homemade italian soda!

 I recently moved right near a Costco store so it's been a new experience buying groceries there. I don't really think that I prefer it just because of the sheer abundance of anything you get. I do like that the produce is fresh and good quality--the problem is that a lot of will go bad because I can't eat it all myself quickly enough. Also, anyone who knows me well can tell you that I really do not enjoy eating the same thing more than twice (I hate leftovers too).

One of the recent items I purchased was the strawberries. They come in a huge package and they are really delicious. After finishing half of the package I didn't want to let them mold and go to waste so I ended up making a puree with the rest. I basically chopped them in half, put them in a pot with a 1/2 cup sugar and a bit of water. I let that mixture cook down until it got nice and syrup-y, then I blended it until it was a smooth consistency. I wasn't too sure what to use this for but I also happened to get a huge bag of lemons from Costco. Therefore--I made strawberry + lemon italian soda! Basically in the bottom of a glass, put a couple (or more) spoonfuls of the strawberry puree depending on how sweet/tart you want your soda to be. Then squeeze some lemon juice in there, I put a whole lemon's worth since I like things tart. Top it off with some sparkling mineral water like Pelligrino; add ice and a straw, stir and enjoy!

this looks so orange! in reality, it leaned closer to the red side of the color spectrum :)

Currently wearing...

Zoya Jancyn. Hey--this kind of matches my italian soda! haha.  I am really loving orange polish for this summer. This could be described as a bright orange soda cream polish. woohoo!

Zoya Pippa.. this is a really nice yellow polish that isn't too bright, but enough that it doesn't really fall into the pastel color family. This was kind of difficult to apply though; the consistency was on the thicker side so streakiness ensued. But! the pigmentation was definitely there so that was not an issue. This was with 2 coats. 

Aaaand, last but not least.. a new storage container for some of my nail polish. Yea,  I know,  I have a problem (these aren't even all the ones I own.. there is another shoe box of them). Back on the ban.. 

Anyways whenever I need a break from studying I tend to clean/do laundry/reorganize everything. This was a result of one of those "unproductive yet productive" nights.


Unfortunately, it's back to the grind but I am not really sure if I'm going to be able to get anything else done tonight. My bed looks really.. really comfortable.

--J

NAIL POLISH!

 My nail polishes from the Zoya Earth Day Polish exchange came in!! Very exciting, and now I'm back to my ban on purchasing nail polish since I might have gone a little overboard with the amount that I got this time.. :) Anyways here they are:

Jancyn, Giselle, Elodie, Arizona, Paz, Reece

Riley, Casey, Bevin, Pippa, Jane, Kennedy

Since my order was so large I got some freebies! Sugar scrub & a 2 oz. Remove+ (which I actually desperately needed because mine is running low!)

I was most excited for this color (Arizona) so that's what is on my nails right now!

I will try to remember to take photos of the first times I use each of these polishes so I can show you how it looks on the nails, but that will probably take like 2 months if I repaint my nails twice a week haha. 1 month if I do my toes a different color :)


-J

gearing up for summer

If you ever need a break from getting your caffeine from coffee, this yerba mate is a great alternative! I'm a fan of their drinks in the cans--and recently they came out with these sparkling mate's. Love it.
(Guayaki can only be found in Whole Foods grocery stores so be sure to check it out next time you're there.)

 Just sipping on this new sparkling mate by Guayaki, taking a break from studying to show you some new stuff I got! It has been a steady 80-90 degrees over here in South Florida for the past 2 months.. so it's not really like summer hasn't already arrived, but in the stores, this is the time when everybody is getting ready for summer :) Which means.. it's time for some new sandals. Shoes have been a weakness of mine lately...

I love the neon accent of these T-strap sandals from Target, and yes, these are from the children's section in a size 3. In comparing sandals I've gotten from both Forever21 and Target, I have to say Target sandals are MUCH MORE sturdy. I definitely look in Target now whenever I am in need of some new cheap sandals.

These lovelies are from DSW and are actually from Fergie's shoe collection/brand lol. I was looking for something more neutral and I really have become a fan of having some sort of accent on your shoe, like a flower or a bow. I found these in a size 5 1/2 so they probably are one of the best fitting shoes I have now, meaning they are the most comfortable too!

When in Miami... :D I haven't tried it yet, definitely saving it for after finals is over. But doesn't it sound like the perfect drink for the summertime? And the bottle is just beautiful as well.

some new candles I've been enjoying-- Bahama Fizz reminds me of a spicy pina colada, Sunrise Lagoon reminds me of the beach and Drenched Apple Flower.. I'm just partial to anything apple scented :)

These are all the old nail polishes I found from when I moved--I saved them to participate in the Zoya Polish exchange that happens every year on Earth day. I know I've broken my nail polish ban.. so after these new ones get in, the ban will begin once again :) next post will be about new nail polish for sure! SO excited!!

Finally, this tea is a miracle worker. I've had some trouble falling asleep at the new house just from adjusting (I'm still not fully unpacked..) and stress from life (we are all familiar with that), so when I spotted this I had to give it a try. On the label it says that this tea contains Valerian and Organic Chamomile to help calm nervousness & restlessness, St Johns Wort to make positive improvements on mood, Passionflower to reduce anxiety in order to support sleep, and finally for taste it has cardomom, licorice and cinnamon. So it tastes alright, definitely a unique flavor; I like that it is made of all natural ingredients. My eyelids start feeling heavy after I drink like half of a cup of this tea.

--J

new house

 Moving is always hectic.. currently I am still sleeping in an empty bedroom with a mattress on the ground while the floors are getting redone. The rest of the house's furniture was only purchased today, so it won't be delivered until 2 weeks. Anyways, at least I have internet and thank goodness for places like Starbucks and Panera :)

The following are some photos of what's been going on in the past.. 2-3 weeks or so.

weird green tea ramen from Taiwan: one of the last meals at the old house hehe

thoughts: definitely not like any ramen I've ever tasted--it was pretty sweet and there was no soup, it was more of a thick sauce 

this is just random, but I got a double yolk in one of my eggs! I really enjoyed a poached egg in tomato sauce and dunking some toasty bread in there to sop it all up. mm...

first meal in the new house! SUSHI BOAT EXTRAVAGANZA YUMMY! (check out the super cute kiwi roll!!

one of the first things I did in the new house was paint my nails. This is Smoke & Ashes from China Glaze Capitol Colours Collection (Hunger Games). Definitely a hard one to photograph, but this polish is super pigmented--this is only 1 coat! I think the holographic glitters are really fun and pretty, so I definitely enjoy this one.

First thing I make in the new house.. egg salad using greek yogurt, seasoned mustard, green onion, salt&pepper...

...and I put it on a sandwich with some blanched asparagus and red cabbage slaw

everything in the kitchen is now on black marble countertops and our future dining table is also black.. it will definitely change the look of my food photos.. we'll see how it goes!

Now if you'll excuse me, my mattress is calling my name. You never expect shopping for furniture to be so tiring but it really is. Also when you have to wake up at 7 am every morning in order to get ready & out of the house before the people doing your floors arrive, that also makes you wanna crawl into bed at like 7 pm haha. ZZzzzz....

-J

may the odds be ever in your favor

Imsoexcitedforfriday! In honor of the Hunger Games movie, I broke my nail polish ban and bought 2 of the China Glaze Capitol Colours collection. Here is Dress Me Up.

It is more brown that I expected it to be. This is applied with 2 coats and the formulation was very nice. Definitely an all-around nice neutral color to sport on your nails.

Quick fix lunch/dinner: steamed kale, garlicky mashed red potatoes, IKEA lingonberry sauce/jam and meatballs!

I'm moving across town in exactly 1 week. It's crazy and too soon, but I am most excited for getting a new kitchen!!! Just thinking about all the new food creations I can make there is making my mouth water. :)


-J

Red lipstick love.

A day late from Nat'l Womens Day -- did you rock a red lip? I really love the way a red lip can transform a look. Such a simple thing! Here are the 5 red lipsticks I own and 2 red lipliners. I was inspired by my most recent purchase -- the red lipstick from the Kate Moss Rimmel collection. I haven't worn that one yet but it is a very vibrant red compared to the other ones I own, which lean more towards the coral-y side of the spectrum. I also got the 08 mauve-y nude from the collection. Just couldn't resist.

Candy apple Revlon Lip Butter, True red L'oreal colour riche, 01 Rimmel, Viva Glam Cyndi from Mac,  Urgent! Slimshine from Mac, Gash 24/7 glide-on lip pencil from Urban Decay, 817 Hot Red NYX lipliner pencil

One of my favorite combinations is putting the Urban Decay liner on with the revlon lip butter on top.

swatches are in the same order as listed above!

-J

Kimchi time!

Ooooh yeaaaa...

I haven't had kimchi in a while and got my hands on a head of napa cabbage.. and it's been a long time since I've made it. SO it was about time to make some again. I'm really looking forward to making some kimchi fried rice when this batch gets to that sour state. YUM! I basically used the method from Maangchi, but I halved her recipe since I only had 1 head of cabbage. I ended up with a whole lot more kimchi than I anticipated, hehe, but I'm not complaining! When you attempt to make this, just realize that it's a pretty straightforward process but it is pretty time consuming--prepare for that.

Napa cabbage -- before and after salting for 1.5 hours.
The cabbage really shrunk, about 1/2 its original volume!

mixing the cabbage with green onion, carrot & korean radish slices with the kimchi paste

final product. this is gonna last me quite a while!

 -J