Is anyone obsessed with this show like I am?? Kris and I really got into it though Netflix, and now that we are all caught up, the season premier could not come fast enough! The season finale was so crazy – for those that follow it, you KNOW what I’m talking about!
After much waiting… the premier is here! (almost) – Sunday night, I know where I’ll be… glued to the couch with my honey, bowl of popcorn and probably some wine.
My parents are counting the days until their European adventure, and I could not be more jealous! They are taking a river cruise up the Danube, starting in Budapest, making their way through Austria, Vienna, and ending in Paris – city of amour (actually, it’s the city of lights, but “amour” sounds better).
Of everyone in our family, my mom is the best packer – she packs light, and makes clothing staples work for multiple outfits. My sister and I take after our father – the ultimate overpacker – but in my defense, I just like having options!
Keeping my mom’s “packing light” mantra in mind, I decided to put together three vacation outfits, based on a cute pair of white cropped trousers she just bought! They are lightweight which is perfect for hot weather, and nothing says “vacation” like white.
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Boat Lounging:
The weather will be warm (REALLY warm in Budapest and Hungary), but I imagine that it will cool off at night – especially as they get further north. Since the boat my parents will be touring on will be relatively small, the nights will likely be spent in conversation over dinner, lounging on the deck with a glass of wine, and watching the twinkling lights of the small towns pass by. Layers will be perfect, with a cute sleeveless top for the warmer evenings, and a denim jacket and patterned scarf for cooler weather. During the day, some oversize Jackie O sunglasses will be a must, along with some comfy flat sandals.
Dinner Out
Same pants different look – a white silk blouse with a v-neck and a pretty, drapey bow at the neckline take these pants from casual to dressy. I am a huge fan of the ‘white on white look’ – always have been, since I was a little girl – but accessories like a bright bag and coral lipstick bring color to the look. Dainty gold hoops, and low espadrilles are simple and classic, and who doesn’t love a navy blazer with pin-stripe detailing on the cuffs??
Serious SightSeeing
This trip isn’t just about lounging on a yacht, sipping white wine and taking in the sites – they will also be doing a LOT of walking through the cities, towns and villages along the way. In addition to these pants, my mom also bought an adorable pair of puma flats – they give the support of a running shoe, but the look of a cute ballet flat. A sleeveless striped top will be cool on warmer days, but a neutral oatmeal colored sweater will be nice for unpredictable weather. My mom has dark curly hair, so for the humid warm weather a pretty scarf will be nice – once the curls get out of control, she is going to need something to tame them. Rolling the scarf and tying it as a headband will be practical and pretty.
It’s funny – everyone has a type of flower that they absolutely despise. For me it’s carnations, which is why it’s so funny that Kris came home with a big bunch of pink carnations the other week… it was pretty cute to see him walk through the door all proud that he was being such a sweet thoughtful boyfriend, but I still just hate carnations. Poor guy.
For my mom, it’s mums. They remind her of funeral flowers, but she thinks carnations are sort of pretty. I, on the other hand, have no real problem with mums. They may not be my favorite flower in the world, but since I like to keep fresh flowers around the house, they fit the bill for so many reasons.
– They are cheap (hellz to the yeah)
– They last forever (amen sister)
– They just have a happy sweet look – like the Daisy’s fluffier cousin
Yesterday, I picked up two big bunches at the market for $4, and split them up into a few bouquets. I think the trick to making these dirt cheap flowers look less like a filler flower, and more like the main attraction, is to cut them down, and arrange them in short, tight bouquets. The one above is sitting on the side table in the living room, and with their lasting power, this will probably still be there for another several weeks. Can’t beat that!!
Right now, the center of each flower has a pretty lime green tint, but the ones that are more open are nearly pure white. My mom still hates them, but I am kind of loving them!
Am I nuts?
There is nothing like a cupcake at the end of a long day at work to make you feel like all is right in the world…
Happy Humpday!
Let me introduce you to my new friend – the brownie cookie with salted caramel icing – a gourmet oreo if you will… I have recently become overwhelmingly obsessed with BiRite’s Salted Caramel Ice Cream, so imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this recipe that added brownie cookies to the mix.
Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 15 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add in flour, baking powder, melted chocolate mixture, remaining 5 oz. of chocolate and mix to combine. Set aside to
to stand for 10 minutes. Spoon 2 tablespoonful of the mixture, onto parchment lined bake sheet. Bake for about 8–10 minutes or until puffed and cracked. Allow to cool completely on trays.This weekend was so fun… so fabulous… and now I am in some serious recovery! Between the food, the cocktails, and the sunshine, I don’t know how people in Southern California get any work done!
We flew down early Thursday morning, and checked into The Standard around noon – perfect timing for a lunch poolside and our first cocktail! If you’ve never been to this hotel, you really must – not that it’s fancy, but it kind of feels like you stepped back in time, and walked into the 1960’s. The lobby is awesome – shag carpet, tall cacti, orbital swings, and let’s not forget the girl in a glass fishbowl behind the reception desk – naked, and browsing through magazines. No I am not kidding. It’s one part jarring, one thousand parts awesome. (Unfortunately in the below picture, the light from behind her is so bright, you can hardly see her!
Our first night we ate dinner at an amazing restaurant called Firefly – it is perhaps one of the most romantic restaurants I’ve ever been too – it’s mainly outdoors under a canopy, and nearly 100% candlelit. Candles lining the fireplaces, in little lanterns over the tables and built into the walls. It feels like you stepped into a little fairy land. And the food?? Ridiculously good. If you are in West Hollywood, make the drive over the hill to Studio City and try this place!
This is what Firefly really looks like…
This is what Firefly looks like with the flash on… oopsy!!
After dinner we headed back to our hotel to try out the club there. Turns out that Thursdays at The Standard are “Simon Says” parties… aka Tranny Night. Again… amazing! We danced until the wee hours with some of the most gorgeous gay men, and their tranny entouages.
The next morning, none of us were feeling well, so we put on our bikinis, and layed by the pool, keeping the Cabana boys busy getting us food and drinks for hours. My kind of day! I read my book, listened to music, and ate a lot of sweet potato fries 🙂
After about three thousand pounds of fried food, and a catnap, we were feeling refreshed and ready for dinner. We went to Katana – a swanky sushi restaurant on Sunset. I don’t know if this place attracts straight male models, but we were nearly mute the entire meal watching the most handsome (and straight) men in the world come through with their lady friends.
Our last night we went to Katsuya in Hollywood which was by far the BEST sushi I have ever had. We headed to the W afterwards, and ended up on the rooftop club, Drai’s. Had I known what an awesome place this is, we would have been there all three nights. It was HUGE, filled with glowing lanterns, fluffy cabana beds, and had incredible views of LA. What surprised me the most was how kind everyone was in LA – I had thought everyone would be a snobby aspiring model, but we met some of the friendliest, most genuinely nice people.
Have a lovely, happy and safe 4th of July!!
xo
Just in time for the 4th of July, I stumbled upon this awesome recipe for Strawberry Vanilla Lemonade:
Holy love-of-my-life – I spotted this stunner on Style Me Pretty this morning, and just had to share! A girl can dream, right?!
Has anyone else tried StumbleUpon? For those of you who haven’t, it’s basically a service you download (for free), and when you press the “stumble button” your browser loads a new page of totally random, cool content.
This is how I discovered Irina Werning’s Photography – specifically her Back to the Future series. Her work is odd (after browsing through the rest of her site), but this series is kind of genius, and I could not stop scrolling through the photos. In this collection, she recreates a moment in time from the past – down to the location, lighting, and people who were originally in the photographs. It is absolutely fascinating…
I took the liberty of naming a few of my favorites… I especially love Portrait Session 🙂
Hula Dancers
Prim and Proper
Dumbfounded
Never too young for Porno
First Day of School
Skateboarding
Portrait Session
Late Night Bus Ride
Simply Styled 