fashion scents

Bond no. 9 and NO, I don't mean 007. I mean the high end perfume line that has taken New York City and the rest of the world by a flowery, musky, citrus infused storm. The perfumery's philosophy is: "finally, making scents of New York" (see the title of the post?). This could not be more of an understatement. From the beautiful star-shaped bottle, which is a piece of art unto itself, to the luscious aroma in each spray of perfumed passion, these fragrances bring NYC into sharp focus. Each scent has an ornate bottle, some even boast the works of Andy Warhol, and is an ode to a different part of New York City: i.e. Union Square (my personal favorite), Chinatown, and Chelsea Flowers. The perfumes are pricey, but they are well worth it. Its high concentration of perfume (18-20%) will keep others concentrating on you wherever you go. Check out the site here to learn more about Bond no. 9.

union square. 

s a n g r i a

The best way to make the perfect cocktail is to start with the simplest of ingredients. Skinny Girl cocktails, most famously known for its Margarita, has a newer version with a twist, and I don't mean a lime. The new Sangria by Skinny Girl is SO delicious you feel like you're enjoying it right in the middle of Havana. A little less strong then its tequila cousin, the Sangria is filled with peachy notes and white wine perfection. You can have it as is or even doctor it up. Fill your drink 1/2 way with the Skinny Girl Sangria, add a little sprite and some raspberries over crushed ice and you have a perfect, LO CAL sipper.


You can even add a little sparkling white wine (try Prosecco from Trader Joes) to give it an extra kick.

muy bueno

1+1= 2 school you go

sassy for classy by jillyt featuring a brown cardigan

Getting up in the morning for class can be a drag, but don't let it get your wardrobe down. Keep things easy and simple for a day full of lectures or an afternoon studying in the stacks. Make sure you carry your books in a backpack: lugging around heavy totes can only do bad things for your back. A preppy looking cardigan with flirty shorts will make it easy to transition from the quad to class. This little tank from Old Navy is the perfect cotton staple tee to throw on in the morning. It also comes in a crisp white and graphite color, check them out here. Oxfords give you the old school look you need, without the uniformity of a blazer. Always losing pens? Voila! This one is permanently attached to a pretty gold chain and will daintily hang from your neck so you know where to find it on the spot. Make your notes bright and sunny with Sharpie's retractable neon highlighters...life's always better in color. 

just patchy.

DECOUPAGING is an art form that dates back to the 12th century. It is most simplistically characterized as the cutting and pasting of assorted paper to a hard surface. Used by many famous figures, including Marie Antoinette and Pablo Picasso, decoupage has become more popular throughout the past decade. Follow these steps to create you very own masterpiece. Once you get your supplies you can use whatever paper you want (from magazines, to newspapers, to napkins) to resurface any object that you want--even try old wine bottles! Here I have made a really fun picture frame in a patchwork type of pattern. I was pretty exact with my measurements, but you don't have to be.

Get your Supplies
1. Flat surfaced object (it can be wooden, metal, glass) that you don't mind getting glue on
2. Disposable brush, they are a pain to get the glue out of so you'll just want to toss it
3. Pretty paper
4. Mod Podge glue-- you can find it at Michael's here for all surfaces
5. Ruler and pencil for exact measurements (if you want them)
6. To make exact shapes: get a paper cutter from a craft store--this is an easy way to make numerous, identical pieces at one time by punching out in groups of 4 sheets
7. If you're not using a paper cutter, then you'll need a good scissor for precise cutting

supplies.
Here we go...there is no rhyme or reason to the magic. Just use the following as a guideline for your own project.

1. Using a paper cutter, the sheets of colorful paper went from:

            

        this... 

...to this!

2. If you want to be exact, measure out the half way point on each of the edges of the frame.
3. Apply a thin layer of glue onto the surface of your object and press down the paper onto the glue. Lightly brush another layer of glue on top of the paper. Continue to do this along the entire edge of the object and do the same onto the other side.
4. Fold the paper over the edge so that there is a clean line, bring it to the back of the piece and glue it down so that it sticks firmly.  It will look something like this:

keep the edges crisp!

5. Continue to move around the entire piece of wood. In the corners, keep it easy with one piece of paper  and fold it over as if you were wrapping a gift. It will give a sharp edge:

easy easy easy.

6. The finished product, no matter how straight or even your lines are, will look fabulous. Think shabby chic. It does not need to be perfect, but it looks pretty close when you have it all done. Fill up your new piece of art with whatever you want. I even did a tin pencil holder to put on my desk! 

Be creative and enjoy!

If you want to: seal your piece with a spray on polyacryllic finish. You can choose a shiny finish or a matte finish. I accidentally left my pieces out in the rain to dry, and it kept the paper relatively protected. At least I know for next time!

holy moly casseroly!

calling all vegetarians (and meat eaters as well) this is the best tasting thing that I have concocted in a long time. I'm telling you, it will leave you satisfied. Here is what you need:

Ingredients

1 vegetarian sausage link FYI: I use Tofurky Italian Sausage Links, they look like this.

1/2 of a sweet vidalia onion, you don't have to do this, but I love onions and thickens up the sauce

1 cup of frozen brown rice, I get mine from Trader Joe's

1 cup of marinara sauce

3 tbs. crumbled goat cheese (you can use any cheese- mozzarella would be great too)

Salt seasoning to taste (Crazy Jane's is the best)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Also, heat a heavy bottom sauce pan on medium heat. 

If you decide to use onion, coarsely chop. Spray the pan with cooking spray (or a table spoon of olive oil) and add onions. You will hear the onions start to sizzle, don't worry, let them brown just a little bit. Sprinkle with salt seasoning. When the onions turn translucent (almost see through), add a sausage link to the pan. You can cut it up right in the pan, you can get about 8-10 thicker slices per link. If you need to, spray the pan again to make sure that the sausage is coated for a crispier cook. Add a cup of brown rice to the pan. When you add the rice, the bottom of the pan may start to brown. The starch will do that, keep going it is okay! When the rice is no longer frozen, add 1 cup of mariana. Make sure the sauce covers the ingredients completely. Add two tablespoons of goat cheese and mix in. When the goat cheese is mixed through, add the mixture to a oven-safe dish using a spoon. With the spoon smooth over the top of the casserole. Cover the top with the the last tablespoon of cheese, cover with tin foil, and bake for about 20 minutes. Uncover and enjoy!

Also: you can even add a little crushed red pepper flakes to give it a kick, but the sausage is spicy on its own so sprinkle with care.

                            

                              yum.