Salmon Sandwiches

If you're anything like me, deciding what to eat everyday for lunch can be really boring. Yes, I live in New York and I should have a plethora of amazing eating options but my office is in a weird location and not much delivers to us. And on top of that, ordering lunch everyday is expensive! So starting now, I am making a commitment to be better about packing my own lunch. And with recipes this delicious, I think I can really have fun with it. Yum, yum.

Images and recipe via Big Girls Small Kitchen.

Thoughts on Sober September

Image via the NYT. 

Last month, I decided to challenge myself to 30 days of not drinking. I have to admit, I did not think it would be possible for me to do. It's not that I am a heavy drinker per se, but I am definitely very social and find myself meeting up with friends multiple times a week to hang out and catch up. And what do we do when we get together? We enjoy wine, beer and the occasional cocktail. All of this is pretty normal, right? Yes, perhaps. But after a very fun summer and with the approach of fall and winter holiday parties, I knew I wanted to take a step back from the busy pace of my life and have a solid month to cleanse and reflect.

Have Dreamy Weekend!

Can you believe it's Friday? Sorry for a late post, but this day, week, has gone by at lightning speed. Which I'll admit, I'm pretty happy about since I'm still in the throws or organizing our new pad. Do you guys have special plans for the weekend? What about my non-New Yorkers? We've been having gloomy weather these past few days...would love to know what it's like in your neck of the woods!

Link time, baby!

Can't get enough of Claire Thomas recipes.

Since my move, I like listening to this classic song. :)

Woah! This baby treats a magazine like an iPad.

Your fall color palette.

Disclaimer: slight terrifying photo of model's foot after a month of runway shows.

Ain't this the truth!

Gia Coppola directs for Opening Ceremony. Love her!

The 9 most annoying things you can say to a single person. haha.

New Lars Von Trier movie, Melancholia, looks trippy and amazing!

Don't underestimate Michelle Williams. I adore her and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll be amazing in My Week with Marilyn. What do you guys think?

Have a dreamy weekend!

(photo via For Rainy Days)

Fake English

If you've ever wondered what English must sound like to foreigners, check out this cute little short film. Although there are very few words I can pick up on, I feel like I totally get what's going on.

Also, I want sparklers on my next birthday cake. So festive!

Cooking French!

(photo via Food & Wine)

Today I read an excerpt from the book, The Table Comes First by Adam Gopnik, in Food & Wine.

In it, Gopnik described his take as to why the preference of Italian food dominates over French cuisine. His take: Italy represents in the American - or at least New York - mind, a reflection of the easy Old World. Olive trees and cheap red wine, pasta and garlic, tomatoes cooked down - it all feels accessible, whereas French cooking has some evident degree of difficulty about it. The simple acts of French country food - separating eggs, beating egg whites, reducing sauces, making liaisons of a sauce and a thickener..to name a few, are hard, or harder, anyway.

Which sparked a thought for me: how do we all appreciate food when we cook?

I, for instance, feel greatly accomplished rarely making something intricate and detailed. But feel equally gratified in knowing I can whip something up in five minutes or less (which is few and far in between, I'll admit!) But now I have set out to challenge myself: learning to skillfully cook intricate and traditional French recipes! Don't get me wrong, I love Italian cooking! But this could be a fun way to educate myself in cooking challenging cuisine.

Do you guys have any French food classics you live by or have tried out? Or perhaps a foreign cuisine you'd like to know more about? I would love some suggestions! Perhaps I can start with Truffle-Infused French Onion Soup. Yum!

Have Dreamy Weekend!

(photo via Pink Preppy Lilly Lover)

I'm moving this weekend! Yep. A whole fifteen blocks away. I'm moving in with my boyfriend, Charlie, and we're really excited about creating a little nest and planning dinner parties and movie nights. And this week, he brought home two pumpkins so we can have our first carving party! I've definitely moved a lot in my day, but this move has a totally different feel...less stressful and more happy. :) The only source of stress might be trying to figure out where I'm going to put all my shoes!

How about you guys? If you moved in with a boyfriend (or girlfriend), did it feel different and exciting or were you nervous?

A few links to get you thru this Friday...

RIP, Steve Jobs. :(

Really pretty cider.

Matzo ball soup recipe, for the fall cold. Yum.

For New Yorkers and those visiting: go to this restaurant! It feels like you're in Europe, and I saw Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is way too adorable.

I'm painting our kitchen with chalkboard paint this weekend! I'm so excited. Any tips?

Cute couple Halloween costume!

My seesters are in LA casting for After the Wedding! I miss them, but I'm excited to see more! Check back for details...

Pardon my overuse of the word 'excited' in this post. It is a very exciting time...and the weather is perfect here in New York. :)

Have a dreamy weekend! ♥

Rosewater Meringue with Black Currants + Cream.

(Photo and recipe via Nigel Slater)

Is this not the most decadent dessert you've ever seen?  Must try this stat!

Off to LA

Image via Pinterest 

Claudia and I are off to Los Angeles tomorrow to do casting for our upcoming film, After the Wedding! I've been to LA several times and Claudia lived there a few years ago, but surprisingly, we have never gone together. So I'm excited not only to do our casting, but I also love traveling with my sister and I'm glad she knows the city better than I do. I'm also looking forward to seeing old friends, driving, and being in the warm sunshine.

Any suggestions or must-see spots we should check out while we're in town? We'd love recommendations!

Happy birthday, to my husband Alex!

You are an incredible husband and man...

Because you are always a great sport...

You make an amazing dance partner...

Could rescue me in a dark alley...

Look bad-ass in black shades...

And at the end of the day, are an amazing listener, cuddler + my best friend.

I love you so much, Alex. Feliz cumpleaños! Love, Mrs. Big Head xo!

Film: Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)

Images via IMDB

This weekend I took advantage of the chilly, rainy weather on Friday night to stay in and watch Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery. Have any of you seen it? I had never heard of it before but as with most Woody Allen films, I loved it. It has the perfect amount of wit and comedic suspense. And the cast! How could I not love anything with Angelica Huston and Alan Alda? 

Among my favorite lines: 

Carol (Diane Keaton): You know what I mean? I mean, I don't understand why you're not more fascinated with this. We could be living next door to a murderer, Larry.
Larry (Woody Allen): Well, New York is a melting pot. You know, get used to it.

and

Larry: Could you? That's great. That's... you know, you-you have all these skills, and you're beautiful, and you can write so well... and now it turns out you play poker. This is, uh, too good to be true.
Marcia (Angelica Huston): Well, I wouldn't say beautiful.
Larry: Oh, I would.
Marcia: But I do have tremendous sex appeal.

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend! Perfect for a weeknight movie.
(By the way, this film is in color! I could only find b+w stills though.)

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