Threads n Breads

If you know me… then you know i’m a HUGE Simpsons fan. I love the classic episodes and we all know the new ones haven’t been that great, but this last week’s new episode (The Food Wife) was amazing!!

Watch the full episode here!

So many great things all rolled into one episode. It’s got E3, food blogging and Breaking Bad all rolled into one! Check it out and laugh with me fellow hipsters! :) The jokes in the food blogging song is the best part!!

Watch just the clip of the rap here.

Here are some of the lyrics (from the Simpson’s Wiki):

We’re Bloggin’ a food blog, Marge and Bart and Lisa,
As one now, we’re having fun now.
Throwing down mad foodie game, knowing all the chefs’ names,
Rolling into K-Town, bibimbap and bulgogi,
The hotties I chill with are sriracha and kimchi,
Homemade terrines, my ducks always confit,
I braise with a billion more BTUs than I need,
I cook a Thanksgiving turkey in a trash-bag, sous vide
,A fumatore in Brindisi Fed-Exes me salami,
Don’t scoop gelato unless it’s got umami,
I’ll be “Frank” like Bruni, “Ruthless” like Reichl, “Wiley” like Dufresne, and when I take the mike,
I’ll Rhyme about radicchio, criticize Colicchio,
Every pub is gastro, and all my beef carpaccio,Throw it in the Pho Yo ,
And don’t you call that Pho “Foe”,
Talk about broth-squirtin’ dumplings, dumplings, dumplings, dumplings.
We’re bloggin a food blog,
Uploading pics with our fun mom, fun mom, fun mom.

Happy Shoes Day, Tuesday!!

As part of my Spring Cleaning, i’ve decided to finally do it, a shoe wall!!! :)

Most girls dream to have a shoe room like Mariah Carey’s featured in her Crib’s episode, but this is te best i can do for now on my budget and space.

As you can see, in the “before” picture, i had a very inefficient way of storing my shoes… but now, a simple bookcase can turn that eye-sore into something much more appeasing to the eye. It definitely makes me smile :) This book case of course only shelves my prettiest heels. My flats and other miscellaneous shoes have a home in the random boxes and space in my closet. 

Happy Earth Day: April 22!

Today’s a good day to plant a tree and spread some good vibes to mother earth.

Having plants around me always makes me happy. It’s a great to bring some color and a touch of nature into a room. I went to the hardware store recently and loaded up on some plants. One day, when i have my own space, i would love to get an herb and vegetable garden going. I’m still learning, but i’ve got some rosemary, basil and even a ghost chili plant in my backyard that I’m testing my green thumb on.

Today’s post for Earth Day is the ever so popular Terrarium. I’m sure that you’ve seen these trending lately on Pintrest. And what’s not to love?! Small plants arranged inside of tiny vessels, like a mini ecosystem! I especially love succulents, they’re so interesting looking, like alien plants!

Terrarium 101:

Materials needed:

Plants ( i chose succelents/cactus)
Soil (I choose cactus soil for mine)
Activated Carbon (I picked some up at the pet store)
Small rocks/Pebbles (pet store or michaels)
Sand (gardening center)
Moss (Michael’s)
A Vessel (clear glass containers allow for viewing :))

1.) Start with a clean vessel. I got my glass containers from Michael’s and Homegoods.

2.) Place rocks at the bottom on the container (about 1 inch), this allows for the soil to drain.

3.) Add the activated carbon (charcoal), about 1/2 an inch. The charcoal will help filter the water in the terrarium, as well as absorb odors.

4.) Add your soil, about 3 inches worth, or enough to allow for you to plant your plants.

5.) Decide how you want to arrange your terrarium, be sure to contrast the heights of the plants and think about how the colors of the plants work together. I like to have 1 main focus plant and add in a smaller funkier plant.

6.) Take the plants out of their containers and gently let the roots breathe. You can remove some of the excess dirt from the plants’ roots and place into the soil in your terrarium. Add soil around the plant to “plant” it. Continue with the rest of your plants the same way.

7.) I like to add sand to the top of the soil to make it look “deserty”. 

8.) You can also add some moss to the top for decoration. I also added in a small Panda in some of them. These are just small erasers that you can get from the Japanese market.

And that’s it! :) 

Succulents need lots of sun, so make sure that you keep these near a window that will be getting lots of sunlight. As for watering, depending if you have an open or closed terrarium, i water mine about once every 1-2 weeks. 

HAPPY EARTH DAY! :)

The Crosby’s Chef’s Menu is back!!

As soon as i heard it was back, i HAD to check it out! Aron Habinger, the Executive Chef, and the rest of the Crosby chefs are always coming up with new exciting dishes for these specials. If you’ve ever been with me to the Crosby, you would know how passionate i am about their food. People are always surprised that this hipster bar can pump out some amazing dishes fit for a foodie like me. :) My go-to is always The Starving Artist, a Grilled cheese sandwich with gruyere and mushrooms and a shot of tomato soup to dip it in, and the best part, it’s only five bucks! They have also updated their entire menu, so now there’s plenty of new things to try!

Here’s what I did get on this visit:

• Truffle Fries: This is always a staple for me, i love the mesh of truffle flavor and tons of garlic on top of the fries. Yum!
• Appetizers: we got to try a little sample of appetizers. Homemade pretzels, pickled quail egg, and watermellon radish with honey-lavender butter
• My go to drink: the Red Sangria. I’m not even a big wine drinker, or drinker at all, but i LOVE the Sangria from the Crosby, it’s got just the right amount of fruit.
• Hamachi Collar: this is one of my favorite things in the world to order, and it was nice to try it prepared in a different way than the traditional grilled Japanese style I’m used to. The fish skin had a nice crisp to it with a sweet glaze. The Apple slaw was a nice touch to balance the fish. I also loved the use of Shiso in the sauce on the plate.
• Duck Breast: Bread + Tomato Sauce + Duck Breast + melted Fontina Cheese + Frisee + Duck Skin CHINCHARONE!!!! YUM!! It looks deceiving, but this was definitely a fork and knife dish. The duck was super tender, and the best part, the duck skin chincharone! So light and crispy!
• Dessert: Chocolate creme brulee with double salted chocolate topping + blue cheese ice cream with a cranberry reduction. The double chocolate dessert = AMAZING! Ice cream… interesting.. haha at first taste, it does remind me of cheesecake. It was very rich though, so i couldn’t have a whole lot of it without getting over of the flavor.

What I’m really looking forward to is their next venture The Grilled Cheese Spot

COUNTDOWN TO COACHELLA: 1 DAY!!

Artist Spotlight: Miike Snow

One of my favorite artists is playing and i couldn’t be more excited!! Calling all hipsters, Miike Snow is closing out the Outdoor Stage on Saturday night. I had the pleasure of seeing this band at Ultra and they were great! They are a Swedish Indie Pop band with electric influences. I’m sure that if you haven’t heard of them before, you may definitely recognize some of their songs because many other artists have remixed them before.

Other favorite songs by the band:

Animal

Black & Blue

The Burial 

Cult Logic

Also… SET TIMES were released yesterday! Time to plan your schedule! 

COUNTDOWN TO COACHELLA: 4 DAYS

Artist Spotlight: The Black Keys

This band… how do I even summarize my feelings towards them. They are amazing. Bad-ass. So much sexadocuous soul. :) Best new band with an old school feel! The Black Keys is Grammy-winning American rock band duo from Ohio that has blown up in the last couple of years. I’ve has the pleasure of seeing them live before and can i just say, their music definitely makes you feel… i mean really FEEL, all sorts of emotions. This is real Rock ‘n’ Roll. Real Music.

Some of my Favs:

• Lonely Boy 
• Next Girl
• Too Afraid to Love You
• Your Touch

The Black Keys will be headlining Coachella on Friday. I can’t wait to hear their amazing performance! 

I also just downloaded the Coachella 2012 Festival app for my iPhone. We’re just 4 days away!!

Countdown to Coachella - 7 days to go

Artist Spotlight: GROUPLOVE

You might recognize this song as the one featured on the iPod Touch commercial. Everything about it makes me smile. I just want to grab my best friends and start dancing. GroupLove is an American indie rock band that i recently discovered that I’ve been loving. They’re debut album Never Trust a Happy Song is pretty damn amazing. It features fun lyrics and upbeat melodies which is why i love the title of their album so much.

Other songs to check out from the band:
Colours

Slow

Itchin’ on a Photograph

They will be at this year’s Coachella playing on Friday. i can’t wait to check out their performance and see what this up and coming band has to offer.

Who are you excited to see at Coachella?

Summer Festival Wear

With summer coming up, there are tons of festivals on the horizon. Coachella, being one of the biggest if one of the one’s I’m the most excited for is coming up in less than 2 weeks! I just experienced my second Ultra Music Festival in Miami this year and thought i would share with you the outfits and some tips for looking great at which ever adventure you choose.

Outfits worn to UMF:

Day 1: H&M sheer yellow tanktop, Hot Pink Victoria’s Secret Retro Push-up Bikini top, thrifted high-waisted denim cutoff levi’s, F21 Necklace

Day2: Sheer Solemio Patterned top, Cobalt Blue Victoria’s Secret BioFit Bikini top, American Apparel High Waisted Tap shorts, H&M Feather Necklace

Day 3: Floral Print exposed zipper back tunic, denim cutoff shorts, H&M Gold Necklace, H&M Fringe Bag

TRENDS to SPOT:

Check out my moodboard i put together on Polyvore: Festival Trippen

1.) Fringe/Feathers 

2.) Neon

3.) Flowy Sheer Fabrics

4.) Prints (Flowers/Aztec) 

5.) Frayed cut-off Denim Shorts

6.) Lace/Crochet 

7.) Tie-dye and dip-dye

8.) crop tops

9.) Asymmetric Skirts

Tips for Festivals:

1.) Drink a lot of WATER! It get’s hot when you’re our there dancing away all of your calories. Most festivals have water refill stations, so save the planet and bring your own water bottle to refill.

2.) Wear SunBlock. Those UV rays in the dessert are intense! constantly reapply if you want to avoid aging your skin quick!

3.) Wear lightweight fabrics. You’ll catch me in a sheer number with sleeves, because if you’re like me, i’ll be 10 shades darker within an hour of being at the festival. My shoulders get dark quick if i give them too much of the sun’s rays.

4.) Plan a meetup spot.  With that many people in one area, cell phone service is not always reliable. Designate the same meet up spot for the entire duration of the festival. Last year’s spot for us was the red/orange/yellow pagoda. It was right in the middle and also offered shade while you waited for others to show up.

5.) Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be walking around in dirt/grass/concrete. wear shoes that will stick to your feet and wont get too hot. i usually opt for some kind of flat that zips or buckles on to my feet. No losing shoes in the crowd here!

6.) HAVE FUN! Dress up! It’s one of the few times when you can really wear whatever you want to wear. Any crazy trends you’ve been dying to try out, this is the time. Neon Feather Headdresses, crazy fringe accessories, long sheer maxi/fishtail skirts. Experiment and DIY!

Being a redhead is an expensive and high-maintenance addiction… It’s got it’s ups and downs. Freshly dyed hair makes me happy 😊 #red #hair #manicpanic #vampirered #dye (Taken with instagram)

EDIT//

How to get and maintain red hair

1.) When i’m want to get my natural black hair lighter, I use L’oreal Excellence HiColor Highlights in Magenta to take care of my roots. I’m able to make my hair a bright red with pink tones without pre-bleaching my hair.

HiColor Highlights

2.)Red hair is notorious for fading out, when i used to have my hair a dark burgundy, it would be brown within a week because the red never stayed. Well with a hair color like this, when you hair fades, it goes to a weird orange, pinkish brown. About every two weeks, i refresh my hair color with Manic Panic’s Vampire Red semi-permanent gloss.

Manic Panic- Vampire Red

This product doesn’t damage your hair, but actually acts as a conditioner and has restorative properties adding moisture back to your hair. WARNING: it does make your hair bleed when wet… So i usually avoid wearing light colors when it’s raining.  

3.) Sounds gross… but don’t wash your hair everyday. Water and Shampoo will strip the color from your hair. You’re also washing out essential oils from your hair. I can’t afford to go more than shampooing every other day, but i know people go can do it for longer. My hair is prone to getting oily, so inbetween washed i use Dry shampoo. Currently, I useOscar Blandi Dry Shampoo. It helps absorb the oils and doesn’t smell bad either.

4.) Shampoo and Conditioner It’s very very important the kinds of hair products that you use with dyed hair. The kind that i use is sulfate free, which prevents the color from being stripped out. L’Oreal everPURE  This is my favorite shampoo and conditioner line to use which is also color-safe. They also have a great deep conditioner that I use at least once a week.  

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I think that’s about it for hair maintenance tips! I love having red hair, it’s fun, but it is a burden keeping it up. It’s like a part time job!

Spring is for colors. Today’s shopping haul. @hmusa #zara #pastels #floral #fashion #spring (Taken with instagram)