Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Finally bought saffron to add to my spice rack. I've been on the fence about getting this because it's so expensive to "experiment" in the kitchen with but I've been wanting to make a Moroccan lentil soup and chicken tagine which requires saffron in the recipes, so expect to see recipes for it soon!

2. Organized an apple picking outing for my friends and I. My friend and I have been wanting to go apple picking now that Fall is here so I looked up various orchards last week and happily found one (Homestead Farm) that grew Fuji apples (my favorite type). During the research, I found that most of the farms only sell Fuji apples in their market and not grow them so I was excited to check out Homestead Farm for that sole reason alone (they also have more varieties then any other farms I looked into such as granny smith, cameo, sun crisp). I asked Melanie if she was interested in the outing and she was just as excited as we were. The farm is one of the largest I've seen and they have a plethora of freshly grown vegetables in their market. Along with the 17 lbs of apples I picked, I also bought heirloom tomatoes.  I highly recommend this place. Great place for kids as well with pumpkin picking and hayrides going on now.

3. Went to brunch at Sugo Cicchetti (same owners as Cava) after apple picking. I've been here for dinner which left a good impression on me so I was curious about their weekend brunch. We didn't realize that brunch was unlimited ($30 including drinks) which was fine by us since it was a better opportunity to try as many dishes as we wanted to. Highlights for me from the brunch were the chicken and waffles, deviled truffle eggs, and the breakfast pizza. Great place for brunch with friendly service.

4.  Met up with my mom for a mother/daughter shopping date. She's been on the hunt for a new bag to wear casually and wanted my input on a couple of bags she had in mind. While shopping at Neiman Marcus, we noticed Christmas decorations were displayed already. What happened to Thanksgiving?? I'm still trying to enjoy Fall...let's slow it down. I mean, really.

5. Wanted to share a couple of new hair care products I've been loving lately. Aside from the fact that I need to get a haircut, the ends of my hair have been dry and damaged from the coloring. I will openly admit that I am the worst when it comes to caring for my hair so I decided to change that and look into hair products that might help. So far I've been using a keratin treatment from Pantene after showering which makes my hair feel so soft once it dries. I decided to also start using a heat protectant spray for my hair when I either curl or use a flat iron to my hair and the 'heat defeat' one from John Frieda is excellent. So...I haven't used hair spray since...high school? But I got a blowout at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon a couple of weeks ago and I noticed they used hair spray to set my curls so while talking to the hair stylist on suggestions for good drug store brands, he recommend Loreal Elnett. I've also read such good things about this hair spray in magazines so I've been using it for my curls to set and it really does its job. After being out for 14 hrs, my curls still stayed in place without it having the hair look like it has any product on it (pic on the left).


How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I.....

1. Dined at Nostos, a Greek restaurant in Vienna, VA. It was my time eating here and was completely blown away by this hidden gem. From the food, ambiance, and warm and welcoming staff, this restaurant is definitely a happy discovery. Some of the stand out dishes that night we ordered were the htapodi (grilled octopus), paidakia (lamp chops), and melitzana fournou (baked layer eggplant w/ feta, tomatoes, mint and parsley). I'm still thinking about the perfectly grilled octopus...

2. Received my online order of this moto jacket. I've been on the hunt for a reasonably priced one and this one from Cusp NM fit the bill. It has a metallic sheen to it which ups the cool factor. 

3. Started reading a new book from J.K Rowling. She wrote this crime fiction novel under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith and since I'm a fan of her writing from the Harry Potter days I'm curious to see how she branches away from fantasy writing. 

4. Finally received this necklace I ordered about a month ago that's been on back order. It finally got restocked and was delivered over the weekend. I've aways been a fan of statement necklaces and this pearl cluster necklace from Kenneth Jay Lane is a perfect addition to my jewelry collection. 

5. Went to eat at a hole in the wall, off the beaten path, Bolivian restaurant in Arlington, VA with a friend who highly recommended this place to me. It's called Perla del Valle and they only serve Bolivian cuisine on the weekends. Since this was my first time eating Bolivian food, I was asking our server about the dishes and she explained to me that all of them would have some sort of bean, rice, or potatoes which are traditional Bolivian staples. I ordered the Silpancho which is breaded beef (reminds me of a schnitzel) over a bed of rice and potatoes, topped with two fried eggs and pico de gallo. The beef was incredibly juicy and flavorful considering it was breaded and when you mix it with the buttery rice and runny eggs...OH MY WORD. Solid. And I finished my plate. Boom. 

How was your weekend?

Summer Jacket Required

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Blazer-Helmut Lang

Shorts-Banana Republic (old)

Tank-F21 (old)

Belt-J.Crew (similar here)

Clutch-Marc Jacobs

Sunnies-Karen Walker

Necklace-Neiman Marcus

Shoes-Pour La Victoire

Happy Wednesday everyone! Though it's hot during the summer, there are times when a light jacket is still necessary because the AC is blasting either in the work place, restaurants, etc. I usually like to have a light blazer or cardigan on me just in case I'm cold while indoors, which happens pretty much all the time. Since blazers look a bit more polished, I wore it over a simple tank top and added a statement necklace to pull the look together for a night out;)

Hope you're having a wonderful week. Xo.

Citrus Punch

Photos courtesy of Melanie Yu

Blazer-Alice&Olivia (buy here)

Long sleeved tee-J.Crew (buy here)

Pants-H&M (old)

Shoes-Pour La Victoire (love the suede version here)

Necklace-Neiman Marcus (old)

Sunglasses-Karen Walker (buy here)

      Bracelets-David Yurman (buy here, here)    

Hi everyone! I'm finally back from my vacation and back to reality. Germany was fantastic (haven't even begun sorting through all the pics yet) but the flight back home was another story. It was hellish to say the least with a major delay at JFK, and on top of that, I got severely ill when I returned home. I've been pretty much bed ridden with a fever and chills for the past couple of days and today's the first day I'm actually able to eat some food with out throwing it back up. Things are finally starting to look up, thank God.

Now that I've headed back to work, I wanted to incorporate some bright and soft, spring like colors into my outfit, especially after feeling crappy the past couple of days. 

Thanks so much for being patient with me while I was away, and a special thanks to Mel for taking today's photos!

Have a great weekend. Xo

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Bought a couple of new DVDs last week and finally had the chance to watch one of them this weekend. The original plan was to watch Argo since they were up for an Oscar (and they won!) but changed my mind and felt like watching something lighter instead. It worked out anyway because I found out later this weekend that another friend has been wanting to watch this movie so asked me to wait to watch it. I really enjoyed The Perks of Being a Wallflower--it's based off a novel and showcases the highs and lows of growing up and the friends that help us get through life. Two thumbs up.

2. Met up with a friend I haven't seen in a long time (this seems to be a common theme lately) at our favorite restaurant (Victoria Gastropub) located in MD that makes the most amazing poutine. Our catch up session lasted over 2 hours, so I'd say it was a good night.

3. Went shopping with my mom and ended up buying this glitter cardigan at Neiman Marcus. I was a bit skeptical at first but then my mom kept encouraging me to buy it, saying that it was going to come in handy. My mom is the best enabler. Sigh.

4. Picked up some new Essie nail polish colors that are very "Spring" like shades. I painted my nails in liliacism and now everytime I see my nails, I'm eagerly anticipating a change of seasons. I'm over you Winter. Really.

5. Met up with Mel and company at Bonchon in VA since we haven't seen each other in awhile. I've mentioned my love for this place several times on my blog so I won't say much other then it's the best fried chicken. Ever. It's definitely been a food filled weekend which included lots of catch up sessions with friends and I'm looking forward to another one today with my blogger friend, Meg.  .

How was your weekend?

Tough Lady

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Tweed jacket-J.Crew (buy HERE)

Turtleneck-Gap (buy HERE)

Leather (faux) shorts-F21

Shoes-Pour La Victoire (buy HERE)

Necklace-Chanel

Bracelets-David Yurman (buy HERE and HERE)

Ring-Alexis Bittar (buy HERE) 

Tweed jackets are one of my favorite items in my closet. It's a staple piece that can elevate an ouftit and easily turn it into a classic look. I wanted to play with different textures today so I paired this feminine jacket with something tough and edgy on the bottom, such as leather shorts. I'm a fan of contrast whether it be pairing formal with informal or downplaying a fancy top with something casual on the bottom or vice versa and today's outfit is inspired by that.

I consider myself to be a jeans/pants kinda girl but lately I've been buying more dresses. A couple days ago, a PR person for designer Kay Unger New York invited me to the debut of their Spring collection at Neiman Marcus in Tysons Corner Galleria, VA held tomorrow from 10am-3pm. This will be their first store to debut their Spring collection in the US and the design team will be on hand to debut the line and provide personal style consultations. Unfortunately I have work commitments tomorrow so I won't be able to attend but it's open to the public.

I'm familiar with this label since their dresses are in the department stores I shop at, but have not bought pieces from this designer yet because it's mostly geared towards evening wear and truth be told I don't have that many fancy parties to attend to on the regular. However, as I was browsing their new spring collection online www.kayunger.com and www.phoebe-couture.com (a more playful spin of the line) I was intrigued. She also sent some pictures on some amazing jackets they're currently working on for their Fall collection which I'm definitely looking forward to. It involves leather and you all know how I feel about leather.

Dress images from Kay Unger New York

These are some of the dresses from their collection that caught my eye--wearable, fun, and classy. What do you think? 

Whether you attend this event or not (although highly encouraged!), I hope you have a fantastic weekend. Talk soon. Xo.  

Recycle

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

 Blazer (buy HERE), turtleneck (buy HERE)-J.Crew

Jeans-JBrand

Shoes-Pour La Victoire (love this color HERE)

Necklace-Neiman Marcus

Sunglasses-Stella McCartney

Hi everyone! One thing that's been a common thread through my blog and that I hope to continue, is recycling articles of clothing and remixing it to wear it differently. It's so easy to get lost in the latest trend and feel the need to buy what's currently popular, that existing items in your closet can get neglected. I'm definitely guilty of this and am trying to be more cognizant of not falling victim to it, especially because it can become costly.

This red blazer from J.Crew has been one of my favorite items I purchased a couple months ago (they have been killing it lately with their clothes). Red is one of my favorite colors to wear whether it be from bags/clothes but I noticed it also has the tendency to have people shy away from it because it's such a bold color. However, I encourage you to incorporate red into your wardrobe because it's the perfect pop of color to give to your outfits! I wore today's blazer previously HERE and HERE to give you ideas on how to pair reds in outfits and hope you will be inspired to add this vibrant color into your closet.

Be bold. Wear it confidently. Xo

Sherlock Holmes

 

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Coat-Elie Tahari (buy HERE)

Jeans-JBrand

Ankle boots-Stuart Weitzman (buy HERE)

Gloves-Neiman Marcus

Happy Friday! Are you ready for the weekend as much as I am? This coat I'm wearing on the blog today will be a constant fixture this weekend while I run errands during the day because it's the perfect cover over a plain Jane outfit. If you haven't noticed already, I have a mild obsession with coats/jackets and I just couldn't resist buying this coat when I first saw it hanging beautifully on the racks. It has the softest texture to it and the cut of the coat gives it so much character. Every time I put it on, it makes me feel like I'm Sherlock Holmes;)   

Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Xo.

 

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Picked up this little guy from Neiman Marcus to add to my jewelry collection. I've been eying this Alexis Bittar piece for awhile now and when my wonderful SA (sales associate) lady at Neiman's notified me there was a sale, I knew that this was the right time to bring him home with me.

2. Made this stove top mac n' cheese again. I found the recipe last month and have now dubbed this my new go to recipe for stove top mac n' cheese. It's cooked all in one pot while the pasta cooks along with the roux. Recipe coming soon.

3. Was shopping at my nearby Bed Bath and Beyond and discovered they merged with World Market. Amazing. Half of the store is Bed Bath and Beyond products while the other half is World Market products. I've been sorta obssessed with ginger beer ever since I had it at my friend's potluck last month and was so happy to discover it at World Market. I had an amazing cocktail (Moscow Mule) at a restaurant a couple of weeks ago and found out the ingredients needed were ginger beer, Stoli, and lime juice. Easy and really good. Trust me.

4. Had a craving for Korean BBQ so made my way to Honey Pig in Annadale, VA, otherwise known as K-town. We ordered the boneless short ribs, spicy chicken, and pork belly. Craving satisfied.

5. Needed some down time for myself and relaxed with by painting my nails with my new nail polish by Essie (Saint Tropez) and the latest Elle magazine. Glass of wine not pictured;)

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Read that there was an Alexis Bittar sample sale happening in NYC and told my sister, who lives in NYC immediately about the sale. She went the last day when they were having an extra 20% off the sample sale prices and came home with these two gorgeous pieces. The bracelet is for me and the necklace is for her. I have the black version of this necklace that I've worn on the blog before so it was a no brainer to tell her to get the piece for herself.

2. Dined at Columbia Firehouse, a cozy and unpretentious restaurant located in Old Town Virginia. We ordered several small plates that consisted of mussels with chorizo and apples, cornmeal crusted oyster salad (best dish) and tuna tartar tacos. The least favorite dish was the tuna tartar due to the bland taste of the dish but that alone wouldn't deter me from coming back to this restaurant again. The drink I ordered was called the Moscow Mule which was a concoction of f lime juice, ginger beer, and stoli. Let's just say I was close to ordering 2 more of these but had to restrain myself from doing so, otherwise my Monday morning wouldn't have been very pleasant.

3. Bought the lastest holiday recipe magazine from America's Test Kitchen and baked a delicious chocolate peppermint sandwich from it. I made the festive dessert this morning so I could bring it for my friend whom I was meeting for brunch. She took a bite and loved it, so I'll be sharing this recipe late this week;)

4. Purchased this YSL clutch that I've been eyeing for awhile. I had a $350 gift card I received from Neiman Marcus after purchasing this Chanel pearl necklace a couple weeks ago and decided to use it on the YSL clutch. My choices were limited since the gift card could only apply to full priced items with jewelry being excluded so this clutch was the obvious choice for me. It's simple yet chic, which is something that comes in handy for frequent wears.

5. Visited the ZooLights at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Every year around the holidays they put up lights around the zoo and display amazing gingerbread houses made by local kids/adults inside the visitor center. It's free and just a fun way to kick off the holiday season.

How was your weekend?

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?