Creepy, Crawly, Infested Editorial

Take a bite out of Schon Magazine, issue #19. Why? Well, they literally have beauty buzzin' with a bite, with bees, bugs, and insects of all sorts. Yucky sounding, yes, but with a stunning model and perfect photography, this editorial is worth it's buzz. 
Ok, I have to stop with that! From smoky eyes to bold lips, the spread features a spectrum of looks that are bound to appeal to a variety of women. Make up artist Elias Hove is a master of his craft as he uses the model’s visage as a canvas for his creations.
Makeup used for this editorial include luxury brands, such as Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, and MAC cosmetics. 

LoveMe 4ever

Curtis Kulig and Bing Bang Designer Anna Sheffield, friends who both work in lower Manhattan, have come together for more than just coffee or tea, they've come together in collaboration for Love Me jewelry pieces. 

The capsule range consists of a nameplate necklace, ring and  necklace/ring combination, the perfect pairing of BB's penchant for tough sweetheart's tomes and LoveMe's darling status in the galleries and streets of NYC. 

The Love Me rings are imagined in both embossed and diamond encrusted versions to adorn on either necklace or a hand. As Sheffield describes, "A sterling silver nameplate necklace with teeny diamond detail is at once a fierce and delicate bauble." 

The Love Me collaboration is carefully crafted and is ideal for the heavily anticipated holiday we all know and love- Valentine's Day. Do you love this collab as much as I do? 

Charming

I've been a little bit of a shopaholic this past weekend, and one of my most anticipated buys online are these delicious enamel charm, chain bracelets! They come in clover or heart shapes and have a few different enamel color and print options.  I got mine for quite a steal! Let me know if you're interested in the comments and I'll share my secret shopping 'boutique' where I got them with you! xx 

Outfit of the Day 10.5.12

Mara Hoffman Spring 2013

Designer Mara Hoffman showed her Spring/Summer collection to a packed house once again, and gladly, I was there to witness the excitement of the new collection in the Stage at Lincoln Center during Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week.

This season, the inspiration was the word “Aloha” – from the origin of peace in it’s meaning, to the spirit of the Hawaiian islands that it represents. The collection portrays the vibrant colors and spirit of island culture, from surfing to boating to resort and beach lounging. This is reflected in the overall look of the collection, from swimsuits worn on the runway, to Bermuda surf shorts, to the closing look- a long appliqued skirt worn with a cropped bustier top; Hoffman’s chic interpretation of a hula skirt look. 

As she explains, “Each season, my goal is to take the audience on a journey and express the transcendent feeling of love & positivity. This is what we wish to be known for and want to capture in our shows; always celebrating beauty and having a little fun with it.”

The show featured real floral hair pieces and leaf bracelets by Taylor Patterson from Foxfodder Farms, hair by Thomas Duncan forSebastian Professional, make up and nails by Charlotte Willer and Honey for Maybelline, shoes by Aperlai and music by Ben Brunnemer, as well as live Ukelele players (wearing Mara Hoffman Spring 2013 dresses).

Early Birthday Love

My birthday isn't until October 27th. 

This year, on my quarter of a century mark, my day happens to land on a Saturday...I am so grateful to get to spend time with my friends and family...all day. 

Unfortunately though, a few cousins won't be there to share my special day...so look what they sent me in the mail with some early birthday love! 

I love them :)

Outfit of the Day: 10.4.12

Mint Green Lace Top: H&M

Gray Cardigan: Forever 21 

Jeans: Joe Fresh

Shoes: It's a secret ; ) xx 

Healthy Eats Challenge: FAIL

Ok, so my goal was to challenge myself for 10 weeks to eat one of the 10 most fat burning foods each week.  FAIL! My first week's plan was to eat cucumbers as the main ingredient. That lasted for ONE meal...I know. I needed real food, not that cucumbers aren't real, but they get old real fast.

After meal # 1 of cucumbers, tomato and sour cream (not the tastiest, pretty bland to say the least), it was a few short hours later that I had become starved.  I was not looking forward to my prepared snack of cucumbers and tomatoes, so I broke the challenge then and there...but not horribly!

I had myself a balsamic grilled chicken cutlet...but that was only the beginning. Then i treated myself to a few servings (ok, half the bag) of Nabisco's Sour Cream  & Onion toasted chips, healthy but not in the proportions I was eating them in.

So as I said before, FAIL...but not completely.  This week, I've switched from eating crap to not so much crap, eating frozen yogurts instead of ice cream, getting veggie egg whites on croissants instead of regular egg, and even trying to eat more greens!

Tonight, I will treat myself to an explosive quesadilla salad, have you ever tried one of those from Chilis? I can't express the amount of flavorfulness, you just have to try it out for yourself, or you can try making it with the recipe I scoped out for you from SparkRecipes.com.

Minutes to Prepare: 20

Minutes to Cook: 20

Number of Servings: 1

Ingredients

6 ounces bagged salad mix
1 vegetarian chicken patty (such as Morningstar)
1 serving Chipotle Ranch Dressing (see below)
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

1 tsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 serving Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette (see below)
1/4 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp Splenda
1/2 tsp orange zest
pinch of nutmeg

1 serving Sweet Potato Strips (see below)
1/4 medium sweet potato, washed, sliced thinly (1/16") and cut into strips
nonstick cooking spray
1/4 tsp salt(optional)

1 serving Cheese Quesadilla (see below)

1 ounce shredded low fat colby jack cheese
1 Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Sized Tortilla

1 serving Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa (see below)
2 ears of corn, roasted, kernels removed from cob (about 2 cups kernels)
1 cup black beans, rinsed (if you make your own use little salt and no fat)
1 medium red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, de-veined and chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

Prepare Sweet Potato Strips:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray strips with nonstick cooking spray, then dust with salt (optional). Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes. Stir and turn the strips halfway through.

Allow to cool. They will crisp up a bit more after they come out of the oven (makes 1 serving)

Prepare Roasted Corn Salsa-
Add peppers, corn, and black beans to a bowl, then squeeze in lime juice and add salt. Give it a stir and add the cilantro. (Makes 8 1/2 cup servings--you'll have plenty leftover.)

Prepare dressings.
To make Chipotle Ranch Dressing:
Add milk and yogurt to ranch dressing mix. Stir in chipotle and store in refrigerator. (Makes 16 1 ounce servings.)

To make Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Place all ingredients in a saucepan, then cook over low heat for one minute. Cool and refrigerate. (Makes 1 serving.)

To make quesadilla:
Place cheese on half of the tortilla and fold over.
Spray the tortilla with nonstick cooking spray and cook in a sautepan heated over medium-high. Cook one minute on each side, or until cheese is melted. Cut into 4 wedges(makes 1 serving).

Prepare veggie "chicken" patty per package directions and slice into strips.

Place 6 ounces salad mix on plate, top with "chicken" strips, roasted corn and black bean salsa and sweet potato strips.

Place cut quesadilla around the edge of the plate.

Drizzle salad with dressings.