simple switch: coat "diy"

Ok, so this was SUPPOSED to be a DIY. I say supposed to with absolute best intentions of doing this myself. But upon realizing how intricately a coat is built, I took my little project to my tailor. Yes, I have a tailor. Yes, you should get one too. But that's another story for another time.

Back to my "DIY". I've had this coat for a while now and thought it needed some refreshing. It fits fabulously but I always felt like the buttons dated it a bit. I've been obsessed with J.Crew and the gold buttons on their bright coats for ages. I knew I wasn't going to get rid of a perfectly good coat though so instead of trading this one in, I decided to be J.Crew inspired in reinventing a piece I already owned.

{before - you can barely even notice the buttons at all}

After hearing friends rave about M&J Trimming on 6th, I decided to head up in search of some gold buttons. Boy, was I in over my head. I must have spent the better part of an hour pulling and comparing buttons until I finally found the perfect ones.

{these were love at first sight}
 

I had my tailor put these on, which only cost $2 per button and picked up my coat later that night. I must say, I'm pretty obsessed with it. It completely changes the look of the coat and makes it feel so current.

 {the new details really pop now}

throwback thursday: the brooklyn flea

Last week, I was looking through some pictures from a few months ago in hopes of finding some to print for the frames in our apartment. I was surprised to stumble on these little gems I took at the Brooklyn Flea last September. I guess I never got around to posting them but better late than never, right?

The Brooklyn Flea at Fort Greene is actually one of my favorite places to visit on the weekends, or at least it was before it closed for the winter. I found a bunch of little things to decorate my apartment (more on those later) but they also have amazing food stands. I could walk around for hours, especially when the weather is nice.

Here's a little peek at my last visit. I can't wait until it opens up again in the spring (April 6th, I hear)!

 {bright, patterned ribbons}

 {an assortment of vintage jewelry}

 {typewriter key cuff links}

 {gorgeous display idea for succulents, the only plant i can manage to keep alive}

{oversized metal letters - yes sir!}

grilled chicken sandwich with arugula pesto

Earlier this week, I bought some arugula for a chicken paillard I was going to make for dinner. The dinner was fabulous but I found myself with a ton of left over arugula afterwards. It isn't exactly my favorite salad green but I knew I needed to find something to do with it.

I was flipping though one of my favorite cookbooks, Weeknights with Giada, when I stumbled on her recipe for arugula pesto and instantly knew exactly what I would be using my extra greens for. I whipped up a batch and absolutely loved it!

I was feeling particularly lazy about making dinner the next night when I remembered my arugula pesto. I grabbed a demi-baguette, threw some ingredients together and invented this little gem. I call it the Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Arugula Pesto but it's so much more than that. Let's begin.

Here's what you'll need:

{arugula pesto (recipe below), a demi-baguette or small loaf of crusty bread, dry italian salami and some cheese - also used but not pictured: romaine lettuce and grilled chicken}

The only cooking involved is grilling off a piece of chicken breast so do that. Now let's talk assembly:

 {slice the baguette in half and slather both sides with the arugula pesto}

{layer on your sliced chicken breast}

{and then a few slices of the salami}

{then some cheese - i used mozzarella this time but provolone also works well here}

{pile on some lettuce}

{and just pop the top on it}

I toast it at this point to melt the cheese, then serve along side some Terra Chips (see above). The arugula pesto is really the star of the show here but each ingredient definitely brings an amazing texture and flavor to the sandwich as a whole. This one's a winner, folks! 

===

Arugula Pesto 
(as seen in Weeknights with Giada)

2 packed cups arugula

1 garlic clove, peeled and halved

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Blend arugula and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and process until well blended. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper. 

 I store mine in a small mason jar. It should last about a week or so. 

   

 

sending all my love

I'm sure it's no surprise that I love Valentine's Day. Any excuse to eat chocolate and get flowers is a winner in my book. This year though, I decided not to just make this holiday all about my honey but use it to keep one of my New Year's resolutions too (see #11). I took a little trip down to one of my favorite shops, Paper Source, last week and picked up a few cards to mail out to some of my loved ones. I hesitated to post this sooner in fear that it might ruin the surprise for some people but it seems like most of these have made it safely to their destinations. Here's a peek at some of the cards I sent to spread some love this Valentine's Day.

xoxo

blankets in brooklyn

As I'm sure many of you heard, the North East got hit with a serious snow storm this past weekend. I left work Friday to a city full of slush and woke up Saturday morning to a winter wonderland in Brooklyn. The storm dropped a little less than a foot of snow in our area. It wasn't much but that didn't keep Quino and I from enjoying some time playing in the snow. For two native Miamians, a little snow is enough to make this dreary, never-ending winter fun again.