prettylittledress

taiwan photo diary

2013-03-06T18:30:00.000-06:00

currently listening to "sequence 4" by david crowder band

taiwanese cuisine

2013-03-04T08:20:00.000-06:00

currently listening to "oh how i need you" by all sons & daughters

the food in taiwan is just... divine. im always asked what my favorite kind of food is -- i debate and come to a conclusion then debate some more -- japanese? down home southern cooking? maybe it's thai food? at the end of the day though, it's got to be taiwanese food.

the food is fresh and savory with the perfect amount of spices and, of course, i've grown up eating it. i thought i had seen and tasted all taiwanese cuisine, but then...

i tried this: oven-baked, pull-apart chicken. it's traditionally brought out in it's full state then someone at the table uses the gloves provided to literally pull apart the meat of the chicken to serve for everyone.

it's like a rotisserie-made chicken.. except so, so much better.

it's sprinkled with a thick coating of salt and pepper which gives the chicken the most delectable crispy skin. the meat inside is unbelievably juicy, too. gracious. my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

farmer's market

2013-03-02T21:15:00.000-06:00

currently listening to "cough syrup (ra ra riot remix)" by young the giant

i've taken procrastinating to a whole new level. im pretty sure that the last time i posted on this blog was last year (literally!).. well, over christmas break, i was lucky enough to visit my family in taiwan followed by a short trip to japan. this is my attempt to finally post pictures from it (slowly, but surely that is).

farmer's markets in taiwan are always one of my favorite things to do. the aromas of the streets literally make your mouth water and all the fresh seafood and meats make you want to swear off traditional grocery stores forever. of course, right when i returned to the states, my first stop was to costco. ah, well.

quote of the day

2012-11-25T09:02:00.000-06:00

"All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."

~ JRR Tolkien

now is the start

2012-10-22T08:52:00.000-05:00

naked

2012-10-17T14:05:00.000-05:00

i've always loved the beautiful lyrics of "near to you" by a fine frenzy

finally made the decision to go ahead and purchase urban decay's naked palette. alot of justifying had to take place in order to not feel guilty after, but one swipe of the half baked shade and i knew i made the right choice.

fast car

2012-10-15T09:52:00.000-05:00

lately my friends and i have re-ignited our passion for this sweet 90's hit; this cover came up during one of our highly obnoxious jam sessions and i must admit that this version is a great take on the classic.

quote of the day

2012-10-14T23:00:00.001-05:00

"You don't have to be ashamed 'cause you're a miracle through and through."

- "Love is a Fast Song", Copeland

capri

2012-10-12T16:02:00.000-05:00

obsessed with "you and i" by ingrid michaelson

capri was literally one of the most breathtaking places i've ever been.. it was a pretty far trek from rome, though, so i wouldn't recommend that anyone do a day trip there like we did. and well, after about a couple of weeks of being back from europe, i've finally finished posting all of my pictures. resume regular blogging schedule slash content.

roma

2012-10-11T22:50:00.000-05:00

currently listening to "something" by jim sturgess

a few places that we visited in rome include the colosseum, vatican city, trevi fountain, spanish steps, the sistine chapel, and even a wine and cheese tasting... i can't believe there is so much history in just one city. it definitely puts things in perspective when you're amongst thousands of tourists in a city that holds ruins older than your grandparents.

tuscany

2012-10-09T14:05:00.000-05:00

currently listening to "sycamore down" by jaymay

take me back.

firenze

2012-10-07T17:30:00.003-05:00

currently listening to "fast car" by tracy chapman

pretty sure i'd be absolutely okay with moving to florence... today.

paris

2012-10-01T23:22:00.000-05:00

currently listening to "flake (live)" by jack johnson

bread. cheese. eiffel tower.

what could be better?

let me think...

oh that's right... nothing.

brussels

2012-09-28T07:40:00.000-05:00

currently listening to "falling for you" by sean fournier

basically all we did in brussels was... eat. alot. belgium chocolate, beer, and waffles? yes please.

amsterdam

2012-09-26T23:02:00.000-05:00

currently listening to "sydney (i'll come running)" by brett dennen

so i know that i've abandoned ship here, but i swear that it's ~~because of lack of sleep~~ for good reason.. getting back into the swing of things took longer than i anticipated, but i will definitely do my best to start rolling out more photos of our europe trip in the coming days. highlights from amsterdam include: anne frank's house, pubcrawl in leidseplein, french fries with garlic mayonnaise, city bike tour, and the indonesian food is also known to be amazing there (which it was). can't wait to share pictures from brussels next!

1957

2012-09-24T14:12:00.000-05:00

pretty little tunes vol.34

2012-09-21T13:00:00.001-05:00

happy friday!
1. "know me" by frankie rose
2. "for 12" by other lives
3. "we come running" by youngblood hawke
4. "living for someone" by ivan and aloysha
5. "for the widows in paradise" by sufjan stevens
6. "don't panic" by colplay
7. "we will become silhouettes" by the postal service
8. "cigarettes and chocolate milk" by rufus wainwright
9. "hideaway" by the weepies
10. "turn on me" by the shins

kate + bubble

2012-09-03T23:45:00.000-05:00

currently listening to "1957" by milo greene

{kate spade dress, j.crew bubble necklace}

can't wait to find an excuse to wear this dress (similar one here) that i picked up from yet another online sample sale.. it's a very simplistic silhouette, lending itself to be the perfect canvas for my beloved bubble necklace.

on another note, as many of you know from this post, i'll be gone for two weeks traveling europe. our final itinerary includes the following cities: amsterdam, brussels, paris, florence, tuscany, capri, and rome -- i can't wait to share my travel experiences with all of you when i return, until then... bon voyage!

fix you

2012-09-03T09:32:00.000-05:00

an oldie, but a goodie.. happy labor day!

pretty little tunes vol.34

2012-08-31T10:42:00.000-05:00

in honor of michael jackon's 54th birthday this past week (may he rest in peace), i've compiled a few of my favorites that were kept slightly under the radar in comparison to say.. thriller. for those of you who didnt know, i'm a die-hard michael jackson-loving fan. i'm talking dedicated my screen name (on aim!) and e-mail addresses when i was younger to the king of pop, no shame... none at all. i still believe that his talent and skill were unsurmountable, and that he was a musical genius.. take a listen:

1. "baby be mine"
2. "liberian girl"
3. "who is it"
4. "dirty diana"
5. "another part of me"
6. "in the closet"
7. "whatever happens"
8. "give in to me"
9. "stranger in moscow"
10. "speechless"

silk tealace tank

2012-08-29T23:42:00.040-05:00

currently listening to "can i lie here" by the david crowder band

madly in love with this top.. i mean its lace, cream-colored and made of silk -- so basically everything perfect formed into one wearable piece. worn with some casual cut-offs to kinda balance out the fanciness of it all.

{madewell tank, j brand shorts, free people intimates}

[photos by caitlin reynolds]

sweet potato gnocchi

2012-08-28T22:32:00.002-05:00

currently listening to "lost and found" by taken by trees

i made sweet potato gnocchi the other week based on this recipe -- adding in 1/2 cup of greek yogurt. i served it with a lemon-butter-sage sauce with tons of minced garlic and fresh cracked pepper and it was.. divine. if you have the time and patience to clean up after making these then they are absolutely worth it!

you will find me

2012-08-27T10:55:00.000-05:00

quote of the day

2012-08-26T08:25:00.001-05:00

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."

- C.S. Lewis

pretty little tunes vol.33

2012-08-24T12:28:00.000-05:00

european playlist (since it's only eleven days away!):

1. "l'amoureuse" by carla bruni

2. "o leãozinho" by priscilla ahn

3. "complainte de la butte" by rufus wainwright

4. "moon river" by andy williams

5. "la javanaise" by madeleine peyroux

6. "parlez-moi d'amour" by linda ronstadt and ann savoy

7. "quelqu'un m'a dit" by carla bruni

8. "j'ai deux amours" by madeleine peyroux

9. "con te partiro" by andrea bocelli

10. "la vie en rose" by louis armstrong