Lifestyle/Wellness

October 25, 2015

Apartment Tour Series, Part 2: The Bedroom

It’s time for another part of my Apartment Tour Series: the bedroom! Before we get into the design details, I just want to thank you for being patient with me. My internship has been really crazy these past few weeks, and I have been swamped with work. (I would much rather be blogging than doing case studies and clinical nutrition homework, but duty calls.) I have officially hit the halfway point in the clinical portion of my internship, so I have reached a small break in the workload, hence why I am able to put my focus on Bouquets and Baguettes for a moment. I have totally missed creating content and getting to interact with you! Now for the good stuff- what does my bedroom look like???

To me, my bedroom is the most sacred place in the home. It is my sanctuary. It is where I get to unwind and have my beauty sleep after a very long day. Naturally, I want it to have a peaceful, feminine vibe, with a little punch to keep things fun and glamorous. It’s all about balance, right? Let’s get into it!

One of my absolute favorite features in my room is the gold confetti accent. I love how fun and whimsical it looks to have the gold confetti cascade from the ceiling down the wall. The gold dots are just removable decals you can buy pretty much anywhere these days, especially around college dorm shopping time. (Because if there is any design skill to be acquired during college, it has to be the art of removable customization.) Removable elements are not only ideal for dorm life, but also for any fellow renters out there!

It’s also fabulous to have a gallery wall with inspirational quotes. Nothing says “Have an amazing day!” while you are getting ready to head out the door like, “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world”. And for those mornings when you need a reminder to hold your head high, YSL said it best: “Fashions fade, but style is eternal”. #Truth

If there is one textural element I had to pick to be stuck with forever, it would be tufting. I am such a sucker for tufting. Everything is better with tufting!! If you really want to amp up the style and overall chic factor of your room, invest in a headboard. It really ties everything together and creates a gorge focal point. Brownie points if it’s tufted. 😉

Beautiful beds require lots of pillows. I know no one sleeps on that many pillows, but when the bed is made, the volume of pillows adds drama and a total wow factor. And let’s remember the rule about odd numbers. Try to avoid having six pillows, for instance. It’s the seventh pillow that will make you look like a design guru. It’s also fun to have graphic pillows or inspirational quote pillows. Can you tell I love to be inspired?? Honestly, my “Start each day with a grateful heart” pillow gets me in the right frame of mind each morning. Gratitude is a major mood booster, perfect for mornings when I would rather stay in bed.

Candles are the best. They just ooze relaxing, spa-like vibes. Who wouldn’t want that in their bedroom?! To add some extra glamour, I tied some Dior ribbon around some battery-operated candles. They flicker very realistically, and I never have to worry about accidentally falling asleep with a candle lit. Don’t get me wrong, I love a deliciously scented candle as much as the next girl, but these battery candles won’t ever drip wax on my nice white ribbon while they “burn”.

We know from Apartment Tour Part One that I love the acrylic/lucite look. Clear trays look so modern and clean for storing all your little trinkets. Plus, they allow you to store pretty stuff in a very visual way. If your matchbox is this cute, why would you want to hide it away?

One of my recent obsessions is cheetah print. I haven’t always been a big fan of the print (since it can become tacky if there is too much of it), but it has really grown on me. The key is that it can’t be overdone. Cheetah print can look very chic and glamorous, but only if it is on one key feature in the room. Not on twenty different things, but just one piece that you really want to have as the focal point of the room. Whenever I lounge on my cheetah chaise, I can’t help but feel a little more fierce.

My room wouldn’t be complete without a serious pop of pink. To me, this chair is the perfect shade of pink. It is like visual caffeine! I find it so energizing, and it’s a no fail way to put me in a good mood, every time I see it. A great DIY is to do gold-dipped legs on a desk or chair. A good ol’ gold-dipping brings a modern touch to an otherwise plain or understated piece of furniture.

To sum it all up, this framed print always puts a smile on my face. I think its totally blunt and totally true. It adds a bit of humor to the space, which is a perfect unexpected element. And I love having lamps with clear bases, as it really keeps the space open and uncluttered.

That wraps up my bedroom tour! I hope you got some inspiration for your own oasis. Tell me, how do you make your room your own sacred space? What sort of design elements help you to zen out or get pumped up for the day? I would love to get some inspiration ideas from you!

XO, Alexandra

September 14, 2015

Push Past the “Derailers” and Carry On

Today I’m sharing some inspiration to get you through this week! Summer is coming to and end, and fall is just around the corner! For most of us, this means less weekends spent barbecuing and beaching, and more days getting things done at work or school. As for me, I begin my dietetic internship tomorrow, so I know I will be crazy busy. Not to mention, my first rotation is clinical, so from now until Thanksgiving, I will be observing/working as a dietitian in the hospital. Between seeing patients, doing case studies, and going to class, it’s going to be a whirlwind. #stressful

I know I could use some inspiration, and perhaps you could, too!

I recently got to stay at the Madonna Inn, located in San Luis Obispo. This hotel is known for its unique, eclectic, and downright outrageous design. It’s a definite must-see, and I think everyone should stay there at least once, just for the experience.

I stayed in the Carin room, which is absolutely bursting with pink. Pink is the color of the Madonna Inn, which made me feel right at home. I could not believe how pink my room was, and I felt a bit like a fairytale princess or maybe Barbie staying in this room. For some people, this look might be too much, and for others, it might be exactly what they love. Which brings me to my first point: there are people who love the Madonna Inn, and there are people who’s opinions are quite the opposite, aka it’s ridiculous.

Isn’t this true in life? There are gonna be people who love you and understand, and people who are not so fond of you, or don’t “get” you, but you better be certain that everyone is going to have an opinion. It’s totally up to you how you handle the opinions of others. The Madonna Inn doesn’t tone down the pink and sparkles to appeal to more people, or to fit in, so we shouldn’t feel obligated to conform to how others want us to be, either.

I want to cover a specific aspect of falling prey to what other’s want us to think/say/do/be, which is… your healthy lifestyle. There will be people in your life (friends, family, coworkers) who might not understand your desire to eat healthy or have an active lifestyle. They just don’t get it (you mean…you actually ordered a salad instead of fries?!) I like to call them “Derailers”. They are going to try to derail you from your health goals, and sometimes, they might even succeed. Family members may think your exercise routine is ridiculous and that you don’t even need to exercise. Friends might want to go out tooooo many nights a week, and give you a hard time if you want to stay in. Coworkers may push you to take some doughnuts from the box they bring to the office, and if you don’t, they make a big deal of it and say you are crazy. Yep, all derailers, whether they mean to be or not.

My advice? Simply put, push past the Derailers and carry on! Be firm in your health goals and wellness philosophy, and be proud of how you take care of yourself. You are the one who has the ultimate power to take care of you, not anyone else in your environment. When a derailer comes along, remember how you want to feel and what standards you hold yourself to. They may try to make you feel dumb, boring, or like a total weirdo for the choices you make. Your power comes from not allowing them to negatively affect you, or sway you into making unhealthy choices. When a derailer comes along, it’s always best to politely say no. (Gotta kill ’em with kindness, people!) And I promise, no one is going to get mad at you for not taking a brownie. (And if they do, that sounds like their own personal problem to me.)

If you feel comfortable enough with the derailer, you can always explain to them how you are trying to take good care of yourself and make healthy choices, but ultimately, you don’t really owe an explanation as to why you want to go for a run or get some extra hours of zzzzzzzz’s.

Can we talk about these sequined walls for a minute?! I mean, talk about dazzling!

Derailers are not the easiest obstacle to overcome, and pushing past them is something I still work on all the time. Some ways I carry on are to:

Find someone you trust to hold you accountable to your goals. You are much more likely to keep to them if someone knows what you are going after.
Write down your wellness philopshy, and hang it where you can see it often to keep you fired up.
Convert the derailers. Invite your fam to go for a walk, or get your girlfriend to grab a green smoothie with you instead of a DQ Blizzard. Show them what it’s like to walk on your side of the fence, and they might actually want to join you more often!
Don’t get discouraged if a derailer derails you. Get back up, and keep doing your best. Health and wellness is a continuous journey, so be gentle with yourself.
Don’t get too caught up that you start to miss out on life. It’s totally a fabulous part of life to grab drinks with friends or split a sundae with your sister. Ultimately, it’s all about the long term, and the habits you hold to daily- not the treats you enjoy occasionally.

The Madonna Inn is known for it’s pink champagne cake. Perfect for an afternoon tea with friends, especially if it’s in a pink sparkly room 🙂

Tell me, what are your major derailers, and how have you (or how do you plan to) overcome them? It’s always helpful to get another perspective on how others are staying focused on achieving or maintaining their health goals, so share away! Have a fabulous week!

XO, Alexandra

September 4, 2015

Apartment Tour Series, Part One: Bathroom & Vanity

For the first time in my life, I am living in my very own apartment!!! There are plenty of benefits that come with living alone: getting to take up all the room in the fridge and kitchen cabinets, taking all the time in the world in the bathroom, and never wearing headphones when I want to jam to my music. There is no worrying about unexpected guests barging in when I have a face mask on (this happened in college too many times) or having to deal with other people’s dirty dishes/clothes/whatever unmentionables strewn all over the place. Let’s just say I am living in pure bliss in my own sacred, peaceful home.

A great deal of time and effort went into creating a space that makes me feel happy, de-stressed, and energized every time I walk through the door. I thought I would do an Apartment Tour Series to give you some inspiration for curating your own fabulous abode, whether it is a whole house, or just a shelf. Today is Part One of the series, which is all about building a beautiful bathroom and vanity! As a note, the design scheme for my apartment is what I like to call “Modern Glam”. There are girly elements, contemporary vibes, and glamorous touches. My color scheme is hot pink, light pink, and gold. A huge tip for having a pulled together home is to find a design scheme and color scheme that you love, and stick to it religiously.

The bathroom and vanity (shall we call them the “get ready spaces”) should be clean and uncluttered, so that you are always in the right frame of mind for starting the day calm and refreshed, or for washing the day away. Even the products you put in your shower can look gorgeous as long as you select ones that flow well together. Decorative soaps and bottles are perfect for tying your design and style into this space.

Quirky little sayings are sure to put a smile on your face, (even while you are washing your face). In my book, it’s totally okay to use soap as decor if it has wrapping this cute. 🙂

I am obsessed with acrylic anything. It looks so chic and also keeps spaces feeling open and full of light. I love using acrylic trays for organizing little trinkets into pretty displays that allow me to see where everything is. ( Which means no more rushing around frantically looking for a certain thing when I am trying to get out the door.)

A design tip I have learned and always follow: the rule of odds. When displaying objects, be it candles, jars, or any cluster of curiosities, put them together in odd numbers. Odd numbers of objects look better than even numbers of objects; it’s just that simple. Pick groups of three or five things to decorate with, but not two or four.

A cute little DIY sign on a doorknob adds visual interest and can convey a fun or important message. Use chalkboard paint, and you can change the message to anything you please!

Hide unsightly tissue boxes in a glamorous tissue box holder. These come in all sorts of styles, and you can always paint them to fit your design style perfectly. In my opinion, a gold tissue box looks much more luxe than a box with school busses or grandma-esque floral patterns. Who designs those tissue boxes anyway?! Someone please design boxes we would actually want to display! Glass is just like acrylic, as it keeps rooms airy, and oh-so-bright. Seek out pretty jars and containers to display makeup on your vanity. You know you have adorable jars/cloches/ boxes when they cause you to do away with your makeup bag forever. #noshameIt’s all about those fun, sassy quotes to get you pumped up for the day! The little detail on this jar never fails to give me an extra boost of confidence. Who couldn’t use an extra boost from time to time? 🙂

Stay tuned for the rest of the Apartment Tour Series (a huge, grateful thank you to my amazing designer, who never fails to turn my ideas and little glimpses of a “vision” into reality!) Tell me- how do you design your space/ create your very own homey vibes? And please share any design tips and tricks- I always want to learn more! Have a fab holiday weekend!

XO, Alexandra

August 26, 2015

Rose Story Farm + Raw, Vegan Rose Tarts

The inspiration for today’s recipe comes straight out of the garden, but probably not the type of garden you were imagining . Rose Story Farm is the most incredible rose garden in the cute beach town of Carpinteria, California. Walking the grounds is breathtaking and magical. I have never seen so many roses in my life, and honestly, it kind of made me feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland, strolling through another world, just through the rabbit hole. If you are ever in the Los Angeles/Santa Barbara area, take a trip to Rose Story Farm- they offer tours on Thursdays and Saturdays during prime rose season, April through November (so go soon before it’s too late!) And if you must take a little souvenir home, they have the most charming gift shop- think rose colored/flavored/scented everything, and a retail nursery where you can even get a gorgeous rose bush to take home and plant.

Keep scrolling through to see some snapshots from my tour of the farm, and for a yummy recipe featuring the floral, dreamy flavor of the queen of flowers: the rose!

Rose Story Farm is home to 25,000 rose bushes and 120 different rose varieties! Did you know there is even a rose variety named Princess Alexandra, which is now my favorite variety of roses, for obvious reasons. 🙂 Rose Story Farm is owned and cared for by Danielle Hahn (and her very sweet, hardworking team). In 2014, she received the Great Rosarian of the World Award. Needless to say, I was taking note of any and every gardening tip I cold get my hands on.

Ever clipped roses when they hadn’t quite opened yet, only to find when you put them in a vase, they never open? A little trick I learned at RST: the earliest one should ever clip roses to guarantee that they will open is just after all of the sepals (the little green leaves that enclose the bud) have separated from the petals of the bud. Once the sepals drop, clip away for buds that open every time!

My all time favorite flowers are peonies, so any rose that has that lush, peony petal look to it makes me absolutely giddy. I have never seen such large, ruffled, jaw-droppingly beautiful roses in my life! The fields of roses brought out the little girl in me. I was ready to run through the garden and sit down for a tea party! (we did get to experience rose tea, by the way…but more on that later)

*Quietly humming “We’re painting the roses red”* 🙂

RST is home to many little kitties that just love to roam through the roses. (And who can blame them?) This kitty in particular was a very gracious host and accompanied us on the entire tour. Her name was Trixie, and I could tell she took great pride in welcoming us into her rosy habitat.

One more pic of Trixie, just because she was a darling, and she absolutely knows it. Oh how lucky to be a cat with a leisurely life at Rose Story Farm.

Another amazing thing about RST is the smell. The fragrance of rose is so strong, it just perfumes the air. I wish I could bottle the air and take it home with me. Our tour was on a cloudy day, but our tour guide noted that on a hot day, the fragrance is even stronger. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to experience that!

After the tour, we were treated to a luncheon in the gorgeous garden, complete with rose tea and their famous homemade rose-shaped lemon cake. They even sell the rose bundt-cake pans in their shop- too cute!

After delighting in all things rose, I was totally inspired to try my hand at a rose recipe. Rose may seem like an intimidating ingredient in the kitchen, but I assure you, this recipe is so easy (no baking!!!). These Raw, Vegan Rose Tarts are the perfect little bite of heaven. They contain no added sugar, are full of wholesome ingredients, and of course have that fragrant rose flavor that I was craving. These tarts indulge the senses without causing you to feel like you have actually “indulged”. I can imagine enjoying these tarts at a tea, at a garden picnic, or even any old afternoon where I feel like living “La Vie en Rose”.

Raw, Vegan Rose Tarts

Makes 14 mini tarts

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 cups rolled oats
6 medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup coconut oil

For the filling:

1 cup cashews, soaked at least 4 hrs or overnight in 1 1/2 cups water (reserve the water!)
1 Tbs culinary rose petals, added to the “soaking water” with the cashews, plus more for garnish
1 tsp-1 Tbs rose water, depending on your preference of rose flavor/intensity. (Rose water is an ingredient that can be purchased in many health food stores or oriental markets. If you have an oriental market near you, I would get rose water there, as it is typically less expensive than it is at a health food store.)

Directions:

to make the crust, add all crust ingredients to a food processor or high speed blender, and pulse until they are combined enough that they hold together with a doughy consistency.
to make the filling, start by combining cashews and rose petals in a bowl with 1 1/2 cups of water. This must soak at least 4 hours or overnight. This will produce a creamy base for our filling!
drain the cashews and rose petals from the water, reserving the water they were soaked in.
add the cashews, rose petals, and 1/4 cup of the reserved “soaking water” to a high speed blender. Blend on a medium/high speed for 20-30 seconds until creamy
taste the cashew cream, as this will determine how much of the “true” rose water (not the reserved water) you add. Add “true” rose water to the cashew cream according to preference. I like it really rosy, so I added a whole tablespoon. Stir to combine.
to make the mini tarts, form bowl shapes with the crust dough. Its totally ok if they look a little rustic. 🙂
add a dollop of cashew cream to each “bowl”, and top with rose petals for garnish.
refrigerate for at least one hour so the tarts can set up. Enjoy!

Have you ever made any recipes with rose before? It is such a unique ingredient that adds amazing, delicate flavor. Now that I have a favorite variety of rose, the Princess Alexandra, my next mission is to find a bush so I can plant my own!! Let me know your favorite types of roses, too!

XO, Alexandra

August 8, 2015

A Tea Drinker’s Frustration With Starbucks

Currently hydrating with watermelon frescas

Let, it be known, I am not a coffee drinker. Never have been, and I don’t think I ever will be. I loooove the smell of coffee- that first whiff of air when you walk into a cafe is just. so. yummy. But I have never quite warmed up to the intense, bitter flavor of a cup of joe. Part of me is also terrified that if do start drinking it, I will get hooked, because, who couldn’t use a kick of caffeine every now and then… or daily.

What I am hooked on (like at least 3 cups a day, or I feel like a piece of me is missing) is tea. Coffee shops are everywhere. Tea shops? Not so much. But the tea trend is on the rise, so stay tuned. When I’m out and about, and need a cup of tea, typically, Starbucks is the most convenient option. It’s quick, and it’s on every corner. The selection for tea drinkers has historically been lacking. One of my favorite purveyors of tea has been Teavana, so when they began partnering with Starbucks a while back, I was thrilled. I thought, “Yes! Maybe this will up Starby’s tea game!”. Let’s just say I was wrong. On a recent trip to the land of the green mermaid, I went in for a nice hot cup of tea from the Teavana line, but when I read the tea tins they had on the sale, I was so disappointed. As someone who tries to live well and eat a clean, wholesome diet, it only make sense that I avoid artificial ingredients. Several of the teas by Teavana sold at Starbucks contain “artificial flavors”. WHY does my tea have to have artificial ingredients? I know how wonderful a completely natural cup of tea tastes, so any artificial flavor would be unnecessary, and quite frankly, unwanted.

Hear me out: there are some blends of tea at Starbucks that don’t contain artificial flavors (Jade Citrus Mint, Royal English Breakfast, and Oprah Chai- thanks, Oprah) but for us tea drinkers, the selection is even more narrow if we are trying to avoid consuming artificial ingredients.

Moving on to the next reason Starbucks seriously bums me out in the beverage department: their matcha. Yes, matcha is so great for your health and wellbeing. And as someone who drinks it daily and has been obsessed since the my early high school days (which was a while ago #matchahipster), I would not recommend Starbucks as the place to get a daily matcha fix. I will admit, I get it as a treat every now and then, but in terms of the health benefits their matcha holds, tummy satisfaction is about the only benefit.

The matcha that Starbucks uses comes presweetened. This means that even if you order your green tea latte unsweetened, that matcha is still packed with sugar. The matcha powder used by Starbucks contains this ingredient list: sugar, matcha. Sugar comes first!! I am bummed that sugar is even involved at all! Matcha acts as an anti-inflammatory, where sugar is inflammatory. Putting them together lessens matcha’s awesome benefits. If you are going to enjoy a cup of matcha, please look for a product line or cafe who uses a matcha that is made from only the ground tea leaves, or a beneficial add-in, like ginger pieces.

A tip for drinking tea and matcha in general: Do not drink it with dairy if you want to get the antioxidant benefits from the tea. Whether you add a splash of milk like the British, or order a matcha latte, the casein in milk binds to the catechins (an antioxidant compound found in tea), which causes them remain unabsorbed by the body. Drink your tea plain, or order your tea latte with a dairy free milk to reap all the antioxidant benefits tea has to offer!

As a tea drinker, I will not typically go to Starbucks to get my tea fix. What would it take to get me to feel better about ordering a beverage from the coffee giant, you ask? First, Teavana should remove the “artificial flavor” from each and every tea selection that contains this pesky ingredient. Second, Starbucks must find a matcha producer that does not add any sweetener to their matcha powder. That way, we can all drink to our health.

What do you think about Starbucks? Love it, hate it, or do you fall somewhere in between? Sound off below!

XO, Alexandra

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