Sunsets & Suckers

I spent the last week in Mandeville training for my new job, and needless to say, Mandeville isn’t extremely entertaining. My day consisted of waking up at 7am, work from 8-5, back to the hotel, sleep, and repeat. BUT, one good thing about Mandeville is the access to the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

This is where I found myself Thursday night when a friend of mine came to town to show me Mandeville’s hidden gems

The north shore of the lake is bordered by a walking path and some of the grandest homes in the city. From our point of view, we could see the causeway running over the lake into New Orleans just across the way. After sunset, the headlights on the causeway resembled lightning bugs darting back and forth, and one almost forgets that there’s anything man-made at all.

I was also fortunate enough to experience this little token of fun. It’s exactly what it looks like – a scorpion encased sucker. I chipped away at most if the sugary part and even ate a bit if the claw, but I couldn’t bring myself to consume the entire thing. I chickened out. But I think claw bits are a good start, right?

Simply Comfy

Who says comfy has to be boring? This week, I’ve been training for my new job, and I’m either sitting for hours at a time or walking back and forth. So of course, I’m trying to be as comfy as possible. But comfy doesn’t have to mean lazy!

I love to add a little edge to everything I wear. Of course I love being a girly girl sometimes, but more times than not, I’m my own Rock Star.

Layering and mix-matching jewelry is the easiest way to add a little edge to a basic outfit like black on black. Also, I’m not big on cardigans, so when I need a little more coverage, I opt for a relaxed denim button down. I own 3 of them and wear them over basically every casual outfit.

Subtle hardware like zippers or studs also add interest to an otherwise basic pair of black jeans, and lace up sandals are the perfect piece to transition into fall while still staying cool in the LA heat.

Denim top- Pacsun
Pants- Forever 21
Shoes- Maven Womenswear
Jewelry- Pacsun/Forever 21/Urban Outfitters

Is it Fall yet?

When you live in southern LA, summer lasts until the week before Christmas. But I’m impatient, and I’m ready to get into my cold weather gear now! So I’ve learned quite well how to marry the two ideas into a transitional look.

Although long-sleeved, the material is very thin and flows, so it’s breathe able and cool.

I absolutely LOVE pattern mixing, especially if it’s subtle. Stripes and floral are the perfect combination for any season.

Foregoing boots for a lace up sandal also works as a perfect transition.

Top: local Boutique
Pants: LOFT
Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Belt: Target
Necklaces: Pacsun & Forever 21

Spring colors in Fall?

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING.

This might be the most important thing you see all day. Prepare yourself.

Target has recently marked down a ton of their Spring and Summer merchandise to make room for their Fall and Winter collections. Among the items marked down were CoverGirl’s Outlast Nail Gloss. And they were $1.48 each.

A DOLLAR FORTY EIGHT.
Let it sink in.

When it comes to nail polish, I am VERY picky about the kind I buy. The consistency of the polish has to be just right – not overly thick like glue, yet not so thick that it takes 17 layers and all freaking night. These are perfect in every way.

When shopping for polish, I’m constantly battling between my desire for the perfect consistency and getting a good bargain. I love Essie, but I also love to change my colors often, and $8 a bottle ain’t gonna do it for me. So naturally, when I saw these babies on sale, I bought 6 of them. And that’s only because all of the other colors were sold out.

Do you realize how long I’ve searched for the perfect Lilac? DO YOU!?!

There’s a great deal of debate and controversy over mixing colors and seasons. But I say wear whatever you want, when you want to wear them. Fashion is about self-expression, not rules. Happy shopping!

Just Plum Crazy

I had a night out with the ladies this weekend and was really wanting an easy going, sophisticated look, but still simple and sexy (because every girl should feel sexy on a Saturday night).

I bought this BCBG dress a few months ago from a boutique in town for $20. No need to read that again, it’s not a typo. I said TWENTY DOLLARS. Throw on some chunky black heels and gold accessories (that’s my all-time favorite clutch btw), and I was out the door and ready to have a good time!

Who said dressing up had to be a hassle?

Dress: BCBG ($20)
Shoes: Forever 21 ($12)
Clutch: TJ Maxx ($20)

Casual grilled cheese Fridays

Whoever decided to open a restaurant based solely on grilled cheese deserves some sort of medal. Seriously, is there a Medal of Valor for cheesy goodness? A Purple Heart? I feel like my life has been saved for sure.

After a long, hard day at work (ok it wasn’t very difficult, but it was definitely a long one), all I wanted was a completely indulgent grilled cheese from Acadiana Grilled Cheese Co., a food truck-turned-brick & mortar restaurant and my new favorite place on Earth.

Located just on the outskirts of Downtown, Acadiana Grilled Cheese Co. was just as amazing and mouth watering as it sounds. You may be thinking, “but wait, it’s grilled cheese. How amazing could it be?” The answer, my friends, is pretty STINKING amazing! (Get it, “stinking”…cus it’s cheese…yeah)

For further proof of the sheer perfection that is the Acadiana Grilled Cheese Co., see menu above. After a difficult mulling over of the one page menu, I decided to go big with the Boudin Wrangler, which is comprised of Pepper Jack & Cheddar cheeses, a fried egg, some amazing concoction of crawfish sauce, and the top of every Cajun’s food pyramid-Boudin. My friend settled upon the Brisket & Bacon, which is made with Cheddar & Colby Jack, some of the tastiest brisket my mouth has ever beheld, bacon (hello taste buds), and BBQ sauce. Then of course, we went splitsies so that we could try each-other’s picks and that was probably the best idea of all.

Brisket Deliciousness

Boudin Heaven

In conclusion, I give The Acadiana Grilled Cheese Co. 5 stars for being the answer to stomach’s prayers. I can now die happy. If you are ever anywhere near Lafayette, take the 5 minute detour Downtown and stuff your face.

Kristen

Happiness is a warm…brownie

If you know me, you know I have a major sweet tooth. And if you know me really well, you know that I have a severe chocolate addiction. SEVERE. It’s not that I’m in denial, I just refuse to seek help. I DON’T WANT TO STOP!

A few days ago my craving for the 2 hit high gear and I found myself in the boxed brownie isle at Target. I did that thing where you try to convince yourself that something really bad is actually really ok- “I can make brownies, I deserve it”, “I’ll only eat half of any entire piece…1 day out of the week…ok maybe 2 days”.

Yeah right.

So I put down the mix and stepped away slowly. I know when to say no. Nonetheless, my craving needed to be satisfied, so I compromised. I’ll have a brownie, BUT I will only make enough for one serving and it will be as healthy as possible!

After a bit if research (googled), I found THIS recipe. It seemed simple enough, I just needed to tweak a few things.

Here’s the original recipe VS what I used:

•1/4 cup flour
•1/4 cup sugar 2 Tablespoons of Stevia Baking Blend (from Target)
•2 Tbsp cocoa (natural, unsweetened)- I used Navitas Raw Cocoa Powder
•Pinch of salt
•Tiny pinch of cinnamon
•1/4 cup water (60 ml)
•2 Tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil melted Unrefined Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (I used the Vitamin Shoppe Brand)
•1 to 2 drops vanilla extract
•a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips
•1 small scoop of ice cream or 1 or 2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream to serve dollop of light whipped cream
*I also added a sprinkle of Navitas Cocoa Nibs for a bit of a crunch
*i used a ramekin instead of a mug because why not!?!

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a microwave safe ceramic mug (or ramekin). Stir with a fork or spoon to mix well and break up any clumps. Add the wet ingredients and stir until smooth (the coconut oil solidifies as it cools, so it may cause a little clumpiness-this is fine, it will melt again in the microwave). Add in the chocolate chips and mix once more. Microwave your mixture on high for one minute and check consistency with a fork. If the fork doesn’t come out completely clean, reheat for another 30 seconds or so (depending on your microwave). Let it cool a bit and finish off with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa nibs. Happy baking!