instant weekend, part 1

Happy April!

My friend A just started a new job, and was in need of a new work wardrobe, so she drove down for some shopping at Las Americas Premium Outlets. Do not let the proximity to the US/Mexico border (it is literally the last exit before leaving the US) intimidate you! There are so many stores, the staff is super-friendly (and bilingual!) and there hasn’t been any border traffic any of the times I’ve been there.

8 hours,  5 stores, and many dollars (but less than a month’s rent) later, she came away with 9 pairs of shoes, 5 dresses, 19 tops/blouses, 3 blazers, 2 full suits, 5 cardigans, and 4 pairs of pants*. What can I say, we do good work! We also lots of quality gossip/eating/drinking time, and unfortunately I managed to accidentally delete most of my photos from the weekend, but here are the ones I still have! (P.S. for the rest of my photos, follow me on Instagram @evangelina !)

[blazer: Forever 21 (similar – expensive); blouse; Everly (in mint here); faux-leather pants: H&M; heels: Seychelles ‘Jump at the Chance’]

I wore this outfit to dinner at Searsucker on Saturday night. After shopping all day, we were super hungry (and running really late) so we weren’t too upset that the only reservation left was at 10pm! These Seychelles heels were a godsend after running around the outlets all day in my wedges!

For those of you who don’t watch Top Chef, Searsucker is one of Brian Malarkey’s (of season 3 fame) restaurants here in San Diego, and it’s wildly popular. The menu changes daily, but here’s a rundown of what we ate. Fair warning: we can EAT. Another warning: if you do not like loud noise, sideboob, DRUNK BROS YO, or searching for parking in order to avoid the $15 valet fee, go for lunch.

– Drinks

Indian Summer: I only had a sip of A’s, and it was delicious! Freshly pressed apple juice, grey goose la poire, and leopold apple. I was terrified this would be too boozy (drinks that come in martini glasses intimidate me), so I didn’t order it but I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t too sweet, but the sip I had was tasty!

Skinny Jenny: their version of a Moscow Mule. House-made ginger beer, bitters, vodka, and lime. Insanely refreshing.

– Bites

Cheddar Puffers: These are complimentary, and the little tin our server brought out was more than enough for us! They were really good – a little spicy, cheesy, and, true to their name, puffy!

– Small Plates (This is where we did all the damage! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a food-sharer, and a bad decider. I get anxiety when I have to choose a single entree for a meal, so I prefer to order lots of small plates and share with a fellow foodie.)

Scallop + Pork Belly Caramel: This was AMAZING. We didn’t really know what to expect, but the server recommended it, and we were not disappointed! It was a little spicy, a little salty, a little bit sweet, and the scallop was cooked perfectly. I’d definitely order this again.

Shrimp with Bacon Grits: Also cooked perfectly, and also a little spicy! This portion was pretty big – there were five shrimp, and a huge portion of grits.

Short Rib + Horseradish + Fried Onion: Another pretty big portion, and ridiculously delicious (are you seeing a theme??) The short rib was fork-tender, the onions perfectly crispy without being soggy/oily, and the flavors were balanced well.

Beef Tartare + Quail Egg + Taro Chip: I’m not going to lie, a huge part of what I liked about this dish was feeling like a giant when I picked up the tiiiiny quail egg to pour onto the tartare. (For those of you who don’t know, beef tartare is raw chopped/seasoned beef, and usually mixed with an egg yolk and traditionally served with toast points, or, in layman’s terms, “Beef Salsa^.”) This, in A’s assessment, could have used “a little more acid” but was also pretty good. The taro chips were a welcome change from the usually overly buttery/rich toast points that come with the dish.

Proscuitto with Blackberry, Arugula, and Burrata: This was a salad, and if I were eating here with people who hated sharing (or on a first date and wanted to look dainty) this is definitely the salad I’d get! It’s big enough for two to split, but only if they are ordering many more things (or have quail egg-sized stomachs!) There was a TON of proscuitto, and the burrata (a fresh Italian cheese, which is basically like eating A+++ mozzarella and cream) was to die for. Get this (unless you are vegan, in which case you need to check out my friend’s blog!)

Fried Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts: This is a side dish, but a really hearty serving of delicious fried veggies. I can’t remember what type of vinegar was on them (it wasn’t balsamic) but they were delicious as well.

Brie + Strawberry Compote: I don’t know if it was because we were super-full by this point, or just a little fatigued from all the rich food, but this wasn’t life-changing. I never hate brie, but I’d definitely skip this one and save room for some of the aforementioned superstars.

Duck Fat Fries + Tomato Jam: This was probably the major disappointment of the evening, and I think a huge part of it had to do with how overhyped it was on Yelp. Neither one of us could discern the flavor of duck fat (unlike the delicious duck fat fries at Sessions Public), and the fries were tossed in Parmsean and Bacon, which made them too salty. Skip these too, unless you’re dying to have fries (totally understandable, BTW. The heart wants what it wants.)

– Dessert

‘Shortbake’ with Strawberry Sorbet and Basil (something): OMG this was soooooo good! It was two pieces of shortbread-esque pastry (I say ‘esque’ because it wasn’t cooked crisp like the shortbreads I’ve had in my lifetime), a scoop of sorbet, and a smear of whipped basil cream. The components were good separately (the basil whip was a little overpowering alone) but together they were unstoppable. This is a seasonal dessert, but if it’s on the menu, YOU MUST EAT IT!

Doughnuts and Chocolate: I think we were literally the last table to order dessert, so I don’t know how accurate my review of this will be, since it might have been the end of the night, but these were not life-changing. The chocolate dipping sauce was cold, and the doughnut balls were really dense and tasted pretty oily. Hopefully they were just a victim of last-call blues, but I don’t think I’d order these again. To Searsucker’s credit, they initially told us the kitchen closes at 11, but still served us dessert when we ordered it at 12:30, so I can’t be too mad.

Long story short: the service was awesome, I’d definitely go back, and I think I gained ten pounds. However, this is exactly how we felt after dinner:

[tee: Adidas (boys)]

Stay tuned for the next installment, in which I horrify you with the amount of things I ate at Sunday brunch!

Fat Kid Nation Forever,

*And a partridge in a pear tree, per A.

^Layman = me. I’m clever.

hats off

I think these might be the only non-iPhone selfie photos on my blog thus far. It’s a big day, folks! Thanks to my friend E for the photo shoot!

[hat, jacket: ASOS; top: BB Dakota; jeans: American Eagle; heels: Kelsi Dagger; bag: Forever 21]

Posing is *hard,* y’all! We snapped these photos before meeting a bunch of friends for dinner, and I think these were the only two where I didn’t look completely awkward (although these are plenty awkward!) More power to the bloggers who do this on a regular basis, because I felt sooooooo stupid. However, I have to admit it’s nice to see my entire outfit without my phone in front of my face! I don’t know how often I’ll be able to do something like this, but hopefully the next ones will be better!

As a consolation, here is a photo of Fatman, who recently decided he is in charge of guarding the stairs.

devil in a blue dress

Haha not really, but I adore this dress from the Gap, and it was 30% off during their Friends and Family event last weekend! Thankfully it was warm last Friday so I got to wear it out! I love the neckline:

[dress: Gap; sandals: Seychelles ‘Jump at the Chance’; watch: Nixon; lips: Stila Liquid Lipstick in ‘Fiore’]

I am obsessed with Stila’s Liquid Lipstick – if you read here regularly, you know that I rarely wear much makeup (other than my trusty eyebrow powder, otherwise I am Asian Whoopi Goldberg), but I do love a good punch of color on the lip. I’m always on the hunt for that perfect shade, but I hate having to reapply all day long, so this lipstick is perfect! I literally wore this lipstick all through dinner and it was STILL on at midnight when I finally crawled into bed! I love it so much I bought it in Beso (red) and Carina (coral). It’s certainly not for everyone, though – my friend didn’t like it because she thought it felt dry, and I guess if one is used to a creamy lipstick, then the long-lasting staining effect probably is jarring, but I’d say pop into your local Sephora and try it!

And now for photos of my cats:

[fatman watches law & order: svu]

Good old “SVU.” It’s the only show that I’ve probably seen every episode of, but will sit and watch a marathon every time it’s on USA. My boy cat loves it too. I think he’s an Olivia fan.

[siblings]

Hope your weekend was great!

dressing room diaries

Since I have very little extra spending money after buying the house, I’ve been trying on and waiting for sales!

[#1; #2; #3 – all Target; shoes: J.Crew; watch: Nixon; bracelets: Walter ‘nailed it‘, Stella & Dot ‘renegade cluster‘, Mimi & Red (similar)]

[sweater, shorts: Express; wedges: TOMs; watch: Nixon]

Have you gotten anything good lately? Let me live vicariously through you!!

regresar

Good lord it has been almost an entire month since I posted last! Between concerts, a nasty bout of the flu, and trying to get things settled in my new place (note to self: keep track of when everything comes out of auto-pay!) I haven’t had much time for anything, but I’m trying! It also doesn’t help that the weather in San Diego has been totally schizophrenic so my outfits have been very….layered. Here’s one from last Sunday, where it was about 80 degrees in the morning and then 60 the next day.

 

[dress: Charlie Jade via Mimi & Red (old); watch: Nixon]

I got this dress on super-clearance during a midwinter sale at my favorite boutique, and I was so excited to be able to wear it when the weather warmed up for two glorious days last weekend. I know it might sound odd since I’m barely 5 feet tall, but there’s nothing I love more than an easy maxi – it’s an entire outfit AND I don’t have to shave my legs? Sign me up!

On an unrelated note: I’m pretty sure this dog is having the best day of his/her life:

[S]he is wearing a fabulous little harness to keep secure to mom!

Happy weekend!

hiatus

Sorry about the long break between posts, but I’ve been super-busy lately because I bought a house! I feel so grown up and so terrified. There are still boxes everywhere, and my guest room daybed has yet to be fully constructed, but it’s nice to have some space all to myself and to decorate as I see fit. I’ll do a big before/after post once things are done, but for today, I’m just happy to know where my pants are!

I haven’t unpacked my mirror yet, so the outfit photos are going to be even *more* random for a while.

[blouse, jeans: Old Navy; wedges: Zara]

This is a selfie I took after a pilates class at the gym, hence my…active…hair. I love these pants from Old Navy – they are the perfect sized leg opening, and I’ve been obsessed with finding camo green skinnies for the longest time! The best part? These are on sale now! What are you waiting for??

I went to my friend C’s birthday part this past weekend. She is an awesome attorney, a kind-hearted person, and best of all, a fellow cat lady! I wore this hilarious shirt from H&M in honor of her and her kitty, Romeo.

[top, faux leather pants: H&M; heels: Sam Edelman ‘Roza‘]

[post hair-curling]

DISCLAIMER: I am not drunk in the photo below; I was trying to befriend Romeo, who was hiding under the bed, probably from all of the noise.

Here’s to more frequent posting, and continued unpacking!

cheap and cheerful

This dress was $3.00 on clearance at Old Navy! It was on super-clearance, and then another 10% off when I pointed out there were belt loops, but no belt. I don’t consider myself a thrifty person, but I’m not a stupid person either :). This belt was also on clearance – I was expecting to pay $9.99 for it, but it rang up at $4.00. BO. NUS.

When I bought this dress, I wondered if I’d ever be able to wear it, since the cold snap seemed interminable, but earlier this week, the sun came back out and the air warmed up!

[headband: Anthropologie; dress: Old Navy; belt: Windsor; wedges: Mea Shadow; monogram pendant: Baublebar]

Confession: I immediately changed out of these wedges after I took this photo – I decided I’d rather wear leopard print flats instead! I also added my trusty denim jacket (which is splashed all over this blog) to keep me warm in the air conditioning. Yes,  we went from outside Arctic Tundra to indoor Arctic Tundra this week.

Peace,

knits

It’s still cold! Thus, I am still derelicte.

[hat: H&M; sunnies: Mimi & Red; sweater: Gap (old); chambray/knit skirt: Target; tights: Express; boots: Bamboo; watch: Nixon]

I’m not going to lie, these weird 90s boots have totally grown on me! Who knows how much longer before the shine wears off, but hopefully not before it warms up!

cold day

It is currently 50 degrees in Southern California, so you know what that means? Winter coat! Back in the Midwest, 50 degrees in January meant flip flops and short sleeves, but what can I say? I’ve become accustomed to the warm weather here.

[jacket: Urban Outfitters (old); pants/heels: BCBG; sweater: Studio 1220; watch: Nixon ‘Kensington’; earrings: American Apparel]

To be fair, this coat isn’t particularly warm, since it’s not lined and seems to be made out of cheap felt, but it made me feel warmer, so that’s worth something, right?

Stay warm, wherever you are!