What to wear to work: Culottes in blush tones

First off, Merry Christmas! And a quick thank you for following along these last six months :) I apologize for the brief hiatus but I am back with a new post on how to wear culottes to work! (I thought I owed you one given it's Christmas and all.)

Culottes are basically wide legged pants that end below your knees or midi skirts stitched together down the middle into pants. In layman's terms - pajamas for work. Add a collared shirt, some pointy toed heels and a silk scarf (if you want a pop of color), and no one will know you were thiiiiiis close to calling in sick this morning because it seemed almost Herculean to peel yourself off of your toasty bed. 

What to do this weekend: Holiday Train Show at the Bronx Botanical Garden

If you haven't already figured by now, Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year (yes I know I'm a living, breathing cliché) but seriously - the twinkling lights, the smell of pine trees, the piping hot chocolate, the rosy cheeks and general uplifted spirits all around, it's just so hard to be a Grinch.

A couple weekends ago, I went to the Holiday Train Show at the Bronx Botanical Garden and it was... magical. They have basically built a miniature NYC in the greenhouse complete with choo choo trains running through the entire space.

Oh you fancy, huh? - The only holiday gift guide you need

If you're still trying to figure out what to get that friend of yours (you know, the one who's notoriously picky?), fret no more, you are now in safe hands. I recently discovered www.fancy.com, which claims to be the high end equivalent of Pinterest, but is more like one of those Japanese design stores where any and every thing you could (and couldn't!) imagine is made and sold. 

Let's start off with some of the absurd ones I've found, like these $800 pill capsules filled with real 24K gold. The website proclaims that taking these will increase your self worth ;) Seems pretty perfect for that guy who seems to have everything else, huh?

What to wear to work: Evergreens

Proscuitto, Fig, Arugula and Goat Cheese Crostini

With the holidays right around the corner, I thought I'd share one more simple, presentable and delicious recipe that even those of you who use your oven as extra storage space can easily bring to a potluck.  

What to wear to work: Button down & a T-shirt

You know those mornings when you wake up, stand in front of your closet and can't seem to find anything to wear?  Next time you find yourself in that rut, I suggest taking your favourite shirts and wearing them all at the same time. I mean, if Mary Kate and Ashley can do it, so can you!

30 minute meals: Potato nests with smoked salmon, sour cream and dill

Before we start propelling into the holidays season and you find yourself reaching for that same bottle of wine to bring to your ugly sweater themed potluck, I thought I'd share an appetiser that is equal parts presentable and equal parts simple.  These little potato nests topped with smoked salmon, sour cream and dill look so fancy no one will realise that just this morning you went through three eggs just to crack one open without dropping any eggshell crumbs. 

What to wear to work: Splashes of Grey

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I don't know about you but I stuffed myself silly this weekend (whoops) and come Monday, that pencil skirt is not going to be forgiving. Days like these call for a dress that's basically the working life equivalent of sweat pants. Cue this cotton dress - it somehow manages to give your protruding belly enough wiggle room while maintaining an hour glass structure. It even has panels of abstract art splashes so you don't have to worry about accessorising.  

30 minute meal: An Intro to Noosa Yoghurt

If you've been following along, you should know by now that I am obsessed with Greek yogurt (documented first here, and then here). I like to say it's because it's deliciously nutritious and can easily transform any dish (from soups to cheesecakes), but mostly it's because it's the quickest thing I can get in my belly when I'm hungry, groggy and on my way to work. 

But not all yogurts are made the same, and when I discovered Noosa, I knew I had to share it with you. I must admit that I was first drawn to it by its beautiful design (totally judge books by their covers) but one spoonful later, there was no turning back. 

Noosa had officially ruined all yogurts for me.

What to wear to work: Chasing them Monday blues

Getting out of bed on a bitingly cold (groan) Monday morning (double groan) is hard enough, let alone trying to figure out how to look presentable at work.  So I'm here to help you fight half that battle.

What to wear to work: Pleated Leather Skirt

Today we're going to push the envelope a little bit and show you how to wear a leather skirt to work. 

Leather? Work? 

Are you out of your mind?!

What to wear to work: Bold Prints

I know how easy it is to turn your life into a monochromatic film once the temperature starts to drop (just check out my post here from last year). But I'm here to remind you that it really doesn't have to be that way - just because nature said bye bye to colors does not mean you need to too. 

Weekend Travel: Chicago, USA

While prolonged vacation days are much harder to come by with a full time job, my itch to travel has not quite as happily taken a back seat. As a result, most of the trips I’ve been able to make lately have been short weekend excursions around the country. And with travel, inevitably comes the need to document and since I'm not much of a postcard-writing-kinda-girl, I thought it's time I started a weekend travel series to share my travel experiences and help you plan your next weekend getaway (and okay fine, mostly to serve as my own personal diary).

First up - Chicago.

30 minute meal: Pesto Mustard Salmon

This is probably my favourite and the simplest 30 minute meal I've ever made. 

I was first introduced to this by my friend, who raved extensively about how easy and delicious it was. And boy, was she right. It was so good I made it every single day the week I learned the recipe. 

It takes only 5 minutes to prepare and you even have time to take a shower while waiting for the salmon to bake. 

Multitasking at its very best, if I must say so myself.  

Colorblocking in Winter Whites and Pastels

I don't like fashion rules; I think they're stupid. 

I have no idea why Americans can't wear white after Labor Day or why you should never wear brown with navy.  

What to wear to work: Zips and Dainty Chains

What to do this weekend: Brunch at Liberty House, NJ

Weekend brunch is pretty much sacramental in New York and after over 300 brunches in my time in this city, I have finally found the one. My favourite brunch spot.

And...
It's in New Jersey.

30 minute meals: Tartine Brunch

I don't understand people who order avocado toast at a restaurant - why pay $10 when you can make it yourself in under five minutes and at a fraction of the price?  It is god awfully simple - 

What to wear to work: A guide to men's shoes

Since Paul has scathingly warned you boys not to wear square toed shoes to work in his last post here, I thought I'd invite him back and share some tips on how to find a pair of men's shoes for work.

---------------

Just like picking out any piece of clothing, the cut or shape of the item is the key to making it look good.
Let's break it down for shoes.

What to wear to work: A lesson in layering for fall

Welcome to that awkward time of the year where it's not warm enough to saunter around town in just a shift dress, but also not cold enough for a full on coat. 

The solution? 
Layers. 

But just how do you layer fashionably and appropriately for work? 

Greek yogurt w/ dark chocolate, orange and pistachios

Yogurt, meh. 

That was how I felt before my freshman year roommate introduced me to Greek yogurt.  I remember trying a bite of her 2% Fage with honey and my world has never been the same (dramatic, I know). But as with most other things, you grow accustomed to it and the excitement fades. Life went on - day in day out, a Greek yogurt here and there. 

Until...

What to Wear to Work (Men's Edition): It's not hip to be square

So far, my blog has been focused on helping girls figure out what to wear to work, but it doesn't mean boys don't have their own wardrobe troubles as well. So I’ve enlisted my very fashionable friend Paul to help out with a “What to Wear to Work” series from a guy’s perspective.

First up, Paul’s take on shoes for work (or rather, shoes you should not be wearing to work).

What to wear to work: Summer Florals

Is it just me or did this week feel more like summer than the entire month of July and August? This beautiful weather is making it almost torturous to sit still at work (it doesn't help that my desk is shafted and gets zero sunlight). All I can think about is how I can beat the setting sun so I can soak up the last rays and slurp on one more melty ice cream cone.  

30 minute meals: Breakfast Flowers (Eggs in bell peppers)

Bookmark this for the next time you're trying to impress someone with breakfast in bed.  These sunny side up eggs cracked into flower shaped bell peppers takes a grand total of fifteen minutes and your thoughtfulness (and creativity!) will no doubt bring a smile to their face. 

What to wear to work: 60s inspired florals

This is for the days when everyone seems to be off drinking margaritas on rooftop bars and you're stuck on a date with Excel in your stuffy cubicle. I recently got this top from Piperlime precisely because I needed a dose of summer and have been obsessed ever since. It's so loud and bright that wearing it instantly makes my day better.  In order to make it appropriate for the office, I threw on a white blazer with a floral lining (I'm really all about the matchy-matchy lately, huh?) to tone down the crazy. 

What to wear to work: Dressy Separates (Part III) - Frills on Frills

Since I showed you how to wear a matching top and skirt in a business casual and casual environment, I thought for the last part of this three part series, I would show you how to style it for a business formal setting. 

Quick Meals: Mushroom, Asparagus and Chorizo Quiche

I don't know about you, but it's been a helluva week and the weekend really can't come soon enough.  So in anticipation for a lazy weekend where time is marked only by the grumblings of my stomach, I thought I'd share my go-to brunch recipe that requires nothing but chopping and mixing. 

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the mushroom, asparagus, chorizo quiche.  

Recipe and pictorial guide after the break:

Dressy Separates Part II - Casual Edition

Remember how in my last post here I was yammering on about how versatile a matchy-matchy two piece is?  Well, as promised, here is a casual take on that very same top.  Add a baseball cap, backpack and graphic pants, and voila - weekend ready. 

Top: Miu Miu

Pants: J Crew

Shoes: C Wonder

Cap: Club Monaco (On sale in stores!)

Bag: Prada (from when my mom was my age) 

Quick Meals: Quinoa, lobster, cherry tomatoes and avocado

I had a very sad realization the other day that summer is ending soon (what?!). So I thought I'd share a recipe today that makes use of the ultimate summer ingredient - lobster, to help you hold on to those warm summer nights just a little longer. 

I'll admit that this actually took me a little more than 30 minutes to whip up but only because I chose to buy an entire lobster from Chinatown.  For a quick meal you can make during the week, I recommend you get lobster tails and save yourself from figuring out how to kill a lobster (my mom taught me to stick a chopstick from the tail all the way to its head to verbatim "let out the pee" (please don't ask, I don't know)) or how to crack open its claws without the appropriate utensils.

1. Boil the quinoa.

2. In a separate pot, boil the lobster tails. Be careful not to overcook them, once the shell turns red (~8 to 12 min depending on the size) you should fish them out of the pot.

3. Sauté cherry tomatoes until soft but not blistered.

4. Once the quinoa and lobster tails are cooked, chop up the lobster into bite size pieces and mix with the tomatoes. 

5. Top with half an avocado* and enjoy!

*Avocados have become the new poached eggs for me. Slice an avocado over pretty much any dish and voila, your dish magically becomes a cohesive, thought out meal instead of a hodge-podge of random ingredients you pulled from your pantry. 

What to wear to work: Dressy separates

I used to find matching tops and skirts old fashioned and boringly conservative, but lately I'm realizing that with the right cut, they can be very flattering and oh so versatile. You can wear them together (as pictured here) or dressed down as separates (which I'll be showing you in the next two posts to come, so stay tuned and check back later this week!).

But the best part about this outfit? Even though it's an A-line skirt, the ruffles on the hem ever so slightly weigh down the edges, keeping you from having a Marilyn Monroe moment on your way to work.

Have a wonderful rest of your work week!

 

Quick Meals: Shrimp, Cherry Tomatoes, Avocado Orzo/Orecchiette

As promised, here's a quick meal that will get you in and out of the kitchen in 30 minutes. Personally, I think this recipe works better with orzo as there's less surface area for the tomatoes to cover. 

1. Boil orzo/orecchiette
2. Sauté the shrimp (in kitchen noob's terms: heat oil on a pan and add shrimp). Add salt and all purpose seasoning for taste. 
3. Remove shrimp from the pan and add cherry tomatoes to heated pan until they've blistered.                     (No need to clean the pan between removing the shrimp and adding the tomatoes. This way the tomatoes will soak up all the flavors from the shrimp)
4. Add shrimp and orzo/orecchiette to the pan and mix until the tomatoes juices have coated the pasta
5. Top with avocado and enjoy!

Tip - Get the deshelled and deveined shrimp to maximize efficiency. 

For other quick meals, check out my previous posts here:

Breakfast: Greek yogurt topped with figs, pine nuts and honey

Lunch: Tartines

Dinner: Avocado crabmeat linguine

What to do this weekend (Spa edition)

Are you bored of going to the same bars and doing the same thing every weekend but don't want to spend time researching what else this city has to offer? Well, I'm here to do your homework for you!

Today's post is for those of you who's had a long, stressful week at work and are looking to decompress.  And what better way to relax than a long, hot soak in a tub, right? Well, since we're all overachievers here, how bout six tubs and a steam room?

Cue Aire Ancient Baths.

With baths of varying temperatures and salinity, a eucalyptus scented steam room and a warm marble slab to take a nap on, it's hard not to feel relaxed and rejuvenated afterwards.  But what really made the experience for me was their service. They were extremely well organized and worked hard to make sure you had the most stress free experience possible. There was no wait time, the pools were not jam packed and the staff very attentive (after my shower, the lady asked to dry my swimsuit and proceeded to fold and pack it in a zip lock bag for me).  Plus, the space itself is beautiful and the bathrooms spotless. 

Now I understand why those Greeks and Romans were so into bathing. 

(Photos courtesy of CNTraveller, Yelp ) 

For other ideas on what to do over the weekend, check out my previous post here on Storm King.  

Helping you decipher business casual: Black and White edition

I used to stray away from pairing white shirts with black pants for fear of looking like a waitress (really not the look you want to be gunning for when climbing the corporate ladder). So in today's post I wanted to show how you can make a black and white ensemble look corporate chic.  

The trick I've learned is to pick a white shirt with interesting details, whether it be the material, the cut, or in this case - the pleats and buttons on the collar.  I also chose to pair mine with a pale yellow cardigan and oxfords with bright orange soles to lend it a summer feel. 

Top: Cacharel, courtesy of my very stylish mother's closet

Cardigan: Esprit (old but similar here and here)

Pants: Club Monaco (old but similar here and here)

Oxfords: Cole Haan