{ It’s The Simple Things…}

Today has been one crazy day.

To start, we ended up going to bed extremely late last night (it was a friend’s birthday party), only to wake up SUPER early (my husband had an important meeting), then head over to the immigration office to extend my visa once again (it’s been 4 times!), come back home, have some lunch, rest a little, go to salon, and soon get ready to stop by a graduation party….phew!

Thank God we’re spending the weekend at the beach! (Yaaaaaay!!)

But before we go, here are the “Simple Things” of the week:

1. GuateDining Magazine: Woo hoooo! Did you catch “The Housewife Wannabe” in the magazine’s latest edition? I was so psyched! Thanks for mentioning us guys! That’s awesome!
2. My newest nail color: O.P.I “Dim Sum Plum” – the official nail of the week. It’s a mix of pink and purple. It’s so girly, so delicious, so plum and so perfect for the weekend!
3. Yummy and decadent chocolate dessert made by Chef Mon Coeur’s Deby Fadul for the special dinner she put together last Friday at “A La Mesa Restaurant”. Gosh, it was so good! I wish I could have some more right now. Yup, that would definitely wake me up!
4. The Stacishin Family Reunion T-Shirt – came in the mail today! I was so bummed that I couldn’t go to the Stacishin reunion (my paternal grandmother’s family) that took place in Boston last month, but I was happy to receive one of the t- shirts my cousin Didi ordered for all of us. I’m so proud of my family and of our heritage..despite everything, we know we can always count on one another.
And that’s it!
Have a great weekend ladies!

{ Recipe Du Jour } – Classic Tomato Soup

Today’s recipe takes me way back to my former cold, and crisp work days in Boston.

Each year, I could not wait for the Fall and Winter months to begin just so I could have one of my favorite work lunches, ever: a warm and creamy soup from Au Bon Pain, which was conveniently located right across the street from my former office at 60 State Street. I used to head down the 23 floors, run across the street (fighting the strong Downtown Boston whirlwinds), buy my yummy soup and return to my desk to enjoy my warm and creamy lunch.

There were 2 soups in particular that I loved the most: the creamy potato soup (normally available on Thursdays) and the classic tomato soup (available everyday), which was clearly a MUCH healthier alternative. That’s the one I’m going to share with you today. And although it’s not Au Bon Pain’s recipe, it’s just as rich, fresh and delicious!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

– 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 1 medium onion, chopped
– Coarse salt and ground pepper
– 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
– 3 tablespoons tomato paste
– 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
– 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
– 2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes in juice (with basil if available)

Directions:


1. In a 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat; add oil and onion, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
2. To saucepan, add thyme, chicken broth and tomatoes, breaking tomatoes with your fingers. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, about 30 minutes. (Remove thyme sprigs before blending.)
3. Using an immersion blender, puree soup in pot, leaving a fair amount of the tomatoes in chunk. Or, working in several batches, puree half (5 cups) of the soup in a conventional blender until smooth; return to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

PS: You can also season with a touch of fresh parmesan cheese. Pair with a grilled- cheese sandwich, and voilà! Perfection!

Happy Cooking!
Pictures: Use Real Butter

{ Jewelry } – Ippolita Fall Collection

” I’m obsessed with Ippolita jewelry right now! Ippolita brings color and fun to wearable fine jewelry. I love the way the pieces look layered together when you wear multiple bangles or strand necklaces. I also like to mix and match the colors, like burgundy and green. Especially when wearing darker colors in the Winter months, these jewels can spice- up any outfit and are very wearable for everyday or special occasions.”

These are the expert words of Marisol Rivera from Saks Fifth Avenue (in New York). 

I admit that when I received Marisol’s email about Ippolita last week, I did what everyone does when they don’t know what something is: I Googled it! Hehehe….Honestly, I had never heard of this brand before, but now that I’ve found it, I keep going back to it trying to figure out which pieces I love the most! Their designs are simply…ageless! Therefore, I see their collections as a true investment.

Marisol, however, was kind enough to send me pictures of the pieces SHE loves, and recommends the most. And as you’ll see, her list did not disappoint…

Check it out:

18K Gold Diamond Accented Drop Earrings & 18K Gold Semi- Precious Multi-Stone Bangle

Quartz Accented High Gloss Resin Bangle & Diamond Accented Clear Quartz 18K Gold Ring

Clear Quartz, Mother of Pearl and Sterling Silver Drop Earrings & Multi-Strand, Multi-Stone Sterling Silver Bracelet

If you’re in NYC, and you need help, advice or simply a shopping partner, don’t hesitate to contact her! She also deals with a lot of international clients and can ship merchandise to any part of the world.

Until next time!

{ Bagaholics } – Stella McCartney "Falabella"

To celebrate her upcoming birthday next month, one of my fabulous readers from New York City decided to treat herself to the ultimate birthday gift: a brand new handbag! Yaaaaay! We are such bagaholics (and shoe addicts) here, aren’t we?

And she was so psyched about her new obsession that she just had to share it with us! So last night, Gaby was kind enough to email me a few pictures of her gorgeous new addition (addition because trust me, this girl was got quite a collection!)…the Stella McCartney “Falabella” handbag.

Check it out:

And did you know that since Stella McCartney is a serious vegetarian, she does not use ANY leather or fur in her designs? That’s right! Curious to find out WHAT she uses instead? Here are some FAQ’s I copied from her website:

Q. What are the challenges raised by not using leather in the manufacturing process? 

A. When it comes to shoes, because synthetic or woven materials are thinner and less elastic than leather, the main difficulty is achieving a uniform product in production. This is because many of the industrial techniques and machines used in leather shops are not appropriate for non-leather shoe manufacturing.

As a consequence, this means that most of the steps in the production of both bags and shoes are executed solely by hand by skilled artisans – our bags for example, can only be produced in a couple of factories found in Italy that specialize in non-leather production. About 70% of the work is done by hand, and as a result, it costs us up to 70% more to make a pair of shoes than any other brand – yet we don’t mark it up for the customer.

Q. How do your non-leather shoes and bags look so luxurious? 

A. It’s a painstaking – yet pain-free – process of our design team sourcing, studying and testing a range of textiles that combine different blends of organic and synthetic fibres until they decide upon a fabric that looks stunning, yet versatile enough to undergo a variety of production techniques.

Because of the scientific research that goes into creating these blended fibres and subsequently, their scarcity, innovative materials could be considered a true luxury rather than leather which has become a commodity.

Both bags and shoes require the use of glue, and this too is diligently tested as to ensure the high ethical standards for which Stella McCartney is renown. No fish glue, or any other glues derived from animal parts, are used in the production of our shoes and bags.

Pretty cool, huh?
Celebrities are also LOVING the “Falabella” handbags…

Great purchase Gaby! Please wear it in good health!
And for those who are wondering, Gaby purchased her new handbag at Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC

{ Love or Hate } – Alexander Wang’s "Fabiana" Sandals

I’m not quite sure how I feel about these metallic Alexander Wang sandals. I’m all for “statement shoes,” just as much as I’m all for “statement jewelry,” but something about these sandals make me think of Lady Gaga. And when it comes to fashion, I’m not sure Lady Gaga is one I can relate or identify with.

But when I saw these sandals at Chiara’s blog, The Blonde Salad, I was like, “Hmm…okay, they are kind of cool in an avant-garde-ish way, I guess” I mean, I love Chiara, and I love her sense of style, but do I see myself walking around with these puppies on my feet?

And that’s when I started to ask myself: Do I like them because they are Alexander Wang and because Chiara has them, or do I like them because I find them “pretty”?

What do you girls think? Do you love them, or do you hate them?

Thoughts please!

{ Décor } – Hints of Pattern

It’s the middle of the week, and as I’ve said here before, Wednesdays normally drag for me. Don’t ask me why, they just do. Maybe it’s a psychological thing that started back when I used to work full-time.

So to pick myself up (and maybe even some of you), why not drool (and fantasize) over some really inspiring and gorgeous designs? There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you’re looking at something beautiful…wouldn’t you agree?

Feeling inspired?

{ Fashion } – The Proper Fit of a Men’s Suit

I think all women can agree that men look their best when they are wearing a suit. There’s something so charming, so sophisticated and so polished about it…it screams confidence. And we all know, confidence (among all things) is what attracts women the most. A confident man stands out from the crowd.

However, there’s absolutely nothing confident (or attractive) about a man who wears a suit that doesn’t fit him properly. That’s just sloppy. And it screams, “I don’t care” even if deep inside you actually do. And is that the impression you want to make when you head into that interview? Or client meeting? Or to your friends and girlfriends/wives? I don’t think so.

So, to help you guys out a little bit, I’ve put together a few tips about suit fitting. Before we start though, I must stress that a good tailor is truly the answer to all of these issues. So please, prior to investing in a good suit (or ANY suit), make sure to invest in a good tailor first. The tailor is who is going to transform your suit into a million bucks.

The picture above gives you some pretty amazing tips, so please use it as a guide!

Tip 1 – First and foremost, we must begin with your measurements. Make sure to correctly measure (or have your tailor measure) your neck, shoulders, sleeves, chest, waist and inseam. With those measurements in mind, you’ll see that finding your proper suit size will be much easier. Regardless, you’ll still need to have your suit tailored. Every body is different, and every suit will need adjustments, even if they are small ones.
Tip 2 – Shoulders. The seam of the jacket shoulders should rest naturally on your shoulders. Meaning that it should not be shorter or longer than your shoulder line. You can test this by leaning against a wall. If the jacket touches the wall first, it is too big.
Tip 3 – Sleeves. Make sure the length of your sleeve is right, otherwise you’ll look like you’re wearing someone else’s jacket. The sleeves of your jacket should NOT cover the cuff of your shirt entirely, if it is, then it’s too long. An inch or half of an inch of your shirt cuff should be showing.
Tip 4 – Trouser Fit. I find that this is one of the most common problems, and also one of the most personal ones. God knows when my husband does his trouser fittings, it can take hours – each to their own. But the main guidelines are the following: Your trousers should be comfortable, so make sure you can fit 2 fingers into the waist while you’re wearing them. Baggy pants look sloppy, and will make you look bigger in areas you do not want, so opt for a straight cut instead (Italian designers are masters at this) for a more polished and modern look. It’s impossible to find a pair of trousers that will fit you perfectly right off the rack. Trousers often are made to be tailored, so make sure the hem of our trousers is made correctly. The hem (cuffed or uncuffed) should reach halfway down your shoes, and should have only one “break,” or in normal language…one fold.
Tip 5 – The Jacket. Boxy is not good. God, no! So have your jacket tailored to be a bit slimmer, more fitted to your body (but not too tight), with a slight curve right around the buttons/waist. The jacket should also be long enough to cover most of your zipper and (cough, cough) your behind.

Hubby putting on his custom- made tuxedo on our wedding day. Tuxedo made by Brioni.

And there you have it! So now that wedding season is coming up, I hope to see the men dressed in suits that fit them properly. Imagine how great they would look!
Until next time!

{ Style Crush } – Hedvig, from "The Northern Light"

Apparently, Hedvig is a pretty big deal.

This tall, slender, sophisticated, smart and influential trendsetter did not start off as many other fashionistas did. Before she entered the fast-paced and fabulous lifestyle of the fashion industry, Hedvig actually studied mathematics and worked as a banker! A banker!! How often do you see THAT?

But, once the banking world seemed to be a bit too boring for her, Hedvig moved on to doing some modeling, styling and photography work. She loves the creative world, and apparently the creative world loves her. She’s absolutely everywhere now…in street style blogs, fashion shows, magazines and on many girls’ fashion icon lists.

…and she has a pretty amazing blog of her own as well. So make sure to stop by and check her out!

What do I love the most about her style? The fact that she recycles some of the same pieces! Who said you can’t repeat outfits in order to be chic?

Until next time!

{ Inspiration Du Jour } – Bridal Hairstyles

There’s no denying that wedding season is right around the corner here in Guate-Town. Between October and December, I think I have about 8 weddings to attend – at the very least! And with all these weddings coming up, I’m sure the hunt for dresses, shoes, jewelry, makeup looks and hairstyles has already begun with full force, not only for the brides themselves, but for the family and guests as well. After all, we have to look fabulous too!

So, in order to make your search just a wee bit easier, I’ve put together pictures of some very lovely and inspirational hairstyles that I’m sure you’ll love!

Take a look:

Can you tell I LOVE hair accessories? I think a flower is such a feminine & romantic touch…
Until next time!

{ Closet Envy } – Viviane Piquet

A while ago, the brazilian bloggers of Com Drama invaded a closet that I find not only impressive in content, but also in organization: the (super) envious closet of the gorgeous Viviane Piquet, the 40 year- old wife of former brazilian 3- time world champion Formula 1 driver, Nelson Piquet. A woman who, in my opinion, has a very classic, elegant, and sophisticated sense of style.

I’ve been meaning to share these pictures with you for quite a while now, but since life got busy and time passed by… I just forgot.  But hey, better late than never, right?
So, enjoy ladies!

Viviane & Nelson Piquet