music mondays

Take that, Miley.

garlic butter shrimp - hawaii style

Consider this a tribute to my upcoming trip to Hawaii in a few days -- the sand, the sun, the air, everything. I love it all. There's just something about being there. No matter how many dozen times I've been, or which island I'm on, it always gives me one of the best feelings in the world. The only way to explain it is that I was born in the wrong place, I'm a total island girl at heart. If you've been to Hawaii you've experienced all the wonderful things it offers, and hopefully have also gotten to experience it's food (there's so much to eat!). One of the things that is a must do while in Hawaii is visit a shrimp truck (see my favorite one). Oahu has plenty of them... imagine stopping by a truck after a playful swim in the Pacific eating the garlicky, salty goodness with a lump or two of rice, it's nearly perfection. Never been to Hawaii? No problem! Try out this easy recipe and throw on some Hawaiian tunes and you'll be transported.

Garlic Butter Shrimp  (This recipe is by no means healthy, but I like to try and cut the butter with some EVOO to make it a tad bit healthier)

A full bulb and a half of garlic, minced
3 1/2 tsp. of butter
1 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. jumbo de-veined shrimp

Add butter and EVOO to 13" pan and heat on low. Add minced garlic and stir on low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the garlic has turned a little past golden in color (careful, don't burn it!). Add in the salt, then the shrimp and cook until all shrimp are cooked (in this step the garlic will turn darker in color). Serve hot alongside your favorite starch, and don't forget to add the little bits of sauteed garlic which are one of the best parts. I also like to add some freshness so a side salad or some slices of tomato, pineapple, or mango go well with it too. Enjoy, it's so ono!

music mondays

Happy President's Day!

finally, friday

YSL Glossy stain in #15

Call me boring, not sentimental, or cold-hearted, but I'm not a huge fan of celebrating Valentine's Day. I don't know if I ever was that type of person or if it just changed over the years. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a sweet day to celebrate with your loved one, but not a day I go all out on. I'll be celebrating with a low-key dinner tonight and of course, by wearing all black and a swipe of pink on my lips.

Take a quick quiz and see how dateable you are.

Sticking to the love theme since it is Vday, check out all these shots with the hashtag "love".

If you're dating a science geek, by all means, geek out to this.

Andddd... last, but not least (and nothing to do with Valentine's)...

How crazy cool is this coffee shop in Korea? You can rent and try out different lenses for your DLSR... I may just have to stop by when I'm there!

nyfw fall 2014 makeup

I've been loving a bit of a no makeup, makeup look on myself lately. Flawless glowing skin, lots of mascara and a natural lip, and sometimes if I'm feeling a little vampy I'll throw on a red or merlot lip. I especially love what I've been seeing on the runways recently at NY Fashion week. Here's a roundup of my favorite looks that have inspired me so far.

image via Bella Sugar

image via Glamour

 image via Bella Sugar

image via Bella Sugar

 image via Bella Sugar

image via Beauty by Benz

image via Bella Sugar

rainy day light

Even though it's been raining pretty much non-stop the light has been beautiful for taking pictures. I couldn't help but want to snap a few photos in the rain. Dressed in almost everything from my most favorite store ever, Aritzia. If I could, I'd have an entire closet full of Aritzia (instead, it's only half full ;) hehe)

Babaton Henry Jacket, Wilfred Free tee, Aritzia belt, Bebe denim, Kamik rainboots

music mondays

Vibin'

finally, friday

My breakfast as of late: Acme Pan de Mie with PB&J and a creamy soft boiled egg + black coffee

The rain is finally here! Although my preference for weather would be cloudless blue skies and sunny weather in the 70's, I'm really happy that the rain is here. We totally need it so I hope it continues to rain for a while. Time to break out those rain boots, have an awesome weekend!

Such an interesting illustration of what the reality is these days.

If only I could travel the world for my job...

A house made almost entirely out of salvaged materials. Complete with a wood-burning stove/heater, and composting toilet (blech!). Still, it's super cool and believe it or not, also for rent on Airbnb.

Cooking a special meal at home with your Valentine? Make it extra festive with some diy cloth napkins.

Bali has been somewhere on my travel list, but it's bumped it's way up after seeing this.

If you're interested in seeing more from me, make sure you catch my Pinterest page.

peek-a-boo

There are a few things about this top that I love besides the very obvious surprise in the back. I love it's minimalist shape and the fact that it's actually a wool blend so it keeps me surprisingly warmer than expected. I wore it with my high-waisted denim and is generally how I like wearing this top so it shows just a bit of skin.

Babaton Ashton shirt, Madewell denim, BCBG cardigan, Asics, Crushed Plum lipstick Bobbi Brown

january favorites

This month I've got a variety of things to throw at you, enjoy!

Oh, and I'm sorry for the long rant at the end. It's just a product I love too much. If I could buy everyone one of these bottles, I totally would.

Oribe Surfcomber Tousled Texture Mousse - gives volume and messy, effortless texture

Benefit's Watt's Up! Not sure how I ever did without highlighter. This one gives your face just a tad more depth and definition without being obnoxiously sparkly. 

Loving Oribe, can you tell? Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray - gives my hair just that tad bit of edge it needs. Hourglass Femme Nude in No. 6 - the perfect nude shade that doesn't make you look washed out

Chunky, oversized knit sweaters. Could not live without these this Winter. L to R: Wilfred, TNA, Zara

And last, but not least, my klean kanteen insulated canister. I've had these for years now and love them to death; I couldn't leave home without one. Even if I'm out getting coffee somewhere I have them fill my kanteen instead of giving me a cup. It got me thinking about how much single-use plastic I've saved from ending up in landfills and the environment just by using a re-useable water bottle. I think everyone should have one of these, imagine how much less waste we would have from all those coffee cups and plastic water bottles. The frequency of which I use these bottles warranted me buying my fifth one (that and Sports Basement was having a 20% off sale) and I'm loving my new navy bottle. :)

If you're thinking about getting a re-useable bottle this one is highly recommended. It's got a wide mouth for easy cleaning, is all stainless steel (no BPA), comes with different lid attachments you can buy, comes in different sizes and beautiful colors, and last but not least it's INSULATED (but they also have non-insulated if you want). Have your hot or cold liquids on the go and for hours on end!

Not pictured: Oral-B electric toothbrush. With a family full of dentists and hygienists, I don't know how I lived without one all these years. It's pretty unlike me, but I didn't do any research on this one I just bought it. I'm not really sure how it compares to the Sonicare other than the fact that it's cheaper in price. What I do know, is that my teeth already feel cleaner and fresher than they did with a traditional toothbrush. Not only does it clean better, but it also protects your gums from receding if you're like me and brush too hard.

music mondays