be thankful for all that's in my life, especially when it comes to my family and friends. 

I'm always so grateful for both new and old readers that visit this blog daily and I hope I continue to give you enjoyable content through and through. 

Wishing you an awesome holiday that's filled with delicious food and lots of love. Xo.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Finally decided on a BB cream that's perfect for my skin. I have been testing BB creams for several months with many different cosmetic brands (Dr. Jart, Clinique, Dr. Brandt, and Dior) and really love how Boscia absorbs into my skin. It has great coverage w/o it being too heavy and though there is one color for the line, it blends perfectly well with my skin tone. I was debating between Dior's and Boscia's but ended up buying Boscia's because Dior's cosistency felt more like a foundation, which is what I didn't want since I use mineral powder on my skin. I don't like the feeling of wearing so much make up on my skin. I also picked up a new nail polish color, which I'm currently loving;)

2. Picked up some winter accessories at H&M to keep me warm from the cold weather. I received a 20% coupon off one item that is valid until 12/31 that I used HERE. Go to the last page for the coupon. Enjoy. Xo.

3. Went to Lincoln restaurant for the first time and fell in love with the space. The food is served as small plates and is meant to share which I like because you can order several things off the menu to enjoy an array of dishes. I couldn't take pics of the dishes I ordered because the lighting in the restaurant is very dim but the one pic I was able to somewhat snap was a picture of their amazing mac n' cheese and bone marrow dish. Another stand out dish was the butternut squash risotto, which had the most perfect creamy texture to it. The decor is impressive with mason jars used as lighting fixtures and pennies covering the floor of the restaurant. It's definitely a place I would come back to.

4. Went to see Twilight with my friend Mel. I've been a fan of these books since they came out so I had to see the last installment of the movie, naturally. The movies obviously don't have anything on the books but it was one of those things I had to see to close the chapter on the movies.

5. Had a craving for Poutine. My usual go to place for this junk food dish is at Victorias Gastro Pub in Columbia, Maryland. It's a French-Canadian dish that is french fries fried in duck fat then topped with cheese curds and gravy. Additional ingredients can be added and the restaurant I went to adds duck meat on top of the french fries. Not pictured is the lobster grilled cheese and escargot. Everything was decadent, delicious, and gym inducing to say the least.

How was your weekend?

NomNom: Apple Crisp

Currently every food blogger has some sort of Thanksgiving related post about side dishes/desserts they can make during this wonderful, gluttonous holiday. I actually find it a bit stressful and overwhelming at times, especially because preparing for Thanksgiving is stress-inducing project in itself. And then you see an influx of pictures of side dishes floating around the web...well that just puts the pressure on. I suppose that could be a good thing too. I dunno.

If you're still at a loss for what to make for dessert for Thanksgiving, I give you this sure to impress recipe today. It's SO ridiculously easy and wonderfully glorious to make that I urge you to do so. It is really, really, really dang good. Emphasis on the really.

During the Fall season, apples and pumpkins come to mind but I feel like apples get overshadowed by pumpkin. What's up with that? So today, I want to share with you my new favorite apple related dessert for Fall. I first discovered this recipe about a month ago and ever since then I have made this about 5 times. Dead serious. When I initially made this, the first bite made me go into this little dance that I will not go into details about. It only comes out when a recipe comes out more awesome then expected and my dog is the only one that has witnessed this and I'll just keep it at that.

I love this recipe for many reasons. It's easy (you know I love simple dishes), it involves roasting apples which intensifies their natural sweet juices, oatmeal's involved (makes me feel healthy), and ice-cream elevates it to another level. When I made this at my dinner party I held several weeks ago, my friends absolutely loved it. I packed some leftovers for them and the next morning, I received an email from one of my friends that simply read: "I'm eating the apple crisp STRAIGHT out of the fridge." I mean, it's just those kinda things that warms my heart.

Even if this isn't a possible contender for a Thanksgiving dessert, I think you need to make this dessert in the near future. Like tomorrow.

Have a great weekend. Xo.

Ingredients (Adapted from recipegirl.com)
4 to 5 cups apples (4 to 5 medium), peeled and thinly sliced (I used Golden Delicious)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup Gold Medal® All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray 8x10-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Spread apples in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and use a fork to combine. Use your fingers to sprinkle the crumb mixture over the apples.

4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes- or until bubbly and hot.

*Great served warm with vanilla ice cream.

*Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Reheat leftovers to serve.

Black Blazer Remix

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Blazer-Helmut Lang

Striped shirt-Ann Taylor

Skirt-H&M (from last year)

Shoes-Sam Edelman (similar style HERE)

Sunglasses-Stella McCartney

Happy Wednesday everyone! Hope your week is going well so far. I was looking at my calendar last night and was shocked that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK! How did that happen?? It's crazy how time has been flying.

I wanted to share with you today a recent purchase of mine, which is this cool, chic black Helmut Lang blazer. Blazers are one of those items I believe every woman should invest in because it's just a timeless piece that will never go out of style. I fell in love with this one only because it's a little different from the traditional looking blazer (no lapels or buttons) and I loved the fit on me. The only thing I'm debating is if I should hem the sleeves. I love adding updated classic pieces to my closet because it gives me options to play around with when thinking of outfits and makes it all that more interesting. 

What are your favorite go to blazers?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Received my Warby Parker glasses I ordered last week. If you haven't heard of them, they're an eye ware company that supplies very chic and cool frames. I went to their showroom the last time I was in NYC and placed the order online after I got my much needed eye exam. All frames are $95  (with or with out prescription and free shipping!). They're touring around the states right now in their pop up school bus shop and currently they're in Washington, DC. Check their twitter to see where exactly in DC they will be daily. I passed by them in Georgetown yesterday;)

2. Tried butterbeer for the first time. If you're a Harry Potter fan, you'll recognize that it's a drink mentioned in the novels which the wizards are fans of. I've never had it before and was curious since I don't normally see this on the menu. It's basically a mix of cream soda, brown sugar, butter, and rum. It tastes very similar to root beer and is really, really good. I'm tempted to recreate this in my kitchen;)

3.  I went to a newly discovered all you can eat hot pot place in Virginia. My good friend Mel wanted to check it out and I happily obliged since I haven't had hot pot in so long and the cold blast of air we've been having lately was the perfection conditions to eat this warm, satisfying meal. It was also my first day of finally being able to eat solid foods after my toothache/root canal debacle!! If you're unfamiliar with what hot pot/shabu shabu is, it's basically the Chinese/Japenese version of fondue, minus the cheese. It consists of a pot of broth where ingredients such as raw leafy vegetables (bok choy, watercress, cabbage) seafood (mussels, clams, scallops, shrimps), and thinly sliced meat are thrown in to the simmering pot to cook. The ingredients cook quickly and once it's cooked you dip it into a sauce that might be a concoction of hot chili, sesame oil, Xo sauce, Hoisin sauce, and garlic. Major nom. I will definitely be coming back to this place (Hot Spot).

4. Received an email from my Chanel SA (sales associate) stating that Chanel was participating in a gift card event at Neiman Marcus. I was surprised since Chanel never participates and is always excluded in promotions so I went to check it out. I asked her if she had any pearl necklaces in stock because that's been on my list of timeless pieces to own and she brought out several. I've been thinking about purchasing a classic Chanel pearl necklace for years but have been waiting patiently for when the time is right and this gift card event was it. Basically the promotion was that for every $500 you spend, you receive a $100 gift card. Because classic pieces never go on sale, this is the perfect opportunity to take advantages of some sort of deal because you're at least getting some sort of saving. I bought the double stranded pearl necklace where the Chanel sign is encrusted with crystals. It's an absolute gem.

5.Was invited to a pot luck/game night my friend was hosting at her and her husband's place. I made my black bean and tomato quinoa dish for the party (such a hit!) and quite honestly the picture doesn't even do justice to the food spread we had. Not pictured was stir-fry green beans, Vietnamese style wings, deep fried plantains, homemade pumpkin pie, and gingerbread cookies. The host made this amazing chana masala (Indian chick peas) which I seriously had 3 plates of. She told me she'd pass along the recipe, so get ready for a recipe that will help you understand why I would eat 3 platefuls of just that alone.We ended the night with wine/beer and the board game, Cranium. Good times.

How was your weekend?

NomNom: Linguine with Clam Sauce

We're getting fancy today in the kitchen and by fancy I mean, clams. I invited a couple of my dear girlfriends over for dinner about a week ago and wanted to charm them with a dish that sounded fancy schmancy. As I was perusing through food magazines and cookbooks I came across this recipe from The Pioneer Woman's cookbook that sounded fantastic. I was a bit hesitant that the recipe's main star was clams but here's the not so secret part: the recipe calls for canned clams. Boom.

The best part(s) about the dish is that it was easy to cook, tasty to the palate, and elegant to the eyes. They always say you eat with your eyes first, right?

The bright lemon juice mixed with sauteed clams in butter, which is tossed together with pasta and parmesan cheese that melts through and through is just heavenly. I was ecstatic to see my friends help themselves to a second bowl of pasta that night and even saw one of my friends scoop up some of the creamy sauce from the pan with her baguette. That's always a good sign. Serve this dish with a loaf of crusty baguette (I made a baked olive cheese bread to go along with the dish) and you will have a dinner served for your friends/loved ones that will surely be appreciated.

Have a great weekend. Xo.

Ingredients (Adapted from The Pioneer Woman) Yield: 4 servings; Cook time: 15 min
1 pound linguine, cooked according to package directions
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons salted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
Three 5-ounce cans chopped clams, drained (juice reserved)
3/4 cup white wine
juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon slices for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup whipping cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the garlic and clams; stir together. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with the spoon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and less watery.

2. Add in 1 more Tablespoon of butter and stir to melt. Reduce heat and add lemon juice. Add parsley and cream. Add salt and pepper. Stir well and taste for seasonings, adding a splash of clam juice if the sauce needs thinning.

3. Cook over low heat for 3 additional minutes, or until heated through.

4. Place freshly cooked, hot pasta in a large bowl. Pour sauce from the skillet onto the hot linguine. Toss to combine.

5. Serve in individual bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan, more parsley and serve with lemon wedge for garnish.

Leather and Leopard

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Sweater-Gap

Leather jacket-Theory (recent purchase)

Scarf-Louis Vuitton

Boyfriend jeans-Zara (love these here)

Shoes-Pour La Victoire (similar style here)

Sunglasses-Stella McCartney

Happy post election day! Hope your week is going more smoothly than mine. A couple of days ago I started having intense pain on my bottom molar tooth which prompted me to go to my dentist immediately to find out that I have an infection in my nerve. I don't know about you but this is the first time I've ever experienced a toothache this bad and had no idea how much it can affect your daily routine. It hurts to chew (I've been on a liquid diet the last couple of days, ugh) and it pretty much puts me in a sour mood. I have to get a root canal done tomorrow which somehow worked out because today is the first day of my week long staycation. In the meantime, the dentist put me on a pain med which has pretty much been the BEST. THING.EVER. I never thought I'd be saying that because I encounter drug addicts from time to time at work but good grief this stuff really is wonderful. On the flip side of things, since I'm off from work for a week I can at least get the procedure done and rest w/o it interfering with work. Glass half full.

Have a great rest of the week and I'll talk to you soon. Xo.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Went to the paint store and started looking through color swatches for my area of the room I want to paint. The overwhelming scheme of colors was a bit much but I think I've narrowed it down to to a couple of choices.

2. Bought a couple of new nail polishes from Maybelline's line, Color Show. I'm currently wearing midnight Sparkle and loving the slight sparkle it adds to the dark polish.

3. Stopped by Starbucks for their annual holiday seasonal flavors they released as of Nov.1. Nothing says the holiday is around the corner then those holiday Starbucks cups. I also wore my new YSL arty dot ring all weekend, which I picked up at the YSL sample sale in NYC a couple of weeks ago.

4. Tried out To Sok Jib in Annandale, VA at the recommendation of a friend. She told me how much she loves this hole in the wall Korean restaurant and I can see why. We wanted something warm to eat since it was so cold outside and the food delivered. The seafood pancake was more then a generous portion (and delicious) and the broth of the bean curd soup w/ tofu was savory and reminded me of my mom's version. I ordered  hand cut noodles with chicken which wasn't the best I've had, but decent. The broth was a bit bland for my taste buds and could've used a little kick but not enough to deter me from coming back again.

5. Started reading The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. It's the author's first adult novel since her Harry Potter series. So far, I'm not the biggest fan of the book because it's a bit dull but I'm hoping the story line gets more interesting. I'm also thinking that because I've become so accustomed to her fantasy and magic she brings from the Harry Potter books, that her writing this time around isn't something I'm used to yet.

How was your weekend?

Black

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Sweater-Gap (similar style here)

Vest-H&M

Leather (faux) pants-H&M (affordable version here)

Cuff-Hermes

Sunglasses-Stella McCartney

Shoes-Pour La Victoire

Happy Sunday everyone! Hope you enjoyed your weekend. I apologize for the lack of post last week so instead, I wanted to do a quick post today. I've been putting in longer hours at work last week (worked 40 hours within 3 days) and I was too tired to edit and prepare a post for you on Friday. As much as I love blogging, I never would want to compromise my personal health for it, so hope you understand. 

Anyway, I'm usually not one to wear all black but I really wanted to pair these leather pants with an all black ensemble to give the outfit a chic vibe. The trick to wearing all black from head to toe is mixing textures. The only pop of color I wanted to come from this outfit was from my Hermes cuff and the color is fitting to the Fall season, no?;)

Washington, DC received a blast of cold air this past weekend which hopefully isn't a precursor for a harsh winter to come. But until winter is officially here, I'll be enjoying the Fall weather and its surroundings around me.

Have a great rest of the weekend. Xo.