Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Shopped and prepped for tomorrow's blog post in Georgetown area so stay tuned;)
2. Dined at Maggiano's with friends and ordered off their "family style" menu which means you can choose to order 2 dishes off their appetizers, salad, entree, and dessert menu and it's unlimited. Major food coma.
3. Baked peppermint bark cookies for a Christmas party a friend hosted. I left with an empty container and received lots of compliments from the guests which made me happy. It really makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside when people enjoy what I make. I'll post the recipe later this week.
4. Finally found and bought a sequin skirt. I've been searching high and low for one and have walked out in dissapointment from many stores either because it didn't fit right, the store didn't have my size in stock, or I wasn't satisfied with the colors. I bought this skirt at Express and they only had one left in my size AND it was in the color I was looking for. It was meant to be.
5. Tried Seventh Hill for the first time. The original dinner plans were to go to Kushi but my stomach started craving pizza and well, I gotta listen to what my stomach wants. After reading great reviews on Yelp I had high expectations on this place but I ended up a bit disappointed. The pizzas were a bit too soggy and there wasn't much of a flavor burst in the pizzas. I didn't think the toppings complimented each other and felt like I was eating compartmentalized toppings.
6. Caught Mandu sleeping and using his toy Christmas tree as a pillow. Seriously, could he be any cuter?? Probably.

How was your weekend?

Casual Friday

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Blouse-Sigrid Olsen

Sweater-Old Navy

Jeans-7 for all Mankind

Shoes-Kors by Michael Kors 

Necklace-Alexis Bittar

Purse-vintage Gucci

I actually wore this outfit last weekend while I was running errands and wanted to dress comfortably since I knew I would have lots of business to take care of that day. Dressing casual doesn't mean you have to look sloppy. My mom, who is a fashionista in her own right, always told my sister and I growing up, to always look nice/presentable even if going grocery shopping because you just never know who you will run into.

Even the simplest of outfits such as jeans, sweaters and a button down shirt can still look stylish by adding  great accessories or mixing different color palettes.

Happy Friday and have a fantastic weekend. Thanks so much for reading!

Coffee Break

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Blazer-Theory

Blouse-Old Navy

Sweater-Ann Taylor Loft 

Skirt-H&M

Pendant-John Hardy

Shoes-Taryn Rose

Bag-Chanel

Sunglasses-Stella McCartney

Living near the nation's capitol means there will be lots of government workers and Hill staffers in power suits or pencil skirts which somehow translates to a sea of gray and black suits during rush hour. One can still look professional and stylish by not limiting yourself to those mundane colors. A simple way to break away from that mold is to introduce color to your outfit.

If you haven't noticed already I'm a huge fan of the color red and this skirt is no different as it's obviously been worn many times in previous posts. I know that the color red is bold but a splash of red can wake up those neutrals in your closet all through winter and beyond. It's such a chic color and an easy and inexpensive way to give your wardrobe that little jolt it needs.

Do you have any other interesting ways to dress up a work appropriate outfit?

Weekend Snapshots

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This weekend I...
1. Made some granola with peanuts and walnuts. I love snacking on homemade granola as is or adding that to Greek yogurt and than drizzling it with honey. YUM.
2. Bought two new nail polish colors. What's a weekend without nail polish HA! This time I wanted a bit of sparkle so I coated the matte shade with glitter and was satisfied with how it looked. Love me some sparkle. Opi colors used were "My empire, my rules" and "Follow me on Glitter."
3. Went to dinner at Nando's Peri Peri for the first time. It's a restaurant that specializes in Portuguese flame-grilled chicken and you can decide how spicy you want your chicken. I obviously ordered mine hot and the chicken was juicy and flavorful, but I was more impressed with their macho peas. It's basically a pea mash mixed with whole peas, parsley, mint, and chilli. Umm party in my mouth. 
4. Bought a pair of shoes by Pour La Victoire. I'm beginning to really like this shoe designers subtle eclectic style.
5. Went grocery shopping and came across these adorable coke bottles. 'Tis the season.
6. Bought some material for my first DIY project. I am NOT crafty by any means but I saw this easy holiday candle DIY project online that I wanted to try. Will post results later this week if it turns out well! If not, well assume it was a bust.

How was your weekend?

NomNom: Egg-in-a-Hole Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I'm not a morning person by any means. I'm the person who's mumbling, "5 more minutes" as the snooze button gets hit repeatedly or who's grumpy if I haven't had my cup of coffee. I know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but when I weigh the options of eating/making breakfast vs. sleeping in, sleeping in always wins. Always. But then there are those days when I'm off from work (I don't have a conventional work schedule) where I can sleep in and wake up whenever my body tells me to get up and this is when breakfast becomes major.

Can I tell you how much I love runny eggs? When I was younger, my mom would make my eggs sunny side up and on the rare occasions she would overcook the yolk part and thus, no runny eggs. So I refused to eat it. Yes, I was that kid. Whenever I see a recipe involving runny eggs, I'm all over it. Have you tried it on a pizza? A steak? Oh my goodness it is DELICIOUS. I've made egg-in-a hole before but I didn't think to make a grilled cheese sandwich out of it until I came across A Cozy Kitchen's recipe. Like duh, right?

Sometimes the most simplest recipes are the best. To me, this is the perfect grilled cheese sandwich because it includes everything I love (melted cheese and runny eggs) and the saltiness of the prosciutto adds the perfect balance. One thing to note when making this, is to choose a cheese that's a bit bland such as cheddar or provolone otherwise it will taste too salty because of the prosciutto.

The weekend is here so do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this easy, delicious sandwich for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. Have a great weekend.

Recipe (adapted from acozykitchen.com)
2 slices bread of choice (I used wheat)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
2 large eggs
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper
3 slices prosciutto

Procedure
1. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut a 2-inch hole from the center of both slices of bread. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When it’s melted, add the two slices of bread. Let the bread lightly toast for a minute, or until lightly golden brown, and then flip the two slices over. Dab the remaining butter in the middle of the bread circles. We want to ensure the egg doesn’t stick.
2. Crack the eggs into the holes and season with salt and pepper. If you’re using prosciutto, chill with the salt. Just add a little.
3. Cover the pan for a minute, just until the egg whites are sorta set. Next, add the grated cheese to one half and cover for another minute, or until the cheese is practically melted.
4. Using a spatula, gently top the cheese slice with the egg slice. Cook for one more minute, or until the cheese is melted.