Have Dreamy Weekend!

Image via Absolutely Beautiful Things

Finally Friday! I, for one, could not be more excited. It has been a long week! This weekend will be nice because I'm planning to do some home improvements with Karina and work a bit with Claudia on our little side project. And also... my month of sobriety is over! For those of you who didn't know, I was challenging myself to a Sober September and I'm proud to say I made it without one drop of alcohol. I have a lot to say about this, which I think will be a more dedicated post next week because I really do want to share my experience with you.

So in the meantime, have a lovely weekend! And now some fun links from the interwebs.

Hovering art directors. 

How to tie your man's bow tie. 

Ruth Reichl's end of summer no-fuss tart. 

Cutest tea set ever. 

Your new favorite Olsen! 

Confetti System's cool paper flowers are easy to love.

A circular kitchen is pretty brilliant. 

I wish these wedding dresses were appropriate to wear on all occasions.

Have a great weekend everyone!

DIY Wedding Cakes

Image via Pinterest via superfinebakery.com 

Ok, so it's no secret that I absolutely love baking! If I had all the time in the world, I think I would try to bake something new everyday. So far my specialties include blueberry pies, banana walnut bread, and birthday cupcakes. But the next treat I want to challenge myself to is... drumroll please... a wedding cake!

Do I know anyone getting married anytime soon? I can't think of anyone I'm close to enough to to trust me with such an enormous task. Maybe I should start practicing with some of the fun ideas floating on Pinterest (my new obsession!) What do you guys think? Would you ever let a friend/amateur baker take up the challenge of baking your cake for your very special day?

Speaking of wedding cakes, I found this pretty hilarious: wedding cakes inspired by works of art! I think my fave is the first one.

Back to Blogging

Hello, dear readers! We are so incredibly sorry for neglecting you and our lil' ol' blog here. Somehow, right as summer ended, a ton of work got thrown our way and the three of us have been busy, busy, busy! Claudia and I are working on a very big and exciting project (a film! more details soon!) and Karina has been trotting across the globe (Paris! LA! San Francisco!)

Things are actually about to get even more crazy for us, but we don't want our work to stop us from doing what we love, and that is blogging of course. So despite our other projects, we promise you we will be back in full blogging mode starting this week! (I personally need the pressure of saying this to you because I hate to let people down! You can call it middle-child-people-pleasing syndrome.)

So all that said... how are you all doing lately? We've missed you! ♥

Image via Pinterest.

Vanessa Bruno: LØV

Here's a little treat for your Wednesday morning! The new lookbook for Vanessa Bruno (starring Kate Bosworth) is probably one of the best I've seen yet. Once again, this epic visual stunner was directed by Stephanie Di Gusto, and will literally make your jaw drop. The music, the shots, the clothing...it's perfection. Enjoy ♥

(Video via Vimeo)

Have a Dreamy Weekend!

 Images via Pinterest. 

Hello lovelies! It's Friday, finally. Any great plans for the weekend? I just bought myself a voucher over on Gilt City (my new obsession!) for one month of unlimited yoga at Yoga Vida. Now let me be clear here, I am definitely not a yogi. I have done it many times, but have never stuck with it consistently. My favorite workouts are definitely more cardio based, such as spinning and kickboxing. However, since I left my last job last year, with it went my discounted gym rate. So for the past year, I have to admit that I have not had any real exercise outside of walking back and forth to work everyday (give me some credit here, in total it's four miles back and forth!) But to be honest, it's definitely taken it's toll on me.

So because I was getting a great deal on Gilt City, I figured I would give yoga another shot. And I also think it's a great time to do it now because did I mention I am not drinking this month? I'm calling it Sober September and let me tell ya - nine days in and I am surprisingly doing awesome. The first weekend was the absolute worst because it was Labor Day weekend and there was a ton of stuff going on, including the fact that one of my bff's was in town from LA. But after managing to be on good behavior that weekend, it's all downhill from here. The perks of not drinking? My sleep is much better, and my wallet is feeling good. So in the spirit of cleansing, I am really excited about picking up yoga this month. Any tips for a yoga newbie?

And now, the fun Friday links you've been waiting for!

Funny math. 
Perfect Fall treat. 
Rookie debuted this week! 
This new mag will be awesome, I'm sure. 
Gilt Taste. Be careful, you might spend hours on this site (or a lot of $$!) 
Made in America. 
I want no. 2 and 3. 
JLo is pretty funny sometimes. Proof is here and here. 
Best new tumblr all about breakfast! via Abbey Goes Design Scouting. 
Love this coffee table. 

Happy weekend, everyone! ♥

Paris: Part I

Good news, guys! I made it to Paris over the weekend. :) And I'm so glad I did. I promise to share photos very soon (it's been a whirlwind upon returning) but until then, can I share that I have a newfound respect for eating cheese and bread? It's almost all I ate in Paris, and I didn't even grow tired of it. And it's best when paired with a good glass of wine.

Also, I had a chance to stop by an amazing market called Le Marche des Enfants Rouges, and the man pictured above made me the most amazing crepe I've had in my life, topped with butter and lemon zest. I could eat one right now! He reminded me of Gerard Depardieu, which almost sparked a giggle fit ala Anderson Cooper. :)

And lastly, I bought myself a pair of Bensimons (sort of like the French version of Converse), and I have been wearing them non-stop. All in all, a great trip worth being on the edge of my seat for:)

Keep a lookout for Part II!

Paris, Je T'aime

If all goes as scheduled, I will be in Paris this weekend. ♥ Fingers and toes crossed that Delta will kindly let me on!

Art We Heart by Celia Rowlson-Hall

shivery is not dead.

don't be such a pane in the glass.

we painted that town!

pamela anderson.

he totally got into her pants.

According to her website, Celia Rowlson-Hall makes films and dance spectacles. Now add "makes the cutest drawings in the world!" She has recently posted a new series of clever illustrations and I swear, each one is making me melt. Don't you just want them all?

P.S. You may recognize Celia from our many previous posts about her here, here and here. Can we say girl crush?! ♥

Ikea Small Spaces, Small Ideas

I just came across this Ikea promo on how to utilize small space, and was totally inspired! It's amazing how much you can pack into a tiny room with a little creativity. :)

(video via Ikea)

Black Bean + Feta Tacos

As a pescatarian (more of a vegetarian these days) I sometimes struggle to find new and inventive recipes that require little prep time. Many days, I get home in the late evening, and don't have that much time or energy to say, make a casserole or something fancy. But I find solace and security in tacos. Plus, its fun mixing it up with different accoutrements (fancy word of the day, folks). I just came across this black bean taco recipe and am totally adding it to my "what to make last-minute tonight" list. :)

(photo via Una-deux Senses)

Have a dreamy weekend!

In addition to it being Karina's birthday today, it's also Friday! What do you have planned this weekend? Hope you all have a nice one and make the most of the last few weeks of August!

And now, some fun links for you to peruse in case you've run out of Summer Fridays and are still stuck at work.

Best wedding photos ever. I love people with a sense of humor!

The silver fox couldn't be more adorable.

My new favorite tumblr. Borderline obsessed with every photo.

This is where I want to go next summer.

I really love the Shipley & Halmos homepage.

Love this song by Fort Lean.

You know we're obsessed with braids.

Before True Blood, Anna Paquin was known for being a ten-year-old Oscar winner. I totally forgot about that.

And finally, happy birthday to my bff, Kati. Love you, doll face and can't wait to see you next weekend!

Photo via A Well Traveled Woman via Joel Bedford.

Happy birthday, Karina!

Obviously, she was stylish even as as a baby.

An artistic teenager she was.

Pensive and at one with nature.

See? She loves the outdoors.

And she's a true party girl at heart.

Happy birthday, Karina! We're so lucky to have you as our lil' sis. You're almost old now (yikes!) and it's amazing to see how you've grown into such a charismatic and charming woman. You've always been wise beyond your years and have always given great advice and been a wonderful listener. You're insanely creative and talented and you never cease to amaze me with your ability to do anything and everything you want. Although not one day goes by without us arguing or bickering over something silly, you are my absolute best friend and I love you to pieces. My lil' chimichurri! Hope you have a wonderful birthday weekend. ♥

End of Summer Wish List

I hate to be a debbie downer and all, but today I had a sad realization. Summer is coming to an end! With only a couple of weeks left before we're officially into Fall (which happens to be my favorite season actually), I thought it would be a good idea to jot down some things I want to accomplish before it's too late. So here goes, my end of summer wish list.

1. Spend a day at Rockaway Beach and go to Rockaway Taco (image via cindy k)

2. Make more summer pies! (this was a blueberry pie I made last weekend for la familia)

3. Go hiking and swimming in Harriman Park

4. Have a couple of more backyard BBQs and screen more films with our projector

5. Take some long bike rides (image via Pinterest via Sofia Applegren)

How about you guys? What's on your end-of-summer wish list?

Messy Sexy

I came across this do and loved its bombshell appeal. Although it's such a fine line between sexy and messy, I think it would take a couple tries before getting it just right. :)

btw, forgive the almost back-to-back hair posts. I'm traveling to Paris next month and can't help but feel inspired by awesome hair. :)

Shark!

How fun are these pants by Thom Browne? Although it looks like they're made for guys, I wouldn't mind a pair of my own.

Paris Hair

My friend Rachel and I are going to Paris in September for Labor Day weekend. We're so excited to tour the city together since we both have similar taste when it comes to traveling (we're not much a fan of the touristy destinations, but rather spend our time soaking in the culture and the people). Rachel sent me this hairstyle, which I think is the perfect do for a long plane ride. Seems like it'll withstand the long hours of traveling, and since we're arriving super early in the morning, hopefully it will cut our freshening up time in half so we have more time to explore the city. :)

(photo via NY Mag)

Birthday Blues

On Monday, I turned 29 years old. I feel very lucky to have such an amazing group of family and friends that made me feel special that day. I received tons of phone calls, emails, gifts, texts and Facebook messages from everyone I love and truly care about. But to be honest, every year on my birthday, I can't help but feel a wave of anxiety wash over me. There is nothing logical about this feeling. I am healthy and strong. I am surrounded by people that care about me. And yet, on a day that I am supposed to be celebrating and basking in the attention that Leos tend to love, I experience a fight or flight sensation that doesn't ease up until the day after my birthday.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and trying to understand why I go through this. When I was a teenager and up until my early 20s, I had a list of goals I expected to accomplish before turning 30. Some of the big ones included being married, working in the music industry and living in New York. But life hasn't exactly worked out that way and with the exception of moving to New York five years ago (and loving it), I haven't accomplished the goals I once felt were important to me. I don't work for a record label or music magazine and granted, I no longer even want to work in music, but the point is, somewhere along the way, my path changed its course. And I should be okay with that. I am excited about what I do now. I'm in a creative industry and work with some of the most talented people I've ever met. And as far as relationships go, I meet my fair share of date-worthy gents. Nowhere near marriage, but that's okay. The beauty about living in this city is that new and exciting things happen everyday.

I feel like I have a positive outlook on this now, when just a few days ago, I was panicked at the thought of being one year away from 30. 30-year-olds are adults! And I don't necessarily feel like one most of the time. Which I suppose is a good thing because time does fly and before I know it, I'll be wishing I was a young 29-year-old. Right?

How about you guys? Do any of you ever go through the birthday blues?

(Pictures via Laura Makabresku via Aubrey Road)

Film: Crazy Stupid Love (2011)

Alex and I watched Crazy Stupid Love this past weekend. Have you seen it? It's about a sad divorcee (Steve Carell) who's lost his mojo, and enlists a lady's man (Ryan Gosling) to help him get his groove back + his ex-wife (Julianne Moore).

I was happily surprised to see it wasn't just another formulaic Hollywood rom-com. It's funny, smart + sweet. And Ryan Gosling's abs make a cameo in it, which alone is worth the ticket price. ;)

It's a film both guys + girls can both enjoy. I highly recommend! xo

Happy Birthday, Seester!

Really, who could resist that face?

Lisa has always been an amazing friend...

Extremely well-traveled...

I love that we have the same googly eyes.

And I love that we share so many of the same friends.

Happy birthday, seester! You are my light and sunshine and my best friend. If someone asked me to describe you in a few words or more, I would say the following: Lisa is the most gracious, trustworthy, charming, adorable, and gorgeous human being ever! I can't even articulate what an important person you are to me. It's beyond words and would most likely involve a very large hand gesture resembling something huge. You're smart, well-traveled, an amazing friend to your friends, and your ability to multitask a million things (and do it well!) amazes me each day. I love you, chimichurri! I can't wait till the Care Bears (aka Cifuentes girls) take on the world! ♥

Roasted Romanesco with Salsa Verde

A colleague just introduced me to The Kitchy Kitchen, and now I'm totally addicted! Claire Thomas is a foodie blogger and creates short format videos of her recipes. For dodos like me who struggle following recipes, seeing it played through makes it so easy to follow. The above video is one of my fave picks so far! Enjoy ♥

(Video via The Kitchy Kitchen)