Freemans: Brunch in the Red Room

Freemans
191 Chrystie St.
(at the end of Freeman Alley off Rivington btw Chrystie & the Bowery)

"A perfect cozy space at the end of an unused alley off the Bowery.
A rugged clandestine colonial American tavern.
An early American cuisine: simple, rustic, & inspired by old world traditions."

{The Red Room - through the doors}

{The Drawing Room}

{Freemans Brunch}

{Mimosa}

{Bloody Maria}

{House-made Granola, Greek yogurt, seasonal fruit, honey}

{Poached eggs with roasted tomato, cheddar cheese grits, buttered toast}

{Baked egg white skillet, asparagus, spring herbs, Westfield goat cheese, grilled baguette}

Maxi'd out

{f21 maxi, Lily McNeal sweater, Maria Sharapova by Cole Haan sandals, f21 necklace, Hermes bracelet, Chloe perfume, Essie's Innocent}

Mandy and I took Shannyn's word a little too seriously when she raved about her new Forever 21 maxi dresses, and ended up buying a bunch for ourselves--and when I say "bunch," I mean I ended up with five (at $10-13 a piece I couldn't resist!).  They're the perfect easy, comfy, basic piece to go with all my summer favorites.  Best of all they require no hemming! Thanks for the tip Shannyn! 

 {f21 maxi, Ann Taylor silk blouse (also shown here), Franco Sarto Espadrilles, Juicy Couture watch, this ring, Banana Republic necklace, MJ Daisy perfume, Essie's Chubby Cheeks}

Beauty Review: Target+Clarisonic

Some of my recent impulse purchases from Target...

{Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil}

[***] I've been using strawberry Lip Smacker for as long as I can remember, but I have heard great things about Burt's Bees lip balms and I'm a sucker for anything pomegranate so into my cart this went.  This balm has a slight medicinal feel and smells deliciously sweet.  So far it's doing the job and I will probably repurchase.

 {L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara}

[*]  I bought this on a complete whim based on packaging and product name.  In short, I like nothing about it.  The formula has a rubbery texture that gets clumpy after more than one coat and my lashes fell flat instantly.  Perhaps if I had gotten the waterproof version my curl would have lasted longer, but I will not be repurchasing to find out.

{Sally Hansen Ahead of the Curve Nail File}

[**]  I thought the concept of a curved nail file seemed interesting and possibly easier to use than a traditional straight file.  This nail file works decently well, but it's nothing special.

---

I have been reading reviews on the Clarisonic for some time but couldn't seem to justify the price for something that simply washes your face.  My skin had been particularly bad the past few months so I finally decided to try it out.  I purchased it from Sephora since they have a great return policy and in case the Clarisonic ruined my skin, at least I could get my money back.

{Clarisonic Mia in Berry}

[****]  I would love to give this five stars, but I haven't been using it long enough to witness all the potential benefits.  I'm trying a slow start (in attempt to graze over the "breakout period" I've been warned about) and using it only twice a week for the past few weeks.  So far I love it, my skin feels smoother, cleaner and less irritated.  My skin is quite sensitive and prone to breakouts, so I have been using the delicate brush head  and have not had any major breakouts since.  Does anyone else use the Clarisonic? How often do you use it?

{Benefit Coralista Blush - sample size}

[***]  This was a free sample from Sephora Beauty Insider.  It's pretty large for a free sample and a perfect size for travel.  I really like the color, it is a little reminiscent of Nars Orgasm, with less shimmer.  The blush is a little more powdery than I prefer, but still great for a free sample.  

[*] dislike [**] nothing special [***] like [****] favorite [*****] cannot live without

Soft As A Cloud

{Wrapadoo baby blanket}

As part of a baby shower gift, my thoughtful friends gave me the softest baby blanket and baby blanket square in the whole world. The Wrapadoo baby blanket is literally softer than any blanket you have ever felt before. It feels like heaven...in a little square...so it's definitely a good thing the baby blanket is too small for me to curl up in, otherwise I'd probably steal it from my unborn child. For those of you who have no need for a baby blanket but are interested in owning a little piece of heaven, there is an adult sized throw blanket.

Beat the Heat

I'll be in Vegas this weekend and weather.com is threatening heat in the triple digits (yikes!). To keep cool, I will be... 

 

{trying a cute new hairstyle discovered on Pinterest}

 {packing bright colors, crisp whites and nautical stripes}

{drinking Vita Coco, refreshing and healthy!}

{ahh... who am I kidding, I'll be having one of these}

Happy weekend!

Brides & Grooms

Designers Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, & Levi's support the Human Rights Campaign's New Yorkers for Marriage Equality with store front window displays across Manhattan.

{A wedding at Marc Jacobs - all eyes on the brides}

{Two of a Kind at Kate Spade}

{Brides & Grooms at Michael Kors}

{Levi's for NY marriage equality}

More information at HRC - NY & HRC Back Story

13 going on 30

{Aqua Girls' Leopard Tank Top, $44 vs. Women's sleeveless Pico Trim Tank, $68}

I know this probably paints a pretty ugly picture for you all, but I find myself facing the issue that my body is not much different from a 13 year old's.  Besides shopping in the "push-up" section of Victoria's Secret, and the few affordable retailers without vanity sizing (namely famous-for-petites Ann Taylor), good quality, flattering fashion is not nearly as accessible as if I were just a few inches taller, and curvier in all the obvious places.

I have recently discovered the world of petite bloggers, and I find it so interesting and comforting to read about others out there also struggling in a world where even the smallest possible size at a store is still too big.  And at 5'3" (weight not important), I'm really not very small by Asian standards, so I seriously don't know how teeny tiny people like t.lynn find anything that fits!  One of my favorite petite bloggers is Extra Petite, because she posts petite finds (as well as just plain good deals), and tips on how to alter clothes or accessories to fit well.

I've also discovered that with the exception of the addition of spaghetti straps, maybe a slightly higher neckline, and of course a smaller bust area (which actually works in my favor), it's possible to find some of the exact same styles in both women's and girl's sizes!  Although the styles may be a bit more conservative, the fact that it could potentially fit better, really can make it work better overall in the end (and at a decently lower price point).  And if you choose the right pieces, honestly, no one will ever know!

{Aqua Girls' Diamond Print Tube Dress, $68 vs. Women's Tube Dress, $78}

{Ella Moss Girls' Printed Jersey Tunic, $59 vs. Women's Jersey Feather Tank, $72}

Fresh Air

A few snippets from my leisurely Sunday. :)

 {hiking at Peters Canyon Regional Park}

 {refreshing watermelon salad - recipe found here}

 {a simple summer cocktail}

 {juicy lucy}

{afternoon reading & wildflowers picked on the hike}

Todd English PUB

Todd English PUB at City Center in Las Vegas is fantastic! It was probably mine and Jason's favorite restaurant of our whole Vegas vacation!

{i took this picture for t. lynn}

{the New Amsterdam burger: beef patty, pastrami, swiss cheese, pickle relish}

{onion rings with spicy ranch (ranch dressing mixed with sriracha hot sauce) & dirty chips: potato chips with bacon, blue cheese dressing, fried chicken livers}

{bangers & mash}

{the chocolate bomb}

Can't wait to try...Homemade Infused Vodka

With Summer almost here and Football season approaching, I can't wait to try these infused vodka recipes I found on Real Simple (photo 1) and Design Sponge (photo 2). They are simple and quick (the infusion process is just 1 week long) and you get to drink the end product!

I must say that I do prefer flavored vodka to plain, as I have a few bottles of Crop Organic Tomato Vodka and Cucumber Vodka that I love. The cucumber vodka is fresh and crisp, and delicious with muddled mint and 7up. The tomato vodka is perfect for bloody marys.

Some flavor ideas I'd like to try:

1) Mango

2) Basil - mix with tomato juice to add a twist to a bloody mary

3) Carrot - mix with orange juice

4) Jalapeno

If you put these infused vodkas in pretty jars or bottles with gift tags, they would also make very cute and unique hostess gifts!

Hanger Appeal (cont.)

With the prep work out of the way, I sat down this week to complete my project. Since I am only painting stripes, here is where the blue tape comes in. Use the blue tape to cover areas you do not want to paint. Remove the tape after the paint has dried & you are left with clean, straight lines.

Here is the inspiration for my frames; the bar at Benoit. (I also mentioned this restaurant on my May 6th post for where to get French pastries.)

Since Benoit is a French bistro, I found it fitting to pair the first & central frame with an image of the Eiffel Tower.

image courtesy of Stardust & Sequins

photo by Phil Poynter

photo by Eleanor Hardwick

Aaand we're done! The frames sit above the right side of my couch, on the wall flanking my kitchen.

june gloom, go away...

I can't wait for the June gloom to go away here in Southern California. My newly furnished-on-a-budget patio is waiting patiently for those infamously hot, lazy weekends I've come to know and love living here, and I'm mentally geared up and ready for tons of BBQ's and summer reading in the sun!