coral crush

{Dress: c/o The Dressing Room; Bag: Dooney & Bourke; Jewelry: gifted and thrifted; 

Shoes (not shown) Michael Kors sandals}

Coral is definitely the color of the season and I, for one, can't get enough of it! My love affair with this hue started with a nail polish (Essie's Cute as a Button) and has expanded to at least 4 different pieces in my wardrobe. This maxi I got courtesy The Dressing Room, my favorite Miami boutique, is quickly becoming my new summer staple. It's easy to throw on and is just as comfortable as it is stylish.

You would think I've gotten enough of this fabulous color but I have my eye on a few other pieces too. Check them out:

 {Pleated Skirt from the new Webster for Target collection}

{Steve Madden platform sandals}

cinco

For Cinco de Mayo this year, I decided to take a little trip down to Brickell for the block party. After the mess that the streets were on St. Patty's though, I headed over in the afternoon to avoid the excessive crowds. We sipped margaritas and had a few tacos in the shade before hitting a few boutiques in the area.

 

{My Look for the Day: Top: OVI c/o The Dressing Room; Jeans: American Eagle; Flats: Calvin Klein; Sunglasses: Ray Ban; Jewelry: thrifted}

 

{margaritas at Dolores but You Can Call Me Lolita}

 {El Vato: the insanely crowded but still insanely good tequila bar}

  {The amazing necklace I picked up at a boutique in Mary Brickell Village}

big apple bound... again

For those of you who haven't already heard, I'm super excited to report that I'll be heading back to the Big Apple this summer (in one month, to be exact)! I'll be interning at one of my dream agencies for 10 weeks and might even be making the move up in the Fall (*fingers crossed that I get a job). Don't fret, I'm a Miami girl at heart so I'm sure I'll be back after some much needed exploring in the city. I had such an amazing time last year and can't wait to embark on even more adventures (culinary and fashion related, mostly).
I'm happy to say I completed most of last year's list with the exception of getting into the Cash Cab and meeting Bethenny Frankel, but those were long shots anyway. This year, I'm taking on some new to-dos for my days in the city. Take a look:

*More Shows: Sleep No More and Chicago are at the top of my list

*Cupcakes! My good friend Christina and I have decided to embark on a 10-week cupcake tour of the city, one bakery a week. Look out for a play-by-play of our weekly adventure in June.

 *The Brooklyn Kitchen: After seeing a class of theirs on the Food Network, I plan on making my way over for some lessons on everything from homemade pizza to cheese making.
*Sample Sales: Much to my dismay, last years attempt to go to a Tory Burch sample sale in Midtown was a flop. I wont let that stop me from snagging some serious designer deals this year, though. 
*LAVO Champagne Brunch: Just like going clubbing, except its only 3pm.

*Brooklyn Flea: This market is supposed to be full of hundreds of antique gems. I've also heard they have amazing food which definitely help since I'll probably spend hours scouring the stands for fabulous vintage finds.

Any suggestions for things to add to my list?

summer beauty must-haves

With summer just around the corner, I like to keep my everyday makeup as simple and smudge-free as possible. I have an arsenal of beauty products in my makeup drawer already but have my eye on a few of these to update my routine a bit

Smashbox BB Cream: these creams are popping up everywhere! They combine the light coverage of a tinted moisturizer with primer and SPF to protect your skin.

Anastasia Eyebrow Fix: my brows tend to be unruly from time to time and this wax pencil makes sure they hold their shape, even in the hot summer sun

Naked 2 Palette: from simple to smoky, this eyeshadow palette is the perfect combination of colors for any everyday look.

YSL Radiant Touch: this under-eye concealer is the secret tool makeup artists use to give even the most tired eyes an instant pick-me-up

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner: I've sampled my fair share of liners, but I hear this pen is perfect for the kind of smooth, thin line that I'm always after

What are your summer beauty must-haves?

show-stopping lettuce wraps

When it comes to at home cooking, I generally like to keep my meals on the healthy side. After rotating Lemon Chicken with Artichokes one too many times though, I started looking for a new recipe to change things up. Needless to say, I was over the moon when I discovered a new blog called Eat Yourself Skinny. I lost myself in the amazing, yet healthy recipes posted on the site and resolved to make her Asian Lettuce Wraps that very night.
Well, let me just tell you that they were AMAZING! The sauce was super flavorful and I was honestly stunned at how good it was and how quickly it all came together. No joke, 20 minutes tops! I did tweak the recipe a bit by adding a few fresh veggies into the mix (inspired by the amazing lettuce wraps over at Deli Lane in South Miami) so here's my version. It's definitely a must try and won't disappoint!

 

Filling:

1 lb. fat-free ground turkey

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1/2 small spanish onion

1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 small yellow squash, chopped

12 Boston lettuce leaves

Sauce:

3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

2 Tbsp lower-sodium soy sauce (green top)

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 Tbsp. roasted red chili paste (I used Sambal and it's hella spicy so be careful!)

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and grated ginger to pan and sauté for about 2 or 3 minutes. Before they start to brown, add turkey and season with salt and pepper. Crumble the turkey with a wooden spoon for about 6 minutes or until it is brown.

 

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat another tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add chopped zucchini and squash, then cook until browned (about 4 minutes). Add shredded carrots and cook, covered for another minute or so. Once this is cooked through, add it to the turkey mixture and stir to combine.

 

To make the sauce whisk together hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar and roasted red chili paste in a small bowl, then drizzle over the turkey mixture. Toss to coat completely, adding a tablespoon or 2 of water if necessary to thin it out. 

To serve, add about a 1/4 cup of the turkey mixture to each lettuce wrap and enjoy!

california dreamin'

So for spring break this year, I wanted to do something different. The typical SB trip usually consists of sun, sand and too much drinking but I live in Miami so that just seems like a normal weekend (by which I'm referring to the sun and sand part of that statement haha). 

Instead, Quino and I jetted off to California where we embarked on a week-long road trip from LA to San Francisco. Between hiking the Hollywood Hills, dipping our toes into the icy Pacific Ocean, tasting wine in Napa and cruising the PCH with the top down, I can't think of a better way to have spent my last spring break ever!

Here are a few of the trip highlights:

 

 {1. Santa Monica Pier; 2. Hollywood Hills; 3. Cruising Down Mulholland Drive; 4. Where Rodeo Drive Meets Via Rodeo; 5. Toes in the Sand Under the Malibu Pier; 6. My Next DIY: Sign Made from Old License Plates; 7. Beautiful Blue Mussels on the Rocks at Big Sur; 8 & 9. Rocky Shorelines just off the PCH; 10. Adorable Buildings of Carmel by the Sea; 11. Sweet Kisses in the Park; 12. Wine Tasting Room in Napa; 13 & 14. Alcatraz; 15. Bright Lights of Downtown San Francisco}

jetsetting

After a much needed mini-vacation last weekend in Puerto Rico, filled with fun in the sun and some really ridiculous adventures, I came home to an epic amount of work. Between tests, projects and a few other things I'm working on I've barely had a moment to myself. I guess that's what happens when you pretend the real world doesn't exist for 4 days. Oh well, I had an amazing time so it was definitely worth it.

I'm off to California tomorrow for my last Spring Break ever! Before I go though, I'll leave you with a few pictures from PR. 

Hopefully I'll come back with even more pictures of Cali!

Until Next Week!