The Lovely Lulu

Why hello blog world, it has been far too long. I am beginning to feel more like a guest blogger than the co-writer of this blog. As you can see from Jenna's post, winter break has been quite busy for the both of us. While it was lovely, I am in great need of some type of normal routine back in my life. However I wish that did not have to involve work and school. Unlike Jenna, I am big on New Year's resolutions. While I have committed to the same resolutions as most of the country (like eating healthier & staying more organized), I have also vowed (sadly) to limit my clothing habit. However that does not mean I can not jazz up my wardrobe with some amazing accessories. I am hoping that one of the first things I purchase (finances permitting) will come from Lulu Frost's collaboration with JCrew. Known for blending antique and vintage items with today's modern looks, the pieces fit perfectly with the JCrew aesthetic. Below I have picked a few of my favorite pieces. While they are not one of a kind like Lulu's main line, the antique crystals used make them truly special.

ENJOY!

Kacy

Happy New Year!

So its a little delayed but... Happy New Year! I hope it was fantastic for everyone! Kacy visited me in northern California from the 29th to January 4th and we had a fabulous time! Pretty positive she'll be back again soon. So before I document the highlights of our trip I just have to say that one of my top new years resolutions is being more consistent with blog posts. Normally I don't make any resolutions, but this one is important. I spend so much time reading other blogs that one would think I have the time to put some effort into my own! Hopefully I can pull it off, even if I'm off to a slow start. First things first, a recap of the wonderful trip. We started off at the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco of course!

The weather was clear and beautiful, albeit a little chilly. After we got tired of all the tourists and people trying to bike across the bridge, we continued on to the Haight Ashbury area. I didn't take any noteworthy pictures there, mostly because its all secondhand stores, hippies and stoners but it's definitely worth seeing. The next day we drove down to Monterey to have lunch at Nepenthe. An adorable restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with great food and even better views.

New Years eve happened somewhere in between these days, which was actually quite fun considering NYE is one of my least favorite holidays ever. We returned to San Francisco later in the week to visit Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. Fisherman's Wharf smelled awful but they just built a new building there entirely devoted to Boudin Sourdough bread...I was in heaven. Then we continued to Pier 39, where we saw a street performance by some hot British acrobats and watched the sea lions loaf around for awhile.
Our last stop of the day was Crown and Crumpet, an English tea parlor that opened in 2008. After seeing the parlor featured on Daily Candy I became obsessed and have been waiting to go ever since. So basically, this was a dream come true for me. The place is decorated adorably and the tea and treats are divine. They have a cute little shop as well that sells all the precious, useless knick knacks I love to buy. Visit their website and I guarantee you'll fall in love as well.
Don't these pictures just make you want to come to northern California? I forget why I ever left each time I return from school. Look out for some fun new posts soon! Even though I have been MIA, I've been doing lots of brainstorming and am feeling rather inspired.

xoxo

Jenna

Louboutin Love

I wish this post was about my own Christian Louboutin heels, however that would require the kind of Christmas miracle that could only be achieved through illegal activities, or maybe Oprah. However, it sounds as though Blake Lively can certainly share the love. Not only does she have a pair named after her, but she recently visited an invitation-only VIP Louboutin sample sale and bought not one, not two... but 40 pairs of shoes. Naturally some were gifts for her friends and family, because what says love and Merry Christmas better than a $1000 pair of shoes?? Nothing.

Lots of love,

Jenna

Newest Obsession

As Kacy mentioned, I am back home in northern California for the winter break and loving every minute of it! Yesterday I went along with my mom to do some Christmas shopping and discovered possibly one of the best stores in existence. The best part is, it isn't some unaffordable ritzy boutique with clothes I only dream about, but an adorable craft and paper store! Paper Source offers adorable cards and crafting ideas, as well as knick knacks and things you simply cannot live without, such as Jonathan Adler pens and pencils. Although the stores are not very popular, their website (http://www.paper-source.com/) offers all their adorable merchandise! I plan on taking a class at the store in January to teach me how to use assorted crafting tools, as I dabble in card making when I have the time. Ill let you know how it goes! Enjoy my adorable collage comprised of my favorite Paper Source items!

xoxo

Jenna

And the baking continues...

I am excited to announce that for once I have had a successful baking experience! Since Jenna left me a few days ago for California, I have just been sitting around the house, watching Christmas movies, and enjoying our much needed break from school. With so many amazing recipes out there I decided I ought to try a new one. From one of my favorite baking blogs, www.doughmesstic.net, I found a recipe for nutella & seal salt caramel fudge. I know, sounds like heaven! Well it tastes like it too. While I modified the recipe a bit due to the ingredients in my pantry, the fudge still turned out deliciously!

So heres to enjoying the few precious days left of the holiday season and 2010!
With love,
Kacy

The French macaron debacle

I apologize for my absence these past few weeks. With the flurry of the holiday season brought my family's vacation to Cancun, Mexico. While I fully enjoyed my week of white sand beaches and lime mojitos, it was equally sad to miss all the holiday festivities happening in the states. Not only did I miss the most sacred of days (Black Friday) but I also missed making my annual holiday goodies. In lue of the normal pies I make this time of year, yesterday I decided to attempt one of the most delicious and complex desserts known to man- the French macaron. While apprehensive knowing how delicate these delectable cookies are to create, I presumed Martha Stewart could not fail me. I finally decided upon a gingerbread variation with lemon cream filling. Here is a picture of what they are supposed to look like:

And so began my french macaron adventure. While the preparation went easy enough, I realized I did not have one important component- the parchment paper to cook them on. I decided to look up if aluminum foil would work as a viable alternative. In the end a few bloggers had had success using foil so I decided to try it out. After the lemon cream filling turned out less thick than I would have liked, I become even more nervous about my macarons. However when I took them out of the oven they looked beautiful- that was until I tryed to take them off the foil. While I would have loved to post a beautiful picture of my own macrons, my results were less than blog worthy. All in all, the experience proved to be less than enjoyable. I think in the future I will stick to christmas cookies and leave the macarons to the professionals. Happy baking everyone!

Kacy

Filoli Adventures

Once again, there is a serious case of neglect going on here. Deepest apologies. Less than two weeks until winter break though! For now, I want to share some divine pictures from my time at home over Thanksgiving. Every year my mom and I, along with some family friends, visit Filoli. A mansion built in the early 1900s, Filoli is now a historical landmark. The vast property, beautiful architecture and sheer size of the estate is amazing. During Christmas time each year the house is decorated with hundreds of trinkets, ornaments and gifts and people may wander through the house and purchase just about anything on display. Its a perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit! Enjoy! And Happy Holidays!

Jenna