Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.

Last year, I ate at a cute little bunch spot in Santa Barbara called Scarlett Begonia and had the best lemon ricotta pancakes. Since then, I've been trying these pancakes from other brunch spots and I have yet to find one that was as good. Obviously, I can't be going to Santa Barbara every weekend for brunch so I decided to try to make these pancakes on my own. My lemon ricotta pancake recipe was so delicious and I'm very excited to share it with you all!

These are the ingredients I used. I like using Kodiak Cakes pancake mix because it has a hint of honey in it, which just adds a little extra flavor to pancakes. I also like using fresh blueberries rather than frozen, I think it makes the pancakes taste fresher. Most recipes suggest using whole milk ricotta cheese, but let's face it...summer is coming and even though I'm eating pancakes, a girl's gotta cut calories somewhere, so I used low fat ricotta cheese.

When adding the ricotta cheese, the batter will look a little curdled. Do not panic, this is normal! The cheese makes it a little lumpy. It's important to not mix the batter too much to make it smoother.

A griddle is the best way to get the perfect pancake.

Short stack of delicious lemon ricotta pancakes!

Ingredients:

Makes 6 pancakes

• 1 cup of Kodiak Cakes pancake mix
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of low fat ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon of lemon zest 
• 2/3 cup of blueberries

Directions:

1. Mix 1 cup of pancake mix with 1 cup of water.
2. Then, mix in 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese. Do not over mix it. The consistency should be a little lumpy.
3. Wash and fold in the blueberries.
4. Heat a griddle to 325 degrees and butter the griddle. I like using cooking spray instead, but either one works. 
5. Ladle a spoon of the batter onto the griddle. Let it cook until bubbles start forming at the top (about 1 minute).
6. Flip the pancake and let the other side cook for about another 30 seconds. 

Voila!!

Clean Lines.

I'm always on the lookout for the newest nail trends, because let's face it...they don't change that often! I'm not that big of a risk taker on nail shapes because I'm obsessed with my own squoval shape, but new designs are always on my radar.

This season, I'm obsessed with clean lines on nails. Letting your natural nail shine through alongside a cute spring color makes your nail design look really modern and cool. I love the geometric and architectural lines in this look by Buff and Tweeze...

And I'm head over heels for these tiny shapes traced onto nails by Olive and June...

This was my attempt at creating this look. I used masking tape and French tip tape to create the clean lines and painted over them. I removed them when the nail polish was completely dry...

Whether its at a salon or a DIY at home, this look is sure to keep you ahead of the trends and is a perfect spring look!

Exploring the Super Cute World of Hello Kitty.

Hello! Hello Kitty is one of my favorite iconic characters and this year, she is celebrating her 40th anniversary! I remember as a kid always asking my dad to take me to the Sanrio store to buy me Hello Kitty stickers. I was obsessed and I still think she is the cutest. When I heard the Japanese American Museum in Downtown LA was holding an exhibit for Hello Kitty for her 40th anniversary, I knew I had to check it out. If you're a fan of hers or even a fan of Japanese art, this exhibit is really worth seeing.

The entrance to the exhibit with this Hello Kitty block sculpture.

She's ageless?! Girl's gotta tell me her secret...

The exhibit included relics from the 70's and 80's like backpacks, notebooks, and stickers designed with Hello Kitty on them. 

I had a lot of these items as a kid.

Hello Kitty's family, minus her twin, Mimmy. 

These adorable Hello Kitty bride and groom!

How Hello Kitty looked the year I was born.

Her bows lead to the next room of the exhibit. 

There was also a hall of different takes of adapted Hello Kitty art, which was super creative. 

My favorite part was the room of Hello Kitty fashion, where different dresses were on display made of Hello Kitty dolls and fabrics. 

This dress made of Hello Kitty dolls was worn by Lady Gaga. 

I'm about 14 apples tall. 

The sculptures throughout the museum were also very artistic. 

Pharoah Kitty. 

Kitty hieroglyphics.

Japanese Kitty. 

And the man who put up with my Hello Kitty fever. 

The exhibit is going on until May 31, so make your way there before its gone! 

Poke N Roll.

I love sushi and when the poke craze started happening all over LA, I had to ask...what is poke? Pronounced "po-kay", it is a Hawaiian raw seafood salad served as an appetizer. Poke N Roll took poke to a whole new level by fusing it with Japanese sushi to create...sushi bowls! I had to try this so I paid a visit to Poke N Roll this week, and let me just say, it's a delicious gem and since it's located in Glendale, I think I'll be a frequent patron.

The menu offers sushi bowls, which includes white or brown rice with your choice of 2 fish, crab, 1 choice of sauce like ponzu, spicy mayo, and eel sauce, and 3 toppings like tempura flakes, avocado, cucumbers, and smelt eggs. Extras can always be added for an additional cost, but the amount of food that comes in the bowl is a lot and enough to keep you full. They also offer sushi salads where you can replace the rice with lettuce and they can always make your selections into a roll if you like tradition.

I watched the chef cut up a giant tuna and place it in my bowl...it doesn't get fresher than that!

All the different ingredients you can choose from. 

Our yummy bowls. Like I said, it's a lot of food.

Cute little Pop figurines all over the place and Polaroid photos of happy customers. 

Spring 2015 Fashion.

Even though it's March, it still feels a lot like winter! But fashion doesn't stop for the weather. Spring fashion this year is on full blast and I'm here to give you all my tips on 2015 springtime trends.

Spring is usually about florals, but how cliche is that? I'm giving you the ultimate fashion forward trends seen from New York Fashion Week, observed street style, and new arrivals in stores. I've scouted these trends at affordable prices so even the thriftiest of fashionistas, like me, can strut their springtime style.

1. Bucket Bags. Bucket bags are all the rage this season. I've seen them everywhere from Forever 21 to Old Navy, but I'm really loving this Vince Camuto Lorin Drawstring Tote available at Nordstrom. 

2. Sleeveless Turtleneck Dresses: It's spring, but the weather is still a little cold so sleeveless turtleneck dresses are the perfect medium to both keep a little warm and cool off. Plus, they are so chic. I found this cute burgundy one available at Miss Selfridge.

3. Jelly Shoes: The 90's are back with this trend! Jelly shoes are super adorable and having them in a bright color makes them vibrant and fun for a nice brunch outing. These pink jelly sandals are a perfect example and they are available at Top Shop.

4. Beachy Waves: Effortless loose waves are in over perfectly coiffed hair nowadays and TRESemme's Perfectly (un)Done sea foam spray gives the perfect wavy hairstyle and is available at most drug stores and Ulta.

5. Chunky Chains: I'm really into this Diana Broussard inspired chain necklace. I actually fell in love with it while watching Kristen Taekman on the Real Housewives of New York! This necklace can be found at H&M.


6. Brightly Muted Nail Polish: These might seem like two contradicting words, but here's what I mean by it...pastel colors are a staple of spring, but to amp up the volume this season, use bright colors that have a muted undertone like this OPI Is Mai Tai Crooked peachy orange color. OPI's new Hawaii collection has nail polishes with the perfect brightly muted colors.



Happy shopping, followers!

Terrine.

If there's two things I love in this world it's brunch and anything French! Last week I visited this new restaurant in LA called Terrine with my girl friend, which was both of these things and it was so cute and yummy.

Terrine prides itself on cooking up French classics with a California twist. And the same goes for the delicious drinks that are made here. The atmosphere is warm and romantic, it's a really cute date spot. My favorite part of the restaurant was the beautiful dining garden, where we sat and dined among the trees. I really felt for a minute that I was eating brunch in Paris.

The beautiful dining garden. 

Bloody Mary made with heirloom tomatoes and a Mimosa with prosecco. 

My absolute favorite dish, Pain Perdu. Vanilla battered french toast with sea salt caramel frosting. 

Mushroom, truffle, and sage pizza with a fried egg on top. 

The beautiful floor tiles in the restaurant. 

Louis Vuitton Series 2.

Louis Vuitton installed a non traditional exhibit displaying their Spring 2015 line in LA and I went to check it out with my best friend, Natalie. It was so fabulous! It's a sequel of the Series 1 exhibit. The exhibit displayed the past, present, and future of Louis Vuitton. The past being some original LV trunks and other relics from the early 1900s. The present was represented by the new Spring collection that is being released. The future was represented by the future of fashion with new runways concepts.

The exhibit began with a description of what it was all about and mesmerized us into it...

Then we walked into the future of the runway. A runway lit up by spotlights and surrounded with mirrors. All the while, a looping video of a waxing and waning moon were displayed along with models reading the Series 2 description.

Exploring the lights of the runway. 

Natalie on the moon!

Then off to a short holographic presentation on the history of the LV trunks.

In the next room, there were three videos playing on how different items are made. One on a pair of boots, one on a clutch, and one on a dress. They were each 45 minutes long so I only stuck around to watch the video on the making of the boots. It was so crazy to see the meticulous detail that is put into the work. It's pure artistry. Watching the video made me actually want to spend my money on those shoes. While I couldn't capture the video, these are some highlights of it.

And here is the final product! These boots are part of the Spring collection. It was in the next white room of the exhibit where various products were displayed on white manikins.

An original Louis Vuitton catalogue from 1927. 

These were stickers that were free to take. Each sticker is an image that is on a fabric print of one of the Spring 2015 dresses.

A room full of Louis Vuitton posters and advertisements!

And our last stop to the backstage room where the backstage of a runway show is simulated. Racks of outfits with models' names and accessories tables. It took everything I had not to want to steal some of the accessories!

How could you not love all these and want to buy them all after seeing them? I wish I went to the exhibit sooner so I could have written this post before it closed, but because of the popularity, I'm sure events like this will be coming around to LA again. Happy shopping!