The Little Red Dress

When visiting New York City last weekend I did a little boutique shopping in SoHo. I was never one to buy red for my closet because I didn't like the way it looked on my skin. As my sense has evolved, I now realize that red compliments every skin color. The great thing about this dress is that it is classy yet still sexy. I wore this outfit to work, but it would work for a fun night out in LA as well. When it gets later into fall you can wear it with tights, boots, and even a leather jacket if you want to change up the whole look. I wore it with red lipstick and black heels, but kept the rest of my makeup very light and simple so that it wasn't an overload. Morale of the story is...every girl should have a little red dress!

Hanging by a Thread

Today I visited the fabulous Melrose Trading Post flea market at Fairfax High School. Although it was absurdly hot, I 
managed to pick up a great piece for my earrings. One of the main reasons I don't wear jewelry with my outfits is because all my jewelry is usually bunched up and not visible. Having all my jewelry hanging allows me to easily pick items out that go with my 

outfit for the day. I bought this for $11 but you can easily make it if you wanted to. All it is is a spray painted frame with thread netting attached to the back of it. You can hang it up if you'd like, but it's more practical for me to just prop it up since I have to take the backings off of some of the earrings to wear them. If you are interested in hunting for unique items, here's the website!

Another Pinspiration

Not too long ago I saw a pin on Pinterest which looked similar to the dish above. I decided I wanted it for dinner tonight but there wasn't a recipe to go along with the pin picture. I threw my own ingredients in there and it was DELICIOUS! If you care to try it, here's what I did:

• Mixed half of an avocado with diced tomatoes, onion, and a little bit of fresh lime juice
• Seasoned the shrimp with garlic salt, red chili pepper flakes, and "Montreal Chicken" seasoning
• Grilled the shrimp on my George Foreman
• Plated it nice and pretty

Hope you enjoy! It tastes as good as it looks...

Hole in the Wall

When I moved in to my apartment there was a long narrow closet in the living room. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it for a while. I thought it would be the perfect place for a long, narrow desk! A few months ago I went to the Fairfax Flea Market and found a vendor who sold handmade, custom desks as well as benches. I was in love with this simple desk and found that the dimensions would fit perfectly. I took it home for $120 cash. I still hadn't found a good chair that would look good and not take up too much space. Yesterday I went back to the Fairfax Flea Market and finally found this great chair for $40. If you read my post about the vintage chest I acquired from my Grandmother, you'll notice that the teal accent of the chest and teal accent of the chair compliment each other very well. I still have one last project to complete the look of my "hole in the wall" office, which is overlapping frames above the desk in various blues and tans. Hopefully I will get to that soon and can post the finished look!

Workout Motivation

Whenever I'm getting out of my workout mood and start slacking off, there are two things that get me back into it...new music, and new workout clothes! When I buy new workout clothes I feel that I HAVE to utilize them otherwise I wasted my money. This may seem silly to some, but it works for me! This morning's workout outfit was a Lululemon top and workout pants, and my Nike Free's. Lululemon is pricey but I truly believe it is worth it; you'll feel like a million bucks wearing it! It's important to feel good about yourself when working out because it gives you the motivation to keep pushing. However, new workout gear does not have to be expensive to get you up and at it. So if you're feeling extra lazy, update your music and workout wardrobe.

White Linen Pants

White linen pants are a MUST have, especially for the Spring/Summer! They are so comfortable and versatile. You can wear them out, wear them to work, or wear them casually. I bought these at Anthropologie not too long ago for about $85. A little pricey but you will wear them ALL the time. Since they fit me perfectly lengthwise with heels, I had my dry cleaner put clear snaps on the outside of the pants so that I can fold them and snap them when I don't want to wear heels with them; much better than hemming them and only being able to wear them with flats.

His & Hers Meals

For those of you with a boyfriend/fiance/husband, sometimes what you would consider dinner is not what your boyfriend/fiance/husband would consider for dinner. I know for a fact that my dad would NEVER have just a salad for dinner. However, it does not mean that you have to sacrifice your healthy eating habits for your significant other! Here is my dinner (barbecue chicken salad) and my boyfriend's dinner (barbecue chicken sandwich). I didn't have to make two whole separate meals! To make this super easy and delicious meal I just boil the chicken tenderloins until they are completely done, shred the chicken, mix the chicken with chopped onions, barbecue sauce, and a little mozzarella cheese. I sauté this for about five minutes. For my salad I just chopped some lettuce and added the barbecue chicken concoction with avocado. For Jason's meal we just toasted some bread, threw in the concoction, added tomato and a lot more barbecue sauce. We use sprouted grain brain (it's healthier), but you can give your man some buns if he prefers. Hope you enjoy.


-Credit to Jason Santos for the artistic composition of his sandwich.

BBQ Season!

As the weather gets warmer, our inclination to be outside gets greater. The Spring and Summer seasons are perfect for barbecues; however, barbecues aren't always the healthiest. Instead of rejecting barbecues all together, find healthier alternatives. I've strayed away from the standard hamburger and have used ground turkey and lettuce as my alternatives for the past five years now. I think it tastes the same, if not better!  I added grilled onions, fresh tomato, ripe avocado, melted mozzarella & a drizzle of ketchup, and it only took me 10 minutes to make on my george foreman. Next time you're at a pool party, you won't have to feel bloated as you eat your burger!

Closet Challenge

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I feel like I have nothing to wear! However, many of us have plenty of clothes to choose from, we just get clothes minded. The point of this "challenge" is for you to rediscover your wardrobe. To start out, organize your closet! I have mine organized first by color, then type. Example: Whites--basics (tanks, t shirts), casual wear, dressy (going out/work clothes), Tans--basics (tanks, t-shirts), casual wear, dressy (going out/work clothes), etc. Then my dresses are at the right end, organized by color and type (strapless, halter, long sleeve). Pants, shorts and jackets are in another closet. Once your closet is organized, wear something out of one set of colors one day, the next day, wear something out of another set of colors. Try not to go back to the same group of colors until you've gone through all the other ones. So day one I may wear a white top, day two a grey top, day three a blue top...you get the point. This will help you to come up with new outfits instead of the same go to outfits you wear all the time. We're all guilty of it! It's almost summer so if you haven't done that spring cleaning yet, start now, with your closet! This will also help you to see which colors you have too much of, and which colors you don't have enough of. So next time you do go shopping, you can have a better idea of which colors to look for. Hope this helps those of you who are in the same boat as me, bored of my clothes, but too broke to spend more money!

Vacation Workout

I'm currently in Cabo San Lucas for work/vacation. Soo many people make excuses for not working out on vacation but really...vacation is the time when you actually have time to work out. I'm going to give you a good, quick workout that you can do anywhere. Since we're staying at a house, there's no close gym access, so all I used was a jump rope which I brought from home, and a ledge. Start jump roping until you get to 100, step up on the ledge with your left leg planted on the ledge and push into your left heel to lift your right leg and body up. Do this 15 times then switch legs. Next, do 10-15 pushups. Repeat this cycle for 12-15 minutes. Don't take breaks in between.


Don't be lazy. Start your vacation mornings with a quick workout and you'll feel so much better the rest of your day!

Interview Outfits

For many interviews, a suit is the professional thing to wear. However, when interviewing for a fashion position, I believe that "rule" can be played with. I posted earlier when I first ordered this color block blouse. It just so randomly happened that I got an email from Bloomingdale's for a stylist interview at the same time my new blouse came in. I felt it was a sign that I needed to wear this blouse and leave a lasting impression. I stuck with the overall "suit" theme, but not so bland. To tame down the bright colors I paired it with everything black. At the beginning of my interview the interviewer commented on my shirt saying, "fun shirt!" Leaving the interview an employee of Bloomingdale's told me that she loved my shirt. Being that it was a "group interview" I knew I had to make them remember me somehow. With it being a stylist position and all, why not strike them with clothes! If anyone cares, the interview went well and they're calling me back in for a second...which means I'll have to figure out another interview outfit. Well, here's the break down of this outfit:


Color Block Blouse: PaulnKC $23
Black Suit Jacket: White House Black Market $165
Black Jegging Pants: J Brand $70 (at Off Saks 5th Ave outlet in Cabazon)
Black Suede Booties: Stuart Weitzman $200 (normally $400, on sale at Gilt)

A Favorite Outfit

This is an outfit that I LOVE! I wore this when I was interning at a Jennifer Aniston photo shoot for a stylist (which didn't last long because I gained more responsibilities at work). I'll break it down for you:


Striped Sweater Dress: American Apparel $65
Ballet Flats: Marc by Marc Jacobs $100 (on sale on Ideeli...normally $500!!!! If you haven't heard of Ideeli go check it out now, great sales all the time)
Cardigan: Forever 21 $15
Belt: Forever 21 $5
Glasses: Dior $$$
Colored lipstick: Lustere-- MAC $20


Important thing is, it's great to mix and match high priced items with low priced items!

Altered Antiques

After

Before

I bought this buffet table (which I use as a dresser) at an antique store in Redlands for about $250. I was not thrilled by the brass handles or pure white paint but I figured I could touch it up myself. I went to home depot and bought sanding paper, clear crystal knobs, and antique white paint. With the help of my boyfriend I finished this project in about 4 hours. I now LOVE my dresser buffet table. The great thing is that maybe one day I'll actually use it as a buffet table!

Don't Skip Breakfast...

We all have those mornings when we're running late and breakfast doesn't seem to be an option, but it is so important to get some [healthy] food in your system within an hour of waking up to get your metabolism running. This pineapple juice, grapefruit concoction is so quick to make, filling, healthy, and tasty (as long as your grapefruit is ripe, not like the one in the picture). When training for flight attending I attended Corporate School of Etiquette which consisted of a food course. The Chef teaching us, Chef Melissa, is a chef for many celebrities including Heidi Klum. She said that one of her clients told her about this concoction and she tried it out. She shared it with our class and I though I'd share it with you. Just throw a grapefruit and a little pineapple juice in a blender and drink up!

New Vintage Treasure [Chest]

I'm SO excited about my new addition. Yesterday I was visiting at my grandmother's house and our conversation lead to her showing me a chest that belonged to her grandmother. I've been wanting/looking for a chest for a bit and they are quite pricey at antique shops. I obviously fell in love with it and she said I could have it...even better, the interior of the chest is an aqua/teal blue which is an accent color I want to decorate a small portion of the wall with. Once I get to the accent decor I will be sure to post pictures! Oh and my grandpa gave my boyfriend this old ukelele...nothing beats awesome hand-me-downs. Not sure what exactly I'm going to put in the chest, if anything at all. Sometimes simplicity is striking...

Baby Shower Cake

I attended a baby shower yesterday and the cake was so adorable and creative...I thought I'd share it! Pregnant belly with the baby's foot kicking.

Fashion DON'Ts

This needs no explanation...

Nutricious & Delicious...Acai Bowls

Healthy lunch. These acai bowls are popular in the surf culture and packed with antioxidants. I enjoyed this "Chocolate Strawberry Bowl" at Sambazon in Cardiff by the Sea, CA which consists of acai, chocolate hemp milk, strawberries, and granola. There's many variations of these acai bowls to suit your taste. If you haven't tried it already, get on it!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I make these lettuce wraps every so often because they are so tasty and quick. I found the recipe for the sauce on Pinterest.com which was used for a spicy asian noodle dish (which is very amazing as well). I thought it'd be great for chicken lettuce wraps! Here's the step by step how to:


Step 1 Making the Sauce--In a small bowl mix 2 Tbsp. each of Soy Sauce, Toasted Sesame Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Sriracha, and Red Chili Pepper Flakes (I think the spicier the better but if you can't handle spice, easy on the Sriracha if any at all).


Step 2 Cooking the Chicken--As I said earlier, these are HEALTHY, which means using a George Foreman instead of frying the chicken entirely. Dice into small squares and throw em on the Foreman.


Step 3 Sautéing the Chicken--In a frying pan, heat a small amount of Coconut Spread (a healthier alternative to cooking oil or butter, found at Whole Foods) and toss in cooked chicken and sauce. Simmer for just a few minutes to allow the chicken to absorb the sauce.


Step 4 Rinse lettuce leaves and enjoy!


Note: I didn't have any on hand but to add to the flavor, dice up a little jalapeno, green bell pepper, and onion and sauté it with the chicken and sauce. Also, if the lettuce leaves annoy you, make it a salad.

1st Post!

I receive daily emails from theonlineclothingboutique.com which I usually delete right away since I'm not laying in cash. Today however, I saw a chiffon color block blouse that I absolutely loved...and it was only $23! Color blocking is a HUGE trend this spring/summer, and this material is completely breathable and perfect for those warm summer nights. This site features garments that are on sale for a limited window period, so check it out daily so you don't miss out on any good steals. Once I receive this in the mail I'll be sure to post pictures of different ways to wear it! 

Designer: PaulnKC