Fall Fashion and Essentials.

It is finally starting to feel like fall in LA (for now) so it's time to bring out your sweaters and coats! I have high hopes this weather will last if only so we can all start wearing the fashion. I love everything about fall...the fashion, the crisp air, the pumpkin treats, and fall air scents. Anyone agree?

Fall, in my opinion, is the most fashionable season because there are so many pieces you can wear and layer. Your body is a beautiful canvas for layering the best trendy fall pieces and I'm here to talk about the trendiest of trends this fall, whether its fashion, accessories, new designer collections, or scents...these are the essentials for any gal!

1. Backpacks: Ditch your ordinary purse this season and opt for a modern, grown up backpack. When a backpack is leather and possibly adorned with studs and such, it takes a school days nostalgia item to an adult world. This Michael Kors pink/beige backpack is really fun and the zippers add a cool element.

2. Suede Apparel: The 70's are totally back this season and suede is a great representation of the era. Suede takes a look to a sophisticated level, good for work and play! I especially like suede pieces in earthy shades like brown, tan, and this burgundy like this burgundy shift dress from Forever 21.

3. Earthy Scented Candles: Gone are the days of pumpkin and gingerbread scented candles for fall. Change up the scent of your home by using candles with earthy scents rather than fruity or typical holiday ones. This Mahogany Teakwood candle from Bath and Body Works is a perfect woody scent.

4. Marc Jacobs Alice In Wonderland Phone Cases: I am loving Marc Jacobs' new collection of Alice in Wonderland inspired phone cases. There are so many different cases, exhibiting different characters from the movie. This Door Knob character case is my favorite one.

5. Sugar Paper LA for Target: Sugar Paper LA is a really cute stationary store in LA specializing in stationary, gift wrapping, and the like. I was so excited when they brought in a line of products to Target! There are a bunch of really fun gift wrapping supplies just in time for Christmas. All the products have gold accents, which, as you know, is my favorite color accent. This Sugar Paper LA 2016 Planner is so practical, and so pretty to boot!

6. Dark Purple Lips: Berry shade lips scream fall! I'm loving more purple tones, its a cool change from deep red colors. Paired with a fresh face and dramatic lashes, its the perfect look. I'm obsessed with Bite Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream in Bordeaux.

7. Y Necklaces: Y Necklaces are necklaces with a hanging accent that makes the necklace create a Y shape around your neck. I think its super trendy and a great way to bring some attention to your decolletage. It looks amazing worn with a deep cut top. This Vince Camuto Y necklace with crystals has detail to spark interest.

8. Over the Knee Boots: Over the knee boots are kicking booties off the list of fall trends this season. These boots are so chic and pair well with clothes that fit the 70's trend. They look great with dresses and skirts, but just remember not to let the gap between the boots and the hem of your dress or skirt exceed 5 inches. These black suede over the knee boots from H&M are simple yet so, so elegant and fashion forward.

What do you guys think? Are there any other notable trends we can share? Happy fall and happy shopping! 

Pumpkin Season!

Not to be cliche, but one of my favorite things about fall is the abundance of pumpkins. I love carving and decorating them and I love eating them in various kinds of desserts. And since today is National Pumpkin Day, I wanted to share some pumpkin fun! 

I started my day with these cute Halloween themed donuts from Krispy Kreme. The monster donut is a cream filled pumpkin donut and the other one is a pumpkin spice donut. And, of course, I paired it with a pumpkin spice latte. Yuuuumy! 

Every year I go to a pumpkin patch here in Los Angeles and buy pumpkins to carve and decorate with my boyfriend and this year, I painted them with a black, white, and gold color scheme. I wanted to make them look like they were all part of a collection. I loved how they turned out! They look like decor you can buy at Home Goods. 

I bought some gold studs in square and circle shapes and added them to a black painted pumpkin. I alternates the two stud shapes to add contrast. I painted the mini pumpkin in alternating black and white and added gold glitter to add sparkle. 

I made the owl pumpkin using a cool kit from Target. It was super easy...I just painted the pumpkin black and attached the owl eyes, wings, and stars on its chest with adhesive stickers. 

My favorite technique was on the white pumpkin. I repurposed some gold flash tattoos I had leftover from the summer and applied them to the skin of the pumpkin. I think it made it look super chic! 

Wherever your pumpkin adventures take you, I hope you enjoy it. Take advantage of this yummy treat before the season is over! 

Emmy's 2015.

This weekend marked the 67th annual Emmy Awards, which honors outstanding television shows. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of quality television programming...nothing excites me more than keeping up with shows that keep my curiosity and binge watching shows that I hear are amazing. This year's Emmy's has inspired me to watch so many notable shows and has also left me ecstatic for my favorite shows getting the recognition they deserve.

Everyone (for the most part) on the red carpet was stunning and beautiful. I love my fashion, especially at events like this where celebrities really go all out. Theses are my top 3 favorite looks from last night...aren't these drool worthy?

Taraji P. Henson in custom Alexander Wang

Clare Danes in  Prada

Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell

Taraji looks amazing with a bob and she has such a perfect amount of sexiness from the sheer skirt on the dress and the triangle cutout on her torso. Black is the new black!

Clare Danes looks stunning as well with the chains on her dress, adding an element of hard and soft when paired with the sequins and her feminine hairstyle.

Before I continue, can we talk about how amazing Lady Gaga looked? She is one of my favorite artists and her transition to television in the upcoming American Horror Story Hotel brings me so much excitement. It really shows her range in talents and I can't wait to watch it. She's really toned down her crazy outfits to a more modern and sleek look. Everything from her hair to the peplum on the side of her dress screams elegance.

Honorable mention to Julia Louis-Dreyfus for those amazingly eye catching and beautiful earrings. How can you not stun in 28.78 carat diamond earrings set in platinum designed by Chopard?!

Now let's talk about the lovely host, Andy Samberg. I think Andy is adorable and he has me in tears with his musical comedy with The Lonely Island. I have to say, though, that he was a little disappointing for me as a host. His jokes fell flat and I found myself kind of waiting for him to stop talking so the show could go on. Bring back Tina and Amy! What did you guys think?

The show itself though, was pretty awesome. My favorite moments included Viola Davis' speech after winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. It was very inspirational and empowering. Here's the speech, in case you missed it...

Tracy Morgan also presented at the awards after recovering from a severe car crash with an 18 wheeler truck last June. His speech was also inspiring and a testament to his strength and passion to share comedy with the world.

There was also a montage of shows that ended this year, which...spoiler alert...showed us a bunch of spoilers! That was a little annoying, as I hadn't seen some of them. So if you haven't finished watching Boardwalk Empire, True Blood, Sons of Anarchy, or even Two and a Half Men, avoid this montage video at all costs!

The winners this year were so deserved, in my opinion. There were also many shows that I haven't watched, but received awards, so now I am totally going to take the time to watch them!

Olive Kitteredge was a limited series that won a bunch of awards including Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series. I haven't watched this show, but this is an example of one that I will look into based on it being so widely received.

I am uncontrollably happy for the winners of Veep, because that show's writing and actors are phenomenal. I don't think there is one episode of that show I have watched and not laughed hard. I am also happy with Uzo Aduba's win for her amazing portrayal of Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren on Orange is the New Black.

One of my favorite moments of the night was Jon Hamm receiving the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Don Draper in Mad Men. The show ended this year and Jon finally got the recognition he deserved for such a good performance throughout the series. He even climbed onto the stage instead of taking the stairs, which was so charming in his Jon Hamm way.





I'm also excited for Amy Schumer receiving the award for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. From obscurity doing Comedy Central Roasts to being on top of the comedy world. I always love and support funny women in the industry.

Of course, who could forget my beau, Jon Stewart, and all the wins for the Daily Show. Also, so deserved! We'll miss you Jon...

I know I'm a horrible TV fan for this but...I haven't seen Game of Thrones yet. I've always heard great things and the amount of awards it received last night obviously supports those opinions. So I think this will definitely be my next series to binge watch.


What did you all think of the show? Were there any shows you think deserved awards that didn't receive any? What shows do you think are binge worthy? Help a sister out with deciding what to watch next!

Vinoteque on Melrose.

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I were looking for a cute little place to have dinner and we stumbled across this place, Vinoteque on Melrose Ave, which I remembered my cousin, Mimi, suggesting to me. It's known for it's amazing wine selection and tapas style meals. For those that don't know, tapas are small plates which are shared among the table. Vinoteque was a good fusion of French and Spanish style tapas.

What I loved the most about this place was the ambience in the outdoor patio where we sat. It was a courtyard area with vines growing all over the walls, a calming fountain in the center, and a projection of a film noir silent movie playing in the background. It was a really nice date spot, but I would also totally come here with a girlfriend and I saw a group of people celebrating a birthday in a secluded cabana.

Make sure to ask about the wines! Most of the wines are French and I had a hard time deciphering what was what so I just ordered one that wasn't so great. Luckily, they allowed me to taste it and order another one since I didn't like it.

We started our meal with truffle fries (of course, my favorite) and the dipping sauce was a type of salsa, which really complemented the fries.

Then we had some fried artichoke hearts and let me tell you...I dreamt about these after eating them, because of how good they were. I have a mind to recreate these babies on my own at home.

Next, we had little mini Croque Monsieurs, which are French ham and cheese sandwiches. They were topped with balsamic vinegar, which really completed the dish. We also had these amazing sliders, which I really enjoyed. It had a tasty combination of sun dried tomatoes, onion jam, and harissa mayo...this was to die for.

Lastly, we ended our meal with the usual tapas dessert...churros! They were mini bite sized churros and were paired with a caramel sauce and boysenberry jam to dip the churros in.

If you're looking for a place to catch up with a friend or to impress your date, Vinoteque is definitely the place! 

Sweet Cherry Pie.

This past weekend, I was invited to one of my girlfriend's homes for afternoon coffee. I was super excited about getting together with my friends and I wanted to bring some homemade treats with me for us to share, but I was really in a time crunch and didn't have time to make a dessert from scratch.

Thank goodness I had some pie dough I made a few weeks ago stored away in my freezer and ready to go! I cut one corner and bought a canned cherry pie filling to go into my dough for the sake of time, but despite it not being homemade, it was still delicious.

I still wanted to put my own spin on the pie so instead of making one giant pie, I made mini individual sized pies! They were so cute and easy to distribute to whoever wants them without cutting into a whole pie and making a mess. I also made a lattice crust to give it that extra aesthetic to make it look like a miniature pie. It's super easy!...

After making the pie crust (recipe at end of post), use a cookie cutter or a cup to cut circles from the dough that are 4 inches circles. Place the circles into buttered muffin/cupcake tins and fill them with the cherry filling, 1/4 of a cup.

Photo courtesy of tablespoon.com. 

Then get to work on the lattice crust! Use a pizza cutter to cut small even strips of dough and use basic weaving over and under techniques to create a rustic look with the lattice. With this size of a pie, I used 6 dough strips in total: 3 horizontally and 3 vertically. Brush the top of the pie with an egg wash (a beaten egg) to give it that golden finish in the oven.

I baked these babies at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cherry filling is oozing and voila!

These could have come out a little prettier, as my lattice crust needs a little work, but these pies tasted like perfection. Little personal cherry pies with sweet, juicy cherries wrapped in a soft, buttery crust. These are sure to appeal to your guests tastebuds as well as their eyes!




Pie Crust Dough

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour (sifted)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup butter (cold)
• 5-7 tablespoons cold water 

Directions:

1. Put flour into a mixing bowl with the butter.
2. Using a pastry cutter or dough hook, cut the butter into the flour.
3. Add the salt and water. 
4. Mix until dough is formed.
5. Cut the dough in half and wrap both separately in saran wrap.
6. One can be used for freezing. The other should be put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to cool before rolling it out to use. 

Miniature Cherry Pies

Ingredients:

• Pie crust (recipe above)
• 4 cups of pie filling (the filling can be altered at your choice i.e. apple, blueberry, peach, etc.)
• 1 egg, whisked

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin tins with butter or cooking spray.
2. Roll out a single pie crust on a flat surface. Use a large cookie cutter or a cup to cut out circles that are 4 inches. Press each circle into the bottom of the muffin tin so that a tiny rim of dough sticks out at the top. Repeat with the other 12 tins.
3. Fill each cup with 1/4 cup pie filling, or until the filling nearly fills the cups. 
4. Use the remaining dough to cover the tops of the pies. To make a lattice crust, use a pizza cutter to cut out thin strips of dough, then lace together to form a lattice. To make a standard crust, cut out a circle of dough large enough to cover the top of the crust. Use your fingers to gently press the top crust to the bottom crust until they stick together and no gaps remain. 
5. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of each pie with the whisked egg.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling begins to bubble.
7. Remove and let cool for at least 15 minutes. Then carefully use a knife to loosen the edges of each pie and gently lift each pie out. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. 

Summer 2015 Fashion.

It's June and its finally getting warmer outside, which means its time to break out your short shorts, bathing suits, and espadrilles in your favorite warm summer colors! Some fashion pieces never go out of style, but its always a good idea to add trendy, new things to your wardrobe. This summer, I'm obsessed with six new trends that I want to share with you. They can all be used separately and incorporated into your current pieces or even worn all together. Here they are! My summer must have trends for the 2015 season...

1. Updated Aviator Sunnies: Aviators are a universal sunglass shape that looks good on almost everyone, so when I saw these new age Prada aviator sunglasses, I knew I had to have them. They are a fashionable spin on a classic sunglass. Ditch your played out cat eye sunglasses for these! Available at Nordstrom. 

2. Stacked Jewelry: Gone are the days of a statement necklace or ring. Welcome the stacking of more slender and elegant pieces of jewelry to complete your summer look! I love these stackable zig zag rings. These particular rings are gold, rose gold, and white gold with diamonds from Levik's Jewelers. You can also find similar but more affordable rings in department stores, but investing in a few pieces of fine jewelry is beneficial for any fashionista.

3. Fruit Patterns: I love the fresh look of fruits on various items of clothing, especially for the summer! My favorite are pineapples...they just scream summer. I found these cute shorts from Sears. They work really well and look great for festivals.

4. Fringe Details: I'm loving fringe details throughout many pieces of fashion this summer. I especially love them on these gorgeous shoes from Miss Guided US. How can you not be obsessed with these?

5. Rosy Brown Lips: I'm trading traditional summer red lips for these smoky pink shades, which I think is super elegant and fashion forward. Most of all, its not an expected shade that everyone else is going to be wearing this summer. This shade can be found at Sephora.

6. Watches with Fabric Bands: I'm so over the typical bracelet, metal band that everyone wears nowadays...I'm looking at you, Michael Kors watches! Instead, opt for these really fresh looking watches from Daniel Wellington. This particular watch is called Classic Southamptom Lady...it doesn't get more summer than that. They come in multiple colors that fit anyone's taste. I got mind from Levik's Jewelers, which is now an authorized Daniel Wellington retailer!



What do you guys think? Are there any other trends I should consider this summer? Let me know! I value all fashionista opinions. Happy shopping and happy summer! 

Met Gala 2015.

Somehow, my invitation to the Met Gala always gets lost in the mail every year! But that doesn't mean I still don't admire the fashion from afar and this year was no different. Last night, the most fashionable elite strutted their designer looks to fundraise for the Metropolitan a Museum of Art Costume Institute in New York City. The theme this year was "China: Through the Looking Glass" and I was pleasantly surprised that many of the attendees dressed for the Asian theme.

I was majorly stunned by all the fashion. I loved the risks people took with their looks and while some might have missed the mark, others were spectacular!

This year was all about the barely there nude dresses. I loved them all but Beyoncé killed it with her look! She was my favorite of the three. 

Beyoncé in Givenchy

Kim Kardashian in Roberto Cavalli

Jennifer Lopez in Atelier Versace

These were all stunning looks but my top three favorite looks of the night were what I thought were most elegant and fashion forward looks...I die for Gigi Hadid's dress! 

Rosie Huntington-Whitely in unknown 

Gigi Hadid in Diane Von Furstenberg 

Kerri Russell in Altazurra 

But of course I can never forget my Met Gala queen who always slays the Met's red carpet, Sarah Jessica Parker! She may look like her head is on fire, but damn she looks good with it! SJP, you get it girl! 

What did you guys think of the fashion at the Met Gala this year? Let me know if I missed any other beauties!