Michael Voltaggio's Delicious Ink.Sack

It's no secret that I am a TV junkie. I have a special fondness for reality shows and given that I love food- Top Chef is of course a favorite. R and I love going to restaurants by Top Chef contestants and stopped by  Michael Voltaggio's casual lunch spot, Ink.Sack over the weekend. Being that it is sandwiches, it's affordable and approachable so you don't have to splurge to try his food. The sandwiches are 4" and we tried 3 of them: Cold Fried Chicken, The Jose Andres, and the Banh Mi. We also shared pineapple with chile and lime in a vacuum sealed bag. Everything has so much flavor and is delicious! I can't wait to go back and try the spicy tuna sandwich and the turkey- I think I'll pass on the Reuben made with tongue. Ink.Sack is definitely worth trying and stop by Sweet Lady Jane next door for some of the best brownies in the city!

Banh Mi with Pork Butt and Chicharones

Cold Fried Chicken with House Made Ranch

The Jose Andres with serrana ham, chorizo, and manchego

Pineapple with lime and chile

Have you been to Ink. Sack? What did you get?

Halloween- Major!

Happy Halloween!
Over the weekend we went to my cousin's Halloween party and dressed up as one of our favorite Bravo couples: Rachel Zoe and Rodger, with Skylar in tow. It was literally ba-nanas!

Rachel, Rodger, and baby Skylar

Did you dress up for Halloween this year? Or see any unique costumes? Please share!

Happy Hallo-Weekend!

Hope everyone has some fun plans this weekend and creative costumes planned.  Would love to hear what you are dressing up as.  If you are stuck- here are some last minute, easy to pull off ideas for you:

Karl Lagerfeld

Anna Wintour

To Braid or Not to Braid?

Picture from The Beauty Department

Probably smells like patchouli

I am seeing braids everywhere.  They are on runways, at events, on hippies that smell like patchouli, and all over Pinterest. I'm not sure how I feel about this braid business. Braids look so cute on Blake Lively and L.C (above left and very bottom left), but not everyone can pull this off (see above to the right!). I want to like the braid, but I just don't know if I do! Braids often look sloppy and frizzy- and if you're like me with a tendency to frizz naturally, you would never purposely provoke the frizz. However, some of the braids are of a sleeker breed and I like these better, but I look like I'm in elementary school when I wear my hair like that. It might be a case of "it looks great on you, but I could never wear that." I like the modern and fresh takes on braiding, but I think I'm sitting this one out- otherwise I will walk around looking like a sloppy, frizzy 10 year old and nobody wants that!

Clean Braids: I really like these (but I would definitely look like a 10 year old)

If you are into the braids, and it's ok if YOU are, just like Blake Lively and Lauren Conrad, YOU can probably pull it off! Check out The Braid Bar at Nine Zero One Salon.

Picture from The Beauty Department

I would look like a tween in this hair

Bouchon

I have been luckily enough to have been to Bouchon before and it's always just lovely! I recently bought a voucher on Gilt City for the Petit Plateau and champagne at Bouchon. We just got around to treating ourselves to this dinner. We started out with their delicious and fresh bread and butter. Then came the onslaught of sea goodness.

Petit Plateau: Shrimp, Clams, Mussels, Lobster, and OYSTERS!

We weren't completely satisfied after the fish frenzy, so we ordered a few appetizers: Crab Crepe and Smoked Chicken Terrine and cherries,  and a side of mushrooms.  

Chicken terrine- lovely presentation

Crab Crepe

I am always impressed with the technical perfection put out in every dish at Bouchon, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention- I'm just not that blown by the flavor of any dish I have tried. Have you been? What did you think?

Fig & Olive

I have been dying to go to Fig & Olive since it opened and finally went over the weekend. The space is beautiful, the concept for the menu is great and the food is delicious. All this would make Fig & Olive a standout in my book, but what makes it "hot" is a good celeb sighting and I did not leave disappointed!

The cocktail list is exactly what I'm into - innovative with an appropriate use of fresh herbs and ingredients.

Summer in Provence with gin, blackberries, rosemary thyme syrup, and lime juice

A trio of crostini: Fig and Prosciutto, Truffled Mushroom with artichoke, and copa with goat cheese and honey

Nightly selection of olive oils, three ceviches: branzino, shrimp, and tuna tartar

Chicken with seasonal vegetables

Branzino with figs and snow peas

Paella with shrimp and scallops

And the dish with the best presentation: Striped Bass Papillote

The reveal: sans papillote!

As I mentioned, we were very pleased with the food and ambiance, but for someone who loves celeb sightings, especially reality star sightings: the goods were delivered! Tyra Banks walked in with a group of about 5, soon followed by Nigel Lithgow and his party of 4.  Lastly, and the most exciting, some of Bravo's creme de la creme rolled in: Patti Stanger, Bobby and Jill Zarin, and a mystery man- let the speculation begin! This girl couldn't have been happier!

Kate Spade, I Love Thee!

2012 Organizer

It's no secret how amazing all things Spade are. Jack and Kate! I have a special place in my heart for her playful, but classic style. She just released her 2012 calendars as well as some "odds and ends" and they are a must have. I love her wallets, bags, clothes, and even her iphone cases are the best! Before I got married I was waffling over her "I Do" necklace, but it's kind of the thing you really can only get away with wearing for a few occasions, so sadly, I passed. But if you are getting married, treat yo self!

I do, I do, I do!!!

Pinterested?

I'm obsessed! My relationship with Pinterest began less than a year ago when I was told about it by a photographer I was interviewing to shoot our wedding. I liked the idea of it, but I didn't fully embrace it or understand what to do with it at first. After taking time away from one another for awhile, I had to come back and give it another chance. It just never clicked with me before how interactive as it is, until the day that it did! You download a little pinning tool and as you browse the web and other pins, you pin photos to your various boards.

I have boards for Food, Fashion, Wedding, Home, etc. Other users can repin your pins or like them and it's beyond exciting when they do! I have followers of my boards- really, me? I love it! Some of them are friends, but some of them are strangers and that's the coolest thing ever!

Pinterest has helped me to focus on creating my new fall wardrobe and putting together a wishlist for the holidays and a birthday that is still awhile away. It served as an inspiration board while I was planning my wedding. It's a fun way to send pins to friends when I see something that reminds me of them. It's also the penultimate time waster and that's something I can fully stand behind. Are you pinteresting? Let's follow each other!

Fall Love

Fall is in full swing in LA right now. It's a little chillier and that means we can wear coats, sweaters, scarves, autumnal colors and drink pumpkin lattes. It's a good time of year! I've been incorporating some new colors into my wardrobe quite aggressively. Camel. I am loving camel! Navy and olive green. It's all about a clean, classic look for me right now with fun touches, and by fun touches- I mean accessories. Meet one of my favorite new fall accessories:  Dolce Vita Koko Flats:

DV Koko Flats

I have also been embracing fall with autumnal Essie shades. Some of my favorites are Chinchilly, Velvet Voyage, Glamour Purse (which I fell in love with at my Bliss-perience), and Ladylike. Eternal Optimist has been a long time staple, but I am enjoying changing it up a bit for the new season. Do you have any favorite nail shades? Favorite new fall looks?

Chinchilly

Velvet Voyage

Ladylike

Glamour Purse

And my go to for sunnier days, Eternal Optimist

Mad Men

It didn't seem like too many of my favorite shows were on this week. Nothing really stood out. The lack of shows to catch up on only means 1 thing- more free time to get caught up on Mad Men!

 I'm in the middle at the end of season 2 and I'm hooked! I love and hate Don Draper. I love the opening theme song, the clothes, the furniture, and the realizations of things they didn't have that we do- like the internet, like knowing your child's gender before it is born, and bras that don't make boobs look triangular. It's such a good show and I have so many questions about various story lines and characters.

Do you watch Mad Men? Do you love it??

Mail Order What???

Yes Please!

I'm not talking about fruit of the month. However, I love you Harry & David Pairs. There are new kinds of clubs that are worth looking into. I have already mentioned Sole Society, in partner with Hautelook. Sole Society is $49 a month which you can either use to get a new pair of shoes and free shipping, or you can choose to skip. If you skip, you don't pay. At the first of the month, you get a new "Closet" of 6 pairs of shoes selected for you based off a style quiz you take when you sign up. If you aren't happy with that selection, you can request alternates. I haven't always been into the styles of the shoes and have skipped a few months, but I have received 4 pairs of shoes: 3 heels and a pair of wedge booties. I know you question the quality of these shoes at 50 bucks, but I have to say, I haven't had any problems and actually have been impressed. Not all of their shoes are real leather, and I look to buy only the leather shoes. The shoes are all designed by Marco Santi.



Another mail order club I recently discovered is BirchBox. BirchBox is $10 a month with free shipping. Around the middle of each month, you will receive a box with about 5 high end beauty samples.


I recently received my second birchbox and I'm into this month's samples! This month I received Juno Transformative Lipid Serum , Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave In Conditioner, Laura Geller's Spackle in Bronze, Ahava Mineral hand lotion, and Ahava Dermud foot cream. So far I have tried the spackle (love it!), the foot cream (put it on and then wore socks to sleep in. Woke up with softer feet!), and the Juno Serum (I've used it twice so far, not sure if I notice a difference). Looking forward to seeing what next month's box has in store!


Waiting for someone to gift us Bacon of the Month Club!

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Be Still my Eames Loving Heart

Iconic Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman

This weekend my husband and I went to LACMA to check out the exhibit on California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way. I have a soft spot for Midcentury modernism and have been really excited for the Pacific Standard Time exhibits and events around the city. I enjoyed the vintage clothing, furniture, recreation of the Eames House, and midcentury art on exhibit, but hoped it would be a little larger.

You aren't supposed to take pictures, but I found this out a little too late. Here are some of the highlights

Drawing of Craig Ellwood House

Eames Hang It All

Richard Neutra Camel Table- can be used as a coffee or dining table

With the Tim Burton exhibit winding down, there was some pretty interesting people watching to do and beautiful weather to indulge in. We packed a picnic and ate on the LACMA lawn and enjoyed the Saturday.

Largest piece of Berlin Wall outside of Germany

Have you been to any of the PST events or exhibitions? What did you think?

Next stop: Collecting Eames, the JF Chen Collection.