Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Savored my last morning weekend of being a bum with a cup of coffee from my favorite roasters, Stumptown. While I was in NYC last week, I happily restocked my depleted bean supply. I also finally got my hands on the latest issue of Maire Claire magazine because my face is included in a humble corner of their monthly beauty road show when they were visiting Washington, DC. Thanks for including me Marie Claire!

2. My dear friend invited a couple of girls over her new home for dinner. She cooked an extremely comforting and delicious chicken pot pie and made us ice-cream (we're talking dark chocolate coffee and a rosemary honey flavor) from a new dessert cookbook she bought (Jeni's Ice-Cream). This stuff is so dangerously good (sold at Whole Foods) and if it wasn't so dang pricey I would be eating this every other day. An evening spent with a home cooked meal, ice-cream, and hours of conversations with your girlfriends are simply the best.

3. Called it an early night on Sunday because I start my new job today. One of my favorite purchases from my recent trip to Paris is this personalized Goyard bag. I've been looking for a simple yet chic work tote and have had my eyes on a Goyard bag for awhile and after doing some research prior to the Paris trip, I read that prices are extremely lower in Paris. Long story short, I ended up purchasing this new beauty and love that it's monogrammed--it just makes it feel more personal and special.

4. Discovered a new healthy and mind blowing recipe for "raw brownies." I know..what does that even mean? It has just 3 ingredients (nuts, dates and cocoa powder) and no baking is required for it(!!) I was so surprised at how amazingly delicious it was that I ended up making it twice this weekend...partly due to the fact that I finished a batch all by myself. Oops. I'm usually weary about vegan/gluten free recipes after a bad experience with it but this dessert/snack is really good. Will post recipe soon.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I….

1. Went on a Black Friday shopping frenzy at Saks and Neiman and picked up the items I presaled earlier in the week. Thank God they gave customers the option to pre-sale this year to avoid the crazy crowds on the actual day. These are some of my favorite items I bought so far and have several more items that I bought online coming this week. I think it's time for a shopping hiatus. Again.

2. Restocked on my coffee beans from my favorite coffee shop, Stumptown Coffee, thanks to my sister who was visiting for the holiday break from NYC. I've been using these coffee beans on the daily ever since I was introduced to this brand by her and it's really hard to drink coffee from anywhere else now. You too would be converted once you take a sip of the coffee from glorious Stumptown.

3. Bought a new hydration lotion from a new to me Japanese skincare brand, Hada Labo. I initially read about this super popular brand in Elle magazine several months ago because it recently launched in the US and have been curious about the hydrator, especially since my skin is dry during the winter months. Apparently this stuff is so popular, the company claims it sells every 4 seconds in Japan. Considering it's fairly inexpensive compared to many high end skin care lines, I was quick to pick one up at Ulta. Fingers crossed it works well on my skin.

4. Spent much of my time with the family this weekend, especially since my sister was back in town. We have a couple of restaurants which we frequent when the whole family gets together, one of them being Maggiano's Little Italy (order the family style option!), which is where we dined at over the weekend. So much feasting has occurred since last week and now gym time is calling.

5. Picked up my brand new David Yurman bling from the store after receiving a call that my ring came in (my size was on order). I've been eyeing the citrine color for awhile now and am super happy with the purchase. I wore it all weekend, naturally.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Sent out a card to a friend the old fashioned way before email became so prevalent. There's something about sending and receiving snail mail that is so honest, no?

2. Put together a small care package to bring to my sister in NYC. I didn't have time to make any baked goods so gathered some of her favorite snacks along with new nail polish, naturally. My love for nail polish is slowly influencing her as well;)

3. Enjoyed walking around NYC with my friend, sis, and Mandu in the perfect Fall weather. The weather for the next couple of days is going to stay in the mid 60's with plenty of sunshine which works for me since I'll be here until tomorrow.

4. Wanted to check out Bleeker Street Pizza after reading many, many reviews stating that it's the best pizza in NYC by the NY Times and Jimmy Kimmel. I'm always curious to try food establishments that are labeled with such a bold statement and then try to formulate my own opinion with out being swayed. I'm going to have say though, that I wholeheartedly agree with the raving reviews. We each had a slice of the the Nonna, mushroom pizza and Sicilian. Each bite gives you the most wonderful crisp sound and the sauces on the pizza were SO flavorful. Each slice is about $3.25-$3.50 which is expensive for a slice but hey, it's NYC.

5. Stopped by the C.Wonder store. I know that there's a store coming to the Tysons Corner Mall in Virginia soon so I wanted to see what it was all about since they claim to be a home decor, accessories, and clothing store. The store is bright and colorful with lots of cute home decor items and accessories. In terms of the clothing selection, I wasn't that impressed, only because the quality of the material seemed a bit cheap with the price point being expensive for what you're buying. The set up reminds me of Tory Burch but you can think of it as the more affordable version of it. I ended up buying a cute display plate for myself and my friend bought one for my sis (as a belated housewarming gift) to use for our everyday jewelery.

6. Tried Totto Ramen for the first time. When it comes to ramen in NYC, I always go to the ever popular Ippudo but this time we wanted to try somewhere else. The wait was nearly 2 hours since they don't have a wait list and the place is super small, but we're so glad we waited because I think the ramen is much better then Ippudo. When it comes to ramen, the broth is the key player and Totto Ramen uses chicken broth which makes my heart sing. We also ordered the pork buns, which was delicious but the pork buns from Ippudo really are number one in my book. So moral of the story? Go to Ippudo for the pork buns and Totto Ramen for ramen.

7. Stopped by Stumptown Coffee to introduce my friend to the awesomeness of this java joint and he also agreed that it was the best coffee he's had. I'm telling you, this place has become my favorite coffee place and my coffee beans now come from this store. 

How was your weekend?

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Traveled to NYC to visit my sister. The weather was gorgeous and comfortable and we basically did our favorite things: eat and shop. One of the first food stops we went to was Num Pang, a Cambodian sandwich shop. The 5 spice pork belly bahn mi is a favorite amongst customers and is now a favorite of mine. It's a bit more expensive then the usual cost of a bahn mi sandwich but I think it was well worth it, especially because they don't skimp on the juicy, succulent meat. Major nom.

2. Roamed and grocery shopped through the Farmer's Market in Union Square. I could've spend hours there looking at the beautiful, vibrant produce.

3. Went to Maison Laduree to try their famous macarons. It's their only US shop to open in the states (original location is in Paris) so the place was packed. I can only compare it to Bouchon Bakery's because those are the only other ones I've had and it's very similar in taste. Light, airy, and delicate with just enough of sweetness from the filling. A bit pricey for those wee little things but so worth it.

4. Had the best coffee of my life. I didn't think that could be possible but I was wrong. If you're ever in NYC and love coffee, you MUST stop by Stumptown Coffee. When we first placed our order, we ordered their cappuccino, thinking that it's probably better then their regular house blend. It was tasty but I didn't understand what the hype was about. Since I drink coffee everyday, I decided to buy their coffee beans to take back with me and as I was paying, the barista said it came with a free cup of coffee. Thinking nothing of it, since it was free I drank it with no expectations. But then, I tasted the coffee. Game over. Mind blown. How can their free coffee taste better then their cappuccino?? The coffee tasted smooth, bold, with just the right amount of bitter. I can't get over this place. Just. Cant.

5. I wanted to take my sister to the famous Halal carton 53rd street for the chicken over rice. I've tried this cart out several times over the years but only came in the wee hours of night (it's opened until 3 or 4am) for late night grubbing with friends. I was surprised to see a line during the middle of the day but it's to be expected. The food is cheap and so, so good. The chicken is juicy and flavorful, the rice is fluffy, and the white sauce is crack. Just be wary on how much red sauce you put on it because it's SPICY. I have a pretty high tolerance when it comes to spicy things but this red sauce is dangerous.

6. Shopped in Soho and picked up a couple of new things. I'll just leave it at that=)

How was your weekend?