Sunday's Best: Eastern & Spring Edition

Well I am back from my trip to Mexico City, which I will tell you more about during the week and which was fabulous, and Spring is well on its way, so this Sunday's post is dedicated to Eastern reminders and Spring time inspiration.

- If there is one food that reminds me of Eastern celebrations is eggs and the wonderful Mark Bittman has come up with the Everyday, Anytime Egg-Combination Generator. Take a look, it's full of great and simple egg recipes!

- Of course, you may need a little something to drink to go with those delicious recipes and these four spring-time cocktails might just do the trick. 

- And since we are on the subject of food: these cute-as-a-button cupcakes are perfect for Easter and beyond.

- If you are looking for some Spring inspiration, whether decorating ideas or gardening tips, take a look at Martha Stewart's "Good Things for Spring"

- One of the best things of the Spring season is that it brings out all the beautiful flowers and these paper ones might just be as pretty as the real deal. I just love that they use real branches!

How is the Spring season treating you?

xoxo,
Pilar

Fashionably Late

New York, London, Paris and Milan... they have all come and gone. Another Fall/Winter season has passed by and, although a little late in posting, I wanted to share some of my favorite looks and designers. 

- For me the coolest chicks this season were Celine (looks 1 & 4) and Chloe (looks 2 & 3). I loved the clean lines, the natural make-up and the nineties minimalism of both collection. Both collections oozed coolness! 

- A bit on the opposite side of the 90's chicness, are the ultra feminine collections at Jil Sander (looks 1 & 3) and Valentino (looks 2 & 4). This was Raf Simon's last collection at Jil Sander and he went out with a beautiful bang (please notice the sexy silver pumps paired with the soft pink dresses) and as far as Valentino goes, no one does femininity in a grown up way as well as they do.

- And last, but not least, the gorgeous gowns! My picks are a mix of the prior two with J.Mendel bringing clean cut, sexy, minimalist sophistication (looks 1 & 3). Would you look at that plunging neck-line golden sleeved gown? Amazing! While Marchesa (looks 2 & 4) provided head-turning yet very romantic looks. I would love to see Jennifer Lawrence in that last look. 

What were your thoughts on this year's collections? 

By the way, I am traveling to Mexico City on Thursday (for a 5 day visit) so if any of you have any suggestions on what to see, eat, or experience please let me know!

xoxo,

Pilar

Sunday's Best: Pretty Little Things

Please forgive my intermittent posting of the last months, life and work have become pretty hectic. This week though, I kept coming across such pretty little things I just couldn't keep them to myself.

- First off, New Stone Age has been added to my list of must-visit places next time I'm back home in L.A, a simply amazing store filled with hand-made treasures!

- This wooden pendant, from Australian store Polli, would brighten up any old outfit.

- Paper Source makes such pretty stationary, it is inspiring me to write hand notes again.

- I'm a sucker for hair accessories and this sweet assortment of bobbies is really speaking to me.

-... And by far my favorite  find of the week: the Moon Glass. Share a crescent, a half or a full moon drink with a friend!

Happy Sunday and I hope your week is off to a great start!

xoxo,
Pilar

Happy Weekend... Getaway!

Well some weekends just call for staying in, laying low and spending long mornings in bed. But others, such as this weekend, seem to beckon a little getaway which - thanks to the Costa Rican summer- I will be spending at the beach.

Both pictures are from an earlier visit to Puerto Viejo, the laid-back, hippie-inspired town in Costa Rica's Southern Caribbean coast, where I am spending the weekend. 

What's better than the simple pleasure of watching a happy doggie trot along carrying a coconut on his mouth?

xoxo,

Pilar

I am Loving...

Soft feminine jacket + skin tight denim + combat boots = the perfect balance of stylish and tough. 

So it's been a while since I did this little feature titled "I am Loving...", but Clemence Posey, the new face of G-Star Raw, with her messy hair style, perfectly natural make-up and an outfit that balances rock and chic...well, it was too good to pass up, I really am loving it!

Are you a fan of combat boots? And Clemence's style?

xoxo,

Pilar

(image here)

eShakti

The kind folks at eShakti, an on-line clothing store, asked me to review one of their products and having heard only great things from friends I did not hesitate to accept.

What sets eShakti apart from regular on-line stores is that all their dresses can be fully customized to fit your body shape, you can select specific measurement and even choose the cut and length of the dresses. Another great perk? Their prices are truly affordable without sacrificing  quality.

With so many options and great designs, having to choose one item was a hard task! I ended up choosing something that would be work appropriate yet retained some fun details. 

The dress fit perfectly and I loved the slight shine of the 100% cotton material. Finally, the pink detailing and exposed zipper made the little black dress a little more special.

All in all, eShakti was a wonderful on-line shopping experience. Thank you for the wonderful gift!

xoxo,
Pilar

Weekend Moments

While Costa Rica has a vast diversity of flora and fauna, one thing it lacks are coffee shops, there are some, but rarely like the ones I'm used to from my times in college towns (Berkely and Durham). You know? Those coffee shops with perfect dim lighting, where you can sit down for hours doing work, sipping a nice warm drink and no waiter or staff comes around every 10 minutes asking if you want to order something else... well, those kind of coffee shops are rare here in San Jose. Fortunetely I found just the place this weekend and it was a specially nice surprise when I headed out after working quietly for two and half hours the owner stopped me and say "wait, I want to give you a little gift", and she wrapped one of their amazing muffins for me. Free. 

This little moment reminded me of a quote from Tortilla Curtain :

Here is some pictorial evidence of this little surprise plus a little more from the weekend.

I have been reading "Just Kids" by Patti Smith, a Christmas gift from my bff (Dyan) who knows my reading likes so well, and I must say I simply love it. Highly recommend it!

Cheers to small acts of kindness.

xoxo,
Pilar