Liking/Loving/Into it

This is going to be a bit random, but here it goes.
(Hey, this is what runs through my mind, OK!)

1. Book of Mormon was AMAZING. AWESOME. SO AWESOME.

My sweet, sweet boyfriend got us tickets for my birthday present this year. I don't even want to know how much tickets were.

A YouTube video that I've watched maybe 10x since seeing the show:

And to think, just 2.5 years ago (when we started dating), Nick was vehemently opposed to seeing a Broadway musical. I'll leave his non-PC comment out of this blog...

2. Loving these dresses. I saw them in a Lord & Taylor ad that came in the mail today and I've flagged for future purchase to wear to future weddings. Hey, I'm preparing early. (Turns out real mail does have an impact?)

However - BOTH are totally sold out of my size online! How sad!

Left: Gabby Skye printed sheath (I've never heard of this brand, but love this dress...)
Right: Ivanka Trump neon prism dress

  

Image source: Lord & Taylor

3. I've been listening to the Songza app a lot lately - full of playlists (kind of like the radio?).

This winter, it has especially helped me on my 10 minute walk to the subway in the morning ("You CAN make it to the subway. YOU CAN. DO NOT take a cab. DO NOT take a cab.").

This evening, I'm listening to the best station - "24/7 Sexy" - with the first sentence of the description being: "No matter where you're headed, you're always just seconds to sexy." GOLDEN. Supposedly the playlist was made by Victoria's Secret (the company?)

My interpretation of what this playlist feels like: (Lana Del Ray - She was on the playlist!)

Image source: Pinterest/Tumblr - not sure

4. This is interesting. Bradamant. Bodysuits for women for seamless tops. I bought a sale one to try.

I like the way this blogger styled it. I liked it tied like a tie!

Image Source: Bradamant

5. NEED! PINK! COAT!

Image Source: Josefina Andres/Vogue Espana

6. I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER.

Bought these sandals online today in anticipation.

7. I went into Zara after work today (peeked in!) and saw SO MUCH I liked! Augh!

8. At a work dinner this evening, two people I was talking to are both going to the CARRIBEAN in March! One is going to Jamaica... the other to Costa Rica! What is with these March trips! I missed the memo that this is a good time to take a vacation. Maybe I need to plan a last minute getaway...

Happy Hump Day (tomorrow)!

Warming up from the inside

This weekend, it broke 50!!!!!! AND SUNNY!!! Hallelujah!!!!!!

A few weeks ago, on a particularly snowy and cold Saturday, I made some Mexican hot chocolate that my dear friend Kate got for me when she went to Mexico in December.

However, I discovered however that all the instructions are in Spanish! So I Googled for a recipe online, and of course the kitchn had one. That site is a great source for any recipe you can think of and in general very useful tips.

Also - How adorable and unique is the mug?! Kate also gave me it from Mexico (made in Mexico!). She said she likes sipping her coffee out of special mugs - and now I see what she means!

This one has become my favorite, and I use it every weekend now for my weekend coffee.

One last funny note: At dinner last night with some girl friends, they shared a funny meme that's going around the internet - but I couldn't find the image!

I made one quickly myself on someecards:

Haha! Hope you're having a nice weekend!

How to combat the winter blues, a guide

1. Buy yourself potted winter-season flowers - and watch them bloom!

Mine died too quickly... Time to buy another pot!

crocuses

Image source: me! (Jane W.)

2. Make a new dish. I made this in college and haven't made it in +4 years...

Recently saw it on Cupcakes & Cashmere blog...

and went to the recipe that she followed!

soba noodles with peanut sauce

Image source: me! (Jane W.)

Image source: me! (Jane W.)

3. Start a new show. Nick and I are HOOKED onto Game of Thrones now!

We're halfway through Season 2 now. We're trying not to *binge* watch and keep it more measured... Several episodes on the weekends, and 1 episode a weeknight (almost every night but not every single night). Yes, ok, this is still somewhat binge-ing...

Game of Thrones

Image source: Geek Exchange?

Fur-ocious

Um, how amazing is this?

Image source: Anthropologie

Faux fur Rochelle jacket from Anthropologie - currently on sale for $159.95 from $248.00.

I was hanging out with two girl friends yesterday - just some brunch & shopping on a mission: to find a dress for one friend to wear to a wedding in a week! One friend and I got onto the topic of FUR, and we both agreed that we couldn't do real fur. It's just too... much.

I live on the Upper East Side in NYC, and I definitely often see older women (age +50) walking around in luxurious floor-length fur coats... But it's kind of creepy.

Anyways, I've got my eye on that Anthro one - but it's not very practical for me. I could NOT pull of wearing that to my work - a LARGE financial services company. Maybe I should just get a new job (HA HA!).

Style blogger Anh wore it beautifully here when she visited NYC for Fashion Week last week.

Image source: 9to5 chic

Winter Blues

...has been combated through shopping (mostly online but a little in-store at Ann Taylor and Zara, la la la).

Zara has been KILLING it this year. It's definitely become my weakness. I walked through and checked out the recent in-store new items (and browsed online) and flagged several things I liked.

I'm trying to stop! Shopping ban in effect end of February! through June! Eeps.

The snow has been literally paralyzing. I'm afraid to leave my apartment.
I cannot bring myself to do anything but sit on the couch.
Ahhhhhhh.

Snowfall from January, from my boss's office in NYC

I'm into it - Pink coats

I think I'm a little late on this trend, but I've finally come around to it.

Or maybe it's trendS* with an S at the end. Several trends.

1) pink coat
2) pastel
3) oversized coat

I posted about it here a couple of weeks ago...

The writer of this blog - Stripes & Sequins- recently bought it! Love! She posted some great options, too.

These are some more that I'm diggin'.

Image source: Asos

Image source: Zara

Hey Ma! Look what I made!

As follow up to this post:

Last Saturday afternoon, I took a leisurely trip to a specialty grocery store near my apartment, Agata Valetina.

Image source: Agata Valetina

Specialty grocery stores like this in NYC are amazing - fresh produce, baked breads, cheeses, seafood, olive oils and coffee, freshly made pastas and gelatos (seriously - freshly made gelato that they sell in cartons).

Anyways, I was inspired to pick up a few random things and try out combining two of the inspirations from that post: a combination of the crostinis and figs.

Tada!

May I present to you...

Crostini with fresh ricotta, dried Turkish figs, honey and mint

Image source: me! (Jane W.)

I wish I took more photos of the process, but alas, I just snapped a couple pics on my sad ol' point-and-shoot and called it a day.

(A DSLR is on my *wish list* but it'll have to wait for now.)

To be honest, I was STARVING when I made this dish, and I scarfed it down in 5 minutes! It ended up being my early dinner / late afternoon snack.

I was intending for this to be an "appetizer" to dinner (main course supposed to be roast chicken I picked up from Agata Valetina) -- but FUNNY, when I returned home from my trip out, Nick had ... *wait for it* ... ordered himself a personal size Dominos pizza and eaten it all by the time I got home!

Boys! What are you going to do with them!

No more football!!!

Since dating Nick, I have to say that I have looked forward to the Super Bowl so much as I do now. Why? It means the end of Football Season, and now Nick can join us in the world on Sundays, and we can make full-weekend plans!!!

Here's a Goodbye video to football...

Bad Lip Reading did another NFL video, and it's just as good as the first. (Maybe what they say is a bit wackier, but still good!)