Game Day Recipes

(30-minute Chili)

(All-American Buffalo Chicken Tenders)

(Spicy-Sweet Chicken Wings)

(Onion Rings)

(Hot Spinach Dip)

Alex and I are having a few friends over for the Super Bowl this upcoming Sunday so I've been looking for some fun recipes to make. Don't these Martha Stewart recipes look yummy?

What are you plans for the Super Bowl? Will you be hosting, going to someone's house or tuning out and watching Top Chef reruns? :)

P.S. Have you seen this hilarious Super Bowl ad going viral? Fun fact: It features the star of our upcoming film!

Cozy Bedrooms

For those of you who are on Pinterest, you know how addicting it can be to peruse the Internet just searching for beautiful images to pin to your boards. It's incredibly fun to do, although I admit, a huge time sucker. But lately it's also been very helpful as I've been on the hunt for some home decor tips. I need to redo my bedroom but the tricky thing is that it's on the lower level and the amount of natural light is very limited. I do have a window that lets some light in, but it's not very much, especially in the winter. I've decided to embrace it though and make my room very cozy and warm. These images above are what I'm using for inspiration. Don't they make you just want to crawl back into bed?

How are your bedrooms decorated? Modern, vintage, romantic, traditional? Any favorite decor tips for low light that you'd like to share? I'd love to know! ♥

First photo via The Brick House 
Second photo via Megan Satterfield for Apartment Therapy 
Third photo via The Brick House
Fourth photo via The Aestate 

Lana Del Rey MV // Born To Die

                          

Have you guys heard of Lana Del Rey? She's a little infamous for her performance on SNL (which I really don't think was that bad), but her song "Born to Die" off of her new album with the same name is pretty addicting. If anything, this video is nothing short of amazing.

You decide! Would love to hear your feedback.

Naz Jewelry: Our very first DOPT giveaway!

Lovely DOPT readers, we are super excited to announce our very first giveaway! The giveaway is from Naz, a very talented jewelry designer, and my old college roommate (NYU! Woot!)

Naz creates unique necklaces with beautiful hidden messages in Farsi/Persian. Today she is giving away a gorgeous sterling silver necklace, like the left image, that reads "Love". I own the necklace on the right, which I wear with a black blazer, white tank and jeans - it's one of my absolute favorite pieces.

For a chance to win, please visit NAZNAZ (and feel free to like NazNaz's Facebook page), and leave a comment below. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow. Good luck!

UPDATE: The winner is The Fashionable ESQ. Thank you so much everyone for playing!!!

The Perfect Winter Recipe: Curried Cauliflower Soup

Alex and I are trying to eat a bit healthier these days (during the weekdays at least), so I've been on the hunt for healthy delicious recipes. I stumbled upon this recipe not too long ago, for Curried Cauliflower Soup, and made it the other night. It was deeee-licious. I highly suggest bookmarking it for the next time you're craving a hearty, homey and healthy soup. I served the soup with this Caesar Salad (with tofu instead of chicken), and was practically licking the bowl. ;)

What have you guys been making lately for dinner? Any go-to healthy recipes you can share?

P.S. We're having our very first DOPT giveaway this afternoon so feel free to swing by again later! xo

Wallpaper Wednesday

A few months ago, I saw Aimée Wilder's beautiful wallpaper featured on one of my fave shopping sites, Gilt. I didn't buy it then, but I bookmarked her website so I could go back to it at some point in the future. I'm still not in the market to do any wallpaper purchasing now, but her work is so fun and modern, I figured you DOPT readers would enjoy it as much as I do. 

In addition to wallpaper, Aimée also makes and sells limited edition screenprints, and cool decorative pillows. You can see more on her website, including where to buy, here. 

Apparently, there's a big wallpaper designer scene and lucky for me, most of them are located here in Brooklyn! Who knew, right? How about you? Are there any wallpaper designers you're into? And are you more pro-wallpaper or pro-paint? With such pretty designs on the market, it's easy to see how this wallpaper trend got so popular. 

Photos via AimeeWilder.com

Hat ♥

I've always declared myself a non-hat person. Unfortunately, the circumference of my head rarely allows me the good fortune of wearing cute hats. But recently, I discovered that a few good retailers cater to the larger head type and have perfect sizes for all. I just bought a great fit at Club Monoco, but recently found UK brand Christys' Hats, which I'm seriously considering buying.

How about you? Are you a hat person?

(photo via Tomboy Style)

Today We Have a New Moon

Today marks the beginning of a new moon. I realize this happens once a month, so maybe I shouldn't be as impressed, but this time, there seems to be a flurry of excitement going around me that I can't help but attribute to new beginnings. Do you ever feel that way, like something good is on the verge of happening?

As I don't know too much about the moon or its phases, I did a little research online and according to what I found, this period is a time of "renewal of energy, freshness, reconstruction, development and the conception of hope. You are advised to advocate changes in this stage of your life, and should also consider putting an end to unsavory habits and stale relationships."

That sounds nice, doesn't it? Not bad for a Monday.

Then to top it off, I present to you artwork by the fabulously talented Beth Hoeckel via Beautiful/Decay. Quite fitting that I stumbled upon her handmade collages today. Isn't it dreamy?

How about you guys? Do you ever pay attention to the way our moon changes and how it affects you or is that too hippie? Sometimes I think it's all just pretty fun.

You can read more about it here. Happy Monday!

Have a dreamy weekend!

Official Trailer: Girl Walk // All Day from Girl Walk // All Day on Vimeo.

It's Friday! Tonight Alex and I are going to a screening of Girl Walk All Day, a well-reviewed cool feature-length music video. Lisa went last week and said that people started dancing in the aisles! You can watch the film on their website or request a screening in your city. :) I go nuts for dance films so I'm really looking forward to this. And the best part is that its BYOB so we're bring a bottle of Malbec. Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

Stay toasty! In the meantime, here are some fun links for your Friday... xo!

This surfing video is so thrilling and scary!

Having friends over? I highly suggest making this perfect winter lasagna.

Cool blog alert: An Afternoon With...

The perfect cup of coffee

Awesome! Pendant lamps made from recycled books

Make your own fabric. How genius!

The trailer to Wes Anderson's latest film, Moonrise Kingdom

How to Lead a Creative Life.

How to Lead a Creative Life like Martin Scorsese.

A Tropical Modern Home

In honor of our new blog layout, which was inspired by our idea of Miami Chic, today's post is dedicated to one of our favorite design styles, Tropical Modern. Rizzoli has a great coffee table book dedicated to this aesthetic and we can pretty much see ourselves living in every home. The home featured above however, is our all time fave. Known as the Paraty House and designed by the Brazilian architect, Marcio Kogan, there's something about the combination of palm trees, sunlight, minimal interiors, and water that makes our hearts skip a beat every time we see it. Dream-worthy, indeed.

How about you? Do you prefer more rustic and mountain inspired design or do you also love this beachy look? We want it all, not gonna lie.

Photos via The Cool Hunter. 

The Life of a Bicycle (in NYC)

This is the sort of thing you wonder about, but rarely get to see in action. What would happen to a bicycle if you left it parked in one location for a long time? How long would it take for something to happen? Would anything happen? It's New York, of course something will happen.

Last year, this experiment was tested by Red Peak Group, and above are their results. Pretty interesting, I say!

Thankfully, I have never had my bike, or bike parts for that matter, stolen. But that could be because I rarely ride it. How about you?

Movie to Netflix: Match Point (2005)

So today I've been nodding off from staying up late with Alex, watching Match Point. Have you seen it? It's one of my favorite Woody Allen films. It's about a tennis instructor (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who social climbs his way into England's high society, only to risk losing it all when he falls for a femme fatal (Scarlett Johansson) who happens to be engaged to his future brother-in-law. So good. I highly recommend adding it to your Netflix queue!

As hibernating season approaches I'm looking to watch more good films. Have you seen anything good lately you recommend? xo

Photoboother

We just discovered this awesome site, Photoboother, where you can transform any of your photos into a Photobooth style photo. It's awesome! Here's our take, in birth order. :)

My Signature Salad

Guys, I'm ready to share the most addicting thing in my life: my signature salad. Somehow, perhaps on accident, I made this salad one day, and since, have toyed with adding different ingredients to make it better. I probably eat this salad at least three times a week, seriously. It's incredibly easy to make and is so zesty and tasty, it's a perfect (and healthy) side dish for any meal.

Recipe:
5 oz. mixed greens or spring mix
1 lemon
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
Golden roasted flax seed (available at Trader Joes)
Almond slivers or crushed peanuts
Freshly shaved parmesan cheese

Juice 1 lemon over mixed greens. Add balsamic vinegar and salt to taste. Add flax seed and almond slivers (or peanuts). Mix well. Add shaved parmesan. You're done!

And if you want to take it up a notch, you can sauté crimini mushrooms in olive oil + garlic and add.

Hope you're enjoying the day off!

(photo by Karina)

Have a dreamy (3 day) weekend!

Alas, another week has flown by! My last weekend plans were killed when a dreaded cold kept me to the confines of my home (and couch). So I'm definitely looking forward to an activity-filled 3 day weekend with a cozy dinner and game night at Claudia's + Alex's house tomorrow night and a Golden Globes party on Sunday. And, I finally have my new Canon ready to go, which I'll be crash testing this weekend (a wrap up is coming your way. :) Also! New York is finally seeing snow! Well, flurries, but hey - snow is snow.

Any exciting plans for you guys?

And some links to get you thru this Friday...

A Hot Toddy recipe to get rid of the common cold.

I can relate to this illustration.

I just bought a wide-brimmed hat. This Bill Cunningham video confirmed my decision!

Breakfast is my fave meal of the day. Check out this list of savory + sweet recipe list!

Need some work station inspiration for your home? Rue Mag has it.

Sister love: jewelry designers Phoebe + Annette Stephens.

Can't wait to see the new Wes Anderson movie, Moonrise Kingdom!

Have a dreamy weekend. ♥

(photo via TukaMostafa)

Dreamy Dame: Eva Zeisel

This morning, I was planning to blog about Apartment Therapy's new website design. But as I started playing around over there, you know what happened? I went down the rabbit hole that all you bloggers are familiar with, and I stumbled upon a post about a new modern vintage store, Ampersand Vintage. From there, I went to their own blog and eventually found this post about this amazing artist, Eva Zeisel. Have you heard of her? She was a big deal! And totally Dreamy Dame material: creative, talented, beautiful, and incredibly strong. I wish I had learned about her earlier.

Eva Zeisel was a Hungarian born ceramics artist and industrial designer who passed away last December at age 105. She worked up until she died, and was known for her award winning designs, prolific career, and fascinating life, including a 16 month period where she was imprisoned by the KGB who falsely accused her of plotting to assassinate Stalin. Can you imagine? Her life was very fascinating and inspiring indeed.

You can read more about her on her official website, on the blog where I first leaned about her, and on the Huffington Post. Hope you are as inspired by her as I am. 

Ryan Gosling loves Crazy Chicks

Happy hump day! To ease you through the rest of the week, we thought we'd share this hilar video of Ryan Gosling's new girlfriend, if you haven't already seen it. Enjoy!

(via HelloGiggles)

Pretty Prints

For our recent anniversary, I wanted to give Charlie a print out of the two places we're from: he's from California and I'm from Florida. But given my amateur design skills, I knew I couldn't do it myself. So I did some intense Etsy research and found LilyGene's shop who's prints are so perfect it's like she sensed my request coming! She designed a perfectly modern take on what I was looking for and even put a little red dot on the cities where we're from (Long Beach + Miami). The print came out perfect and now hangs above our bed, with the Florida print on my side and California on his.♥

Frame sold separately. I bought this one at Crate & Barrel and it was perfect!

Film: Newlyweds (2011)

If there's one thing my sisters and I appreciate, it's low-budget filmmaking. We are actually gearing up to shoot our own film this year and as we prep for it, we have been diligently watching every other successful independent film and mostly, researching how the filmmakers got their film financed. The truth is, most indie films take more than just blood, sweat and tears to make. There are practical costs like food for the cast and crew for example. And when you're looking at productions that require a few weeks of shooting, then those costs really add up. So we were utterly blown away when we saw the recently released, Newlyweds. Here is a story about a newly married couple and what happens to them when they realize that when you marry someone, you also inherit their family. And of course, no family is perfect, and in this story of Buzzy and Katie, they both happen to have sisters dealing with a lot of drama.

Saturday Song Obsession:

Currently obsessed and playing on non-stop repeat. Have you already heard it? The video is pretty rad. And also, Kate from For Me, For You has a very sweet cover.

Hope you're all enjoying the beautiful January weather this weekend!

Have a dreamy weekend!

It's Friday! It's my first week back from my stay-cation in New York and it went by in a flash. I can't wait to kickoff my weekend though, starting tonight with Charlie playing a show at Fontanas, a hip bar downtown. Then, tomorrow, our dear friend Kati of San Francisco My Song (and her new husband, Owen:) are having a comeback dinner party hosted by our other newlywed friends, Maria + Mona, who have a gorgeous home that feels like you're in the cabin of a boat. I'll try to snag a few photos with my new Canon 60d (so excited to start using it!)

How about you guys? Any exciting weekend plans?

And a few links from around the Web...

Jane Birkin style secrets.

Avocado pasta. Would you try it?

Renault art cars! It would be so cool to own one!

Gorgeous fashion film by Pierre Debusschere.

For those curious about Lucy Chadicks glasses feat. in my Wednesday post, they're by Cutler & Gross. Thank you, Hogger & Co.!

Q+A with my new favorite comedy duo, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein of Portlandia.

Claire Thomas (of The Kitchy Kitchen) knows her pizza. :)

(Woody Allen photo via Pinterest)

DIY Cheese Plate

I love cheese. However, aside from goat cheese and maybe cheddar, I always have a hard part telling them apart, especially at parties. But wouldn't this be a clever way to help your guests set apart the stinky and hard from the creamy and smooth? I have a white platter at home just itching for a makeover. :)

Check out the how-to on Wit & Whistle!

Zara Film by Todd Selby

I just stumbled upon this great film for Zara shot by Todd Selby, of The Selby, featuring an interview with gallery owner, Lucy Chadwick. In it, Lucy wears all Zara clothing and looks absolutely gorgeous. She's eclectic and sophisticated and her apartment with hairstylist boyfriend Duffy is incredible (eyeing that teapot cameo at :55). I hope they continue this fashion inspiring series!

(film via Zara.com)

Pantry Staples

I found this list in my new Alice Waters book, The Art of Simple Cooking (thank you, Liz!). Printing this cute drawing out found on Dear Friend and putting it on my fridge so I know when to re-stock. :)

(photo via Dear Friend)

New Year, New Calendar

Back to work today, folks! Yeah, we're struggling too, but look on the bright side - it's only four days until Friday. So to start your countdown in style, check out the new calendar that's totally free and downloadable on DesignBread. They have a wallpaper and a printable version, both of which are pretty awesome. Be sure to check them out every month (put in on your cal!) 

Living Locurto also offers some great calendar downloads and her designs are a bit more feminine and sweet. The foldable table tent calendar is really nice and would look very pretty perched on my desk. 

 

And finally, if you're looking for a calendar for the whole year all at once, the whole shebang, check out Sofia's pretty designs here. These are not only beautiful, but informative! 

♥ 

Happy 2012!

Hey everyone! Hope you all had an amazing + spectacular holiday break. My sisters and I enjoyed a nice Christmas Eve at our parents house where we had a pretty non-traditional evening. We had dinner around the television and watched Cliffhanger. Not  exactly the type of Christmas movie you'd expect, but it was fabulous in all it's cheesiness. And our 14 year-old cousin got a kick out of it.

New Years was just as fun. Karina and Charlie had an awesome dance party and we celebrated midnight by toasting with champagne and 12 grapes. Do you guys know this tradition? We grew up doing it every year and it's no New Years without it. You're supposed to take 12 grapes, one for every month of the year, and make a wish or resolution per grape. It's really fun sharing this tradition with friends, even Martha Stewart  posts about it. 

So now that we're in 2012, I'd love to hear about your resolutions! I don't always make them, but this year, I'm going for it. Inspired by Gretchen Rubin's, The Happiness Project, I am making 2012 my year to be happier. There's a lot more to this, so I'll be sure to blog about it as I go. But in the meantime, I think you should check out this book. It's a great read to kickstart the new year. Cheers!

Image via Pinterest.