A Classy Christmas

12.9.13

Life has been busier than usual.  Not only are the holidays quickly approaching, but since returning to LA after Thanksgiving it's been go, go, go.  No complaints though.  In the spirit of the holidays, and inspired by one of the shows I'm working on, I thought I'd set the scene for a "Classy Christmas" party!

step one: the decor  

make sure to add some gold sparkle to your tree

 garland and chotchkies add an old hollywood flair

step two: the outfit

throw on your best suit and skinny tie or glamorous frock

extra points for tie clips, necklaces that double as pens and cat eye glasses

step three: the mood

a festive mix of classics

serve a festive cocktail- hot toddies anyone?

-1oz whiskey or brandy

-1 helping of honey

-lemon juice to taste

-1 cinnamon stick 

-8oz hot water

-1 tea bag

and last but not least, don't forget to hang a sprig of mistletoe!! xoxo

Monday Finds

11.25.13

One month until Christmas.  Hope that didn't stress anyone out, I mean Thanksgiving is on Thursday, so one holiday at a time people.  This also happens to be the first time I've come back to Chicago since moving to LA, and I couldn't be happier to spend time with my family and friends!  And this bundle of love:

meet Lucy

So with the inevitable stress that comes with the holidays, give yourself a couple moments to do something for you, whether it's listening to a new song, eating a pastry with your coffee instead of a granola bar, or going up to the roof of a building to watch the sunset.  It's always the little things, the unexpected gems that put a smile on your face!  

 saw the foxes at a great LA venue, the troubadour.  she sings "clarity" which was made popular by zedd

  croissant from la conversation

 a gorgeous sunset after a gloomy la day -yes we get those- if you squint your eyes you can see the hollywood sign just left of center

 there's something so beautiful about ice crystals

 

two legendary and revolutionary filmmakers.  geeked out and had to document their hollywood stars

happy monday! 

p.s. if you hover your mouse over any of the pictures you can now pin them

Monday Finds

11.18.13

Call me crazy, but I like Mondays.  I see them as a clean slate and find myself creating weekly "to dos", lists of all kinds (goals, grocery, wish, songs to download).  Seeing that not everyone is on board with Mondays, I thought I'd start a weekly series documenting five things that are inspiring, funny, random, etc...just some little things that are making my Monday better.  Hopefully yours too!

 almond milk latte at Gjelina-- because you're like not a real LA restaurant if you don't have almond milk, duh!! (say in the californians accent)

 speakeasy bar dirty laundry in hollywood: you have to know which name to press in order to enter.

love the nod to guys and dolls.

 some cheeky house "rules" clearly meant to be broken 

obsessed with Tory Burch's first perfume and adding it to my *holiday wish list*

 art deco notebooks to keep all my notes in one place

this has been my laptop background for a while. a great reminder to embrace all of life's moments!

happy monday xoxo

Homecoming

11.13.13

Over the weekend I went back to UNC for the Homecoming game vs. UVA.  I will report that UNC did win, but the real reason I flew back was to have a reunion with my college friends.  Sure it’s only been six months since most of us have seen each other, but with all of the change that comes post-college it was a much needed weekend filled with sharing stories, lots of hugs, plenty of laughs and …reverting back to college drinking habits (glad that isn’t the norm every weekend).   I will forever be thankful that Chapel Hill brought together my eclectic crew, they are all doing amazing things already and I can’t wait to share their successes on my blog.  xoxo

friday night and we're back!

 reunited with my suitemates

 tailgating essential

 sorry there wasn't any 5 Alive Al!

get in the picture Al!

 much better-missed you Paige!

:D

shameless tailgating selfie in the Carolina Inn's bathroom

such a pretty layout

then we made our way to he's not after finishing the game at TOPO (sorry no pics)

they have the best paintings all around the outdoor area

then this happened...and my friends were not surprised!

 later that night...CH now offers golf cart transportation to bars--clearly we thought that's genius!

 had a few too many of these as we stayed out....

that begs the question:

"which is better for hangovers, Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen's chicken cheddar biscuit or Merritt's blt w/ avocado?"

you be the judge and let me know!

Until next time Chapel Hill...

Friday Favorites

10.25.13

our bar cart is coming together

It's finally starting to feel like fall in LA, and I couldn't be happier!  I love the crisp weather and any excuse to wear layers.  With Halloween just around the corner, my roommate and I have been decorating our apartment my roommate decorated the apartment- I added 2 gold candles- to celebrate one of our favorite holidays!  Happy Friday! 

spooky decor on the mantleplace

 my new scarf

halloween candy favorites

File Under: Make This Weekend!

10.18.13

So you know those powdered sugar-cinnamon doughnut holes from Dunkin' Donuts??  They were always my favorite kind growing up and bring me back to Sunday mornings, where I cared more about the breakfast treat than learning about Jesus--sorry Dad!

Taking cue from this recipe, I made a few little tweaks and created an easy weekend (hell weekday!) fall treat.  They'll be a crowd-pleaser, I promise!

For the doughnuts:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie)
• 1/2 cup milk

For the coating:

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin by spraying with non-stick spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a medium bowl.
3. Whisk together the applesauce, sugar, egg, vanilla, canned pumpkin, and milk in a separate large bowl.
4. Mix the flour mixture with the pumpkin mixture until just combined.
5. Scoop approx. 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. 
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 
7. Prepare the coating: Pour the melted butter in a bowl. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
8. Remove the doughnuts from the muffin tin and roll in the melted butter. Next, roll the doughnut in the sugar mixture.
9. Repeat.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.
11. Try and only eat one....nah eat 5!

 Happy Friday!

I Cheated on Chipotle...

 9.24.13

So the other night I stumbled upon a recipe that recreated Chipotle's burrito bowl.  Seeing as I had most of the necessary ingredients, I ran to the store to pick up the remaining items: cilantro, shredded cheese, and corn.

Putting it all together was definitely harder than ordering it at the restaurant, but I have to say it was so satisfying to eat!

Here's what you need:

{the base}
-shredded lettuce
-brown rice
-chopped cilantro
-1/2 lime
-refried or black beans

{the veggies}
-sauteed peppers/onions/corn

{the protein}
-protein of choice (mine was chicken)

{the toppings}
-dollop of Greek yogurt/sour cream
-shredded Mexican Cheese blend
-sliced avocado 

{the kick}
-salsa (Trader Joe's Salsa Authentica is has the BEST flavor)
-hot sauce (Cholula)

To assemble your bowl add desired ingredients.  I made my own cilantro-lime brown rice by making a bag of 3 minute rice, chopping some cilantro and squeezing half a lime.  Then I mixed it all together.  So simple.  Place the rice on top of the lettuce.  Heat up the beans, again in the microwave for ease, and place on top of the rice.  Next, cook the veggies up in some olive oil, salt pepper and add to your bowl.  Add a bit more oil to cook up your protein.  Then pile on the toppings and sauces.  

Take that Chipotle...

One Week

It's crazy to think that I've already been in LA for one week! In some ways I feel like I just got here, but the amount of work accomplished on the apartment makes it seem otherwise.  After spending an extra day in Vegas, we left Nevada and arrived in my new home state:

Prior to arriving in California, the drive from Denver to Vegas was a stunning one.  I had never been to Utah, so my dad and I took the opportunity to stop at some outlooks and take in the views:

Now that I'm closer to Arizona, New Mexico and Utah I will definitely be planning road trips to see some more of these landscapes and sunsets like this:

Though the road trip consisted of many long hours driving in the car, we took advantage of enjoying what each state had to offer, whether it was an original Pony Express station in Nebraska,  great food and entertainment in Vegas, or a night with family friends in Denver.  LA was the end goal, but we certainly enjoyed ourselves along the way!