favorite healthy dessert ever! (ricotta and brown sugar are healthy, right?)

today after the gym i opened the fridge…and saw strawberries. lots and lots of strawberries in a great big crate! …naturally, i reached for the ricotta cheese and pulled out the brown sugar from the cabinet, and voila: ricotta-and-brown-sugar-dipped-strawberries!
refreshing and summer-y; tangy yet sweet.

going dress crazy!

i’m pretty sure the last three items of clothing that i’ve bought have been dresses … so easy to style and glamorous and effortless! i went a little dress crazy on this amazing new website i found, modcloth.com.
i LOVE the colors in the two multicolored dresses, the fun necklines and textures of the black dresses, the vintage silhouettes of the red and blue dresses, and the tuxedo-like quality of the black and white dress.

peach cobbler baby!

mmm.
that is all i can say, besides the fact that peaches have to be one of my favorite summer fruits…and my baba (grandma) has been ‘forcing’ them on me for every train ride home … and i will now go buy peaches and try to make this in my next free hour.
courtesy of foodgawker.com

etsy calls - again!

as anybody whose gone vintage shopping with me can attest, the absolute first place i go to when i hit the shops is the belt section! I think it’s something about how much one belt can transform an outfit…
while these belts are certainly not vintage, I am loving the art deco feel of the black obi-like belt, the unusual yellow and black combination and geometric design of the ‘alice in wonderland’ belt, the soft yet dressy quality of the cream number, and the bright, high impact yellow skinny belt!
once again, etsy.com

Post San Francisco Outfit

Post-San Francisco outfit:
 Just got back from an amazing trip to San Francisco, Berkeley, and the surrounding areas! Picked up these amazing pocketed and pinstriped, swingy, high-waisted shorts from a boutique called Sway in Berkeley (check it out!!). I also found the quintessential “I <3 SF” shirt, but in a chicer, gathered racer-back tank. GREAT SHOPPING in northern cal!
as for the necklaces, i decided to mix things up and combine a faux pearl and cord necklace with a metallic, beaded and braided number - haven’t been wearing as much jewelry lately (?) but have decided to start piling it on again!

jcrew shoe (s)

so i was checking out the final sale on jcrew.com and stumbled upon these sexy shoes: the floral is fun and unexpected (i am having a really big floral moment…but when it’s done on accessories and clothing other than skirts and dresses, it somehow seems more fresh), and the gray peep toes are cut-out and glamorously practical.

my discovery of ETSY.COM !

i definitely should have discovered etsy.com earlier, much earlier (i mean, i heard about it a while back but never really delved in…). today, i was waiting in line at a cafe on southport and overheard a woman describing her amazing shoes she got on etsy…
here are two bracelets (well, a watch too!) that i want to order now!
the gold bow bracelet is made of leather; pretty practical, chic, and slightly tongue-in-cheek: love it.
for some reason i really love when silverware is made into other objects, like this amazing spoon watch…so antique but modern in execution.

(sorry for the small images...had to transfer them from my original blog)

s'mores chocolate bars? brilliant

i love s’mores, and i love chocolate bars.
these look amazing and i will definitely be trying to make them!

courtesy of foodgawker.com

blueberry shortcake to die for!

savorysweetlife.com →

this blueberry shortcake seems like a delicious, practical, summery dessert. definitely something i want to try!
courtesy of savorysweetlife.com via foodgawker.com

chocolate peanutbutter macarons!

these look like the most delicious macaroons on earth! I always love chocolate and peanut butter combinations, but this is a truly classy and unique way to present it.
(courtesy of Croquer a Pleines Dents from foodgawker.com)

mixing florals, satin, and a vintage black sequin purse

some of my favorite art from the Art Institute of Chicago’s new modern wing + stunning Chicago architecture!

"Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another to cause vibrations in the soul." Wassily Kandinsky

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