Let's pretty up the office!

It occurred to me that my office space at work is a bit drab. I have a brand new bulletin board with nothing on it and just a few basic office accessories that look rather lonely on my large desk (when it's not covered in piles of paper). So, I've been on the lookout for some cute little accessories that will brighten things up a bit.

Test Tube Office Supply | Fabric Thumbtacks | Wood Shuffle Desktop Calendar |
CB2 Tps Mint Filing Cabinet | White Air Plant Pod | Pack the Trunk Paperclips 
| Sand Timer with Compass | Wood Spool Tape Stand

The test tubes office supply set is absolutely adorable and perfect for my line of work! The pretty little potted air plant is low maintenance and doesn't require daily watering; instead a short soak every few weeks in a small bowl of water is plenty for these little guys.

I also found a few items that would look fantastic in our home office. We don't have a dedicated work space at home, but since we have a rather open and spacious living room, we organized one side of the room with a pair of desks, wall shelves, and wall-mounted organizers to create a makeshift home office. In particular, I was absolutely in love with that turquoise filing cabinet from CB2. It would have looked so pretty under our simple white desks and give our space a lovely pop of color. But then I took a closer look and realized that there was extra support built in beneath our desks so the filing cabinet wouldn't be able to fit underneath quite the way I had envisioned.... I was so bummed. So, I'm still on the lookout for a pretty filing cabinet or I suppose we shall resort to a simply functional one and hide it away in the closet...

A pleasant work space can make all the difference and sometimes all it takes is a few lovely little accessories!

Foodventures: Bru's Wiffle A Waffle Joint

We've been loving our weekend brunches lately. Waffles usually aren't my favorite (I once burned my finger on a waffle iron), but there are definitely times when a warm crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside waffle just hits the spot. Bru's Wiffle is a cute little breakfast joint in Santa Monica that we tried recently and definitely qualifies as a local authority on waffles! For the size of the restaurant I was surprised at how relatively extensive the menu was: savory waffles, sweet waffles, over half-a-dozen variations on chicken and waffles, traditional breakfast plates, burgers, and even pastas!

I had the hardest time deciding whether to go for a savory waffle or sweet waffle (waffles topped with bananas, strawberries, and ice cream? So very tempting), but I finally settled on the (healthier?) twist on chicken and waffles, the curry chicken salad waffle. It was a great combination of sweet and salty with a little herbal spice!

Another happy waffle memory: these adorable heart-shaped mini waffles from my bridal shower almost two years ago!

Travel Planning: Airbnb or Hotel?

Part II
We've booked our plane tickets for our Europe trip! Next on the list is settling our accommodations in each country. In Copenhagen we'll probably be staying at the conference hotel, so that leaves Paris and Venice. I've recently discovered airbnb, a fantastic alternative to hotels that has become popular for finding unique and authentic lodging experience for travelers in Europe. Its been quite fun browsing through airbnb to see all the distinctive flats and homes-- anything but cookie-cutter.

Modern with a little rustic charm and a spa-like bathroom

Bright and airy apartment filled with sunlight

Classic Parisian flat with a mezzanine bedroom

Traditional hotels on the other hand, come with all the creature comforts that makes relaxing after a long day easy. Takes the guess-work out of all the arrangements and conveniences that make for a restful and pleasant stay. 

Love the facade of a typical Parisian hotel with planters on the balconies

An ultra modern hotel featured on designlovefest and BLTD for its lighting artwork. Very affordable too! 

Something in-between is this pretty apartment-hotel in Venice! Staffed by a professional company with hotel-like amenities such as limited concierge services and toiletries, but like a vacation rental also offers more living space, a kitchenette, and is located in a residential luxury apartment complex. 

Love the exposed wooden beams, hardwood floors, and the decor combination of clean modern lines with a touch of traditional Venetian flare! 

Airbnb 
Pros:

• A homier atmosphere; more immersed in the city
• Usually located in less touristy and quieter neighborhoods
• More affordable in prime locations (walking distance to attractions)
• More living space (even a moderately sized flat is usually larger than an affordable hotel suite)
• Kitchens and some have washer/dryers (not necessary for our trip, but could be useful for longer stays)

Cons:

• Minimal cleaning throughout the stay; most homes seem to have a pick-up-after-yourself policy
• No front-desk or option of changing rooms if issues arise 
• Most do not have air conditioning 
• Availability 

Hotel
Pros:

• Room service
• Air conditioning (it seems the majority of flats in paris lack this amenity)
• Concierge and front-desk services for questions and problems
• Toiletries 
• Fresh towels everyday 
• Breakfast (some airbnb options include breakfast as well)

Cons:

• Smaller rooms and less space for storage and to "spread out"
• More foot-traffic throughout the hotel and more neighbors on every side (during peak season most rooms will be occupied)
• Staying in an environment with a bunch of other tourists can be noisy

My dream vacation home or hotel in Europe would be clean and updated but also tastefully decorated with design touches authentic to the local culture, have lots of natural light and a pretty view out the window, and of course the location is key: a quiet area of a great neighborhood that's walking distance to attractions, public transportation, restaurants, and cafes. It's a tall order (especially on a budget) but there are so many fantastic choices it's going to be a difficult decision!

Style Files: A bright bag!

I'm loving the look of a simple outfit with a pretty statement color shoulder bag! Especially when paired with neutral clothing, a pop of color adds a touch of whimsy and panache. I'm pretty excited about my new bright pink leather Coach shoulder bag I happened upon at a Coach Factory flash sale. The bag has a simple and structured design but the pretty rose pink color was just enough unique charm to catch my eye. And it's got a changeable strap so the bag can be worn as shoulder bag or a crossbody-- love the versatility! 

Fashion color trends change from season to season, but I think a classic well-made bag in your favorite statement color can always be stylish. Let's spin the color wheel! 

Clockwise from top | Raspberry: Mika from Piperlime | Coral: Austin Crossbody from Fossil | Sunshine yellow: Quilted Crossbody from Banana Repbulic | Lime: Newbury Mini Shoulder by Ralph Lauren | Azure: Envelope Crossbody by Forever 21

Can't wait to take my new bright bag out for a spin this weekend! Happy Friday!

Foodventures: Made for Television

Living in LA, film and television touches on many aspects of the city culture, including food. Will and I love to watch TV programming about food, especially on the Food Network and Bravo so it's always pretty exciting to find restaurants or food trucks that we see on TV in our very own neighborhood, sometimes just down the street! When you are watching Top Chef or Iron Chef don't you ever just wish you could just get a taste of those scrumptious-looking delicacies the contestants are serving up to the judges?

It's always an interesting experience when we actually get to taste the food we see on TV. Will and I are lucky to live in a pretty central location in LA close to TLT Food (Great Food Truck Race Season 2 winner), Seoul Sausage (Great Food Truck Race Season 3 winner), Sushi Central (Throwdown with Bobby Flay winner), and The Foundry On Melrose (Chef Eric Greenspan from The Next Iron Chef)...just to name a few.

Some have been hits and others have been misses. But I think the most heavy miss thus far would have to be Stefan's at LA Farm. We followed the last season (10) of Top Chef and were surprised when Stefan Richter popped up again after finishing as runner-up back in season 5. He has the sort of personality that is pretty much "made for TV": confident (ego), outspoken (no filter), and plenty of attitude. Makes for interesting television...but food? hm.

We chose Stefan's at LA Farm for Dine LA a few months ago because we were still in the middle of the Top Chef season and as annoying as he can be on TV, it was undeniable that he's got talent. The 5 course menu also looked very promising. But in short, we were very disappointed.

Yes, we saw Stefan running around in his restaurant and taking pictures with the patrons several times that night (who was in charge of the kitchen during this time? we wondered). He looked just like he did on TV. But the food was a different story. Nothing was terrible about the meal, per se, it just didn't live up to our expectations of the excitement his cuisine seemed to evoke on Top Chef. Perhaps it was an "off-night"?

We swallowed (literally) our sub-par experience and moved on. I nearly forgot about the whole evening, (it left that bland of an impression on us) until recently when I rediscovered some photos I took of the food that night. Were these the same dishes that left us yawning? Because it actually doesn't look half bad! Quite pretty actually, just the way it was on TV.

Looks pretty decent right? An unfortunate instance when the food did not taste as good as it looked. I guess that's the power of presentation. I remember a judge on the cooking competition show Chopped always saying "We eat with our eyes first". Definitely makes me question now the food that always looks so amazing on TV.

But this doesn't mean that I've given up on restaurants featured on television altogether--  Craft (Tom Colicchio judge from Top Chef) and Tripel (Brooke Williamson last season Top Chef runner-up) are still high on my list of places to try. Hopefully we'll have a better experience next time!

Style Files: Geometric Jewelry

A trend I've had my eye on recently is geometric jewelry. I love how they can be both abstract yet structured (oxymoron?) at the same time! Math was never my favorite subject in school but I do remember enjoying geometry and learning about the properties of different shapes and the concepts of perspectives, dimension, and symmetry. These shapely pieces can add a flare of design to the simplest outfit!

1. Sunrise Geo Necklace from Urban Outfitters
2. Brick and Choose Earrings from ModCloth
3. Wood Bunting Necklace from LiKeGjewelry Etsy
4. Antique Gold Geometric 3D Pendant from MySoCalledVintage Etsy
5.  Geometric Necklace from iluxo Etsy
6. Wood Geometric Necklace from BlueBirdLab Etsy
7. Tiny Triangle Ring from virginiemillefiori Etsy

Travel Planning: Europe

Part I

I haven't even finished writing about our Napa Valley travels yet, but planning for our next trip is already full swing: Europe! Even though our trip won't be until the end of this summer, I tend to plan waaaay ahead; yes, I am the type of traveler who writes up a daily itinerary, organizes a spreadsheet full of ideas for food and attractions, and prepares a folder with map printouts and the addresses and phone numbers for restaurants and hotels.

In fact, sometimes I think planning a trip is half the fun. This article by the New York Times "How Vacations Affect Your Happiness" reports on a study that finds the largest boost in happiness (however that is measured) occurs during the act of planning and anticipating for a vacation rather than from the actual vacation itself. According to the study, planning a vacation boosted happiness levels in participants for up to eight weeks (that's almost two months!), whereas post-vacation levels of happiness remained heightened for merely two weeks for only a small percentage of individuals while most people return to baseline levels of happiness immediately following their trips.

Will and I thought about Europe for our honeymoon but when we were knee-deep in the craziness of wedding planning, we agreed to file away our little dream of an European adventure for another day when we have the time, energy, and sanity it takes to properly plan an international, multi-country trip.

The perfect opportunity came along when it was announced that an important international conference in my husband's field will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark this summer! One of the greatest things about traveling in Europe is that any given country is literally just a skip-and-a-hop away from another fantastic destination with completely different cultures and experiences. As tempting as it is for someone like me, who has never been to Europe, to want to country hop and see as much as physically possible in two weeks (Chinese tour group?) I probably wouldn't really be able to enjoy Europe that way. Since our time is limited, and a good amount of it will be devoted to the conference in Copenhagen, we wanted to allow for plenty of time to actually enjoy each city. So far, we are planning to travel to three main destinations:

Paris, France
The romantic city of lights! Looking forward to cruising the seine river at night and seeing the Eiffel tower light up and sparkle, enjoying Parisian macarons and pastries, admiring priceless collections at the museum art galleries, and marveling at magnificent churches.

source

Copenhagen, Denmark
The capital of the (2nd as of 2012 rankings) happiest nation in the world! Looking forward to strolling through the lively and colorful Nyhavn, visiting the whimsical Tivoli Gardens (the world's second oldest amusement park), and trying authentic Scandinavian cuisine.

source

Venice, Italy 
The unique city on the water! Can't wait to explore the cities winding bridges and canals, take a step back in time at the Palazzo Ducale, take a boat ride to the nearby artisan islands of Murano and Burano, and enjoy classic Italian pasta, wine, and (of course) gelato.

source

So very excited, let the planning begin!