The Magic Hour

Today I decided to wear one of numerous dot print articles of clothing which I own. How can you go wrong with polka dots? They are so happy and festive that you can't help but smile when you see them dancing across a skirt or a blouse! Here I am wearing the J. Crew Big Shot Dot skirt.

The silk blouse which I paired my dizzy dots with is from Kate Spade and the belt is from Target... I went on a belt buying spree recently there when they had 20% off belts. I was looking for a simple navy belt, which luckily they had. The ballet flats are from J. Crew. Normally I would wear heels with this outfit, but since I knew I would be on my feet all day I opted for flats.

The reason I titled this post "The Magic Hour" is because my blouse reminded me of the colors in a gorgeous sunset! I was very fortunate to witness the most beautiful sunset outside my house a few days ago.  It only lasted for a matter of minutes, at least in this particular shade of vibrant orange. It then vanished as quickly as it appeared. The magic hour, or golden hour as it is more commonly referred to, is the first and last hour of sunlight. This is suppose to be the ideal time to take pictures. Ansel Adams famously utilized this time of day to take many of his photographs. While I am certainly no Ansel Adams, I like the way these photos came out and wanted to share them with you!

 

 

 

Purple (Blue?) Haze

Purple is my favorite color, so it is no wonder that I gravitated towards the purple scalloped eyelet Lucille dress from J.Crew. I love this particular shade of purple as it is electric, bright and vibrant! After showing this post to my husband he argued that the dress is blue and not purple. Technically the color as dictated by J. Crew is "Brilliant Purple." That's what it says on the tag. Would J. Crew lie to me? I would hope not after our long relationship together!  I do understand that the dress has blue undertones and the pictures make it look more blue than purple, but to me it is purple IRL. Well, regardless of where you stand on this heated debate, the dress was a great deal. I was able to find it on sale a few months ago at my local J.Crew. If my memory is correct, I believe I paid a mere $59 for it.

I know it is a lot of color, but I decided to pair the dress with a bright pink belt. Who doesn't love color? The belt is from one of my other favorite stores, Target. You have to admit, Target has some great stuff. For example, Target has many really cute belts which can be had for under $15. I think I paid about $8 for this one, another great deal!

I also wanted to add a pop of color with my shoes. These are my Cece ballet flats in Gallery Green. I love this turquoise color as it compliments so many things. I took this picture of my shoes myself as I thought it might look "cool" and "artistic." Normally my husband takes the photos, but I thought I would take matters into my own hands this time. During one of the shots William bombed the photo, however I thought it turned out sort of cute!

 

To go along with my recent art history tangent, I thought I would also include a piece of art which compliments my outfit today. The work is Vincent Van Gogh's Irises. Again, I love the use of colors in this particular painting. I think I was subconsciously influenced by it when selecting this particular outfit! I wonder if Van Gogh thought these Irises where more blue or purple?

Painting with a Primary Color Palette

Last weekend my husband and I went out for a low key dinner to celebrate my birthday. I decided to wear my new Anthropologie Hummingbird poplin skirt. I know, another species of bird to add to the flock! When deciding on how to style this skirt I was inspired by various artists in their use of all primary colors. Putting together an outfit takes me back to art class and learning about the color wheel. Getting dressed is really like constructing a painting in terms of figuring out which colors compliment one another and work together.

I paired my cheerful yellow skirt with my Christian Louboutin red Simple Pumps. Actually the shade of red labeled on the box is Coquelicot to be precise. I think a classic pair of red patent pumps should be in every woman's wardrobe.  Another staple is a classic, crisp white shirt. The one I am wearing in the above picture is from Ann Taylor Loft. I like the ruffles as it gives a classic a bit of a twist.

To top off my ensemble, I debuted my new Edie bag from J. Crew. The color is Casablanca blue. I love, love this color as it is so rich. It is a little bit like International Klein Blue. International Klein Blue is a color created by French artist Yves Klein. Klein's goal was to create a color with a strong intensity which mimicked the vibrancy of dry pigment. With the help of chemists, Klein was able to do just this, resulting in a color that looks very similar to my bag. Klein used this color in various monochromatic works (literally a single canvas painted in this color) along with some of his performance art.

Here are some other works of art which utilize the primary color aesthetic and remind me a lot of my outfit:

Above: Mark Rothko's no. 10 created in 1950. My husband would say, "I could do that!". Perhaps that is what you are thinking too! I personally think Rothko's pieces are very beautiful to see in person due to the immense size of the canvas he painted on. He was a master at using color to evoke emotion.

Above: Piet Mondrian (I am unsure about the title, but I am looking into it). My husband's remark to this painting would be, "I could do that if I had a ruler!".

Well, I hope you enjoyed my outfit and a little side of art history! Do you have any works of art which inspire you?

Quirky Bird Prints

I was instantly attracted to this blouse from H&M due to the cute and colorful parrot print. It was also the first "peplum" style blouse in my wardrobe. I honestly did not know what peplum was referring to until last Spring. Peplum tops appear to be all the rage now. The thing I like about peplum tops is that they can be worn casual or dressed up, for example with a pencil skirt to accentuate the "frills."  I  decided to pair my H&M parrot peplum top with the 4" chino shorts from J. Crew for a casual look.

To accessorize I added a bit more color with the J. Crew Candy Stripe Jute clutch. I love this clutch because of the neon stripes. The colors happen to match with all of the J. Crew chino shorts I purchased for summer this year! The other thing I love about this clutch is the size. It easily fits my wallet, my husband's wallet ( I'm not sure why he makes me carry it), sunglasses, phone and keys. So all in all it is a very practical clutch, which is rare.

When assembling this outfit I realized one thing; I have a lot of prints which feature birds. I already realized my obsession with dots, stripes and colors, but this had never crossed my mind. So I went into my closet and started looking for prints with feathered friends and was amazed at what I found. I guess I have a bird obsession too! I can't believe how many species of birds are represented in my wardrobe. Here are some of my favorite bird prints:

From left to right:

a.) Anthropologie Odille Duck Decoy Corduroy Skirt
b.) Anthropologie Feathered Village Skirt
c.) Anthropologie Charlotte Taylor Stilt Strider Skirt
d.) Kate Spade Beacon Hill Cassie Shirt Dress in Owl Print

Old School J.Crew and Tiki Bars

Over the last two weeks it has been 100 degrees or hotter every single day here in Los Angeles. The excessively hot weather, combined with the fact that I am on vacation, has all led to some very casual attire. The following tops are the same style (I think it is called the Clea tank) from J. Crew circa maybe four years ago. They both feature fun "aquatic" themes, so I figured they would be great for the type of activities I had planned.

The first activity was going to tiki bar and restaurant to celebrate my fifth wedding anniversary with my husband. You may ask, "why would you go to a tiki bar for an anniversary?" Well, I originally wanted to go to Hawaii to celebrate our fifth anniversary, but with the puppy being so young we decided we could not leave him. So my husband suggested that if we couldn't go to Hawaii, why not bring Hawaii to us? The Bahooka restaurant and tiki bar is the perfect place to do just that. The Bahooka is known for two things: flaming bowls of Mai Tais and numerous other tropical drinks and its excessive tiki decor with hundreds of fish tanks. Given this I decided to break out the old school Clea tank with tons of fish on it!

Here is a picture of the bar at the Bahooka which is delightfully kitsch in my opinion:

Below is a picture of the most famous fish at the Bahooka. His name is Rufus and believe it or not he is actually an accomplished actor! He had a role in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas staring Johnny Depp. He also loves carrots!

There is also a sign that adorns Rufus' tank. I guess a lot of people who go to the Bahooka think his tank is too small. Apparently Rufus has a very fragile psyche and perhaps some issues with his weight. (Typical celebrity!)

In addition to celebrating our anniversary, we also escaped the heat by going to my husband's family's beach house. Luckily the beach is a good 10-15 degrees cooler than inland. I wore the same exact top as the one above but this one has a turtle print on it.

Of course we had to bring William to the beach with us! He has an entire checklist of things he is supposed to be exposed to like the beach. The list also includes some bizarre things such as goats and fish in tanks. (Maybe we should have taken him to the Bahooka?). While at the beach he enjoyed looking at the birds and wreaking havoc (normal activities for a Springer Spaniel puppy). Here we are dancing on the patio. Luckily, he always has a tuxedo on:

Scrumptious Summer Scallops

I am using alliteration in the title of this blog to emphasize just how tasty this recipe is! I hate seafood, but I will tolerate scallops. If you put scallops atop a bed of rich, creamy and cheesy fettucini alfredo, you can't go wrong!

This is a recipe which I obtained from A Taste of Home. I actually made it for my husband last Valentine's Day. Sadly, last Valentine's Day was a very sad time for me and my husband because our beloved Springer Spaniel, Miles was in the last stages of stomach cancer and doing very poorly. Miles was the first dog that we had together as a couple and we loved him dearly.

We are very happy that the summer has been filled with new memories with our puppy William. Although I have to admit that William is not very helpful in the kitchen! He is now at the perfect height to jump up on the counter and ruin everything!

Well, enough about dogs and on to the food! Here is the recipe for this delicious dish (note: I did not use shrimp for this dish, only scallops):

Ingredients

• 4 ounces uncooked fettuccine
• 1/4 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 pound sea scallops, halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup white wine or additional chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

• Cook the fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute shrimp and scallops in 1 tablespoon oil for 3-5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and scallops are opaque. Remove and keep warm. 
• In the same skillet, saute shallot in remaining oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in broth and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in cream; cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thickened.
• Drain fettuccine; stir into cream sauce. Add shrimp, scallops and cheese; toss to coat. Sprinkle with tomato and parsley. Yield: 2 servings. 

  Here is my finished product with a side salad:

You're in the Navy Now!

This week with summer winding down and the temperature rising well into the 100's, we have been spending a lot of time at the beach. One activity which we did last weekend was visit the USS Iowa battleship which has a new home in Southern California.

The USS Iowa, now located in San Pedro, has had quite an impressive past. It was first commissioned in February 1943 during World War II. During this time she was responsible for taking President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Tehran for a meeting with Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin. After World War II she also served in the Korean war and was decommissioned shortly after. In 1982 she was reactivated for service under President Ronald Regan in an effort to expand the United States Navy. Lastly, she also played a crucial role in the Gulf War and helped to escort Kuwaiti tankers from Kuwait to the open seas.

The ship is massive when seen in person! Apparently it is about the same length as the Titanic! Here are some pictures of her:

There are definitely some massive guns aboard the Iowa. Here is a close up of some and a view looking out to the bow of the ship. Boom!

I decided for this occasion to wear my new Old Navy (get it, Navy, haha!) chambray dot shirt and J. Crew 3" chino shorts. The chambray shirt reminds me a lot of one that sold out at J. Crew a few months back. In fact, a lot of Old Navy's clothing for Fall looks very similar to styles from J. Crew lately. I usually don't shop at Old Navy (it's probably been years) but I was made aware of their cute heart and polka dot sweaters for Fall via Sandee's Kate Spade-aholic blog. Naturally, I had to go check the sweaters out, which is when I stumbled upon this shirt. At $24.50 minus the 10% off coupon, I couldn't pass it up!

I am wearing it the chambray button down casual here, but it would also look cute with a pencil skirt or some colored jeans. For reference, I purchased this shirt in size xs and my shorts are a size 2. I think Old Navy, like J. Crew tends to run a bit big.

Since I knew I would be trekking through some narrow passage ways inside of the ship, I opted for a small bag. The J. Crew Little Edie bag is perfect for maneuvering through tight spaces! This bag is just right for fitting a wallet, cell phone, keys and a pair of sunglasses. I recently purchased the larger size Edie bag (which is now on sale at J. Crew) in Casablanca Blue.

Meat and Potatoes

Filet Mignon is one of my favorite main courses to cook because it is simple, easy and elegant. The best part of getting a good cut of beef is selecting a side dish to accompany it. When cooking a filet, I usually pick a side dish that has something do with potatoes. I think if I had to pick three foods to be stuck on an island with I would choose cheese, potatoes, and chocolate. I am not really sure what I would make with these on the island, but they do represent my three favorite "food groups" if you will.

I decided for this meal to pair the filet with an easy twist on home fries, adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. You will need the following: potatoes, shallots, parsley, and some Pimenton or smoked Paprika.

First heat some butter in a skillet. When the skillet is hot add the potatoes (cut into wedges) and cook until they start to brown a bit on the edges. This can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Once the potatoes start to brown, I add some salt and shallots. I like to cut the shallots into rings, although you could also dice them. If you don't have shallots, you could substitute in any type of onion. I like shallots because they are pretty, purple and have a nice mild, sweet taste.

It is surprising how much the shallots will cook down and reduce. Pictured above I have added about two whole shallots. They will eventually reduced by about half. I cook these on a medium heat for about 8-10 minutes. At this point the shallots should be softened and slightly browned. It is now time to add the "secret" ingredient that gives this dish a little kick, the Pimenton/Paprika. I add about 1/2 to 1 table spoon of Pimenton to the dish. I think for this step it is important to taste first and see what level of spice you are comfortable with. The nice things about Pimenton is that is has a sweet, smoky taste, so it is hard to use too much of it. Once you add the Pimenton stir with a wooden spoon and let the dish cook for another 8 minutes.

Warning: if you have a Springer Spaniel puppy on the loose, be careful to keep an eye on the dish and not the puppy! William was out and about while I was cooking and my husband was setting the table. I must admit that I over cooked this dish a little more than I would have liked!

When everything is done, add about 2 tablespoons of parsley. I like to use chopped Italian flat leaf parsley. It adds a lovely dash of color to the dish!

Now on the the meat of this dish, the filet! I usually ask the butcher to cut the filet about 1 inch thick. My rule of thumb for cooking filet is to cook it for approximately 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare (my preference) steak.

I usually grease the skillet first with a little olive oil and heat until the meat makes that great "sizzle" sound when you lay the steaks on. I prepare the fillets beforehand with a bit of olive oil and mix of McCormick Montreal seasoning and Lawry's seasoned salt. Sometimes I make a red wine reduction sauce to pair with the filet. If this is the case I use just some sea salt and coarse pepper for the filet to keep things simple.

Here is the finished product! Nothing beats a nicely cooked filet, classic potatoes, and fresh steamed asparagus. Although, I think my favorite part of a nice steak dinner is pairing it with a good bottle of wine. Last night we had a bottle of Provenance 2007 Merlot. Bon Appetit!