Nine Favorite Things.

Nine Favorite Things

I love getting to write these posts while traveling. There’s always so much more to share than my normal day-to-day. But at the same time, I have so much less time to put everything together. So, a shorter Favorite’s post this week, but more next week!

First off, I never mentioned this, but I’m in LA, then Chicago, then NYC this week. I’ve been in LA since Wednesday, but I’m on a flight out today, heading to Chicago. A very quick 24-hour trip into Chicago for a meeting. Then on to my last stop in New York. Three cities, three time zones, and about 1 week away from home.

LA started off bright and early on Thursday morning. Too early actually. I went on E Daily Pop and needed to be up by 3:30 am. Only I slept through my alarm! Thankfully, I was awakened by my friend, Tori, who’s been miraculously doing my hair and makeup for some time. It wasn’t the best way to start the day, but we made it work, and fortunately, everything went well on Daily-Pop.

I made my peach shortcakes and had fun with them! That said, the early morning really threw me off all day long and I just wasn’t myself. But I powered through a couple of meetings.

I then had drinks at The Tower Hotel, which I’d never been to before. It’s a very classy, historic, Hollywood-style, hotel. A nice spot for drinks and dinner. After that, I headed back to my hotel and was out for the night.

Thankfully, I woke up on Friday morning feeling a million times better. Crazy what some sleep and a good morning routine can do to your day. It’s so important for me.

Friday was great. I had a fun photoshoot, then a little time before drinks, plus dinner. So I worked a bit on today’s post before heading back out. Then met with a friend for drinks at Bar Covell and that was the night.

Saturday, I had a brunch meeting at Croft, another new-to-me LA spot. So good you guys. If you’re ever in LA, try Croft for brunch. It’s a cute place on Melrose with great gluten-free options.

I closed out the LA portion of my trip at my favorite place, the Dr. Barbara Sturm Clinic for her signature facial. Exactly what I needed after 3 days of full makeup. LOVE the way my skin feels. I obviously don’t get to have facials done very often, so this is such a treat.

And today, I’m on a plane heading to Chicago. So excited to be here, even if just for 24 hours. I’m staying at The Peninsula and literally just can’t wait to arrive. I love this hotel. It’s cozy and cute, and they have the most wonderful spa.

Very happy to be back on the east coast!

And that’s where I’m at. It’s always so much fun getting to get out of my element and traveling. Even though it can be stressful for me, I’m really trying to embrace it and have fun with it. I’m getting so much better!

All this while my family is spending the week together in Oceanside, CA where my brothers are. Missing them, but at the same time, enjoying my travels.

Such an amazing way to start August, our last full month of summer. Hope you still enjoy this smaller Favorite’s post. I promise I’ll double up next week and make it amazing!

Oh, and some family photos below too. My mom has been sending them to me!

1 Hotel West Hollywood lobby

1. Things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try.

loving…the Fendi bag that Asher sneakily had shipped to my hotel room. Basically, both my mom and Asher loved the bag that I shared last week and wanted me to have it. I wasn’t going to make the splurge purchase, but how sweet of them? It’s the cutest in person, but beware, it is small. Just enough room for your phone, wallet, and a lipstick.

everything in my cart…LOW. Everything from Zara this week. They just launched their fall line and I love it. This crochet sweater is so my kind of top. Very into this gold button blazer, it gives off Chanel vibes. How pretty is this simple cutout linen dress? The detailing on this sheer top is stunning. The fit of these wide leg jeans looks perfect. Equally love these satin pants.

listening to…Shaun White on Armchair Export. This one is so close to my world, my family personally knows Shaun, so it was a fun episode to listen to. I’m actually not fully finished, but looking forward to listening to the remainder on the plane today.

dreaming of going to…I’m craving something low-key and homey, nothing extravagant right now. I would love to do something simple and head back to Miami or stay in West Palm Beach, which I love. We can’t seem to find a great hotel in Palm Beach (with a kitchen) though. Does anyone have a recommendation?

Also dreaming of…anywhere on this list, The 7 Most Stylish Vacation Spots for 2022 and What to Wear to Each.

loving…the Goop x Fromental wallpaper collections. Each really is so pretty, but I love both the dusk and down papers. They are hand-painted embroidery and stunning.

wanting…to try out the Goop body brush. I like that it has a longer handle than my current body brunch. Also from Goop, the Himalayan sea salt scalp scrub. I never get any fancy hair products, but everyone gushes over this scalp scrub.

reading…a Peek Inside Tommy and Dee Hilfiger’s Palm Beach Home. Can I visit them? The house gives off major Palm Beach vibes. It’s classic and timeless. I loved reading this Arc Digest piece and watching the video.

ordered…wedding guest dresses from Reformation. They have the best, mid-price range wedding guest dresses. I ordered a few to try, love the brown color of this silk dress, the yellow silk dress is pretty too. Not sure it’s going to work for me, but I think it’s fun. And I love the silhouette of this one shoulder dress.

want to try…Furtuna Skin. I have heard such incredible things about this line.

loving…Inside East. They sell the most beautiful brass kitchen faucets. Also, WatermarkFixtures is a great Etsy shop with one-of-a-kind sink faucets.

everything in my cart…HIGH. These GUCCI GG earrings with faux pearls. Saw these on a friend here in LA and they are stunning. I’m already getting excited for fall fashion and these black Leather ankle boots from The Row are perfect. I would love this cropped puffer jacket from Khaite. Oddly, I find this pink trench coat from Bottega Veneta really beautiful. It’s not something I personally would wear, but I do love it.

cooking…a lot with my swivel vegetable peeler. It’s how I create long strands of zucchini and carrot.

watching…Severance. Met with a friend here in LA, and she actually recommended this. I’m not sure I’ve got the time to get into it, but the trailer looks interesting. Have any of you been watching?

following…Luna Family Farm. Really pretty florals if you’re in the New York area.

2. Top 8 Zucchini + Corn recipes from the past.

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar and Zucchini Soup

Spicy Pesto and Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Involtini

Chocolate Zucchini Banana Cake with Vanilla Coffee Frosting

Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread

Instant Pot BBQ Beer Pulled Chicken Tacos

Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Fritters with Chipotle Aioli

Jalapeño Cheddar Stuffed Chicken with Creamed Corn

Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Chickpea Salad

3. Fall preview finds for the home.

I’m officially excited for the new season.

4. Favorite questions of the week.

q: Fav carry-on luggage? Backpack? Roller? Purse?
a: The Senreve Maestra Bag is my go-to. I have to travel with my laptop and this is the only cute bag that fits my computer. I love it and have it in 3 shades.

q: How long do you sit with your legs up the wall at night? 
a: 10-15 minutes. But I always throw them up while I post IG stories/work on my phone, so most of the time longer. Usually, I just let my legs get tired of being up, and then they naturally come down as I’m working. But 10 minutes is all you need.

q: If you could cook with anyone (past or present), who would it be? 
a: My Nonnie! I miss her so much. She taught me everything I love. Shopping, cooking, and entertaining. She turned me onto burning candles every night + designer bags/shoes (this good/bad obviously). And she didn’t know it, but she was a huge part of how I got to be doing what I do today. My mom never enjoyed cooking. She has a much more practical sense for making things pretty and her fashion sense. But Nonnie was into it all, and we shared that together! I would love to be able to cook with her for a day.

q: what tattoo would you get if you got one?
a: I honestly have no idea. It would have to be something meaningful. I don’t have any, but if I got one I’d maybe get it on my finger. I love that for a tattoo for some reason.

q: best advice for starting a food blog? 
a: Focus on creating unique content, work on your photos, work on your videos, and make the food look really good. We eat with our eyes! Create recipes that are easy to follow and that work. Figure out what makes you unique in the space. Is it your style of photography/photos, super unique recipes, diet-specific foods, etc? Figure out what’s going to make you stand out. Stay consistent and just keep working at it every day to grow a strong community. Remember the people who follow you are who you’re creating content for, so get to know them well! Build an easy-to-use website – that’s key. And pin everything!

q: love your family vacations. How do you decide on locations?
a: It’s a group effort, which means we usually end up somewhere in Mexico. Going on 4 years in a row. Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo, Sayulita. I think we need to change it up next year fam!

q: your least favorite fruit?
a: This is not my least favorite, but I really do not like papaya. Unpopular opinion, but I actually think it tastes bad. I can eat it but I don’t want to, and I LOVE all fruit.

q: do you eat out most meals on family vacations or stay in?
a: We always do breakfast in, as well as most lunches, and then some dinners too. It varies with each trip, but we do enjoy going out for dinner several nights, but certainly not every night.

q: your fav art project/activity?
a: I used to make collages all the time with magazines as a kid. I love creating a mood board but haven’t done one in so long. I don’t even get magazines anymore!

q: a secret talent that you have that we might not know about?
a: I really wish I had something cool, but all I can think of is that I can usually read people well. I can get a sense of if they’re full of it, super genuine, unhappy, totally faking it, etc. Other than that I got nothing. My dad says I can throw a ball better than the boys, and I’ve been called an old soul my whole life. None of these are really secret talents though ?

q: favorite universal sauce to batch prep?
a: I can’t pick just one, but I love making batches of vinegar-based dressings – my favorite is lemon, balsamic, fig. Caesar dressing is awesome to use for wraps, salads or to drizzle over chicken. Pesto works for everything. Buffalo sauce is a must, it makes everything better. Love a good ranch. Spicy mango peanut sauce – noodles, dipping sauce, salad – so versatile and delish! And the roasted red pepper sauce in the new cookbook is soo good on pasta, pizza, and when used in a bowl-style recipe. A creamy goddess sauce is awesome. Tomatoes are in season now so a tomato vinaigrette would be yummmyyy. Tzatziki – for dips, bowls, and salads. There are just soooo many good sauces. Honestly, the sauce is really everything!!!

5. A few accounts I love to follow.

Roman and Williams Guild NY- everything from their home collection to their tabletop collections are so good. Details are so important to me. They really do a nice job of incorporating details that make a simple piece special.

Brunello Cucinelli – a high-end luxury fashion brand that really no one can afford. But I think their home and tabletop collections speak to a timeless Italian design and I find them really beautiful.

Zara Home – No surprise here, but I love Zara home. They’re my best-kept secret when it comes to tabletop purchases. I really enjoy the simple Scandinavian designs.

Fendi – I just love so much what they are doing in the fashion space right now. The pieces they’re creating are timeless, but yet still current. I think they’re beautiful.

Architectural Digest – truly one of my favorites because of the variety. I love to see all designs, even if they are not ones I favor.

Studio McGee – their content is always so happy. I actually find a ton of inspiration looking at the strong business and team they’ve built over the last 8 years. Of course, the homes they design are always stunning and they consistently share great home styling ideas.

Question: who do you love to follow for design inspiration?

6. From my camera roll.

from home to LA

Everything I packed on a rack. So satisfying to see

New APLs – in love with these colors

my travel look

cozy bed at the 1 Hotel West Hollywood

before E Daily Pop

dinner at The Sunset Tower Bar

my to set look

drinks + dinner look

drinks with a friend

travel skincare

love this eye mask

such a good cleansing balm from Elemis

to Saturday brunch at Croft

facial at Dr.Barbara Sturm

the not so glamours side of everything

The Fendi Bag

The family having fun in Oceanside

Oslo and Kai

Creighton, Matt, Kai, and Oslo

Oslo, Creighton, and Red

Dad, Hailey, Red, Asher, Kai

7. Favorite links i’m loving.

Step Inside Sienna Miller’s Charming English Cottage…so cozy.

This Is the Correct Order to Apply Your Skincare Products…hence, take notes.

5 Beautiful Secret Gardens to Discover in Paris…love.

14 Classic Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in London…yum.

The Best Floor Mirrors to Lean on Any Wall…these are quirky and fun.

It’s Fall at Target! What to Shop from the New Home Collection…always cute finds.

The SSENSE Sale Is Here…I love shopping at SSENSE.

Can’t Get Your Hair to Hold a Curl? Here’s What to Do…this is for me.

Waited 3 Years To Make This Work From Home Investment…I personally love my desktop computer too.

10 Date Night Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank…cute ideas

17 Books to Read Before They Hit the Screen – certainly some good ones here!

38 Beauty Products Editors Wish They Had Discovered Years Ago…and still, more new products I’ve never tried here.

8. Favorite new finds from J Crew.

9. This week’s dinners + favorite weekend eats.

Monday: Zucchini Carbonara with Crispy Prosciutto and Burrata

Tuesday: One Skillet Street Corn Chicken Enchilada Bake

Wednesday: Heirloom Tomato Cheddar Tart with Everything Spice

Thursday: Crispy Sesame Ginger Potstickers with Chive Chili Sauce

Friday: Arugula Tomato Cheese Pizza

Saturday: Iced Brown Sugar Latte with Shaken Espresso

Sunday: Brown Butter Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies