The World is My Oyster

A Golden Birthday!

2012-05-27T12:00:00.003-04:00

Last Thursday was my friend Rachel's Golden Birthday.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a Golden Birthday--or Champagne Birthday--is when you turn the same age as your birthdate.

Rachel was turning 24 on the 24th of May, so I decided to throw her a giant birthday party!

The theme? Gold, obviously!

I'm still waiting on photos from the actual party (I was too busy running around hostessing to take any) but I will leave you with a photo of the beautiful gold cake that Rachel, Andrea and I made.

(It took pretty much all day)

This is a four-layer, two-tier cake, alternating vanilla and red velvet layers with a raspberry buttercream filling and a vanilla buttercream icing, covered in fondant (my first time using it!) and painted in gold luster dust.

{Photo Credit: Cody Pope}

And it didn't just look good, it tasted delicious!

p.s. My golden birthday will be next year (28 on the 28th of January); I can't wait to make another one!

Getting Some Greenery

2012-05-22T18:54:00.002-04:00

After an insane ten days of parties, graduation, and visiting family, I'm finally back to some semblance of a routine.

A new, more flexible (read: funemployed) routine, sure, but a routine nonetheless!

Which meant that I was finally able to get back to running!

I took myself on a splendid, leisurely afternoon 4 mile run through central park and got a long-missed dose of greenery.

I missed you, Central Park!

You May Now Call Me Master!

2012-05-17T18:00:00.000-04:00

Today I graduated from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs as a Master of International Affairs, concentrating in Human Rights and specializing in International Media, Advocacy and Communication.

That special day wrapped up two amazing years that exceeded all my expectations, crossing my path with those of some of my best friends for the years to come.

It has been an honor and a privilege be part of the SIPA class of 2012.

Congratulations everyone!

Weekly(ish) Photo Essay: Brooklyn Flea

2012-05-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last weekend my friend Paige and I decided to venture into Brooklyn for a Sunday afternoon of flea marketing, walking around Williamsburg, and treating ourselves to a lovely dinner at an adorable little Italian bistro.

Gala!

2012-05-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

It's a little late, but better late than never, right?

A couple of weeks ago we had our SIPA Gala--a glorified grad school prom--at Capitale on Bowery.

Everyone got all dressed up and I got to wear the lovely dress that I altered!

It was a great start to the end of the year and a wonderful evening to celebrate our upcoming graduation.

I will miss all these beautiful faces so much when we graduate!

Why My Maman is the Best Maman in the World

2012-05-13T20:20:00.002-04:00

Rabat, Morocco, August 2011
My mom met me in Morocco on my way back from a summer in Mali
and we had ourselves one of our lovely little mother daughter vacations.

Why My Maman is the Best Maman in the World

She never used to wake us up early on the weekends. Instead, she would make us pancakes almost every Sunday, and yummy hot chocolate every morning before school;
She introduced me to all my favorite music - Billie Holiday, Diana Krall, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Pink Martini, The Gypsy Kings, Getz & Gilberto;
She made sure we grew up speaking three languages;
She taught me to cook, bake, and to love doing it, all while keeping it healthy;
She brought us on so many adventures - Mexico, Arizona, Spain, the French and Italian Alps, Canada, Provence, the Cote d'Azure, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Paris, Vermont, and so many more;
She taught me the importance of being honest, not just with others, but with yourself;
She'll randomly surprise me with little sartorial gifts, while at the same time keeping me in check when I just have to have that new pair of shoes;
She has always encouraged me to do whatever makes me happy, and has wholeheartedly supported every decision I've made;
She's (slowly, but surely) taught me the importance of financial responsibility;
She gave me the opportunity to explore everything that piqued my interest at some point or another during my childhood - ballet, choir, musical theater, sculpture, piano, ceramics, drawing, gymnastics, cross country running, crew - just in case it was something I would end up loving and wanted to do forever;
She makes silly pronunciation mistakes in English and is still a good sport about letting us poke fun at her French accent;
We wear the same size in clothes and shoe, and if she has something I really love she'll let me steal it :);
She taught me how to fold a fitted sheet;
She helped me arrive at the realization that it's better to have one great, timeless item of clothing, than a bunch of "meh" disposable pieces;
And she helped me pick out those great, timeless items;
She gave us crash courses in table manners before going to visit my grandmother in France, and was never exasperated when she had to do it all over again the next summer,
She taught me that looking put together is important;
But also that there's nothing better getting messy and dirty while doing something fun.
She taught me how to properly set a table for a dinner party (even with multiple forks and knives!);
She's always willing to have a homebody night on the couch with a yummy dinner and a movie, even when we've made plans to go to the cinema;
She taught me how to make crepes. And then repeated the recipe from memory to me, every time I called to ask her what ingredient I was forgetting;
She gave me her beautiful green eyes, and petite frame;
She has showed me that living a life full of compassion and generosity towards others, even if it occasionally means cutting back on something for yourself, is the most satisfying kind of life.

I love you, Maman!

Done and Done!

2012-05-03T19:13:00.001-04:00

Today I finished my last assignment.

Ever.

I'm officially done with grad school!

{via}

{Bye bye homework! It's been real, but I'm out!}

It's a bit anticlimactic, as I still have a bunch of papers to correct for the class I TA so I still have a lot of work to do, but with regard to everything I need to do for me, to graduate, I'm finished!

It's an incredibly liberating, albeit a bit bittersweet, feeling.

This also effectively ends the radio silence on this blog, now that I'm pretty much funemployed and have nothing but time on my hands. Expect to see a lot more of me in the upcoming weeks.

Including an attempt at sewing my own graduation dress!

Stay tuned!

Dress Transformation!

2012-04-08T15:00:00.005-04:00

When I was home last weekend my mother and I went dress shopping for a school gala I'm going to next week, but I couldn't find anything I liked.

(Which means there was really nothing good because I can usually find something to buy when I go shopping.)

So we came home and for fun we started looking through my mom's vintage clothes to see if we would find anything interesting... and we did!

We found three great dresses, one of which was really special.

It's an ivory lace dress my mom had made in Paris in the 1970s, and it fit me like a glove!

The lace is beautiful, the sleeves fun and flattering, and the open back spectacular.

But, being ankle length ivory lace, it was a little dated. It looked a bit like a hippy wedding dress.

Altered, on the other hand, I thought it would have a lot of potential.

And it did!

All I did was cut off 14 inches, reattach the scalloped hem, and it was a completely different dress!

It's so amazing what just a shorter hem (I didn't alter anything else!) can do!

I can't wait to wear it with nude heels, a giant 1960s updo, some light pink lipstick, and a big smile!

Thanks, Maman! :)

p.s. Here's a sneak peek at the other two dresses I inherited:

Both are beautiful blue silk dresses I can't wait to get my hands on!

Scotland Run 10k

2012-04-07T11:55:00.001-04:00

Before we ran the half marathon, Andrea and I signed up for a 10k a couple of weeks after the half, just to keep us on track.

It didn't really work--I've run maybe three or four times since the half--but we did get our butts out of bed this morning (although we almost didn't. I overslept and Andrea had to call me three times before I woke up and rushed down just in time) to run this fun and short--compared to our prior accomplishment--little race with a Scottish theme.

It was a 10k (6.2 miles) around the outside loop of Central Park. We ran a 9:36 minute pace (shaving 20 seconds per mile off our half marathon time), and finished in 59:27!

People were wearing tartan (lots of thrifted plaid school girl skirts, especially on the guy runners, oddly enough), there were bagpipers at every mile, and a fun Scottish band for the end of the race festivities.

And I tried a french toast flavored bagel for the first time--yum!

After the race we went to get coffee and delicious Italian doughnuts at Bomboloni (Columbus and west 68th st.), one of my favorite bakeries in New York.

And in our runner's high we just signed up for two more races--the Wall St. 5k on May 31 and the Portugal Day 5 mile Run on June 17--with the aim of running at least the 5k, if not both, at a 9:00 minute pace or less!

Springtime in New York

2012-04-05T10:48:00.000-04:00

I ♥ NY!

There's nothing better than wandering down the streets this amazing city, under the warm spring sun, and seeing beautiful flowers around every corner.

Wedding Bells!

2012-04-02T18:37:00.000-04:00

Not for me!

(Don't worry maman, I haven't been hiding a secret fiancé under the covers!)

{via}

Jennah, one of my best friends from high school, is getting married at the end of the summer!

And she's asked one of our other best friends, Annika--from Lilleput Studio, and me to help out with it!

We'll be making her dress (which I'm really excited about! I've always dreamed of sewing a wedding dress), the wedding cake, and helping out with general decor and planning!

I can't wait!

Lobster Benedict Brunch

2012-04-01T14:00:00.001-04:00

And the deliciousness continues...

Brunch

Butter-sautéed lobster, poached eggs, and homemade Hollandaise sauce served over sesame toasts smeared with avocado, with a side of fresh strawberries tossed in sugar and Meyer lemon zest.

Home Is Where The Kitchen Is

2012-03-31T22:11:00.001-04:00

I love coming home.

I love coming home for a million reasons (seeing my family, hanging out with my mom, lounging on my couch, never getting dressed, taking naps, catching up with my brother, having leisurely breakfasts, seeing my dad) but mostly because home is where my kitchen is.

Well, really it's my mom's kitchen. But I grew up in it, so it's a little bit mine.

And for some reason, everything I make in here tastes so much better.

I'm pretty sure it looks better, too

(thanks to a little help from instagram).

Lunch

Mache, watercress, and avocado salad topped with a poached egg, cracked black pepper, sea salt, and sesame toast.

Dinner

Argentinian pink shrimp in a white wine, garlic, and lemon sauce over lemon pepper pappardelle and a glass of sauvignon blanc.

What are you having for dinner tonight?

Bon Appetit!

Fill In The Colorful Blank Friday

2012-03-23T01:29:00.001-04:00

1. My favorite color is teal .

2. My home decor color palette includes a lot of white with color accents .

3. Other people always tell me I look good in the color green. It brings out my green eyes. Although I wear so much black/white/grey that I usually get compliments if I wear any color .

4. The color I detest is purple. I loathe purple.

5. If you were to look in my closet most of the colors you'd see would be black, white, nude .

6. A color that I simply cannot pull off no matter how hard I try is bright blue. It just clashes with me .

7. The color of my favorite dress is gold .

What's your favorite color?

Winning!

2012-03-18T21:01:00.001-04:00

Pre-race

Ok, so we obviously didn't win the race, but we finished way ahead of our goal time!

We were aiming to run a 10:30 pace (10 minutes and 30 seconds per mile) for a total time of about 2 hours and 30 minutes for all 13.1 miles.

But we finished with a 9:56 pace, and a total race time of 2 hours and 10 minutes!

Almost 35 seconds faster than our goal pace and 20 minutes faster than our goal time!

After the race we were famished, so we grabbed a burger brunch:

Grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon and pepper jack.

Sweet potato fries and a cute ketchup flower our waiter made for us.

A double malt malted

Sure, I can't really bend my left knee and hip right now, but I'm sure that'll be fine tomorrow.

What important is that today I won in a race against myself!

Post-race. Excuse the red-faced sweatiness. Focus on the medals :)

I even got a medal :)

Race Day!

2012-03-18T05:51:00.000-04:00

Today I'm running the New York City Half Marathon!

The day my friend Andrea and I have been training for since November is finally here!

I'm excited, though also a little tired--I spent Friday night on a redeye from South America and only slept about four hours last night. Hopefully race day adrenaline will kick in when I get there and I'll be all pumped to run 13.1 miles.

And if you happen to be out and about Manhattan this morning, feel free to stop by one of the following Entertainment Zones

to cheer for me, Andrea, and all the other runners!

Wish me luck!

Weekly(ish) Photo Essay: A Day In Montevideo

2012-03-13T23:23:00.000-04:00

Weekly(ish) Photo Essay: A Morning In Boca

2012-03-12T21:56:00.000-04:00

Weekly(ish) Photo Essay: A Day In Buenos Aires

2012-03-11T16:39:00.000-04:00

In South America!

2012-03-10T00:05:00.001-05:00

I'm in South America!

I'm Buenos Aires until tomorrow and then I'll be in Montevideo for the rest of the week.

We're here for a research project, which will be super interesting--but it would still be nice to be here just for vacation :)

The internet isn't great, and it's past my bed time, so I'll post the photos of steaks and colorful neighborhoods later.

In the mean time I'll leave you with some Dulce de Leche Ice Cream!

Fill In The Blank Friday

2012-03-02T12:16:00.003-05:00

1. The highlight of my week was booking my ticket to Buenos Aires! I'm going to Montevideo, Uruguay for a school project next week, and my friend and I are taking a little trip to Argentina the first weekend! I've always wanted to go and I'm so excited! .

2. If I had to classify my interior design aesthetic it would be simple with a bit of a girly, retro feel .

3. My first vehicle was a moped! A merlot-colored Scarabeo (like a Vespa).

4. An item I need to have in my day in order to function is chapstick. Vanilla Mint Softlips, to be precise. I don't like having dry lips .

5. My favorite way to waste time is window shopping on Pinterest .

6. Right now I could really go for a hearty soup and salad. I didn't have breakfast this morning and I'm starving for lunch!

7. This weekend I will be running 12 miles tomorrow morning! It's our last long run before the half marathon (13.1 miles) in two weeks! And starting to get ready for my trip to South America! (I fly back from Uruguay on the 17th and my race is the 18th! I hope I'm not too jetlagged and tired!)

Raspberry Swirl Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

2012-02-25T14:55:00.001-05:00

A little bit melty...

Back in September I bought an ice cream maker to fuel my frozen yogurt addiction.

I made several batches early on, and even dabbled with some ice cream and frozen custard (yum!) but then winter came and frozen yogurt became a less important part of my life.

But today my friend Paige invited me over for dinner and I thought I'd dust off the old ice cream maker and make some delicious Raspberry Swirl Frozen Yogurt to bring for dessert.

The best part? It only has four ingredients! And it's quick to make!

Raspberry Swirl Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:
1 container whole milk yogurt
1 package frozen raspberries
2 tsp of vanilla extract
10 tbsp of sugar (I used raw turbinado sugar, but feel free to use white sugar)

Notes:
Alternatively, you can buy vanilla flavored yogurt, but I've found that the vanilla flavor isn't as strong when you freeze it. But if you use vanilla flavored yogurt, you can omit the sugar from the yogurt mixture.
Also, you can omit the sugar from the raspberries, but I highly recommend adding it to the yogurt (if you're using plain yogurt), as it helps balance the natural tang.

Directions:
Before you start, if you have an ice cream maker with a bowl you have to freeze, make sure it's completely frozen (freeze for 12-24 hours). Open the container of yogurt and mix it up to soften a bit. Stir in 6 tbsp of sugar and vanilla extract put back in the fridge.

Combine frozen raspberries and 4 tbsp of sugar in a medium saucepan on medium/high heat. When the raspberries are melted, reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced and almost jam-like (you want a compote consistency). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Freeze yogurt and sugar mixture according to ice cream maker directions. Right before it's completely frozen (about 20 minutes, depending on the machine), remove the cover and slowly pour in raspberry mixture, letting the frozen yogurt swirl in the machine a few times before turning it off. Be careful not to overmix or you'll end up with raspberry flavored frozen yogurt instead of vanilla frozen yogurt with raspberry swirls--which might be just as delicious, but not what we're going for here!

Spoon the frozen yogurt into a container and freeze until firm (but don't forget to spoon a little bit into a bowl for taste testing before you put it back in the freezer!)

Enjoy your tasty homemade (and healthy!) dessert!

Cashmere Coat Refashion

2012-02-15T13:01:00.001-05:00

Remember when I showed you the 100% cashmere vintage coat I bought for $20?

Well, I finally got around to finishing my refashioning of it.

After shortening it over a foot, chopping the sleeves in half, flaring them, using the part I cut off the bottom to make a giant Scottish Widow hood, adding two button holes and changing the buttons, and putting in a new Kate Spade-esque lining...

...this is what I came up with:

Not too shabby, eh?

Valentine's Day Massacre Party

2012-02-12T15:13:00.000-05:00

Last night my roommates and I had our Valentines Day Massacre Party.

The original idea was just a 1920s Prohibition Era Party, but when we planned to have it so close to Valentine's Day, we thought making the Bugs Moran vs. Al Capone Valentine's Day mobster massacre part of our theme was a great idea.

We got all dressed up in our 1920s finest---flapper dresses and head pieces, pearls and cigarette holders, champagne and an attitude, with the boys in three piece suits and fedoras---and we took all sorts of photos (mugshots and more) and had a night of 1920s revelry.

It was a smashing success!

And I was extra proud of this party--not just because everyone dressed up and looked amazing--but because I made my dress and headpiece!

I couldn't find anything I liked in stores, so I used some black jersey and black lace I had on hand to make a backless tiered scallops lace tank dress. And armed with my glue gun I put together a head piece from from trimmings found in the garment district.

I love costume parties!

Fill In The Blank Friday on Saturday

2012-02-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

1. If money wasn't an issue, the first thing I'd cross of my life list is traveling to every country in the world. Some of them more than once .

2. Garlic in guacamole is something I like that other people think is weird. I know it's not supposed to go in it--and I don't usually put it in--but every once in a while it adds a little bit of kick!

3. If my life were a movie right now, the title would be "How to do Thirty Hours of Stuff in a Twenty-Four Hour Day." Not a very exciting movie, but that pretty much sums up how busy I feel these days!

4. Three things I am looking forward to this month are the 1920s Prohibition Era Valentine's Day Massacre Costume Party my roommates and I are having next weekend , working up to 11 miles on my training runs and possibly going home for a weekend to see my mom, and my little brother, who I haven't seen since Thanksgiving!

5. My favorite song to sing in the shower is none. I'm not a big shower singer .

6. If I found out that the production of Zico Coconut Water was ending this month, I'd go out and buy as much as I could tomorrow.

7. One thing I'll never grow tired of is listening to Jazz .