the cutest little sliders

So, this post doesn’t really have much substance other than I wanted to share a picture of the cutest sliders I had when I visited the Philippines. I have never seen a burger as cute (I know I need a thesaurus) or tasted one as yummy as these. I don’t even recall the name of the restaurant. It was at this really nice mall called Rockwell in Makati City. Don’t these suckers remind you of Krabby Patties? Spongebob would be proud.

Here I am holding up the tiny burgers. My brother is pictured here drinking a “frozen hot chocolate” (I know – whaa? …but trust me it was so delicious). So if you are ever in Makati, definitely stop by the mall I mentioned and try to have these sliders!

Happy eating!

xoxo,
andi

the art of coffee fortune telling

Anyone ever had their fortune told from coffee grounds? I know it may sound odd but this practice actually has an official name. Fortune telling from tea leaves, or more commonly in the Middle East, coffee grounds is called Tasseography. My Mom has been reading my fortune and my family members’ fortunes from coffee grounds, tea leaves and cards for years. No, fortune telling is not her day job. She is just clairvoyant and has an innate ability to depict signs and symbols from different media. She barely ever indulges us though but after mutiple instances of begging, I had the honor of having my fortune read by her the other day.

The steps are pretty simple. Turkish is the coffee of choice since it has lots of coffee grounds left to settle at the bottom of the cup. This coffee is very rich and has a robust flavor. You must drink the coffee and cover it with the saucer once you’re done. Then you flip the cup (with the saucer on, of course) towards your heart as you make a request or wish in your mind. For instance, you can be thinking “what will my job future hold” and such.

From the coffee grounds and stains left on the cup and saucer, the fortune teller sees different symbols. Every shape and symbol is interpretted with a specific meaning (hopefully good). You must have an expert’s eye to see these shapes and symbols to define them and give meaning to them. So, unfortunately you can’t perform your own coffee fortunes but I am sure you can google someone.

~Saam

i love me some harajuku lovers

Just in time for summer and the No Doubt concert tour, I found these super cute cherry red patent flats. These shade shoes are the newest addition to my growing Harajuku Lovers cute stuff collection. What can I say? Their shiz is bananas (b-a-n-a-n-a-s). I don’t end up using most of it but I can’t help it when cuteness attacks.

I loooove all the cute details. From the shoebox with illustrations of each Harajuku girl, to the soles printed with sunglasses.

I went to the No Doubt concert this past Sunday and was happily taken back to the carefree days of the late 90s/early 00s. It helped that Gwen did not look like she aged since her first tour. The concert was awesome! It’s def a must see, even if you just sit on the lawn like I did.

holla back,
andi

butter, sugar, and eggs equal dessert bliss – a silvanas tale

Baking is therapeutic for me. I might not know how to cook, but I have been designated as the family baker. I have been reading a lot of posts on the oh so delicious macarons lately, so I was in the mood for something crisp and chewy. I decided to make some meringue – filipino style. I made some silvanas for the first time, which is basically a cashew-meringue and buttercream sandwich. If you love buttery goodness, this dessert’s for you.

This was my first attempt at making this cookie and I think it turned out pretty well (my little brother agrees). You are supposed to coat it with cake crumbs but I couldn’t find any so I used bread crumbs, which is a decent substitute. I’ll have to find some cake crumbs for next time though (I am not trying to make that from scratch). I’ll also have to figure out how to make them into perfect circles or ovals (help! how do i do this??).

I sometimes don’t eat what I bake but I definitely did not pass on these silvanas. It was just the right balance of crunchy and chewy meringue with a not too sweet buttercream icing. This is best eaten chilled but still tastes good at room temperature if you simply can’t wait (my little brother agrees).

Hope I got you interested in some silvanas!

xoxo,
andi

cb2 time!

So if you haven’t noticed already, I’m sort of obsessed over simple, unique designs. Lucky me, Andi was up in NYC last weekend and she brought me back something to feed my design hunger. This chic simple hour glass is the new addition to my collection. Actually, it was the quarter hour glass (Andi side note: I did not want to bring the giant AND fragile full hour glass back on the bus with me).

Well maybe I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. Have you heard of CB2? It’s basically a modern and more hip line by Crate & Barrel. “A new destination from Crate & Barrel that dials up the fun. Smart designs, clever materials. Neat stuff, cool colors.” I absolutely fell in love with this place the first time I was up in NYC. It’s like Ikea but minus the Swedish meatballs. For now they only have 5 locations in Chicago (where Crate & Barrel started), LA, and NYC. So if you’re feeling what I’m feeling, you should check it out!

~Saam

a cute place to brunch in tribeca

This past weekend, I went up to New York for a change of pace (and to check out Topshop). My friends and I were strolling towards Broadway and Broome when we turned the corner and saw the polka dotted sign for Kitchenette. As soon as we walked in, we could not stop saying “that’s so cute.” It was so darn cute inside (but not sickeningly) with a shabby chic feel. The manager knew that it was our first time there since we really could not stop saying “cute” and assured us it would be our new favorite place.

Kitchenette has a pretty extensive Brunch menu, which they serve until a generous 4:30 pm. My friend and I decided to split the Breakfast Enchiladas (scrambled eggs, poblano peppers topped with guacamole and cheddar, rolled in corn tortillas) and The Bridgehampton (silver dollar pancakes topped with fresh fruit and yogurt). I do love variety! The enchiladas were yummy and a bit spicy but the guacamole made it delectable. The pancakes looked unassuming but turned out to be light, fluffy, and sweet enough on its own. I should have taken pictures of the dishes I ordered but just trust me when I say it’s a must for brunch.

We left happy and full and vowed to return to try their cupcakes (which the manager said was better than Magnolia’s).

Happy reading and eating!

xoxo,
andi

bon list: pretty pastels and a pop of black

Hello, and welcome to our newest segment: the Bon List.  Here we’ll be compiling trends, fashion direction and anything else we can fit neatly into one photo post.  We are by no means an authority on style, just sharing with you all what we think promotes the good life.  We didn’t really take retail price into consideration (more of a “lust” versus “must” list) but I’m sure you will be able to find similar looks for less.  Hope you enjoy!

Our first Bon List is about color combination for the spring/summer.  As seen on Daria Werbowy, black is a great accent on pastels and bright colors.  I actually have the Forever skirt below and paired it with a white tank, beige cardigan and black sandals.  I also accessorized with my owl necklace and Botkier bag.

 

Bon List:
Forever 21 Brenda Elastic bracelet
Forever 21 linen skirt
Kate Spade Colin Black Suede sandals
Marni sleeveless top
Rebecca Minkoff Ostrich Rendezvous clutch

simple stylish saving

Was out gift shopping for my one year old nephew at Target and I ran into these fresh looking animal piggy banks. Check out the variety of ceramic animal banks from ducks to elephants. Afterall, pig piggy banks are played out. Love the simple flat sided design and pastel colors. So if your looking to teach your child the art of saving at an early age, why not do it with style? What’s your favorite animal bank? Mine is obviously the elephant!

~Saam

modern mexican – parte dos

This past weekend, Saam and I had a late dinner at La Sandia (since our mainstay, CPK, was closed).  As mentioned previously, it is the other Modern Mexican franchise in the DC Metro area.  Like Zengo, La Sandia looked inviting and had great design elements.  I loved the embossed silver ceiling and the detailed cutouts on the bar and walls. You can see what I mean by viewing the restaurant gallery.

We started off with sangria and an agua fresca, a traditional Mexican drink made from fruit, water, and sugar.  I first heard about these drinks from The Splendid Table (one of my fave radio programs) and wanted to try it.  The sangria was pretty good and the agua fresca (watermelon for the night) was delicious. We also ordered beef and chorizo empanadas.  The chile chipotle sauce looks like baby food, but trust me, it tastes much better than it looks. The creme fraiche added a nice light flavor to the flaky empanadas.

We decided to split chicken fajitas, which was plenty for the two of us.  The fajitas were pretty tasty but nothing revolutionary, much like the restaurant it seemed.  Perhaps I would have really liked the other entrees (that included seafood or pork).  Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience and one of the better late night dining options.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo,
andi

stomping in my air force ones

Puerto Ricos anyone? I used to work at this shoe store called “the athelete’s foot” back in 2002 at one of my very first jobs. Naturally when you work in a shoe store you get pulled into the shoe obsession world. I was able to control myself for the most part and rarely gave in. But these Puerto Rican Air Force 1s were one of my fave’s. These had a limited release in 2003 and I managed to keep them fresh and unworn! One of my only fresh AF1’s still in its box. I have recieved many entertaining offers from friends but I managed to resist. I doubt you can find this very model for sale anywhere but they do have a variety of models they release once a year by Nike in correspondence with the Puerto Rican parade in New York.

Are you an AF1 collecter? Check out the awesome nike af1 collector site. They have almost every single AF1 ever made. Enjoy!

~Saam