A Temporary Goodbye

Hello my friends,

As you may have noticed, I have not posted in almost a month. I am truly sorry for this. My current situation is crazy: I have so much schoolwork to do, and on top of that I am beginning to see clients. At least until summer, I know that I will not be able to keep this blog up. Which saddens me, as it has been fun to interact with loyal readers.

So to tide myself over until then, I started a tumblr. Follow me on Anything Aesthetic until I can commit to this blog again.

Thank you, everyone!

Cassandra

dream office

Sometimes thinking about how much school I have left is extremely daunting. It is easy to feel gloomy and like it will never end, so sometimes I like to dream of the things that I will be free to spend money on when I am finished.

Lately, I have been dreaming of the office I would like to see my clients in. I want to create an environment that is comfortable, but also reflects my personal style. Currently, I am feeling like cb2 will help me accomplish that, which is why most items I am currently coveting are from there. I am undecided about my client seating area, but I'll be sure to let you know when I make up my mind!

Olin Rug in New Accessories | Crate&Barrel

Eames® Leather Lounge Chair and Ottoman

TPS chartreuse file cabinet

crane fog desk lamp in table lamps | CB2

20x200 | Rainfall, Upstate New York, by Chikara Umihara

R2 desk in office furniture | CB2

stairway 96" wall mounted bookcase in media storage | CB2

Milly for Sperry Topsider

Some of my favorite shoes are my brown Sperrys. Classic and comfortable, they are my go-to shoes. 

I was excited to see that Milly did a line for Sperry Topsider. Incorporating today's trends like florals and neon, Milly Sperrys are a combination of classic and modern. I have found myself wanting each one of the boat shoes in her line. They are the perfect summer shoe!

{recipes} Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup

It was a rainy day here in LA and the perfect time to make some Lemon Chicken Soup. In my freezer I had a whole chicken, and my lemon tree had just yielded many lemons. Having this soup simmering all day made the house smell so good, and my husband was very pleased when he came home. I was planning on there being leftovers, but he almost ate the whole thing! So I had to share the recipe.

The Stock:

Ingredients:

1 4-5 lb whole young chicken

2 carrots, cut up

2 stalks of celery, cut up

1 onion, halved

1/2 lemon, sliced

1 bay leaf

15 or so peppercorns

Directions:

Rinse chicken and place it in a stock pot. Cover with water and add carrots, celery, onion, lemon, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and begins to fall off the bone (About 1.5 hours).

Remove chicken from pot to cool. Skim fat off the top of the stock.

The Soup:

Ingredients:

Your stock (or if you are going to use store-bought, 6 cups of stock

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, cut into rounds

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/3 cup white wine

8 oz orzo

2 tsp thyme (I used dried, but fresh would also work)

3 egg yolks

juice of 2 lemons

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped.

Directions:

Strain your stock into a separate bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive or canola oil in your stock pot. Saute the onion over medium-high heat until golden and tender. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more.

Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and carrot. Bring to a boil. 

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and lemon together. Add 1 cup of hot broth from the dutch oven very slowly to the egg yolk mixture, whisking as you pour. Then, transfer the mixture to the dutch oven. Stir in the orzo and chicken.

Add the thyme. Continue cooking over medium-low until the pasta and carrots are tender. 

Just before serving, stir in parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread, or a greek salad.

Forgive my iphone photos.

6 items for my closet

Sometimes I feel like clothes will make me happier. I know that is kind of ridiculous, but I love the feeling when you are looking forward to wearing a new piece of clothing for the first time. Here are some items that I need want.

{for images and more inspiration, go here)

1. Middie skirt
2. Hooded parka
3. Color block frock
4. Leather leggings
5. Mint skinnies
6. Gold sequin blazer or cardi

top 5 dress picks from the oscars 2012

This year more than most, I was not very interested in the Academy Awards for the actual awards (I had seen a whopping one of the films nominated for best picture). I was interested in the dresses. All Awards Season, I was waiting for this fashion grand finale, and the ladies of Hollywood did not disappoint. 

Here are my top 5 favorites:

Rose Byrne in Vivienne Westwood

(Black and sparkly, this dress showed off her statue-like figure and showed her lovely shoes)

 Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab

(She looks gorgeous in this one shoulder, beaded number that shows off her lady-like figure)

Rooney Mara in Givenchy

(Simple, white, and modern.)

Kristen Wiig in J.Mendel

(I am a sucker for blush and sweetheart necklines.)

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

(Jessica Chastain stood out in this gorgeous, intricately embroidered gown, which went perfectly with her hair)

Gourmet pizza

I used to think I hated pizza. But what I hated, I discovered later, was cheap sausage, pepperoni, and greasy cheese thrown onto some crust. I now know (especially after visiting Rome and getting pizza al taglio) that I love pizza, and love the endless possibilities.

I saw a lot of unexpected combinations in Rome, like sausage, potato, and olives, or zucchini flower and anchovies. Today as I was sitting hungry in class, I stumbled upon Martha Stewart's collection of pizza recipes. Martha Stewart's pizzas have provided that same pleasant surprise for me as I found discovered these new flavors that I plan to add to my pizza repertoire.

1. Roasted Vegetable and Wild Mushroom with Pesto

 2. Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

 3. Three Cheese Pizza

 4. Pesto Pizza

 5. Sausage and Olive Pizza

 6. Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza

 7. Fontina and Arugala Pizza

 8. Clam Pizza 

 9. Asparagus and Sun Dried Tomato Pizza

 10. Pizza Margherita

 11. Beer Lover's Pizza

 12. Pizza Sandwiches (Are you kidding me?)

 13. Fig Pizza

 14. Red Pepper and Spinach Pizza

Aren't they positively mouthwatering? Check out all 43 pizza recipes here.

P.S. I got a pizza stone for my wedding and will never make my homemade pizza on anything else!

nail inspiration: {ombre}

The other night, I was bored and procrastinating, when I noticed that I only had one fleck of nailpolish left over on my index fingernail. Earlier in the day, I had been organizing my nailpolishes and was thinking how many different pinks I had, and wondering whether I needed all of them. That is when it hit me: I should paint my nails applying the ombre principle.

After several attempts of making my bitten-off nails look good in pictures, I have decided to only post the nailpolishes.

But I did find a picture of Lauren Conrad sporting ombre nails, in pink no less.

I think I also have enough gray and black nailpolish to do this as well (thinking of starting with black and ending with white). Any color scheme would look fabulous, if you ask me.

yea or nay: {floral pants}

How do you guys feel about the floral pants trend?  I can see myself in some, but others I feel belong only in grandma's curtains, and I can see my future children making fun of me to no end in the future should they see a picture of me in them. 

That being said, here are some floral pants that I like (especially #4!)

1. Anthro 
2. Dolce and Gabbana
3. Marc by Marc Jacobs
4. J. Crew
5. Anthro
6. Anthro

So what do you think? Do or don't?

designer taste, student budget

As much as I would like to pretend that I am living the dream here in LA and romping around in Louboutins and wearing Prada sunglasses, I must admit that I am not. I am a student paying $50,000 a year for my education and living expenses. However, I am still a great admirer of fashion, and have been wanting a Chanel bag for a while now. No matter how hard I try, I cannot think of any way to justify spending $2,500 on a purse at this point in my life.

I considered going to the fashion district in LA to buy a knock-off. Many issues arose with this consideration, including the law, and looking like an impostor. What is worse, trying to look like you can afford Chanel and being discovered sooner or later, or simply admitting that you like the style but can't afford it? I choose the latter.

I was excited to have found a similar bag on Asos for 1/100th of the price. It is still chic, and I think it will satisfy my craving just fine.

real Chanel flap bag- $2,500

Asos- $28.65

{recipes} white bean, kale, and sausage soup

Winter has finally come to Los Angeles. It was a 58 degrees today and rained harder than I've seen in a while. It was very unexpected for me, so I was unprepared when I left for school in the morning. After class I was left cold, wet, and in need of some warmth. 

I've been wanting to make White Bean, Kale, and Sausage Soup for a while, and tonight was the perfect opportunity. I adapted this recipe, and it was just what I needed. There was a little bit of spice, and the broth was flavorful. 

White Bean, Kale, and Sausage Soup


Ingredients:
1 lb of sausage (I used hot Italian from Trader Joe's, and took half out of the casing and left half whole)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and then chopped into one inch pieces
6 large garlic cloves
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of white wine
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken broth (I love Trader Joe's free range organic)
1 lb kale , rinsed, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces (8 c. firmly packed)
2 cans of white beans
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 4 or 5-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, working to break into bite sized pieces, until lightly browned. Cook the whole sausages about 4 minutes on each side. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving any rendered fat in the pot.

2. Add the remaining olive oil to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the carrot, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften and brown, about 2 minutes more. 

4. Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes, salt & black pepper and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and scrape up any brown bits from the pan. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.

5. Cut the whole cooled sausages into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.

6. When the broth reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium, add the sausage along with any collected juices.

7. Stir in the kale, adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and simmer until the kale is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (I cover the pot loosely during this step to prevent too much reduction in the broth.).

8. With about 10 minutes left, add the cans of beans (I do not drain them).

9. Stir in the lemon juice and zest just before serving.

10. Serve with a crusty bread, and enjoy!

Serves 6-8

J.Crew Studio Fall 2012

J.Crew has a new head women's designer and I think I love him. Tim Mora stated that he wanted to focus on "head to toe" dressing. You will see this evidenced in the collection, debuted yesterday evening, from the plentiful patterns. He mixes and matches patterns and textures that are unexpected but totally welcome (from my point of view). I was on the fence in regards to this emerging trend of patterned pants, but now I really, really want a pair. Specifically, the green ones in the second picture.

Read more about the collection and view all of the photos here, and tell me what you think of it!

vintage rentals

I am all about parties with outdoor lounges and banquet tables. The whimsy of it all leaves me thinking of any excuse to have a party.

Did you know that there are places that will allow you to rent beautiful vintage furniture? I happen to be lucky enough to live in the same city as a very popular vintage rental venue called Found. Their warehouse is FILLED with gorgeous furniture that would suit any sort of event from whimsical tea party to Great Gatsby-like cocktail parties.

All images from Found and Found Blog

weekend snapshots

I had a very relaxing weekend. I hope you did too.

On Saturday, I went to Old Town Orange (a cute little nostalgic downtown area in Orange County) and had a lovely lunch outside at a Cuban restaurant, then walked around to antique stores. My tastes have gradually shifted in the past year from antique, shabby chic looking decor to a more modern take, but these stores made me want to go back to my old ways and incorporate antiques and vintage items more. There is just something so charming about having something made in the 1800's in your house!

Here are some pictures from day:

a plethora of antique books

a quilt from the 1800's that looks like it would be in Urban Outfitters today

antique quilts- the detail was amazing, especially considering they were probably sewn by hand. some were over $1500!

vintage spices

vintage coasters just in time for valentine's day. i got them for $1!