Pretty Wear

I'm totally digging Cacharel's Pre-Fall 2012 Collection. Although patterns & prints are completely in right now, I will always have a special place in my heart for minimalism and clean-cut looks. I love the neutral tones, subtle colorblocking and preppy/schoolboy themes in this collection. I love the elegance of the styling; the middle part in her hair, hair pulled back loosely into a low bun, etc. I'm also loving the juxtaposition of seasons--mixing of winter & summer clothes (sweaters with skirts, shorts with jackets, dress with a scarf, etc). Lovely, lovely, lovely!

-Samantha

Images via Style.com

Homemade Pumpkin & PB Dog Treats

Introducing...my puppy, Dakota!

and meet him at 8 months now...

Yup--my puppy is turning into a handsome doggie! We love him so much; he has been such a blessing to have as a part of our family! He keeps us active (at dog beaches, walks, doggie dates) and meeting new people all the time, he's so fun to play tricks with and he's so sweet & gentle. It's so nice to be greeted with a crazy wagging tail after work and to cuddle with him during movies :) 

I love my puppy! That's why I made homemade pumpkin & PB dog treats! They smelled so yummy while baking (but I didn't try one...) and I love that I knew every single ingredient I put inside them. I added oats & flax seeds to add more texture & nutrition to them. Dakota absolutely loved them and we had enough to share with his doggie friends. 

The happy puppy :)

-Samantha

Homemade Pumpkin & PB Dog Treats | Slightly altered from original recipe here

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  2 tablespoons flax seeds
  3/4 cup oats
• 
  
• Directions:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add water as needed to help make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick roll. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 40 minutes.

trend spotting: retro swimwear

Even though it's still Winter, I've been noticing a trend of retro, 1940s/1950s, pinup girl swimwear. I think it's absolutely adorable. I love how retro swimwear is so classy looking--way more modest than the skimpy bikinis at the beach and yet is still so flirty, edgy and complimenting to the body. Even more, retro swimwear carries many different styles that look great on all body types. Below I share some "then/now" pictures to show how the trend has reappeared. As they say...fashion always recycles itself :) I also decided to post images of a few swimsuits I found on the market now that are adorable. Other places you can buy retro swimwear at are: Modcloth,  Free People and Jcrew.

-Samantha

Then:

Now:

Taylor Swift in the cutest one piece

Taza with her baby from her blog | High waisted smock bottoms from Free People 

Aimee from Songofstyle.com!

Retro in 2012:

Don Marysia En Pointe Bikini | Anthropologie 

Salinas Stacked Odds Bikini | Anthropologie 

Long Soak Bikini | Anthropologie

Natalie One Piece | Anthropologie

Smocked Retro Bikini | Anthropologie

Sherbert Seersucker Bikini | Anthropologie

Friday Favorites

1. Succulents in a tin planter

I finally bought succulents to fill this cute little tin planter.  Confession: I haven't actually planted them in soil yet, but I just love them so much that I couldn't resist taking a photo of them. I love succulents for many reasons, the greatest being that they are so low maintenance. I once took a small branch of leaves from my cousin's succulent and replanted it, hoping for it to flourish. It did. Seriously, every time a leaf fell off, I just threw it back into the flower pot and it would grow into its own branch. So low maintenance. I can't tell you how many times I neglected that plant. I also love the colors--the purples, reds, green tones--it's all so organic & wild. Such a cute, easy and low-maintenance way to bring outdoor life into your home!

2. Geometric gold dipped earrings | amerrymishap

These earrings are one of my favorite pairs of studs. Jennifer made them smaller for me and gave them more of a defined "edge" look that I love. They are unique, interesting and fun. 

3. Sunday Dim Sum for Chinese New Year
It's finally the year of the Dragon again (my year). It's weird to think it only comes once every twelve years and that this is only my third dragon year I've lived through (including the one I was born in). If you haven't had Dim Sum before, it's basically like hot & steamy Chinese appetizers rolling around in carts around you in a restaurant. You just point to what you want and they give it to you. The pictures of the three balls are one of my favorite things to eat at Dim Sum--red bean sesame balls. They're kind of like mochi texture on the inside with red bean, and fried and rolled in sesame seeds. They're so delicious and starchy...and greasy.

4. Sweetheart Crop Corset | American Eagle
I've never been much of an AE gal, but I had a giftcard and this was my second time trying to find something to spend it on. I FELL IN LOVE when I saw this. The light denim wash, the retro, 50's swimsuit feel it has to it, the coral trim--I love everything about this top. I specifically bought it with Thailand in mind since Matt & I will be there in ~3 months! Anyways, I can tell this little top is one of those things I'll see in my closet and never get sick of.

5. Green Smoothies
This is definitely the new trend in my household. Green smoothies are amazing and so healthy for you. I seriously can't believe I started making them, but my mom (who is a dietician) is always raving about how healthy they are for you (they have 100% raw ingredients and therefore don't lose any nutrients). Some of the things I add in mine are: kale, spinach, carrots, celery, apples, pears, blackberries, bananas, oranges. The combinations are seriously endless. So refreshing, filling & seriously, so so healthy!

-Samantha

Baked Rosemary Carrot Fries

I'm not that big on fast food, but I love my French Fries. I love garlic fries, truffle fries, sweet potato fries, animal style fries from IN-N-OUT, McDonalds fries dipped in vanilla soft serve, etc. But, I do always feel slightly guilty when I indulge in them. Usually it's because I really indulge in them...like, I stuff myself with them. But, I found a guilt-free, just as satisfying treat for my cravings: baked carrot fries.

Toasty and crisp out of the oven, they really do taste like french fries. I like them simple & classy: dipped in some ketchup. If you're going to make these, I have a tip: don't add too much oil, they don't need that much & it helps keep off the calories. These are seriously the perfect snack especially when I'm craving something savory & fatty-tasting.

-Samantha

Baked Rosemary Carrot Fries | Slightly altered from original recipe here

1 1/2 lbs carrots

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt (You can omit this if you are going to eat them with Ketchup)

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

1 pinch pepper

Directions: 

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a shallow pan with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, slice away the tip and end of each carrot; peel each completely.Cut carrots in half crosswise, then cut lengthwise, then cut lengthwise again. In a mixing bowl, combine the carrot sticks, olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Place carrots in pan, spreading the sticks out as much as possible. Bake for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Serve hot or at room temperature. Indulge :) 

Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies make for a nice, fun alternative to classic chocolate chip cookies. Again, I packed away over half of them to give to Matt's coworkers so I wouldn't eat them all myself. They loved them! One of his friends even said it was his new favorite cookie! This cookie was soft but remained perfectly chewy. In many ways, it literally tasted like hot chocolate. The recipe calls for a blend of 3 different types of chocolate chips--white, milk & dark chocolate, and I decided to add marshmallows on top just to give it that hot chocolate feel & taste. These are one of the most irresistible cookies when they come out from the oven because the marshmallows become golden, melted & gooey. This recipe was definitely fun to make and would be perfect for any party, get together, or late night craving :) 

Enjoy! - Samantha

Hot Chocolate Cookies | Slightly altered from original recipe here

Ingredients:
2 sticks room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
4 packages Hot Chocolate Mix (not sugar free)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup each white, milk, and semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used butterscotch instead of milk)
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions: Cream together both sugars and the butter until light and fluffy. In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. I did this in stages, scraping the bowl each time. Add the chocolate chips to the cookie dough. This part gave my Kitchen-Aid a bit of a workout. The recipe says to chill the dough for an hour. Oops. I forgot to do that. They were still wonderful. Drop onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. I used my favorite tool for the job. My trusty ice cream scooper. Bake them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 9 to 11 minutes. At the last 2 minutes of bake time, add 3 marshmallows to each cookie. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Blackberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins

When life hands you lemons...and blackberries...and a tub of ricotta that's going to expire soon...what do you do?!?  You make Blackberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins! With all these ingredients lying around, I debated the endless possibilities of things I could make (mostly with the soon-t0-expire ricotta cheese). I considered lasagna and lemon ricotta cookies, but when I came across this recipe, I knew instantly that I had to try it. 

About an hour later, the most delicious muffins I have ever made came out of my oven. They were heavenly.  The combination of ricotta with lemon and blackberry was spot on. No flavor was overwhelming, but each one complemented each other perfectly. The anatomy of this muffin was dynamic: The topping was perfect--crumbly and sweet, adding delectable texture to the soft, less sweet body of the muffin. The blackberries added the most wonderful juicy burst into each bite. I instantly took a plate of them to my neighbors to avoid gobbling them all up by myself! 

I noticed they tasted better the second day. Like banana bread and cookies, they flavors come out after they've been allowed time to rest and cool off. (Although even with this knowledge I can never resist trying them straight out of the oven!) But this recipe especially needs the cool off time since blackberries tend to be very tart. The tart from the cooked blueberries was a bit overwhelming when they first came out of the oven, but the next morning the tart had died down dramatically. 

I can't wait to make these again! Perhaps I'll try subbing the blackberries out for blueberries :)

-Samantha

Blackberry Lemon Ricotta Muffins 

Yield: Makes 12 muffins    Cook Time: 20 minutes

Slightly Altered from Original recipe here

For the Muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

Zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup ricotta cheese (whole or low-fat is fine)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh blackberries

For the Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside. For the topping: In a small bowl, stir together sugar and lemon zest. Rub between your fingers; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the lemon zest and sugar together with your fingers. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar and lemon zest mixture together until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add the ricotta cheese and beat until smooth. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill each muffin cup half way with batter. Add three blackberries to each muffin cup. Top the muffins with remaining batter so blackberries are covered.  Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the muffins. Bake muffins for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown. Let muffins cool for five minutes and serve.

Friday Favorites

h a p p y 

f r i d a y ! 

I'm attempting to post 3 of my latest favorite things every Friday. I predict it will include a lot of baked goods, fashion, home decor & my dog Dakota. Only time will tell :) Enjoy! 

1) Double Case Leather Watch | Urban Outfitters (sold out)

I have to say, whenever I see this watch on my wrist, I fall in love with it all over again. It's sleek, has a thin leather band with crocodile texture, the faces are petite (perfect for my small wrist) and the gold accents are gorgeous. I love the roman numerals--it gives it that antique feel. Seriously this watch was worth every penny (& I think it was only $38)! Right now I have one face set to California time and the other to Shanghai time in honor of one of my closest girlfriends who is teaching there.

2) "Read My Palm" OPI Nail Colour | Sephora

This is the perfect opaque, light jade green nail polish to satisfy my recent obsession with seafoam green. It has the perfect combination of green & blue and would look great on any skin tone. Sometimes I don't like wearing bold colors,  so having a hint seafoam green on my nails is perfect. 

3) Madewell Arrow Drop Bracelet | Madewell (sold out)

This is another item I love, love love. I picked it up at Madewell during my last trip in NYC. I can't get enough of it. Weather I wear it layered amongst other bracelets, or all by itself, I can't help but constantly admire it. It's tarnished gold so it which contrasts perfectly with its dazzling rhinestones.

- Samantha

My Dream Job: Naming Nail Polish

"What's your dream job?"

I'm always getting asked that question. Maybe because I'm 23, and in the world's eyes it's my time. The world is my oyster and I'm supposed to be chasing after my dreams and figure out what I'm doing with my life. Well I've finally decided...my dream job would be to name nail polish (so ambitious).

Who does that anyway? I'm so jealous. I mean, I'm sure that's not all they do. But how cool would it be to have that job?

"So what do you do for a living?"
"I name nail polish."

Not that it's an easy job...you have to be creative, innovative, quirky, etc. I want to meet the person who names OPI's nailpolish. What a dreamy job...thinking of cool names and getting an endless supply of the nail polish you're naming. It's such an inspirational position to be in. I mean, whenever I'm feeling uninspired, all I have to do is walk into Sephora and look at OPI nailpolish. Seriously, their names get me so excited. Here are some examples (try to imagine the colors!):

Get in the Expresso Lane
I Eat Mainely Lobster

Miami Beet

I Think in Pink
Mimosas for Mr. & Mrs.
Chick Flick Cherry
That's My Fuschia Husband!

The Way TuTu His Heart
Traffic Stopper Copper

Once a Cheetah, Always a Cheetah
Hippo to Be Square
Fiercely Fabulous

Sometimes I'm not sure whether I want to buy OPI's nail polish because of its actual color, or because it has a cute name. Man, talk about good labeling. I mean, we buy nail polish for its color, not its name, right? No one will ever say to you (except maybe me?), "Oh my gosh, are you wearing Hippo to Be Square!?" *Sigh* No one will ever even know it had such a cute name. Oh well...at least I know & I looooove it!

- Samantha