the champagne life

recent happenings: no. 5

2012-03-05T15:14:00.001-08:00

the shortest month of the year certainly felt like the longest. so ready to welcome spring. george was diagnosed with pancreatitis but he's slowly getting better. he's lost so much weight and although his appetite is back he's been struggling to put weight on. just thinking about his ribs protruding out makes me want to cry. he also hates me for not sharing my flaming hot cheetos with him. but i've switched him to a raw/dehydrated diet so he's beginning to forgive me. he also permanently lives in my pendleton blanket.

on a positive note i've been cooking lots of really good food and have been paying the price a the gym. i went snowboarding for the first time and HATED IT. haha. least now i know. i did enjoy the scenery and thats good enough for me.

sad dog/pre-snowboarding/apple & tomato soup/walk on a rare sunny day/drinks at kushibar/baker/japanese dinner night/family vices/thrifting - now i want a ballerina tattoo/remix @ SAM/more snuggles/more thrifting/green food is always good

alicia

outfits: instagraming

2012-02-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been posting my outfits on instagram ~ @georgekillskids or you can view them all here. Guess I feel less guilty about taking lower quality photos. I was reading my blog roll recently and this girl was in the same rut as me. So she started posting a weekly recap of her outfits. Such a good idea! For the time being I think this will suffice until the weather gets a little warmer and the days get a little longer so I can get over my fear of taking photos of myself outside. Guess that means I need to invest in a tripod.

outfit 1 {above}:

cardigan ~ j. crew via crossroads

dress ~ threadsense

tights ~ target

flats ~ steve madden

outfit 2:

sweater ~ banana republic via the bins

skirt ~ neon nightmare vintage {in store soon!}

tights ~ target

flats ~ 80%20

outfit 3:

sweatshirt ~ target

shirt ~ crewcuts

dress ~ h&m

tights ~ drugstore

brogues ~ halogen

outfit 4:

shirt ~ crewcuts

kimono ~ vintage

shorts ~ ae

tights ~ drugstore

belt ~ j. crew

boots ~ sam edelman

outfit 5:

sweatshirt ~ neon nightmare vintage {in store soon!!}

shorts ~ ae

tights ~ drugstore

boots ~ sam edelman

love this/hate this? let me know. :)

alicia

shopping: kate spade bus tour

2012-02-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

Fist off, please ignore my tired puffy eyes, I've been hit hard with early allergies. This was the first time in days I didn't have to wear my glasses. Which has an old rx and I can barely see out of.

The other night I lured Voss to the Florence Broadhurst bus tour at Nordstrom with free champagne and a performance by the Vivian Girls - if you read Nylon you probably know who they are, which is a cute indie girl pop/rock group.

We shopped the new Florence Broadhurst for Kate Spade line and enjoyed some champagne. Voss played devils advocate and convinced me to buy this dress (below). I've been wanting a fluffy cocktail dress for sometime and this is exactly what I had in mind. Can't be having too much fun in it cause I'm notoriously a klutz and spill on all my clothes.

Decided to hit the town in my Jason Wu for Target dress and thankfully no one else was wearing it. Although there were a ton of adorable girls.

I didn't know much about Florence Broadhurst so I did a quick interweb search and it turns out she was murdered in her factory and they never solved the case!! They think the "granny killer" most likely did it. K-razy.

got this book with my purchase.

Even Voss dressed the part. :)

wearing:

sweater ~ J. Crew {last seen here}

dress ~ Jason Wu for Target {on Ebay of course, last seen here}

turban ~ UO

bag ~ See by Chloe

brogues ~ Halogen {last seen here}

tights ~ Target

The bus will be in Seattle through Saturday and has a few other stops. See if they'll be in a city near you!

alicia

pizza pals: valentines day edition

2012-02-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

As much as I love an excuse to buy pressies and have an excuse to decorate everything in hearts I kinda think valentines day is overrated. Crowded restaurants with over priced fixed menus and cranky waiters really isn't my thing. So last year the Boyf and I decided to make papa johns heart shaped pizza paired with a bottle of champagne our little tradition.

Last year I was so excited for said pizza I didn't care how it was going to taste. This year I was disappointed. I can't say we ever get papa johns because there isn't one close enough for delivery, but the pizza was a joke. It was the consistency of cardboard and the toppings were sparse. Not to mention it only vaguely resembled a heart. Such is life. Next year I'm inspired to make our own heart shaped pizza. :)

I threw on my sequin skirt just for the sake of feeling fancy when we picked up the pizza. But put on my red polka dot pajamas as soon as we got home.

So things weren't all that bad. The champagne was good and I cried like a baby when we watched 50/50. Which I thought was going to be a comedy. Haha.

wearing:

sweatshirt ~ target

skirt ~ h&m

tights ~ drugstore

slippers ~ steven

alicia

2012-02-14T09:33:00.001-08:00

happy valentine's day from georgie and me. <3

alicia

recipe: david chang's ginger scallion noodles

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

the boyf is OBSESSED with david chang. so much he's been reading the momofuku cookbook like its a bible ever since he got it for christmas. when we were in new york last fall, all he wanted to do was eat at momofuku noodle bar. sadly we never made it. i blame my old iphone's incapability to run the map app and fatigue from walking all day. but there's always next time! :)

the ginger scallion sauce was one of the first things we made from the book. its pretty freaking amazing. who knew a bunch of scallions, vinegar and ginger could taste so good. throw in some dry roasted cauliflower, pickled cucumber and a fried egg on top. really can't go wrong with this sauce. we even put it on our scrambled eggs in the morning. it might even be good on ice cream. ok probably not....

ginger scallion sauce

adapted from momofuku

ingredients

2.5 cups thinly sliced scallions ~ about 2 large bunches

.5 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger, no need to be shy here!

.25 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil

1.5 teaspoons usukuchi (light soy sauce), i used reduced sodium cause thats all i had....

.75 teaspoon sherry vinegar, first time around i used red wine vinegar again cause thats all i had.

.75 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

mix the scallions, ginger, oil, soy, vinegar, and salt together in a bowl. it's best after 15 or 20 minutes of sitting, but the sauce is good to go after its stirred together and will last up to two days in the fridge.

makes about 3 cups

you can read an excerpt from the cookbook here.

alicia

shopping: jason wu for target

2012-02-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

well, kids i survived the jason wu for target opening. i'm not gonna lie, i may or may not have pushed some girls. this sweater was high up on my list and the dress was surprisingly cuter than expected. only one got away. sure it'll show up at the thrift store eventually or there's always ebay. :) overall most things just weren't as cute in person.

anyone else brave the mob?

alicia

nnv: artache 02.05.12

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

after you've gorged yourself on hot wings and cheap beer during the super bowl come on over to artache to stretch your legs, drink some mimosas and shop! hope to see you there.

ps we just listed a ton of new items in the neon nightmare store!

alicia

recent happenings: no. 4

2012-02-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

snowpocalypse/big mario's/monorail espresso/old favs/roti/nerding out at super deli mart/toulouse petit/rare winter sunset over the sound/new friends/nye/tostadas/redecorating/treats/revel/hiding/full tilt/<3/bob's mini donuts/ootd/dags

well gang we made it through january! i can only survive this time of year by eating and drinking a little too much. which means i spend ALOT of time at the gym. maybe this should be a food blog since i take more photos of what i'm shoving into my mouth. i did include one lame attempt of photographing my outfit....

finally ate at revel after reading mixed reviews. some are saying its one of the best new restaurants in seattle others are saying its meh. i can agree with both. everything we ate was either really amazing or mediocre. pork belly pancakes AMAZING, crab/seaweed noodles not worth the sixteen bucks. their menu changes monthly so i'll definitely give them another try.

alicia

outfit: one sweater, two ways

2012-01-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

this sweater has become a staple this winter. its warm and adds a pop of color to my usual dreary wardrobe this time of year. dressed up with an aline skirt for work or dressed down with a striped tee and jeans for thrifting on the weekend.

sorry for the bad photos, lesson learned don't use plaid as a backdrop.

outfit 1:

tee ~ built by wendy

sweater ~ j. crew {similar}

skirt ~ forever 21

brogues ~ halogen

watch ~ michael kors

bangles ~ j. crew, vintage, street vendor

outfit 2:

denim ~ levi's

desert boots ~ kate spade with crewcut laces {last seen here}

tee ~ h&m {last seen here}

outfit: snowpocalypse

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

I left you with a tale of pretending to be snowed in. Well that actually lead to being snowed in and work was closed for three days! As nice as it was I attempted to work from home. Which was a nice change of pace. But I couldn't do it all the time. A millionaire matchmaker marathon came on and it was all over.

Now that snowpocalypse is over I can ditch the two layers of wool socks and rain boots and welcome back skirts and flats back into my wardrobe. I did learn in a late night run to the grocery store that a puffy vest over a peacoat doesn't look too bad.

wearing:

sweater ~ zara

dress ~ bycorpus {last seen here}

brouges ~ halogen

turban ~ uo

tights ~ hue

jewels ~ from china town, vintage, j. crew

iphone case ~ j. crew

recent happenings: no. 3

2012-01-21T10:33:00.001-08:00

december was full of spending time with friends and the fam. and lots of harry potter.

new floppy hat/holiday parties/ramen at samurai noodle/lazy weekend nights/neon nightmare at artache market/testing out new cocktails/afternoon tea at the sorrento/christmas with the fam

alicia

outfit: Snowed in

2012-01-15T16:21:00.001-08:00

Sundays are usually spent with the fam. With all this talk of snow I was hesitant to make the drive, but the city didn't have any so I decided to hit the road. However George and I were in for a treat. Snow everywhere!! Let's hope it let's up or I might get snowed in. Although that wouldn't be so bad. :)

Wearing:

Coat ~ j. Crew

Sweater ~ Pendleton for Levi's

Jeans ~ Levi's

Rain boots ~ Burberry

Turban ~ uo

pizza pals: bison creek pizza

2011-12-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

its no secret that i ~~have an unhealthy obsession~~ love pizza. i could seriously eat it a few times a week and not get sick of it (which actually happened over the weekend, oops). fortunately the boyf loves it as much as i do! we've always joked about our fictitious blog that we dubbed pizza pals. our fake blog was going to be about us eating our way through the various pizza parlors in and around town. since i'm always taking photos of my food i figured why not make this a semi-reoccuring segment right here on the blog. because lets be honest i can barely maintain this one, let alone attempt two blogs.

last friday we decided to hit up an old favorite of mine - bison creek pizza. but before we filled our bellies we hit up the local thrift store. sadly we came out empty-handed so i was looking forward to pizza to raise my spirits. i've been going here since i was little with my family and it hasn't changed much since. i remember my parents always telling me about how there used to be an organ in the restaurant when they were teenagers (some interwebing turned up that it used to be a movie house). they have lots of big booths, awesome micro beer on tap (i had to have a jolly roger while its still around) and a nice patio if with weathers permitting.

we usually order a half of the district #2 fire house special and half home on the range (no olives!) their pizza has a medium thickness, slightly chew crust and not too sauce heavy. i'll admit its a little on the cheesy side but sometimes i like a good greasy pizza. a large is just over 20 bucks and its enough for leftovers. :) the only downside is that its a family friendly restaurant so expect to see lots of screaming children running around on a friday night.

during the week they also have all you can eat pizza and salad!

alicia

this or that: leather skater dress

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

i was pretty excited to watch the three part installment of octv's at home with chloe sevigny. i love how down to earth she is and it was refreshing to see her home is just the same. of course i was drooling over the sample dress she was wearing for her next collab with opening ceremony. alas its retailing for a grand. but don't pull out that credit card yet ladies! i stumbled upon an almost identical one on threadsense for $62. perhaps my new years eve dress? i think so.

alicia

Super santa is coming to town

2011-12-25T11:03:00.001-08:00

Happy Christmas lovelies.

Alicia

nnv: artache holiday sale

2011-12-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

the girls who run the artache market were kind enough to invite us back for their big holiday sale at vermillion last weekend. head over to the neon nightmare blog to check out our spread. and check out our shop soon because we're in the process of adding a ton of new finds.

can you believe i'm actually showing you a proper photogrpah and not some self portrait from my iphone! this had been my go to outfit as of late. i've had this sweater dress for ages but i was cold one day and threw a chambray shirt unbuttoned over it and i haven't taken it off since. top it off with two pairs of tights (my coworkers think i'm crazy) and you're set for the cold. my milkmaid braids have also been making a comeback but then my boss started calling me yulia.

wearing:

coat ~ j. crew

shirt ~ converse/target

dress ~ uo

slip ~ vintage

tights ~ drugstore

boots ~ sam edelman

ps. my sam edelman boots finally showed up in the mail (after what felt like a month of problems, bleh!) which means i'll finally get to this diy i was talking about a while back. although i'll admit i'm a litter nervous....

alicia

recent happenings, no. 2

2011-12-05T14:51:00.001-08:00

autumn.....

harry potter potluck/birthday celebrations/george dress up/craig's list score/late night adventures/christmas cactus/the best ham & cheese sando/the smell of freedom

my outfit photo-taking has been few and far between but least you know i've been having some fun. :)

outfit 1:

sweater ~ uo

dress ~ f21

outfit 2:

coat ~ vintage

dress ~ rodarte for target

beanie ~ casual industrees

flats ~ h&m

outfit 3:

sweater ~ nordstrom

tank ~ unif

dress (worn as skirt) ~ uo

beanie ~ casual industrees

boots ~ gap

alicia

nnv: artache at vermillion gallery

2011-11-29T14:12:00.001-08:00

head over to the neon nightmare vintage blog to see how our first time at artache at vermillion gallery went. hope to see you there on december 11th!!

alicia

cocktail time: the birthday girl

2011-11-23T11:08:00.001-08:00

my birthday has come and gone but i came across this recipe for a birthday cake cocktail, i had to try it. i'm not one for super sweet vodkas that try to mask the alcohol flavor but i gave in to curiosity. what could cake vodka actually taste like? well it tastes exactly like you'd think, a little cakey flavor in the beginning and more of a traditional vodka taste at the end. ~~wow, that's some great descriptive words right there, i wonder why i'm not a paid food writer~~. overall, not to sickly sweet. heck, even the boyf drank it. but then again he'll drink anything if i put a glass in his hand. only thing i don't recommend are the sprinkles i used. they didn't want to stick to the glass too well but they stain your lips. i would've preferred the crystally kind but when you're at safeway you tend to have limited options. i don't know how many complaints i've given them about not carrying sugar cubes, but they'll never listen. i know, white people problems.

i haven't come across any other decent cake vodka recipes so if you know of some, i'd love to hear them!

the birthday girl cocktail

adapted from mint love social club

ingredients:

.75 oz cake vodka

.5 oz lime juice

champagne

sprinkles

directions:

rim the edge with sprinkles. pour in vodka and lime juice. then top with champagne.

enjoy!

alicia

this or that: pink trousers

2011-11-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

OR...

i've been eyeing these j. crew trousers for ages, but at $118 (and not to mention they've been on backorder) i've been patiently waiting for them to to hit the sale rack. but then i stumbled upon these (worn here) old navy ones on sale in store for $9.50! You can also buy them online for $33, which isn't a bad price at all.

pink PANTher

2011-11-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

i really wanted to name this post cankles. you know cold + ankles.... but i went with my better judgement.

but going against my better judgement i didn't wear socks. and its freaking cold out! i swear it could snow. i was thinking how some scrunchy socks would be a nice touch but as usual i was running late for the bus and didn't have time to test my theory. then on my break i was cruising some fashion blogs and came across this girl. perfect scrunchy socks and cropped trousers!! sometimes you should just go with your gut instinct.

it was my bday last week and voss was kind enough to give me this rucksack for my bday prezzie. i about died when is saw the floppy eared bostons all over it. what can i say, i'm a sucker for anything with bostons or frenchies on them. i'll have to share my bday loot with you soon.

wearing:

sweater ~ zara

coat ~ h&m

trousers ~ old navy

flats ~ steven

rucksack ~ doux by dusan dusan

scarf ~ burberry

new york diary: part 2

2011-11-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

finally here's part two of my trip to new york!! sorry its a little photo heavy but with my track record its better to get it all up now and not split it into three parts.

had dim sum for the first time in china down. it was AMAZING! not that you needed me to tell you that, because i'm sure all of you have had dim sum and know its the jam. i however steer clear of anything that falls under the chinese food catagory in fear of MSG. that shit will make you ~~brake out in hives at the gym and then gross out the person next to you on the treadmill~~ not feel so hot. they had a funny little comic strip on the table showing you how to properly eat the stuff. why i don't take pictures of these things and then regret it later i'll never know.

dinner at caracas with my pal that i hadn't seen in four years!! but it felt like i had only seen her the day before. gotta love friendships like that.

trying to contain my excitement about going in grand central station and the chrysler building. i wanted to have a fancy cocktail in the campbell apartment in grand central station just like serena does before she heads off on a trip to visit yale. am i the only person who remembers that episode?? but there were too many tourists around and i got annoyed we left. hahah. maybe next time.

don't know why but i always see dead birds when i'm holiday.....

dim sum/brooklyn/central park/the meatball shop/copius amounts of dunkin donuts/brooklyn night bazaar @ dekalb market/brooklyn bridge park

and we're home....

outfit:

sweater ~ h&m

tank ~ actual pain

denim cutoffs ~ ae

bag ~ see by chloe

sunnies ~ karen walker

party on garth

2011-11-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

sadly i only got one photo of me dressed up on halloween. it would've been awesome if i had gotten one of the boyf and i cause he went as wayne.

now that halloween is over i can forget about pumpkins and start obsessing over cranberry flavored things until thanksgiving.

wearing:

tee ~ vintage

flannel ~ uo {borrowed from voss}

jeans {not shown} ~ lucky/thrifted

glasses ~ casual industrees {similar}

alicia

new york diary: part 1

2011-10-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

i've been looking forward to my trip to new york for far too long. its by far one of my favorite cities. the boyf had never been so i was excited to be able to experience it with him. we stayed with some friends in weehawken. i know know a little far but hey it was a free place to stay so no complaints there. we were greeted with a lovely view of the skyline, some brooklyn lager and some proper new york pizza.

packing/city skyline/time square/pizza/good food in soho/the skyline/kaws

outfit 1:

button down ~ ralph lauren

sweatshirt ~ target

sunnies ~ karen walker

watch ~ coach

suitcase:

denim jacket ~ pendleton for levis

dress ~ rodarte for target

button down ~ ralph lauren

bra ~ uo

tank ~ actual pain

nnv picks of the week

2011-10-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

hey guys! i'm excited to share with you my favorite pieces that are in the store this week. head on over to the neon nightmare vintage blog to read about why these are my pick's this week. you can also find out what terris and voss' picks are too.

gotta get george ready for his puppy holiday at the lake house then i'm off to new york in the morning!!!!

xoxo

alicia

casual tuesdays

2011-10-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

basically everday at work is casual friday. so i bring you casual tuesday! this is another variation of what i usually wear to work. button down, sweater {the heat doesn't come on until mid january after i've nagged building maintance for a month}, jeans and flats.

counting down my days until i head to new york!!!

wearing:

shirt ~ polo ralph lauren

sweater ~ club monaco

jeans ~ levi's

flats ~ h&m

don't forget to check out neon nightmare for some vintage finds. we'll be adding some new goodies to the store soon.

xoxo

alicia

this or that: glitter boots

2011-10-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

with this diy.

welcome to this or that. i've been doing this on occasion on my tumblr but thought it'd make a good addition to the blog. more content = good, right? while i don't usually scour the interweb for frugal alternatives to designer duds, there are already blogs dedicated to that, but on occasion i'll have an "ah ha!" moment were i know i've seen a cheaper version else where.

i have been ogling these barney's glitter boots {$595} for some time, but the ~~boyf~~ wallet won't allow it. i've also been lusting after these sam edelman {$160}. then i had a grand idea, a mimosa or two helped, i could use this diy to make the boots. pure genius! my only concern is that the glitter won't stick to the suede, so i may need to cut a template to secure onto {sew or glue perhaps?} the back half. if you have any insight onto how you would do this i'd like to here your thoughts. :)

check out some older this or that features:

sydney even love ring

j. crew pullover

queens wardrobe scalloped shorts

madewell tall riding boots

a little teasing never hurts

2011-09-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

i know my photos are askew but its friday so i'm gonna roll with it. also, i'm over apologizing for my bathroom shots. its either me in the bathroom or nothing at all so i guess the bathroom it is. also i don't know whats going on with my photos, they looked fine on one computer but now that i'm on my mac there are some weird spots. le sigh.

on a side note, i successfully teased my hair into a larger bun than normal and it was a success. i have no idea why i was afraid of it before.

but back to business. i recently mentioned my pals and i had a little project we've been working on. well, its official, we launched our online vintage store! check out neon nightmare vintage here for some fun pieces. this is just a soft launch so check back for loads of new stuff in the coming weeks. you can also follow our blog to read about our favorite pics, crafternoons and other fun adventures. you can also like us on facebook.

wearing:

sweater ~ h&m

shorts ~ j. crew (worn here & here)

slippers ~ steven (worn here)

tights ~ drugstore

"carrie" necklace ~ mynamenecklace.com

hope you have some fun weekend plans!

xoxo

alicia

cause all my rowdy friends drop in on monday night

2011-09-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

ah monday night. so much better than monday mornings don't you agree? the hardest day of the work week is out of the way and its the best tv night of the week! and no not because of monday night football (did you catch the reference in my title?). i'm talking about gossip girl and possibly a new fav hart of dixie. rachel bilson and country music, you can't go wrong with that.

since i had my tv lineup to attend to i needed a recipe that didn't require a lot but would also please the boyf. you didn't think he'd put up with these shows for free did you? oh no. so i whipped up something with pork, thyme, lots of garlic and pears. thats it, four ingredients!

herb-roasted pork tenderloin with pears

adapted from everyday food

ingredients:

1.5 lb pork tenderloin, excess fat removed

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 bartlett pears, cored and cut into chunks

directions:

heat oven to 475 degrees. with a paring knife, cut 10~15 slits in the pork and stuff with garlic and thyme. salt and pepper the meat then brown all sides (about 10 minutes). add the pears and cook in the oven until the pork reaches an inner temp of 145 degrees. transfer pork to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. hurry and shove the plate in front of your man so you can watch your stories!

i recommend using pears that aren't completely ripened because they get quite soft in the oven. also please please please always use fresh herbs. it'll make all of your cooking taste that much better. and thyme, that shit tastes good in about anything. also, did you know the fda changed its recommendations on cooking pork? you can now cook it like beef, a little red in the middle. like you didn't do that already.

anybody out there.....

2011-09-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

hi friends! i know its been quiet over here for waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. but i assure you that i'm still alive. i've been enjoying the last few days of summer with two trips to montana (and an upcoming trip to new york!), some proper summer weather and a new fun project. which means i haven't had much time to take an outfit post and haven't been making any new cocktails. its been a rotation of the same cut-off shorts and tee. i know boring.

check back soon for details on my new project with my pals voss and terris. promise you'll be excited for it. for now you can have a sneak peak here. :)

for now, enjoy this photo of georgie.

xoxo

alicia

ps can i talk about how this new blogger layout is so much easier to use?! yeah, its been that long.....

pimm's cup

2011-08-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

finally picked up a bottle of pimm's cup after reading rave reviews about it here. as you all know too well i'm never prepared for such events so as usual i subjected voss to a taste test. we i enjoyed it a lot, but voss was soon asking for something a bit stronger.

pimm's cup cocktail

adapted from the back of the bottle!

ingredients:

.5 oz pimm's no. 1 cup

lemon soda (also know as sprite)

strawberry and lime for garnish

directions:

fill glass with ice, pour in the pimm's and top with soda. don't forget to add some garnish if you want to impress your guests. and bob's your uncle.

hempfest

2011-08-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

well i survived another hempfest. no, i didn't actually attend. it happens to take place near my apartment. while i had to deal with some riffraff no bonfires were set like last year.

this button down has become my new favorite shirt. its light enough for the warm weather we've been enjoying but can take me into cooler days like today. boy its hard to adjust from 3 days of 80 degree weather and have it be high 60s and drizzly the next. well that's seattle for you.

i jumped on the bossypants bandwagon a little late (i blame it on the library, i was # 300 in line on 20 copies). it was quite good. it made me laugh and also appreciate snl a little more. definitely recommend it if you haven't read it already.

wearing:

top ~ polo ralph lauren {similar}

jeans ~ levi's

flats ~ steven by steve madden {ooooold}

belt ~ gap {worn here}

recent happenings, no. 1

2011-08-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

indian food, macaroons, champagne, iced coffee, the old ride still cruising around town, gluttony, around town, sleepy puppy, ape caves and some light reading.

citrus sea breeze

2011-08-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

i originally found this recipe with an ad for chambord vodka. being that i couldn't be bothered to go to the store for the proper ingredients, i made do with what i had in the fridge. i believe the original recipe calls for cranberry juice and lemon perrier. but i enjoyed my version.

citrus sea breeze cocktail

adapted from chambord online

ingredients:

1.5 oz chambord flavored vodka

pomegranate blueberry juice

lime perrier

lime wedge

directions:

fill cup with ice. pour in vodka and top with juice and a splash of perrier. use the lime wedge for garnish. stir and sit soak up some sun.

into the trenches

2011-08-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

i'm alive friends! i took a little trip to big sky country last week and left the computer at home. it felt good to not surf the interweb or watch too much tv for a few days. don't worry i didn't miss shark week though. i know you were worried about that.

i know its finally summer in our parts but i can't help myself for transitioning into fall. it is my favorite time of the year. and what better way to transition than with a sleeveless trench. ~~who makes up this crap anway?~~ i was nice and cozy in the office but i was breaking a sweat come the walk home. sorry for the bathroom background. i knew this was my only chance to snap a photo.

wearing:

trench ~ forever 21

sweater ~ h&m

jeans ~ levi's

shoes ~ steve madden

i got home and realized the heel popped off my flats. guess its time to finally get them fixed. can't complain since its friday. hope you have some fun things planned.

xoxo

alicia

patio for two

2011-08-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

it was another beautiful day in ~~paradise~~ the northwest. part way through the day i managed to tear myself away from the tv to enjoy the sun. due to our late start the roof had been taken over by people i swear don't even live in my building. so the next best thing was the weird cement block in our parking lot. can still see some of the sound and no one bothered me. although i think some of the neighbors were staring. hey, they just wish they thought of baking out on this little piece of property.

been living in this chambray shirt the past week. bought it because it was on sale and promptly forgot about it. but now, i kinda like it. hard to tell in the photos but these shorts are railroad striped, they've also become a staple as of late. oh and i apologize for the flip-flops. there's a time and a place for them and i deemed this one of them. will a couple of cocktail recipes later in the week make up for it???

wearing:

button-down shirt ~ converse all-stars via target

shorts ~ nordstrom

flip-flops ~ haviana's

the boyf took better photos this time, no? <3

xoxo

alicia

summer sunsets

2011-08-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

summer evenings are my favorite, especially around the time the sun starts to set. evenings like this have been few and far between this year, but that makes me appreciate them even more. i love walking around the neighborhood with the boyf and george on days like this.

can you believe its august already?! this year is just flying by. a little sad really, but i can't wait for fall. my favorite time of the year. i've been resisting buying summer clothes that are on sale right now since i won't have much time to wear them. instead i've been trying hard to mix up what i have. and its actually been successful. this tartan shirt is an old favorite and i'm finding almost anything in my wardrobe goes with these shorts (seen here).

the boyf was nice enough to take some photos for me. i may have been a little harsh on his photography skills but he'll get better. and to be honest an ancient iphone isn't helping the situation.

wearing:

button down shirt ~ ae

shorts ~ j. crew

flats ~ steve madden

its only monday, but its going to be a short week for me!

xoxo

alicia

mellow yellow

2011-07-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

hello friends! i apologize for my hiatus on the blog. i've been curled up on the sofa reading harry potter (yeah i finally gave in) and on the rare nice day here in the great northwest i've been playing outside. sadly my camera has been left at home and the only photos i've been taking are of instagrams of food i ate. but maybe you want to see that too?

i picked up these steven loafers at the nordstrom sale a while back and finally wore them. sadly my feet were bloody by the end of the day. crossing my fingers they'll be comfortable one day.

oh and i could probably stop traffic with that belt.

wearing:

dress ~ hawks by geren ford

sweater ~ club monaco

loafers ~ steven

belt ~ gap

watch ~ coach

xoxo

alicia

grey skies

2011-07-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

i think this entire outfit cost under $20. other days i don't even want to think how much my outfit costs. i guess it shows that you can score good pieces for cheap sometimes. :) these shorts were only $6. no joke, you didn't read that wrong. gotta love 50 percent off sale sale.

sweater ~ banana republic via the bins

shorts ~ gap

flats ~ target

xoxo

alicia

rice noodles with coconut-bean sauce

2011-07-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

this was another recipe from the cooking classes, i also learned how to make thai curry paste from scratch. can't wait to try that out. :) since its the boyf and i, i usually halve recipes so there's just enough for us and a little bit left over for lunch. because lets be honest, you can only eat sandos so many days in a row.

rice noodles with coconut-bean sauce

adapted from dana treat

ingredients:

8 oz. rice noodles

2 tbsp. vegetable oil *or any neutral oil, but not olive oil it doesn't mix well with the thai flavors

1 large shallot, minced

2 cans light coconut milk

2~3 tbsp. black bean sauce

8 oz firm tofu *chicken or ship would work too2 zucchini, cut into sticks

1 tbsp. tamarind sauce *found at asian grocery stores or substitute lim juice

2 tbsp. brown sugar

red pepper flakes, depends on how hot you want it

3 scallions, thinly sliced

2 cups bean sprouts

2 tbsp. soy sauce

coarsely chopped cilantro

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

directions:

put the dried rice noodles in a bowl, soak in hot water for 15 minutes and boil a pot of water. drain the noodles and cook until tender 2~3 minutes. i can not stress enough to rinse them thoroughly with cold water. you'll thank me later. by the way, did your noodles have directions on them? 'cause mine definitely did not.

if you're an efficient cook you'd be prepping the vegetables for the next step. oh but not me, i decided to take a break and watch some more of the hills.

heat a large saute pan and when hot pour in the oil and add shallots. if you're going to add chicken instead of tofu add it now. god forbid if the boyf had to eat tofu. he'd throw a fit. its like he was never forced to eat vegetarian food for the first 6 months we were dating. he may or may not have converted me. now add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil and simmer until it thickens a bit 3~5 minutes.

add the bean sauce, tofu & zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. add the tamarind, sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and scallions. stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes. add the noodles. did you wash them? if you didn't you'll probably start cursing right about now. add bean sprouts and soy sauce. and mix together. the dish will be pretty saucy, if you like it that way eat now and have it more like a soup or let it stand for 5 minutes to absorb some of the sauce. if you prefer it to be less brothy i think you could use just one can of coconut milk and cut the brown sugar in half.

serves 6~8

frittata with sund-dried tomatoes, basil & goat cheese

2011-07-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

if you follow my tumblr you know i've been attending some of dana treat's cooking classes. for some reason the recipes keep getting filed away and i forget about them. well i finally busted out the brunch menu, for dinner obviously. sadly there were no mimosas involved.

frittata with sun-dried tomatoes, basil & goat cheese

adapted from dana treat

ingredients:

12 large eggs *could do 6 egg whites & 6 yolks

1/4 cup whole milk *i only had 1% and that worked fine

4~5 oz. soft goat cheese, broken into small pieces

10 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. unsalted butter

10 kalamata olives, pitted and cut lengthwise

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese *splurge and use the real stuff, you'll never go back to the kind you buy on the pasta aisle

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

directions:

preheat broiler and place rack in the upper part of the oven. whisk eggs and milk in a bowl to blend. stir in goat cheese, tomatoes, scallions, basil and salt & pepper.

melt the butter in a large oven safe skillet (cast iron is a good choice) add egg mixture ~ do not stir. cook until eggs start to firm on the sides. like you're making an omelette. lift the sides occasionally and let the uncooked egg run underneath, roughly 5 minutes. sprinkle with parm (remember the good stuff!) and olives and put into the oven. broil until the eggs start to puff and brown about 2 minutes. if you're skilled flip the frittata over onto a plate.

serves 6

another day, another dollar.

2011-07-13T07:36:00.000-07:00

when i was picking out my outfit for the day, i ran into a dilemma. i wanted to wear stripes but i also wanted to wear this dress. so why not wear them together. it hurts the eyes just enough that it works. apparently the guy who called me out saying i looked like an american flag clearly did not like my outfit. well can't please everyone.

i should be going to the gym tonight but instead i think i'll eat more hot dogs and watch true blood. :)

sweater: gap

dress: ozoc

flats: report

xoxo

alicia

champagne and hot dogs

2011-07-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

the boyf and i have lived in the same place for over a year now but have never hosted a proper bbq on our roof top deck. last summer was one of the dreariest we've had in a while so our goal is to make up for it this summer. it doesn't feel 100% like summer in seattle until the fourth. so last weekend seemed like the perfect time to have some pals over for "b-raq's world famous hot dogs".

i whipped up some champagne drinks for voss and alex, that to be honest looked way fancier than they actually were. it was just champagne and italian blood orange soda. but when my neighbors were ooohhing and ahhhing i may have fibbed to make me look cool. ;)

did you get a free slurpee yesterday? i didn't, so sad.

top/flats: h&m

romper worn as shorts: hawks by geren ford

watch: coach

hat: cooperative

moccasins: minnetonka

xoxo

alicia

tan lines

2011-07-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

hello friends! i hope you had a great 4th of july weekend. i know i did. spent the day at the lake with my fam. georgie couldn't have been happier since he got to swim all day long. needless to say he's a sleepy puppy today.

and somehow i managed to burn my hairline. my coworker asked if i was wearing some sort of visor over the weekend. sadly its due to poor sunscreen application.

i couldn't resist wearing red, white and blue all weekend. i even got a comment from some guy saying i looked like an american flag, but i don't think he was giving me a compliment. don't worry there'll be some photos of this said outfit later in the week.

see that little pub in the background, thats my favorite neighborhood watering hole buckley's. good beer and awesome wings.

dress ~ bycorpus

flats ~ h&m

belt ~ vintage

sunnies ~ karen walker

its already hump day!

xoxo

alicia

tastes like freedom

2011-07-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

have a safe and wonderful 4th everyone!!!!

xoxo

alicia

chicken & chorizo paella

2011-07-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

i attempt to plan out my meals for the week. it takes the guess out of what's for dinner tonight and i don't have to make trips to the store every day. except i still do, and everyone at the store knows me... the boyf ~~was too lazy~~ couldn't think of anything he wanted to make, which means i got to decide. i tried to make this dish last week but the boyf said something along the lines of it being "chick food". don't ever tell your girlfriend that, because she'll commit it to memory and force you to eat it at a later date. i of course told him this after we sat down for dinner. he liked it.

i was trying out my new slicing technique i learned in my cooking class last week and managed to take a slice out of my finger. could've been worse.

chicken & chorizo paella
adapted from milk & mode/martha stewart living

ingredients:

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (roughly 3.5 pounds) *i happened to have boneless/skinless

12 oz dried chorizo, sliced 1/8 inch chunks *i used regular chorizo
4 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon ground saffron *can be left out
1 teaspoon pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 white onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2.5 cups arborio (short grain) rice
1 cup fresh shelled english pea
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

directions:
heat oven to 400 degrees. on medium heat, heat oil in an oven safe pan (or a paella pan if you have one). coat chicken with salt, pepper and pimenton. brown chicken, roughly 2 minutes per side, and set aside. while you're browning the chicken, heat stock and saffron.

add chorizo and cook until lightly brown, about 2 minutes. add onions and garlic, cook until soft, about 3~4 minutes. now add tomatoes and occasionally stir until everything becomes thick, 5 minutes. stir in rice then add broth. at this point, if you're like me, you'll say oh shit its not going to fit. don't worry, it will. bring to a boil and cook for 2 more minutes.

toss in the chicken and bake for roughly 20 minutes, until the majority of the liquid has reduced. let stand covered for 5~10 minutes.

serves 6~8

the paella was definitely a success. this seamed like one of the more simpler paella recipes so next time i want to test out this version.

lucky, lucky.

2011-06-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

i recently acquired a tripod! its not the nicest looking thing but it'll still be a big help. i was super excited to take some photos up on the roof with it. but it was cold and overcast. so instead you get another round of what i'm not wearing.

i had an hour to kill last friday, so i was able to take a peak in the thrift store before meeting my friends for drinks. found a new silky kimono (i've got a little collection going on). and on sunday the boyf and i hit up the fremont market (the closest thing seattle has to a flea market) and found some kate spade desert boots. score! i've been wanting a pair of desert boots for ages. :)

in case you wondered what went on behind the scenes, george insists on helping layout the clothes.

shirt dress ~ target

cardigan & belt ~ thrifted

shoes ~ uo

scarf ~ vintage

the basics

2011-06-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

if i were a cartoon character a variation of this outfit is probably what i'd be drawn in. i've always gravitated towards stripes and conveniently they come back into fashion every few years so i stock up on when i can (i'm jealous of this collection). i've always been one to wear a knitted scarf but i'm liking silk scarves more and more.

i'm off to the gym and then i'll be making this for dinner and catching up on breaking bad. can't wait for the new season!

wearing:

shirt ~ h&m

sweatshirt ~ target

jeans ~ citizens

scarf ~ vintage

smash, boom, bash.

2011-06-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

i've always been a city girl and probably always will be but i love a chance to get out into the country and do something different. the other weekend i headed out to lind, wa for the town's annual combine demolition derby. basically they take old combines and smash them into each other. pair it with some warm weather and cheap beer and you got yourself an interesting afternoon. i managed to snap a few pictures around town before my camera died. the town was literally two blocks long. it was sure nice to check out but i'd go a little crazy if i lived there. i'll spare you the copious amount of photos i took of the derby with my iphone. but if your curious as to what this said derby is all about check out this video.

we missed the parade but i did see the town beauty queens walking around with their crown and sash later in the day. i wish i could've gotten a better photo of them but i didn't want to seem like a creep!

the fath was nice enough to take an outfit picture for me but he didn't quite get what to do. hahaha.

wearing:

top - ae

shorts - joe's (diy cut offs)

flats - steve madden

belt - thrifted

sunnies - karen walker

lazy day.

2011-06-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

lazy work outfit. collard shirt, check. sweater cause they turned off the heat in the office ages ago, check. jeans for previous reason, check. flats for running errands, check.

i'm grateful that i can wear jeans to the office, because i only own two pairs of trousers. i'm more of a dress kinda girl. but with the weather in limbo i've reverted back to my jeans.

top - uo

sweater - club monaco

jeans - levi's

flats - steve madden (super old)

finally feels like summer.

2011-06-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

the boyf and i had a nice impromptu picnic in the park last sunday. we picked up a baguette and some salumi coppa at our fav grocery store, whipped up some sandos and headed to the park up the street from our place.

now this park is a good representation of the neighborhood i live in. the lower part is quaint, but unkempt and isn't a place a young lady would want to venture in alone after dark (ok my neighborhood isn't that bad but the park is pretty sketch) and you're lucky to catch a glimpse of the sound. on top however, there's tons of plants and picnic tables and a swing set. also quite lovely views of the water and no junkies. i actually prefer the lower half. there's an enclosed tennis court that's not often used so georgie can play fetch off leash and not worry about him snacking on other dogs. also because of its reputation there aren't a whole lot of people in the secluded open area.

so we had the place to ourselves for most of the time and we were able to drink some rose and dive into our new books (i just finished this and the boyf is reading this).

the best part, i finally got to use my pendleton picnic backpack i bought off cl from some frat guy for like $15 and it still had the tags on it. little does he know it retails for roughly $85!

happy friday!
xoxo
alicia

homemade pipe courtesy of the park bums. <3

wearing:

top - h&m

jeans - levi's

sunnies - karen walker

headin' to the sock hop

2011-06-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

something about my tied top and my shoes makes me feel like i'm going to a sock hop, but in a good way. it would be kinda fun to dress like a 50's girl on occasion but i guess this is my modern take on it. i bought this dress last summer and there's a slim possibility that i wore it once, for half a day. but after today its kinda growing on me. although by the end of the day my back hurt from the bow digging into it while i sat at my desk all day.

i've had a hard time with shopping lately, so i've been forced to remix what i have. and its not such a bad thing. its making me realize i like mixing different prints.

yay its thursday! just got to power through tomorrow. got any big plans for the weekend?

wearing:

top - j. crew/crew cuts

dress - ae

flats - uo

so this is what purple tastes like.

2011-06-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

{wearing: fred perry sweater, tucker for target shirtdress, minnetonka moccasins}

i love this print on this shirt dress but i always have a difficult time with the cut {worn here}. so i was pretty excited when i saw this month's four girls one... article in lucky. sometimes i need some guidance on things outside of my realm. now i got some ideas! my next dilemma was that i'm always wishing i had some slightly oversized sweaters. then i had a brilliant idea! i wandered over to the boyf's side of the closet, and like magic a plethora oversized sweaters were just begging for me to wear them and this baby happens to be one of them.

also i can't wait to start reading this book i just picked up from the library.

and i finally picked picked up these karen walker sunnies i've been drooling over for ever.

i seriously need a tan. who lets my legs go out in public like that???

got love a filipino party, they always have ube cake and ice cream. :)

twins

2011-06-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

{wearing: thrifted sweater coat, h&m tee, levis jeans, report flats, thrifted scarf}

i've been obsessing with this tomato red/orange color for some time. i've come to the realization i just don't have enough red in my wardrobe. its a good cheery color on a not so perfect spring day. voss came over to work on our project but we ended up watching reruns of gilmore girls whilst drinking green tea and sharing our new blog finds. can't ask for a better weekday afternoon.

my boss was teasing me at work saying this is me in animal form.

what? we match. <3

the lake house

2011-06-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

{wearing: target denim dress, target sweatshirt, uo shoes, hue tights}

ahhhhh the family lake house, ok its really just my dad's regular house but it feels like a mini vaca whenever i go over there. george ~~loves~~ lives to swim in his lake. its really all he looks forward to besides beating up his sister margot or eating flaming hot cheetos.

the other upside to visiting the lake house is that there's some good thrift stores within a few minutes drive. i picked up this fur coat (not sure what kind of fur, its not as soft as some of my others) for $15 and this hawaiian dress for $5. i'm forecasting that hawaiian prints are going to be all the rage later this summer, or maybe that's me trying to make them cool.

can't wait for summer afternoons boating on the lake!

its that time again.

2011-06-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

there's two things i look forward to at the end of may, george's birthday and copper river salmon. georgie and i have spent 5 wonderful years together (and i look forward to many more!). since he only has one puppy friend throwing him a puppy party is sorta out of the question. so what could be the second best option? a puppy size steak of course!

he f'ing loved it! he had to have a sample of the salmon too. :)

back to this copper river salmon. i think most of it is the hype but there's something so good about the first fresh salmon of the year. you don't want to get to crazy with seasoning because you want to taste the flavor. so i was pretty excited when i found this recipe.

broiled sweet & spicy salmon with pineapple

from everyday foods

ingredients:

1 cup rice (i used brown rice)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (its worth the money for the high grade stuff)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 lb. salmon fillets

salt & pepper to taste

oil for for pan

1/2 of a whole pineapple, cut into pieces

1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro, chopped

lime wedges, for serving

directions:

heat broiler and cook rice as normal. i use a rice cooker, makes life easier but not necessary. mix maple syrup and cayenne pepper in a bowl and season salmon with s & p. oil foil and arrange salmon and pineapple in a single layer. spread half of syrup mixture over everything. cook 8~11 minutes. half way through add the rest of the mixture. add cilantro to rice and serve.

makes 4 servings.

xoxo

alicia

one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, rock.

2011-06-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

{wearing: sparkle & fade sweater, bp skirt, drugstore tights, steve madden flats}

i'm back! here i was so ready to do this this on the regular and then i disappeared. i promise you i was having fun though. the boyf and i made a trip to portland, we celebrated georgie's 5th birthday and had our first bbq of the year. promise to share photos of my adventures real soon.

i've had this skirt for some time and have never really warn it. but now i lurve the print, just wish it was a tad longer. i'm waiting for the day i don't have to wear tights (crossing my fingers it'll be in the 70s this weekend). i've been slathering on gradual tan lotion. if you have any fake tanner you swear by i'd love to know.

and some light reading as of late.

thanks to those who left a few nice comments it made my day!

xoxo

alicia

3

2011-05-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

{wearing: thrifted shirt, levis jeans, uo shoes, fedora from japan}

i've been looking for the ~~tackiest~~ ultimate hawaiian shirt. i haven't found one yet but this is close. just the right amount of looseness and it's "silky".

basically the perfect dog walking outfit and as you can see below george is so ready to get out in the sun.

i'm off to work on my project with voss and terris. check us out here for details. :)

happy thursday.

xoxo

2

2011-05-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

{wearing: marc by marc jacobs blazer, h&m trench, merona sweatshirt, j. crew shorts, steve madden flats, drugstore tights, cheap monday sunnies}

i've been into a shorts and blazer combo (or spring suit!) for some time. i didn't want to feel to serious so i threw on my trusty crewneck to make it more casual. and yes my blazer has a vest attached to the outside of it. no idea why but i can't say that i dislike it. earlier in the day it was a bit chilly so i layered up with a trench. since its not feeling like spring yet, instead of continuing to wear my wool coat i've been layering my jackets. :)

whooo! its hump day. only two more days until its the weekend.

1

2011-05-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

i've been blogging over on tumblr for quite some time, but have always debated starting a proper blog. when you stop by expect to see pictures of my outfits, my frenchie/boston george, things i've been whipping up in the kitchen and the adventures i go on in the emeral city.

hope you enjoy! :)

xoxo

alicia

p.s. you can always check out my tumblr for an ever changing inspiration board.