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The Better Splurge or Save

January 28, 2013

Screen Shot 2013-01-18 at 2.43.05 AM
Recently I've been looking to purchase a floor lamp for my dorm room. Lighting makes all the difference in creating a great atmosphere, but I have no plans on running through my entire month's allowance. I was eyeing this Z-Gallerie floor lamp, but found this similar one from Target for a great price. I didn't believe the Target one could be any where near the same quality as the one in Z-Gallerie, and I went to Target to see for myself. I was pleasantly surprised that Target's version looked well made and had a nice sturdy weight to it. Depending how crafty I'm feeling, I might even spray paint my SAVE version, which I would never do the SPLURGE lamp just because I'd be too scared to ruin it.
What do you all think?
xomonique

The Better Moments from My Week

January 22, 2013

moments from my week
1. I decided to put away my heat intensive hair tools for a while since my hair is getting so dry. One of my new favorite styles is the curl-hawk (as my sister so cleverly named it). 

2. Vintage silks and lace from a booth at the Pasadena flea market were stunning and so well priced!

3. I have mastered pizza dough (recipe to come later). Best of all it requires so little effort because I let my stand mixer do all the elbow work for me.
xomonique

The Better Item of the Moment: A New Kind of Cookbook

January 16, 2013

cover
I try to keep this blog as PG as possible, which sometimes proves difficult with my brand of humor. However, for this post I can't follow my self imposed remember-my-parents-read this-blog rule. In this book there are too many innuendos present to casually pretend they aren't there. I'm talking about 50 Shades of Chicken, the most genius parody to ever hit bookshelves.

hot chef
I wonder how many more people would pick up cookbooks if all the chefs looked like that.

If you were able to keep a straight face when looking at the front cover, I dare you not to laugh when you read the recipe titles.
dripping thighs chicken with a lardon chicken under the covers

And of course there is a book trailer for this. 

Then Anderson Cooper solidified my love for him even more by reading it on his talk show... 
Here is the BUY link. You are welcome.
xomonique

The Better Website of the Week: Baublebar

January 12, 2013

THE BETTER WEBSITE
I love sparkly things. Oh boy do I love them. Unfortunately, being a college student is a full time job with no salary; thankfully Baublebar has a good selection of jewelry that is fun and won't have me breaking bank. Here are just a few of the items I've been eyeing. As you can see my wish list is anything but short. I'll be sure to update with pictures once I narrow down my choices to a reasonable one or two (or three) items that I can purchase. 


sparkly things
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20
xomonique

The Better Trip to Bottega Louie

January 09, 2013

The best part about living in Los Angeles is that absolutely everything you could possibly want (and didn't even know you wanted) is at your fingertips. Today I took a trip to downtown LA with one of my best friends from college, Rosie. We both needed to get dressed and go out since we had (happily) spent most of our winter break lounging in pajamas yoga pants and watching TV.
We chose Bottega Louie, a chic Italian restaurant/bar/bakery as our destination for the day. 
dessert table
Rosie and I met through a mutual friend a week before we went off to college. Any time we got home sick we'd talk about our favorite LA spots, and she promised she'd take me to Bottega Louie when we returned to California. I am absolutely in love with this place! It's chic without being snooty, and it's luxurious without being overpriced.
Macaron au Crème Brûlée, topped with Sicilian pistachios
This dessert was my favorite. It's a vanilla macaron with a Tahitian, vanilla crème brûlée sitting on top and covered in raspberries and pistachios. I was going to take half home to share with the family, but after the first bite my plan was tossed out Bottega Louie's floor to ceiling glass windows.
latte at bottega louie
box of macaronsbreaking macaron
They also have a wonderful array of macarons. From top to bottom in my box: passion fruit, strawberry, lemon, salted caramel, vanilla. From the first few bites of dessert here I could feel the sugar coursing through my veins, but oh it was so worth it. Absolutely no regrets.
rosie sips latte
Rosie
open kitchen
As a self proclaimed foodie, I really appreciate the open kitchen that can be seen from the cafe and bar section of Bottega Louie. It treats the chefs like performers, and allows people like me to marvel at the what they make. 
700 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90014
213.802.1470 

Monday6:30 am – 11:00 pm
Tuesday6:30 am – 11:00 pm
Wednesday6:30 am – 11:00 pm
Thursday6:30 am – 11:00 pm
Friday10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Saturday8:00 am – 12:00 am
Sunday8:00 am – 11:00 pm
xomonique

The Better Martha Tries Liz's Blueberry Tart

January 03, 2013

Happy new year everyone! Can you believe it's 2013? It sounds so futuristic. To be perfectly honest I'm a little let down; where is my jetpack? I'd thought we'd be in hover cars by now! Disappointment aside, I created this blueberry tart when I was struck with a 2am urge to bake. I kept in mind that everyone is beginning their resolutions and trying to stay healthy so I chose a delicious sour cream tart with a buttery crust; it has some fruit on top so it's totally healthy, right? 
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I'm so mad that I forgot to spray the foil with Pam! Granted it was around 3:30 in the morning so my mind was not at its sharpest, but still, I prefer smooth edges.
IMG_9916 
For tarts and lemon bars I always line the pan with foil so I can lift the dessert out with ease. This system is great because it makes clean up a snap and slicing easier when the dessert is not in a dish. 

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xomonique