Merci

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Sweater-Banana Republic

Denim shorts-Zara

Shoes-DKNY (old)

Purse-Chanel

Sunnies-Karen Walker

Ring-David Yurman

Hi everyone! There's only a couple of days left in August and pretty soon the temperatures will be much cooler and the air much crisper. Before Fall comes at us full force, I'm still going to be wearing shorts and summer clothing (weather permitting, obviously). This past weekend was the perfect opportunity to wear shorts and a sweater which is one of my favorite things to wear when I want to keep my outfit low key.

Hope you guys have a great rest of the week. As you read this, I'll most likely be on the plane to Cancun, Mexico so I am signing off for a week! Vacation mode is on. Xo.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Stuffed my face with the most ripest and juiciest peaches I've ever tasted. My parents went to a local farm and picked tons of fresh peaches and gave several to me. Gosh, I'm going to miss these type of things about summer.

2. Finally had my bikinis I ordered from Victorias Secret delivered. I'm leaving for Cancun, Mexico this Wednesday so I was worried they wouldn't come in time, and fortunately they did. I had no idea Victoria's Secret carried a line of swimwear up until last week while shopping in NYC. Bathing suit shopping is a pain because of my petite frame but was pleasantly surprised at the amazing fit from their line. I highly recommend their twist bandeau top (currently on sale!) if you're a small chested gal because it gives a great lift with out you looking...ridiculous. 

3. Had a little downtime so I took some time to paint my nails a new nail polish color I picked up (Essie's Fiji) and catch up on some of my favorite fashion magazines. Have you seen the size of the Vogue Sept issue?? It's massive.

4. Wore my newly purchased leather peplum top out by Amanda Uprichard. If you've been a reader of my blog for awhile, you know how much I love anything leather. My next item on my leather wish list is to find the perfect leather trousers. I've had to return several due to the way baggy fit:(

5. Checked out the Bonchon in Ellicott City, MD with my friend. It was my first time at the MD location and I didn't realize it was BYOB until I got there. I texted my friend who was still on the way to let her know and she promptly replied, "I'm gonna pick up some beer for us." Love. Catching up with each other for 4 hours over our favorite fried chicken and beer was the perfect way to close out the weekend.

How was your weekend?

Panels

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Top-H&M (recent)

Jeans-JBrand

Shoes-BCBG Max Azria (old)

Sunnies-Karen Walker

Clutch-Marc Jacobs

Cuff-Hermes

Ring-Maison Martin Margiela

Hi everyone, just a quick hello and outfit post to kick start this weekend! Have a great one. Xo.

Tunic Memories

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Shirt-J.Crew (similar style here)

Jeans-Rag and Bone

Shoes-Pour La Victoire

Ring-Maison Martin Margiela 

Sunnies-Karen Walker

Happy Wednesday everyone! Every time I see boho looking tunics, it reminds me of my trip to Egypt     I took a couple of years ago with a good friend. The weather was extremely hot (we're talking over 100 degrees everyday) so you wanted to be dressed in light and loose clothing. The streets would be filled with clothing vendors selling these type of tunics and and my friend really wanted to buy one as a souvenir to herself. I have very fond memories of us on the hunt for the perfect tunic but for the right price;) Part of their culture involves haggling so we have lots of funny stories of us trying to bargain. 

When I saw this shirt at the J.Crew store, I immediately thought of that great vacation and it was such a happy memory that I ended up buying this shirt. Since I love the embroidery on the shirt, I wanted to keep accessories to a minimum and let the focus be on the top.

On another note, last week my friend Meg invited me, along with a couple of other fab ladies to a fun doughnut tasting brunch she hosted at her place. I absolutely love the way she decorated her space and The Glitter Guide featured the get together on their site so check out the photos of the party and a peek into here place HERE.

Hope you're having a great week. 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?

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.

NomNom: Avocado Spread

Whenever I'm feeling lazy in the kitchen and want to make something quick and simple, I turn to sandwiches. I'm always on the hunt for a good sandwich place (Taylor Gourmet, Jimmy Johns, and Fast Gourmet are my local favorites) but still satisfied with something as simple as a PB & J. I loved it as a kid and still love it as an adult.

My favorite combo when assembling my ideal sandwich usually involves these key players: turkey, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, and avocados. Nom.

Instead of adding buttery sliced avocados into my usual sandwich, I decided to make a spread that could very well be used as a dip for other things such as chicken, fish, chips, veggies, or basically anything your avocado loving heart desires. Thumbs up to using simple ingredients to reap simple rewards.

Have a great Monday. Xo.

Recipe
1 ripe Hass avocado
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoon lime
Dash of cayenne

Procedure
Add avocado, sour cream, lime to a blender to small food processor  and blend until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Summer Leopard

 

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Top-French Connection (old)

Jeans-Zara (love these too)

Clutch-Marc Jacobs

Hat-F21 (old)

Cuff-Hermes

Sunnies-Karen Walker

Thank goodness it's Friday! Couldn't be more happier that this week is over, especially because my 10 day staycation starts on Monday. I'll most likely be sleeping in, reading for fun, bikram yoga-ing, visiting NYC, catching up with friends, and just relaxing. Totally need this after a rough couple of weeks. 

Have a great weekend. Xo.

  

Summer Date

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Dress-Malibu Fox

Shoes-Pour La Victoire

Clutch-YSL

Sunnies-Celine

Cuff-Kenneth Jay Lane

Rings-David Yurman, Kelly Wearstler

Hi everyone! If you've noticed on today's post, I'm wearing an unusual accessory on my finger. Over the weekend, I had an accident involving glass from my Tiffany crystal bowl and ended up going to the hospital to get stitches. I'm still getting over the shock of what happened because all I did was just pick up the bowl and the entire rim just came off, which took off a big chunk of my skin. When I contacted the company about their defective product and the accident, the company's response was to give me a refund.

I am so utterly turned off by their lackadaisical response (the store manager contacted me, yet was told someone from headquarters would) that I will NOT support their business from this point on. This is the item that caused the accident so please be aware: http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?fromGrid=1&sku=GRP02936&mcat=148207&cid=288215&search_params=s+5-p+50-c+288215-r+-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+

I'm just thankful that this accident didn't occur on my writing hand or that I broke anything, but until I get my stitches out in about 12 days, you'll be seeing a wound dressing on my fingers. I know it's not a fashionable accessory but please bear with me until then.

Have a great week. Xo.

NomNom: Slow Cooker Indian Chicken Stew

There's something about Indian cuisine that is a huge sensory stimulation for me. The colors, the fragrant smell of curry, and the array of spices the dishes encompasses.

I don't often get to use my slow cooker much but I decided to get some use out of it on my day off with today's recipe. This stew brings all the wonderful and complex flavors that Indian cuisine promises and is a protein packed dish from the spinach, chicken and garbanzo beans. Easy, great flavor profile, and healthy? Bookmark it, folks.

This hearty stew probably is ideal during the fall/winter but for me, I don't discriminate when food should be eaten. Breakfast for dinner? Happens frequently. Warm stews during the summer? Makes sense.

Have a great Monday. Xo


Ingredients (Adapted from Better Home & Gardens) Serves: 8
Nonstick cooking spray
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup onion, chopped (1 medium)
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper and/or cayenne pepper
2 15 ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
2 14 1/2ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 9 ounce package fresh spinach (optional)
4 cups hot cooked rice (optional)

Procedure
1. Lightly coat a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add chicken, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker. Add curry powder, ginger, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

2. Stir lime juice into chicken mixture. If desired, stir in spinach; let stand for 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach starts to wilt. If desired, serve in bowls with hot cooked rice.

NomNom: Avocado Semifreddo

How is it August already?

Summer has always been one of my favorite seasons because it involves grilling, dining al fresco, enjoying refreshing drinks and taking vacations. I'll definitely be utilizing all the free time I have to squeeze in all the summer activities I want to do before the weather starts to cool down for Fall. This weekend I have plans to go stand up paddle boarding which has been on my summer bucket list! So looking forward to that.

Cooling down with any type of resfreshing desserts such as gelato, froyo and bing soo (Korean shaved ice) is something that occurs on the regular for me during summer days. I can never say no...it's a weakness of mine and I'm okay with that.

I was intrigued with making this because I've never had avocado as a dessert. That's just weird, right? But I love, love avocados so I had to make it and it doesn't involve an ice-cream machine. That's clutch right there.

I have to warn you though, if you're not a big of a fan of avocado (but whyyy?!) this dessert is not for you. There's a definite taste of buttery smooth avocado flavor in each bite but with just the right amount of sweet and saltiness from the condensed milk and pistachios that is mixed in. So good.

Since the main star of this dessert revolves around an avocado, does this count as being healthy? Me thinks so.

Have a great weekend. Xo.


Ingredients (Adapted from EveryDay w/ Rachel Ray mag) Serves:8
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup raw pistachios, chopped
2 tbsp sugar
salt
cooking spray
1 large avocado
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups cream

Procedure
1. In nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add nuts, sugar and pinch salt; stir until sugar browns, 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.

2. Coat 5x9 inch loaf pan with cooking spray; line with plastic wrap, leaving 3-inch overhang.

3. In food processor, puree avocado flesh, condensed milk, lemon juice and pinch salt.

4. Whip cream to stiff peaks; fold in avocado puree and nuts. Pour into pan. Cover with plastic overhang; freeze until firm, 4 hours. Unmold on to platter. Slice and serve immediately.