How I spent my Valentine's Day!

I can't believe I haven't posted in so long! I have just been SO busy with school and I have my midterms coming up, so I barely had time for Valentine's day this year. This was my 9th Valentine's Day with my husband, however it's our first as a married couple so we did want to make it a little special!

When I got home from classes on Thursday, Ben had surprised me with little clues hidden around the apartment for me to find my gifts! It was so fun and cute and I love that he can still surprise me after almost 9 years together!

Ben got be a beautiful bracelet from my favorite accessories store - Henri Bendel

Prosecco! 

we made yummy pizza from scratch - it was SUCH a good indulgence

I also wanted to share something SO cute. My twin sister's boyfriend, Adrian, surprised her with high tea at the Plaza for Valentine's Day. Seriously, what guy thinks of that?! It was a champagne brunch with little sandwiches and desserts. What a fantastic idea for Valentine's Day. Guys, take note! Sonia and I are really blessed and lucky to have such great men in our lives!

my twin and her bf at the plaza!

I hope you all had a wonderful valentine's day filled with LOVE! 

of-the-moment must-have item!

For a few weeks I have been drooling over the Daydreaming flats by Joie ever since I saw them on Joie's instagram. They are super cool, casual, and perfectly preppy for every day.  It's a breath of fresh air from the overdone Tory Burch Reva flat. Of course, over the years, I am totally guilty of having one too many identical-looking Reva's. The Joie Daydreaming flats come in so many pretty prints for the fall. My favorite is the saphire icon print. What's yours?

Weekend Update!

Happy Monday! This weekend was pretty relaxing and chill which was very needed after a hectic second week of school. My sister and her boyfriend were visiting from NYC and the four of us cooked an amazing dinner on Saturday night. As you know, my husband and I are vegetarian and love coming up with new, creative, and healthy recipes!

We made coconut fried brown rice (left) and a tofu stir fry with riced cauliflower (right) - recipe to come!

Dinner! steamed kale, tofu, and coconut rice - recipe to come!

On a side note, I got my new makeup organizer from US Acrylic - it looks great and keeps all of my products clean and in one place!

On Sunday, we all went to brunch at Poste at Hotel Monaco in DC - very yummy! We had a private room and it was perfect for the 10 of us!

Me and my good friend Kristy - but we all call her Staxie!

Sonia, Saniya, Staxie, me, Ben, and my mom at brunch!

Engaged! Magazine Feature

I just wanted to share that our May 2012 wedding is featured in Engaged! Magazine's Real Weddings in the current issue. I'm super thrilled and it's such an honor! Here is the link:

Engaged! Magazine's Real Weddings

beauty favorites

Happy Thursday! I have been so busy with school and I haven't had any time to do my blog! Today's blogpost will feature some of my favorite beauty products and a quick review for each. 

hair

Saryna Key Volume Lift African Shea Oil

Saryna Key African Shea Butter Hair Mask. The volume lift line from Saryna Key is wonderful. I use the shea oil daily and it add tons of shine and silkiness. The mask is great to use once a week to get rid of buildup and does major damage control to your hair. 

PHYTO Intense Hydrating Brilliance Collection - This shampoo/conditioner set is amazing. It leaves your hair weightless, clean, soft, and shiny.

Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum This is by far my favorite hair product. I have been using this for years! When applied to dry hair, it makes your hair smell amazing and adds tons of shine and sleekness. It's perfect to use right before straightening.

face

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Great powder for everyday wear, lasts all day and goes great with the airbrush foundation spray!

Dior Diorskin Airflash Spray Foundation This is the best foundation I have ever used. It gives you great coverage and a flawless even-toned face. I recommend applying to a foundation brush, rather than actually spraying it directly on your face.

eyes

Urban Decay Vice  This palette is seriously amazing. The colors are gorgeous, very pigmented, and last a very long time. I love this for going out looks, while the Naked 1 and 2 palettes are better for every day eye makeup looks. 

skin

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair. This is a miracle worker! It's a serum applied to the face right after cleansing/toning. I have only been using it for a week, but it really evens out skin tone and makes your skin glow!

recipe of the day

Tonight I made a yummy spicy sweet potato tortilla soup. I found the recipe on Healthy Happy Life. I love the recipes on this website--they're all 100% vegan. I'm slowly trying to switch over to vegetarianism, mostly for health reasons. Also, watching the documentary "Forks Over Knives" makes you never want to eat meat again! Anyway, here is the sweet potato soup - super healthy and yummy.

You can add any spices and garnishing. I used plain tortilla chips, pepper, and salt substitute. The recipe on the website called for avocado and chipotle pepper which sounds great! The original recipe can be found here. Enjoy!

home decor favorites

Happy Wednesday! I just wanted to share a few of my home decor favorites right now. My decor style can be described as modern, trendy, and just as feminine as my husband would let me decorate. Think Zgallerie meets Horchow meets Joss and Main. Most of our furniture and accents are from Zgallerie and our living room is very silver/grey/purple/turquoise. I will definitely upload an apartment tour very soon! Here are some of my favorite pieces right now:

Horchow Bevin Tufted Ottoman found here
I really do think that every girl needs a tufted ottoman in her master closet!

Zgallerie alpine table found here. We have the matching candelabra so might as well get the table, right?!

Joss & Main Venetian Mirror found here. I love Venetian style mirrors--they are so elegant for a formal dining room. My mom has one in her dining room from Horchow and it is my favorite piece in the house!

For a while, I have had my eye on the ZGallerie cuddlier chair found here. It's so soft and comfortable and it swivels! It would be perfect in our living room and goes perfectly with our Stella couch.


I hope you enjoyed my home decor favorites - I'll post an apartment tour once I get everything in order.