DC love

our days are dwindling here in DC and today was the absolute perfect day to hop on the capital bikeshare bike's and capture all of the monuments and uniqueness of this city.  it was an absolutely picture perfect, sunny day to enjoy everything i love about living here.

hope everyone is having a great weekend!

i think american flag themed refreshments were definitely in order...

RJ taunting the children...they were jealous

photography tip

I had picked up the latest issue of bon appetit magazine to get some restaurant recs for Paris (pinch me! cannot wait!) and noticed a mention of a blog post on their site for camera reviews and tips.  i've already got my camera, but check out the tips mentioned for taking photos.  I especially liked this one...


TIP: When shooting in a restaurant (and the auto function isn't cutting it), turn the shutter to 1/30, the aperture as low as possible, and then adjust the ISO incrementally until the image looks good.



So helpful! and I always am trying to get yummy food photo's in restaurants.  Check out more tips here:
http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2012/04/best-camera-for-food-photos.html

Photos by Will Hereford via Bon Appetit

best dressed: the met ball

hands down my best dressed of the met ball was solange knowles.  you can say she played it safe with minimal make-up, natural hair and solid gown but darn she looks good.

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new!

holy moly its may!  it's safe to say it's full on wedding season.  my social calender is b-o-o-k-e-d, BOOKED!  between bachelorette weekends, weddings, and finding some time to just relax and enjoy DC i have been all over the place.

i have a lot of life updates to share with you friends, details about trips, outfits, food, life, and just about everything in between.

in an effort to start with the most exciting piece of news i'll give you a hint...

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me + my love + paris in june

more to come! i promise...

inspiration: emma stone golden globes

with wedding season upon us i have been researching versatile cocktail dress options to get me through.  i can't wait to wear the fun short, bright dresses of wedding seasons past and present; however, this year i got a curve ball:  black tie. new york city. may. 7:00pm wedding.

pretty sure a tight, short hot-pink number would be frowned upon so i have been scouring the internet for an affordable option.  sure there is RTR but i'm picky and i usually prefer the gowns that rent for $200+ - that doesn't really seem like a deal to me.  so with a trusty black option in my back pocket and as a last resort (so boring though right?) i decided to take the plunge and order the clean t-shirt maxi from Topshop.  at $116 i have relatively low guilt and i kind of feel like i may have an emma stone moment in it??? (see inspiration below).

Topshop - Clean T-Shirt Maxi Dress

now i just need for the fashion gods to smile upon me and make this work. a few very serious concerns:
the length
the color
the fabric

wish me luck!

nailed it

i love getting a manicure and the $20 is so easy to justify when you're in the mood to be pampered - but hey, let's face it, it adds up.

since i would generally rather splurge on happy hour drinks than on my nails i've tried all sorts of DIY manicures.  and the harsh reality is that i stink at painting my own nails.  it's not even worth the 20 minutes where i attempt to paint them and then remove it once i realize that more of my cuticles were painted than my actual nails.  

so when hearing about the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips i was a bit skeptical, but after a quick stroll through CVS the other day i thought why not?

omg. they are so easy and they look amazing.  no chips or bumps and it takes about 10 minutes (being extremely careful)

TRY THEM!

obsession

is anyone else obsessed with Megan from Mad Men?  love her swinging 60's style.

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volume.

Victor & Rolf via Shopbob

love or hate: lana del ray

initially i ignored all the hype surrounding lana del ray.  i saw her as kind of a faux-indie girl that was being pushed through the ranks by her good looks and rave reviews from the fashion/blog worlds.

so i never listened to her music, dismissed it as a fad.  even watched the painful SNL performance on youtube.

and so when i got a mix from a friend a few weeks back i was digging all the new stuff, mash-up's and wait...lana del ray re-mix? gah, it's stuck in my head. i can't get enough? it's either hauntingly good/bad?

so listen up!  Lana Del Ray - Video Games (Lockah Remix)

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food truck friday: tacos "el chilango"

perfect day for a quick lunch al fresco at a favorite Arlington food truck.

eating: croque monsieur

i'll be the first to admit that i'm a huge francophile.  give me chanel, champagne and croissants and i am in bliss.  besides fashion, food is a close second to my heart and another area, where in my mind, the french do not fail.

during a lovely brunch at our favorite spot, L'Enfant Cafe in Adams Morgan, the other weekend I was pondering my options over a steaming bowl (literally bowl) of cafe au lait and i came across the croque monsieur.  Why had I not ordered this delicious dish before?  feeling torn between my usual quiche or belgian waffle i went for it.

oh my goodness!  obsession ensued.  creamy, toasted, salty deliciousness.  i thought - this is the perfect sandwich.  knowing that my friend ina garten has parisian affinities as well i quickly looked up her recipe for the croque monsieur.

and so i give you the follow-up, home-made and just as tasty croque monsieur.

voila!

Croque Monsieur  from Barefoot in Paris

2 tablespoons unsalted butter  3 tablespoons all-purpose flour  2 cups hot milk  1 teaspoon kosher salt  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  Pinch of nutmeg  12 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (5 cups)  ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese  16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed  Dijon mustard  8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, ½ cup grated Gruyère, and the Parmesan and set aside. To toast the bread, place the slices on two baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted. Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyère. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Bon Appetit!

craving: Rag & Bone Racine Pant

obsessing over the Rag & Bone Racine pant.  the bright colors/flowy silhouette would be perfect for a rehearsal dinner or any pre-wedding festivity don't you think???

the perfect Friday night

after a month of traveling for work, vacationing with family and friends i was so ready for a relaxing weekend at home in DC.

this spring weather has been so nice, but Friday night the clouds rolled in, temps dropped and i was happy to have a night in.

enter the recipe for the perfect friday evening in

listening to a little Al Green on vinyl

cooking a comforting, simple pasta dish + a  glass of vino (or two - hey, it's friday)

fried zucchini spaghetti from gwyneth paltrow's cookbook: my father's daughter

follow-up with a little Netflix...bliss!  doesn't hurt that i also managed to do 4 loads of laundry while simultaneously enjoying the evening.

boy oh boy

it's no secret that i love/crave/obsess over all things CHANEL

new BOY CHANEL line is no exception. stunning photography and ad campaign featuring the prettiest punk - Alice Dellal.

via Chanel.com

spring studs

hi friends! apologies for the hiatus - i survived february (thanks to Mexico & Miami) and emerged fresh faced and energetic in March.

now on to fashion.  i have been on a major closet edit streak since the boy moved in and downsized my generous closet space.  gone are the mangled gold heels hanging on from college and the dirty nude pumps that made their way through 2011 wedding season.

replacement reveal

JCrew Savina Studded Sandal

We all know the current obsession with all things Valentino & studded so I hopped on the copy cat train (hey! i'm on a budget) and purchased these stunners.

A patent neutral tan with golden metallic studs and the au courant ankle strap and manageable heel shall have me swimming through parties, weddings and work all summer long.

Here's to a neon pedicure and open toe shoe season.

xo

redemption in the kitchen

i'm hoping this has happened to others.  the scenario: you strive to eat healthy, buy a ton of groceries, cook more/eat out less.  what ends up happening is you try out a bunch of "healthy recipes" they are gross, you don't want to eat the leftovers, you've spent $$$ in groceries and it all goes to waste.

this sums up my past week.  4 flops in a row - and i will blame most of it on the crockpot (just because i can).  why i thought the crockpot was the answer to all my questions is still a mystery to me.  my mother never used one?  and i'm definitely not a busy mother of 3 trying to squeeze in any kind of meal? when you think about it, throwing a bunch of stuff into a pot and then returning to a soggy mess (braised meats aside - you cant beat pulled pork simmering all day) nothing could be less appetizing.  i love texture in food.

so i digress....last night i'd had it. i had to pull out all the stops and make something i knew would be delicious and somewhat healthy.

papardelle with spiced butter delivered. triumph at last!

now listening to: family of the year

family of the year "st. croix"

listen here: http://www.myspace.com/familyoftheyear

http://familyoftheyear.net/

going on tour this spring!!

must have.

i can think of no better closet staple...

TIBI

Printed cotton-blend sateen blazer

via Net-A-Porter

warm-up

january has been a cold, hard month to swallow - but i have been pushing through with warm thoughts of vacations to come.  february and march hold annual rix family vacation to mexico and a special bride-to-be's bachelorette in miami.

to prepare - i have been steadfast and doing the jillian michael's 30-day shred. i have never been one for work-out video's but it works! and seriously 20 minutes and you are dead tired. i'm really liking it.

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since i have been so diligent with my workouts - i'm splurging on a new beach ensemble. 

ready for the sand & sun.

via F21

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via ShopBop

via jcrew

jcrew

jcrew

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thank you santa!

happy new year friends.

santa's wallet purchased the Nikon J1 for me. let the resolution to take more pictures and capture more memories begin!