little black dress

There was a time when I had no control over what I wore, mother chose my outfits. These outfits consisted of dresses, frilly ones that I learned to dislike when I reached a certain age. My dislike for pretty lace and frills continued well into high school and college. During those years I remember wearing jeans and t-shirts on a consistent basis. So much easier maybe even lazy. But now .... (drum roll) I can't get enough of dresses. Especially if they're classic cuts with lace, frill and sheer material. Dressing up for get-togethers with friends can be so fun. With Nora Jones music in the background and my bed full of several outfits that I have tried on and then switched and then tried on again. So for my dress collection and my bed's joy, I'm considering purchasing this little black dress from Zara. Isn't it amazing?

Contrasting Dress by Zara

fun wrapping hues

The vibrant Holiday hues during this time of year have been a wonderful contrast to the cloudy weather that we've been having here in south Florida as of late. By the way ... Happy Hanukkah to those who are currently celebrating! Now, Christmas day is just around the corner and I still must purchase two gifts. Shopping during this time of year is hectic because there are so many people out there doing the same activity. Nevertheless, after I purchase the last two remaining gifts I will get to wrap. Yay! There are two moments that I enjoy the most about gifts: wrapping them and watching loved ones unwrap them. As odd as it might seem to some, I find the process of wrapping gifts quite calming.

I love stripes, Holiday phrases and glitter on my gift wrapping materials.

Yummy cupcakes

Cupcakes are a delicious dessert for small get-togethers or as gifts for family and friends. And when cupcakes are decorated they become yummier--to the eyes and to the taste buds. I searched for several holiday cupcake images on google and was in awe by what some individuals create either at home or in bakery shops. There are so many options out there, find what you like and go for it! However, considering my pedestrian artistic abilities I decided that the following would be the easiest to decorate: 

The flakes and the snowmen are adorable. (original site above -"options")

I used a 1/4 cup ladle to have the perfect sized cupcakes.

Then I had my finished cupcakes accompanied by candy canes as my table's centerpiece.

       

Giddy Holiday Pine

As I become older I find myself enjoying the Holiday season even more. It probably has to do with feeling nostalgia for my childhood. So when the weekend of Thanksgiving arrived, I immediately purchased a tiny artificial tree for my small apartment.

Then I brought out the Christmas decorations from the closet. I like when trees are scarcely decorated (think of Charlie Brown's tree) as much as when they are beyond the extravagant. My tree is on its way to being 'extravagant'. Which I, by the way, have named Giddy Holiday Pine.

I find the following the best way to decorate a tree:

1) It's important to lay out the ornaments and have them ready with the hooks.

2) Decide whether your tree will have garland or tinsel. If you choose tinsel, leave it for the very end and be scarce with it. A little can go a long way for tiny trees.

3) Find a spot for your tree. Then make sure the branches of the artificial tree are pulled out.

4) Wrap your lights around your tree. I love the colored sequence lights. These are LEDs.

5) Continue with the garland. Try to distribute the garland as evenly as possible.

6) Add the ornaments. I began hooking the 2 inch ornaments first. Try to lay out the colors evenly. The best way to do this is to start with one color first and then continue with the second color and so forth. The tiny ornaments should be added at the end to fill in  gaps.

7) Don't forget your star or angel. This year I decided to use this cute silver star.

8) Finally, turn on your lights! Giddy Holiday Pine has made my place so festive during finals week.

a slice of breakfast pizza

I enjoy all sorts of pizzas!

So I've been busy with my Qualifying. I have one more step to complete. Then after that, hopefully I can keep up with my posting. On your left you'll see the results of a delicious recipe I tried, I replaced some ingredients (well many) from the original recipe. For example I used a pre-made dough that my local grocery store makes. You could probably use Pillsbury pizza dough or another brand if you find yourself not having enough time to make everything from scratch.

small dishes

Organizing is important but having a little chaos is not a bad thing either. I say this because I realize how important chaos or a bit of disorganization can actually be for productivity, at least in my case.

My kitchen cabinets are arranged in a manner in which I can easily reach what I need, sometimes it's not easy to keep them organized since the cabinets do become full rather quickly. Especially when there are smaller items such as bowls, coffee cups and short drinking glasses. But that's because I'm always on the lookout for smaller sized dishes; smaller dishes easily permit portion control for eating, plus, one doesn't have to think about it too much.

My bowls have decreased in size but not quantity.

kitchen table

I love my kitchen-dinner table. It's small, it's simply decorated and therefore perfect. It matches my tiny apartment. Being a graduate student generally means either living in a small space or living in a slightly bigger place with a roommate. I've done the latter many of times and in the last couple of years have been on my own. Although my budget is much tighter than usual, I'm not regretting this choice one bit. Not because my roommates weren't awesome individuals, because they were and continue to be so, but because it's so much fun to do whatever you want in your own place, even if it is a tiny space.

When I first moved here I decided I wouldn't paint the walls of my apartment. I actually like the soft yellow painted walls my landlord chose when he remodeled this place.

I would describe my place as cozy and as too organized.

The table cloth was specifically made for me by my mother.

to a nostalgic childhood moment

This weekend begun with the last mission of Atlantis. Atlantis began taking off into space back in 1985, when I was but a tiny toddler. As I heard the count down from the radio I had a flood of memories flash before me. Our teachers in my elementary school would takes us to the open field beside the playground to watch a shuttle's take off. As a kid it was always fun to go outside and watch an aircraft move further and further away into the atmosphere. It seemed so slow from my perspective as a child but it was most definitely soaring out at incredible speeds. As I thought of all those count downs when I was in elementary school I became teary eyed.

This all happened when I was driving back to South Florida from the Treasure coast, a beautiful calm area where I grew up, and pulled onto the shoulder of I-95 in an attempt to see the take off. From the northern area of the Treasure coast we always could get a good view of the smoke the shuttle leaves behind. However, Friday was a cloudy (remainder of a week long rainfall) and impossible to see anything. All I saw were clouds and lots of traffic driving at fast speeds on the highway. Yet, in the Space Coast there was finally a bit of blue sky that allowed Atlantis and it's astronauts to take off.


For me, just pulling off to the shoulder allowed me to take a moment and nostalgically remember being a kid in elementary school.

Atlantis (first flight 1985 - final flight 2011)

enjoying exercise

I discovered exercise about five years ago when I was in the middle of my Master's program. I had moved to a new city and after a year of living there I still didn't know very many people. I decided to do something about it and figured that getting out there was the best way to start. However, my getting out there had to consist in being physically active and finally enjoying my south Florida surroundings. So I became a walker and then a runner and then signed up for some martial art classes. This I did slowly and along the way made some of the most terrific friends. Today I still keep up with my exercise and not only enjoy the love/hate relationship with exercising but definitely enjoy seeing the results on and in my body.

Happy exercising dear friends!

My breast cancer awareness gloves for my kickboxing class and my Brooks running shoes.

keeping organized

I don't own much makeup. Honestly I am not very good about using makeup on a daily basis. Nevertheless, I decided to organize the little that I own because it was just looking too unkempt for my own taste. Everything was just lying about on a dresser. (Tsk tsk.)

But do not fret I told myself after I found this amazing mini vase at a local discount store for .49 cents and figured it would be perfect for my makeup brushes and then I remembered I had an old espresso ceramic cup with the NYC skyline (stored away in my kitchen cabinet for a couple of years now) that would hold my eyeliners and mascara quite nicely.

bracelets

Bracelets are fun, there are so many colors and textures available and I always have to control myself from purchasing bracelets or making bracelets. Making costume jewelry is a hobby that I share with my wonderful mom. I love to make earrings and necklaces the most and I usually sell some of the pieces at a local art warehouse that displays local artists. The images here are my collection of personal bracelets that I use on a daily basis, some are bought, some are gifts, and some are made.

on the left: chunky bracelets / on right: bracelets that I mix and match

my statement pieces

for the casual days

my girly as well as my romantic pieces

a rainy day and pesto sauce

Today I know I will accomplish absolutely no research in my apartment unless I go elsewhere. It's another rainy day here in the Fort Lauderdale area. There are plenty of things I could do here in my apartment, sleep all day, sleep all day, sleep all day. Therefore, although taking endless naps seems like such a splendid activity, I decided to spend the day at the library searching for some much needed material. My lunch is packed and I'm ready to go.

A homemade shrimp pesto pasta dish is driving with me to university. Eating leftover foods that have been made at home are oh so much a healthier option and are also better on your pocket. Campus meals can become extremely pricey if purchased on a daily basis.

I make my pesto sauce from scratch. In my little patio garden I have a basil plant that, in order to guarantee it's continued success as a basil leaf producer, I had to trim. The great thing about making pesto sauce is that it's not as difficult as it might seem.

Once I had my sauce ready, I cooked some whole wheat pasta following the directions labeled on the box. In a large sauce pan I sautéed veggies (some are fruits) diced into medium chunks: tomatoes, onion, carrots, red bell pepper, and olives. Then I added about a cup of already cooked frozen shrimp, introduced the pasta into my concoction and at the very ended combined the pesto sauce.

Rinsing trimmed pesto stems before taking its leaves.

Leaves are washed and patted down with a dry paper towel.

Ready to go!

mango delight

 I simply love the taste and texture of tropical fruits such as mangoes and papayas and pineapples and... I could easily keep on adding to my list. The past two weeks I have fortunately been gifted mangoes from my best friend Yessi and my boyfriend's mother. There are many mango trees in southern Florida and not only does the grocery carry them abundance but so do family and friends who have the tasty fruit growing in their back yards.

I've been eating a mango a day. I'm not sure if it keeps the doctor away, but it does keep my hunger at bay. The mango has become my healthy snack, however, I find myself always adding a few condiments that make the sweetness of the fruit even more tastier: 

Enjoy!

What you will need:
1. A peeled mango then sliced.
2. Sea salt, add to your liking on sliced mango
3. Ground cayenne pepper, add to your liking (I recommend finding a local Mexican grocery store if you are unable to find it at your major grocery chain or farmer's market.)
4. Lime
5. A citrus squeezer
6. A container to store the remaining lime

You can easily omit the ground cayenne pepper if spicy is not what you're into. I grew up eating many fruits and veggies in this manner as a healthier snack choice. Some veggies and fruits you can use are cucumber, boiled potatoes, lettuce, jicama, papaya, and apples to name a few. I do warn you however, that this quick snack recipe might not please everyone's palate. But please do give it a try, at least once.

lip balm

I tend to have chapped lips quite often during the winter months here in south Florida. My winter is obviously not as dreary as others' can be, but, for long time Floridians it sometimes can become a bit too cold for comfort. I will also have chapped lips during the summer months. Lips tend to become dry when there is a lack of moisture, I probably haven't been drinking enough water or have been spending to much time inside doors. This weekend was full of thunderstorms here in south Florida.

In any case, I have my own treatment to get the dry skin off, other than just constantly applying lip balm and hoping for it to miraculously go away. When I brush my teeth in the morning I also lightly brush my lips to rid myself of the dead skin cells. Exfoliation! After this is done, my lips feel soft and I immediately coat my lips with lip balm.

My current favorite lip moisturizers are by Aveeno and Burt's Bees and both offer sun protection.

a summer birthday cake

This weekend a dear girl friend of mine had an early celebration for her birthday. I made her her birthday cake. It's a long process, but so much better than just going to a store and buying a cake that many times is too sweet and has such a generic taste. I didn't completely make it from scratch, since I did use two boxes of vanilla cake mix. Nevertheless, I still HAD to make it my own.

I added 6 oz of a strawberry yogurt to each batter mix and mixed. The yogurt makes the cake moist and when it's a fruit yogurt you can taste the hint of the fruit. Plus adding some strawberry jelly as filling for a two layered cake helps tremendously.Then towards the end I mixed in some sprinkles, you can never be too old for some confetti fun.

I did however make the butter cream frosting from scratch. This is probably the most tedious section of cake making, nevertheless, it becomes the most satisfying when people take a bite of the final product and really like it or when you find out they kept on eating the cake the next day as their breakfast, lunch and dinner. Talk about decadent addiction.

Two layered cake with Bonne Maman (my favorite) jelly as the filling.

Making the frosting. The powdered sugar must be sifted to achieve the right consistency.

Finally decorating!

Some pretty simple piped flowers.

Ready to surprise my friend!

Foucault and Essie

Yesterday I worked briefly on my Qualifying list. You'll be hearing about the wonderful Qualifying list on and off throughout the rest of the summer and until mid September, so I'll let the explanation of it come as need be. It'll add more suspense for both you and myself. Actually, a lot of tension for me. In any case, it matters not, because I'm a big fan of Foucault. I love his writing, or more precisely, the English translations of his work. I don't have two books/lectures of his so I went to Amazon's site and purchased them. I could easily have checked the books out from the library, however, I have a Foucault collection happening already. I am a fan.

I feel about books like many fashion savvy individuals feel about clothes and statement pieces, i.e. accessories. I'm working on this latter part. Therefore, I decided to purchase a nail polish that matched my future book's front cover. I KNOW. But the prices on the Foucault books and Essie nail polish were unbeatable. Perfect for my student budget. Plus when all three items arrive, I will be matching my literature.

A fan of Foucault and now Essie. Essie was introduced to me two birthdays ago by a best friend and university peer. The polish is from a 2009 winter collection, but I think it will be perfect for my summer days. Makes me think of mint chocolate icecream.

And speaking of birthdays, today is my boyfriend's birthday. His present is wrapped and ready to go.
Happy birthday my love!

makeup and books

Today was a productive day. Not only did I feel cute but I felt intellectually accomplished. On the cuteness part, well I wore a bit of makeup. Our Florida weather only allows for limited dressing up, unless you plan on walking very little and only being inside an air conditioned building. I have to walk a distance when on campus and then carry tote bags full of books when leaving the university's library. Therefore, cute and casual is my preference during warm summer days. Soon you will see the stack of books I have acquired...

Today's make-up: Mary Kay powder, Almay eye shadow and concealer,
Kohl eyeliner and Burt's bees lip gloss.

I didn't have anyone to take a picture of me so here is a similar arrangement of my outfit. The jacket was for inside the library, it gets extremely cold in there. I do own this awesome Meet Me at Sunset nail polish color by Essie.

Walking on campus is beautiful. However, the picture doesn't portray the high levels of humidity.

Ocean beauty

I just got back from practicing a little yoga by the beach. An unplanned event that turned out to be just wonderful. My kickboxing class was cancelled for the evening and a substitute conditioning class was offered instead. It didn't interest me...how horrible of me. Nevertheless, I still managed to get some exercise in this evening. I convinced my friend, who also happens to be a yoga instructor, that we should go to the beach and invite others for yoga. He agreed.

It had been raining all day and the calmness of the ocean after a Florida storm was an amazing sight to behold, especially after I realized my muscles were working quite hard during yoga. Afterwards, my body felt content and in particular my eyes, there is nothing like staring at the vastness of the Atlantic ocean just as dusk approaches.

Taking it all in after an intense hour of stretching my muscles.

David, our yoga instructor. You can learn more about him here - http://davidgoldsztajnfarelo.blogspot.com

summer Inspiration

Earlier this week I was chatting with my lifelong childhood friend Yessi. We're so different. Yet, we get a long quite well. She offered me some inspiration and here I am appreciating the little things that surround me. I like creativity, I like staying busy, and I love learning, anything.

This is my way of going green. Hanging my freshly washed workout clothes and pj's on sunny weekend days in my small patio garden.

Prepping with basic tools and some beautiful chiffon material to make scarves.

I'll be selling my creations at a local art warehouse. These scarves are perfect for summer elegance.  

Looking forward to reading this novel by Brazilian author Ana Maria Gonçalves.