Roslyn's Shower (Fashion)

My Cousin-in-law Roslyn had her bridal shower today. It was beautiful and so was she.
I also think it was the first time I get "dressed" all Winter. Check out our fashion:

Blazer - Target. (Similar here) - You'll see a BUNCH of blazers on this blog! I live in them!

Boho Blouse - Forever21 (Similar here)

Skinny Jeans - Old Navy

Pumps- Jessica Simpson

Nude Leather Clutch- Kenneth Cole (years ago)

Sunglasses - Karen Walker

Bangles - Assorted Alex & Ani here and here / Victoria's Secret Gold Link (last season)

Earrings - Random Soho NYC earring shop

Nail Polish - Essie "Grenadine"

Lips- Illamasqua "Fable"

The Smile- all my own! xo

Here is the gorgeous bride to be, Roslyn Diaz

(Sorry for the mist at the bottom. The DJ's lights were blinding me!)

I just want to say, I thought it was a fashion-genius, fashion-forward move on Roslyn's part, 

to wear this gorgeous two piece powder blue suit in lieu of a traditional dress.

The color was so beautiful against her skin and it was the perfect introduction to Spring

 that is on the horizon. It went with the bridal theme, it was fresh and modern and down right pretty. Well played, Ros!! Congratulations to you again  - can't wait to celebrate with you

 on your big day!

Roslyn's two piece suit- Asos

Striped Blouse - Express

Floral Statement Necklace  - Jcrew (Similar here)

Pulled Pork, Y'all!

The South came to Queens last night........and so did Brooklyn!
My lovely, wonderful and fab friends Michelle and Jessica (who reside in Brooklyn) came for a visit last night and I had the pleasure of making them dinner.  
Quite the dynamic sister duo  if I don't say so myself. ;)

 I hadn't seen them since my wedding (October!) and we were way behind in gossip, chit chat, fashion talk, and all things that girls gab about when they get together.

What to feed my girls? A good ol' southern meal that was equal parts flavorful, delicious, filling and comforting on a Winter's night.

We took some pix to share with y'all. I just want to clarify that while the word "Y'all" certainly fits this blog post because of the BBQ theme and all, I do in fact use it everyday. 
I don't know if its a cute thing or a pop culture thing or a Britney Spears thing but it's one of my favorite words. Don't judge me. 

I WAS going to post the pulled pork recipe but I figured everyone is saturated with these recipes from Pinterest so I'll just post the pics and some tips. I AM however going to post the cole slaw recipe because I think that was my favorite component from last night's meal.

THE MENU
Pulled pork sandwiches
Homemade cole slaw
Sweet potato fries
Corn on the cob
Wine & Dessert courtesy of Mich & Jess! <3 


Ok here we go!

I used the Root Beer & BBQ Sauce Receipe that's been floating around Pinterest.

A few tips from my own personal experience:

1. I used pork loin. Much more lean and no sacrifice on taste.

2. I let the pork cook for about 9 1/2 hours on super low while I was at work all day. It wasn't as tender as I would have liked it to be. I wanted it to be "falling off the bone" but it was very much intact. Still soft, just not as soft as I wanted (could be because of the cut of meat I chose or maybe because my temperature was too low) so what I did was take it out of the soda mixture, drained it, shredded the pork and returned it back to the crock pot and THEN added the bbq sauce and let it cook another hour on a higher temperature. Also, I seasoned heavily with salt and pepper when it was all shredded because the root beer only flavored the outside of the meat. Obviously everyone does things differently, this was just how I liked it best.

The buns are crucial! This is going to make or break your sammy! A lot of people like kaiser rolls - those are super yummy. You can't do regular Wonderbread hamburger buns. You just can't. They aren't dense enough to hold all of that sweet but heavy BBQ goodness!

You need a bun that will teach that pulled pork who's boss! I chose Martin's Potato Buns.

Very rich, sweet and thick. You can find these in almost any supermarket bread aisle. 

But ladies and gentlemen, it is not enough to simply open a bun and fill it. You must treat that bun with love so it loves you back. I spread a little butter on the bottom half of the buns and sprinkled some garlic powder on them and toasted them for about 5-10 minutes.

LAWD they were so good! The sweet and tangy pork now mixed with the garlicy moist bun....I was so off my diet last night and I SO didn't care.  I cared this morning.....but not last night. lol

Best. Cole. Slaw. Ever.

The Piece de Resistance to this sandwich.

I chose purple cabbage for a pretty pop of color.

1 bag of raw red cabbage (or any slaw you prefer)

1/2 cup of mayo. I used reduced fat and tasted no difference. Again, your call.

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 tea spoon of salt

1 tea spoon of pepper

a splash of apple cider vinegar. Eye ball it.

a squirt of honey mustard (or Dijon)

Mix and devour.

I use Alexia Sweet Potato Fries

No frying - just baked for 20-25 minutes. Much healthier.

Again - still delicious 

The dinner table. Fresh blooms, water pitcher, nice plattering......last night I was 

affectionately dubbed "Fancy Pants"....and I love it. xoxo

The girls brought two kinds of Cupcake Wine -I told you they were lovely!

One was savory  and one was sweet. This was the savory that we had with apps and dinner.

The other sits in my fridge waiting to be opened - possibly for my birthday...... 

This is possible one of  - if not the - most favorite meals I have ever made.

Dessert from my favorite cupcake shop in Brooklyn.

Little Cupcake Bakeshop  - they made my bridal shower cake and I have been here many a time accumulating calories with Michelle and my girlfriends! Good times!

Three words: Brooklyn. Blackout. Cake. That is all.

Sweet endings.

It was a perfect night with great company.

Thank you, Michelle and Jessica for the treats and driving out to see me.

Let's do it again soon but this time Jess you're up for hosting next!

I pass the fancy pants torch to you..... xoxo

Hope you guys try some of these recipes - it makes for a great meal and pulled pork in the slow cooker can feed an army.  I guarantee leftovers for days.

Have a great weekend if I don't speak to you again....happy eating!

P.S. We aren't in any of the pictures because we're still boycotting our winter skin, winter hair and winter blah outfits. Fashion is put on hold until Spring!

And I'll try to take pictures of my house other than the dining room next time.....lol

Meet Rebecca!

I've been on the hunt for an every day Spring work tote. I had a few prospects on my wish list   but nothing was absolute. I wanted something with good structure and a fun splash of color and then I *literally* ran into this bag at Nordstrom a few weeks ago and I knew it was game over. 

Now understand, I am not afraid of color in any way, except when it comes to my handbags.

I tend to stay in the neutral zone. Black, brown, beige, navy, etc.

I think after the Winter I've had, (we've all had),  black and brown is not going to do. I need to come out of this darkness with my fashion guns BLAZING! And this bag does that.

Now, while I am thrilled with my purchase, this bag is so bold and so bright, I think I defeated my original purpose which was to find a bag that could take me day to day to the office and then serve me well in the evenings when I go out after work. I think I found my Spring/Summer bag instead  - which is OK, because mama fell in love. 

It's back to the drawing board for the work tote.

BONUS:  I doubt I'll see many girls in the street with this particular Rebecca! Which I love because I like to be a little different when I can. People tend to think that logos equate style.

I'm all about logos but don't get caught up in the hype all the time. So many gorgeous choices out there. Don't limit yourself. And you definitely don't have to spend an arm and a leg to prove you are style worthy.  

Want a Becky of your own?

Check out these bags Here, Here,  Here, Here and Here.

Not ready to commit to a full on bag? What about the Wallet? It's just enough pop for the warmer months to bring a smile to your face every time you pull it out -  with none of the 

buyer's remorse. 

Tell em' V.V. sent ya!

xo

Valentines From V.V.!

Will you be V.V.'s Virtual Valentine?? 
(That's a lot of V's.....shout out to my husband for that awesome last name!)
Say you will all be my virtual valentines because I love Valentines day! And you can never have too many valentines! Or Lipstick.....or Chocolate....

And speaking of the brown deliciousness, you see this kid? This little girl was me when I was little.....Hell, this might or might not have been me last week......lol....and it CERTAINLY will be me tonight!! I am def getting down on some chocolate for V-day. I ADORE chocolate!!!

I have a saying.... "If it ain't brown, it don't go down!".  V.V. doesn't "do" vanilla.

Hope John picked me up something yummy. So you can see how that falls in line with me loving Valentines day.....

So my little love bugs, what are your plans to celebrate? The weather has obviously made my Valentines Day plans very simple. Work during the day, where I have forced everyone to wear red, pink or purple in honor of the holiday (lets see who comp[lies) and I will throw candy at them all day long and annoy the shit out of them with my bright ass hot pink shirt and my upbeat and happy demeanor until 5:00pm. =)
Then I will go home and spend the evening in with John. We're ordering Chinese food and watching movies and.....................hey! Get your mind out of the gutter, this is a family blog!

Also,  I'd like to get a teensy bit sentimental for a second and say that this is my first Valentine's Day as a wife. And his obviously as a husband. It was kinda cool to shop in the "HUSBAND" section of the cards for the first time. I've been lingering in the "Man I love" section, the "Special Friend" section and the "WTF are we and do I even get this fool a card" section of the cards all of my dating life and it feels good to be home. Permanently.

I hope you all get whatever it is that your heart is wishing for today.

Thanks for being my Valentine. I'd love to hear how you spent the day, where you went, if you received anything that you might want to share, a cute V-day outfit, etc. Please feel free to comment below. I leave you with this one last pearl of wisdom.....

I was in the mall spending time with a great friend of mine (Hi Clas!) two nights ago and I went into the MAC store to get my free lipstick. You know, the MAC recycle program where you give back 6 empty plastic containers and you get a free lip glass, lipstick or eye shadow in return?

So I had two gorgeous colors in my hand (next blog post),  I picked one as my freebie and decided to put the other one down. To quote my favorite movie of all time, Pretty Woman:

"Big Mistake! HUGE!".

I figured ehhhh I'll just get it online. Sold the eff out. Everywhere. Why on earth didn't I just get the color when I had it in my hands?! My car is completely snowed in (my co-worker and his truck have been kindly driving me in - Love you Rafi!) so I can't even drive back to the mall to try and get it again until this frozen tundra melts in which by then, will probably be sold out.

With all of that being said..... LIFE IS SHORT. BUY THE LIPSTICK! Even if you regret buying it later, you can always return it. Not fair dude. Bastard!

Happy Heart Day!

xoxo

V.V.

I see you Christian! =)

Eff Winter

I woke up this morning wanting it to be Friday....nopers. Only Wednesday. 
My "fashion life" these days plays out like a person dying slowly in a movie.

"Can't.....get....fabulous.....in this........cold weather...."   *arm reaches out for dear life* 
annnnnnnnnnnnd drops!

I have no motivation, people. In my mind it's Spring and in my car, the current temperature reads 15 degrees. Literally. God bless all of the bloggers and fellow fashion girls who make amazing outfits every single day in this weather and make it look easy. I have run out of steam. My hair won't cooperate, my lips are in constant need of moisture, my skin is misbehaving, I'm piled up in clothes every day like the  Stay Puft Marshmallow Man! I'll be damned if I'm standing among snow and ice piles outside striking poses and making my husband play photographer while a bird's shit freezes mid air while dropping. 

BUT as promised, this is a blog where we keep it real around here. So guess what? Here is my winter fashion. No photographers. No stunning outfits. Just me. In my car. Old school selfie!
Warming up my car. 7:30am. 15 degrees. No makeup. Totally over it. This is the best you're gonna get until Spring! At least my accessories make me feel like a person, still. lol

Stay warm, my little beauties. Another 6-10 inches this evening into tomorrow.
I might not even get out of bed tomorrow. Eff winter.

Gap Fur Hood Vest (last year)

Burberry Scarf

YSL Sunglasses

Origins Moisturizer

TGIS!

Thank God it's Saturday! Can I get an AMEN?! I would've said Friday, but I had to wake up early in this freezing cold and work all day Friday. So really ? Friday gets no love. 
Tis all about Saturday! The hubby is working all weekend and that's left me with two glorious days to just nest. I adore nesting. I connect with myself, I recharge my batteries so to speak and get myself "together".

Ya hear that Spencer?! (My boss). It's Saturday! No more proposals! No more phone calls! No more insurance certificates! Back up off meh! Still love you puddin' pop. Lets just put our love on a time out until Monday, mmmmkay? 

Office work....**deep thought**......what am I doing with my life?? What's my motivation? Where am I going? Am I wasting all of my fabulous??? Wasn't I supposed to be on a yacht in Capri by now???!  **bubble pop** I DIGRESS! That's a whole 'nother blog post girl! Back to the weekend! 

Allow me to share my weekend with you and all the activities I have planned for myself.
How many of them will actually get done?? I guess it really all depends on what's on TV......lol
If you too have some time to yourself, I hope at least one of these ideas spark your nesting mode.

The List


Sleep in!! A couple years ago sleeping in meant sleeping until 12-1-2pm. For whatever reason, my body feels rested between by 9-10am now-a-days. Don't get me wrong, I can still sleep with the best of em' if I lingered in bed long enough! Sleeping will always be a luxury to me.

Coffee & breakfast.

Going over my 2014 agenda. Updating new plans, social events and ideas.

Updating my music wish list. I have post it's and papers and notes of songs and artists scribbled all over the place. Time to collect and organize!

DVR Catch up / Netflix/ Food Network 
Speaking of Food Network, is anyone watching their new show "The Kitchen"? It's the perfect Saturday morning show to wake up to. Check it out.

Blogging! Being both the blogger (haaayyy) and the blogee...? 
In English: updating my blog and reading my favorite blogs in turn.

More reading: Glossy fashion mags and my mom just gave me Joel Osteen's new book
 "Break Out"......supposed to be very uplifting and motivating. Free therapy.

Make some in-store returns. This requires getting dressed and actually leaving the house to go somewhere. I'm iffy on this one.....feeling a little sketchy about it. Scratch that. I ain't goin nowhere.

Pinterest and internet surfing - duh.

Cooking. I do enjoy being all cozy and making my own meals. Tonight on the menu?
Good Ol' fashioned American burgers and sweet potato fries. 

Organizing my closet. It's such a mess. And apparently, I have a moth problem. Finding little nibbles and holes in some of my prize possessions I wont stand for that! I went HAM (Please see urban dictionary) on the internet yesterday and bought a shit load of anti moth crap.
I'll keep you posted.

Last but not least on the list: Planning my birthday! Less than a month away y'all!

Coffee in my snowflake mug. 

Doodling in my 2014 Agenda. I'm a blue pen gal. I'm very passionate about blue ink. lol

Staying cozy

Bath & Body Works Candle "Marshmallow Fireside"

This is that horrific closet I was talking about. Lots of stripes.

 I have an affinity for all things stripe!

Well, technically, it's a closet in a walk in closet. 

I know it doesn't make sense but I'll be doing a room overhaul and sharing the whole thing soon.

Also, for the record - I know this is a Fashion & Lifestyle Blog and you must have said to yourself.....where's the fashion? Where are the outfits?!? The truth is - this winter, I have lost all 

of my motivation to look gorg. The snow, the ice, the cold, the bundling up, etc. 

The dry weather is just killing my skin......I'm in full hibernation mode wearing a uniform of 

 jeans and sweaters and Uggs and I REFUSE to come out until Winter has thawed over!! 

But don't you worry, my fellow fashionistas....I've got LOTS to show you come Spring!

I can't wait to purge these shelves of their itchy, bulky sweaters and restock them with 

Spring & Summer stripes, neon, prints, brights, thin knits and all things  *light* and pretty!

Coffee table. Magazines, food, remote.......what else does one need??

Thanks for peeking in on my weekend. I hope yours is (was) just as great and relaxing as mine!

Til' Monday...... xo

HOSTING 101

Hey sugar plums! Welcome to hosting Vanessa style. I had quite the weekend.  Friday evening was girls night at my home, Saturday, my aunt came for a visit with my mom and brother and Sunday, I had the in-laws over for super bowl. Whew!  Lots of cooking and hosting indeed!  And this isn't me complaining...... I am totally in my element when I get to showcase my inner Martha Stewart. Oh you fancy,  huh?  Why, yes. Yes I am. 

Allow me to share some pics and tips from my weekend Choc full of good people,  good food and CHOColate.  :)


Another disclaimer:
No,  I don't think I'm perfect. I don't do things perfectly.  I am not saying this is how you SHOULD host.  I'm simply saying, if you were interested,  this is how you COULD host. I'm not saying my way of doing things is the right way,  its just the nice way. These are not rules. Just tips and ideas. Everyone does what works for them! It's just good ol' fashioned hospitality! 

OK here we go!
Spoke too soon. This is the only rule I'll give. Leave or take the rest, but you simply MUST abide by this: The absolute number one rule of a guest attending something in someone's home is you NEVER show up empty handed!  Like,  EVS! Obviously there are exceptions. You don't have to buy something everytime you make a simple visit to someone. But if its a party,  Super bowl,  birthday,  girls night, holiday,  etc. Ask the host if there's something they need. A lot of the time the host will say no.  And Sometimes that simple question can make you the hero of the party. Maybe your host forgot the ice!  Maybe they dropped the cake!  Perhaps the milk went bad. Simple gestures make a huge difference. You don't have to shell out your paycheck to impress someone.  Use your judgement.  Some ideas of what to purchase the next time you are invited to a soiree.

1.  Dessert (cake,  pie, pastries, cookies)
2.  Fresh baked bread, baguettes or rolls
3.  Flowers or a plant
4.  A candle
5.  A bottle of wine or liquor
6. Specialty food or appetizer
7.  You can bring your host something monogrammed or personalized
8.  Coffee table book
9.  Pretty mug(s) with gourmet coffee
10.  A nice serving piece. For that party and every party after!
11.  Lastly, not everyone has the extra funds to plunk down so a bag of chips or bottle of soda/seltzer is always acceptable. I don't give a damn how fancy you are,  everyone loves chips and your friends love you no matter WHAT you have in your hands.  So as the guest,  anything you can afford is appreciated and as the host,  accept anything given graciously.  But yes.....bring SOMETHING! 

This is for the host as well as the guest. Dress nicely. Present yourself accordingly. You don't have to overdo it. We're not talking sky high heels and full face war paint-  Ain't nobody got time for that! But you still want be clean,  put together and polished. Even if it IS your house,  sweatpants have no place at the table.

I usually buy fresh flowers for the house but I pick something extra pretty when I'm having company. Fresh blooms brighten up any setting. I think they make your guests feel special too!

Break out the serving pieces, the dishes and the glassware. Unless you live in a frat house, I don't understand the red solo cups and dixie plates.I know I'm going to get flak for that last statement. My friends think I'm crazy. They say who wants to wash all of those dishes? I understand all of that, but you should make the effort when you are inviting people into your home. Besides, why do you have all of those dishes and glasses anyway?! I was blessed with beautiful things from my bridal shower and things that I have collected for myself throughout the years because I knew the moment I had my own place, entertaining was going to be one of my top priorities.

I do use linen napkins when I can. Mostly for holidays and very special occasions but I'm also a fan of fun paper napkins. Paper towels?? No. They make such chic and pretty paper napkins in your local party city or party supply place. You can even get initial and monogram paper napkins in stores and online. How cute is that?

ALWAYS have fresh water on the table. No matter if you are drinking soda or alcohol or even hot beverages, its nice to have cold, clean water on the table available at all times. Just like the restaurants do. If you wanna go the extra mile, jazz it up with fresh fruit, fresh lemon and lime slices or whatever you have on hand to infuse it with a  nice flavor. 

You don't have to be a five star chef to ensure your guests will enjoy what you are serving.
For instance, the girls and I  did a fun and easy cocktail party. We worked all day and didn't have time to start a full meal from scratch. Caprese salad, mini meatballs, pigs in a blanket....these are all no fail foods everyone loves. The key to making it posh? What you choose to serve it in. It's all about the presentation! I also bought a cake from the supermarket and made a Nutella display by simply cutting up fresh fruit, and pretzels for dipping. You don;t have to slave over a stove all night. Just be creative.

Light candles. They give warmth and glow to a party setting. If you can help it, try not to light scented candles in the same room where the food is being served. The clashing smells become overpowering and you don't want to turn anyone off.

Coffee drinkers? Don't forget to have regular sugar as well as another option for those who don't take sugar. Equal, Splenda, Truvia, etc. 

Tea drinkers? Don't forget the lemon wedges and honey. Little touches really do go a long way. Be considerate of your audience. 

Trays are your best friend. They are chic looking and functional. I get my acrylic trays from CB2. West Elm also has some fine choices.

Don't forget your bathrooms. Make sure to have a full roll of toilet paper readily available. 
Always have fresh clean towels up. Possibly some air freshener......hey, you never know.

Again, these are all just tips.....it's my way of doing things. It certainly doesn't have to be your way. Do whatever works for you. But I meant it about the solo cups and dixie plates! PLEASE don't make me clutch my pearls!

Hope your Super bowl party was a success. Congratulations to the Seahawks but I think the real star of this weekend was my dishwasher!!!
Happy hosting y'all!