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!

Valentine's Day Pretty

   It's that time of year again. Sure Valentine's Day is slightly overrated, but whether you hate it or love it it's a cute concept. Why not celebrate love? Love for your significant other, your friends, your family...even yourself! Whether you've got plans to go out on a date, grab a few drinks with the girls, or stay home in comfy pajamas with a nice glass of red wine (which just so happens to be what I'm doing right at this very moment), this Hallmark holiday is a great excuse to get dolled up and make yourself feel like the lovely girl that you are. :)

   I've put together a little make-up guide using images of my favorite Victoria's Secret models. They are, after all, unfairly gorgeous and the poster women for romantic glamour.

   I opted for a soft, feminine, and somewhat natural palette. After all, it's not attractive to overdo it. If you've got big plans for this Valentine's Day, remember to focus on one of your features. For instance, smokey eyes and bold lips don't always work well together. More importantly, don't forget that you're already gorgeous and don't need multiple coats of paint on your face. Your date is lucky to be stepping out with you. :)

Burt's Bee's Honey and Tinted Lip Balms - burtsbees.com

Benefit Cosmetics Lip Stain in "Posietint"

These are my personal favorites! Benefit's Lip Stain can be used as both a lip stain and a cheek stain. Burt's Bee's tinted lip balm gives off a natural hue that never dries out your lips and doesn't fade away. As for the honey lip balm, I never go without it. :)

Nars Blush 

Nars Illuminator in "Super Orgasm" 

Peachy pink with gold glitter...who can resist that?

Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zings

Clinique Brow Shaper

I've been guilty of neglecting my eyebrows. Apart from getting them waxed regularly, I used to never touch them. It's only recently that I realized how important it is to take the extra ten minutes to touch up your arches. It can really change the way you look! Both products boast "smooth, perfectly-defined" eyebrows. The brushes that come with them are designed for creating a natural shape that you can control with accuracy. Check out the reviews and see for yourself. 

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in "Nectar"

Dior Iconic Mascara

I'm a pretty big fan of Bobbi Brown cosmetics. I don't usually splurge on make-up, but when I do I'm pretty particular about what I buy. Bobbi Brown's color palettes are mouth-watering. Peach-toned make-up simply looks good on everybody. As for Dior, I was gifted a sample of this mascara and I loved it! While I've yet to find a perfect mascara (as in, one that volumizes and is completely clump-free), this one comes pretty close. And if you're feeling really flirty, go ahead and add a bit of eyeliner. 

I hope this inspired you guys! Make-up isn't necessary but it is one of the perks of being a lady. :) All products except for Burt's Bees lip balm are available on sephora.com. Thank you for reading! Have a great week everyone! :)

Ellie Saab Spring 2012

   Is anyone else a fan of this designer? I'm a huge fan. I must say, if I had the money and the appropriate events to wear his designs to, I'd practically live in Ellie Saab's gowns. Here are some of my favorites from the 2012 collection.

Three Ellie Saab gowns that I find to just be overall gorgeous...

Thank you for stopping by!

A Few of My Favorite Things

   How's everybody's weekend going? :) Tonight is the first night I actually get to relax since I started moving earlier this week. Most of my things are now unpacked. I also got my car back today! After my LA adventure 2 weeks ago, I must say it's been a very exhausting month for me. Soooo how do I spend a low key Saturday night? By procrastinating/pretending I don't have homework, playing video games, and browsing the internet (I'm somewhat of a nerd I suppose).

   I've put together a small list of the things that have been cheering me up lately. Sometimes it's the little things that can make a long week (or month in my case) more bearable.

   1. This image of Prague from Tumblr. For some people their goal in life is to own a house. For me, my goal is to someday save up enough money to take a year off and just travel. 

   2. Chocolate coconut almond scones from Joy the Baker...yum! Chocolate + coconut = win. 

   3. "Shake It Out" by Florence and the Machine has been the theme song of my life lately. She's a wonderful artist. Her lyrics are inspiring and her songs are so damn catchy. Anyone else a fan?

   4. This Indian Enchantment Dress by FP. So beautiful! Where would you go while wearing this dress?

   5. Mario Badescu's Strawberry Face Scrub. I wrote a post a while back on Mario Badescu. I ordered some of the products online and I am so happy with the results. My skin has been visibly smoother since I started using this brand. The strawberry scrub is my favorite. It smells amaaaaazing...like a field of fresh strawberries and it has tiny beads that exfoliate the skin. It's like a slice of heaven for my face. 

   Thank you for stopping by! Have a great weekend everyone. :)

Black and White: Home Inspiration

   Hello everyone! I may not get to post for a while. I've found myself suddenly having to move to a new apartment this week. January has been a very tricky month for me. Thank you for the sweet comments on my car breaking down in LA. Life can be so unpredictable sometimes...and not always in a good way.

   Moving's usually a pain for me because I don't like packing. But then again who does? To psych myself out I've been browsing through my favorites on my pinterest and have put together a small collection of my absolute favorite rooms that are black and white themed. I do love colorful spaces, but there's something about simple black and white that's so elegant. What do you think? Do you ever dream about the rooms you'd love to have someday? :)

   Let's just say that if I were loaded, I would not mind owning a home with each and every single one of these rooms. A girl can dream right? :)

   Bedroom: Design Sponge
   Kitchen: Dust Jacket
   Bathroom: Parlour
   Sun Room: Daily Dream Decor
   Closet: Apartment Therapy
   Living Room: Stay Gold

Golden Globes

   I didn't catch the Golden Globes but I did see all the pretty pictures and boy...this year some of the gowns worn were knockouts. I've put together a collection of my favorites. Who are yours?

   Can I just say that someday I would love to look like Helen Mirren? I mean seriously...what a classy lady. Talk about aging gracefully. 

LA and Deborah Lippmann

   Hello everyone! It's been a while since I last posted, I apologize. This past week was my last week of winter vacation before my classes start and, unfortunately, it's been very stressful. :(

   Ever been on a vacation that went horribly wrong? This week my boyfriend and I were invited by his mom to go to Disneyland. It was an all expenses paid trip - who could turn that down? It was a lovely gesture, and I felt very lucky to be invited. The only stipulation: we had to drive down in my car.

   I've owned my car for over 3 years now and I've never had any problems with it - ever. Sadly, as my luck would have it, just when we reached LA my car broke down. We just barely made it to our hotel. Short on money, we were very close to being stranded so far from home. Long story short, it turned out that the entire bottom of my engine was fried so my car is currently in LA being fixed while I am in San Francisco...without a car and broke from shelling out $3000 for a new engine.

   I've put together this little outfit guide to cheer myself up. The outfits I chose were centered around four shades of Deborah Lippmann nail polish. I hope that you guys will like it as well. :) How's everybody's January going so far? Hopefully better than mine!

   First Row:

   Nail Polish: Happy Birthday
   Top: Zara Linen T-Shirt
   Watch: Michael Kors Rose Gold Watch
   Shoes: Zara Crepe Wedge

   Second Row:

   Nail Polish: Forget You and Don't Tell Mama
   Top: Zara Printed Top
   Jacket: Zara Neoprene Studio Jacket
   Shoes: Urban Og Crochet Ballet Flats

   Third Row:

   Nail Polish: Brick House
   Dress: Free People New Romantics Wrap Dress
   Earrings: Urban Og Leafy Path Earrings
   Shoes: Urban Og Buckle Round Toe Wedge

Thank you for stopping by!

2012

   Hello everyone! I hope you all had a fun and safe New Year celebration. :) This is my first post using personal pictures. I'm curious to see how everyone decided to glam up this year. I decided to aim for a casual but chic look.

   Tights and blazer: Forever 21

   Heels: Jessica Simpson

   And for my make-up I swiped on some dark liquid eyeliner on my top lids and underneath my lower lashes I used Urban Decay's Heavy Metal Gliter Liner in Distorion. It's my favorite party make-up. It stays in place and brightens up your eyes. :) If you guys want to give it a try, I definitely recommend buying it. It's worth the purchase. All you really need is a coat of this pretty eyeliner and mascara. It's a great way to glam up in 5 minutes.

Have a fantastic new year everyone!