I'm In Love With A Computer

Life has been way too crazy. And with the way the economy is right now, I shouldn't even be looking at something like this. But I have to have it. I say that about a lot of things but this is totally blog worthy. :)

Everyone, please say hello to the HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam edition Clutch.



Isn't she beautiful? :)

Less than 1" thick and just 2.45 lbs... and she's ENERGY STAR® qualified!

August Restaurant Review

Spice Market [Meatpacking District, NYC] 08.08
Ordered: Tasting Menu, Lychee-Raspberry Bellini, Orchid Oolong Tea
Review: My first taste of the renowned Jean-Georges. Great Ambiance. Loved the exotic feel. Good timing in serving each dish. The tea is served by the pot so it's good for sharing. Overall fun experience.
Must Try: Shrimp Tod Mun Pla, Ginger Fried Rice, Ovaltine Kulfi for Dessert

Hill Country BBQ & Market [Midtown, NYC] 08.09
Ordered: 1/4 lb Brisket Moist, Small Mac & Cheese, Small Green Bean Casserole
Review: Fun, Western cowboy atmosphere. You go up to each counter and order your own meat and sides. The meat was delish! Not a good idea to go in a dress.

Rayuela [Lower East Side, NYC] 08.10
Ordered: Benedict a LaMaga
Review: Earthy and chic. A yummy brunch! I ate every bite!

Toro [South End, Boston] 08.14
Ordered: 1 order of pinchos per person, 8 tapas dishes for 3 people
Review: Easy-going vibe with cozy decor. Communal tables. Good amount of food.

Terramia [North End, Boston] 08.18
Ordered: Soup, Crostata, Pork Tenderloin + a glass of Pinot Grigio
Review: Cozy and comfortable. The service is very nice. The hummus in old that comes with the bread is very good. Decent food and for my first time in the North End -- a cute and quaint experience. I'll definitely have to visit the area again.

Mike's Pastry [North End, Boston] 08.18
Ordered: 2 chocolate chip cannolis and 2 eclairs
Review: Very large pastries and very rich. A bit touristy. I was done after two bites but I've never had a big sweet tooth. Def not bad. I think I'm just biased and I miss my French pastries.

Aquitane [South End, Boston] 08.24
Ordered:Brioche French toast, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Blueberries & Crème Fraîche
Review: An upscale yet cozy French eatery, perfect for a Sunday brunch. The service is proper and the food in the right portions. Not too sweet or too rich. A classy find.

Breakfast

I don't buy breakfast everyday but it's true that unless you've had the 'most important meal of your day' you can't function as well. Today, I woke up half an hour before I was supposed to be at work. I didn't make it in until about an hour later than usual. But I don't really mind because I was lucky enough to grab a bite to eat. I know I was late but I had just missed a train that I didn't want to run for so I took my time and stopped into Au Bon Pain. Usually, I'm a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts depending on my mood. ABP can get expensive but it's no doubt their baked goods are top notch.

The first thing I see when I walk in is a sign for a banana wildberry smoothie and wow! It is so much better than your generic strawberry smoothie! Then, I decided to go with an asiago cheese bagel since I knew I was getting a sweet beverage. I had a tough time deciding which cream cheese to pick but I grabbed a sun dried tomato since I thought it'd be nice to try something new. I must say that although it is such a simple thing--breakfast, I am thoroughly enjoying it and hopefully, I'll remember to do so more often.

Haute Joaillerie

I know I haven't been posting much lately. I've been uber introspective so I've posting private on xanger. :P But I came across this today. I'm really not sure how but hot damn, I fell in love before I could even exhale!

Take a look at this beauty! What I love most is not the size of the diamond but rather the cut and setting of the ring. The attention to detail in the prongs is absolutely to die for. Drool away ladies!

I was telling a friend that I would never wear this big of a rock for the fear of being too heavy on my hand and getting robbed. It probably looks better in the picture than in real life anyway. Hehe.


This Chopard ring is from the "Haute Joaillerie" collection and features an extraordinary 31 carat "D" color, "IF" Ashoka cut diamond.

Listed on Lussori

More Stationary

I was catching up at {Snippet & Ink} when I saw this picture in one of the inspiration boards. I love the design of this letterpress invitation at {Linda & Harriet}. I think they would make for great personal note cards.

For Whenever Summer Gets Here

So it seems that I have returned to the Artic! I kid! But it is surprisingly cold here in the US for May. This weekend should get very warm though! While planning for the summer and thinking of the beach, I can't help but also think about the tiny little pockets of jiggly goodness that someone has devilishly sewn to my stomach and thighs during my time in France. :(

It's a bit of a splurge but I'm a little bit desperate. I'm willing to try whatever just to see if I can save myself some time at the gym because I have to admit I'm a little lazy.

Bliss has an entire collection of cellulite fighting products! I'm not sure which to try first or if they will even work. But if it means helping me get rid of the flub, I guess why not try, right?


FatGirlSlim $29
What it is:
A lean, mean circulation stimulating, slimming cream for the body.
What it does:
With caffeine and QuSomes (a proprietary delivery enhancer that helps penetration), this rich cream helps smooth the skin as it firms, trims, tones, and energizes.


Slimulator $22
Massage away cellulite and smooth the surface of the skin with this hand-held, nubby massager. Simply soap up, slide on the Slimulator, and glide over thighs, buttox, back of arms, and tummy in a circular motion. Repeat daily.


High Thighs Slimmer Scrub $32
Use 2-3 times weekly to soften the skin's surface, enliven circulation, and obtain a perceptively better bum. An all-angle, tingling strategy.


Serious Seaweed Cellulite Soap $14
Serious Seaweed Cellulite Soap is like having an extra set of hands in the shower to cleanse, slim, tone, and fight cellulite. This seaweed and sweet almond oil soap is stuffed with stimulating granules and massage bumps to help get under the skin.

Available for purchase at sephora.com

Saint Veran

On a recent trip to the Beaujolais, a wine producing region in Burgundy, our group took a tour of the famous Georges DuBoeuf winery. We were able to taste a couple of different wines and the first was Saint Veran. It has a medium body and has notes of apple and pear. Saint Veran is made with Chardonnay and comes from the Maconnais region which is known for growing these kinds of white grapes.

I am not an avid wine drinker but I have been trying to acquire a taste for wine while studying here in France. I can drink any wine but I don't always enjoy it. This was one that I really enjoyed from start to finish. The texture and flavor were just a delight. Lucky for me, they sell Georges DuBoeuf in the States! I can't wait to find some and share it with everyone!

Everything Changes in Paris

Okay, so I didn't go to Paris again (yet) but I did get to watch the latest episode of The Hills! I don't know how long it's been out but it's nice to watch TV that you can understand, even with the same commercial every 10 minutes. Lauren and Whitney get sent to Paris by Teen Vogue to assist with the lavish Crillon Ball, where debutantes are presented in French haute couture gowns. It was a very glamourous episode and definitely inspires you to take a trip to Paris.

The thing that I wanted to share was one tiny little detail from this episode: Whitney's adorable headband! I'm not usually a fan but I absolutely love it. Now, I'll be on a mission to find one just like this!

Beauty Review!

So after a bad experience getting a manicure in France, I was left to fix the mess on my own. I stopped by Sephora on the way home from the salon... Yeah, it was THAT bad. I'm not good at doing my nails... or anything girly actually... like hair and make-up. I didn't want to spend a ton and I didn't want to have to get a base coat, color, and top coat. I opted for their {Vernis Couleur Multi-Action} in Blanc N°3. I love it! It is tres naturel. Very sheer just like I wanted it and shiny! It goes on smoothly and it didn't clump. Phew! I liked it so much I just had to blog about it.


Another beauty update... I have a rendez-vous "appointment" at the coiffure "hair salon" tomorrow. Hmm... Here is what I'm thinking. Your thoughts please? Short notice, I know. Sorry!

J.Crew

Wow, I am so head over heels for everything at J. Crew. I never really considered myself a J. Crew kind of girl. I'm not exactly the preppy type and I don't think I even own anything from there. I might receive e-mail promotions from them but I'm not sure why. I've been obsessed with shoes lately... not that I always wasn't... but if you only knew. I came across the online Spring Accessories catalog. It is amazing! There is not one piece that I wouldn't get! Love the outfits as well. It's so bright and colorful, which isn't exactly my style either. I'm a sucker for great layouts and photo ads so maybe that's what it is. But perhaps that's why I am in marketing. I love being inspired. Tell me you don't love this...

A Serious Developing Sweet Tooth

I have always considered myself a savory kind of a girl. Hands down, no doubt about it. But I'm not sure if it's being in France that has changed me... being surrounded by the sensuous aromas of the boulangeries and patisseries. It's hard to stay away. I am constantly craving something sweet now. Before, a perfect meal would be a big savory dish and a bite of something sweet at the end. Now, I could easily prefer a light entree and jump into a big bowl glace "ice cream" or sorbet, a fruit tart, un gateau chocolat... or maybe all of the above!!

Especially when it came to being hungry, nothing could satisfy my empty stomach like something salty... Except today I noticed that when we tried the renowned {Paul} bakery, instead of getting a mini quiche like I usually would... I went with a macaron!


I haven't found a Laduree yet and I've been dying to try a macaron but it's a bit scary. When you get really hyped up hearing about something, you don't want to be disappointed. Mon cheri chose some viennoiseries and I chose a pistachio macaron. Lucky for me, it was larger than at some of the other places I've seen them. I was hoping it wouldn't be too crunchy outside and it wasn't! Every bite of this creme filled pastry was melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Je suis amoureuse!

And then there was Calligraphy...

With a deep love for stationary, it only makes sense that I would have an equal fondness for calligraphy. Sometimes, I even dream as far as trying it myself but perhaps I should save myself the trouble and leave it to the pros. If that is ever the case, enter {Laura Hooper}. I've seen many a calligrapher's services across the wedding boards and each is very unique. Laura's style is very easily adaptable to many different styles from traditional and classy to flirty and chic. I especially like the personality you see in her writing. It might seem frivolous to you but if you know me... it's all in the details, honey.

This is what really makes me wish I could do it myself.

Cotton Idea Studio

I was checking in on one of my favorite inspiration blogs {snippetandink.blogspot.com} when I found this site in one of the darling boards: Cotton Idea Studio. The California entrepreneur-ess, Mindy Gayer, has a style that is really to my liking. It is simple/contemporary but has an old-fashioned/retro flair to it. And of course, like all heavenly stationary, it's letterpressed.

Here are some of her goodies:

Set of 10 Cotton Monogram Initial {$15.00}

Set of 50 Cotton Lined Notes {$20.00}

Set of 10 Elum Pinstripe Postcard {$12.00}

It's not a bag. It's a Birkin.

I created this blog because I wanted to keep in sight the things that I wanted one day or did not want to forget. There are very many things that motivate me and I am constantly striving for bigger, better things. I've been taught to be practical but I can definitely feel potential for a more materialistic me.

I am not a huge celeb trend follower nor am I a designer whore. But if there is one thing that I will get as soon as I make bank... it will be a bag. I'm not talking about a Vuitton or Gucci. I want a Birkin. I passed the Hermes store the other day and I remembered it once again. It boggles my mind that Victoria Beckham has one of these in just about any and every color and size. These bags run upwards of $7,500 and can easily reach 6-digits.


I remember seeing this red crocodile skin one with diamond accents in a Bazaar magazine? I think this is when I first fell in love with it and little did I know that it would be one of the most expensive and infamous bags ever. I would definitely get either the red or black first... then perhaps a white.


You might think it is absolutely ridiculous to want. Of course, I would never get it unless I could afford it. I'm not gonna be a fool and take out a loan for just a bag... This will be the one thing that will let me know that I am doing well for myself. I'm not sure when but one day... No doubt about it.

The Sweetest Kiss

I discovered Laduree, a 'luxury' patisserie, while reading one of my favorite blogs Weddingbee a long time ago. I tried to remember to find this place when I got to France but of course I forgot. Lucky for me, I was reminded with plenty of time to still look!


The Laduree family is known for having founded the first tearoom which was established during a time when women were banned from cafes. It is absolutely adorable and you can tell it was made for women. Laduree is famous for their unique flavored macaroons!


The baby soft color of the Rosanis flavor caught my eye and I found this picture on this very sexy and chic French blog, Une Vie de Reve, "A Dream Life".


I would really love to go for petit dejeuner "breakfast" and get Le Pain Perdu Tiede Laduree "French Toast" et lait chaud "and hot milk"! Then I could finish off with a Baiser "Kiss": moist coconut sponge, compote of exotic fruit, raspberries, light vanilla cream filling... Tell me that doesn't sound amazing!

Caught My Eye

First post of the not so new year. I don't have much of an excuse except that I am currently studying abroad in France! :)

I just wanted to share this little find. I am in Lyon and here we have this place called Bellecour. It is a square with a statue of Napoleon and a giant ferris wheel. Off the streets of Bellecour you will find a great shopping district, sort of like New York City's SoHo. I passed this little shop and couldn't help but snap a photo.




Isn't it tres chic? I love the style and it has all the right pieces. Sia is a home 'fashion' store as they say on their website. And it seems that they have locations all over the world so I'll be in luck whenever I buy my first place. I am so happy I took a picture when I did because I went there just a couple days later and the window was different! After looking at all of their collections, I can't find many things I don't like. I could probably buy the whole store. It's that beautiful! I am IN love! So much so, that I would kill to work for a company that makes such fabulous products!