Random Realization

As much as I find the idea of working from home quaint, novel, and highly desirable, I now realize that I need a physical office away from home in order to keep my beauty copywriting career at its full and optimal potential. The only things that I find that I'm able to do sufficiently well at home are the following:

- Cook
- Eat
- Write about what I cooked and ate
- Browse the internet (because believe it or not, I rarely leisurely browse when I'm at work)
- Plan a yoga class
- Do yoga
- Write about life and yoga
- Nap and sleep

So, unless I take steps to make some of the above become my full-time occupation—food blogging, yoga teaching, and yoga/life blogging—I shall continue to be part of the daily hustle and bustle of working in New York City, being a copywriter in the fabulous world of beauty.

Now, getting to the office is one thing. I do love and enjoy having an office and being among coworkers (surprisingly, what with my social awkwardness). My ultimate goal/dream/wish as a professional is to be shuttled back and forth via car service. I want to work as hard as Bloomberg, but not have to be in a jam-packed train during rush hour. But then again, the mayor himself takes the subway—and so do CEOs, Julia Stiles, Scarlett Johansson, Jay Z*, et.al.—so touché!

(*Maybe Hova doesn't count, probably had a full security detail in tow, hah!)

Ikea + Marimekko

I'm a fan of high-and-low pairings—in fashion, beauty...and the home!

Case in point, I want these Marimekko bowls:

Marimekko Small Siirtolapuutarha Bowl, $24.

Marimekko Large Siirtolapuutarha Bowl, $52.

And these Ikea plates and bowls:

Ikea Promenad Series bowls and plates, $3.99–4.99 each.

Scandinavian treats for the home, satisfied, in one fell swoop! :)

(Screenshots from: http://usstore.marimekko.com/home-decor/kitchen-and-dining.asp and http://onlinecatalog.ikea-usa.com/us/en/ikea_catalog)

Fall Shopping

We're on the last weekend of summer before Labor Day—then it'll officially be fall. Le sigh.

On the bright side, holiday weekend sales are happening and aplenty!

These caught my fancy over at Rebecca Minkoff:

1) The Maria

I instantly thought of my niece, Maria (who's no longer so little) and sent the link promptly to her mom. :) I love the punchy color combination, the envelope design, and the pleats. And it seems roomy enough to stash essentials and more.

2) The Coco Clutch

I would love this for myself, but alas, I rarely ever go out for cocktails or events these days. (Maybe if I start blogging more I can revive my editorial life, haha.) But then again, I think this can work at the office—I always carry a second, roomier bag anyway (e.g. my reusable Trader Joe's shopping tote).

3) M.A.C. Clutch

It's white! It's laser-cut! It's adorable! This reminds me of an old pair of pointy slingback flats I had a long time ago...

New York Summer Streets

Bikers on Park Avenue.

"Summer Streets is an annual celebration of New York City’s most valuable public space—our streets. On three consecutive Saturdays in the summer, nearly seven miles of NYC’s streets are opened for people to play, walk, bike, and breathe... On August 3, 10 & 17, from 7am to 1pm, nearly seven miles of New York City’s streets are opened up for everyone to play, run, walk and bike." Source: NYC.gov

Here are pics from yesterday's lovely walk down Park Avenue from 42nd St. by Grand Central, down to the Flat Iron District in the 20s. Summer Streets goes the full stretch from East 72nd St., all the way downtown at Brooklyn Bridge. Here's the route from the website:

Summer Streets route, including rest stops.

Park Avenue tunnel closed to traffic from 7am to 1pm.

Sharing the streets.

Bikers, rollerbladers (even skateboarders and unicyclers) all welcome!

It looks like they added more Citibikes for rent for this event.

A Gotham-y shot near 23rd St.

Dressing Appropriately for One's Age

Lately, I've been thinking more and more about age-appropriate dressing. At 33, I'm doing a wardrobe update of sorts, adding more "grown-up" pieces—e.g. shift dresses, collared (sleeveless) buttoned tops, and skirts—infusing the same pops of color and play on prints that I've come to love all these years.

Oddly, I dressed more like a 30-year-old in my twenties and a 20-year-old in my thirties; a teen when I was a tween and a tween when I was a teen!

That said, I'm a lover of clothes (and accessories!). I remember as a child, my mom and I would go on regular visits to the town's seamstress who would make us pretty things that I will brazenly say resemble Resort pieces in a prepster kind of way. Back in the day—which really isn't too far back as this was only the eighties—it wasn't unusual for people to go to a family tailor or seamstress to have clothes made.

Fast forward to 2013, we have Zara, Gap, H&M and a hooplah of ready-to-wear pieces that frankly, do a fine job of translating high fashion to us mere (rent-paying) mortals. I'm just a bit more scrutinizing of fabrics these days, after having read "Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion," a thoroughly researched book by Elizabeth Cline. Check out this New York Times review.

So, back to the age-appropriateness of my wardrobe. I've recently put together a peg that more or less encapsulates my game plan for this age and stage. It's a happy hodgepodge of pages clipped from the March 2013 issue of Vogue that I've been using as a guide for shopping. (Trivia: I'd inadvertently picked out Pantone's "color of the year," emerald green, as seen below on the Eres ad. Who knew?)

Clockwise from top left: structured "corseted jacket" with tortoiseshell-plexiglass belt and breastplate, Alexander McQueen; cutaway top with "fishline detail," Alexander Wang; black tweed top and shorts, Sandro; happy pops of colored enamel, Revlon; model-y looks e.g. silk pants paired with a printed blazer, A-line demi and pencil skirts by Proenza Schouler (the latter look as seen on Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr, I totally intended to copy with a recent purchase of a sheer black top and brocade skirt); cute green bra, Eres; scents from Balenciaga and Narciso Rodriguez.

Oh, and yes—my take on age-appropriate dressing? Wear what makes you happy, confident and comfortable! True, I do cringe at the sight of skimpy clothing, especially on mature women and teenagers... or make that, in general. But then that's just me, I may have grown more conservative over the years in terms of that balance between going short here, long there; business in front, party in the back, etc. But, who knows? Maybe one sweltering day I may just bust out a tube top and mini myself!

Valrhona Fudge Cakes

Finally got to blog about these at All My Sugar :) Click on the link for the recipe!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This sweet vanilla cupcake topped with a rich, creamy swirl of Valrhona chocolate butter frosting will make your heart swoon and make you fall in love with life itself!

For this, I referenced the recipe in my "Cupcakes a la NYC" post (also at Allmysugar.com). They're inspired by Magnolia Bakery's vanilla-chocolate cupcakes, or even Eleni's—both in New York.

Because I forgot to get some at the grocery earlier, I substituted the melted unsweetened chocolate originally called for with the Valrhona cocoa powder I already had in the pantry. Unfortunately, I didn't measure it out and just kept adding cocoa by the spoonfuls to the frosting, until it tasted just about right. I'd say about five tablespoons, but let your tastebuds be the judge :)

Have a sweet Valentine's Day! With love from NYC :)

Malt Ball Overload

At Dylan's Candy Bar :) 

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 29

Beyoncé @ Superbowl 2013

I don't think you're ready for this jelly… ;)

(What a surprise—Destiny's Child!)

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 24

1, 2, 3…Gnocchi!

Georgeous dumplings: chewy and delicious with this homemade gorgonzola sauce!

If you love gorgonzola cheese, then this dish is for you. It’s unbelievably easy too—you can make it in 20 minutes flat. If you’ve never had gnocchi, its chewy texture paired with the savory combination of garlic, toasted walnuts, creamy gorgonzola, will perhaps make you fall in love. Dip a soft or crusty hunk of bread in the velvety sauce, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

You’ll need:

(Serves one)

• 3/4 cup gnocchi (this looks like too little but trust me, once it cooks and mixed in with the other ingredients, it’s hefty)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• half a teaspoon of crushed garlic (more if you like) 
• a handful of walnuts (option to chop, crush them with your fist, or just mash them with a wooden spoon as you’re making the dish)
• 3 tablespoons of crumbled gorgonzola (more if you like)
• 1/2 cup milk

Sauté until edges of gnocchi are ever-so-slightly browned

Directions:

1. Cook gnocchi according to package directions—which simply means, boil water, add salt, add gnocchi, and fish them out once they float to the surface. Save 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid for later (this will help create a thick, yummy, creamy sauce).
2. On medium low heat, warm the olive oil then add the garlic (don’t let it brown).
3. Up the heat to medium and sauté the walnuts until toasted, and add the cooked gnocchi.
   
4. Toss in the gorgonzola, and as it melts, add the milk, then the pasta water. Season to taste and turn off the heat once sauce starts to thicken.
5. Serve in a bowl, top with cracked black pepper and crumbles of gorgonzola.

Gnocchi in a creamy gorgonzola sauce cooked with garlic and walnuts.

Note: As I’ve mentioned in the intro, you MUST have a hunk of bread to dip into the sauce; it’s part of the experience. Glass of wine is optional :) Enjoy!

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 23

Oops, I did it again!

I’ve been missing my meditation and Nadi Shodhana minutes lately. As for the blogging, well, I guess my All In A Day’s Work Instagram post counted for Friday, although I would’ve wanted to have written something down for the night.

Instead, the above :) I got home from work, showered right away, and enjoyed dinner and wine with the husband; caught up with this week’s episode of White Collar, then went to bed.

Ahh… Friday :)

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 22

Dip, Stir, Enjoy!

Le Pain Quotidien Bâtonnets Chocolatés au Chocolat Noir Belge
(Hot Chocolate Sticks with Belgian Dark Chocolate)

Dip in hot milk...

Stir... and enjoy!

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 21

Le Pain Quotidien Bâtonnets Chocolatés au Chocolat Noir Belge

Organic, delectable, and plain awesome. Le Pain Quotidien Bâtonnets Chocolatés au Chocolat Noir Belge (Hot Chocolate Sticks with Belgian Dark Chocolate)

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 21

Oops Post

I didn’t get to do my Day 20 post on this date. I got home from work and did about 40 minutes of yoga…and fell asleep! So I also didn’t get to do Nadi Shodhana. Oh well, another day, another night. ;)

I’d meant to post this song, “Cross The Line” by First State ft. Relyk. I heard it over the weekend at SoulCycle—the spinning session, a whole other post altogether!

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 20

"Be kind to your body… Do what you want to do, not what you think you should do." 

—heard in yoga class earlier; sound advice also applicable to life! :)

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 19

Linguine con le Vongole

Linguine con le Vongole made easy, thanks to Trader Joe’s Steamer Clams :) 

Recipe from Tyler Florence on Foodnetwork.com.

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 18

Norwegian Benedict at Smörgåschef

Norwegian Benedict at Smörgåschef, Scandinavia House 

58 Park Ave New York, NY 10016

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 17

CCKT One-Minute Chocolate Cake, Revisited

Yes, you can make a messy, gooey, single-(or double)serve chocolate cake in your microwave!

Back in August, I blogged about vegan dessert blogger Chocolate Covered Katie’s One Minute Chocolate Cake recipe, over at my food blog, All My Sugar. It’s unbelievably easy and you actually make it in a microwave oven—a-mazing!

I think Katie has a note about not reposting her recipes verbatim, so please click on the link above if you’re interested in the full recipe.

My modifications:

• regular 2% milk instead of almond milk

• 2 tbsp spelt flour and 1 tbsp of all-purpose flour (instead of spelt all the way)

• melted butter instead of vegetable oil

• added a splash of coffee to the batter

For the frosting, I poured a handful of chocolate chips into a small microwavable glass bowl, added a splash of milk, and microwaved it for a minute. This served as my instant-ganache frosting. Again, super-duper easy!

Oh, and I doubled the recipe to make two little cakes in two little ramekins. :)

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 16

And then I bit into it ;) 

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 14

Too cute to eat! @moroccanoil cookie. 

Mariel Jimenez | 30-day Blog Challenge 2013 | Day 14