ooh girl

One Wednesday in May...

in Chicago, Illinois

in Daly City, California

in Oakland, California

"I said ooh girl..."

<3 C

MGMT - Electric Feel

Plain White T(ea) Time

School's out for summer! ...And, apparently, so is my brain. I had big plans for my Hanes white tee and strawberries, but they never came to fruition. (Maybe I'll come back to them in a future post.) Unlike my counterparts, I rock white tees on the regular. They're a staple in my closet and best paired with jeans in my opinion; simple and comfy, just how I like it. I decided to try a bit harder by adding gold accessories and kitten heels. I actually sat in on an interview and attended an exhibition opening in this 'fit and was told I looked fancy. I don't know if that speaks to the ability of gold and heels to complete a look or my inability to do so usually.

I took a look at what I had in the pantry and refrigerator and decided on strawberry lemon scones. I fudged the recipe a bit based on what I had on hand. So if you try this at home take a look at my suggestions or feel free to experiment too. If you come up with something good, leave a comment so that I can try ;) Next time I think I'll sweeten things up by adding a lemon glaze on top, just fresh squeezed lemon juice and confectioner's sugar mixed together.

Strawberry Lemon Scones

Dry Mixture

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (2 1/2 would be better)
• 2 Tbsps white sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt

Liquid Mixture

• 2 Tbsps white sugar
• Zest from one large lemon
• Juice from 1/2 large lemon (just squeeze the whole thing!)
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup milk, buttermilk, or heavy cream (start with a little less and add more if you need it)

Solo Ingredients

• 8 Tbsps unsalted butter, chilled and diced
• 1 cup strawberries, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Sift Dry Mixture (I don't have a sifter and things came out fine)
3. Mix in diced butter with your fingers until there are no clumps
4. Whisk Liquid Mixture
5. Add Liquid Mixure to Dry Mixture (now with butter) and squeeze with fingers into a soft dough
6. Gently fold in chopped strawberries
7. Pour out onto heavily floured surface and gently kneed until outer surface is smooth
8. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper or stoneware with no parchment paper (thank goodness I have my Pampered Chef stoneware because I never have parchment paper when I need it!)
9. Pat into any shape you like
10. Bake until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes

Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee in a My Dear Darling mug!

Let's be honest. You don't read my posts for the style tips or recipes. So I assume you're here for my clever writing. (That's ok. I laughed too.) But come on, "Plain White T(ea) Time"? That's genius! From my little, nerdy, Frank A. Longo-crossword-loving heart to yours...

<3 C

Secretly dedicated to Phu. I hope you think of me and this song whenever you're passing time at the bean :)

Plain White T's - 1234

Mint Green Savings!

Good news for all you shoppers out there!  For Ebates's birthday (referral link) they are offering 13% cash back on 132 of their stores! If you're like me, an avid online shopper, then Ebates is like the hot fudge on your mint chocolate chip ice cream!
*Note: Clicking on the referral link may result in commissions


Speaking of mint chocolate chip, that was my FAVORITE flavor growing up, and is still my go to.  That's probably why I've been swooning over mint everything lately! Mint jewelry, mint tops, I have a mint dress on my wish list, and of course mint bottoms.

I spent a good solid month looking for the perfect mint bottoms.  Loft would've had the win with their mint skinnies, but I wanted something more casual as most all my pants these days are skinny pants, so I opted for Zara's Mint Chinos.

I wore this little number to my friend's all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ/Cinco de Mayo birthday party.  The relaxed fit of the chinos helped me feel comfortable while I indulged in all the Korean goodness and daintily sipped on all-you-can-drink margaritas.  I paired it with this peach floral top I impulsively bought at H&M, but hey, sometimes impulsive shopping pays off.  To finish off the casual look, I pulled out my blush Born Ibis Oxfords, my Ann Taylor clutch and some arm candy.  The perfect Spring outfit to enjoy indulging on a perfect Spring day.

{Outfit}

Top: H&M

Pants: Zara

Shoes: Born via Nordstrom

Belt: H&M

Bracelets: Kate Spade, J.Crew, O.co, Asos, H&M

Thanks for reading!
<3, roe

Passing time at the Bean

instagram: phuphubear


One of my favorite places to eat during my lunch break is at Millennium Park where the bean, called Cloud Gate, is located. If you ever get a chance to visit this amazing city, Millennium Park is definitely a place worth checking out.


One of my pastimes is people watching (not in a creepy way haha). I like watching how people take pictures at the bean. I've seen a couple take their wedding photos, groups of friends taking jumping pictures, people pretending to lift the bean, etc. I've seen an international couple arguing in the middle of the park where the girl is screaming while the poor guy has his head down. I've seen elder couples holding hands (which I love love love to see) as they walk through the park with blissful smiles on their faces. I've seen a group of people holding signs who were offering free hugs. I've seen a man dressed as a zombie who walked through the park like a zombie making zombie noises. The list can go for awhile.

Although I am easily entertained by the numerous people that come through the park, my most entertainment during my lunch break (if I don't have company) is pigeon watching where the boy pigeon is trying to court a girl pigeon. Basically, the boy pigeon puffs himself up and walks in circles as he coos to the girl. You might think I'm a little crazy but it's the most entertaining thing in the world.


This one time while I was pigeon watching, the girl pigeon was eating while the boy pigeon was doing his little dance. She would fly a foot away and he would fly straight to her. As she walked away, he followed. She kept flying away but he was persistent and kept trying to court her. As I watch in amusement, I'm thinking, "Dang, if I was trying to get my grub on and some boy was trying to get my attention that I didn't want to give, I'd be so annoyed." Of course, I giggled to myself as I thought this. An even more entertaining sight is seeing two boy pigeons trying to court one girl pigeon at the same time. Reminds you of people at the club too, don't you think?

There's been so much entertainment as well as scenery at my beloved lunch spot. I can't help but feel blessed to be able to enjoy such a wonderful and beautiful place to have my lunch. :)


Tulips, one of my favorite flowers, are planted through out Chicago & Millennium Park during the Spring



Where's your favorite lunch spot and past time?



<3, phu

let's stay together

Mother's Day is quickly approaching. Traditionally, flowers and cards are sent to our mothers, telling them how much we appreciate them. Growing up my family did the whole brunch thing, but later as my sister and I moved away from home it was more difficult to get everyone together. I remember in my first year of college I made arrangements to surprise my mama with a visit. She hates surprises. So I told her the day before. She was so upset because she had ordered a box of fresh fruit tarts to be delivered to my dorm room on Mother's Day. Of course this makes no sense to most folks because I am not a mother, but it's typical for my mama to show her girls love on this day because we "are the reason she's a mother and happy to be one." I might argue that my dad and courvoisier are the reason, but that's another story. My mama dislikes any kind of special attention. She doesn't like to be photographed or bragged about, but let me just say that's she's pretty much the dopest person I know... and I know a lot of dope people.

Actually, I was lucky to see a lot of those folks this weekend when I flew home for a quick visit with the family. Here's a recap in photos to Al Green's Let's Stay Together, my mama's jam. (See how dope she is?)

1. jade bracelet and gold bangles

(found in my mama's jewelry box)

2. simple gold ring

3. rain boots in the last bit of rain

4. sister time in Spring

1. fried garlic lobster

2. belgian waffle with chocolate covered strawberries

3. glazed donuts ;)

4. chinese steamed rockfish

5. champagne, cocktails, and wine to toast a beautiful marriage

6. early mother's day homemade brunch in the backyard

Happy Mother's Day, Mamas!

<3 c

Let's Stay Together - Al Green