Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I…

1. Met up with my friend Meg, a fellow DMV blogger whom I've gotten to know over the year for an overdue dinner and drinks date at Founding Farmers. Needless to say, we had loads to catch up on. Good times, as always.

2. Added two more pairs of Blank NYC jeans to my growing collection. I recently found out about this brand over the past 6 months after ordering a pair of well fitting leather pants from this line and have been consistently impressed with the fit as well as their price point. I ordered these distressed jeans and these black utility jeans online which arrived over the weekend. Keepers.

3. Had dinner with my dear friends Mel and Carla at Ambar, located in Capital Hill. The original plan was to grab dinner at Rose's Luxury but it was a 3 hr wait (they don't take reservations) which was not gonna fly with us. I had a feeling this restaurant was going to gain popularity quickly when I dined there the month it opened, but a 3 hr wait? Come on. But, Ambar worked out well since it's been on my "bookmark" list and we opted for the AYCE drinks/small tapas for $49. A great option to try out many plates on the menu when going with several people. The dishes that stood out to me were the trout spread, grilled calamari, brussel sprouts w/bacon, roasted mushroom crepes, and mussels. No food pics because it was too dark inside.

4. After finishing dinner at Ambar, we met up with our friend Elle and her friend Sarah at Barmini, a bar owned by Jose Andres and connected next to his Minibar. As soon as you walk in, you feel like you're walking into a modern Alice in Wonderland space. Apparently they have over 100 cocktails on the menu but the amazing mixologists can pretty much cater to whatever you request. How cute is the little pill capsule to insert the bill inside? I have never been impressed with a bar until I stepped into Barmini and would highly recommend this place for post dinner drinks with your date or girlfriends (reservations are required). Such a fun night spent with awesome ladies:)

5. Had some time to myself Sunday morning and spent it with the usual suspects: coffee, nail polish, food magazines, and browsing Pinterest. Much needed time to unwind.


How was your weekend?

Pastel Perfect

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Sweater-J.Crew 

Leather faux skirt-Boundary & Co (old, love this one here)

Shoes-KORS Michael Kors

Fur scarf-Adrienne Landau (similar style here)

Sunglasses-Karen Walker

This bipolar weather we've been having has been playing with us East Coasters for the past several days. It was in the mid 60s a couple days ago and just yesterday it dropped to the low 30s!! Clearly, Mother nature is not done with Winter because apparently there's another snow shower coming on Monday. Ugh. Sweater and tights wearing weather really needs to be done with. 

Hoping the weather will let up this weekend. Have a good one, either way. Xo. 

Cut Out

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Blouse-Equipment

Jeans-Rag & Bone

Shoes-Stuart Weitzman

Sunglasses-Gap

Clutch-Marc Jacobs

I love unexpected updates to an otherwise conventional clothing item such as a simple button down blouse. The cut outs on the sleeves make it perfect to wear for either date night or a girls night out with your dearests. The blouse is sexy with out it being too revealing but most importantly, the color pairings are also a friendly reminder to myself that Spring is right around the corner:) 

Have a great rest of the week. Xo. 

NomNom: Mango Coconut Chia Pudding

I finally jumped on the nutrition train. Well, sorta. I'm not at that point in my life to cut out all sorts of not so healthy for me types of food yet. It's not in the stars for me as of now but I am making a more conscious effort to be more cognizant of what goes into my body. Baby steps.

If you haven't heard by now, chia seeds have been and still are a major thing in the health food world. I'm usually skeptical in the beginning when there's so much hoopla surrounding the next big "superfood" so I've resisted experimenting with chia seeds for a long time. I suppose that's the rebellious part in me. I dunno.

So a quick breakdown on these seeds. They are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, and calcium (up to three times more than a serving of milk!!) and well you get the picture. People use it to sprinkle it in their smoothies, oatmeals, and whatever else the heart desires. I found that boring so after researching a bit more, I found that it's also used to make pudding. These seeds by itself are bland so they need help with taste enhancement which is where the fun experimenting part comes in. I assemble mine in a mason jar to give it a good, solid shake and let it sit overnight in the fridge so it can be part of my morning routine or a a snack I can reach for in the fridge. Did I mention how filling it is?

I can't get over how the seeds absorb the liquid and expand in size like crazy. The texture reminds me of rice pudding and let me tell you, the combination of the ingredients I'm sharing with you today are WINNING. Chia seeds are legit, friends.

I now understand what the rage is all about. I'm a believer.


Ingredients (Adapted from www.SkinnyTaste.com): Yields: 2 servings
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
3/4 cup fresh ripe champagne mango, diced
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
4-6 drops Agave Nectar (or sugar/honey to taste)

Procedure
1. Combine all ingredients in a container. Close and shake well. (I found mason jars work well).
2. Let it sit for 20 minutes and shake well again. Refrigerate over night or for at least 8 hours.

Peter Pan

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Shirt-J.Crew
Skirt-H&M (old) (love this one here)
Purse-Chanel WOC
Bracelet-Hermes
Shoes-Kors Michael Kors

Happy Wednesday! The snow is beginning to melt away and the weather is starting to slightly warm up. Here's to wishing that Spring like weather will come soon and I won't be needing to wear tights anymore. I'm over you, winter.

Hope you're having a great week. Xo.