espresso and dark chocolate

Good for all times during the day, but my favorite way to start the day.

cashew shrimp scampi

Use this quick and easy recipe, best used when shrimp is in season (tastier, cheaper, and easier to come by). Very good for entertaining a small group, and this recipe can easily be doubled for larger crowds. Pair with either a simple mixed greens salad and freshly baked country grain or rye bread or some whole wheat pasta for most pleasing results.
Experiment with different wines (although I always suggest sticking to a white when pairing with shrimp), and lastly, enjoy!
This recipes serves 2 or 4, depending on amount of salad, bread, and wine you are providing.


Ingredients: 
24 large shrimp (deveined and peeled, tails left on)
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
4 large cloves of garlic
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup white wine (Sauvignon Blanc works well- drink the rest of the bottle with dinner!)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (or more- it adds colour!)
1/2 medium white onion, chopped very finely
a few lemon wedges
bread crumbs 


Directions: 
1. Marinate the shrimp in 1/2 cup olive oil, white wine, parsley, and lemon juice for 15-30 minutes.
2. Saute a few spoonfuls of bread crumbs, the chopped onion, the cashews, and garlic   in the butter (add garlic after a few moments), until golden.
3. Add the shrimp, marinade sauce, and juice from a few of your lemon wedges.
4. Cook until shrimp are pink and juices in the pan are bubbling (a few minutes).
5. Serve the shrimp with the sauce for dipping bread or add pasta to it. 
6. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh parsley sprigs.

pulp fiction

I just finished watching Pulp Fiction (very long overdue, I'm perfectly aware) and it was AMAZING. Everyone needs to watch it. Immediately.

It's not particularly gender-biased either (but I guess I do watch and enjoy quite an abnormally large amount of films touted as being 'boy' films for a girl, so maybe my opinion might be slightly biased), so go grab your boyfriends or brothers, or fathers, or whoever! and be caught up in the action of this Hangover-meets-classic-Hollywood film.

phoebe philo is my hero: my favorite Céline pieces

(all photos edited, originals from www.celine.com)


Céline is, and continues to be, one of my favorite luxury fashion brands of all time. Their minimalistic approach to style, the quality of their goods, and their general aesthetics has really appealed to me for a really long time. These are some of my favorite pieces from the last three collections (Spring 2012, Summer 2012, Fall 2012). I tend to focus on the leather goods and accessories Céline produces, rather than their RTWline.  Pheobe Philo has managed to create quite an impressive brand that I hope will never decline. 
I'm excited to see what pieces will be in the new collection!

the city

Cities are such interesting places, and quite a strange idea if thought about objectively. They contain the stories and hopes and troubles of millions upon millions of people. The lives of people are so intermingled in cities- any one person's actions, whether as subtle as smiling at a stranger, or as significant as causing a car crash, could easily affect the lives of many other people.

And yet, it is a rare occurrence that people in cities acknowledge each other. We see through other spiritually absent citizens of our homes like they are made of air and often ignore the ones who are present and acknowledge us. 

The idea of a city, the concept, is truly one that could only have been thought of by human beings.