ramonaruby's blog

I love me some Valentino handbags

2011-01-13T13:21:00.001-08:00

It seems that I love everything that Valentino comes out with for handbags. Check out this little pretty:

Valentino Flower Tote with Bow Handle
$2,995.00, NeimanMarcus.com

I love how their leather and lace rosettes and ruffles have evolved into this still-feminine-but-still-a-little-punk delicate pink and black petaled bag.

Travel Tuesday: Barcelona and Seville

2010-12-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

So, I started my Travel Tuesday posts about my Spain trip long ago with my posts on San Fermin and my encierro (running with the bulls) experience, and when I did so I promised that my Barcelona, Seville, and Madrid posts would be coming soon. Fast forward nearly to months after my first Spain post, and I am finally getting around to my next one in the series. Sorry for the delay, but life moves even more quickly when you are planning a 30th birthday celebration for your husband, holiday planning, plus a 1st birthday party for your son. This of course on top of the usual work, family, and life obligations.

OK, enough of the explanations, and excuses. Let's get on with my post about Barcelona and Seville! I will begin this post with information specific to our visit in Barcelona, continue with information specific to our visit in Seville, then cap it off with information on visiting Spain in general (tips on the Renfe train system, etiquette, tapas, business and restaurant hours of operation, etc.), so definitely read through the very end if you are planning a trip to Spain.

Barcelona

We just loved Barcelona. Good food, good people, good public transportation system, and a beautiful city in the Catalunya region of Spain.

Hotel:

From U232.com

We love a boutique hotel, whether in the US or abroad. We were so thankful to have found U232, and can say without a doubt that it is where we will stay anytime we return to Barcelona. The prices were great, the hotel very chic, and the staff ridiculously friendly and helpful. To find this place, I used my two trusty travel tools: Kayak to check for the lowest prices and TripAdvisor to compare top rated hotels with real customer reviews. I cross-check using the two tools and narrow down my hotel choices in that way. One of the things we loved the best about this hotel is that it was NOT in the middle of the tourist area near Las Ramblas. Why did we love this? Several reasons: first, the price was better; second, the restaurants near our hotel's prices were better; and third, we got more of an "authentic" experience since the food places we visited were filled with locals and not tourists. Being away from Las Ramblas did not make it difficult for us to see some of the tourist attractions, since the hotel is right near a subway stop, and it was just a few subway stops away from Las Ramblas and many of the famouse Gaudi buildings. More about all that soon.

Subway:
As I mentioned above, Barcelona has a great public transportation system. We were able to save TONS of money on taxis by using the subway. You can honestly get nearly anywhere you need to go in Barcelona by using the subway (including the airport). We got 10 ride passes for around 8 Euro, which could get the two of us around all day between the hotel, restaurants that were not in walking distance, and tourist attractions (each cab ride is 15-30 Euro to give you some comparison). You can also save up loose change and use that for 1-way rides.

Las Ramblas:
Another good thing to save your pocket change for is if you plan to visit Las Ramblas. This is a very touristy area, but if you feel like being silly, it doesn't hurt to take a stroll down this promenade. It reminded me of my neighborhood here in Hollywood, since it is filled with street performers. Only the performers on Las Ramblas are much cheaper! You only need to leave 10 or 20 Euro cents in order to take a picture with one of them. I thought it would be funny to see how many embarassing pictures I could subject my husband to:

Gaudi Buildings:
An iconic image of Barcelona to me would be something with some Gaudi architechture. Some of the main attractions:

Parc Guell (from Wikipedia)

La Pedrera

Casa Batllo

La Sagrada Familia

Picasso Museum:
One of my favorite parts of Barcelona was the Picasso Museum. This was such an amazing collection of Picasso's work, from his early work through his late work. I highly recommend a visit here if you are an art lover like myself. Note that it gets super busy, so I recommend going closer to when they open. We did this and the line was very short. When we left, the line was wrapped down the street.

Paella:
The place to go for paella in Barcelona is at Barceloneta beach. Really fresh seafood, huge portions, and just overall deliciousness. My mouth is watering just thinking about it...

Seville

Aaaah, Seville. A beautiful, old city in the Andalucia region of Spain. The least-touristy part of our trip to Spain. This is where other Spaniards go to getaway for the weekend. Found a great website before our trip that listed 85 things to do in Seville. Worth checking out, for sure.

Hotel:

From NH Plaza de Armas

We stayed at the NH Plaza de Armas. Great hotel with a nice room and great service. Just across the bridge from La Triana, and a quick walk (10-15 minutes) to the city center (Cathedral area). Definitely a good deal for the money, and an AWESOME breakfast.

La Triana:
The Triana district of Seville is another culture unto itself. Great place for a truly local experience, and awesome seafood. Also, great nightlife can be found there on Calle Betis.

Churros:
Breakfast or snack of champions in Spain. You can get them plain or, a popular way to do it, dipped in chocolate. We got our churros at a stand at the beginning of the Triana bridge. Apparently that's one of the best spots for churros in Seville, and I can't argue with that.

Flamenco:
Seville is arguably the birthplace of Flamenco in Spain. A trip to Seville would not be complete without seeing some real, live Flamenco dancing.

From Explore Seville

Shopping District:
You can do some great shopping in Seville in the Tetuan area.

Architecture:
Seville is an incredibly old city (over 2,000 years old). While much of the buildings in the town center are of Gothic Moorish style, you can even see the Old City Walls that were built between the 8th and 13th centuries.

Misc. Tips for Travelling in Spain

Renfe:
One of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to get between cities in Spain is via train. The rail-system in Spain is called Renfe. The experience of traveling Renfe was incredible. The experience of purchasing Renfe tickets online on the other hand, is a nightmare. The best thing was finding this TripAdvisor post, which walks you through the entire process of searching for and purchasing trips on the Renfe site, including explanations and solutions to get around the many bugs the site has. Even then, you may end up having to try a few times. If you are not on as much of a budget, you can also purchase Renfe tickets through RailEurope, but you will have to pay more than their value, and you will have to have some time before your trip, as they do not do eTickets for Renfe (which the Renfe site does), they will actually mail you hard copies of your tickets.

Restaurant/Store Hours of Operation:
I have always heard that Spain runs on its own hours. Boy, was that true. The good thing about this for Americans is it helps with the adjustment to the time zone differences both before and after your trip. People do not wake up early. You generally get breakfast around 11:00. Lunch is around 1:30 or so, as businesses close at 3:00 or 4:00 for siesta. Dinner is what really tripped me out. Dinner places don't even open until 7:00 AT THE EARLIEST, many not even until 9:00. Spaniards love going out for dinner, so dinner reservations are highly recommended. People eat dinner at honest-to-God, 9:00, 10:00 or 11:00. One night our dinner reservation was at 11:30 pm! After dinner, Spaniards stay up for several hours into the early morning drinking wine and dancing. My kind of place! But, just remember, if you are hungry at 6:00, you are SOL. Do your best to get on Spanish time, eating a late lunch, taking a nice siesta nap in the afternoon, then going to dinner around 9:00.

Coffee:
Quick tip on ordering coffee in Spain: if you order a "cafe," it will actually be a shot of really rich, black espresso. So if you want something lighter, order a "cafe con leche" which is a delicious mix of that same rich espresso with hot milk. Here are some pics of coffee from our trip just for the purpose of me remembering their rich taste (and the taste of the rich, gelato-like ice cream... Spain uses less air fluff in their ice cream than we use in the US, making every bite pure icy goodness).

Wine:
Another yummy treat in Spain are the wines. Our favorite varietals were Rioja and Tempranillo. What amazed me was how cheap the wine was. It was sometimes cheaper than a bottle of water! I remember one place where my glass of Rioja was 1.80 Euro, which allowed for many glasses to be consumed with my tapas :). Bottles of wine are also really cheap (for good wine) at a convenience or grocery store, so stock up for your room. Gotta do some pre-partying while you wait for the restaurants to open back up for dinner. My theory as to why wine is so reasonably priced is that it is just an ingrained part of the culture and a meal (like water).

Bread:
A good piece of information that I was glad to know before I went to Spain is that the bread on your table at restaurants is not free. They will charge you for it based on consumption. But man, did I LOVE "pan tomaca" (a crusty piece of toast with a tomato and olive oil spread). Worth the charge, especially if you have been hungry waiting for your late dinner.

Ham:
My husband said it best when he said "a country that embraces pork as much as this one does is a country for me." Ham is as much a part of Spanish culture as the bull fights and the Flamenco. Enjoy it in as many ways as you can, mi amigo. They have some great quality swine.

Tapas:
A trip to Spain would not be complete without a tapas crawl (going from bar to bar sharing tapas - small dishes). Tapas come in a seemingly unlimited amount of forms, and are categorized in three basic ways: hot, cold, and pinxtos (straight from the bar, ready made). Word to the wise: you are in a foreign country and you can not assume that people speak English (many do not speak any English at all), or that menus are translated into English. Therefore, my advice is to do a little research on traditional Spanish tapas ahead of time so you know what to order. Otherwise, if you are not picky and love being experimental (like we are), just shoot blind and go for it :). But if you do prefer to do the research, Wikipedia has a great list of the traditional Spanish tapas here.

Hotel Breakfasts:
While we are on the subject of food, I wanted to share another great getting-the-most-bang-for-your-buck tip. If your hotel has an option to include free breakfast, or add a breakfast to your tab, DO IT. Their breakfasts are a buffet of delicacies: fritattas, many different types of hams and cheeses, fresh fruits, pastries. You'd spend way more on the ham alone if you did this a la carte at a restaurant. All of the hotels we stayed at in Spain offered this, and we are glad we took them up on it.

Etiquette/Tipping:
Whenever you visit a foreign country, it is important to be aware of the tipping rules and the cultural etiquette. Here is some insight into tipping in Spain. I have also found a good list here that I recommend you read before your trip. Some highlights:

■ Generally, Spaniards stand very close when talking.
■ Spaniards speak a lot with their hands. Never mimic them.
■ It is acceptable and common to be late by 30 minutes in southern Spain and 15 minutes in northern Spain for social meetings. Never be late for a bullfight.
■ Spaniards don't waste food. It is better to decline food rather than leave it on your plate.
■ Appearance is extremely important to Spaniards. They dress elegantly, even for casual occasions.
■ Dress conservatively. Avoid bright or flashy colors. (Though I will note that people dress very trendily and fashionably, so in that way you do not need to be conservative)
■ Expect to be interrupted when speaking.
■ Be patient. Nothing is done in a hurry. Spanish trademarks are procrastination and delay.
■ Traditionally, a macho and chauvinistic behavior toward women has persisted, known as machismo. This has changed drastically over the last few years.
■ A woman should be aware of eye contact. Returning a man's gaze may be interpreted as flirting or a show of interest.

Also, do not be shocked by PDA. The Spanish are very affectionate and passionate people, and so witnessing a public make-out sesh is pretty much guaranteed.

Just don't do this, or it'll cost you:

Jungle-Themed First Birthday Party

2010-12-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

Wow, it is just incredible how fast a year goes by. One year ago I was home with a newborn, and now my "baby" is a one-year old toddler!

We celebrated his big "1" with a jungle-themed party since he enjoyed his Evenflo Triple Fun Jungle Exersaucer so much. The party turned out well, so I wanted to share some of the design elements and inspiration here for you in case you ever want to throw a jungle-themed party.

Inspiration:

I found this inspiration board on the Tiny Prints blog post on a Safari themed birthday party. This really started everything, and everything just went from there.

Stationery:

I am fortunate to have a very talented friend who creates and sells custom stationery. Just like with Grayson's birth announcements, I wanted something unique and customized based on the party's inspiration, so I contacted The Cheshire Kat Designs to create a cohesive stationery theme for the event. Here is what we came up with.

Invitations:

Banner:

Door Signage:

Food Signage:

Favor Bag Labels:

General Decor:

For me, the easiest way to do a jungle party and save on decor was to do the party outside in a spot with trees and greenery. Luckily I live in Los Angeles, and was fortunate to have a nice 80 degree rain-free day in December to work with. The courtyard of our building was nicely surrounded with shrubbery and palm trees, which made for the perfect setting.

Centerpieces:
For table centerpieces, I used a combination of mylar palm tree centerpieces found on eBay, as well as bunches of bananas.

Balloons:

From Designed2BeSweet

Tablecloths, Plates, Cups, Napkins, and Utensils:
I was able to purchase a lot of my basic decor items from the eBay store Sweet Creations Parties. The seller has a huge stock of party basics in a wide variety of themes and colors. They also shipped quickly, are mindful of your party dates, and gave me a nice combined shipping discount. I went with lime green table covers, chocolate brown napkins and cups, and lime green plastic cutlery.

The plates I actually got from a different retailer, because I was set on finding a classier (non-cheesy) animal-print plate. This is what I found:

From PlatesandNapkins.com

Serving Dishes:

From Designed2BeSweet

Inflatable Jungle Animals:

From Designed2BeSweet

Favors:

Since this was the first children's party I have ever planned, I had fun choosing the favors. I purchase the entire contents from Designed2BeSweet. They had SO many choices on things to get for jungle-themed party favors and supplies, and at very competitive prices. Here is what made up each bag:

Bags:

From Designed2BeSweet

Bubbles:

From Designed2BeSweet

Lollipop:

From Designed2BeSweet

Stationery Set:

From Designed2BeSweet

Jungle Animal Plush:

From Designed2BeSweet

Food and Beverage:
Animal Crackers:
For little snacks and an additional favor, I had a tower of animal cracker boxes on display.

Swamp Juice:

I used lemon-lime Hawaiian Punch, but you can also use Green Gatorade.

Sandwiches:

I got four 3' sandwiches from Subway, as they are budget friendly, can feed a lot of people, and hey, people like Subway. I named them "Safari Subs" to keep with the theme.

Starters and Sides:
I hit up good ol' Costco for these. For an appetizer, I went with taquitos, and named them "Bamboo Shoots." The side dishes were a pasta salad and a Mexican Caesar Salad that I nicknamed "Amazon Salad." I served them in the palm leaf serving platters pictured above.

Cupcakes:

I decided to take on the task of actually making and decorating my own jungle animal cupcakes to save money on getting custom-designed cupcakes. While this did save money, it was pretty time-consuming making and decorating these in bulk. I got the design instructions from Betty Crocker, where they even have a helpful video tutorial for them. Then, I trayed them up with some fake grass purchased from a craft store.

Misc:

Animal Tracks:

I thought it would be a fun touch to have different jungle animal tracks leading from the elevator to the party entrance. I cut these out of construction paper.

Pinata:

The party activity (besides food, eating cupcakes and opening gifts) was a pinata. I was fortunate to be able to find a GIANT pinata in downtown LA at the Alameda/8th area for only $15.00. That's right, this massive zebra only cost $15.00! They had other large pinatas too, but we decided on a zebra.

Wrapping Paper:
As an added details, we decided to wrap our gifts to Grayson in animal print paper. I was able to purchase some in a few different patterns from eBay store Sweet Creations Parties. They looked great as a starter to our gift table (which also had a lime green cover).

Playlist:
A jungle party needs a jungle-themed playlist! Here is the one I put together, downloading all the mp3's from Amazon:

Tarzan Boy (Baltimora)
Trashin' The Camp (Phil Collins, from the album Tarzan)
Run Through The Jungle (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
Jungle Party (Funky Monkeys)
Deep in the Jungle (Joe Scruggs)
Rockin' In The Jungle (The Eternals)
Jungle King (Hot Lips Page)
Jungle Boogie (Kool & The Gang)
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) (The Tokens)
Bungle In The Jungle (Jethro Tull)
Monkey Man (The Rolling Stones)
Jungle Love (Steve Miller)
Concrete Jungle (Bob Marley)
Wild Thing (The Troggs)
Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf)
Theme From The Monkees (The Monkees)
The Bare Necessities (Bruce Reitherman, from the album The Jungle Book)
I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song) (Phil Harris, from the album The Jungle Book)
Circle Of Life (Lebo M., from the album The Lion King)
I Just Can't Wait To Be King (Jason Weaver, from the album The Lion King)
Hakuna Matata (Ernie Sabella, from the album The Lion King)
Can You Feel The Love Tonight (Elton John, from the album The Lion King)
George of the Jungle (The TV Theme Players)
Welcome To The Jungle (Guns N' Roses)
Colonel Hathi's March (The Elephant Song) (Disney Studio Chorus, from the album The Jungle Book)

Orange and Grey Baby Quilt

2010-12-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

You guys may remember my Burnt Orange and Charcoal Grey Nursery. Well I recently got an email from a reader in Strathmore, Alberta, Canada who is expecting their first grandchild any day now. Their daughter was inspired by my nursery decor, and so they made an amazing orange and grey baby quilt that matches the nursery decor to a T. Check it out:

Thanks so much for sharing this with me Gwen, and congratulations to you and your family on your new bundle of joy!!

For anyone else who was inspired by the orange and gray nursery decor with the circular motif, I also recommend these custom baby announcements (which could also make nice baby shower invitations:

These were custom designed and created for me by The Cheshire Kat Designs based on my nursery theme. They can now be purchased here in a number of different color schemes.

Hello, Fabulous

2010-12-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

I had to share this pretty with you real quick:

Christian Louboutin No Prive Slingback, Metallic Fabric
$795.00, Bergdorf Goodman

Friday Faves: John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Products

2010-11-26T08:49:00.000-08:00

As I'm in the shower, a new Friday Fave product occurred to me. This product has been a part of my life for so long now, that I totally forgot to include it in this series, as it is just so natural to me. But now that I've realized that, this product deserves me review and praise as one of my favorite products. This week, I am referring to John Frieda's Brilliant Brunette line of products.

As a curly-haired girl, I was already a fan of John Frieda's Frizz Ease products. The serum, of course, as well as the hair mousse, which just seemed to be created to work for curly haired gals to control frizz while still keeping hair manageable and bouncy. So when Mr. Frieda came out with his Sheer Blonde and Brilliant Brunette lines, I had to check it out for myself.

First, I loved that they separated the brunette stuff into two categories (as not all brunette hair is made equal): "Amber to Maple" and "Chesnut to Espresso." Depending on my level or lack of highlights over the years, I have passed between both spectrums, and love the results either way.

The first time I started using the shampoo, conditioner and finishing cream, the results were actually obvious. I was immediately complimented on my hair, as it somehow seemed to bring out the color tones and highlights, and really just brighten up the overall color effect of my hair. As a lady knows, a compliment on her hair can make her day, so you better believe I knew immediately that these products were keepers. Here are the products in the line that I use consistently:

Shine Release Moisturizing Shampoo

Shine Release Moisturizing Conditioner

Shine Shock Leave-on Perfecting Glosser

Thanks John Frieda for not only thinking about us curly-haired gals, but also making a product that maximizes the effect of brunette hair. You make me feel like brunettes are the ones that have more fun :).

Resort

2010-11-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

I know I just finally posted the Fall 2010 shoe trends, and here we are already thinking of Resort! I originally started thinking about this when I saw Neiman Marcus' Introducing Our Resort Trends article. Then, as I always need to think ahead about my upcoming travel plans (I am always planning several future trips... feels so good to have something to look forward to!), my travel wardrobes always factor in.

So inspired by Neiman's, here are my designer picks for each Resort trend, along with some more addordable alternatives.

Stripes and Dots

Carolina Herrera One-Shoulder Polka-Dot Dress
$495.00, Neiman Marcus

Dior Neplum Jacket and Striped Skirt
$1,050.00 and $2,800.00, Neiman Marcus

Miu Miu Canvas Polka-Dot Platform Sandal
$495.00, Neiman Marcus

More Affordable:

Mod Spotted Dress
$27.80, Forever 21

Striped Long-Sleeve Tee
$24.90, Express

White Denim

Michael Kors Boot-Cut Jeans
$495.00, Neiman Marcus

Roberto Cavalli Skinny Jeans
$595.00, Neiman Marcus

More Affordable:

Zelda Jean Legging White-Rinse Wash
$59.90, Express

Straw Bags

Jimmy Choo Bali Raffia Hobo
$995.00, Neiman Marcus

Lanvin Flowered Denim Tote
$1,475.00, Neiman Marcus

More Affordable:

Fossil Farrah Tote
$63.70, Zappos

Franchi Handbags Constance Bow Clutch
$107.40, Zappos

Floral Prints

D&G Flower-Print Fitted Sheath Dress
$515.00, Neiman Marcus

Aquilano.Rimondi Scarf-Print Turn-Around Skirt
$550.00, Neiman Marcus

More Affordable:

Floral Rouched Sleeveless Dress
$128.00, Express

Cinched Floral Tunic
$19.80, Forever 21

Parisian Chic

Stella McCartney Contrast-Lapel Tuxedo Jacket, High-Low Shell & Narrow Cuffed Pants
$585.00 - $1,895.00, Neiman Marcus

Yves Saint Laurent Piped Ruffle-Waist Coat
$3750.00, Neiman Marcus

More Affordable:

Ruffled-Bottom Belted Trench Coat
$128.00, Express

Double-Breasted Coat
$23.80, Forever 21

Sophisticated Lady Jacket
$32.80, Forever 21

Black and White

Oscar de la Renta Embroidered Silk Tunic
$990.00, Neiman Marcus

Rene Caovilla Pearl Thong Sandal
$775.00, Neiman Marcus

More Affordable:

Contrast Woven Top
$22.80, Forever 21

Sailor Striped Top
$10.80, Forever 21

Espadrilles

Ralph Lauren Collection Firana Leather Espadrille
$350.00, Neiman Marcus

Valentino Bow Slingback Espadrille
$475.00, Neiman Marcus

More Affordable:

Michael by Michael Kors Juniper Espadrille
$85.00, Zappos

Juicy Couture Giana
$111.00, Zappos

Shine

Giuseppe Zanotti Pave Irridescent Pump
$1,195.00, Neiman Marcus

Stella McCartney Sequined Pullover
$1,045.00, Neiman Marcus

More Affordable:

Sequin and Chiffon Dress
$98.00, Express

Sequin Lace Long Tank
$59.50, Express

Chinese Laundry Ladybug Sequins
$71.20, Zappos

Coral

Michael Kors Double-Faced Dress
$1,695.00, Neiman Marcus

Nest Chunky Stone Necklace
$350.00, Neiman Marcus

Bottega Venetta Woven Hobo Large
$1,980.00, Neiman Marcus

Zac Posen Seamed-Waist Dress
$1,590.00, Neiman Marcus

More Affordable:

Chiffon Frill Tunic
$19.80, Forever 21

BCBG Tiered One-Shoulder Dress
$222.60, BCBG

Jaded Hoops
$3.80, Forever 21

Friday Faves: CHI Hair Straightener

2010-11-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

Photo source Farouk Systems CHI Consumer Site

As someone with naturally curly hair, I am all too familiar with the routine of blowing-out and/or flat-ironing my hair in order to stay in vogue with straight hair styles. If I had my way (and more expendable income), I would get a salon blow-out weekly, as hair always looks best fresh from a salon, and at one time when I did treat myself to weekly blow-outs, my hair was healther than ever (hair dryer heat once a week was not as damaging as daily flat ironing for example).

But alas, it saves a lot of money to DIY, so I am back to the straightener. For years friends have been raving about the CHI, and while I know ceramic irons are superior, I couldn't imagine what would make it so much better than less-expensive ceramic irons, so I didn't get one for a while. Since I have really thick hair, I just dealt with the 1 hour straightening time (not including drying) from my usual ceramic flat irons.

Then, one day my husband surprised me with a CHI that he happened across on sale at a Ross or Marshall's. The savvy guy that he is had somehow heard that the CHI was the best straightener, and the thoughtful guy that he is knew that my current straightener was about to poop out (as they do with time). So I gave the CHI a try...

...and I am forever hooked! This iron is truly superior to other irons. It is so efficient that it shaves 10-15 minutes off of my usual straighten time, and for some reason my hair comes our looking shinier and straighter than other irons. The straighten also holds really well and requires less touch-ups over the next few days, which is better for my hair.

I have been happily using my CHI for several weeks now, and am proud to recommend it as my new favorite hair straightener/flat iron. I finally understand the hype!

Fall 2010 Shoe Trend Round-Up

2010-11-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

I know I am way behind on my fashion blogging! I thought the best way to get back into it is with a Fall 2010 Shoe Trend Round-up. I know we are already into fall, but it is not too late to get some fabulous kicks for your holiday events. The main inspiration for this post came from Net-a-Porter's Fall Shoe Guide. Here is the summary of trends along with some high-end and lower-end price options for each.

Leopard/Zebra Stripes

Christian Louboutin Peanut 70 Leopard-Print Wedge
$845.00, Net-a-Porter

Jimmy Choo Mia Stud Sandal
$1,050.00, Net-a-Porter

More Affordable:

Kate Spade New York Greece
$183.00, Zappos

Juicy Couture Trixie
$168.75, Zappos

Practical/Vintage Inspired Boots
Pallettes stay within basic blacks, browns, and tans.

Jimmy Choo Haze Leather Knee-High Boots
$1,375.00, Net-a-Porter

More Affordable:

Guess Hearne
$188.95, Nordstrom

Feminine, Lace and Bows

Valentino Bow-Embelished Lace Leather Pumps
$885.00, Net-a-Porter

Tabitha Simmons Carrie Suede Pumps
$1,170.00, Net-a-Porter

More affordable:

Guess Hondola
$99.00, Bloomingdale's

Steve Madden Onnyx
$89.95, Steve Madden

Heeled Hiking Boots

Reed Krakoff Canvas Fold-over Military Boot
$1,125.00, Net-a-Porter

Jimmy Choo Trixie Suede Shearling Ankle Boots
$1,195.00, Net-a-Porter

Burberry Prorsum Shearling-Lined Aviator Boots
$1,095.00, Net-a-Porter

More affordable:

BCBG High-Heel Lace-Up Bootie
$325.00, BCBG

Steve Madden Inddigo
$101.95, Steve Madden

Boy-Style Flats

Marc Jacobs Glitter-Embelished Leather Brogues
$775.00, Net-a-Porter

Chloe Buckled Leather Loafers
$750.00, Net-a-Porter

More Affordable:

Steve Madden Trouser
$69.96, Nordstrom

Urban Wedge

Rick Owens Leather Wedge Ankle Boots
$1,285.00, Net-a-Porter

Elizabeth and James Ruched Leather Ankle Boots
$375.00, Net-a-Porter

More Affordable:

Nine West Wafer
$200.00, Nine West

Steve Madden Wiicked
$109.95, Steve Madden

New Recipe "Keepers"

2010-11-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

I love to experiment with new meals for my family at dinner, and it is always great to try and new recipe and realize that it is a "keeper." You know, one that tastes good to you and is not too difficult or expensive to make? And, sometimes more importantly, one that your family insists that you make again because it tastes so good to them?

Lately I have come across a few more that I loved so much that I have to share here. Here they go!

Chipotle Chicken Tacos
From The Homesick Texan

Ingredients for the chicken:
1 whole chicken, cut into quarters
4 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 stalk of celery, cut in half
1 leafy stem of cilantro
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of peppercorns
1 tablespoon of salt

Ingredients for the chipotle salsa:
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups crushed canned tomatoes
2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo
1/4 medium yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of ground allspice
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Tortillas, lime wedges and salsa for serving

Directions:
Place the chicken in a large pot along with the garlic, onion, celery, cilantro, bay leaf, pepper and salt. Cover with water (about a gallon), bring the pot to a boil and then simmer 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the pot and when cool enough to handle, remove the skin and shred either with your hands or two forks.

Meanwhile, strain the cooled broth, throwing out the vegetables. Remove the fat from the broth with a gravy separator. Or you can take a quart-sized plastic storage bag and pour some broth into it. Snip a bottom corner of the bag and drain the broth, stopping when you get to the fat layer that is on top. (You will probably have to do this in batches). 

Place 1/2 cup of the chicken broth into a blender, reserving the rest for another use. Add to the blender the tomatoes, chipotle chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, allspice, cilantro and lime juice. Blend until smooth. In a medium-sized pot, heat up the oil on medium low heat. Pour the chipotle salsa into the pot and cook while occasionally stirring for 15 minutes. It should be a bit darker in color and a bit thicker. Add salt and black pepper to taste and adjust seasonings. With the heat still on, add the shredded chicken to the pot and stir until the chicken is well coated and has been re-heated, about 5-10 minutes.

Serve shredded chipotle chicken with warmed-up corn or flour tortillas, limes and any of your other favorite taco toppings and your favorite salsa. I like to use this tomatillo salsa verde.

Yield: 4 servings

Thai-Style Coconut Chicken
From Betty Crocker. This was so amazing, I actually felt like I was eating real Thai food... and I LOVE Thai food, and have also been to Thailand remember.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 teaspoon grated gingerroot
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 fresh serrano chilies or 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 can (about 14 oz) coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup sugar snap pea pods
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
Hot cooked jasmine or white rice, if desired

Directions:
1.In nonstick wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Add lime peel, gingerroot, garlic, chilies and cilantro; stir-fry 1 minute.
2.Pour coconut milk over chicken. Stir in brown sugar, salt, soy sauce, pea pods and bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir into tomato.
3.Spoon into shallow serving bowls; top with basil. Serve with rice.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving (1 Serving)Calories 430(Calories from Fat 230),Total Fat 26g(Saturated Fat 17g,Trans Fat 0g),Cholesterol 85mg;Sodium 650mg;Total Carbohydrate 14g(Dietary Fiber 4g,Sugars 8g),Protein 35g;Percent Daily Value*:Calcium ;Exchanges:1/2 Starch;0 Fruit;0 Other Carbohydrate;0 Skim Milk;0 Low-Fat Milk;0 Milk;1 Vegetable;0 Very Lean Meat;5 Lean Meat;0 High-Fat Meat;2 Fat;Carbohydrate Choices:1;*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Anniversary Chicken
From All Recipes. A surprising combo of ingredients that actually work really well together.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup teriyaki basting sauce
1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 (3 ounce) can bacon bits
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, and saute 4 to 5 minutes each side, until lightly browned.
3.Place browned chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush with teriyaki sauce, then spoon on salad dressing. Sprinkle with cheese, green onions and bacon bits.
4.Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving Calories: 529 Total Fat: 26.4g Cholesterol: 167mg

Garlic Shrimp Linguine
Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked linguine
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
Basil and Thyme to taste
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:
1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2.In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat; add wine, cheese, garlic, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3.Increase heat to medium high and add shrimp to saucepan; cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp begins to turn pink. Do not overcook.
4.Divide pasta into portions and spoon sauce on top; garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, if desired.

Cheesy Chicken Simmer
From Kraft Recipes

Ingredients:
2 tsp. oil
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 lb. (4 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups hot cooked instant white rice

Directions:
HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 7 min., turning after 4 min.

ADD broccoli, soup and VELVEETA; mix well. Simmer on medium heat 7 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF).

SERVE over rice.

Healthy Variation:
Trim 5 grams of fat and 40 calories per serving by preparing with VELVEETA 2% Milk Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, 98% fat-free reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup and and 2-2/3 cups instant brown rice.

Dill Garlic Onion Bread (for Automatic Bread Maker)
From iFood.tv. I love my Welbilt automatic bread maker machine for the basic recipes (white bread, cinnamon raisin bread, and onion bread), but was really happy to find this recipe for a bread that not only smells amazing while its baking, but is a treat all on its own when done.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 c. cold tap water
1 3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dill weed
2 T. dried milk
2 T. vegetable oil
4 c. bread flour
1 packet active dry yeast

Directions:
Place in order given into bread machine pan.

Run machine on light crust and basic bread time.

When done, remove bread pan from machine and allow to rest 10 minutes before turning out bread.

Easy Gyro Pizza
From Betty Crocker. Just trust me on this one. So.dang.good.

Ingredients:
1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
1/2 lb lean (at least 90%) ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cucumber
1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
4 thin slices red onion
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1.Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. Press pizza dough in bottom and slightly up sides of pan to form crust. Bake about 7 minutes or until crust just begins to turn brown on edges.
2.Meanwhile, in 6-inch skillet, cook turkey and garlic over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until turkey is no longer pink. Stir in oregano and salt.
3.Spread sour cream over warm crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Evenly top cheese with cooked turkey. Sprinkle with cucumber and tomato. Separate red onion into rings; arrange over tomato. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and the feta cheese.
4.Bake 13 to 14 minutes or until edges of crust are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Pesto Parmesan Chicken
From Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
3 tablespoons basil pesto
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup Progresso® plain panko crispy bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese
Fresh basil leaves, if desired

Directions:
1.Heat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2-inch thick.
2.In shallow dish, mix together pesto and mayonnaise. In another shallow dish. mix together bread crumbs and cheese. Dip chicken into pesto mixture then dip in panko mixture. Place on baking sheet.
3.Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (165°F) and coating is golden brown. Garnish with basil.

Friday Faves: Luvs Diapers

2010-10-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

I know its been crazy long since I've posted. But work has been crazy, I do have the young baby, and on top of it all I was stuck on a month-long trial at jury duty.

Quick post to get back into the groove, and thought I'd do a Friday Fave. This week is a quick ode to my favorite diaper, Luvs.

Photo Credit LuvsDiapers.com

Having my first baby (now 10-months old) and being on a budget has led me to test out several different brands. We LOVE Luvs diapers. Not only are they much cheaper than the other big brands (hardly more than your store generic brands), but in my personal experience, their regular diaper's leak protection has beaten even the top brands' special nighttime or long-hour leak protection. If you can keep your baby asleep without having to worry about changing a diaper in the middle of the night or early AM leakage, that means easier sleeping through the night (which in turn means more rested and happy mommies and daddies).

We <3 Luvs and we (and our wallets) are happy to keep using them. Thanks Luvs for making such an effective product without charging an arm and a leg!

Travel Tuesday: San Fermin

2010-07-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Following up on my last Travl Tuesday post on my encierro (running with the bulls) experience, I am doing today's Travel Tuesday post on my San Fermin experience in general. For details and helpful information on the encierro, please see that other post.

San Fermín (or Sanfermines) runs from July 6th - 14th every year in Pamplona, Navarre, Spain. It is most famous for the encierro, or the running of the bulls. There is much history and tradition involved, so I will leave that explanation to the experts here at the official San Fermin web-site.

Our smiles here sum it up: San Fermin was an AWESOME time.

Impromptu parades with brass bands are constantly going around the streets of the old town. We just loved this!

There was plenty of goofing off :)

Getting There

Depending on what city you are coming from, there are different ways of getting to San Fermin. The most efficient seems to be train, but note that trains to/from Pamplona during San Fermin do book up quickly. In my next blog post, I will give more information on booking trains through the Renfe site (which is no picnic).

Accommodations

The most expensive part of not just San Fermin, but our entire trip to Spain were the accommodations in Pamplona. During San Fermin, there are up to 100,000 visitors in the city and only a few thousand rooms. Many residents leave town during the fiesta and rent their rooms (more info can be found on the boards on the official SanFermin web-site). People reserve their hotel rooms up to a year in advance. The local hotels prices sky rocket. People literally sleep and camp in the local parks to save money. The latter was not an option for us because of all our luggage, and since I heard that traffic and parking are pretty inconvenient in Pamplona during San Fermin, we opted to go the hotel route, and stay close to tha action. We booked several months early and were lucky to get a room. If you want to stay close by and have a decent room, try and book as early as you can (up to a year in advance).

Husa Avenida, which I booked through my favorite travel search spider Kayak.com. I generally also rely pretty heavily on TripAdvisor.com, but I didn't have much of a choice this time because of lack of rooms and needing a halfway-decent priced hotel in the city center. Luckily, the accommodations were great. The staff was friendly, the room clean, the bed comfortable, the breakfast delicious, and the location PERFECT. A very quick and easy walk to anything you need during the fiesta, and just minutes away from the encierro route and Plaze de Toros. Not to mention our room had a really cool wrap around balcony that overlooked Avenida Zaragoza. One thing to remember is that San Fermin is a nonstop, 24/7 party, so throughout the entire night there is music, shouting, and fireworks all around you if you are staying in the city center. But hey, if you have a problem with that, then why'd you come to San Fermin in the first place?

Me pretending to sleep on a bench... behind me you can see others actually sleeping on the grass. There weer people sleeping and napping in grassy areas each day and night. Note my wine stained shirt... party foul!

Clothes

As I mentioned in my last blog post, there is a "uniform" of San Fermin. You dress in head to toe white, with a red sash (faja) around your waist, and red scarf (pañuelo) around your neck. Believe me, everyone wears this (even the cab driver that got us from the train station). If you do not, you will stick out like a sore thumb. You will not be able to find the right types of scarf and sash prior to the fiesta, so just plan on purchasing them there. Street vendors offer them, as well as 5 and dime stores around Pamplona. I got my set for only 4 Euro total when there. Do not worry about your white clothes getting dirty, because everyone gets dirty. Some REALLY dirty from wine stains from the spray from the crowd during a bull fight. I hear that most people wear their same whites the entire time, and just throw them in the trash at the end of the fiesta (like we did).

My husband demonstrating the San Fermin uniform before our encierro.

My shirt by the end of the fiesta. And this is far from the worst I'd seen during my time there.

Song

As mentioned above, there is a lot of singing and dancing going on in the streets all day and night. This was so much fun. There was one song in particular that when a brass band started playing it, people went wild and all sang together, wherever they were. I wish I learned it prior to going, so I will make sure to know it next time. It is called "La Escalera" or "The Stair." Here are the lyrics (from SanFermin.com):

"Uno de Enero, dos de Febrero, tres de Marzo, cuatro de Abril, cinco de Mayo, seis de Junio, siete de Julio San Fermin. A Pamplona hemos de ir, con una media, con una media, a Pamplona hemos de ir con una media y un calcetín"

Translation:
"First of January, second of February, third of March, fourth of April, fifth of May, six of June, seven of July San Fermin. To Pamplona we will go, with tights, with tights. To Pamplona we will go, with a tight and a sock"

People singing and dancing in the streets, day and night.

Kalimotxo

The drink of San Fermin is Kalimotxo (Basque) or Calimocho (Spanish). It is about 50/50 red wine and Coca Cola. I know, it sounds nasty, but it is actually not that bad. The cheapest way to do this is to DIY. You will see many groups of people going around with gallon jugs of this mixture during the fiesta.

Me with my first Kalimotxo.

Bull Fight

We did not have the opportunity to attend a bull fight during our visit, but did get a little bit of advice from people we met. Tickets sell out well in advance, so if you wait until the fiesta to get your tickets, you will have to get them from a scalper (they hang out near the arena throughout the day). However, I have heard that if you kind of shop around with the scalpers, you can get a decent price. Face value is also on the ticket, so get them to show you so you can use that to negotiate. Another good reason to see the ticket is to see if it is in the sunny section ("Sol") or not. Sunny section should be cheaper, so you can use that to negotiate as well (especially since it is freakin' hot in Pamplona during July). It is also more of a party from what I understand. I have heard that people pass around food and wine, and spray wine up on everyone during parts of the event.

Misc.

Pamplona is very hot during July, so just be ready for that.

Pamplona is also in the Basque Country. And when I say "country," I mean it. Many residents of this region have been here, along with their families for generations. Some don't even consider themselves Spaniards (reminds me of how some Texans consider themselves to be their own country :). Many people speak only Basque, so it may be helpful to know a few key words and phrases out of respect. Visit The Philly Pena site for a quick Basque lesson.

Los Liiiinks (aka More Helpful Links):

SanFermin.com - The official site of the fiesta with program information, and even a calculator for the risk of danger for doing the encierro on a given day.

TripAdvisor's Pamplona Forum - Great place to read up on lots of advice on visiting Pamplona, how to get there, and of course San Fermin. Also, there are a few destination experts that post regularly should you have a question and need to start a thread of your own.

The Philly Pena - Great advice on the encierro, Sam Fermin, local food recommendations, and the Basque Country from an experienced San Fermin-goer. I especially like his "Day Trips" section that shares advice on day trips away from the fiesta when you just need a break from the party or the heat.

Viva San Fermin! I will be back again someday, that is for sure.

Travel Tuesday: My Encierro Experience

2010-07-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

We are just a week back from Spain, and we are still dreaming of it. Such an amazing place that I know I will be back to.

The same can be said about my experience in Pamplona for San Fermin, and particularly the encierro (running of the bulls). One of the ways we convinced ourselves to do the run was by saying that it was a once in lifetime experience, and how many other times will we be in Pamplona this time of year, so we had to do it. After our experience, I can tell you that not only was this not our last San Fermin, but definitely not our last encierro.

Since we did so much during our Spain trip, I am breaking my reviews and accounts up into 4 parts: my encierro experience (today's post), San Fermin, Barcelona and Seville, and finally our 5 hours in Madrid.

I will begin today's post with my first hand experience of running, and will follow with my advice and tips for anyone who is ever thinking about running. One thing I learned that I feel was crucial in being the most safe and prepared was to do a lot of research on every aspect, so I am all too glad to pay that information forward.

Me just prior to the bull run, trying to remain calm, and dressed in the uniform of San Fermin (head to toe white with a red sash and bandana)

San Fermin is a 24/7 party that does not stop. Therefore the hubs and I decided to do our encierro on the first morning we were in Pamplona so that we could fully enjoy the fiesta afterwards. We felt it wise not to stay up to late or drink too much the night before, so we went to bed pretty early. This was really tough, not only because we were staying in the town center and there were fireworks, music, and partying all night all around us, but also because we were too excited with the anticipation of the encierro. We ended up barely sleeping as we were way too fired up.

We walked to the encierro route at 6:00 am, knowing that they close the streets off by 7:00 and that you should get there early to ensure a good spot for the run (which begins at 8:00). Having done our research ahead of time and walking the route the evening before, we knew exactly where we wanted to start, where we'd run, and where we'd stop. We took our spot at the top of Cuesta Santo Domingo, about 10 yards below the Ayuntamiento curve.

Maybe the most difficult part of the experience was the anticipation as we waited there for 8:00, especially as the police close and fence off the street around you and spectators begin to gather in the balconies above you. You get the feeling that you are really doing this, and that there is no turn back. Thankfully, we were distracted with conversation by the other runners around us. Everyone is strecthing, fired up, and sharing advice that they had learned from others or from their own experiences if they had run before. Ironically, we met the most Americans (and several Aussies) here in our spot on the encierro route than we did in any other part of Spain during our trip. Perhaps its because the Americans and Aussies are the craziest for doing something like this, who knows. It was great to pass the time this way, however, and you really feel a sense of comraderie with these other people who are risking injury and even their lives alongside you to be part of this centuries old Spanish tradition, and (of course) for the thrill of a lifetime.

The adrenaline started pumping through me as the time inched closer to 8:00. We were standing right before the Ayuntamiento which had a large clock tower, so it enabled me to keep track of the time, though I ended up checking every 10 minutes it seemed. As you can't have any bags, we didn't bring cell phones or anything that could get lost or broken, or make the physical aspect of our run any more difficult. In fact, the police will kick out anyone with a camera or bag, as this is a serious event that requires focus, and you can not be distracted or put yourself or anyone else in danger by stopping to take a photo. The one thing people were allowed to carry, and almost everyone does, is a rolled up newspaper. They read about the injuries of the previous day's encierro, study the facts about the bulls that are about to be unleashed upon us today, then they roll the paper up and use it to smack the bulls if necessary to help heard them. As nervous as I was, I also felt very confident, because we had a plan and we had done much research on what to do in certain situations (see my advice below). However, there is that part of you that has to be prepared for the unexpected, which is what made me a bit nervous. Not to mention that I was one of only a handful of women that were running (BTW, the other women I met? Aussies and Americans, of course). While this was on one hand empowering, on another it was a little intimidating knowing I was entering into this male-dominated tradition where women have only recently even been allowed to participate, and knowing that when the time comes that all chivalry would be out the window with my fellow runners. If it came down to it, we'd all be out for ourselves, and I would not be as physically strong as some of the men if I had to push and get myself to safety.

The last 15 minutes before 8:00 am actually went by pretty quickly compared to the previous hour and a half. The police officers did their final sweeps of the crowd, removing all the noticably drunk people, as well as anyone with bags, then they took their places on top of and behind the fences. I began to anticipate the traditional pieces that would precede the run, which made it all more real, but also surreal at the same time... knowing I was living something that has been portrayed on film for so long, and that has been going on in Pamplona for much longer.

The crowd went from laughing and bumbling to dead quiet. Then, at 7:55, the first chant/prayer to San Fermin began below us on Cuesta Santo Domingo. This is repeated three times before the opening of the corrals (5 minutes, 3 minutes, and 1 minute before 8:00):

"A San Fermín pedimos, por ser nuestro patrón, nos guíe en el encierro dándonos su bendición." (We ask San Fermín, being our patron saint, to guide us in the bull run and give us his blessing). Then they shout "¡Viva San Fermín! ¡Gora San Fermín!." ("Gora" is the Basque word for "Viva" - Pamplona is in Basque Country).

After each chant, different groups of runners come up from Santo Domingo to begin jogging towards the Plaza de Toros. The first to enter are boo'ed by the crowd, but usually don't care because they choose to start the jog early to ensure they make it into the arena (since the bulls are faster than most of us). When people started running, it became incredibly real. After each chant my anticipation amplified until I saw the clock turn 8:00. At that moment I turned to my husband and said something to the effect of "Holy sh*t, this is it! I love you."

It is all a whirlwind after this. So fast, but at the same time, an eternity. We heard the first rocket go off, which meant the corral doors were open and that the first bull had exited. My blood was pumping but I was focused. We waited to hear the sound of the second rocket (letting us all know that the last bull had left the corral), but it took longer than we expected. This is one sign that it is important to note, as bulls that get separated from the pack are more dangerous to runners. The long amount of time between rockets indicated that at least one bull had fallen behind.

Photo from our actual bull run from SanFerminEncierro.com. Here the bulls have just left the corral on Cuesta Santo Domingo and are making their way up hill towards us.

All of the sudden, you see the crowd at the bottom of the street start to move (more seasoned bull runners - it is only recommended that you start that low on Santo Domingo if you are physically fit and have done this run before, as the bulls come out of the corral at 30 mph and don't slow down until after the uphill run and as they begin to tire). People start literally screaming, and spectators on the balcony begin communicating what is coming ("toro, toro!" Which was really helpful at getting warnings up and down the route line whenever something occured that we needed to be on the look out for). I am focused, waiting on the moment when I know I need to move. It was incredible how fast the bulls approached. One moment we saw them halfway away, and what seemed like just a second later, they were bearing on us, and my husband yells "Go!"

More photos from our actual bull run from SanFerminEncierro.com. Here the bulls are approaching us up Santo Domingo.

It's not like I necessarily needed his cue, as we could all see the bulls bearing down onto where we were standing, and since people are running up from behind and start pushing you in fear of they own safety. I couldn't have remained where I was if I wanted to. But I had my plan and I had to stay focused. I kept thinking to stand firm and strong as I moved so that I would not get knocked down (though I knew that if I fell, it was much safer to stay down as a bull is far more likely to jump over a fallen runner, and would much more likely gore/run through a runner that made the motion of getting up right in front of them), and I kept thinking that I would stay as close to the fence as I could. This was for two reasons: 1) to have an escape route if necessary (climbing the fence), and 2) based on my research I knew that the bulls tended to turn wide on corners, so I wanted to stay as close to the inside curve as possible.

Another photo from our actual bull run from SanFerminEncierro.com. We are actually just ahead of the bulls here as they make the curve from Santo Domingo into Ayuntamiento. Notice how runners have already fallen.

Now I am scrambling along the fence, paying no mind to the runners that are pushing me (luckily the husband and I were already prepared for that, otherwise we may not have been OK with people shoving us). The police on top of and behind the fence are yelling "move" in Spanish much more rapidly now, telling us that the bulls are right here with us. All of the sudden they grab me, yell "stop" and I am shoved against the fence, my husband caging me from behind, protecting me just in case. In this moment time actually stood still for me, as I knew it was the moment of truth. 6 angry bulls plus their accompanying steers were right next to us, just feet away, and there was no outrunning them. I consciously turned to look at them, which was not easy being pressed against the fence. But I needed to be present and take this moment in. I turn my head and I can both see and feel the bulls as they run past. Their hooves literally thunder down the old streets, their heat radiates to all of us around them, the early morning Pamplona sun shines down and illuminates the scene so that the bulls, the fence, the street all seem to have a thin halo glowing off of them. I will never, ever forget this moment. It is dead silent where we are all huddled against the fence waiting for the bulls to pass, as we know to be on the alert for anything that may change and mean potential danger. We waited, knowing that there was a bull that was late and behind the main pack, and that he could mean trouble. We waited for Flamante to come up behind the rest.

Another photo from our actual bull run from SanFerminEncierro.com. We are actually in this picture somewhere against the fence on the bottom of the photograph as the bulls and steers come by.

A photo of Flamante from our actual bull run from SanFerminEncierro.com. We are just ahead of Flamante against the fence on the curve.

Both my husband and I saw it: the look in Flamante's eyes as he eyed our corner. We both instinctually felt like he contemplated coming towards us. I was mentally prepared to scale that fence as fast as I could... Spiderman would have nothing on me.

A photo from our actual bull run from SanFerminEncierro.com. We are actually in this picture somewhere against the fence as Flamante passes us.

Thankfully, Flamante had better things to do, because he looked back ahead and continued trotting around the curve towards the Curva de Mercaderes. Though we were wise to be cautious of Flamante, because he continued to cause trouble his whole way towards the Plaza de Toros.

Another photo from our actual bull run from SanFerminEncierro.com. Flamante goes rogue and goes after an unlucky runner.

After Flamante passed, runners continued after the bulls to try and make it into the Plaza. My husband and I had no desire to make it into the Plaza this time. We had a plan, and we were sticking with it, so we would wait in the Ayuntamiento until it was safe for the streets to open back up again. Our hearts were racing and we felt victorious. Before we could get too comfortable, a buzz came up from behind us on Santo Domingo ("toro, toro!"), and my instinct took me up that fence just as fast as I imagined I would earlier (I was very proud of myself for how quickly and easily I got up that thing). Could there be another bull lagging even further behind? It turned out to be two more steers that had been released to help wrangle up Flamante ahead of us. I felt much safer, but did not descend the fence until I knew they were past. Then we heard the news pass back down from Estafeta through the runners and the onlookers on the balcony... a bull had turned back our direction. We were on guard once more, but the police were able to close a barricade on Curva de Estafeta (also known as "dead man's curve," a blind curve onto a very narrow street where many a runner has been gored throughout the years) to avoid Flamante from getting back too far. The entire encierro usually averages 2 and a half to 3 minutes in length, but ours was close to 7. Flamante did not want to go the the Plaza (perhaps instinctually knowing what fate awaited him and his brothers once he made it there). He bravely fought and tried to turn, while the bravest runners fulfilled their traditional duty of hearding him into the Plaza. When they finally did, the third rocket sounded, letting us all know that all bulls had made it into the arena. The barricades were opened, and we were all able to continue down Estafeta towards the Plaza, where we were able to safely leave the encierro route, having participated in something mighty.

Immediately my thoughts went to the next time I would be in Pamplona, and how I would try to run with the bulls a little farther, perhaps stopping just before dead man's curve. I also pondered jogging with the runners after one of the pre-encierro chants and making it into the Plaza to have that experience as well someday. And I thought of all the friends I knew would be brave enough to do it with me, and that deserved to have this awesome life experience at my side the next time.

The adrenaline started to subside, and I knew it was time for an early siesta on this day. We went back to the hotel to email our friends and family, letting them know we survived. Then we crashed.

Now that you have lived this experience along with me, here are some key pieces of advice and helpful information should you wish to attempt this someday.

Some key rules:

1) If you fall, STAY DOWN. This is something we heard over and over. Just the day before our run, the runner who had gotten the most injured was someone who made the mistake of getting back up after falling, and getting rammed and tossed by a bull. I know this is hard to do, but you must curl up, cover your head and wait until a runner taps you with his/her rolled up newspaper to let you know it is safe to move.
2) If a bull is coming at you and you are at a fence, go up and over the fence and not down under the fence. Per my picture above of Flamante going after a guy trying to go under the fence, you can see why. Bull's vision is not that great, and they are more likely to be distracted and annoyed by something moving right below them than something going up over them.
3) BE PREPARED. Study everything you can get your hands on, watch YouTube videos of other runs, learn the way the bulls generally move at different parts of the route, talk to others who have done it before, and KNOW THE ROUTE! Study it, then practice walking it the day before.
4) Decide on your plan ahead of time: know exactly where and when you plan to run, how far, and if you are running with someone, plan a meeting point outside the route after the encierro should you get split up. It is too dangerous to turn around and try to find someone during the encierro should you get split up.
5) Line up by 6:30 am, as they do close the streets off at 7:00, and the best starting spots (like Ayuntamiento) fill up even before then.
6) Do not bring cameras, bags or anything else that will get you kicked out of the run.
7) Do not attempt to do the encierro under the affects of drugs or alcohol. If the police do not catch you and kick you out, you would be putting your life and the lives of those around you at risk.

The route:

A map of the route from About.com.

1. Corralillos
2. Cuesta de Santa Domingo
3. Plaza del Ayuntamiento
4. Curva de Mercaderes hacia Estafeta
5. Calle Estafeta 6. Curva de Telefónica
7. Callejón
8. Plaza de Toros
9. Plaza del Castillo

Some really helpful links:

The Philly Pena - Great advice on the encierro, Sam Fermin, local food recommendations, and the Basque Country from an experienced San Fermin-goer.

Pamplona Posse - Site with great basic info and personal encierro accounts.

SanFermin.com - The official site of the fiesta with program information, and even a calculator for the risk of danger for doing the encierro on a given day.

SanFerminEncierro.com - A Spanish site that has pictures of each day's encierro.

RTVE.es - A Spanish TV site that has great coverage of San Fermin and high-definitition videos of each day's encierro.

GoSpain.About.com - A site with some detailed description of different parts of the encierro route.

So now that I have sky-dived (dove?) and run with the bulls, I am starting to run out of items on my bucket list. What is there to fear and conquer now?

Feel free to contact me any time if you would like more advice or a first-hand account, and stay tuned for my other 3 Spain blog posts.

Friday Faves: New Favorite LA Restaurant - The Bazaar

2010-07-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

As you may know, the hubs and I do a trip every year for our anniversary instead of gifts. Since we were headed to Spain a few weeks after our 2nd wedding anniversary this year, we thought it would be fitting for dinner on our actual anniversary to go to a restaurant we had been dying to try out: The Bazaar by Jose Andres at the SLS Hotel. I can tell you that we didn't even make it through the entire dining experience before we had already declared it our new favorite LA restaurant, edging out our previous favorite, Yamashiro.

The Bazaar, located at the SLS Hotel on La Cienega on Restaurant Row, was a place we had been eagerly waiting to try. We first heard of Chef Jose Andres by catching his TV cooking show, Made in Spain. For the last year and a half we had started an obsession with Spanish food, Spanish cooking, and just Spain in general as I grew more interested in learning about my ancestry, and as we geared up for our big anniversary trip. So you can imagine our excitement when we found out that Jose Andres was actually opening up a restaurant in our city! Now after visting the restaurant, we can't believe we took so long to go.

From the moment we walked in we were captivated. The decor is very modern but eclectic... more bizarre then bazaar to be truthful. You feel as though you are at a MOCA exhibit rather than a restaurant lounge. The gorgeous and model-tall cocktail waitresses are there to start you off with unique martinis while you wait for your table. I must also add that the service is incredible in every part of the restaurant.

The restaurant is a tapas-style restaurant. This refers to small, individual or pair sized samplings. You order several tapas dishes to share, and they are served when they are ready. The menu includes a combination of traditional Spanish tapas (i.e. Ensaladilla Rusa, jamon, canned meats and vegetables), as well as many amazing fusion items and gastro-chemistry creations from the brilliant Chef. We were amazed that every item that we ordered was just as good if not better than the previous. Our mouths and tummies were in food heaven during this meal that we did not want to end.

Here are some of our favorite items that we are all too happy to recommend:

"Philly cheesesteak" - you MUST get this if you go. You will have dreams about it afterwards. Puffed air bread filled with a puree of cheese and onion, and topped with thinnly sliced Wagyy beef (with edges seared and seasoned to perfection)
Beef hanger steak - tender, juicy, and seasoned to perfection
Cotton candy foie gras - cube of foie gras served on a skewer with a "cotton candy" cage of some ingredient I can't describe
Tuna ceviche and avocado roll - buttery tuna and jicama wrapped in a delicate avocado slices and drizzled with coconut dressing

They also have a dessert section that is a treat to the eyes as well as the palate. So if you manage to save room after all the tapas, you can sit there and order gourmet cookies or bon bons as if you are at a candy store, and sit and enjoy them with some cafe.

Jose, we applaud you, and we will be back!

Travel Tuesday: Great Picnic Recipes

2010-06-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

We have been doing a lot of day trips and quick weekend getaways lately. Living in So Cal, we are fortunate enough to be a day-trip away from a great variety of things, and it is a great way to get out with the baby. Over the course of the last few months I've managed to find some delicious picnic recipes after experimenting with them for our recent weekend excursions. I thought I would share some with you all in my Travel Tuesday series in case anyone needs a great lunch for a quick trip. Here are my fave picnic recipes:

Chicken Hummus Wraps

This one I don't have an actual recipe for, as you just add ingredients to taste.

Ingredients:
Tortillas (we use wheat)
Hummus
Sour Cream
Cooked Chicken Breast (chopped)
Cucumber (thinly sliced)
Tomato (diced)

Directions:
Spread the hummus and sour cream onto the tortillas. Top with chicken chunks, cucumber slices, and tomato. Roll tortillas to create wrap.

Spicy Orange and Sesame Chicken Sandwiches
From Country Living via Delish.com

Soooo good and has a great kick!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound(s) boneless chicken breasts, with skin
3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) black pepper
2 tablespoon(s) butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup(s) orange marmalade
2 1/2 tablespoon(s) sesame oil
2 1/2 tablespoon(s) soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon(s) hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon(s) cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon(s) sesame seeds
2 medium oranges
1 small head of butter lettuce, leaves separated
3 large pocket-style pitas, halved

Directions:
1.Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2.Season the chicken on all sides with the salt and pepper and place in a baking dish. Dot the top of the skin with the butter and place in the oven on the center rack. Roast for 10 minutes.
3.Mix the marmalade, sesame oil, soy sauce, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl and use it to baste the chicken frequently until the meat reaches 167 degrees F -- about 20 more minutes.
4.Adjust oven to broil, sprinkle the sesame seeds over the chicken and broil until seeds are toasted and skin is crispy -- about 1 minute.
5.Remove the breasts from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
6.Bring the basting sauce to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool.
7.Cut the skin and pith from the oranges and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Remove any seeds.
8.Slice the chicken and place equal amounts of it, the oranges, and lettuce leaves inside the pitas. Drizzle each sandwich with the boiled sauce.

Garden Sliders
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients:
1 15- to 16-oz. can Great Northern or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, crushed
1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
24 1/4-inch-thick slices baguette
2 medium roma tomatoes, cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 small cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Small celery top sprigs, small tomato wedges, and/or pickle slices (optional)

Directions:
1. For bean spread, in blender or food processor combine beans, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cover; blend or process until smooth. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
2. To grill squash, toss squash slices with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Place in a grill basket. Place basket directly over medium coals for about 5 minutes or just until squash is tender, turning once.
3. Spread one side of each bread slice with bean spread. Top half of the bread with tomato, squash, and cucumber slices. Top with remaining bread slices, spread side down. Secure sandwiches with wooden picks. Top with celery sprigs, tomato wedges, and/or pickle slices. Makes 12 appetizers-size sandwiches.

Make-Ahead: Make the bean spread up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate, covered. Slice vegetables up to 24 hours ahead. Assemble sliders 2 hours ahead.

Nutrition:
Servings Per Recipe 12 appetizer-size sandwichesCalories 120, Total Fat (g) 2, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 1, Sodium (mg) 289, Carbohydrate (g) 23, Total Sugar (g) 1, Fiber (g) 3, Protein (g) 6, Vitamin C (DV%) 5, Calcium (DV%) 3, Iron (DV%) 9, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Tote-and-Slice Loaf Sandwich
From Better Homes and Gardens via Recipe.com

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
1 1-lb. loaf Italian or French bread
1/2 an 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup basil pesto
4 oz. thinly sliced provolone cheese
8 oz. thinly sliced peppered or regular salami
1 medium fresh banana pepper or 8 bottled peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
4 oz. thinly sliced provolone cheese
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Small salad peppers and/or pimiento-stuffed green olives (optional)

Directions:
1. Place tomatoes in a small bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain tomatoes and place in a food processor; cover and process until finely chopped. Or finely chop tomatoes by hand. 2. Split loaf in half horizontally. Remove some soft bread from the bottom half of the loaf, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell. 3. Spread cream cheese on cut sides of both bread halves. Spread top half with dried tomatoes and bottom half with pesto. On bottom half layer provolone cheese, salami, banana peppers, onion, and loaf top, spread side down. 4. If toting, tightly wrap loaf in plastic. To serve, slice loaf crosswise into six sandwiches. If desired, spear a salad pepper and olive on long toothpicks; insert through sandwiches. Makes 6 sandwiches.

Nutrition:
Calories 588, Total Fat 34 g, Saturated Fat 14 g, Monounsaturated Fat 11 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 69 mg, Sodium 1645 mg, Carbohydrate 46 g, Total Sugar 5 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 24 g. Daily Values: Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 16%, Calcium 28%, Iron 21%.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Crunchy Asian Pasta Salad
From BettyCrocker.com

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® classic pasta salad mix
1 package (3 oz) Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 cups coleslaw mix
1 cup snow pea pods, strings removed, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 can (15 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained

Directions:
1. Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.
3. In large bowl, stir together seasoning mixes from pasta mix and soup mix, sugar, oil, vinegar, water and soy sauce. Add pasta, coleslaw mix, pea pods, almonds and oranges; toss to combine.
4. Just before serving, coarsely crush dry noodles from soup mix; stir into pasta mixture. Serve immediately, or refrigerate.

Nutrition:
1 Serving: Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 1/2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 610mg; Total Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 10g); Protein 5g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 30%; Vitamin C 40%; Calcium 4%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Italian Popcorn
From Better Homes and Gardens

A great picnic snack!

Ingredients:
1 100-calorie-size bag unpopped microwave popcorn
Nonstick cooking spray
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, crushed
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions:
1. Prepare popcorn according to package directions. While popcorn is still hot, transfer to large bowl. Remove any uncooked kernels. Lightly coat popcorn with nonstick cooking spray. Toss; repeat until all kernels are well-coated in nonstick spray. Sprinkle popcorn with Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and, crushed red pepper; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately (do not store). Makes 1 serving.

Nutrition:
Calories 145, Total Fat (g) 4, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 9, Sodium (mg) 325, Carbohydrate (g) 22, Fiber (g) 3, Protein (g) 7, Calcium (DV%) 12, Iron (DV%) 3, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Friday Faves: Kettle Brand Jalapeno Chips

2010-06-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of the Kettle Chips online store.

Today's Friday Faves post is an ode to the best.chips.ever. I love me some jalapeno flavored chips, so always try new brands' versions of them to compare. Previously, Miss Vickie's were my favorite. That was until I saw that the delectable Kettle Brand chip company came out with a new flavor: none other than jalapano!

This chip is seriously addictive. It is not only my favorite flavor of the Kettle Brand chips (even better than Buffalo Bleu, IMO), but is by FAR the best jalapeno chip out there. It has a kick of spice, the great crunch that Kettle Brand chips are famous for, and some kind of devilish blend of flavor seasonings that sets it apart from other jalapeno flavored chips. The seasoning I think is the key, but beware because they are highly addictive. It is dangerous for me to have them in the house, because my husband and I can literally kill an entire full-sized bag in MINUTES.

Give it a try, you will not be disappointed! Click here for more info from the manufacturer.

Friday Faves: New Favorite Recipes

2010-06-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted recipes, and I realized that over the last several months I have found quite a few "keepers." They are all tried and true. Here they all are for your enjoyment!

Easy Pork Skillet
From Betty Crocker

This is so simple, yet SO delicious. I always keep these ingredients in the house because this meal is such a hit.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I substitute sesame oil personally)
3/4 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/8-inch strips
2 packages (3 ounces each) pork-flavored ramen noodles
1 1/2 cups water
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces (1 cup)
1 cup broccoli flowerets
4 medium green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons parsley flakes, if desired
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions:
Heat 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil; rotate skillet to coat side.

Add pork; stir-fry about 5 minutes or until pork is no longer pink.

Gently break apart noodles. Stir noodles, seasonings from flavor packets and remaining ingredients into pork. Heat to boiling. Boil 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are completely softened.

Nutrition:
1 Serving: Calories 345 (Calories from Fat 135 ); Total Fat 15 g (Saturated Fat 4 g); Cholesterol 55 mg; Sodium 980 mg; Total Carbohydrate 30 g (Dietary Fiber 3 g); Protein 25 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 50 %; Vitamin C 54 %; Calcium 4 %; Iron 14 % Exchanges: 2 Starch; 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat

Gouda Mac N' Cheese
Adapted from the Cooking Light version

Really easy mac n' cheese that's guaranteed to please.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Gouda OR smoked Gouda cheese
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
Cooking spray
Bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, salt, and pepper, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about 2 minutes). Add cheeses; stir until melted.

Add macaroni to cheese sauce, stirring until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutrition (from the original version):
Calories:399 (25% from fat); Fat:10.9g (sat 6.2g,mono 3g,poly 0.8g); Protein:20.1g; Carbohydrate:54.9g; Fiber:3.7g; Cholesterol:33mg; Iron:3.6mg; Sodium:725mg; Calcium:421mg

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon
From Homesick Texan

My husband LOVES this recipe!

Ingredients:
2 cups of dry elbow pasta
2 cups of milk
1 cup of cottage cheese
1 chipotle chile in adobo
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
Pinch of cumin
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups of shredded cheese, a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack
1/4 cup of crumbled cotija cheese (optional, but delicious!)
4 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon of butter

Directions:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch square or round baking pan with the butter. Add the dry pasta.

In a blender, mix together the milk, cottage cheese, chipotle chile, mustard powder, garlic, cumin, salt and black pepper until it’s smooth. Pour mixture over dry pasta and stir until sauce is evenly distributed.

Stir in two cups of the shredded cheese, cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the foil and stir the macaroni and cheese a couple of times. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese and chopped bacon and cook for another 25 minutes uncovered or until brown and bubbling.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with cotija and serve.

Parmesan-Dijon Chicken
From Betty Crocker

Great recipe that only has five ingredients (and usually things I have around the house anyway).
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 cup Progresso® dry bread crumbs (any flavor)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 3/4 pounds)

Directions:
Heat oven to 375ºF. Mix butter and mustard in shallow dish until well mixed. Mix bread crumbs and cheese in large plastic bag.

Dip one piece of chicken at a time into butter mixture, coating all sides. Then place in bag of bread crumbs, seal bag and shake to coat with crumb mixture. Place chicken in single layer in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.

Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Nutrition:
1 Serving: Calories 285 (Calories from Fat 125 ); Total Fat 14 g (Saturated Fat 7 g); Cholesterol 95 mg; Sodium 420 mg; Total Carbohydrate 10 g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 30 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6 %; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 8 %; Iron 10 % Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat

Chicken with Olives
From Better Homes and Gardens

Savory and delicious.

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb. total)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 5.75oz. jar sliced pitted green olives, drained
1 2.25-oz. can sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
2 Tbsp. capers, drained
2 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
3 Tbsp. snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

Directions:
In large skillet brown chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside. Add onion to skillet. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally and adding garlic the last 1 minute of cooking.

Stir tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon peel, and oregano into onion mixture. Place chicken on tomato mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 13 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F).

To serve, place chicken on platter. Season tomato mixture to taste with salt and black pepper. Spoon tomato mixture over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition:
Calories 340, Total Fat (g) 16, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 11, Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 2, Cholesterol (mg) 82, Sodium (mg) 1311, Carbohydrate (g) 13, Total Sugar (g) 5, Fiber (g) 5, Protein (g) 35, Vitamin C (DV%) 36, Calcium (DV%) 10, Iron (DV%) 14

Orange and Ginger Chicken
From Betty Crocker

Another super simple dish with ingredients you probably have at home already.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked basmati or regular long-grain white rice
2 cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb), each cut in half
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 medium orange, cut into 8 slices

Directions:
In 2-quart saucepan, heat rice and broth to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat egg and milk with fork or wire whisk. In shallow dish, mix Bisquick mix, ginger and orange peel. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with Bisquick mixture.

In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until browned on outside and juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

When rice is cooked, fluff with fork and stir in orange marmalade. Place rice on serving platter; arrange chicken on rice. Sprinkle with almonds and parsley. Garnish with orange slices.

Nutrition:
1 Serving: Calories 760 (Calories from Fat 290); Total Fat 32g (Saturated Fat 4 1/2g, Trans Fat 1g); Cholesterol 140mg; Sodium 1040mg; Total Carbohydrate 75g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 13g); Protein 43g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 20%; Calcium 15%; Iron 25% Exchanges: 3 Starch; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 5 Very Lean Meat; 5 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 5

Spicy Skillet Chicken
From Betty Crocker

Great one-pot meal when you need something hearty that doesn't take a lot of time to make. I add seasoning salt.

Ingredients:
1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (11 oz) Green Giant® Mexicorn® whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, undrained
1/3 cup Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
2 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:
In small bowl, mix chili powder, salt and pepper; sprinkle evenly over both sides of chicken breasts.

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

Stir in beans, corn and salsa. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are hot. Serve with rice.

Nutrition:
1 Serving: Calories 510 (Calories from Fat 80); Total Fat 9g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 85mg; Sodium 1070mg; Total Carbohydrate 63g (Dietary Fiber 11g, Sugars 5g); Protein 43g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 8%; Iron 25% Exchanges: 3 1/2 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 4 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 4

Favorite Chicken Nuggets
From Betty Crocker

I have a family fried chicken recipe, but when I want a change and decide to make nuggets, this is my go-to recipe.

Ingredients:
3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon milk
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1x1-inch pieces

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheet with foil. Crush cereal. (To easily crush cereal, place in plastic bag or between sheets of waxed paper, and crush with rolling pin.)

In medium bowl, stir together crushed cereal, cheese, salt, seasoned salt, paprika and garlic powder. In small bowl, stir together melted butter and milk. Dip chicken into butter mixture, then roll in cereal mixture to coat evenly. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake 9 minutes; turn nuggets over. Bake about 8 minutes longer or until coating is light golden brown and chicken is no longer pink in center.

Nutrition:
1 Nugget: Calories 60 (Calories from Fat 25); Total Fat 2 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 15mg; Sodium 160mg; Total Carbohydrate 3g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 0g); Protein 5g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 0

Crispy Ranch Chicken
From About.com

A super quick, six-ingredient dish with a great flavor.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup purchased dried bread crumbs
1 (0.4 ounce) package buttermilk ranch salad dressing
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup sour cream
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Combine bread crumbs and salad dressing mix in shallow dish. Place sour cream in another dish. Dip boneless, skinless chicken breasts in sour cream to coat well. Roll coated chicken in bread crumbs, pressing to coat. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 18-24 minutes until chicken registers 160 degrees F on a meat thermometer. Serves 4.

Stuffing-Topped Chicken
Adapted from the Eating Well recipe, found via Delish.com

Ingredients:
Box stuffing mix
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 1/2 pound(s) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (see Tip)
4 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
2 1/2 cup(s) quartered mushrooms (6 ounces)
1/3 cup(s) dry white wine, or dry sherry

Directions:
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.

Prepare boxed stuffing mix according to package directions; set aside.

Toss chicken with 2 tablespoons flour, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the chicken broth with the remaining 2 tablespoons flour in a small bowl and set aside.

Add the oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the chicken (shaking off any excess flour) and mushrooms; cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high; add wine (or sherry) and cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes more. Spoon the reserved stuffing over the chicken mixture. Transfer the pan to the oven and broil until the stuffing begins to crisp, about 4 minutes.

Travel Tuesday: Campground Reviews

2010-06-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

As you know, we do a lot of camping. I thought it would be helpful to write down some reviews of the campgrounds we have stayed at recently. I am sure there will be a Part II of this post in the future as we add this year's camping trips to our review repertoire. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or if you would like more specific reviews or information.

Cachuma Lake
2225 Highway 154
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
(805) 686-5055

Things to do in the area: Visit Solvang, wine taste, visit Santa Barbara, fish

Pros: Beautiful lake-front camp spots - an amazing thing to wake up to, close to Los Angeles
Cons: The ground is really hard, so it was difficult to get the tent spikes into the ground. Not to mention that we didn't bring an egg crate or air matress, so were a little stiff in the morning. Would have been fine had we remembered a hammer and an egg crate.

The lake at sunset from our campsite.

The lake early in the morning (fishing time).

Salton Sea – Mecca Beach

Things to do in the area: Star gaze, fish (tons of tilapia live in the Sea), visit Palm Springs

Pros: It feels "out there," but is not that far from LA, beautiful stars
Cons: It smells like fish, can’t go year-round because of the heat

The sun reflecting off the lake.

The lake at sunset.

Sedona – Manzanita
5900 N HW 89A
Sedona AZ 86336

Things to do in the area: Chapel of the Holy Cross (A-MAZING views), admire the natural beauty, hike
Recommended hike: Cathedral Rock

Misc: There are many vortexes in Sedona (areas of spiritual energy). For the record I visited one and didn't feel a damn thing.

Pros: The camground is a lovely stream, and is a beautiful place
Cons: Campsites really close together, and a little out of town (so uou have to drive to the good hikes and views)

The stream next to the campground.

The view of Cathedral Rock from Chapel of the Holy Cross.

Yosemite - Upper Pines

Things to do in the area: Hike, admire natural beauty

Misc: Bears! Make sure you adhere to the rules regarding food and toilettries in your tent and car (you must use the bear lockers at each site). There are literally bears coming through the campsite each night.

Best spot: 73. It was HUGE.

Pros: Huge camping spots, great location in the valley
Cons: Books early, so you have to make reservations well in advance

Half-Dome in the distance on our drive up.

The two tents we fit in our large campsite.

Pismo Beach – Oceano Dunes
928 PACIFIC AVENUE
Oceano CA 93445

Things to do in the area: Walk along the beach, wine taste

Pros: Campsites really close to beach, large tent camping spots
Cons: None really

The beach.

An unedited photo of the sunset.

Lake Cuyamaca
15027 Highway 79
Julian, CA 92036-9530
(760) 765-3867

Things to do in the area: Visit the quaint town of Julian and eat some of their famous apple pie

No major pros or cons, just a nice getaway surprisingly quick from Los Angeles or San Diego.

The lake.

The dock.

Apple and boysenberry pie in Julian.

Pt. Mugu – Thornhill Broome
32100 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265

Things to do in the area: Whale watch (amazing during April), hike

Pros: Camp right on the beach, and very close to LA
Cons: Right next to freeway, so you get some street noise

View of the Point to the north.

View of the coastline to the south.

Friday Faves: Best Fish and Chips in Los Angeles

2010-05-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

This post is to announce an addition to a previous Friday Faves post on my favorite Los Angeles eats. I realized that I forgot a very important one: the best fish n' chips in LA!

Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market

http://www.malibuseafood.com/
25653 Pacific Coast Hwy
One and a half miles north of Pepperdine University

Not only the best fish n' chips in LA, but possibly the best you've ever had. Just trust me on this, and try it. You will NOT regret it. It is perfect for a day you are driving up the coast, or when in Malibu for a beach day. I have recently ventured into sampling some of their other fried seafood, and can attest that if you want to try a few things, go with their fried Seafood Combination. It includes the must-have fish n' chips, as well as fried oysters and scallops. Definitely can't go wrong. But if you are not as adventurous or are on a budget, go with the staple fish n' chips, available in 1, 2 or 3 piece options.

Have a great 3-day weekend!

Travel Tuesday: Summer Fashion Survival Kit

2010-05-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been a super long time since I have posted again, but in my defense, being a working mom of a 5 and a half month old baby leaves me with little free time. Luckily we haven't had to sacrifice travel or fashion, as we are happy to expose our son to the world we love to explore, and since my fabulous husband got me a gift of "shopping spree" for my first Mother's Day. He really knows the way to my heart!

Today's post is inspired by BCBG/Max Azria's summer survival kit blog post, as well as their summer survival kit collection. I know I personally have been gearing up for my summer travel plans (Spain!) for the year, which always includes a fitting summer travel wardrobe. So when I was this, I thought it'd be fun to share some must-haves for Summer 2010 for your vacations or staycations.

So here is a sampling of what I feel to be the pieces that should comprise your summer fashion arsenal. You'll find some high-end items, and some lower-priced versions, but know that if you don't ave a champagne budget for your summer wardrobe, you'll surely be able to find more reasonaly-priced versions of even the higher-end items.

Maxi Dresses and New Boho

Diane Von Furstenberg Ferrin Printed Maxi Dress
$465.00, NetAPorter.com

BCBG Chevron-Striped Halter Maxi Dress
$178.00, BCBG.com

Both Boho and Maxi Dresses have a different look for Summer 2010, and a good inspiration of both are the DVF and BCBG dresses pictured above. Pair this with some large sunglasses, a low ponytail, some gladiator sandals and a large beaded bracelet.

White on White

High-Waist Mini Bandage Skirt
$59.50, Express.com

White Sequin Tank
$29.50, Express.com

White-on-white works in many forms (white tunics, all-white dresses, white bags, etc.), but the look above pairs a sequin tank with a white mini-skirt because minis are also a must-have piece in your summer wardrobe if you don't mind baring your gams.

Brights

Stella McCartney Asta Silk-Satin Dress
$845.00, NetAPorter.com

RM by Roland Mouret Osu Dress
$1,560.00, NetAPorter.com

Brights are super hot right now, yellow being one of the most popular for the season. But don't limit yourself, as teals and corals are also hot.

Jersey Dresses

James Perse Double-Layered Jersey Dress
$165.00, NetAPorter.com

Belted or not, with gladiators or studded strappy pumps, or even as a simple swim cover up with a white floppy hat, this is a very versatile piece for the summer.

Day-to-Night Cocktail Dresses

BCBG Sequined Dress
$238.00, BCBG.com

Lighter cocktail dresses that go from day-to-night are popular right now, especially while traveling. You coudl find yourself museum-touring by day, then tapas-tasting at night in this number above.

Rolled-Up Chino

J Brand Inez Cropped Cotton Pants
$220.00, NetAPorter.com

A staple this summer. Wear with a slim button up top in summer's powder pink and nude platform pumps or a nautical stripes, or a blue racer-back tank and chunky heels or platform wedges.

Monokini

Victoria's Secret Wireless Push-Up Monokini
$88.00, VictoriasSecret.com

A black monokini is my pick for swim this season. I personally will use a jersey racerback tank dress or a white linen button-up shirt (sleeves rolled to 3/4) for swim cover-ups with it.

Square Linen Bag

BCBG Square Linen Tote
$128.00, BCBG.com

A white purse is a must in many shapes. Bonus points for having a square-shaped linen version as well.

Rhinestone Pave Ring

Domed Pave Ring
$5.80, Forever21.com

You don't need to spend a fortune to get my ring pick of the season. Check out this version from Forever 21 at a steal of under $6.00.

Platform Wedges

BCBG Platform Wedge Sandals
$198.00, BCBG.com

Gladiator Sandals

Jimmy Choo Eureka Studded Suede Sandals
$795.00, NetAPorter.com

Nude Shoes

Giuseppe Zanotti Studded Gladiator Heel Sandal
$790.00, NetAPorter.com

Wear with skinny pants.

Alexander McQueen Iridescent Leather Pumps
$695.00, NetAPorter.com

Wear with chinos or short linen shorts.

That's it for now. Happy shopping!

Speed Post: Valentino's New Look for Spring

2010-02-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

I have been in love with Valentino for the last year with their gorgeous feminine rosette embelishments. Now it seems that they have started to stray from the rosettes (which they have used in varying ways for a few seasons) in favor of another gorgeous feminine detail: lace and ruffles! Ooh la la!

Valentino Laceland Tote
$3,495.00, BergdorfGoodman.com

Friday Faves: Favorite Los Angeles Eats

2010-02-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

As I enjoyed the best pastrami sandwich I have ever had at Langer's Delicatessen this past weekend, I was inspired to write this blog post for my next Friday Faves installment. After living in LA for 10 years, I have found a few favorite places for different food items or meals, and thought I'd share them here. Remember, these are my favorite places based on what I have had so far. While some are considered by many to also be the "best of" in LA, some are also just my opinion. And it is my blog after all :).

If you have any recs on your favorites in the city, or if you feel like another place has better items than my list, feel free to share in the comments! I am happy to test them out for comparison. Happy to make the sacrifice and do the hard research for my readers ;).

Margarita: El Coyote, 7312 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Consistent quality, strong, and reasonably-priced (especially for Los Angeles). I recommend sitting on the patio.

Burrito: El Tepeyac, 812 North Evergreen Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90033-2620

Giant, but delicious burritos from a family-owned-and-operated establishment. Be prepared to wait in line, as the seating area is pretty small. However, the food is worth the wait!

Pizza: Village Pizzeria, 131 North Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90004

My husband and I searched high and low for the best pizza in LA, and the closest to NY-style pizza. As many of you know, there is no such thing as a true NY-style tasting pizza in LA, but Village is as close as it gets, and mucho delish.

Pastrami Sandwich: Langer's, 704 South Alvarado Street, Los Angeles, C.A. 90057

The best pastrami sandwich I have ever had, with the perfect blend of ingredients, and fall-apart-tender meat. Order their famous #19. Be prepared to wait a little bit, but also worth it.

Thai: Thai Patio, 5273 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

After our honeymoon trip to Thailand we searched for Thai food that was close to the real-deal that we ate in Thailand. Thai Patio is that place. Located in Thai Town (just east of Hollywood), the prices are great, and the food is great, authentic Thai.

French Dip Sandwich: Philippe's, 1001 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The place that invented the French Dip also happens to be the best French Dip around. Another place with a long line, but also totally worth waiting once you sample their famous dips.

Burger: In N' Out, Several locations

We are still sampling great burgers all over the city, but so far in our experience nothing beats a good old Double Double. I always get mine "animal style" with a side of Animal Style Fries (their hand-cut fries smothered in cheese, thousand island spread, and diced grilled onions).

Breakfast: Fred 62, 1850 North Vermont Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90027-4215

Great atmosphere, great food, great prices.

Breakfast Runner-Up: Saddle Ranch, 8371 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

HUGE portions, and great Sunday brunch champagne and bloody mary varieties and specials. The perfect hangover breakfast in Hollywood.

Cupcakes: Sprinkles, 9635 South Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Not only the best cupcakes in the city (and totally lives up to the hype and worth the $3.25 price), but also my favorite red velvet anything. I will put a Sprinkles red velvet cupcake up against any red velvet cupcake or cake anywhere else. Every cupcake they have is great, and they are so consistently soft and perfectly baked every time. I have never had a bad cupcake here.

Irish Pub: Tom Bergin's, 840 South Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036-4421

Great vibe, dim with beautiful dark wood, and GREAT jukebox. We even have our names up on Shamrock's on the wall (we were inducted with a ceremonious drink of their famous Irish Coffee once we hit their official "regular" status a few years ago). This place is so relaxing and chill, but don't be surprised if you see a celeb there enjoying the chill atmosphere too.

Romantic Restaurant/Best View: Yamashiro, 1999 North Sycamore Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90068

My date-night of choice is the delicious Yamashiro, a Cal-Asian fusion restaurant with a panoramic view of LA and not a bad seat in the house. You can have unique sushi rolls at competitive prices or a top-notch steak. I recommend trying the Darth Vader Roll and a glass of the not-always-easy-to-find MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir.

Tuna Tartare: The Belmont, 747 North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069-5203

I LOVE tuna tartare, and try it whenever and wherever I see it on a menu. So far my fave is at The Belmont on La Cienega, which is also a fun place to kick back for drinks after work. Mac n' cheese and burgers are also great here.

Mac N' Cheese: Ketchup, 8590 West Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069-2347

While The Belmont has some great mac n' cheese, the best I have had is at the modern and brightly colored Ketchup. I think the keys to this mac n' cheese's brilliance are the truffle oil its made with and the dungeness crab flakes crisped on top. I also recommend their crab cakes, and of course fries and their unique ketchup flavors (wasabi! yum!).

Hot Dog: Street Vendors

While I love both Pink's and Oki Dog, my favorite dogs are found from street vendors around Hollywood that come out at night to please the club and bar-goers. Wrapped in bacon before being grilled, and served with grilled onions and peppers. A late-night treat at its best, with an intoxicating aroma (grilled onions and bacon cooking are a killer combo for the senses).

Chinese: Rice, 3300 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034-3592

My fave hole-in-the-wall Chinese is Rice in Palms. Great lunch special, delicious fried rice. I always stop by when in the area, as my hole-in-the-walls in Hollywood are good, but just not the same.

Martini and Best Gay Bar: The Abbey, 692 North Robertson Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Huge and creative martinis made by cute boy bartenders (with ambiguous orientations in order to appeal to both the gay male patrons and their straight girlf friends), and a really fun bar in West Hollywood.

Happy Hour: McCormick & Schmick's, 206 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210-5104

Not only do they have a second late-night happy hour (which is great for those of us who tend to work late and miss the standard 4-7 pm happy hours at most places), but they have full-size burger meals for $1.50! Good burgers too, and on Rodeo Drive of all places.

Wine Bar: Monsieur Marcel, 6333 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90036-3191

Located in the Farmer's Market next to The Grove, this place is awesome with great wine and frommage specials.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich: The Grilled Cheese Truck, Mobile

This is a mobile "roach coach" type of truck that stops at different spots around the city. Their upcoming stops can be found by visiting their website. What makes their sandwiches so good? Nine words: Mac and Cheese and Pulled-Porked Grilled Cheese Sandwich. To die for.

Mall Food Court: Westfield Century City Mall, 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90067-6501

Not only do you eat off of dinner plates, with silverware and glass cups for your beverages, but you also have a choice of everything to eat from your standard Panda and Fuddrucker's to Lawry's Carvery, to fresh hand-made Sushi. If you fancy a sandwich, get The Great Gobbler or Chickaboom from Tacone.

Added 5/28/10: Best Fish n' Chips: Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market, 25653 Pacific Coast Hwy, One and a half miles north of Pepperdine University

Not only the best fish n' chips in LA, but possibly the best you've ever had. Just trust me on this, and try it. You will NOT regret it. It is perfect for a day you are driving up the coast, or when in Malibu for a beach day. I have recently ventured into sampling some of their other fried seafood, and can attest that if you want to try a few things, go with their fried Seafood Combination. It includes the must-have fish n' chips, as well as fried oysters and scallops. Definitely can't go wrong. But if you are not as adventurous or are on a budget, go with the staple fish n' chips, available in 1, 2 or 3 piece options.

Burnt Orange and Charcoal Grey Nursery

2010-02-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

When I found out I was pregnant, one of the most exciting things for me to do was to plan and decorate a nursery for the new addition to our family. My husband and I made a deal that if it was a girl, then I would have complete control over the decor, and that if it was a boy, then we could decorate the nursery in Texas burnt orange.

When we found out it was going to be a boy, while my husband went to shout the news of a son from the rooftops, my thoughts quickly went to our deal. My fears were that I had agreed to a potentially cheesy, over-the-top, football-infused University of Texas-themed room. Thankfully, as big of a Longhorn fan as my husband is, he is also a stylish guy with a great sense of class in our style and decor. Therefore, we amended the deal a bit to just include the Texas color, but that I could still have creative control over the room's decor. Since I love a modern look, we decided on a burnt orange, charcoal grey, and white color scheme with a geometric motif (circles and squares).

One thing I noticed quickly, and which became the center of much frustration over the months of decoration, is that it is not easy to find burnt orange fabric and accessories in the precise shade of Texas burnt orange, unless you want the UT logo completely covering it. It took a lot of creativity and scouring the internet and the downtown garment/fabric district to complete the look.

Here is our result, along with information on the components of the room:

These circle and ring vinyl wall decals are from World Decor N' More "terra cotta" and "dark grey." It took some time to place and apply them, but it was so worth it, as it really brought our geometric/circular motif to life.

The opposite wall we wanted to do in a more rectangular motif. We hand painted the wall in Texas burnt orange, which we had to color match at Home Depot. In case anyone is looking for the exact shade, the UT color is PMS 159. The measurement for the big block was specific to the size of the frame collage we were putting in it (see below).

We also used the orange paint to color the homemade G and P initial bookends (using pre-cut wooden letters from Michael's Crafts). I couldn't find any pre-made bookends that felt right, so I recruited me Dad to help make these. Only cost dollars!

Never buy basic picture frames from anywhere but Ikea! They have them in black, Maple, white, and silver, and include basic white matting for a teeny tiny fraction of the price of what you would pay to have something custom framed and mated. The pics we chose for this frame collage were pictures of the UT campus, mascots, sports stars, and other iconic UT history and football pictures that we found online and printed at Costco. Let the brainwashing begin...

To stay on a budget, we got many of the room's components at Ikea. The great thing about Ikea is that not only are their items really reasonably priced, but they also have modern, funky items which worked out perfectly with our decor. The lamp, curtains with sheer circles, curtain rod, and charcoal grey chair seen in the picture above were all purchased at local Ikea stores. The shag circular throw rug was found on eBay.

We got our nursery furniture from Walmart. The crib, dresser, and changing table are all part of the BabyMod ParkLane line that can only be ordered online. They do have free shipping if you utilize the Site-to-Store pick-up option like we did. I was very pleased to find the BabyMod line, as I was originally inspired by much higher-priced designer two-tone nursery furniture. Walmart had similar looks for a fraction of the price, and the crib is even convertible so that it will grow with my baby into a toddler and child's bed.

The nursery linens were all custom made by my aunt with fabric I purchased downtown. The only burnt orange linens I could find anywhere for nurserys were either the wrong shade of orange, or covered in UT logos, which would not have matched the feel of the nursery. Thankfully my aunt had the skills and donated her time to make a crib skirt, a few fitted crib sheets, a changing pad cover, and changing accessory holder for me.

In addition to difficulty with linens, I had a lot of trouble finding a mobile that was just right. Everything that I did like was well over $100, which I just could not justify for something I wasn't in love with. Finally, I decided that I could just make one myself after I saw something on Etsy that was almost right, but still missing something. I then made my own mobile with foam, clear quilting thread and wire, all purchased from Michael's crafts, and using some of the crafting and scrapbooking tools I already had.

And there's Grayson's room!

Spring Trend Alert: Strappy Sandals

2010-02-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

Saks Fifth Avenue is highlighting a spring trend right now on strappy sandals here at "Strap Attack".

Some of my fave strappies for spring:

Dior Caged Sandal
$850.00, SaksFifthAvenue.com

Christian Louboutin Fernando Sandals
$925.00, SaksFifthAvenue.com

Versace Patent Leather Platform Sandals
$745.00, SaksFifthAvenue.com

Also available, and equally as cute in white:

Jimmy Choo Zero Mirrored Platform Sandals
$775.00, SaksFifthAvenue.com

Tory Burch Wrap Up Sandals
$325.00, SaksFifthAvenue.com

And here are some flats:

Prada Criss-Cross Flat Sandals
$475.00, SaksFifthAvenue.com

Miu Miu Knotted Flat Sandals
$465.00, SaksFifthAvenue.com

Man, I would rock the heck out of either of those blue ones! The great thing about this style, is that there are a lot of more reasonably-priced versions available at your regular department stores (such as Macy's), and I have even seen a lot of hot platform strappy pumps for under $100 a pair at outlet type stores like Broadway Shoe Warehouse. Now I just have to decide which ones...

Travel Tuesday: Costa Rica

2010-02-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

We went to Costa Rica this past July for our annual anniversary trip. We flew into the international airport in San Jose and then rented a car to drive to the Pacific coast to the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area.

We originally planned for our trip to be an adventurous one, with a lot of physical activities and excursions, however, as you know I became pregnant last year, so our trip ended up being more of a relaxing getaway than anything else.

With a great recommendation from a friend, we stayed in a beautiful gated community at a rented villa in the middle of the rain forest. Here is where we stayed. The accommodations were very cheap for the week, but AMAZING - I highly recommend you contact Agi and Sean if you are interested - they have amazing customer service and the property was really secure and such a relaxing getaway. We swam in the pool daily, and had monkeys and sloths coming right up to us! Very surreal, and definitely makes you feel a world away from work and city life.

An unedited photo of the Manuel Antonio sunset

Costa Rica was absolutely beautiful... and not only were accommodations really cheap, but flights were also. It was the price of a domestic flight, if not less. As always I recommend searching for flight deals on Kayak. However, I was surprised to learn that food was not as cheap, and pretty much was standard American pricing at restaurants. I found out that many of their ingredients are imported so even with the exchange rate, you will see pricing be higher than you may expect for restaurants. Another thing I was surprised about was that food was not that great in CR in general. They are known for seafood, so that is always good (but still pricey), but most other dishes seemed to me to be lacking something... I think things are just plainer than I am used to (I like lots of seasoning and spices). Not bad, just more plain than other Latin American country cuisines that I am used to. However, we did find out where the good food was! If you go, look out for places called "sodas." These are the more hole-in-the-wall type places, and are where the locals go, and where you can find really cheap and really good local dishes. If you go to Quepos, you MUST try Soda Sanchez, which was delicious!! The best food we had on our trip, and declious fresh juices. Costa Rica also has delicious coffee. In Quepos, a visit to Cafe Milagro is a must.

A couple meals at Soda Sanchez in Quepos

Some of the great things we loved about Costa Rica from our experience are the beautiful beaches (some of the most beautiful I have ever seen in my life, and we travel a lot), the amazing array of wildlife (so many exotic animals like monkeys, sloths, and iguanas all over the place), the great outdoor recreations (zip-lining, horseback riding, surfing, hiking in the rain forests), the people (so calm and laid back... they live the "pura vida" lifestyle), and of course the ability to just relax and unwind in a beautiful place.

Beach at Manuel Antonio National Park

Titi monkeys visiting us at our villa

An iguana hanging out near the beach at the national park

As mentioned above, we had originally planned to do a lot more outdoor activity while there, but being pregnant, all I ended up being able to do (besides lounging by the beach and pool :) was hiking and exploring the rain forests at Manual Antonio National Park (which were breathtaking! A beautiful rainforest right on the edge of a pristine coastline - a MUST SEE in the area). However, originally we had researched doing a lot more, and found the following cool activities at great prices in the Manuel Antonio area:

Arenal volcano: Ok, so this one is not in the Manuel Antonio area, but it is something that a lot of peopele recommended to me before our trip. Here is a good hotel we found nearby too when we were originally researching it: Erupciones Inn.

Surfing: This company has some great surfing excursions that include transfer from your hotel and a meal.

Ziplining: Great rate and also includes transfer and a meal. Some people think this is a must-do when visiting CR.

Horseback riding: This one looked awesome, hiking up to a waterfall!

Sunset cruise: Romantic and a great price. This was recommended to me by someone.

Snorkeling: Includes transfer and meal.

Other tips:

Driving/car rental: If you do go to Manuel Antonio and rent a car (the drive is very scenic), we recommend a 4-wheel drive vehicle, as the road gets steep at times and there are some interesting one-way railroad bridges close to Quepos. Also, keep an eye on the signs really closely when driving... things are not as explicit as our roads here in the states. On the drive to MA/Quepos, there is even a cool bridge where there are tons of crocodiles underneath. Very cool. Another note about driving in CR: Google it so you can get an idea of the roads, signs, how people drive, and roadside safety. It is good to be prepared, as it is not what you may be used to, however, being LA drivers, we were at least used to driving aggressively and defensively simultaneously (which is important in CR).

Crocodiles on the drive to Manuel Antonio

Spanish: not necessary to speak Spanish to visit CR, but we found it helpful to know basic things (numbers, food/restaurant terminology) when we went to the soda type restaurants (remember these are the yummy, local, good priced joints), as sometimes they did not speak English. This made for an even more authentic experience at the sodas.

TripAdvisor.com: In addition to Kayak, I also always recommend TripAdvisor for real people's hotel and activity reviews. I always cross-check this info with the best priced places found on Kayak and have found that by doing this, you don't need a travel agent to book and find the best deals in foreign countries when you travel.

Friday Faves: New Baby Items

2010-01-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

OK, so I know its been a loooong time since I've blogged, but I have a good excuse:

My little angel, Grayson August, was born on December 11th at 12:31 pm (10 days early!) at 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and 20 inches in length. He is the most incredible thing, and is growing and developing a little personality so quickly.

Needless to say, he has kept me pretty busy. I am lucky to squeeze out time for a shower or to check email, let alone blog this past month.

However, I wanted to take some time to do a Friday Faves post this week to not only announce the little guy's arrival, but also highlight a few of my favorite items for these newborn days that I have experienced over the past month. These are the things that I have found to be the most useful for this first month of my son's life. Here we go!

Multi-use:

Graco Element Pack N' Play
$122.00, Walmart.com

As my mother said, this thing is worth it's weight in gold. The baby naps in it, gets changed in it, we can move it around the house so that he is near us when resting and we are doing things, and it even plays music and sounds to soothe baby.

Outfit for me:

Gilligan & O'Malley Side-Sling Nursing Tank
$16.99, Target.com

Comfortable, and works for an around-the-house top or for an undershirt when you have to step out. Available in several colors, and very convenient for nursing.

Juicy Couture Velour Track Pants
$99.00, PinkLizzard.com

Comfy and cozy... always love my Juicy track pants.

Belly Bandit
$45.95, BellyBandit.com

Not only helps you get to your pre-prego belly faster, but also offers great support for the abdomen post-partum. You'd be surprised how weird it feels to have everything feel so loose inside your stomach after a 7 lb. baby (plus fluids, etc.) are suddenly absent. Also offers a slimming look under clothes :).

Tory Burch Flip Flops
$45.00, JildorShoes.com

If you know me, you know I am not a fan of tennis shoes or flip flops... I am a stiletto girl all the way. But if I must (which I definitely must post c-section) where comfy flats, they may as well be designer. Tory Burch has several styles and colors of adorable flip flops with the iconic emblem. Available at the link above, Neiman's, Nordy's, Bergdorf's, etc.

To help with gassy baby:

Little Tummy's Gas Relief Drops
$6.99, Target.com

This stuff is A-Mazing. Works in seconds to help relieve baby's gassy tummy.

To calm crying baby:

Shermag Glider Ottoman Combo
$254.99, BabiesRUs.com

Rocking a baby is one great way to calm them... and a good ergonomic glider will become your best friend for middle of the night feedings or calming a crying fit.

Vacuum
$75.00, Target.com

A friend taught me the trick of letting the vacuum run to calm a crying baby, and boy does it work!

Swaddle Designs Ultimate Receiving Blanket
$25.49, BabiesRUs.com

Swaddling is another great option for calming a fussy babe. I LOVE the blanket above that I recieved as a shower gift. It is the perfect size for swaddling, and is cute enough to not interfere with my home decor.

The First Years Newborn Soothie Pacifier
$4.29 (2-Pack), BabiesRUs.com

Grayson loves these soothies!

WubbaNub Pacifier
$11.99, Amazon.com

An adorable alternative to the Soothie is the WubbaNub, with the Soothie pacifier attached. We have one with the cute Longhorn (above). I like these because the baby can grip them or it can be wedged between him and my shoulder when I am holding him, which helps keep the pacifier in his mouth during this time when he doesn't know what to do with his hands and can accidentally knock the pacy out of his mouth.

Misc:

Munchkin Disposable Changing Pads
$6.19, Target.com

These come in really handy for a quick change out of the house, and to line the changer in my Pack N Play.

Gerber Organic Cloth Diapers
$10.99, Target.com

Cloth diapers make the best burp cloths. We carry these around with us all day, so you can't have too many.

Gerber Organic Newborn Onesies
Target.com

We got tons of cute baby boy clothes, but realized that barely anything fit his small, skinny frame for the early weeks. Pick up some Newborn sized onesies. Plenty of them in fact, as they go through a few a day. Trust me on this.

Web-sites:

BabyCenter: This site was great during my pregnancy, and even now with the newborn. It gives you weekly emails with information on your baby's development for that week and what kind of things you can expect to see changing with your body, your baby, and your life.

What to Expect When You're Expecting: Also great both during pregnancy and new baby. Like BabyCenter, keeps you updated on development and other great resources.

La Leche League International: Great resources for breastfeeding mothers, including tips and legal information.

GG's Pumpkin Bread

2009-11-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

After hitting up some Black Friday sales, I am wide awake this morning and thankful that it is a Friday and I am at home on my couch :). LOVE four-day weekends.

In honor of the four-day weekend and Turkey Day, I wanted to share a great recipe I just tried for the first time. This is a pumpkin bread recipe that has been passed through Nik's family from his great-grandmother (GG). The recipe was faxed to me by my mother-in-law from a recipe card in GG's hand-writing. I made it the other night, and not only was it super easy, but it was also mouth-wateringly delicious. Had to share with you all.

GG's Pumpkin Bread
Yield: 3 Bread Loaves (Great for Gifts!)

Ingredients:
3 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Cinammon
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2/3 Cups Water
2 Cups Canned Pumpkin
3 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Finely Chopped Nuts (Optional)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together, then distribute evenly into 3 greased bread-sized baking pans (pans shouldn't be much more than half full).

Bake for 45 - 60 minutes until toothpick stuck in the middle of the loaves comes out clean.

Friday Faves: Resort 2010

2009-11-13T07:52:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a long time since I blogged, and for that I apologize. However, I have been in full nesting mode as of late and have been spending most of my free time preparing the nursery and cooking and freezing casseroles in preparation of those early sleepless weeks with the baby when I won't have time or engergy to cook. The nursery is finally done, so expect a post with pictures next week!

Today I wanted to get back to Friday Faves. Today's Friday Faves post is devoted to some of my fave picks for Resort 2010.

Resort/Cruise 2010 seems to have a few themes: vivid colors, bold prints, tailored looks, black & white, and of course, we have blue (seems like a nautical reference is always present in Resort). Some of the sequiny bling from Fall/Winter is crossing into Resort 2010 as well.

Here are some of my faves from what I have seen so far in the previews:

Prada Resort
NeimanMarcus.com

Prada takes a feminine perspective on the Resort collection.

Carolina Herrera Floral Sheath Dress
$1,990.00, BergdorfGoodman.com

Giorgio Armani Belted Coat & One-Pleat Trousers
$750.00-$2,050.00, BergdorfGoodman.com

Seeing a lot of these pretty tailored looks in Resort this year (like the above). Of course, there are still a few designers showing the flowy boho looks as well:

Gucci Strapless Printed Gown
$2,450.00, NeimanMarcus.com

Here are some more accessories:

Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Painted Platform Sandal
$760.00, NeimanMarcus.com

Valentino Ricamo Macro Paillettes Tote
$2,395.00, NeimanMarcus.com

Hot Fall Look

2009-09-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a hot fall look I love (tho not preggo-belly friendly):

Versace Cutout-Back Gown
$4,400.00, BergdorfGoodman.com

With these pretties:

Manolo Blahnik Snakeskin Button Sandal
$865.00, BergdorfGoodman.com

Friday Faves: Twilight

2009-09-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Today's Friday Faves post is dedicated to my love of the Twilight books and movies. First, let me explain how it all started.

Having heard some of the usual stereotypey complaints, I wasn't initially interested in reading the books. However, a few friends of mine (Mia, Dani, Mel, and Julie) recommended I give it a try, as they know I am a hopeless romantic and felt that I would like it. Combine that with the hype of the first movie, and I decided to give it a go, buying eBooks for the entire series (didn't want to invest in the books until I knew I'd like them - though now I have the entire set in hardback, of course). One weekend, I sat and read Twilight, and fell absolutely in love with Bella and Edward's romance. I decided to read Midnight Sun next, which gave me a nice Edward POV transition into the next books. Even though I was already smitten as soon as Edward said "and so the lion fell in love with the lamb," I was completely hooked after seeing one of the most romantic lines I have ever seen in Midnight Sun: "her existence was excuse enough to justify the creation of the entire world." Dead. Completely gone. Over the course of one week, I could not stop reading the rest of the saga, even staying up late on work nights until I had them all finished, and owned the DVD of the first movie. I went from skeptic one day, to Comic Con pass-carrying fangirl who can't wait for the slightest glimpses of the next two movies being filmed.

Now, this post will actually be more of a soapbox rant, because I feel like it is my duty as a fan of the saga to share my responses to the usual arguments against Twilight. But first, I want to share why I love these books so much: Bella and Edwards's romance is the number 1 reason. I adore the unrequited and star-crossed love that both of them feel so deeply. As a person who is actually in this type of sickly-sweet lovey-dovey romance of their own, I can totally relate to the all-consuming nature of their love, and how neither of their lives were truly complete until they met. I put Bella and Edward among my personal favorite romantic couples of all time, along with Jack and Rose, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Satine and Christian, Romeo and Juliet, and Tony and Maria. I also love these books because they are total escapist fantasy. Since this is a mythical world, it is fun to fantasize and read about it and break away from the dramas of the world today. I love the beautiful, romantic one-liners that the books are full-of (such as "you are my life now"), and I also adore all the other Cullens and the actors who portray them in the films. There are numerous other reasons too, but the love story slayed me from the beginning, and will always be the primary reason I pick up the books again.

Now, onto my soapbox. Let me address some of the common Twilight criticisms. First, I would like to note that many of the people I have heard these critisisms from have not actually read all 4.5 books, so I find that often they are misinformed. Let me inform you now, and be aware that this will contain spoilers:

Twilight is anti-feminist because Bella chooses a man/marriage over college: this is completely wrong. If you read all books, you'd know that Bella was not making the choice in this way. Her choices were not college or marriage, in fact, she will have the chance to attend college multiple times throughout her immortal life. Her choice was actually for immortality. And lets be honest, when we are talking about the hypothetical world of immortality, choices like marriage and college (even if it were between the two) are pretty small in scale to the decision to live forever, and all of the things you could eventually do if you live forever (like going to college!). We should also note, that if you read all books, you'd know that Bella does not want to get married, as she didn't want to be "that girl," until she realized that none of the superficial reasons not to get married matter in the course of eternal life and eternal love.
Bella is too dependent on Edward: First, let's remember that Edward is also utterly and completely dependent on her, so this is a two-way street. Didn't Romeo and Juliet resort to great extremes as they felt they would rather not live than to live apart? Also, think back to your worst break-up. Didn't you feel like the world was ending? Remember, we see the books from Bella's perspective, so we see how difficult Edward's leaving is to her, just as if it were us. Big heartbreak totally hurts and sucks for everyone, especially someone young, who had found a love more deep and profound than many people ever find. Even the millenia-old Volturi were shocked to see the depth of the bond between Edward and Bella. A connection (fictional remember) this deep is bound to cause some co-dependencies. And Stephenie Meyer is the first to point out her characters personal flaws. None of them are perfect.
Bella gets married at 18: To go back to the points I made in my first bullet, if you read all the books you'd know a) Bella does not want to get married because of society's stigma with young marriage (so this point is addressed several times), and b) who the heck cares what age you are married when you live forever? Does it really matter in the scheme of eternity?
The books are for tweens/children: For the record, Twilight is categorized as Young Adult Fiction. Personally, given all the sexual tension and some violence that we see in all 4 books, I would not want a child or tween reading them. They are geared for teens and young adults. Harry Potter is for children. Twilight's subject matter is more mature (which is another reason why I love them :).
The books are not great: people may have this opinion, however, it can not be denied that they are good and that this is a cultural phenomenon. ALL 4 books have been on the NY Times Bestseller List Top 10 consecutively for over a year. That says a lot.
Stephenie sometimes strays from traditional vampire lore: Um, hello, vampires are not real. So technically, she can make up whatever the heck she wants about them. So just because everything doesn't match with Bram Stoker or Anne Rice's depiction of vampires, doesn't make it a less valid story (those were authors too, remember, who created worlds for their books). These are mythical, fictional characters and there is no "true" way to define them.

OK, off my soapbox now :).

Fall/Winter Shoe Trends!

2009-08-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

I saw some adorable new Manolos, and it inspired me to do a post on shoe trends for fall. We are all over the place with boots (so many styles are in, I don't know where to begin!), platform pumps, blinged-out flats, and t-strap sandals, so I figured there ought to be a post devoted to it.

First, check out these sweeties. Hello, I love you:

Manolo Blahnik Ankle-Cuff D'Orsay
$945.00, Bergdorf Goodman

Now, a Fall 2009/Winter 2010 shoe trend round-up, along with some of my fave picks for each category. Get those shopping lists ready ladies, because here is what you will need.

Platform Pumps

Christian Louboutin Lady Page Velvet-Bow Pump
$995.00, NeimanMarcus.com

Yves Saint Laurent Eelskin Pump
$875.00, NeimanMarcus.com
These shoes also capture Fall's red trend

Fendi Jardin Suede Platform Pump
$760.00, NeimanMarcus.com

To not break the bank:

Calvin Klein Lizard-Print Carley
$98.00, CalvinKlein.com
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

Guess Skylar
$110.00, Guess.com
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

T-Strap Sandals

Christian Louboutin Ernesta T-Strap Satin Sandal
$875.00, NeimanMarcus.com

Valentino T-Strap Bow Pump
$795.00, NeimanMarcus.com

To not break the bank:

Michael Antonio Torrance
$55.00, PiperLime.com
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

Report Signature Satin Dante
$195.00, Report Shoes
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

Jeweled Flats

kate spade Filipia Jeweled Ballerina
$240.00, NeimanMarcus.com

Vera Wang Lavender Label, Lisa
$295.00, Vera Wang
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

Juicy Couture Radical Jewel-Toe Ballerina
$175.00, NeimanMarcus.com

To not break the bank:

Banana Republic Nora Gem
$98.00, BananaRepublic.com
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

Nina Yori
$93.00, NinaShoes.com
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

Boots: Over-the-Knee

Dolce Vita Studded OTK Boot
$375.00, NeimanMarcus.com

Chloe Tied Leather OTK Boot
$1,295.00, NeimanMarcus.com

Christian Louboutin OTK Platform Boot
$1,995.00, NeimanMarcus.com

To not break the bank:

Bakers Faux Suede Boot
$100.00, Click here for Bakers locations
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

Boots: Foldover

Coach Sage
$528.00, Click here for Coach locations
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

$199.00, Rachel Roy
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

Alexandra Neel Blow-Up
$1,110.00, Barneys.com
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

Boots: Ankle Wedge

Kors, Michael Kors Daniella
$350.00, Michael Kors
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

Sigerson Morrison Funky Wedge
$495.00, NeimanMarcus.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs
$550.00, Bloomingdales
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

To not break the bank:

Paris Hilton Footwear Flipsy
$149.00, Macys.com
Photo Courtesy of LuckyMag.com

New Marc Jacobs Shoes

2009-08-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

MJ stuff is always adorable, but these shoes are especially:

Marc Jacobs Bow-Detail Pump
$390.00, NeimanMarcus.com

A fashionable business gal absolutely needs to add this to her fall shoe wardrobe. Available in burgandy or black leather.

Also, right now NeimanMarcus.com is offering free shipping with your $200 order with offer code SHIPNM.

Friday Faves: Pillsbury "simply" Cookies

2009-07-31T08:33:00.000-07:00

Since I make dinner from scratch every night, I sometimes want to be a lazy cook. But since I am used to that home-cooked taste, I don't want to sacrifice taste for the ease of ready-made items. This is why I am so happy that I discovered Pillsbury "simply" cookies.

They are ready-to-bake cookies that taste like they are homemade. Seriously! It is because they are made with all natural ingredients (the same you would use for baking cookies yourself: butter, eggs, flour, etc.). My husband and I through down the whole batch like it was nothing, as they were addictively good.

I will definitely buy these again!

Travel Tuesday: Camping Packing List

2009-07-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a few weeks since I last posted, but I have been busy travelling. :) We just got back from an amazing trip to Costa Rica. However, this Travel Tuesday post is not about Costa Rica (that one will come later).

As you know, the hubs and I camp as much as we can. Because of this, we have a master camping check-list for items to pack that we use each time. Because some friends have asked for this in the past and have found it helpful, I thought I'd share a generic version of the list here for you guys as well. Feel free to print and add to it for your own needs.

Camping Equipment

Charcoal/Wood
Lighter Fluid
Matches/Fire Starter
Lantern
Rags
Sleeping Bags
Tent
Spikes
Hammer
Chairs

Food/Cooking

Can Opener
Coffee
Sweet N' Low (or your preferred coffee sweetener)
Cooking Utensils
Dish Soap
Drinks
Water Bottles
Wine Opener
Food
Napkins
Non-Stick Spray
Paper Towels
Pots/Pans/Plates/Cups
Seasonings
Silverware
Trash Bags

Clothes/Personal

Egg Crate
Fishing/Rugged Clothes
Hand Soap
Hats
Night Clothes
Pillows
Socks
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Sweatshirts
Tennis Shoes
Toiletries
Towel
Travel Clothes
Underwear

Outdoor Accessories/Other

Binoculars
Cameras
Tripod
Fishing Poles
Tackle Box
Maps/Directions
Site Confirmations

Travel Tuesday: Where to Eat in Austin, TX

2009-07-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

For this week's Travel Tuesday post, I want to highlight my favorite places to eat in Austin, TX. If you know me, you know my husband is a proud Texan, and that Austin is one of his favorite places in the world. Because of this, I have had the opportunity to visit Austin several times. I have to say, Austin is my favorite city in Texas. It if fun, young, unique, cheap, and has a ton of great food! I often catch myself daydreaming about some of the good eats there that you can't find anywhere else. Since my husband lived there for 4 years when he went to college at UT (Hook 'em Horns!), he has some great experience with eating there, and thankfully, he introduced them to me.

Kerbey Lane
2606 Guadalupe St.
Austin, Texas 78705
512.477.5717

Voted Best Breakfast in Austin 2005-2009, this is a must-eat place near the UT campus. My recommendations are the Kerbey Queso (white cheese queso dip with guacamole in the middle) for $7.95, and their signature pancakes with blueberry (Short Stack is $4.25). My husband's death row meal includes those blueberry pancakes from Kerbey Lane. As he once described to me, they are as if they were created by the hands of God himself. My husband loves the hyperbole.

Picture of Kerbey Queso from the Kerbey Lane website.

Texadelphia
2422 Guadalupe (The Drag)
Austin, TX 78705
512.480.0107

Just trust me on this. I have never had anything like their Texas-style Philly Cheesesteaks and am salivating just thinking about it.

Picture of the Texican sandwich from the Texadelphia website.

Juan in a Million
2300 Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, TX 78702
512.472.3872

This joint has also been ranked in the Best of Austin, but not just for food, but also for best handshake by the owner Juan. Quite often Juan stands at the opening of the restaurant and gives you this sweeping, powerful, but like-he's-happy-to-see-you-again handshake. I have one recommendation for food here, and you'd be crazy not to order it: the famous Don Juan - El Taco Grande. For only $3.60 you will get full off this over-stuffed monster of a breakfast taco. Not only that, but it tastes delicious and will cure any hangover you may have from hitting 6th Street a little too hard on $2-$3 cocktails the night before.

Picture of the Don Juan from the Juan in a Million website.

Matt's El Rancho
2613 South Lamar Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78704

The hubs always told me about how amazing Matt's queso and fajitas were. I was skeptical at first, because I have had me some great fajitas in my day. I grew up in Southern California after all! But one visit to Matt's quickly convinced me. Yes, their queso dip is amazing (get one for the large one for the table for only $6.95), but their fajitas are where.it's.at. There is honestly something special about these fajitas that make them the best I have ever had. I couldn't place it for sure, but think it has to do with the marinade the meat has been in. Do check this place out for a nicer, sit-down meal in Austin.

Double Dave's
3000 Duval Street
Austin, TX 78705
512.476.DAVE (3283)

If you are looking for a quick and different bite near campus with cheap, cold beers, check out Double Dave's. I recommend it because they have these awesome pizza rolls that are something so delicious and different that it would bring me back.

Picture of their famous Peproni Rolls from the Double Dave's website.

Touche's
417 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78701
512.472.9841

Now, a lot of the bars on 6th Street and the area are a ton of fun and cheap as all heck. But there is one place that I recommend you stop while on your bar hop in Austin: Touche's. You MUST order a round of Flaming Dr. Pepper's. It is a drink and a show. Not only does it taste like Dr. Pepper, but it is only $7 (which in LA is the minimum drink price), but it includes a fire show by the Cocktail-esque show bartenders. Just remember to stand back!

Picture of the Flaming Dr. Pepper in action at Touche's. From this website.

Alright, now if you go to Austin, check these places out, and you can thank me later.

Travel Tuesday: Big Sur Coastal Drive Stops

2009-06-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Big Sur is one of my favorite things about California. It has been called "the greatest meeting of land and sea," and from my experience, I have yet to find a meeting of land and sea that was more spectacular. An unbeleivably pristine coastline on one side, and a barely touched ancient redwood forest on the other side make this coastal drive a sensory treat. It is so beautiful, so magical, that you can not believe you are still in California, or that you have not seen it before.

I have a few must-see stops when driving up the coast and through Big Sur that I always recommend to friends, so I thought I'd document them here in this week's Travel Tuesday blog post. Here they are for you to experience for yourself. This is done from Los Angeles to Monterey, so if you are doing this from the north (San Francisco south for example), you just need to reverse the bullets. You may want to print a map too so that you can gage how far you might be between stops. I like this map here.

The outlet mall in Camarillo has some great designer outlets, including the new Neiman Marcus Last Call, so stop for a quick shopping trip if time allows.
You'll drive through Santa Barbara on your way north. Enjoy the beautiful ocean views during this part of the drive, and if you want to stop, check out some of the boutiques on State Street, and finish off with a snack or meal at Longboard's on the pier. I recommend sitting on the patio.
If you have time and are interested, around Buellton you’ll see a turn-off to head towards Solvang (3-5 miles east from the freeway). Drive around Solvang for a bit, it is an old Dutch style town with old style buildings and windmills. Kind of a random piece of California to check out since you are in the area.
This part of the central coast is wine country (my beloved Sideways was filmed all around this area)!! Feel free to stop off at any of the wineries you see around here.
At this point, you won't be driving right on the coast, as the 101 has cut inland a bit. I highly recommend you stop in Santa Maria for the BEST BURGERS EVER (and where they filmed part of Sideways), go to Santa Maria Burger (used to be called Orcutt Burger): 1785 S Broadway, Santa Maria, CA 93454, (805) 928-0811. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. Burgers are huge, BTW, so doesn't hurt to share, and they only take cash.
Just south of Pismo Beach, right off the freeway, you’ll see a sign for Laetitia/Barnwood Vinyards. Their tastings are FREE so stop off for a quickie tasting.
Some cute towns around here are Cambria and Morro Bay. If you see signs for these towns and you need a bathroom break or snack, this is one of your last chances to see civilzation before Big Sur.
Next stop, San Simeon – you can see Hearst Castle up in the hills. If you have time, the tour is cheap and it’s a cool thing to see, but make sure you make note of the tour timing first (as the tour hours are limited).
Just north of San Simeon you’ll see a pull-off for the Elephant Seals. Definitely stop and take a look at them, they are amazing and right on the beach right off the road.
Next stop, Ragged Point. YOU MUST check out the view from Ragged Point. You can also get gas here if you need. Walk their little trail to the edge of the cliff to see the view of Big Sur.
On the right side of the road (if heading north) you will see a sign to pull off for Salmon Creek. I highly recommend stopping here and taking the hike. It is an easy hike (no incline), but you may find yourself crossing a log, so wear appropriate shoes. The reason this hike it so worth it is because it ends at a hidden lagoon with a waterfall. Amazing!
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (not to be confused with Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park which is farther north). Park there and walk to the ocean view of McWay Falls (this gorgeous hidden waterfall spilling onto the beach in an untouched cove…. Absolutely breathtaking).
Monterey. What more can I say besides that's it is part of California and literary history. Stop for some great seafood and check out Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row.

Enjoy! If you try this driving tour and check out any of these stops, I'd love to hear your stories and feedback!

Jimmy Choo to design shoes for H&M!

2009-06-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

The biggest news of the day! Jimmy Choo is joining the ranks of Roberto Cavalli, Karl Lagerfeld, and other elite designers who have created lines for H&M. These fabulous and affordable Choos are supposed to hit H&M stores on November 14th. Guess who's gonna be there opening day? This girl.

For more, click here.

Hot new Dior shoes

2009-06-12T08:28:00.001-07:00

When I saw these, I knew I had to do a quick post professing my love for them:

Dior Cannage Bow d'Orsays
$730.00, SaksFifthAvenue.com

Travel Tuesday: Tombstone, AZ

2009-06-09T08:21:00.001-07:00

Both Nik and I are big fans of the movie Tombstone. We thought it'd be a fun long-weekend getaway to drive to AZ for a camping trip and visit to Tombstone. Since Tombstone is small, it is very easy to do a walking tour, as most major historic sites are within a few blocks of each other. Here are my recommendations for places to see if you visit Tombstone:

Boothill Graveyard

Boothill is on the outskirts of town, so best not to try to walk there, but instead hit it up on the way into town. You'll see many famous grave sites, including the Clanton's and McLaury's after the OK Corral, and some famous humorous gravestone epitaphs, such as the one pictured above.

Tombstone Courthouse

223 Toughnut Street, Tombstone, AZ‎. A must-see.

OK Corral

326 East Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ‎. C'mon, you can't go to Tombstone without seeing the OK Corral! They have live reenactments daily at 2:00 and 4:00 pm.

Tombstone Epitaph

11 South 5th Street, Tombstone, AZ‎. Tombstone's newspaper. Free entry, and you can even pick up a free reprint of the paper the day after the infamous OK Corral showdown.

Big Nose Kate's Saloon

417 E Allen St, Tombstone, AZ‎. Great reuben sandwiches! Stop here to hear some live music, grab a cold beer, and a great reuben to take a break from your walking tour.

Crystal Palace Saloon

420 E Allen St, Tombstone, AZ‎. A piece of Tombstone history.

Bird Cage Theatre

527 E Allen St, Tombstone, AZ‎. Definitely worth taking the cheap and quick tour. Bullet holes in the ceilings, and a ton of Tombstone and Wild West history.

eLuxury Closing its Retail Operations!

2009-06-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

I just got an email announcing that eLuxury is closing its e-commerce retail operations on June 26th, 2009. Going forward they will be focusing only on "editorial content, information, and inspiration for luxury customers around the world."

What this means?

First, I am sad because they were previously the only outlet at which to purchase Louis Vuitton merch online.

Second, they will be having tons of sales this month as they prepare to close out the e-commerce operation. Keep your eyes on the site for what I expect to be some monumental sales on designer duds and accessories.

Fab easy decor idea from Paper Source

2009-06-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

I just discovered the Paper Source blog, and am hooked. Check out this article for an example of why this blog is so cool: Easy Home Decor Ideas: Recycled Vases. In the post, you'll find out how to do this with nothin' but fabulous paper and recycled household trash:

Travel Tuesday: Savannah Walking Ghost Tour

2009-06-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

Following up to last week's Travel Tuesday post for a Savannah long weekend itinerary, I wanted to detail out the DIY walking ghost tour the husband and I did during our visit. This information was found by some Google research and Google mapping. Some of the descriptive content below was obtained from a Citysearch listing of the Top Haunted Spots of Savannah.

Savannah is hailed as America's most haunted city. Even if you don't believe in this kind of thing, this is a great way to see a beautiful city with amazing homes, beautiful squares, and incredible architecture. These are also all historical spots, so why not check them out at least for the sake of exploring this city's rich and long history?

To follow the tour as we did, plug the addresses below in Google Maps' Driving Directions, but select the "Walking" option, so that you can get your directions by foot (without the restrictions of one-way streets, etc.). The Historic District is easy to walk around and navigate, and I arranged the tour below in order for you, so if you print your own map this way, it should be a piece of cake.

If you prefer not to DIY, there are numerous paid trolley and walking ghost tours in Savannah each night. But why pay when you can easily find everything yourself in a part of the city that is easily walkable?

Here's the tour we did! Enjoy, and let me know how it works out for you if you ever take this tour on your own!

1) Mercer House - 430 Whitaker St, Savannah, GA 31401. This is the famous house where Jim Williams fatally shot his lover, Danny Hansford. This murder was the topic of the book and film "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."

2) Sorrel-Weed House - 6 W Harris St, Savannah, GA 31401. This is a stop on the official TAPS Ghost Hunters Tour. We even got to sneak inside the house at night after one of the paid tours had entered! It was exciting being in a supposedly haunted house by ourselves in the dark at night.

3) Hamilton-Turner Inn - 330 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401. Samuel P. Hamilton is thought to roam the mansion's second floor, which belonged to "Mandy" in "Midnight."

4) Juliette Gordon-Low Birthplace - 10 E Oglethorpe Ave, Savannah, GA 31401. The birthplace of Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon-Low.

5) Colonial Park Cemetery - E Oglethorpe Ave at Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401. Some say they have seen a deceased couple floating in the graveyard.

6) 17 Hundred 90 Inn and Restaurant - 307 E President St, Savannah, GA 31401. The brokenhearted ghost of young Anna Powers is said to occasionally tease the visitors in room 204 of this brick-and-clapboard inn.

7) Kehoe House - 123 Habersham St, Savannah, GA 31401. Legend has it that a lady in gray haunts room 203 of this bed-and-breakfast.

8) Marshall House - 123 E Broughton St, Savannah, GA 31401. This hotel once served as a Union Army hospital so it's no wonder guests often report sightings of Civil War soldiers

9) The Olde Pink House - 23 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401. This popular tavern is said to be haunted by its builder, Gen. James Habersham, who appears in the restaurant.

10) Hampton-Lillibridge House - 507 E St Julian St, Savannah, GA 31401. Reportedly, a sailor hung himself in one of the rooms in this house once owned and renovated by Jim Williams.

11) Pirate's House Restaurant - 20 E Broad St, Savannah, GA 31401. Supposedly haunted by sailors, seadogs, privateers, and even pirates.

12) Moon River Brewing Co. - 21 W Bay St, Savannah, GA 31401. Was investigated by TAPS on Ghost Hunters.

Friday Faves: Express Editor Pant

2009-05-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

For today's Friday Faves, I am expressing my love for Express Editor Pants.

Image Source

These are seriously the best. pants. ever. I own them in several different colors and fabrics for work slacks, a few different denim forms (wide and skinny leg, and in a few different colors), and in various forms of crop. They fit perfectly and are very flattering, with flares in just the right places, and a waist high enough to smooth out the flaws. Versatile and comfortable, I can not get enough Editor pants.

Another plus is that Express tends to have sizing in different pant lengths too (short, regular, or long), which is a dream for those tall skinny girls who can never find pants long enough, or those short curvy girls (ahem, me) who always have to get their pants altered. Yay for Express and their fabulous slacks.

Travel Tuesday: Savannah! An Itinerary for a Long Weekend.

2009-05-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

For today's Travel Tuesday blog post, I wanted to highlight a very recent trip. We were fortunate enough to be able to attend Sarah and Lenny's wedding in beautiful, peaceful Savannah, GA at the beginning of May. In order to try and get a good experience of the city, we decided to make a long weekend of it. The itinerary I put together for the hubs and I turned out really well, so I thought I'd share it here (with a few modifications to fill in the time we spent at the wedding with a few more activities for any readers who want to use this itinerary).

This is the first of two parts for Savannah, as I will break down a specific walking tour for our "Ghost Hunt" evening in next week's Travel Tuesday blog.

Enjoy, and if you ever find yourself in Savannah and doing any of these suggestions, please let me know how it turns out for you!

I still havent uploaded our pics from our DSLR, so I will edit this post later once those pics have been added. I just have a few from our point and shoot sprinkled throughout now.

Savannah Style

So, naturally, I had the perfect outfits planned for Savannah... though I am glad I realized that people don't really wear big floppy Scarlett O'Hara hats, and ditched the hat before leaving the hotel. It is humid and you'll be doing a lot of walking, so light, comfy clothes and shoes are best. There are also a lot of cobblestone streets by the river, so if you do opt for stiletto heels (as I always do), plan those outfits for days when you are not by the river (or secretly bring flip flops in your purse to switch the shoes out when necessary...shhh, don't tell anyone I was wearing flip flops). Here are some of my fun Savannah outfits:

Thursday Night or Early Friday Morning

Fly into Savannah/Hilton Head Airport. FYI, not many cab drivers in the city take cards (wha? where am I...?!), so either bring cash or call Yellow Cab (1-866-319-9646). Savannah Yellow Cab became our best friend, as they were one of the only co's that accepted plastic.

Friday Morning

Get yourself to the Historic District! There are many great hotels right in the action. We opted to stay slightly away from the action (The Baymont Inn & Suites in Garden City) because it was not only 1/3 of the price of hotels in the Historic District, but also included breakfast, airport shuttle, and shuttle to/from the Historic District for free. But most of the activities suggested in this itin take place in the Historic District, so you may want to opt to be closer. We were very happy with our choice in the Baymont, though.

Walk around the historic district to start taking in the beautiful trees with the famous Spanish moss, and the amazing historic buildings. Your hotel should have a map, or you can view one here. The area is pretty small, and can be easily walked around.

For "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" fans, you can check out the Mercer Williams House at 429 Bull Street, Savannah, GA 31401.

Friday Afternoon

Lunch at Mrs. Wilke's Boarding House at 107 W. Jones Street, Savannah, GA 31401. Reasonably priced and has been labeled as some of the best eats in Savannah. The staff even wore fun T-Shirts that said something to the effect of "If the Colonel made our chicken, he would have been called the General." Be aware that they have odd hours (as do a few Savannah restaurants), with a break between lunch and dinner and Sundays closed.

First African Baptist Church at 23 Montgomery Street, Savannah, GA 31401. One of the oldest black churches in the country, and the first in Savannah. Was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. Call 912-233-6597 to schedule a free tour!

Sit on a veranda somewhere and enjoy a mint julep! I did not get to do this, as I had just found out I was pregnant. Maybe someday!

Friday Evening

Dinner at the Olde Pink House at 23 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31401. This is a more upscale restaurant, and reservations are recommended. I can not recommend you try this place enough if you are in town. It is upscale Southern cooking, with beautifully presented and unique takes on soul food favorites. The food and service were both top notch. I highly recommend the following food items: Caesar salad topped with crispy cornmeal-crusted fried oysters ($9.95), local shrimp served with country ham and grits cake ($8.95), and the oh-my-god-is-this-for-real declicious fried pork chops.

Take a romantic stroll through the Historic District. It is really warm and nice at night, and there are benches in all of the numerous squares throughout the district.

Saturday Morning/Midday

Cab to Tybee Island. Note that this is a pretty hefty cab fare ($45-$50 each way), so renting a car may not be a bad idea if you plan to venture to Tybee during your stay. For more information on Tybee Island, including downloadable brochures, click here.

Lunch at The Crab Shack at 40 Estill Hammmock Road, Tybee Island, GA 31328. Recommendation: get the Low Country Boil for only $12.99. You will not be disappointed!

Saturday Afternoon

Take a trolley tour of the Historic District. Sure, you've been walking around and have seen some things already, but it is really nice to be able to take it all in while seated, and with someone there to explain the history and significance of the old buildings and squares. We paid $20 each for a 90 minute tour. They usually run about $22 each, but there are coupons at most hotels for discounts.

Saturday Evening

Haunted Savannah walking tour. As Savannah is hailed as America's most haunted city, there are many, many paid walking and trolley ghost tours in the evening. The hubs and I decided to create our own walking tour based on some online research and Google mapping. Next Tuesday I will detail-out our walking tour.

We ended our ghost tour up by the river. We had dinner at Huey's on the River (115 E. River Street, Savannah, GA 31401) for some delicious Cajun/Creole cooking on the river front. Great crawfish ettouffee!

Sunday Morning

You can't go to Savannah without a trip to Paula Deen's Lady & Sons restaurant at 102 W. Congress, Savannah, GA 31401. We chose a good day to go, since Sunday they only serve their brunch/lunch buffet, and are onyl open from 11:00-5:00. This way we got to try a number of different items. Warning: after this you will officially be on fried food overload, and while it's all delish, you will probably need a fried food detox afterwards. :)

Stroll around the City Market section of the Historic District. Live music is playing and there are several restaurants, souvenir shops, and a lot of people watching.

Sunday Evening

I skipped right to the evening here, because they brunch/lunch buffet will fill you up and knock you out.

Dinner at The Pirate's House at 20 E. Broad Street, Savannah, GA 31401. I HIGHLY recommend as an appetizer the Low Country Spring Rolls for $8.95. They are spring rolls, but made up with southern delicacies inside like pulled pork and collard greens. YUM!

Romantic stroll along the river. There are a few bars, shops, and ice cream and candy stores with which to entertain yourself. Or just sit and relax by the river side and admire the steam boats rolling on down the river. ;)

Monday Morning

Back to the airport, and off to wherever you came from!

Friday Faves: Chanel Inimitable Mascara

2009-05-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Since starting the Travel Tuesday series this week, I felt compelled to do another series on Fridays, called Friday Faves. This series will review some of my favorite products (from all different categories), recipes, etc.

I actually was inspired to do this as I was applying my mascara, and realized that this is the only mascara for me. I am speaking of the amazing Chanel Inimitable Multi-Dimensional Mascara, which is available for about $30.00 a tube at fine retailers and the Chanel counter at department stores.

Photo source NeimanMarcus.com

Here are the reasons I kick the extra buck for this stuff:

1) Really gives the appearance of lengthening and separating lashes
2) Brush design somehow prevents it from ever getting gunky or misshapen
3) My prefered color (Noir, of course) is a rich, deep black
4) Helps hold eyelash curl nicely, even if you don't pre-curl
5) Color holds nicely throughout the day and is easily removed (unless you get the waterproof version, which is seriously waterproof)
6) One coat is really all you need... it goes on smoothly and evenly

If you find yourself looking for a new mascara, I highly recommend you give this one a try.

Now, TGIF and have a fabulous 3-day weekend! I know I will!

Travel Tuesday: Thailand!

2009-05-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

Those that know me know that I try and travel and adventure as much as I can. This past year especially, travelling and experiencing new cultures has become one of my biggest priorities. Since I have also been known to have tendencies towards the highly organized (read: anal retentive), I have had a lot of fun planning out itineraries and DIY tours for the places I visit by reading reviews and doing research prior. A few of my friends recommended I post some of these itineraries and recommendations on my blog so it can be referenced to help others who may travel to the same destinations.

Since I have many to share, I thought it might be fun to post them each in a weekly series I will call "Travel Tuesday." Today, I thought I would start with a bang by posting my recommendations for Thailand, our honeymoon destination.

I am a great budget traveler, and like to try and experience the "real" parts of places and cities, so I hope that this weekly blog series will be helpful to others who travel in the same way. That being said, the Thailand trip may be a bit different. While we are always budget concsious, since this was our honeymoon, we did splurge with our first accommodation, so I can't really classify that resort as budget conscious (fabulous yes, cheap no). Everything else in Thailand is amazingly reasonable (read: dirt cheap), however, so even if you are not honeymooning when you visit, you are sure to find some of this helpful.

Here goes! I will start by reviewing the cities visited, then the hotel accommodations, followed by tips on things to do.

We went to beautiful Thailand for our honeymoon. We wanted to experience as much of the country as we could, so we spent a few days in a more remote, beachy resort in a private villa with a private pool, followed by a few days in Chiang Mai for a more rustic experience staying in a converted rice barn, and finishing with a few days in Bangkok at a chic hotel to explore the city.

Khao Lak

The first part of the honeymoon was spent in gorgeous Khao Lak (on the Andaman Sea an hour north of Phuket).

Khao Lak is a resort beach in Thailand, located 80 km north of Phuket International Airport in Takua Pa district, Phang Nga province and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving trips to the Similan Islands.

The pristine coastline is synonymous with beauty. Nearby rubber and palm plantations dot the coastal region and most nearby inland areas. The major national Highway 4 runs north and south and mostly parallel to the coastline. Khao Lak is a thriving tourist destination for backpackers, up-scale tourists, adventure tourists and seasoned scuba enthusiasts. Local peoples are mostly Thai often with some Chinese ancestry. The diversity of ethnic groups and cultural influences within and surrounding Khao Lak makes this region rich in agricultural, fishing and dry good products. Tourism is Khao Lak's revenue generating entity, becoming Thailand's most popular jumping-off point for the world renowned Similan Islands.

Here is where we stayed:

The Sarojin (Pool Residence):

What we arrived to find :)

This tub and the rainfall shower were awesome.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have an important news flash: CANNONBALL!

We LOVED our private plunge pool.

The Sarojin Beach.

The resort's main pool.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, and is the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is located some 700 km (435 mi) north of Bangkok, among some of the highest mountains in the country. The city stands on the Ping river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya river.

In recent years, Chiang Mai has become an increasingly modern city, although it lacks the cosmopolitan nature of Bangkok. It has many attractions for the thousands of foreign visitors who come each year. Chiang Mai's historic importance is derived from its important strategic location on an ancient trade route. Long before the modern influx of foreign visitors, the city served as an important centre for handcrafted goods, umbrellas, jewelry (particularly silver) and woodcarving.

Here is where we stayed in Chiang Mai:

Fern Paradise:

We arrived to find a honeymoon surprise :). The resort was so serene, you'd hardly know you were in the city.

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital, largest urban area and primate city of Thailand. In the span of over two hundred years, Bangkok has been the political, social and economic center of not only Thailand but for much of South East Asia and Indochina as well. Its influence in the arts, politics, fashion, education, entertainment as well as being the business, financial and cultural center of Asia has given Bangkok the status of a global city. The city's mix of Thai, Chinese, Indian, Buddhist, Muslim and Western cultures combined with the driving force of the Thai economy makes it increasingly attractive to foreigners both for business and pleasure and has made the city one of the world's top tourist destinations.

Bangkok is the world's 22nd largest city by population with approximately 6,704,000 residents, but due to large unregistered influxes of migrants from the North East of Thailand and of many nations across Asia, the population of greater Bangkok is estimated at nearly 15 million people. This has in turn shifted the country from being a rather homogenous Thai population to increasingly a more vibrant mix of Western, Indian and Chinese people.

Here is where we finished our Thai adventure in Bangkok:

Dream:

We loved the funky, modern details of the hotel and the blue lighting in the rooms.

Reviews:

Hotels:

The Sarojin - Pool Residence. OMG, this was absolute paradise! We seriously considered just moving in while we were there :). The service was out of this world from the second they greeted us at the airport with a cold towel, beer, and our choice of playlist for the car. That was just a hint at how well you are attended to during your stay. Our room (or should I say villa) was spectacular, from the private plunge pool and Thai sala, to the rainfall shower. The food at both the resorts restaurants was top notch. They even have an "imagineer" on staff that will create any experience you want. He made sure to meet us right away and ask how he could surprise us :). The beach was amazing... we couldn't sleep the first few nights because of the time change, so instead took sunrise walks on the beach collecting shells. It was so beautiful. We also took advantage of the couples massage they threw in for our honeymoon, and found it to be the best massage we got the whole time we were in Thailand. We also took advantage of the resort's car service to town (Khao Lak) for some shopping, eating, and drinking. If you go to Khao Lak, the local restaurants in town are amazing and SO CHEAP! The Sarojin is the perfect honeymoon destination.

Fern Paradise. All the reviews of Fern Paradise on TripAdvisor (where it is the #1 ranked hotel in Chiang Mai) are true. The service was incredible, and you would have no idea that you are in the middle of a big city when in this haven. It is a family owned establishment, and that is just how you are treated: like family! As part of our package, we had a home cooked dinner for breakfast every morning, and it was GOOD! Also, thanks to the owner we had a good hook-up with a cab driver that took care of us during our entire stay. The cab driver (Patrick!) was our personal tour guide for our days in Chiang Mai. He gave us history, drove us around, stopping at spots he thought we might like to take a picture or shop, joined us for lunch at a restaurant he recommended, and waiting for us while we shopped the night markets. One thing to note about Fern Paradise: it is more like a B&B than a luxury resort, and it is tucked in a fern forest, so you will hear interesting insect sounds in the night outside your barn.

Dream. Dream was the perfect way to round out our trip. After the luxury beach resort and the rustic rice barn it was great to have some modern luxury. As with our previous two accommodations, the service at Bangkok was top shelf. The breakfast that was included with our room was huge and tasty, and we loved the modern blue lighting inside the rooms. We were also so close to so much action (it's right off Sukhumvit with its shopping, and near the sky train just a few stops from Siam). Bangkok was really fun, and a good way to ease us back into city life before the long flight back to LA. I had heard some say that Bangkok is not really a honeymoon destination (since it is a large, bustling metropolis), but we are personally sooo glad to have experienced it. Definitey spend time in a beach location too, but Bangkok is really fun and international.

Flights:

Korean Air. We flew Korean Air for our flights to/from Thailand. I don't have experience with other airlines that do this type of trip, but I can tell you that we loved Korean Air and would fly it again. The planes were huge and new, with private TV's for each seat. They feed you often (you have to try Bibimbap if you ever fly Korean Air and they offer it to you), and it is really good. The service was also great. Some of our US-based airlines could take a few pages from this book.

Thai Airways. For our within Thailand flights, we flew Thai Airways. They have so many scheduling choices, so this was pretty ideal. The service was also great, and they feed you every time (even if the flight is less than an hour). Once again, our airlines need to learn a thing or two!

Things to Do:

Relax by the beach and/or pool! You will be tired after an 18-hour plane ride and trying to adjust to the 14 hour time difference. Spend the first few days chillin.'

Go on a trek! In Chiang Mai we took a day to get off the beaten path. We went elephant riding, hiking to a waterfall, bamboo rafting, and visiting native tribal villages. Treks like this can range in price, so you may want to ask your hotel concierge for their recommendations. That is what we did, and we found this entire day trek for 1900 baht total for the both of us (which included transportation to and from our hotel and a Thai lunch).

Shopping! You MUST shop in Thailand. Whether it is one of the GIANT malls in Bangkok where you have 8 full floors of designer stores, or the Night Market or Sunday Market in Chiang Mai, or one of the many street markets in Bangkok, you will be in shopper's heaven. The exchange rate is so good that you can shop till you drop without dropping a lot of dough.

Your guy should also buy himself at least one custom tailored suit in Bangkok. The price is insanely cheap when translated to USD, and he can pick the fabric and lining, the cut, and have it cut and fit to him. For this I also recommend asking your concierge as I have heard quality can vary. The place we found even picked us up from the hotel for the shopping and fittings.

Eat! We ate CONSTANTLY because food was delicious and cost hardly anything. It was always beautifully and/or cleverly presented too (whether your meal cost 80 baht or 350). I could eat Asian food all day everyday, so I was in heaven. Service is also fantastic everywhere.

Visit temples! There are temples (wats) everywhere in Thailand (especially in Chiang Mai). We recommend visiting Wat Pra That on Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai. Not only are there gorgeous views on the drive up the mountain, but on top you can visit the royal family's winter palace (Phu Ping Palace - LOVE that name ;), and see one of Thailand's most spectacular temples (Wat Pra That). Make sure you dress appropiately and respect the culture when visiting the temples or palaces. Knees and shoulders should be covered, you should not do any PDA, and don't touch anyone's head (not that you would).

Get massages! Get them as much as you can. People are not exaggerating when they tell you massages are cheap in Thailand. We got hour massages for 200-300 baht (that is $6-$10 USD). You just can't beat it. Though unless you are familiar with Thai massage and like it rough, I recommend telling them to go light. I usually like a hard massage, but when I told them to use medium pressure, it still hurt a little (but felt great afterwards). They also offer relaxation massages and great reflexology foot massages too if Thai massage is a little too much for you.

Drink! Just like food, drinks are crazy cheap in Thailand. We found Singha and Chang beers to both be delicious (and the hubs claims that Chang is stronger per volume than US beers). We had fun checking out local dives in Khao Lak (and especially enjoyed finding an "Irish" Pub - where the hubs had to show the bartender how to make an Irish Car Bomb - which was on their menu). We also had fun checking out some of the bigger bars/clubs in Bangkok. We especially enjoyed Bed Supperclub, which is just around the corner from Dream.

Web-sites/Other Resources:

Kayak.com - Your one stop shop in airfare booking. It is a spider travel search site that searches all major airline, hotel, and travel sites (like Orbitz, Expedia, etc.) so that you can see and compare deals in one place. This is how we found the best deals on flights to/from and within Thailand, as well as the best rate for Dream.
TripAdvisor.com – TripAdvisor is a HUGE help in making accommodation decisions, as it is pretty intimidating booking something across the world. We literally read every review for all our choices which helped us to feel the most confident about our final choices.
LuxuryLink.com – if you are looking for an all-inclusive package anywhere exotic, they have some great deals you can bid on that include extras (like couples massages and dinners). It is a pretty good deal if you are looking for something extravagant, as you can get a package here cheaper than directly with the resort. We got a pretty good deal with The Sarojin booking directly, but this site is great for high-end resorts like Six Senses, etc.
See if there is an option for free breakfast or airport transfer with your hotel. Many offer this, and it will save you money. Plus the free breakfasts in Thailand are HUGE multi-course meals, and you usually have the option of Asian or Western style meals.
If you are honeymooning, tell everyone it is your honeymoon. The Sarojin greeted us with a congratulatory cocktail and bouquet when we pulled up, had a bottle of champagne in our room along with "Happy Honeymoon" spelled in rose petals on our bed, and a free couple's massage. Fern Paradise had a bouquet on our bed as well. Dream sent us a special dessert to our room that had "Happy Honeymoon" written in chocolate.
While many people advised us from going during the rainy season, it really didn't bother us much at all. It was not cold when it rained (and actually, rain was a pleasant escape from the humidity), and though it rained about 50% of the time we were there, it was absolutely beautiful in between, even for full days enough for us to participate in outdoor activities. Plus, the soothing rain sounds outside your door when snuggling with your SO, or surrounding you when you get a Thai massage make for a very relaxing and romantic time. :)
Make sure you always have address of your hotel, if not directions back to it, with you when out and about. Cab drivers don’t often know the hotels that well, so you may need to direct them a bit. Plus a map or address helps if there is a language barrier.
Which reminds me: don't let airport cab drivers screw you! They will try to tell you it is 800 baht from the airport to your hotel. Nothing is really more than 200-300 baht away if you go by the meter. Always ask them to put the meter on! Don't fear, most other cab drivers did not try to screw us... just the ones at the airport.
If you go to Bangkok, the sky train is a really efficient and cheap way to get around.

Martha Stewart Painting Techniques

2009-05-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, got an email from Martha today ;) with some great painting technique tips. Here they are for you to enjoy and employ:

Painting 101
How to Paint a Gingham Pattern
Learn a Faux-Bois Technique
Apply a Herringbone Design

From Martha Stewart Living eNewsletter.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2009-05-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well, life continues to change for us since we embarked on our adventure as husband and wife. The next phase of that adventure is happening right now! I am 8 weeks pregnant and due on December 21st. Looks like my fashion priorities will shift for the next year or so, as I will be trading this:

Manolo Blahnik Cage Boot
$1165.00, NeimanMarcus.com

For this:

Chloe Leather Ballerinas
$113.00, NeimanMarcus.com

And this:

Dior Cannage Medium Shopper
$2600.00, NeimanMarcus.com

For this:

Petunia Pickle Bottom Mocha Berry Cream Cake Baby Bag
$325.00, NeimanMarcus.com

But seriously, this could be fun! I could die:

Juicy Couture Smocked Terry Dress
$78.00, NeimanMarcus.com

For little Eva! Or if it’s little Grayson:

Juicy Couture Rightful Ruler Tracksuit
$98.00, NeimanMarcus.com

But this is my fave of all! One of my fashion goals in life is to own a Burberry trench. How adorably awesome that they have them for babies too:

Burberry Girl’s Classic Trenchcoat
$385.00, SaksFifthAvenue.com

I've been a bad, bad girl

2009-04-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

I realize that it's been over a month since I last blogged. Terrible, I know. I apologize for the angst that must have been felt by my 3 readers for the lack of updates. ;)

To assuage your pain, I thought I'd share this quick tidbit. I am stoked that there is now a Neiman Marcus Last Call outlet store open closer to LA! Here are the deets:

Neiman Marcus Last Call Clearance Center
Camarillo - NM Last Call
Grand Opening: April 23 at 10 a.m.

600 Ventura Blvd

Camarillo , CA 93010

805-383-5769

Arrive early for a great spot in line!Make plans to join us Thursday, April 23, at 10 a.m. for our Grand Opening. Arrive early for a great spot in line and be one of the first people to shop our incredible selection of designer apparel and accessories at as much as 65% OFF ORIGINAL NEIMAN MARCUS PRICES!

AND, if you have a NM card, you save an additional 5% off your total at Last Call stores.

Some of you may remember some great deals I have gotten at the NM Last Call in Primm, NV. I got some awesome Marc Jacobs heels for $100, a pair of fabulous Prada shoes for about the same, and my fave deal of all: I got my silver strappy Manolos (my wedding shoes) there for $400 off with outlet discount, plus 5% off with my NM card, and a 15% off coupon that I got from NM for that store via email. They were pristine too!

Fun St. Patty's Day Fare!

2009-03-17T11:34:00.001-07:00

So I know this is two blog posts in one day, but who cares. It's not like the blog police are gonna come after me.

I was thinking about how I can't wait to get home today to eat some yummy corned beef and cabbage. Subsequently I updated my various social networking statuses to that same thought, which prompted a question about recipes.

Traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner doesn't require a recipe. Corned beef is the easist thing to prepare, as most packs you purchase (which are also hugely on sale this time of year) include a seasoning packet. You just boil and wait whilst yummy smells waft through your house until it is tender enough to eat. From growing up, I always remember knowing it is done when it is so tender that you don't even need teeth to eat it :). You can accompany it with steamed and/or roasted cabbage and red potatoes (also on sale this time of year).

Reubens are another great option. I just slice the corned beef and add it to toasted rye bread with thousand island dressing, saurkraut (sp?) and swiss cheese. I leave the sandwich open faced and put in the broiler for a minute to melt the swiss onto the sandwich. This creates pure sandwich heaven. In thinking about what sandwich I would choose if I could only eat one sandwich for the rest of my life, it would most definitely be a good reuben.

Now, if you want to try something different with these great St. Patty's Day ingredients, I have found a few recipes lately that I really want to try. The first is from Ralphs.com:

Corned Beef and Cabbage Appetizer Dip

Ingredients:
1 head cabbage
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tsp. dried dill weed
1-1/2 cups chopped, cooked corned beef
1/2 cup sour cream

Preparation:
Hollow out the center of the cabbage. Coarsely chop the pieces removed from the cabbage and measure out one cup. Combine the chopped pieces with the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until blended – but you do want some texture to remain in the spread. Spoon into the hollowed-out cabbage and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with whole-wheat and rye crackers. Serves 12.

The second is from BettyCrocker.com:

Reuben Casserole

Ingredients:
3 cups hot water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 package (7.2 ounces) Betty Crocker® roasted garlic mashed potatoes
1 package (6 ounces) sliced corned beef, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) sauerkraut , rinsed well and drained
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (8 ounces)
1 tablespoon caraway seed, if desired

Preparation:
Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches.

Heat hot water, milk and margarine to rapid boil in 3-quart saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in mustard. Stir in 2 pouches Potatoes and Seasoning just until moistened. Let stand about 1 minute or until liquid is absorbed. Whip with fork until smooth.

Spread 1 1/2 cups of the potatoes in baking dish. Top with corned beef. Spread sauerkraut over corned beef. Spoon remaining potatoes over top; spread gently. Sprinkle potatoes with cheese and caraway seed.

Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Of course no St. Patty's Day meal is complete without a little something Irish to wash the food down the hatch. My faves are Guinness, Jameson's Irish Whisky, an Irish Car Bomb, or if nothing else, some kind of green beer.

Slainte!

Can I get married again...

2009-03-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

... just to wear this?

Photo from Net-A-Porter.com, unsure of designer or price... but I'm sure its someone fabulous and something expensive. ;)

In other fabulous news, I love these new Louboutins:

Christian Louboutin Dillian Pump

$2875.00, Bergdorf Goodman

2009 Oscar Fashion - My Picks for Best and Worst

2009-02-23T12:10:00.001-08:00

Those of you that know me know how much I absolutely adore the Oscars. Every year I try and see as many of the nominated films as I can, and I have hosted a "dress up" Oscar party for 7 years in a row.

Now that I have a forum in which to do this, I thought it'd be fun to share my picks for Best and Worst dressed on last night's red carpet. Here goes!

Best Dressed:

Anne Hathaway
Glamour goddess! The color was gorgeous on her porcelein skin, and the scaling on the skirt is to die!

Penelope Cruz
She looked like a princess. Very well put together, and the dress, though intricate in detail was still very tasteful.

Taraji P. Henson
This is like a gorgeous wedding dress. I love the soft chiffon tiers.

Sarah Jessica Parker
I just loved this dress! SJP was very Carrie in Paris with this ball gown.

Marisa Tomei
My favorite of the night was this ornately pleated gown on Marisa. I just absolutely loved everything about this dress, especially the assymetry.

Worst Dressed:

Tilda Swinton
OK, I know Tilda tries to go against the grain, but this is just bad. She has a figure and can be very glamorous, so why does she do this?

Heidi Klum
While I usually like it when people push it s little and try something different, this just wasn't right for the Oscar red carpet IMO.

Freida Pinto
I have seen Freida on the Best Dressed list in a few articles today, but I beg to differ. For what may be her biggest moment in the sun (ever), she should have really brought it (a la Marion Cotillard last year). This is a cross between that sad Laura Dern Golden Globes dress, a sorry sari, and something Scarlett O'Hara would have worn under one of her hoop dresses at the Twelve Oaks BBQ.

Melissa Leo
While this is a huge transformation from how she looked in "Frozen River," something just isn't right here. I think the gathering and the dropped waist are actually working against her, and not for her. And the hair? Hello Dolly.

Reese Witherspoon
She just didn't look good. The dress totally did not do it for me, and her smoky eye makeup made her look strung out, not "Oscar winner."

Virginia Madsen
This one's not that bad, but worth mentioning. She must be looking for her husband, George Jetaon, while this was being taken.

Dissapointment:

Kate Winslet
I don't hate it, but probably just because I love Kate so much. I just wanted something more, because she looked twice as good at both the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes this year.

Honorable Mention:

Beyonce
I bring this up, because even though this is on most of the Worst Dressed lists, I actually like it.

Amy Adams
Another one that has been listed on a lot of the Worst Dressed lists, I still want to give Amy (or her stylists) the credit for this unusual dress and necklace combo that works for me. Don't know if red if right for her though.

Evan Rachel Wood
She would totally have made my Best Dressed if it weren't for the tacky upper back tattoo. She is going for total glamour here (with hair and all), but when she turns around the tattoo ruins it for me.

Vanessa Hudgens
I have no idea why she's at the Oscars, but I do love this dress.

Angelina Jolie's Jewelry
The earrings and giant green ring were just breathtaking. There was some great jewelry on the red carpet last night, but this was just stunning.

Puttin' the flat iron aside...

2009-02-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

Yay! According to style.com, curls are in for spring! I guess that means I get to take a break from the 1.5 hour process of flat ironing out my waves.

Here's more info: http://www.style.com/beauty/thelook/013009_Curly_Hair/slideshow/

Spring Trend Preview

2009-01-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

eLuxury.com has a great Spring Trend Preview (click this link) that I thought I'd share. Now's a great time to get a head start on your spring wardrobe with this helpful guide to spring, shopping looks like assymetry, boy cut jackets, and a touch of boho. On the site you can find pretties such as these:

Phillip Lim Assymetrical Ruffle Tank Dress
$450.00, eLuxury.com

Jean Paul Gaultier Satin Ballet Flat
$450.00, eLuxury.com

On a budget (like me)? Take a look at these spring fashion-inspired items (similar to looks found on eLuxury's Spring Trend Preview) for these cheaper:

Silk Chiffon Rose Dress
$79.99 (on sale), Express

Scribbly Plaid Tube Dress
$69.50, Express

Multiple Pieces
$24.50-$29.50, Express

Foliage and Fowl Sheer Top
$22.80, Forever 21

Also good news for us budgeters: looks like our T-strap flat sandals from last summer will still pass! I have been seeing a lot of T-strap flats in the spring ads.

Because you know you love it, more healthy recipes!

2009-01-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

More of my faves from Cooking Light.

Coconut Curry Chicken

Ingredients:
4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (1 1/3 lb. total)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sweetened or unsweetened shredded dried coconut
2 teaspoons curry powder
Salt

Preparation:
1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Pour butter into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine coconut and curry powder. Dip chicken in butter to coat, then roll in coconut. Place chicken pieces slightly apart in the baking dish. Pat any remaining coconut mixture on top. Sprinkle with salt.

2. Bake chicken in a 350° oven until no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield Makes 4 servings

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 333(46% from fat); FAT 17g (sat 11g); PROTEIN 36g; CHOLESTEROL 111mg; SODIUM 234mg; FIBER 1.6g; CARBOHYDRATE 9.4g

Honey and Spice-Glazed Pork Chops

Ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low; add honey mixture. Cook 10 minutes or until done, turning pork once.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and 1 tablespoon glaze)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 321(34% from fat); FAT 12.1g (sat 4.1g,mono 5.5g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 34g; CHOLESTEROL 92mg; CALCIUM 50mg; SODIUM 557mg; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.7g

Pork Chops Stuffed with Feta and Spinach

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
5 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, diced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops, trimmed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Preparation:
Preheat broiler.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, tomatoes, and spinach; sauté until moisture evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses and rind.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each pork chop to form a pocket. Stuff about 1/4 cup spinach mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper over pork. Arrange pork on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. Combine remaining 2 garlic cloves, juice, mustard, and oregano in a bowl; stir well. Brush half of mustard mixture over pork. Broil 6 minutes; turn pork. Brush remaining mixture over pork; broil 2 minutes or until done.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 232(33% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3.4g,mono 3.1g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 32.1g; CHOLESTEROL 73mg; CALCIUM 186mg; SODIUM 640mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.2g

Spicy Orange Beef

Ingredients:
1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag brown rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
3/4 cup (1-inch) slices green onions

Preparation:
Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Combine rice and salt, tossing well.

Combine garlic, pepper, and beef, tossing well.

Combine rind, juice, cornstarch, and soy sauce, stirring with a whisk.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture and onions; sauté 2 minutes. Add juice mixture; cook 2 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Serve beef mixture over rice.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup beef mixture and about 1/3 cup rice)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 274(22% from fat); FAT 6.8g (sat 1.9g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 26.5g; CHOLESTEROL 69mg; CALCIUM 25mg; SODIUM 627mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 3.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.9g

Ooh la la Louis!

2009-01-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen the new Stephen Sprouse Tribute collection by Louis Vuitton yet, you must. I especially love the new take on the classic bags, like this Speedy:

You can see more at eLuxury.com, but unfortunately this little pretty is currently sold out for online purchase ($1,310.00).

I could die.

2009-01-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

I sooo <3 these new Manolos from the Spring Collection:

Manolo Blahnik Patchwork d'Orsay
NeimanMarcus.com, $825.00

That is all.

New Year's Resolutions and More Healthy Recipes

2008-12-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

We are rapidly approaching the time of year when we make those resolutions. Mine this year are:

1) To not use credit cards (tempting as it may be to bust out the plastic for a fab new bag)
2) To give back to the community (I am applying to be a Big Sister for BBBS)
3) And, as always (and like so many other people) to lose weight/get in shape.

The latter is something we all resolve to do each year. Last year it was easy since I had the wedding in June as a goal. This year I have my 10 year HS reunion (*gasp* has it been that long!?) in August. Yay for goals to keep us on track!

And because I found so many good ones, here are some more tried and true great healthy recipes from Cooking Light. Hopefully these will help you with your resolutions as much as they will help Nik and me again (as they did earlier this year).

Cilantro Citrus Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves
12 (8-ounce) skinless, bone-in chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preparation:
Combine first 7 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Place 6 chicken breast halves and half of herb mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Place remaining breast halves and remaining herb mixture in a second large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bags occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Let chicken stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt, cumin, and pepper. Place chicken, breast side down, on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 12 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 165°, turning once.
Yield 12 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 227(26% from fat); FAT 6.6g (sat 1.5g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 37.3g; CHOLESTEROL 102mg; CALCIUM 27mg; SODIUM 484mg; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.4g

Beef Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground round
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Cooking spray

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine all ingredients except cooking spray in a bowl; stir well. Shape mixture into 30 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs. Place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until done.

Yield 30 meatballs (serving size: 5 meatballs)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 228(35% from fat); FAT 8.8g (sat 3.4g,mono 3.5g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 27.4g; CHOLESTEROL 73mg; CALCIUM 95mg; SODIUM 370mg; FIBER 0.8g; IRON 3.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.2g

Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish-and-Roasted Garlic Crust

Ingredients:
1 whole garlic head
Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
1/3 cup prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (3-pound) beef tenderloin

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves). Coat with cooking spray; wrap in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Mash garlic pulp, horseradish, salt, basil, thyme, and pepper with a fork until blended.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Trim fat from tenderloin; fold under 3 inches of small end. Rub garlic mixture over roast. Place tenderloin on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Insert meat thermometer into thickest portion of tenderloin. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until thermometer registers 145° (medium-rare) to 160° (medium).

Place tenderloin on a platter. Cover and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Yield 12 servings (serving size: 3 ounces)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 179(38% from fat); FAT 7.5g (sat 3g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 24g; CHOLESTEROL 70mg; CALCIUM 22mg; SODIUM 117mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 3.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.5g

Chicken and Asparagus in White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add wine, broth, and garlic to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes. Add asparagus; cover and cook 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and juice. Serve asparagus and sauce with chicken.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half, about 5 asparagus spears, and about 2 tablespoons sauce)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 289(25% from fat); FAT 8g (sat 4.2g,mono 2g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 43g; CHOLESTEROL 114mg; CALCIUM 59mg; SODIUM 648mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 4.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.5g

Herbed Pork with Sautéed Wild Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Cooking spray
3 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 1/2 teaspoons steak seasoning (such as McCormick Grill Mates)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Preparation:
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Remove mushrooms from pan.

Rub steak seasoning and thyme over pork. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Combine broth and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add mushrooms and broth mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop and about 1/3 cup sauce)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 181(27% from fat); FAT 5.5g (sat 1.6g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 27.4g; CHOLESTEROL 78mg; CALCIUM 31mg; SODIUM 415mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.2g

Creative napkin ring idea

2008-12-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

I just loved the way my napkin rings turned out on Thanksgiving this year (love Martha Stewart), and am excited because I just found a new Martha Stewart napkin ring idea to try out next.

Here are my tissue paper flower napkin rings from Thanksgiving:

I just made the mini versions of these and wrapped the wire around the napkin:

Photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Here are the original instructions: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/pom-poms-and-luminarias?autonomy_kw=tissue%20paper%20pomander&rsc=header_8

Here is the newest idea I just saw today:

Photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Here are the instructions: http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/satin-bow-napkin-rings?lnc=55f7e0917df4d110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD

Can't wait to give it a try.

Why The Nest is Fabulous

2008-12-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

Many of you know how much I swore by The Knot when wedding planning. Well, I have recently fallen in love with The Nest (the version of The Knot for newlyweds/married hags)... but not for the same reasons. I don't use The Nest for the social networking aspects, but instead for the great advice and tips, like decorating, recipes, relationship advice, financial advice, etc.

The decorating advice has been my fave. Just like The Knot has pages and pages of pictures of wedding decor details in all styles and color schemes, The Nest has pages and pages of pictures of decor details by room, color scheme, etc. Here are some fabulous black & white decor ideas (and for those of you that know me, you know how much I'm into the black & white right now - esp. if there is damask involved).

Photo courtesy of TheNest.com

Photo courtesy of TheNest.com

Photo courtesy of TheNest.com

Photo courtesy of TheNest.com

Photo courtesy of TheNest.com

Photo courtesy of TheNest.com

Photo courtesy of TheNest.com

Photo courtesy of TheNest.com

Resort '09!

2008-12-10T17:59:00.000-08:00

I am LOVing the resort collections for '09. I always love resort, because it makes me imagine what I would wear and where I would travel if I were a jet-setter (like someone out of a Michael Kors ad, lounging on a yacht or climbing into a private jet). This year is exciting me especially, because it appears to be a cool blend of boho casual with black&white/brights chic.

Some of my faves:

Diane von Furstenberg Bow Strap Dress
$365.00, Bergdorf Goodman

Stella McCartney Bow Front Dress
$875.00, Bergdorf Goodman

Michael Kors Cashmere Tie Dye Top and Short Shorts
$695.00 and $398.00, Bergdorf Goodman

Michael Kors Cashmere Raglan Top and Dance Skirt
$650.00 and $1,295.00, Bergdorf Goodman

And how could you not die over all of these Sak's Editor's Picks from Oscar De La Renta's '09 Resort Collection?

Of course, how can I not include some hot shoes from the resort collections?

Christian Louboutin Petal Sandal
$995.00 Bergdorf Goodman

Some of my fave healthy recipes

2008-12-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

When on the pre-wedding diet, Nik and I experimented with a lot of delicious, but also healthy, recipes. We figured we'd need to find healthy foods that were so delicious that we wouldn't feel like we were dieting/sacrificing. Cooking Light was our savior! Here are some of our tried and true faves.

Chicken with Lime Sauce

Ingredients:
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
Cooking spray
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter

Preparation:
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Add chicken broth, sugar, 2 tablespoons juice, and mustard to pan; cook over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; stir well with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens slightly. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and butter, stirring until butter melts. Return chicken to pan; simmer 2 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 2 tablespoons sauce)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 260(26% from fat); FAT 7.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 3.1g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 40.7g; CHOLESTEROL 106mg; CALCIUM 32mg; SODIUM 382mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.4g

Pork Medallions with Apricot-Orange Sauce

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, cut into 8 (1-inch-thick) slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in apricots, broth, juice, garlic, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Serve sauce with pork.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 2 pork slices and 1/4 cup sauce)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 236(29% from fat); FAT 7.6g (sat 1.8g,mono 4g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 23.8g; CHOLESTEROL 63mg; CALCIUM 23mg; SODIUM 390mg; FIBER 1.6g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.8g

Broiled Red Snapper with Ginger-Lime Butter

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/4 teaspoon bottled fresh ground ginger (such as Spice World)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) red snapper or other firm white fish fillets
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and chill.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of fish with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place 1 fillet on each of 4 plates, and top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons butter mixture. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Yield 4 servings

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 202(29% from fat); FAT 6.5g (sat 3.2g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 33.6g; CHOLESTEROL 71mg; CALCIUM 53mg; SODIUM 546mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 0.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.2g

Broiled Lamb with Cilantro-Papaya Salsa

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 (3-ounce) lamb loin chops, trimmed
1 cup diced peeled papaya (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup prechopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño pepper

Preparation:
Preheat broiler.

Combine garam masala, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Rub both sides of lamb chops with garam masala mixture. Arrange lamb in a single layer on a broiler pan; broil 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat; sprinkle lamb with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

While lamb cooks, combine papaya and remaining ingredients; stir well. Serve with lamb.

Yield 6 servings (serving size: 2 lamb chops and 1/4 cup salsa)

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 160(32% from fat); FAT 5.6g (sat 2g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 19.7g; CHOLESTEROL 61mg; CALCIUM 34mg; SODIUM 261mg; FIBER 1.5g; IRON 1.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7.2g

Maple-Balsamic-Glazed Pork Medallions

Ingredients:
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Combine syrup and vinegar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 3 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in mustard.
Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place each pork piece between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt and pepper. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Add vinegar mixture; cook 1 minute or until desired degree of doneness, turning pork to coat. Place 2 pork medallions on each of 4 plates; drizzle about 1 tablespoon syrup mixture over each serving.

Yield 4 servings

Nutritional Information:
CALORIES 214(27% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 1.7g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 22.7g; CHOLESTEROL 63mg; CALCIUM 22mg; SODIUM 409mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.3g

To die for handbags

2008-12-01T09:20:00.000-08:00

I <3 Valentino so much lately. They have been coming out with the cutest feminine/glam shoes, and now these adorable handbags:

Fleur Satchel, $1495.00 at Neiman Marcus

Petal Dome Bowler, $2495.00 at Neiman Marcus

Oh, if I were a rich girl...

Our loft's transformation

2008-11-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post something that shows the transformation of our loft from a blank space, to our first decoration, to our most recent redecoration. Here goes!

Before (blank slate):

Our orignal decoration:

Painting the bedroom a very pale, but warm golden yellow. We got a beautiful dark wood bedroom set on eBay for about half the price of a department home store.

Here you can see part of the finished product. I painted a painting based on a photo we had of ourselves to go over the bed, and did the coloring and patterns to reflect the color scheme of the room (golds and reds). This started a trend that we carried throughout our entire decoration both this first time, and our recent redecoration: self-painted art. Once we put a few pieces of art on canvas on the walls, we decided to have all our art done this way. If we liked a poster or a piece of art we liked, we just painted it ourselves so things had a consistent feel, and it also allowed for us to custom-match the colors. What you can't see here is that we added red sheer curtains as well.

The downstairs living room color schemes were going to be green and purple, but we shifted it to green and brown. Since the downstairs living room's walls are 20 feet high, it was nearly impossible to paint the walls, so I painted a green block on one wall, and had tall bookcases on the opposite wall, in which we painted the back of the book cases in the same color of green. My father created the wood work in this room in a cherry color.

There was eventually a cherry wood TV stand with TV between the book cases. My dad also made the shot glass holder that you see on the right in our dining area.

In the kitchen we went for a green and purple color scheme. I painted the above painting, and we eventually painted the walls a dark mauvy purplish color.

For the upstairs loft we wanted to do a grey, blue, peach, and chocolate brown color scheme. We ended up painting 2 walls grey-blue, and 2 walls lighter grey.

The first pic is still while the work was in progress (before we had the big screen TV). I don't have a pic of the light grey-ish blue sheer curtains we added. The coffee and side tables were also built by my father. The painting on the wall was done by Nik, and was a snippet of a poem he wrote for us and our new life in the new apartment together.

To finish the room off, I painted a movie poster for each of us based on iconic classic movies we love. I did Cool Hand Luke for Nik, and Breakfast at Tiffany's for myself. We finished the upstairs patio off with a patio table set and a lot of plants (including a few hanging, which we don't have pictures of). It was our little Hollywood oasis.

Sadly, I can not find any other pictures of our dining room (which we had bold yellow walls, art, a table, and hutch).

Our most recent redecoration:

We painted the walls a deep purple color (Behr's Enchanted Evening).

We changed the bedding to all white, and all other accents and decor are white as well. We framed two B&W wedding photos for over the bed, painted white paintings for the walls, added white drapes, and found vintage white ceramic bud vases on eBay.

We painted the vanity area a light taupe (Behr's Parisian Taupe), and reframed our Roosevelt and Rodeo Drive pictures in silver frames with white matting.

We repainted the bathroom a light blue from the striped pattern we had previously, and framed a few of our wedding and engagement photos for the wall.

The walls in the dining room stayed the same color, but painted the table and chair legs black (were navy blue) and reupholstered the chairs with black and white fabric.

Painted the hutch black and added silver knobs. We also repainted the shot glass holder black.

Of course a new color scheme called for new hand-painted paintings in coordinating shades of black, white, and greys.

We painted the kitchen from mauve to grey.

And once again, all new hand-painted art for the kitchen walls in coffee themes.

The final transformation was for the downstairs living room. Just a new slipcover, new pillows (from Thailand) and a few new grey-toned paintings, and we had a whole new look.

A few recipes

2008-11-22T23:32:00.000-08:00

With this being turkey week, I thought I'd share a few recipes that people are always asking for. The first is the easy and oh-so-yummy Feta-Artichoke Dip:

Image from KraftFoods.com

Feta – Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 pkg. (8 oz.) crumbled feta cheese
1 jar (2 oz.) pimentos
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chopped artichoke hearts, drained

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. Stir all ingredients in a mixing bowl until well blended. Spread into 8” or 9” round baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until center is hot and top is lightly golden.

Here's a great dessert I will be making this Thanksgiving:

Image from KraftFoods.com

Chocolate Cheesecake Flan

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
6 (1 ounce) squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, divided
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
4 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 1 cup of the sugar in small heavy saucepan; cook on medium heat until sugar is deep golden brown, stirring constantly. Pour into 9-inch round cake pan.

Place 4 of the chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after each min; cool. Place milk and cream cheese in blender container; cover. Blend until smooth. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, eggs and melted chocolate; cover. Blend well. Pour over syrup in pan. Place pan in larger baking pan. Add enough water to larger baking pan to come halfway up side of round pan.

Bake 1 hour or until knife inserted 1-inch from edge comes out clean. Remove from oven. Place round pan on wire rack; cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight before unmolding.
Melt remaining 2 chocolate squares in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until chocolate is melted, stirring after 30 sec. Use teaspoon to drizzle chocolate in 5 or 6 random crisscross designs onto a sheet of wax paper; let stand until firm. Carefully remove chocolate designs from wax paper and place on top of flan to decorate.

Yield: 12 servings

I am testing out a few new recipes for Thanksgiving this year too (a Martha Stewart Green Bean Casserole and some Easy Mini Quiches), so if they turn out well, I'll share the recipes as well.