A Studded Holiday

A Studded Holiday 

Cutout dress / Vince dolman sleeve top, $245 / Isabel Marant oversized shirt / Free People sheer legging / Velvet skirt / Zara ballerina shoes / Free People leather wallet / Rhinestone jewelry

I've forgotten how satisfying coordinating looks on Polyvore is. Sure I'm supposed to be studying for finals right now, but taking a break on Polyvore is immensely gratifying. 

Right now I'm completely infatuated with these Zara flats. They're perfect in every way – the crazy studded embellishments, block heel and pop of black on the ankle strap. This is how I'd love to style it if once I get my hands on them. I'm combining a lot of my favorite textures at the moment: crushed velvet, thick knit sweaters, brocade, studs (always a must) and sequins.

Can you believe how quickly the holidays are approaching? It seems like it's really flying by this year. I'm not sure if it's because of how busy I've been as of late, but it seems like a lot of people feel the same way as well.

What's on your holiday must-do list?

As soon as finals as over, I have a full list of things I need to do:

• Bake Try to bake my first homemade apple pie
• Try to test out my list of accumulated recipes (kale, potato & sausage soup, quinoa salads, whole wheat raspberry dark chocolate bread, the list is endless)
• Enjoy a peppermint mocha while cozied up in knit scarves, beanies and sweaters galore
• Bake gingerbread then make a gingerbread house
• Make homemade hot cocoa with a peppermint candy cane
• Holiday shopping for my beloved family and friends
• Read tons of books (My must-read list has been adding up)

Bottega Louie

Indulge in the eye candy.

For my mom's birthday, I took her out to Bottega Louie for Saturday brunch and macarons! If you haven't been to Bottega Louie, it is definitely worth the trip out to LA. It's a lovely experience, and the food is absolutely divine. We ordered a lobster hash, blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes, and portobello fries – and of course, a few macarons and beignets for the road!

Frosted

A cupcake date at Frosted cupcakery with my close friend from SF.

Sprinkles

Sprinkles cupcakes are the ultimate indulgence (especially when they're free)!

Leap Year

A photo from a trip to LA a couple weekends ago.

Happy Leap Day! The day that only comes around every four years. It seems like all sorts of companies are putting out special deals to celebrate the 29th. Sprinkles Cupcakes is giving a dozen free cupcakes to anyone who has a birthday on Feb. 29th, Disneyland is open for 24 hours (which I'm so bummed I can't go to because of school), Subway is giving away free cookies with every purchase, and tons of retail stores are offering 29% off. It's very exciting in an odd sort of way.

Speaking of deals, tomorrow is the first of the month so Frosted Cupcakes is giving away free mini cupcakes of their flavor of the month.
How drool-worthy is Paris Fashion Week? Everything is so lovely. I'll have a PFW review up by the end of the week!

Auntie Em's

A couple weeks back, my cousin and I tried out Auntie Em's in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles. They're best known for their flat chewy cookies, which were featured on Food Network's Sugar High. Though after trying out their flat chocolate chip cookie, red velvet cupcake, Cajun Turkey Sausage open faced sandwich, and their half soup half tuna sandwich, I have to say that their red velvet cupcake is the best part of Auntie Em's. The cake was fluffy and moist in the perfect shade of red and a cream cheese frosting that nicely complimented the cupcake. While they do have daily specials and soups, I think that their savory dishes are so-so, but if you're in need of a treat to quell your sweet tooth, I would definitely advise a stop in at Auntie Em's. To top it off, the interior design of the breakfast and brunch stop was adorable– a great mix of vintage inspiration and mismatched quirkiness.

Tea Rose Garden

A lovely mom and daughter day spent at the Tea Rose Garden in Pasadena. It's an adorably quaint little place that serves a variety of teas, pastries, scones, and finger sandwiches. The interior of the cafe was very whimsical and organic (even all the tea sets were different), it brings out the dainty, polished lady in everyone. We got the Tea Rose Afternoon Tea, which allowed us to choose our sandwiches and pastries. For the sandwiches, we got the chicken almond, goat cheese & sun-dried tomato, and cranberry chicken, which were all absolutely divine– the goat cheese & sun-dried tomato was oh-so yummy. For the tea time bites, we chose the creme brulee cheesecake, espresso brownie, and lemon bar. They came in petite sizes, which resulted in a natural elegant pinkie extension– I felt so poised. We went for a more fruity taste and chose the lemon raspberry scone. I was a touch skeptical about choosing a fruity or floral tea because I tried berry herbal tea once and it tasted like I drank a flower. However, upon the waitress's suggestion, we went with a passionfruit black tea.... It was so delicious! Add in a couple adorable sugar cubes and a splash of milk and my tea experience became heavenly. Our order also came with spring petal salad, with real flower petals in it (I wasn't sure if I was supposed to eat it... but I did anyway), rose sugar cookies, and fresh fruit. Along with delicious tea-time favorites, they also sell fresh flowers, cards, and unique tea sets.

I had such a fun time with my mom; we bonded and chatted over a delectable selection of tea time delicacies, then wrapped up our little date with shopping in Old Town Pasadena. It's a perfect place to take your moms for Mother's Day.

Halloween Healthy Treats

photos taken from realsimple and family fun then edited myself

The hallmark of Halloween is in the candy and delightful scariness. While everyone knows that Halloween is definitely not one of the healthiest holidays, here are a few fun ways to take a heath-conscious approach to this spooky tradition. Whether you’re planning a Halloween bash or staying in with a set of scary flicks on this ghostly night, these healthy treats are sure to kick your night up a notch.

First off, a sweet and tart treat to whet the appetite: Caramel Apples. It’s a traditional treat that calls up memories of childhood. It's a pretty simple and straightforward recipe. Also, try out some white chocolate-dipped banana ghosts! They offer fruit and chocolate, yum!

Second, a savory snack to quell those monstrous stomachs: Pizza Mummies. It has a spooky quality to them, while remaining savory and satisfying.

Lastly, a tantalizing treat to satisfy your sweet tooth: Daddy Long Legs Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cupcakes. This creepy crawler cupcake delivers a nutritious punch and a chocolate-y kick that will give you an energy boost on Halloween night, and the morning after! I used this chocolate chip pumpkin muffin recipe from cupcakesandcashmere. I prefer to use a muffin recipe because it's more wholesome and less sugary, and once you top them with chocolate frosting and you can't even tell the difference. To decorate the cupcake muffins to look like daddy long legs spiders, use this recipe.

Save your physique and stop boring your taste buds with the same old sugary candy confections, mix it up with these healthy treats that scream Halloween.

Coffee Cup Cafe

I've been working a lot this summer, usually from Monday to Friday, and sometimes you just need a break from the norm to jazz things up again. My eating habits have become quite monotonous as of late: yogurt or cereal for breakfast, cold turkey sandwiches or chicken mozzarella paninis (I bring a panini maker to work), sliced peaches or strawberries as a mid-day snack, and rice with protein and veggies for dinner. So this past Friday, my mom and I decided to take a spontaneous trip to Long Beach and hit up this mom and pop place called The Coffee Cup Cafe for brunch. I initially heard about this place from That's Chic when she did her Tasty Tuesday post. Her egg white, spinach, mushroom, spicy sausage scramble looked sooooo delicious that there was not doubt in my mind what to order once I got there. The shop was quiant and the staff was immensely cheerful and friendly. Our waiter was super nice and willing to help us choose our orders. We ordered the Baja Burrito (a breakfast burrito favorite), Veggie Scramble with egg whites, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and country potatoes, and a single slice of French Toast. Their French Toast is amazing... It was sweet and mouthwatering; I especially loved that you could order it in one, two, three slices, or in a full order. Love the options! The veggie scramble was as good as it looked, which was amazing. It even tasted good the next day. The burrito was delicious, but definitely share! It was enormous! Also especially tasty with the green verde salsa.

It was pretty genius to place two boutiques right next to the Coffee Cup Cafe, while I waited for a table, I went into Twig & Willow. It was a store filled with unique pieces from various brands. But it's highlight was their selection of jewelry made of gold, silver, and precious stones from a wide variety of brands. I loved one of their initial circle charm gold necklaces.

Long Beach is a great city for good eats and quirky shopping. I started college on Monday, and it's been an astounding and eye-opening experience so far. There's a ton of freedom on a college campus, not to mention tons of places to eat (three Starbucks baby! and a Cha for Tea across the street :D). My favorite place on campus... The Student Recreation and Wellness Center. It's the school's new gym that has an indoor track, a pool, a rock wall, basketball court, volleyball court, a raquetball court, tennis court, and numerous workout/cardio machines. It's my favorite part of campus :) I'm there every day.

I've always harbored a love for Rilakkuma, the Japanese bear, so on a recent shopping trip to Rowland Heights with my Aunt Robie and cousin Cayli (they are becoming a lovely routine), I got myself a Rilakkuma plush from Takashima Gift Store! Lately, I've been bringing Rilakkuma with me everywhere. So naturally, he came along with us to Coffee Cup Cafe. Rowland Heights shopping trip post coming soon!

Lastly, I received my UO trap ring on Monday. It was the highlight of my day! It fits perfectly, and I adore the versatility of it. I can wear it a ton of different ways on my fingers. Post on my new beloved ring coming up!

I've got LOTS of posts coming up, so stay tuned ;)