AlyaBuzz

AlyaBuzz has moved

2015-08-22T11:47:00.000-04:00

I have finally found a permanent home for AlyaBuzz.
Thanks for all of the support and please read, follow and share at http://alyabuzz.com/

Thanks XOXO
Alya

AlyaBuzz Has Moved

2015-03-14T10:20:00.001-04:00

After months of dealing with a corrupt blogger site, I've decided to move AlyaBuzz to https://alyabuzz.com
Still a work in progress but please take the time to visit the new blog and follow!

Thanks for the love and support!
Alya

Hummus - Crusted Chicken

2015-03-02T18:09:00.001-05:00

I love hummus, there I said it and not only did I ~~say~~ write it, I even wrote a little poem to the creamy yummy Mediterranean concoction!

I love hummus with carrots

I love hummus with chips

I love that hummus is healthy and

Doesn't stick to my hips!
Maybe it's my Azerbaijani background, or maybe cause it's so delicious and good for you but, I eat it like ALL the time so, how is it that I never considered it as source for chicken?
Was looking for a new chicken breast recipe for the fam and came across the below recipe, thanks #GIMMESOMEOVEN

Try it, probably the best chicken dish I've ever made and earned the Jacob 2 thumbs up seal of approval!
PREP: 5 MINS COOK: 40 MINS

INGREDIENTS:
Below is the recipe with my personal modifications, go ahead and put your own spin on it and share what you've done.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper...I used Season-all
Instead of 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash & 1 medium onion, chopped...I used corn and shallots.
1 cup hummus, homemade or store-bought...I used Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic but any hummus will do and if you make your own well then, I want YOUR recipe.

1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 lemons...didn't have so didn't use 1 tsp. smoked paprika or sumac...replaced with garlic powderDIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare one large baking dish or two smaller baking dishes with cooking spray.Pat the chicken dry. Season the chicken breasts with generous pinches of salt and pepper or other seasoning. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.If using one baking dish, place all of the vegetables on the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Lay the four chicken breasts evenly on top, then cover each chicken breast with the hummus so that the entire breast is covered.

Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the chicken and vegetables. Then sprinkle the pan with smoked paprika or sumac. Thinly slice the remaining lemon, and place the slices in between the chicken and vegetables if desired.

**If using two pans, use one for the chicken and one for the vegetables.**

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Serve immediately.

Well almost immediately and not before you arrange it on a pretty dish, take a few beautiful #foodporn pics and post to FB and instagram with the hashtag #AlyaBuzz.

Good luck keeping the family from poking and destroying your beautiful creation while you're attending to it!

Now dig in and Enjoy!

Girls night out

2015-02-27T20:16:00.001-05:00

First one here, hello Mojito!

Paint the Pork

2015-02-24T18:45:00.001-05:00

Alya's Roasted Pork Shoulder Butt that is...

Not sure when AlyaBuzz went from all fashion to all food but when it's freezing outside, food not fashion is the only way to stay warm inside. After all, with a closet full of beautiful coats, all I ever wear anymore is my down-filled boring black jacket that every year I swear I'll burn upon Springs arrival.

So, in an effort to exercise my creative muscles I've turned to food and last night took on pork, very Jewish mother of me I know.

As always, started with a recipe I found online and improvised to create this...sadly, pork doesn't make for great #foodporn but trust me, it was delicious!

Total Time: 40 min
Prep: 5 min
Level: Easy

Recipe give or take a little
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped garlic...I used garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

My special ingredient, rosemary...I put that shit on everything especially, lamb and pork
1 (4 pound) pork shoulder

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary. Using a pastry brush or, as in my case, paint brush (told you I improvise) and spread the mixture all over the pork butts.

Set the meat on a rack set (I didn't do this but recommend that you do so that the meat cooks evenly all around) into a roasting pan.

Roast for 20 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. Continue to cook until the pork reads ready...see not precise but about 20 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle or...long enough before your kids scream...I'm Hungry!!!

Said Kid...

So good especially when dipped into pomegranate molasses, a tangy red sauce commonly used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. I grew up on lamb shish kabob and we often had it around the house. If you don't have access to a Russian or Middle Eastern grocery store, here is an easy recipe..

This is the brand I used only because my father, a food shopaholic, bought it for me but there are tons of other brands out there that are equally delicious.

See, the Jacula likes it and so will your kids...

Enjoy and let me know if and when you try this recipe for yourself!

Gonna go sort through my coat closet now...out

The moment when

2015-02-18T17:06:00.001-05:00

You're taking poolside selfies like a crazy teenager and the cocktail waitress comes by and says, "can I get you a drink ma'am?"
No tip for you biach and yes! Yes, get me a drink pronto!

Vegas fun has begun

2015-02-15T15:05:00.001-05:00

81 and sunny, what more can I say as adult time in Vegas kicks off!
Oh yeah and this strawberry daiquiri is 32oz of pure goodness...

Happy Valentine's Day

2015-02-14T10:45:00.001-05:00

Mine is off to a great start with a multilingual Valentine's Day card from my little man!
Can you say #menschintraining
Have a great day!

Bad Boy Ballet Dancer Sergei Polunin

2015-02-11T23:53:00.001-05:00

Simply Slays Hozier's 'Take Me To Church'

What happens when you combine the talents of Russia's ballet bad boy Sergei Polunin, Irish gospel luminary Hozier and photography pop wizard David LaChapelle? Apparently, a whole lot of angsty, sexy, beautiful dancing ensues.

LaChapelle directed the new visual interpretation of the Grammy-nominated hit, starring British Royal Ballet vet Polunin performing choreography by Jade Hale-Christofi. The emotive dancer, donning only nude tights and a cluster of tattoos, sautés, tombés and pirouettes through an illuminated empty space. The white room clashes with the dark energy of the bluesy song, making Polunin's stunning dance moves resemble some kind of spiritual possession.

Enjoy!

Year of the Torso?

2015-02-10T12:43:00.003-05:00

Silly me, I thought it was the Year of the Sheep but OK I'm no expert although, what I think Hannah Davis meant to say was that it's the Year of the Hooha...

Model Hannah Davis visits TODAY to talk about landing the new Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, dubbing her look as “the year of the torso.” She says that the TODAY show concealing the lower part of the cover on air makes it “look a lot naughtier than it really is.”

My first reaction to this was shit, time to hit the gym quickly followed by who's her Esthetician cause I need their #

What you think, how low is too low?

Sin City planning

2015-02-10T12:10:00.001-05:00

75 and Sunny, that's what I'm talking about baby!
Taking recommendations for food, fabulous people and fun...anyone?

I'll never look at

2015-02-08T14:51:00.000-05:00

Jacob's LEGOs the same again!
Introducing a LEGO version of the Fifty Shades of Grey trailer created by stop-motion animators Antonio and Andrea Toscano.

Unlike their previous LEGO trailers for films like Star Trek Into Darkness and Man of Steel, this one has generated a lot of social media chatter and not in a good way.

Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think, should they have stayed 50 feet away from tying 50 Shades to 50 Bricks?

In response to parental backlash, Antonio even posted a disclaimer on YouTube but, just like Anastasia, the comments just keep on coming (sorry had to go there)

"Please note this: Lego Group is not even remotely involved in this video, except for the fact that I have bought a lot of their products during my life. Universal Picture is not involved in this, this video is not at all part of a promotional campaign for the movie, I am not getting any money for it and I don't care at all for this movie to be an audience success or not. This video and all the others on this channel are just made for fun in our free time, whether they involve Tony Stark or Christian Grey. If you come here looking for fun, maybe you can find some. Thanks for enjoying it. I'm sorry I haven't time for answering all the disappointed comments, but please just try to be polite when sharing your opinion, thanks."

Personally, after all of the casting hype, not a fan of who they settled on to play Christian and Anastasia especially, Dakota Johnson and so, prefer the creativity & fun of Fifty Shades of Bricks and Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" bellowing in the background doesn't suck either.

Here’s the original trailer for comparison...

50 Shades of Grey, the real one, premieres Feb 13, who's going?

Fashion Score!

2015-02-06T17:59:00.001-05:00

Major score at Century 21 today ladies, Lanvin shoes for $40!!!
Fabulous Friday to me now go get your own!
They're also having a vintage designer sale, spend $500 and get 5% off or something like that but for your salivation, Hermes, Gucci, Louis, etc...
Good luck and share your scores with AlyaBuzz and I'll feature your shopping savvy!

Started Reading

2015-01-31T13:21:00.001-05:00

Tony Robbins' Unlimited Power and feeling pretty pretty POWERFUL!!!

Quality or Quantity?

2015-01-30T22:49:00.001-05:00

The Mathematics of Investment Shopping

If your closet is overflowing with stuff but you feel like you never have anything to wear...hello me! perhaps this is the year you learn how to buy less and invest more.

The concept of "investment dressing" is simple: channel the funds you'd spend on fast fashion into quality purchases. The application, however, is personal. I've always thrived for the eclectic mix of high end designer pieces and bargain buys but that is certainly more art than mathematics!

For example, if you're a city girl like me who drives her shoes into the ground with miles of walking, you might be better served by a bunch of footwear options and one really warm coat, while someone in LA could stand to do the opposite. Someone with a buttoned-up office job would get a lot of use out of one, good cashmere crewneck, but a student may find more use from a range of knit options.

To ease your path to quality versus quantity closet harmony (and make those resale efforts less frequent), Racked has done some basic fashion math taking the cost of investment buys and dividing them by their fast fashion equivalent. See how wardrobe styles like bags, jeans, and outerwear stack up in five handy infographics below.

At an average price of $99.90, you could buy six pairs of Zara shoes this year, or you could invest in a pair of classic Manolo Blahnik BBs, the gold standard of pointed pumps.

This swap really depends on your lifestyle and the current state of your shoe wardrobe. If you need to replenish your personal footwear inventory, or live a life where you drive shoes into the ground with a ton of walking, a "more is more" mindset might work for you. If you've got all the boots, sandals and party heels a girl could dream of, maybe this year you invest in a pair of versatile heels.

For the record, this is NOT me but these are my version of versatile...the YSL Tribtoo is by far the most ultimate in style, comfort and sexiness!

If you're ready to take the plunge into raw denim, you really can't beat APC's Petit New Standard jeans starting at $185 a pair. These investment jeans are equivalent to taking home just over three pairs of BDG jeans from Urban Outfitters.

You could buy six or seven ASOS coats at $160 a pop, or put all of that money towards a wool Burberry Brit toggle coat, $995 or...Chanel Coat, um sorry had to plug my newest investment and holiday gift from the hubby!

Really between you, your local climate, and general approach to winter, though you could apply the concept to a classic trench or the perfect leather jacket.

On the topic of warmth, how's that sweater drawer? If it's time to pick up a good cashmere sweater, you can get a basic crewneck style from White + Warren for $198, the same cost as about eight $24.95 H&M knits.

Chanel bags aren't getting any cheaper—right now the classic, quilted flap bag in the medium size will run you $4,900, which is equivalent to a little more than 175 Forever 21 bags at an average price of $27.90. If you use it five days a week for a year, the cost per wear is $18.85. You'll probably have—and use—this thing for a lifetime, driving that daily average lower and lower. The $4,900 is really just a matter of your current financial state and, uh, how much you value designer handbags. If you're Russian like me than that's a whole hell of a lot!

Thanks for the info

Let's make pizza I said

2015-01-27T15:25:00.001-05:00

Don't get flour, dough and sauce all over...I said
Pizza!!! They heard

How can Something so Little

2015-01-27T14:11:00.001-05:00

Be so Big on taste?
Mini Swiss cheese sliders on sesame brioche buns topped with a pickle and tomato.
I say Yummy!
Jacob says, Ridiculous!

Storm ready

2015-01-26T22:12:00.001-05:00

What's better than hot turkey chili on a snowy day?

a side of nacho cheese tortilla chips but of course!

Only where is the snow???

More Reasons to Love Hermès

2015-01-22T17:29:00.000-05:00

This year’s list of the 100 most innovative companies, according to Forbes, sees French luxury brand Hermès sitting at number 13. The list is determined by measuring which companies trade at a level incongruous to their underlying financials and assets, leading to an Innovation Premium (IP).

Hermès set a record last year, reporting an operating profit of $1.69 billion with $5 billion in sales – the fastest growing business in its industry over the past six years. In fact the only others categorized as ‘luxury goods’ on the list from Forbes are Li & Fung at 41 and Luxottica Group at 51.

Unlike a great number of its counterparts, Hermès has created desire coupled with mystique that even in today’s digital age it has managed to maintain. Doing so can be attributed to much more than just the elusiveness of its famous handbags however, and one such way is the creativity it defers to online.

While Burberry might be shouted about as a digital pioneer or Chanelheralded for its elegant YouTube channel, not to mention statement-worthy catwalk shows, Hermès should be regarded for the creative content it is pushing out across channels. It regularly, and always quietly, releases everything from quirky illustrated videos to pop-up e-stores that tick every box associated with the brand craftsmanship it is engaged in, setting it apart from many others in the space.

An article in the September 8, 2014 issue of Forbes magazine accompanying the list highlighted the fact Hermès doesn’t have a marketing department. “Why should it? McKinsey doesn’t have a consulting department nor does Microsoft have a software department. Marketing is Hermès’ core business,” writes author Susan Adams.

She quotes the company’s CEO, Axel Dumas: “Our business is about creating desire. It can be fickle because desire is fickle, but we try to have creativity to suspend the momentum.”

Taking it to that online space therefore, a recent exercise in such creativity can be seen in a pop-up virtual store dedicated to the brand’s silk squares, shawls, twills, scarves and stoles. Illustrated in typical Hermès style by Pierre Marie, Lamaisondescarrés.com looks like a grand house with an intricate interior and a diverse series of characters and creatures all featured. There’s a gardener floating on a hot air balloon, sunflowers twisting in the breeze, a play slide atop a large giftbox, a gentleman lying in a hammock and more.

The team behind it refers to it as “playful, welcoming, immersive and surprising”. Created in partnership with agency AKQA, it allows users to explore different rooms featuring 600 models of Hermès signature silks, all of which can be clicked to purchase.

Work in progress for the Hermès virtual pop-up store, Lamaisondescarrés.com

There’s also a link through to two of the brand’s apps – further explorations of creative content, this time with a functional edge. The first, called Silk Knots, is a how-to guide on 24 different ways to tie your scarf through images and videos. The second, the Tie Break app, is aimed at men and includes a variety of GIFs, games and comics as well as collection insights.

There’s a real sense of fun permeating Hermès’ work, and the same can be said for film. Stop motion has been a go-to for the brand for some time, from China plates playing ping-pong while handbags spectate, to pairs of shoes leapfrogging one another. Previous holiday seasons meanwhile have seen illustrated versions of its infamous orange boxes captured iceskating. Each clip is far worthier than the 20-50,000 views they’ve received.

Earlier this year there was also a campaign starring Ballet de l’Opéra National de Paris dancer, Jérémie Bélingard. Directed by Romain Laurent, the 60-second spot – called Man on the Move – saw Bélingard walking around an “urban playground”, as he did so automatically transforming from one outfit to the next.

Like a fashionable shafeshifter, when he bumps into a lamppost, his jacket and granddad-collar shirt are replaced with a white printed shirt and green trousers; when he hits the wall with the chime of a pinball machine, the green jacket to match those trousers arrives… and so it continues.

Each piece is peppered with an eccentric, playful and quirky feel. Above is another strong example – Hermès taking its signature equestrian reference, and bringing it to life in an unexpected manner. Despite the fact that means models acting out being a horse (#jesuisuncheval is the hashtag), somehow there remains a chic French sophistication to it.

Hermès’ US CEO, Robert Chavez, is quoted in Adams’ piece: “We’ve always said we don’t take ourselves too seriously at Hermès.”

Arguably it’s this combination of creativity and light-heartedness that is making this 177-year old brand relevant in today’s digital world. A beautiful sense of humour anchors it, all the while an air of aspiration is maintained, resulting in content that is some of the best we’re seeing out there from a luxury house at present.

As the intro to the magazine article reads: “Quietly and diligently, the family behind Hermès has become one of the world’s richest, to the tune of more than $25 billion. They’ve done it by not only selling beautiful luxury items but also by selling aura as beautifully as any company on this planet.”

Can't wait to

2015-01-21T23:02:00.001-05:00

checkout the Futuristic Technology At The New SLS in Feb!
After a renovation of the legendary Sahara hotel for $415 million, SLS Las Vegas opened as The Strip’s hottest new resort in August. Outfitted with 1,600 rooms, nine dining options and 30,000 square feet of meeting space, SLS provides a sophisticated and luxurious feel. However, the resort delivers even more with its cutting-edge technology integrated into the guest experience. Take a look into how SLS is using content and technology to connect with its guests.

Need Inspiration!

2015-01-21T22:52:00.001-05:00

Friends, Frenemies and all others who visit my Blog and have no doubt noticed the lack of content...
I'm in need of some real inspiration.
Aside from being super busy with my paying job, I know Excuses--Excuses--I haven't found anything fun and fresh to Buzz about.
In the works is our totally awesome 2 week Cali Road Trip but at the pace I'm currently moving, Cali will be a separate Country all together.
Jacob's shenanigans are always a winner and could be fun to engrave them here for eternity.
I could bore you with pictures of everything that I cook or eat or want to eat...

Golden Globes

2015-01-11T20:55:00.001-05:00

So many beautiful people...So many ugly dresses!

Cali Roadtrip here we come!

2014-12-21T01:14:00.001-05:00

Travel menorah and all!

I'm on Vacation!

2014-12-20T00:21:00.001-05:00

But before I get too ahead of myself, there's the dreaded packing that must be done!
So I ask you, how can someone who loves to travel so much, hate to pack!!!???

What Happened on Social Media in 2014?

2014-12-05T23:17:00.001-05:00

We can’t believe 2014 is over. Oh how time flies when you’re having fun! So much happens so quickly in the social sphere that it can be hard to keep up. When was the Super Bowl? Who won the World Cup? Which iPhone are we on now? Don’t fret. We’ve wrapped up the most influential social conversations that hit the internet in 2014.

January
snap

If you always dreamed to have your Snapchat username and phone number leaked to the world, 2014 was your year! To start off 2014, 4.6 million Snapchat accounts were compromised. The compromise was in an attempt to get Snapchat to beef up their security and perhaps a precursor to what would soon happen to Target.

February

We love Super Bowl commercials and the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl Challenge is always a favorite. #CrashTheSuperBowl is an annual online contest where consumers are invited to create a Doritos Ad in hopes of it being aired during the Super Bowl. In 2014 the winner of the contest went home with $1 Million for this Time Machine piece. The Crash the Super Bowl Contest is the largest online video contest in the world.

March
ellen

Remember this? Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Oscars and decided to take a selfie with some serious A-Listers. She then tweeted out the image and broke Twitter. Here are some stats:

8.1 million people saw the tweet a total of 26 million times (impressions).
13,711 web pages embedded the tweet, and those embeds were seen 6.8 million times
Overall, the tweet was seen 32.8 million times.
The tweet has been retweeted more than 3.2 million times
April
heart

On a more serious note this is the month where the Target Heartbleed fiasco happened. The Heartbleed bug exposed the payment account numbers of 40 million Target customers. According to ReCode. As a result of the attack, shares of Target hit a 52-week low and the company was forced to reduce its 2013 Q4 earnings forecast.

May
bring

On April 15th, the Boko Haram Terrorists in Nigeria kidnapped 273 girls from the Chibok Government Secondary School. Approximately 230 are still missing. #BringBackOurGirls started as an attempt to discourage violence in schools and return the girls home. Even though this happened in April it continued to be a major social discussion in May.

June
cia

The CIA gets social! The CIA officially joined Twitter and tweeted for the first time. Within an hour, the CIA already had over 50,000 followers while only following 25 accounts. “By expanding to these platforms, CIA will be able to more directly engage with the public and provide information on CIA’s mission, history, and other developments,” said CIA Director John Brennan, in a statement.

July
pot

All Zack Danger Brown wanted to do was make a delicious potato salad. From July 5th to July 9th, the Kickstarter funding jumped from $1,000 to $70,000, with 23 days of funding left. His original goal was only $10. Well played Zach, well played.

August
Academy-tweet-about-Robin-Williams

In August we all had to say goodbye to a comedy icon, Robin Williams. This tweet that the Academy tweeted went viral on social media. Fans used social media to express their condolences and show appreciation for his work. He will truly be missed.

September
IPhone 6 Updated Main Image

The newest iPhone was released in September. In it’s first weekend of sales, the iPhone topped the 10 million mark and was the biggest launch since the App Store℠. Shortly after the release the #BendGate phenomenon began. The first video, Unbox Therapy, showed how the iPhone could bend with nothing but one’s bare hands. On the Wednesday after the release, #BendGate was the number three trending hashtag on Twitter.

October
Taylor_Swift_-_1989

On October 27th, Taylor Swift released her first official pop album. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 1,287,000 copies. Her album, 1989, had the highest sales week since 2002 and Swift became the first artist to have three albums sell a million copies in a week. Not only has her newest album done exceptionally well, but she used social media to amplify it further to her fans. Swift launched “secret sessions.” She hand picked fans who had commented on her social pages and asked them to participate in a live music session in a secret place where she played the entire album for them ahead of the release.

November
alex

Oh teenagers! Alex from Target becomes a national sensation from one initial photo of him bagging groceries at a Target in Texas. He received over 300,000 followers in under 24 hours and within two days was already on CNN and talking with Ellen DeGeneres. On social, #AlexFromTarget became a social phenomenon. People were wondering who he was and where the original tweet came from. According to different measuring platforms, between Sunday and Wednesday there were 1.3 million tweet referencing “Alex from Target” and 2.2 million tweets using the #AlexFromTarget hashtag. In simple terms, he was an overnight sensation.

December
YouTube blogger Zoe Sugg, known as Zoella, poses during a photocall for her debut novel "Girl Online" in London

Zoe Sugg aka Zoella, a YouTube Star, came out with her first book, Girl Online. Her novel has recorded the biggest first week sales ever for a debut book. The novel sold over 78,000 in its first week and is the fastest selling hardback of 2014. Sugg is a perfect example of the value of top tier content creation and the value of influencers.

We are looking forward to everything 2015 will bring and can’t wait for yet another new year! Let us know your predictions for what craziness might happen in January.