recent food stops (captured by my iphone)

A few foodie photos from the past 2 weekends! Gosh do I love the weekends.... I get to sleep in, go out as much as I want, and skip the gym. But the best part is the food adventuring!!! What a treat. I can't get enough.

Brunch at B Bar with Amy, Damian, Dan, Aimee, and Marie Helene -- I just couldn't say no to a good ole classic eggs benedict with salmon. B Bar is one of my favorite local hang outs for a drink in a pretty garden. First time having brunch here, and was blown away!


Red bean bun and green tea dessert at Sobaya with Andrea and Eunsan, my fellow Asian foodies. This was the tastiest and healthiest kind of sweet -- a perfect snack in my book.


Chinese New Year dinner at Ping's with Andrea, Dan, Kim, and Eunsan. We felt pretty fancy ordering fish live from the tank, but then we got our Tsingdao... ;)


Pizzas with my roommate Alex at Mario Batali's Eataly. I got the Napoletana and Alex ordered the Quattro Formaggi (aka 4-cheese). Best pizza of my life! We definitely didn't take home leftovers :)

3-course brunch + unlimited sangria (all for $20!) at Don Pedro's with Justin, Paul, Clara, and Sarah. It was such a killer brunch, I was tipsy the entire day and immediately passed out. 4 glasses of sangria is no joke. Here's my 3rd course, a deliciously tasty flan.

Whenever we have time, Caroline (one of my best friends from high school) and I run to Chinatown for pork buns and sweet buns. And you can't forget the red bean ice smoothies! Can't find them anywhere else.

What's the yummiest thing you've eaten all week? I grabbed a great Italian dinner at Via Della Pace (an ADORABLE place, btw) with my friend Liz (you know her) on Friday, and it included the yummiest sausage rigatoni. I'm also still hungry for some pizza and pork bun... mmm.

west elm, you've won my heart

Wow am I gaga for this West Elm sale going on right now (up to 70% off + free shipping woot)!!! I always wish I could decorate my entire apartment with their furniture, but I've learned that I am just as happy purchasing the tinier details (that are conveniently less expensive). A few of my finds from 5 seconds ago...

Hearts on the inside, hearts on the outside. I got both bowls. LURVE. ($8 each)

Alphabet Mugs! A classic. I snagged the letter "H" mug to use at work. ($6 each)

These wool pillows are crazy amazing. Didn't get them, but they are on my wish-list! ($34 each)

Have you ever purchased from West Elm? They're my favorite :)

barack & michelle

I found this wonderful story of the Obamas on Facebook and would love to share... It made me smile from ear to ear! :)

"One night President Obama and his wife Michelle decided to do something out of routine and go for a casual dinner at a restaurant that wasn't too luxurious. When they were seated, the owner of the restaurant asked the President's secret service if he could please speak to the First Lady in private. They obliged and Michelle had a conversation with the owner. Following this conversation President Obama asked Michelle, why was he so interested in talking to you. She mentioned that in her teenage years, he had been madly in love with her. President Obama then said, "so if you had married him, you would now be the owner of this lovely restaurant", to which Michelle responded, "no, if I had married him, he would now be the President."

Michelle is my kind of woman for sure!

sh*t fashion girls say (hilarious!)

I've been sending everyone these laugh out loud funny videos -- and the bloopers are amazing too. LOVE.

I love them, I hate them: earrings

Earrings. I have a love-hate relationship with them. I like how they look -- just not on me. (I tend to wear my hair down, so what's the point anyway?) I've had my ears pierced twice already because of my erratic mixed emotions... and lo & behold, they are growing out again because, well, I never wear earrings! Lately though, I'm catching myself admiring a pair of delicate studs, here and there. They're starting to look chic and effortless... Here we go again!

These sterling silver arrows earrings are unbelievably cute. (via etsy)

XO Studs, a kiss and hug for your ears. (via BHLDN)

Quirky ampersand studs. How deliciously nerdy. (via Catbird)

Should I? What's your take on earrings?

4 steps to fight the winter blues

Phew, there is nothing like being sick for a week to make you feel like a helpless little baby again. You go to bed super early and subsist on a diet of liquids! I basically drank soup & ginger tea and slept all week. Hello, instant rejuvenation! A few simple ideas to help fight the winter blues...

Step 1: Settle into a comfy and warm place.

For me, that would be my bed or our super cozy papasan chair.

Step 2: Get thyself a cute mug or bowl.

I just bought this cats mug from Fishs Eddy for my friend Amy, who is a new mom to her kitty Mona. Such an instant cheerer upper!

As for bowls, my roommate Alex and I love the ergonomic design of these Buddha Bowls.

Step 3: Help yourself to your favorite soup.
This graupensuppe (German barley soup) looks delicious and is a great source of fiber. (And a mushroom barley soup sounds great too. I love barley, clearly.)


Step 4: Hot beverages are your new best friend.
I like ginger tea (and if I'm desperate, hot water boiled with pieces of ginger) because it relieves the sinuses. But for something a little more fun, a hot toddy is a classic choice. (Whisky, honey, hot water, and lemon juice.... so delicious.)

Are you feeling cozy yet? Winter's got nothing on this!

(photos via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

boston weekend

Hey friends! I'm currently suffering from a terrible cold from this weekend (It was freezing in Boston!) but still had such a great time and wanted to fill you in! My good friend Justin and I visited our friend Steph (an NYU reunion!) for the long weekend :) If we're facebook pals, then you'll probably be seeing some repeats ... but here are a few highlights from our long weekend trip.

After dropping our stuff at Steph's place, we headed to Beacon Hill, a cute boutique-lined neighborhood and grabbed an early dinner at The Upper Crust Pizzeria. We had a 1/2 "Uncommon" pizza and 1/2 "Beacon Hill." It was delicious.

It didn't take long before we decided that it was too cold to stay outside, so we huddled inside Quincy Market and admired all the food stands. Clam chowder, candied apples galore!

Later, we ventured into the North End to a street that is essentially the Little Italy of Boston. Steph's favorite dessert place is the Modern Pastry Shop, so we each had a perfect, tasty cannoli. I was so touched because after a great conversation with the owner, he gave me mine for free!

Steph's coworker from Trip Advisor was throwing a birthday house party, so Justin (our resident bartender) made some amazing drinks before we headed out.

The next day, we headed over to Anna's Taqueria for Jarritos and burritos. It was so much better than Chipotle! (And equally as delicious as NY's Dos Toro's.) I inadvertently flirted with a cute MIT frat boy (or so we presumed).... by accidentally elbowing him and making him drop his utensils. ;)

We met up with Tiffany, another NYU friend, and all headed over to the South End to visit Tiffany's brother Larry, who lives in a modern & spacious studio while studying graphic design at Northeastern. I loved his space... it even had a fireplace! (Swoon.)

Later, we walked through Newbury St and stopped for coffee at L'Aroma Cafe. It was so frigid, my gloved hands felt blue. Boston doesn't kid around with it's under 17 degree (Fahrenheit) weather! I took my time sipping a large bowl of hazelnut hot cocoa.

Cold temperatures just make me want to pig out. Good thing we went to Giacomo's for some hearty Italian. I had this incredibly rich gnocchi filled with roasted red peppers & goat cheese, served with chicken, mushroom, spinach, and mascarpone plum. Also, did you know that happy hour is illegal in Boston?! We actually ended up drinking wine in our parked car before dinner to warm up!

The next morning on our last day, we grabbed sticky buns at Flour Bakery + Cafe, which many friends have recommended. I took a super tasty bite and saved the rest for this week-- the portion size was gigantic and I wanted to savor every cinnamon-y crumb.

In our last few hours, we met up with Mackenzie (my friend from our L'Oreal internship) at Harvard for brunch. She graciously gave us a tour of the campus, even though it was so cold, she was actually tearing up. (That's a good friend.)

Thank you Steph for hosting us in your wonderful new home town. We miss you here in NY!

books, books, books!

Hello from Boston! Justin and I are visiting our friend Steph, and we are having a little NYU reunion! Steph works at Trip Advisor and has been the best host -- I can't wait to show you some pictures of the trip later. Right now, I'm sneaking in a blog post while they're getting ready before we leave for brunch. A few book-related things that have been on my mind...

I'm half-way through reading Diane Keaton's autobiography and I'm LOVING it! I bought it for myself for Christmas, and definitely recommend it.

Still have to decorate my living room (and on a budget), and this book seems like the perfect solution. On my wish list!

Have you heard of the tumblr Bookshelf Porn? It's a collection of the best bookshelf photos and I am in ecstasy. (The same reaction as that scene from Beauty & The Beast when the beast shows Belle his library. You know?)

I re-read this essay, "Date a Girl who Reads"-- it's so sweet and has been reblogged a billion times. But worth mentioning again :)

PS: Coincidentally, Justin & Steph bought me books for my birthday last April. They know me too well.

(photos via 1, 2, 3, 4)

what a wonderful thought

"I think you could fall in love with anyone if you saw the parts of them that no one else gets to see. Like if you followed them around invisibly for a day and you saw them crying in their bed at night or singing to themselves as they make a sandwich or even just walking along the street and even if they were really weird and had no friends at school, I think after seeing them at their most vulnerable you wouldn’t be able to help falling in love with them. ” (Unknown)

Would you agree? (I love that photo of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin up top, btw :)

(photos via 1, 2)

weekly recap, instagrammed

I thought my first week back from Christmas break (I returned to New York on the 2nd) would be rough, but it was surprisingly low-key and relaxing. I played gym catchup and grocery shopped, with some fun bits in between. Here are a few moments from my week!

While catching up with Eunsan at The Bean, I couldn't help watching the chess game going on next to us between two older hipster dudes. (It was such an East Village moment :)

A "croquette" hot dog dinner at (newly opened) Japadog in St. Mark's. Tasty, but it's got competition.

And by competition, I mean Crif Dog (!) my favorite hotdog place. They're so eccentric, they even branded the potted tree above.

Working on my brand (essie) with my nails painted in 'mango jango,' a pretty orangey red

Someone left yogi tea bags on my desk, and I'm so grateful to them for both the tea and the nice message it came with

On the weekend, a tasty long island iced tea with friends at B Bar

Another bar stop: this place 2A screens movies against the wall. More for aesthetics than anything else (since you can't hear the dialogue), but still cool.

After a night of dancing at the Soho Grand (with my fashionable friend Andrea who works in Philip Lim press), brunch on Sunday at Cafe Mogadore with Dan and Marc.

Here's to another week of appreciating the details in life - big and small. Have a good one xo.

cheeky kate spade tote bags

Ah-dor-able. So on brand strategy. And so fun! (And the leather trimmed canvas material looks casual but still chic. Awesome!) Find them here and here.

6 resolutions to make (and not break!)

My resolutions for 2012 are going to be as doable, simple, and fun as possible. I just want to do things that make me happy! (Now that's all the reason we need, right? :) So without further ado, I'm committed in the next year to these 6 resolutions:

1. Plan more trips (to visit friends, to see new places)

2. Host more soirees (from dinner parties to just hangin' out)

3. Buy more flowers ('cause they'll brighten up the dullest day)

4. Go to bed earlier (and feel 100x better, always)

5. Take more photos (and take in new perspectives)

6. Take more risks (because 99% of the time, they're worth it)

(photos via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)