Friends with kids

My expectations

I walked into the theatre expecting to be entertained by a hilarious comedy on how friends' lives change when they start having kids. It only made sense that their remaining single friends would be driven away from the group thinking they'd never make the same 'mistakes'.

Of course, I also thought we'd see all kinds of family problems handled in the poorest/most comical way. Then, they'd make us realize these are inevitable phases of life which we do NOT need to take so seriously. The End

How it really went

Turns out, the story I created in my mind did not come to life; in exchange, I got an extremely funny and sometimes even crude dose of reality. Friends who's lives change drastically when they start having kids. Consequently making their single friends want to give it a try -cause of course, THEY can make it work-.

There's the couple struggling to survive, the one fighting to get their youth back and the other two -not a couple- trying to beat the system. Doesn't sound like much of a chick flick, huh?

Honestly, I'm still not sure how I feel about the story (being the opinionated type, this rarely happens). I guess I'm always trying to find the lesson and I haven't figured it out. I can say one thing, the cast is brilliant and if you're in any way like me, one of the things you'll find yourself wondering -throughout the entire movie- is WHY THE HELL JON HAMM IS WITH HER? sorry, had to say it.

Bottom Line:

* Do or don't: DO

* With: A friend (trust me, you'll want to discuss this forever)

* Where: Doesn't matter, you can watch it at home.

casual cool

Have I mentioned my sister's one of my fashion icons? She has such a good eye and great vision to spot trends waaay before they happen that sometimes, I should trust her even more than I already do.

 

It's hard to find an outfit that works for your job (in her case at her restaurant) and a trendy dinner afterwards. This one does and you can even accessorize it with a light scarf and a cool bag.

The trick is to combine a reasonable number of textures & colors with, I'd say 1-2 prints (2 if accessorized) and then make a bold statement with the shoes.

Remember to make every detail count. If you have a bright mint pedi, choose shoes that show it. If your sweater has cute braiding in the back and your hair's long, put it up in a bun...

I'll just say this for the sake of using a line from one of my all time favorite musicals: You're never fully dressed without a smile!

Snow Days No Mo'

I want to start by saying, this is in no way a complaint, 

more like a homage (i love that word btw)

Having grown up in another country, it's hard to describe my excitement without contradicting myself but there it is: I ADORE snow & I'm petrified of extreme cold.

The subtle sound of snowflakes hitting my window gives me this sense of anticipation that only Santa Claus did.

Waking up to NY covered in white fluffy loveliness, bundling up to go sink your rainboots into semi-frozen puddles is the BEST FEELING EVER!

Of course, no need to brag but there's also Central Park. covered in snow. in the sunset...

potat-oh salad!

Potatoes and I go way back, we love each other and I'd never had potato salad! Yes, by choice but no, not ok. The idea of mayo and potato sitting in a deli fridge for days didn't help either. Point is, I tried it and lets just say, I'm not looking for a Potato-Salad-Addicts' support group any time soon. Hence the making of my own version.

Before boiling your small new red potatoes to perfection, add salt to the water and then wait for 9-11 minutes or until they're easily pierced by a fork but still a bit firm. 

For the next ingredients, drumroll… We're using sour cream, goat cheese, pepper, bacon & chives. If this doesn't sound heavenly to you, i don't know what does. (If you want it to be less of a calorie splurge you can use 1/3 less-fat sour cream and turkey bacon, microwaved 'til crisp, aprox. 1 min per strip.)

Cut the potatoes, crumble de bacon, chop the chives, crack the pepper, dollop the cream, add the goat cheese & fold it into deliciousness!

Enjoy! warm is better (and never will you read me saying this for anything else again. EVER)

bright meet stripe

I still don't know what makes me nervous about color blocking... I guess it's a pattern haha. Just like in food, outfits need to have different textures and prints, no?

Of course in this "ensemble" the pants are the star of the show
(that is, until I decided to bring my raccoon hat on board) 
and I think they're meant to be used 
as blank (or red, or blue, or green) canvas. 

Once you've paired them with ANY print(stripes, animal, flowers, etc…) and your favorite accessories (here you see a glimpse of my sisters beloved Balenciaga which I stole... just for a one day) voila! you'll feel like you've got it AAALL together!

L'Artiste

Nostalgia is the word and what a nice word it is. 

I won't lie, the sole idea of not speaking for two hours made me 
a little nervous but you'll be glad to hear there was no need... 

I was mesmerized, speechless & in love. The music, the characters and the story lived up to my expectations and beyond! It's two full hope-infused hours where your faith in humanity is restored with a side of tap dancing.

So hopeless romantics, happy ending seekers and feel good movie lovers; I promise it'll inspire you... Lets just hope this trend is here to stay, in the meantime, we shall celebrate la joie de vivre!!! 

Bottom line:

* Do or don't: Super DO!

* With: Anyone you know will appreciate it & not speak for 2 hrs.

* Where: At a movie theatre, the older the better!