Winding Ruffles & Sticky Teaspoons

For fall I always scavenge designer collections and check out runways to find some essential styles that I must find, but at a more “wallet friendly” price. For this fall I have decided my shoe idols and inspiration for the future (more affordable) additions to my overwhelming shoe collection will be the following:

<3

Joie “Louie Louie” oxford $225

Miu Miu Suede Cutout Platform bootie: $650

Marc by Marc Jacobs wedge desrt boot : $350

Luxury Rebel “anastasia” over the knee studded boot : $465

YSL Croc Pump: $850

Other styles you should definately consider are some form of clog, a lace up boot, and a great leather riding boot.

-xxo

I am going to apologize in advance for the overflow of food related posts, but when I find a great restaurant, I have to talk about it. On weekdays, I usually get stuck eating whatever I can find in the kitchen, or grabbing take out, but today I decided to venture out with few friends to try Luna Park. Located right in my neighborhood, this hidden gem never inspired me to make a trip until my friend suggested it. I love restaurants that have an interesting menu like rock shrimp pizza, goat cheese fondue, lemon aioli artichoke, and do-it-yourself smores. The candlelit decor and hidden “booth cabanas” make it a great place for a date, they even have a great happy hour that lasts until seven. Love trying new places.

Mondays can be hard. It’s the first day of school or work for most, and the alarm goes off way too early. To make myself feel better about the long work week ahead,

I decided to take a look at a few things that always make me smile (or things that I plan on purchasing).

<Gummi bears & spicy Cheetos>

<Platters of sugar cookies by cute business cards>

<the know-it-all pencil set has my name all over it>

<Smiling measuring cups while making chocolate chip cookies>

<A floppy sun hat for under 5 bucks (Santee!)>

Whatever makes you smile early in the week, hold on to it until you make it to the weekend.

you ever have those funks that you get in. well needless to say that has been me the past few days. my mood = slightly drab.

in an attempt to boost my mood the obvious, retail therapy a good laugh, is necessary. unfortunately the only retail therapy ill be doing is paying bills, which is hardly therapy, so i scavenged my little dvd collection and remembered how funny the movie drop dead gorgeous is and thought id remind you all too! its a bit older, but its always a good time.

watch ASAP.

gather up your girls for a movie night this week. its one of my favorite things to do with my girlfriends. go to the market, get a bunch of snacks and watch a good funny movie.

if you havent seen this one, its a MUST

-xxo

Ever notice how bad or good things happen in 3′s? This past weekend, my router, modem, and computer all went down, and I had to replace all three. The upside to all this madness: I finally got a Mac. My wallet is still recovering, but I love how easy it is use my new computer, and I am already thinking of new desk options (clear or white?).

The rule of 3 also applied to my weekend (in a much better way). I went to the US Surf Open in Huntington Beach, shopped in Santee Alley, and painted my wall a slate blue color that I find myself staring at constantly. For those of you that have never been to Santee Alley in downtown LA, make it a priority to go. You can find everything from fabric to trendy footwear, wigs, and even birds. I love wandering around the alleys to find a quirky shop that sells unique merchandise, since most of the vendors can start to have similar stuff.

apologies for my recent blogging hiatus. life yah know. anyways. in addition to my mood being gloomy lately the weather here in los angeles has been gloomy in the morning times then releasing this insane sunshine come mid-afternoon. weirdly enough i cant wait to tap into my winter wardrobe and go shopping for boots & scarves.

lucky me. it was only 63 degrees one fine summer morning this past week in la.

h&m striped sweater, skinny jeans, steve madden flats, louis vuitton bag, foxtail

When I have family visit, there is an abundant quantity of home cooked meals and my fridge is fully stocked. I can barely fit into my pants by the end of the week, but it’s comforting to eat forgotten favorites and help out with the cooking, especially when there are a few pairs of hands for cleaning up. Two of our favorite recipes this visit included Fettuccine Alfredo and Cookie Dough Brownies. I used to think it was way too sweet to eat cookie dough (minus the egg of course) on top of a brownie, but I can safely say that my taste buds have adjusted.

<Cookie dough brownie, the final product…so good>

Recipe for Top Secret Fettuccine:

16 oz. Fettuccine pasta

3/4 cup butter

3 gloves of garlic minced

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup fresh parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup fresh parsely

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until done. Melt butter in a large saucepan, add garlic; cook and stir 2-3.

Add cream, salt, pepper. Heat, until steam rises. Toss cheese with cornstarch and add to sauce along with lemon juice. Stir constantly until sauce blends and it is creamy. When pasta is done, drain and add sauce, toss until pasta nis coated. Sprinkle with parsely and serve. Enjoy!

<Lemon Bird homemade jams…yum>

The main thing I love about craft fairs (even though this was my first besides going to local flea markets) is the specialization. Local artists focus on the one thing they are good at making whether it be personalized stationary sets, desert gardens in a bowl, or, my personal favorite, feather earrings. I made sure to be one of the first customers at the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend in a park neighborhoring China Town. The fair is only in its second year, but the quality of vendors and product is amazing. I spent the day trying homemade jams from Lemon Bird (loved the strawberry lemon basil), shopped for clothing at sabo, and drooled over a lambskin, scarf necklace. I can not wait until I hear of another craft sale to attend, but for now, I am going to take some of this inspiration and make some projects of my own (details to come.)

<Feather earrings, who could resist?>

<Desert garden in a bowl, cute and low maintenance>

<Message in a bottle service, they even deliver it for you! Love the typewriter>

<Wanted this cross-stitch wall hanging>

<Necklace scarf…I am going to try to make my own>

<Creative packaging caught my attention>

<Tasia in Free People, Kalyn in Rebecca Taylor>

After getting such a great response from a few readers, I feel that is important to introduce myself, Kalyn, and my co-blogger Tasia. We both live in Los Angeles, and graduated from the International Manufacturing and Product Development Program at FIDM. This gave us the opportunity to travel to Paris, Milan, Barcelona, and Hong Kong to research trends and shop at amazing markets (The Jade Market in Hong Kong was our favorite!). Since graduating, we both work for a premium denim label and started our blog. As the blog continues to grow, we hope to see your comments and welcome any new tips on restaurants or shopping.

<Jade Market in Hong Kong, We both got a Buddha necklace.>

<Merci: Store similar to Anthropologie in Paris:: Amazing Displays>