A Garden

   I've been savoring the last of summer by spending a lot of time outdoors lately. Apart from a much-needed camping trip to Yosemite (pictures soon),  I've also been spending my lazy afternoons sitting around in my boyfriend's amazing backyard. I wish I had a garden of my own! Helping my boyfriend and his brother water their herbs and veggies really brightens my day, especially before I have to go to work.

   Gardening is awesome. Seriously, it's such a relaxing and rewarding experience. Although it's not my backyard, I often find myself eager to help tend the garden and get my hands dirty. There's nothing quite as satisfying as growing, harvesting, and preparing meals with produce fresh from the backyard. People tend to live life with such a disconnect from our environment and the very things in nature that we rely on and cannot exist without. It's good to be reminded that we have evolved to be a part of our planet and to take care of it, not to simply take. 

   When you put a lot of hard work into something, you really learn to appreciate what you're doing.

   In case you're curious, my boyfriend and his family are growing onions, bell peppers, various assortments of tomatoes, thyme, pumpkin, lavender, basil (homemade marinara sauce simmered in wine is ridiculously tasty!), eggplant, chili peppers, and more. :) Have I convinced you try your hand at this yet?

   Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Change Is Good

   It's generally not a good idea to take time off and let your blog collect dust (oops), but a series of events and circumstances have happened to me recently and absorbed most of my time. I'm now attending a new university, I just returned from a camping trip in Yosemite, I'm recovering from some car troubles, and I had to move unexpectedly this summer. With school and work consuming most of my time, I'm going to do my best to engage in the blogging world as regularly as possible. :)

   That said, I made a few changes to my blog. I've decided to focus less on fashion and more on other things that inspire me - art, food and wine, design, making environmentally conscious shopping choices, and the little things here and there that make life exciting. We live in an acquisitive culture, and while I'm all for stocking up on fall booties and gushing over a new pair of earrings, I am also a firm believer in selective shopping and saving more money than I spend. Life extends far beyond material possessions (though browsing through scores of fashion blogs online could certainly convince you otherwise). I want to get back to creativity and the things that I'm truly passionate about and enjoy. After all, what's the point of a lifestyle blog if it's not personal enough?

   On that note, I'd like to share a few things that inspired me this week...

1 & 2. Dean and Deluca's Oats & Honey Pancake Mix + Black Truffle Pesto + Balsamic & Herb Dipping Oil (perfect for entertaining or keeps!) and their Tunisian Spreads Collection ft. a black olive spread, sun-dried garlic spread, an artichoke spread, and garlic cloves blended with olive oil (is anyone else thinking sandwiches?!)

3. Terrain candles: Milk & Honey + Pumpkin. I don't know about you guys but I am so ready for Fall and holiday-scented candles! 

4. Belle Maison's DIY candles (so darn pretty)

5. Cinnaholic's vegan cinnamon buns with custom-flavored frosting and toppings

* I discovered this urban treasure just yesterday and (please pardon my fangirl moment) OH MY GOD, these bad boys are so delicious! They tasted better than any other cinnamon bun I've ever had in my entire life! If you ever find yourself in Berkeley or San Francisco, you would be crazy to not stop by this place. Seriously, Cinnaholic's cinnamon buns need to go on your bucket list. I am officially obsessed.

6. Some gorgeous art by Chipmunk Cheeks on Etsy.

   I'd like to mention that my aunt recently returned from Seattle and generously had me try some garlic truffle salt and basil olive oil from Pike Place Market. I learned a valuable lesson: some things are actually worth indulging a little extra money on - fresh seafood, shade-grown & fair-trade coffee, and quality condiments. I tried both the basil oil and garlic truffle salt, and I was blown away. The flavors were intense, and the oil was so ridiculously fragrant. A little goes a long away, so you definitely get your money's worth. You don't need to get too fancy, but investing in select top-shelf oils and condiments can make all the difference in your culinary endeavors. Doing so, I've learned, can create a rich, multi-dimensional flavor profile that simply wasn't there before.

   I hope you'll enjoy my new take on this blog, and thank you for stopping by! :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

Baked Peaches With Caramelized Sugar and Mascarpone Honey Cheese

   How's everyone doing? I came home late from work tonight and had the sudden urge to...bake! I was inspired by this recipe from Joy the Baker, but given that I don't like apricots and usually prefer to bake/cook things that only take 5 minutes, I tweaked the recipe a bit. Basically I used brown sugar instead of granulated sugar. I used a slightly underripe peach (the cheese and sugar are too sweet for a ripe peach plus I like that extra crunch) and baked it at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes. I also mixed a spoonful of mascarpone cheese with a tiny bit of honey. The result...

    Happy Tuesday everyone! Thanks for reading my blog. :)

Food Obsession: Nutella

   I've recently rediscovered Nutella. I tried it twice when I was a kid and liked it but never really went crazy over it. Lately, however, I've been spending a lot of time with my younger cousins/siblings. Can you imagine what being around young adult males does to your diet? I'm pretty good about what I eat. I've got a sweet tooth and I enjoy chocolate chip cookies just as much as the next gal, but I usually stick to fish and fruit. I study Dietetics so I'm usually pretty careful about what I eat. When my cousins come home with McDonald's or KFC I never touch that garbage. But Nutella on the other hand...

  

 I've discovered the perfect combination: Nutella and honey wheat pretzels. It's soooo bad for you! But that's what desserts are for, and let's face it - Nutella is not breakfast, it's an indulgence. :D Terrible for the hips but great for the soul. Top it off with a glass of cold 2% milk and you're set. What's your food indulgence? 

Girl Crush: Mila Kunis

   On the note of fashion, I just thought I'd throw in a style/girl crush post. Does anyone else like Mila Kunis? I love her! She's so unfairly gorgeous and picks great red carpet outfits.

Happy Tuesday everyone! Here's to hoping the weekend arrives quickly. :)

Vanity Fair Oscar Party

   Hello everyone! I apologize for the inconsistent posts. I just finished the last of my midterms today, and I've been busy planning my birthday, which is this Saturday (March 3rd). I'm getting my first tattoos as a birthday present to myself!! I'm very excited. :)

   Also, I'd like to mention that a friend of mine was invited to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party! It pays to be a model. ;-) So I've put together a collection of my favorite outfits from the event. What do you think? My personal favorites are Kristen Wiig and Olivia Wilde. What gorgeous gowns! I love the colors they chose.

   I'm not a fan of Miley Cyrus, but sometimes (sometimes) the girl knows how to dress. I'm a bit on the fence about the dress, but I loooove her nails and hair. Thoughts anyone? What are your picks?

   Thank you for stopping by my blog!

Style Says + Nan SF

   How is everybody? :) It's been a busy week for me and I've got some exciting news. I've been selected as a featured stylist on Style Says, and I'm absolutely delighted! My page is brand new and a work in progress, but if any of you have the time please check out their website! It's got a lot of inspiring images.

   Yesterday was my lovely little cousin's 21st birthday, and we celebrated by going to Nan SF. I have to admit, I'm a little unfamiliar with Korean food, but I'm glad we went cause it was pretty good! The restaurant served complementary "side dishes" composed of bean sprouts, seaweed, and sweet potatoes. The seaweed was delicious. I love seaweed.

   I tried a trend that might be familiar to some of you: wearing feathers in your hair. I attached it to a bobby pin and hooked it onto a small braid in my hair so that it would stay in place. Have any of you tried this look before? What do you think?

   I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. Have a great President's Day weekend everyone!