Gold and Black Obsession

This summer I started to fall in love with the classic mix of black and gold, which you've already seen in my shoe collection.

I think it started when I spotted a gold and black belt on Atlantic Pacific  and immediately fell in love with the look. I loved the juxtaposition of a very elegant idea executed with a touch of edge. It can add the right amount of surprise to an otherwise simple outfit.

So thus began my search for the perfect black and gold belt. They are surprisingly difficult to find, but like all good things, it was worth the wait.

I went with the stunning Reiss Luna Metal Bar and Pony Hair Belt. It bought it about a week ago during a Halloween sale but it is now MIA from their website. You can find it on Polyvore here.

Other options include: the Asos peplum version I spotted on Atlantic Pacific.

The delicate Nicholas Roxanne gold belt worn by Emily on Cupcakes and Cashmere.

And finally, here's a more budget friendly option from Nordstrom.

Crazy Feta Dip

I'm a big fan of bringing my lunch to work since I never have time to go outside to grab something. It's certainly a wallet, and waist, friendly option to make something delicious at home. In the spirit of healthy living I try to make a lot of salads, but find they can quickly veer towards boring if you're not careful.

My secret to making any salad amazing... crazy feta dip! I had something like it at a restaurant once and experimented with it at home.

Everyone I share it with seems to love it, so I'm going to share it with you all too!

Ingredients:
1 block of feta cheese (not the crumbled kind)
1 lemon
1 jalapeño
2-3 cloves of roasted garlic
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

First, grab your jalapeño and garlic. Drizzle a little olive oil on each and pop it in the oven to roast. I usually put the broiler on and leave both in for about 20 minutes.

While that's in the oven, I move over to the feta block and start slicing it up.

Scoop that in to a bowl and zest that lemon whole. This part is my favorite because I never have enough reasons to use my microplane. After you have zested away, squeeze the full lemon over the feta.

When the jalapeno and garlic are slightly blackened, roughly chop both up and add to the mix.

Grab a fork and start mashing. I drizzle in a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. You want the consistency to be a bit chunky but not big ole crumbles. I know, so scientific here.

That's it! Easiest thing to make. You can serve it with crackers or pita as a dip, but I like to add it to my salad. It gives it so much flavor with just a few simple ingredients. Over the past 4 months, I've had a weekly batch sitting in my fridge. It just makes everything better. Trust me.

Winter is Coming

I know that winter is right around the corner for us Chicagoans. That makes me scared. I hate the cold (clearly why I moved to this city). Instead of wallowing in fear, I'm going to embrace winter or at least try.

To do that, I need some serious shoe wear. Ballet slippers are cute, but they do not keep me warm for the frigid morning commute. So I'm on the hunt for warm and stylish kicks. It's just the start of my search but I spied these Vince Camuto moto boots that have some potential. I love how the gold accents add a sleek spunk to an otherwise rough cut boot. I think these could hold up to the cold with a thick pair of cable knit socks. Fingers crossed.

 

Images from Nordstrom and Honestly, WTF

Beauty Arsenal

Over the past year my skincare routine has become highly important to me. Luckily, my mom stressed the importance of daily sunscreen (thanks, Mom!). While that's a good start, there were still a few more things I knew I could add. Below are the products I'm using now.

First, Loreal Youthcode Serum has been in my cabinet for about a year. I used it sparsely at the start then it fell to the back of the cabinet and I forgot about it. Luckily it resurfaced about 2 months ago and my skin has been glowing ever since. I apply it in the morning right after my toner and same thing before I go to bed. As far as serum's go this one is a pretty thrifty drugstore option at $25. I recommend it.

 

 

Let's talk toner. Before this July I had never used one. I thought they would sting and dry out my skin inducing that horrible tight feeling. Luckily, I was introduced to the Nars Skincare line. I'm a big fan of Nars makeup line so I gave it a try. It's a moisturizing toner that leaves my skin feeling soft and absorbs that last bit of grim at the end of the day.

 

 

After applying serum and toner I turn to my eyes. Sephora recommended this preventative care eye cream from First Aid Beauty. The company actually started with products for burn victims, so they are incredibly gentle. It's been a good run, but I think I'm going to try Clinique's All About Eyes when I run out.

 

 

 

Now sunscreen! I am not loyal to sunscreen moisturizers. I like to use one with an SPF 30 but often find that they have a heaviness to them which I don't appreciate. Right now I'm using a Sephora brand SPF moisturizer with an SPF 20. I like it well enough, but will probably switch it up as usual.

 

 

 

 

 Lastly, while I typically don't use foundation I do like to use a spot concealer. The YSL Touche Eclat pen is well known for it's multi purpose benefits of highlighting and concealing. It's super lightweight and fits in every bag. I love this pen.

 

 





Fall Favorites

There are a few fall pieces I picked up this year that have quickly become fan favorites. Not only am I smitten with them but they elicit a "where did you get that" from friends and strangers alike. So should I hoard them to myself? Nope, I'll share.

First up, these burgundy and black suede pumps with studded ankle straps from Sam Edelman. I got them at the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale and wasn't quite sure how they would stand up with my fall closet. Turns out, these bad boys go with EVERYTHING.

Next, a co-worker introduced me to a new Chicago boutique, Mulberry and Me. I wandered in one day not expecting anything special but I was wrong. I stumbled on two great fall (and beyond) staples.

When I walked in the sales girl draped this luxurious black cashmere wrap around me. I twirled around in the mirror admiring it's simplicity and elegance. Then I looked at the price tag, yikes. This is definitely an investment piece. It took me a few weeks to decide if I really wanted it and I'm so glad I did it. I've warn this on every plan trip, cold office day and windy Chicago morning.
Warren and White cashmere wrap

I also spied a pair of druzy stud earrings. These are simple and fairly small, yet add just the right amount of pop to a fall ensemble. They also come in an array of colors.

Last but not least. In my continued love of all things burgundy this season, I kept my eye out for a small crossbody bag. Truth be told I was hoping to find a Celine inspired bag and the Michael Kors Bedford in Cinnabar was spot on. It fits everything without becoming a big heavy bag (I have plenty of those), and unhooks to become a clutch. It's still newer in my rotation but magically goes with everything.

As the Chicago winter starts to blow in I'm dreaming about a new winter coat and this Reiss coat is an absolute winner. I've been thinking about this investment for a while. I'm leaning toward the navy.

Chicago Summer Fests

It's been a busy summer for posting on the blog. I'll take a break from my Europe posts to share a fun end of summer in Chicago. One thing I love about this city is how there is ALWAYS something going on here. This weekend Chipotle had a free festival called Cultivate which focused on sustainable produce, delicious food demos and live music. It was awesome.

I indulged in an Oktoberfest beer from Revolution Brewing (a fantastic Chicago brewery that Drinking Buddies was just filmed out, woot!).

Chipotle tested out a new dish called the Esquites. If it makes it to the restaurant you must get one of these. A yummy mix of roasted corn, cabbage, picked onions, sour cream and crispy tortilla strips. Trust me on this. Only guac could make it better.

Here's me and Maureen checking out a band called Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. They were actually pretty good.

After a few hours at the festival we headed to Logan Square to what Bon Appetite recently rated as the number four restaurant in America: Fat Rice. There was a line around the block before they opened and sadly we JUST missed the first seating. Luckily, Fat Rice has a little waiting room around the corner whee we sat down and ordered some drinks and snacks.

An hour and a half later we were FINALLY called. I felt like I'd won the lottery.  We skipped on in through the front door to a communal table.

Up first were the best potstickers I've ever had. They were a crunchy and salty dish. As with most restaurants today the dishes are meant to be shared. Unlike most places however, their plates actually serve more that one person. That there is 7 potstickers. Oh snap.

Next we had the fat noodle. No words. Just unbelievable good.

We also ordered the signature dish, the fat rice. I didn't get a good picture of it, plus it was just ok. Not bad, but nothing amazing.

Last up was a cream cheese mousse with guava and a crumble on top. It was light and refreshing after a pretty full meal.

Fat Rice was a great restaurant. I can't really say if it was number four in the country, but I enjoyed it. Overall, a pretty great Saturday in Chi-Town.

Granada Living Part 1

My cousin Brendan studied abroad this spring in Granada. I took full advantage of that and flew in to see him. So did his parents and two sisters. Family time!

Here's my cousin picking me up from the airport.

 The next morning we got up and explored the streets of Granada.

Every street was this stunning. Little winding street ways filled with shops and restaurants and occasionally opening out into grand cathedrals.

I mean,  look at this mosque! I loved the Muslim influences in the city of Granada.

We headed over to my cousin's host family for a big ole lunch. It reminded me and my Aunt of some of the lunches my grandma would make. We were stuffed.

After lunch we wandered around some more on our way to a high point in the city. On the way I saw a street with  my mom's name, Ines.

We finally made it up to the top with stunning views.

Cousin love!

There's the Alhambra off in the distance.

We had a tasty tapas dinner. At certain tapas bars in Granada, when you by a drink, you get a free (huge) tapas. We had a huge dinner for 6 for barely 15 euro. Love it.

On the walk home we got into some shenanigans with some of the statues that littered the city. Great day in Granada!