Weekend Snapshots: Life Lately

Hello hello to anyone who is still following along:) It feels a bit strange to be writing a post because it feels like forever (which sounds like a long time) since I last wrote one. In fact, because I haven't logged in since April, it took a couple of attempts to remember my password. Fail.

My apologies for abruptly putting a stop to the blog and not giving any notice about that. Truth be told, I was feeling a bit uninspired and more focused in transitioning into my new job and the new hours (can't believe it's been 6 months already!) which contributed to me being a huge supporter of after work power naps. I also wanted to prioritize more on my personal life so decided to take a long summer hiatus, if you can call it that and told myself that when I start to miss blogging and sharing snippets of my food/fashion life with you I will start again. Those feelings have emerged. All the feels.

The past several months have been all about new adjustments both professionally and personally, newfound relationships with awesome people that have been in my life or entered my life, being more self-aware with how I process situations/people (thanks to training classes via work), checking things off my summer bucket list, and going blonde(!!!) Another big change that occurred was that my sister decided to move from NYC to San Diego a couple of months ago to further her professional growth and if you have been following along with me over the years I would visit her quite often (every 3-4 months or so) in NYC for the past 3 years. With that said, I developed a mental list of my favorite places to eat/shop in the city and let's be honest, the energy in that city is electric like no other. I'm not sure if it's the combination of the people that live there along with the plethora of amazing food places and it also being the fashion mecca, but there is no place in the world like it. More importantly though, was that my sis would be further away which was a huge adjustment since her and I are extremely close. The memories her and I shared during the times I visited her in NYC will always be special. 

San Diego is gorgeous. The weather is the one thing that can't be beat but it's an unusual place to get used to if you're from the east coast. It's such a relaxed environment with a slower placed vibe and the fact that beach is a 20 min drive away is strange to me. However, I am making another trip out there next month to visit her and am looking forward to getting to know the city more. Any suggestions on places to check out are welcome!

Please bear with me as I start to get my feet wet again into posting regularly. Can you believe September is already here? It's a bit daunting to realize how time flies by and heading into a new season makes me feel bittersweet especially because I love summer. But I'm looking forward to what changes are in the horizon for me.

Hope you enjoy the pictures I've collected the past several months up until now.

Have a great week. Xo.

Image via LA Cool & chic

Spring time in NYC where the weather is just starting to warm up is the best. 

From East coast to West coast

Sunset Cliff

Carne Asada french fries are a thing in San Diego. Glorious. 

California love

Stand up paddle boarding. Done and done.

So many burrito/taco places in San Diego. My idea of heaven. 

Picking up fresh blooms at the weekly farmers market that is a 4 min walk from my sister's place.

Selfie at the rose garden in Balboa Park. 

Cheese, charcuterie, drinks, and memorable conversations. These are a few of my favorite things.

Eating my weights worth in peaches this summer. 

Same thing applied to steamed crabs. Old bay seasoning ftw.

Still continuing to eat my way through the DMV area

Blonde ambition

Bidding adieu to the last bits of summer with a seafood boil. Thanks for hosting Mel.

This gets me exited for Fall. Image via LA Cool & Chic

As of Late

Took a silks class for the first time which made me realize how weak my upper body is but was fun, nonetheless.

Finally dined at Peter Luger Steakhouse in Brooklyn. This restaurant has been on my restaurant bucket list forever and I finally made it out to this Michelin rated steakhouse. The steak definitely lives up to the hype but I still think the best steak I ever had was in Argentina and Japan (Peter Luger comes next). I found it hilarious and awesome that they had bacon as an appetizer…just pure, unadulterated slabs of glorious bacon. Naturally, I had to order it. After cleaning our plates like the true gluttons we are (waiter was impressed), I noticed that several people were ordering dessert. At this point my jean buttons were about to pop but I ordered one anyway and let me tell you about this whipped cream that came out with the key lime pie. It was the BEST WHIPPED CREAM I EVER HAD. I don't even like whipped cream but I couldn't stop eating this by the spoonful and when I asked the waiter what was in it, he said it was a secret and that they had a designated person in charge of making it!! WHAT?! I asked twice for the recipe and was denied both times. Persistence didn't work that night. Oh and we saw Kate Upton and her bf dining a couple tables away from us that night!

Trying the lox and cream cheese on an everything bagel at Ess-A-Bagel. There really isn't anything I can say bad about this dreamy sandwich--a generous spread of cream cheese and velvety slices of lox in between a perfectly chewy, soft bagel with a slightly crispy coating. Next time I'm in the city I want to try the famous bagels from Russ and Daughters. I also couldn't leave with out a stop by Levain Bakery who makes the best oatmeal raisin cookies. Ever. Some people swear by their famous chocolate chip walnut cookie but I personally think their oatmeal raisin cookie tops it. I also got lucky and picked up the last sticky bun they had for the weekend (they're only made on the weekends) for my sister since she likes morning buns. She seemed to enjoy it although I felt indifferent about them. I'm not impressed with them as I am with their cookies. Ugh so good.

Temperatures are dropping which means sweater weather and wearing warm accessories such as cozy, blanket scarves. Both are recent (within a month) purchases from Zara.

Recently colored my hair a medium to dark brown shade. No more ombre...for now. But now that my hair has been colored and processed I am paranoid that it's damaged to the point where it will break off. My colorist swears by this nourishing oil by Kerastase and recommended it to me so I've been using it recently and have noticed that it definitely has helped put moisture back to my strands. I've always been a huge fan of Kerastase products...just not the price.

Still trying to organize all my travel photos from my DSLR camera and camera phone. This iPhone picture was taken from The Peak, the highest point on Hong Kong island. My selfie stick would've come in handy while I was up here but I bought it the day after!! This view though...

Recently bought this shift dress from Ann Taylor and it has been a favorite Fall layering piece. I wear it with a button down or a fitted 3/4 sleeve underneath and is a great work appropriate piece or to wear for a night out. Love the faux leather pocket panels and it's currently on sale for an additional 60% off right now.

NYC and Leopard Hearts

Outfit photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Leopard blouse-Cooper & Ella

Leather (faux) skirt-F21

Boots-Chanel

Purse-Proenza Schouler PS11

Sunnies-Celine

Hi everyone! Sorry for the week long absence of posts, but it's been a bit busy this past week and I just didn't have the time to get my posts scheduled and ready. I went to NYC over the weekend to visit my sister and had a great time just hanging out, trying new food places, and of course, shopping;) I got back really late Monday night and was too tired to have my usual Weekend Snapshots ready so I decided to share it with you today. If you follow me on twitter, I was much more diligent with posting the pics over the weekend;)

Some of the highlights from the weekend was grabbing brunch at ABV to have quite possibly the best breakfast torta ever (my sister insists their pork torta served during dinner is even better) and the strangest yet delicious and most dense flavored donuts from Dough Loco. Pictured are the blueberry rosemary lime (my favorite) and miso maple which was a bit too sweet for me. We also decided to try the raspberry Sriracha donut after we were finished with the first two flavors more out of curiosity and it was….strange. The raspberry flavor is prominent but at the end of the bite, the heat from the sriracha kicks in. Still not sure what to make of this one. Oh and I come to find out later that both ABV and Dough Loco are owned by the same people--go figure.  

Hope you enjoyed your weekend and are having a great week so far. Xo.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Took a 4 day trip to NYC to visit my sister. It's been a busy and fun weekend in the city so far and since I took pictures to document things, I thought I'd share on my Weekend Snapshots, especially because it's been awhile;) Since she knows how much I enjoy food, she suggested we leave Manhattan for the day and take a ferry ride to Williamsburg to visit Smorgasburg in Brooklyn. It's basically a food market where various vendors (over 100) set up shop and sell their food. It is truly a glutton's paradise. The weather was amazing and it was just so relaxing to sit outside, people watch, and enjoy the view of the city.

2. Visited the Brooklyn flea market as well. Jewelry, clothes, and other random trinkets were sold at the market, but I didn't really see anything to my liking so left empty handed.

3. Finally checked out the Big Gay Ice Cream shop. It's been on my food list for awhile and we braved the long line at 11pm to get our ice cream fix. I ordered the Salty Pimp which is vanilla ice-cream that's been injected with dulce de leche, sprinkled with sea salt, and dipped in chocolate. Really plays well with the sweet and salty factor but not sure if I would stand in line again for the ice-cream. I'd definitely go back sans line.

4. Found out from my sister about a ping pong spot in the city called Spin. I know this sounds uber dorky but I LOVE ping pong. I mean, there are pool halls set up like this so why shouldn't there be a ping pong hall?? Makes total sense to me. My sis invited some of her friends out to play since they enjoy it as well and it basically turned out to be a fun night full of rallies, dinner at an amazing Szechuan place (Cafe China) and Pinkberry froyo afterwards. Sorry but no pics to document the food because I got lost in the food that kept coming and the conversations;)

5. Ended the evening by trying to walk off all the food, especially because the weather was so gorgeous at night. I can't help but love this city.


How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Took a trip to NYC to visit my little sister. Since we both have a bit of an unconventional work schedule, our schedules don't always align. But, this holiday weekend we happened to be both off for the long weekend so I decided to visit.

2. Made an unplanned stop by Bouchon Bakery on the first day of exploring the city since it started to rain on and off during the afternoon. The very first time I tried macarons was from Bouchon several years ago and that pretty much set my standards for macarons. This and Maison Lauduree are probably my top favorite macaron places.

3. Went to eat dim sum at my usual go to place in Chinatown, Jing Fong. There's always a wait on the weekends even though the place is HUGE. It's basically an enormous banquet hall where you will most likely share a table with strangers but that's part of the experience. Trust me, the wait is worth it.

4. Finally went to Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. It's been bookmarked for quite awhile now and since we were already in Chinatown to eat dim sum, we stopped by for dessert. I tried the lychee and almond cookie flavor which were absolutely mind blowing. I'm still thinking about the lychee flavor...

5. Walked the Brooklyn bridge for the first time since the weather finally turned around. Gorgeous views of the city--highly recommend.

6. Went to a new ramen place called Ramen Misoya located in East Village. The broth was good and savory but not sure if I would rank this high up on my favorite ramen places. My loyalty still lies with Totto Ramen in NYC;)

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Wore my new J.Crew sequin top for date night. They are having an extra 30% sale everything in store and I snagged several great pieces from the promotion. We went to dine at Poste Brasserie located in Washington, DC and ordered the truffle fries, Chef's special (snapper on a bed of gnocchi), and braised short ribs. The decor was romantic and the food was wonderful. I ordered the Moscow Mule as my drink but wasn't impressed with how the cocktail turned out from this place. The only negative to the experience, but nothing to keep me away from.

2. Drove up to NYC with the family Saturday afternoon to spend Christmas with my sister. The traffic was insane on the way which delayed us a couple of hours but we arrived safely, nonetheless.

3. Went to the Guggenheim museum to check out the Picasso exhibit which is on display until Jan 23, 2013. No pictures are allowed inside the museum other than the front entrance but the exhibit is highly recommended. There are many beautiful, original works of Picasso on display as well as Kandinsky's vibrant work, which was just lovely.

4. Went to Katsu Hama for dinner, a restaurant that specializes in katsu. They specialize in katsu with an array of different kinds of breaded and deep fried meat. The star dish of the night was the katsu with the American cheese. I've never had this odd combination before but will order this from now on because it was unexpectedly scrumptious. All of the katsu we ordered were perfectly fried, crispy, and lightly breaded. They also give you sesame seeds for you to grind at the table for the katsu, which was a nice touch.

5. Went to the overcrowded Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. I love NYC around the holidays because the city is especially beautiful with their festive lights adorning the stores.