Catty Cabin Fever

Hurricane Sandy has passed. The results on NYC and surrounding areas have been quite devastating. Thankfully my little neighborhood in Queens was barely affected - we had electricity and Internet available all night long and there was no flooding. There were some fallen trees but the damage was nothing like what I've seen in other towns that are closer to water. I'm totally fine and so are my family and friends. Hopefully the rest of the city will be relieved of the aftermath soon and at least get some power back. I do feel incredibly lucky.

My normal two day weekend has turned into a five day weekend (so far) due to subways being flooded out and my office in Manhattan having no power. This unexpected cabin fever has lead to lots of quality time with the kitty - being a full-time worker, it's something I always wish I had more time for. Avery and I made this image for you, in hopes that it will cheer up this weird week that Sandy has placed upon us. Hope you all are safe and sound! 

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

Here is something delicious to keep you company indoors while Hurricane Sandy hits. I'm definitely making another batch tonight! 

The other day, I was on a quest to find something simple to make that is both sweet & salty. After coming across this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, I had to give it a whirl. The title alone was enough to lure me in. I can't begin to tell you how much of a difference brown butter and sea salt made, but it's given me hope in the world of crispy treats.

Now, I am well aware they are not the most fascinating looking treats but they taste so amazing! The brown butter delivered a savory flavor while the salt had this kick to it, complimenting the marshmallow to a sweet & salty harmony. Not to mention, they provide instant gratification. In about 15 minutes after cooling, it was go time.

I went along with this exact recipe and took a very crucial tip from the comments: line the pan with a bit of sea salt and sprinkle some on top. It made a world of a difference - I promise. Enjoy! (I sure did.)

Fabuliner is Fabulous

This is some serious business that I am about to share with you. I found my new holy grail liquid eyeliner pen. Big news right? Actually, I discovered it through Gianna of Nouveau Cheap, who swears by this. I was a bit skeptical because while I love some drugstore products, I just can't get down with lower end eyeliners. THIS ONE, however, is a grand exception. I am so glad I went for it and my wallet is thanking me too. My days of buying $16 smudge-proof liquid eyeliners are so over.

Sometimes a product can work differently for everyone and Jordana's Fabuliner does wonders for me. The formula is flawless. The marker makes pretty cat eyes. It lasts all day long. Oh yeah, IT COSTS $2.99 and can be found at your local drugstore (I got mine at Duane Reade). You can't really lose by trying this one out. If this ever becomes discontinued I will cry and then go buy 30 more. The quality and price go hand in hand oh so nicely. If you decide to try this out, I'd love to know what you think!

Oh, Madewell.

Lately I've been extremely lucky with Madewell sales, finding cute in-season items that I can wear right away. My latest shopping trip involved these two amazing new finds: a wacky geometric 90's-esque top that screams my name and a pair of their library loafers in a fun shade of blue. Shopping online is more my thing, but I'm glad I found these two in the store - I got a killer deal that ended up being way, way less than what the website charges. I win!

In a sort of perfect world, this is how I'd outfit the two:

1. Tory Burch Cuff // 2. Madewell Mixmedia Top // 3. Nixon Watch // 4. J.Crew Edie Purse // 5. Rebecca Taylor Skirt // 6. Elizabeth and James Cuff // 7. Madewell Library Loafers  

Inside The Bar (at Baublebar)

It seems that Baublebar has become quite the popular online destination for quality - yet affordable - on-trend jewelry. So popular that they now have a new on-site boutique in NYC, The Bar, that you can visit via appointment and shop in person. It's curated for the local customer (not everything you see online is sold at The Bar) and also includes special pieces that are not available on the site. They held an opening event the other day and I was able to take a peek at the new space and check out the goods! 

Now owning several Baublebar pieces, I've become a huge fan of their statement necklaces. This one in particular was a favorite of mine that was on display at The Bar. I don't usually go for dark metals but it must be the fall season that's making me change my mind with this one. I may have to go back and try it on for good measure. Luckily I work just a few blocks away!

Have any New Yorkers checked out The Bar yet? I'd love to hear about your purchases!

Target and Neiman Marcus: My Picks

I like Target and most of their design collaborations but I'm totally not feeling about 95% of the items from their latest partnership with Neiman Marcus. I was initially excited when I heard the designer list but I knew it was too good to be true after seeing the press release. Probably because the products are simply not for me, impractical or are straight up too "gift"-y for my tastes. I did pick out a few pieces that I would personally love and enjoy.

1. Eddie Borgo Accent Box, $49.99 - To be honest, I am not sure what I would put in this box. Cotton balls? Q-tips? That's what I think when I see this box, assuming it's on the small-medium side. I love the clean lines and the spike detail that isn't too over the top. Simple but not that simple. It would look really cool on a bathroom counter.

2. Philip Crangi Frame, $49.99 - I am a huge fan of Philip Crangi's work, particularly the Giles & Brother line. Not necessarily a picture-frames-all-over-the-room kind of girl,  I don't know if I would buy it for myself. But I wouldn't hate it if I received it as a gift.

3. Rodarte Ornament, $19.99 - I prefer this over the wrapping paper that Rodarte also designed for this line. The galaxy design is different, doesn't scream traditional holiday and will make any tree (slightly) more hip than the next...

4. Philip Crangi Trinket Box, $69.99 - This is my favorite item from the entire collection. It would look fantastic on my dresser and I would load it up with my rings. I will most likely be purchasing this for myself!

Is there anything from the collection that caught your eye?

Zucchini Chips

If you take a peek at my Pinterest's food board, you'll notice that I have a desire for making things that have unexpected twists or fun ingredient combinations. Do I get to tackle everything on my list? Barely.

While I'm more into baking, lately I have been dabbling in cooking. I use the word "cooking" very very loosely because to be blunt, I can't cook. I am trying here though - think random pasta dishes, snacks and recipes with 8 ingredients or less - so that's a start! It's actually really fun and I'm even saving money, depending on what's being made. Pinterest has become my go-to source for cool, quirky recipes to try. It's like the ever-changing cookbook of way too pretty recipes. I'm such a girl...

Last night I made zucchini chips! I was very happy with the results. They were deliciously flavorful and gone in a record breaking time of ingestion. Veggies made fun! I'll try to cut thinner pieces next time because those ended up being the crispiest, tastiest ones that my boyfriend and I fought over.

Click through for the recipe!

Goodies from the UK

My cousin Jennifer is currently working out of London and while I wish I could visit her (sadly, flights out of NYC are pretty expensive), she was super generous enough to round up a little beauty haul for me! Here's a fun fact about me: I am oddly fascinated by things - mainly beauty products and snacks/candies - that are hard to find or just not available in the United States. Super special Haribo flavors are a very perfect example. 

I've always wanted to try Barry M's polishes because they are affordable and I like their color offerings. Buying them online within the States is just a dumb idea and will probably cost me more money anyway. So I Google'd away, found the colors that spoke to me and here they are!

Just for the hell of it, I added a bottle of Max Factor's Fantasy Fire to my shopping list. Apparently to hardcore nail polish loving Americans, this is much sought after due to its similarities to a highly coveted,  long gone Clarins polish. Of course I had to try it. Look at that shimmer!

Extra photos ahead!

Homebound Weekend

Due to recent events that are causing me to be inconvenienced by the MTA, my future weekend plans are slightly altered. That said, I choose to stay as close to my apartment as possible unless there's something very important that I need to go into Manhattan for. Honestly I'd rather be home than have smelly people smooshed up against me. I don't deserve that on my days off! So now on the weekends, I've been doing a lot of Queens-based activities...

Playing with my kitten Avery, for instance, is one activity I've been enjoying on the weekend. A few months ago I welcomed this furry friend into my life. She is my first pet ever and I love her. She's a 6 month old, extremely cute nutjob. I adopted her from my friend Jen. She has a pink nose, humungous ears, a white belly and white mittens! I even color coordinated her pink collar to go with her coloring because I'm now a cuckoo cat girl. She looks rather content here in this photo but I just got a lucky shot because she was pouncing at the camera every chance she could get.

I paid a visit to Queens Comfort in Astoria yesterday with my boyfriend. This is the second time I've been there this week and we were also there last Saturday. It's one of my favorite restaurants in Queens. Not only is it extremely easy to get to via bus from my apartment but the food is amazing, the menu is extremely long and it always changes. Earlier this week, I had the best homemade butternut squash soup I've ever tasted right here.

Since there was a brunch menu, I am usually swayed by sweets (see below) but this time I wanted savory! I chose the Fried BBQ Tofu Sandwich and yes, it was the right choice. It was perfectly crispy, drenched in Siu Haau sauce and topped with Asian slaw. Amazing. Going back for this and will hope it's on the menu! Their fries are delicious too.

(Peanut butter banana pie with cap'n crunch crust and a side of tots from the weekend prior. The waitress was really impressed with this order.)

Just off the bus, we stumbled upon a brand new bubble tea place called Big Bear Bubble Tea which had the cutest mascot - a chubby bear drinking bubble tea! I rarely drink bubble tea these days but I couldn't help but go inside. Consider me a consumer who easily gets sucked in by cute packaging and logos.