Mixtape

some old, some new. all love.

The ILLZ . Closer

this song shows the full spectrum of what hip-hop can really be. tinged with a bit of alternative-rock, unique and emotional.

RAC . Hollywood Ft. Penguin Prison (Felix Da Housecat Remix)

i've always loved RAC. they've always made remixes that were fun and unique. now that they're producing their own music, you can still expect them to bring the fun.

A$AP Rocky . Goldie (Produced by Hit-Boy)

A$AP Rocky . Palace (Produced by Clams Casino)

A$AP Rocky . Bass (MartyParty Remix)

it's safe to say that a$ap is one of my current favorite rappers, along with logic, which I'm also featuring below. rocky just has an exquisite taste for beats and this martyparty remix is super grimey - just how i like it (sometimes).

KiD CuDi . Just What I Am Ft. King Chip

aaaaaand he's back, ladies and gentleman. i'm officially hooked... again.

Dirty South & Alesso . City of Dreams

if there's anything dirty south & alesso can do, it's definitely making an uplifting song. and this is just that.

Goldroom . Fifteen (Xtrafunk Remix)

beachy vibes with some funk thown in. i'm all for it.

AN21 & Max Vangelli . Bombs Over Capitals Ft. Julie McKnight

julie mcknight is a powerhouse and an21 & max vangelli brought the beats to back her up. definitely a banger.

Volta Bureau . Alley Cat

one of my absolute faves right now. the way volta describes themselves perfectly describes this song: "a cosmic, hypnotic, somewhat psychedelic take on house/ techno/ disco."

Avicii . Stay With You Ft. Mike Posner

i always have love for avicii. people say he's changed; gone too commercial. maybe partnering with mike posner will make people hate him more but i think this song still has his signature sound - and anyone with a knee-jerk opposition to anything popular is destructive.

Matt & Kim .  Let Go

classic matt & kim sound. always a definite sing-along.

Calvin Harris . Sweet Nothing Ft. Florence Welch

calvin harris AND florence?! how could it not be good? i ask you.

D.L.I.d. . Colour in Your Hands Ft. Fink

the kind of song that grabs you immediately, pulls you in, continues to intrigue you. it's emotion laid bare with a super soulful melody.

David Guetta & Alesso . Every Chance We Get We Run Ft. Tegan & Sara

the instant this song plays, you can tell it's an alesso track - he just has that characteristic sound. anyways, i love collaborations. talent + talent + talent = boom.

Ellie Goulding . Anything Could Happen (Blood Diamonds Remix)

i don't know why it took the world so long to get on the ellie train, but now that they're on it's time to get on her new release. and this funky remix of it.

VCMG . Aftermaths (Gesaffelstein Remix)

i've said it before, i'll say it again. big, BIG fan of gesaffelstein. ugh that dark, french, moody thing really gets me going i guess. super heavy tech house that is straight up menacing.

Hot Chip . Look at Where We Are

a real beauty. hot chip is retro for me; brings back all these old memories and this song is a good one to reminisce to.

Logic . Set the Tone

Logic . Relaxation

as i said previously, logic still remains one of my favorite rappers at the moment. i had the chance to see him live and he's not totally on his game spitting live yet but he's still a newbie so i'll give him a pass. his recorded tracks though...  genius. the way he artfully samples and intelligently rhymes will fast track him to being the next big thing.

Patrickreza . Come Alive Ft. Ingrid

seriously, these vocals. ingrid croons gorgeously as patrickreza does what he does best: dub.

Kanye West . Mercy (RL Grime & Salva Remix)

clockwork (dj) = rl grime. whaaaat? anyways i love clockwork, so it's not a shocker that i love rl grime too. anyways this remix of mercy is just a bomb.

The Lighthouse & The Whalers . Pioneers

perfectly pretty folk-pop.

Tribalistas . Ja Sei Namorar

the instant you play this song, you get hooked. you might not understand what they're saying but it doesn't even matter because you want to singalong anyways.

Tailored Tuesday & Travel & New Things in the Shop!

Of course, now that summer is over, I'm officially back into wanderlusting my life away 24/7!

1. Shourouk 'Gilda silver-plated swarovski crystal necklace'

i love me some overly-gaudy, overly-sparkly costume jewelry. this is definitely no exception. stunning.

2. J. Crew 'Cashmere sweater'

if you're gonna do neon, do it simply. j.crew perfects neon in this comfy casual.

3. Jonathan Saunders 'Julia brocade straight-leg pants'

soooo luxe. and i can't resist an uber dark, forest-y green.

4. Gucci 'Felt fedora'

the perfect winter fedora.

5. Nicholas Kirkwood 'Suede and glitter loafers'

this outfit might look a little much with all of the colors going on but i love the mix of prints and colors. it's clash in a good way and the black accessories tie it all together. i love the rich cobalt and the sparkly toes are just an extra fabulous detail.

6. Yves Saint Laurent 'Chyc velvet, satin and leather clutch'

how can you go wrong with ysl?

7. Jung-woo 'Umbrella with coffee holder'

for the woman on the go. until we learn how to grow extra hands, this umbrella is a God-send.

8. T by Alexander Wang 'Stretch-brocade soft-cup bra'

alexander wang is absolutely my favorite designer. he designs what women want to wear - or at least everything i'd want to wear. this bra is simple but stunning.

9. Smiths 'Rosebud salve'

this stuff is the answer to everything: chapped lips, dry hands, lotion, eye gloss, etc. a traveler's best friend.

10. Swiss Army 'Victorinox tomo in mint green'

it's always good to be prepared. and why not be fashionably cute while you're at it?

11. Globetrotter for J. Crew 'Luggage'

when i'm rich enough to afford it, all my luggage is gonna be from globetrotter. just gorgeous.

12. Kai 'Perfume'

my favorite. ever. clean and simple.

13. Diane von Fustenberg 'Heart print ear buds'

ears need some loving too.

14. Deborah Lippman 'Nail polish in bitches brew'

nothing like a good vampy polish.

15. Canon 'TS-E 45mm f/ 2.8'

when i travel, i love to rent out tilt shifts. once i can afford one, you can bet i'll be buying one for my kit.they have this dreamy quality that makes everything more romantic.

16. Roberu 'Leather compact camera strap'

good-quality and chic.

17. Brookfarm General Store 'Wallet'

a wallet fit for your teeny clutch on nights out.

///

(red beach, panjin, china)

this beach is red because of a weed that grows in the alkaline rich soil. if you want to check it out, make sure to visit during the autumn because during the rest of the year, the weeds are green.

(the philippines, padawan islands)

there's nothing i love more than aquamarine, crystal clear water. kayaking through this water on a sunny day would be heaven for me.

(saguaro hotel, palm springs)

like the hotel from my technicolor dream! i think these colors would instantly put me in a daze of complete happiness, possibly even more so if i had a cocktail in hand.

marble caverns of lago carrera, xi region, chilean patagonia)

ever since i left chile a couple of years ago, i've been awaiting patiently for the time i'll be able to visit again. but this time, i'm making damn sure that i visit the patagonias! truly stunning.

(senegal's lake retba)

the french refer to this lake as 'lac rose' because it's pinker than any milkshake you could get! it's pink because of the harmless cyanobacteria that lives in the lake, and like the dead sea, this lake has a high salt content which allows you to float effortlessly on pink dreams.

(floating cinema, yao noi, thailand)

a new festival in thailand, organized by 'film on the rocks yao noi,' which commissioned architect ole scheeren to built this beauty, which he calls 'the archipelago cinema' and which he made completely out of recycled materials.

(huacachina, ica, peru)

an actual desert oasis. 

(fingal's cave, staffa, scotland)

set upon an uninhabited island, this cave is formed from hexagonally jointed basalt columns. the waves flowing through produce eerie sounds. 

(four seasons hotel, chiang saen, thailand)

elephants freely roam the property so you can enjoy breakfast in the company of these gentle giants. AMAZING.

(bruges, belgium)

cup of tea, sunrise, silence. sounds like my kind of vacation.

///

And if you didn't know, I opened an Etsy shop not too long ago. It's been pretty exciting getting orders, shipping them out and getting some awesome feedback. If you haven't checked it out, be sure to do so and let me know what you think!

Anyways, I recently added some new things, including some vintage cupcake/ jewelry stands...

(cassiopeia)

a double layered necklace featuring varying shades of green amazonite stone on one chain and gold plated bars on another chain. all gold plated, enclosed with a lobster clasp.

(lita)

gold plated chain punctuated with a repeating pattern of gold plated beads and authentic white howlite stone.

(vintage cupcake stands: floral or taupe shamrock)

repurposed china that i have turned into adorable mini cake/ cupcake/ jewelry trays. one features a delicate floral pattern and the other features a super sweet shamrock pattern.

(vintage floral cupcake stand)

detailed shot of the floral pattern.

(lyra)

a delicate double stranded necklace. one layer features miniature mint-colored glass beads along with gold plated beads on gold plated chain. the other layer is a delicate chain embellished with micro gold beads.

(chevron)

the chevron trend, done simple. great for layering and sparkles like crazy!

(savai)

oversized graphite colored beads on gold plated chain, which is punctuated with gold plated bars.

My views on food (literally)...

I haven't been really present on my blog lately, and that's about to change, or well, I should say I'm going to try to change that. Even though I've still been here, baking and cooking and such, I haven't really been up to photographing every detail and writing. I guess, I haven't really been all that inspired.

Anyways, I feel like I need to challenge myself, in everything. Whether it be photographing every little thing that I cook, to writing, to being more active, to doing something everyday that makes me get off my lazy butt. Anyways, here are a few snapshots of the food I've been eating and cooking in this hiatus, that I never got around to posting... 

market haul from my local persian market, rainier cherries are the prettiest!

more rainier cherries!

been really into healthy smoothies lately. on the left: banana + chocolate + date + almond milk. on the right: green monster with spinach + banana + pear + orange juice.

strawberries prepped for roasting.

moody strawberries after roasting.

cucumber-mint gin & tonic. beyond refreshing.

coconut cupcakes.

mini carrots roasted with fresh herbs and copious amounts of butter. mmm.

Oreo Cookie Cookies

An oreo is a cookie. An oreo in a cookie?

Seriously people; genius pure genius. I'm loving these new batch of interesting kitschy cookies and cakes that I've been seeing lately; they make me really, really happy. Basically this cookie is good... and large! As if good wasn't good enough (haha) but they are LARGE and good, double score!

These are choc full of cookie goodness, chewy interior, crispy interior and gooey chocolate. Really what more could you ask for. Although these babies are yummy, I must say, I don't think I'll ever find cookies as good as these two: here and here. Mmmm cookies.

Oreo Cookie Cookies

Yields: 20 - 30 cookies

Original recipe here.

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tbsn. vanilla

1 egg + 1 yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

20 oreos, crushed

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. Cream together the melted butter and sugars until well blended. Beat in vanilla, egg, and yolk until light and creamy. Mix in sifted ingredients until blended. Add crushed ores and beat on low for a few seconds. Stir in chocolate chips then drop cookies 1/4 cup at a time onto prepared cookie sheets, 3 inches apart. Bake for 15 - 17 minutes or until edges are lightly toasted. Cool for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Kale Caesar Salad

I love dark greens, such as chard, collard or what have you may, but my most favorite is kale. It's not too bitter and is amazing cooked or raw. My favorite thing to do with it is simply make kale chips by tossing them in some s&p, then roasting it in the oven for a bit. Fixes my craving for something salty and crunchy while being healthy too! If that isn't a win, I don't know what is...

Another thing I love is a good caesar salad. If you've got a great recipe for caesar dressing, it's something to tuck into your recipe book to pass along to your kids and cherish forever. I'm pretty serious about a good caesar dressing. Anyways, kale smothered in a good caesar dressing plus some crispy croutons makes a great meal.

Wouldn't you agree?!

Kale Caesar Salad

Yields: 2 full servings, or 4 small servings

Original dressing recipe here.

For the croutons:

6 1" slices of crusty white bread, cut into cubes

2 tbsn. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tbsn. fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

2 anchovy filets, or to taste

2 garlic cloves, or to taste

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup half-and-half cream or milk

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsn. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsn. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, or to taste (optional)

buttermilk or half-and-half, for thinning

2 bunches of kale, washed and dried thoroughly, torn into bite-sized pieces

shaved Parmesan cheese, to taste


To make the dressing, in a small food processor or blender, mince the anchovy filets and garlic together until finely minced. Add in the remaining ingredients and process for 30 seconds or more until well combined. Adjust the seasonings to taste and thin with buttermilk or half-and-half for a thinner consistency, if desired. To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium-sized bowl, toss the bread cubes with the remaining crouton ingredients. On a large parchment paper lined baking sheet, toast the croutons until golden brown, about 10 - 15 minutes. To assemble the salad, add the kale leaves into a large bowl. Add croutons and parmesan cheese according to how much you like in your salad. Add enough dressing to coat, then divide among plates. There will be a lot of dressing left over!