Monthly Archives: January 2012

30 January 2012

My Secret Bad Hair Day Weapon

As I write this post, I’m already planning on using this secret weapon tomorrow since I don’t feel like washing my hair tonight. I know that might sound gross, but I’m a firm believer in not washing your hair everyday – mostly because it allows me to be lazy.

So what is my secret weapon? My mesh hair donut!

Let me explain.

Ever since I got my hair chopped off last summer (Lar and I took the plunge together) I haven’t been able to wear my hair in a messy bun. At first my hair was too short to even pull back in a respectable ponytail and now it’s still too short to make a full size bun.

Enter the hair donut:

Look at that giant bun! I just loop my ponytail through the mesh donut (see image below), spread my hair around it and pin it with a few hair pins.

I bought it at Primark in Edinburgh when I was visiting Lar. It only cost £1, best cash I’ve ever spent. Even if you can’t make it to Scotland to purchase a mesh hair donut, you can pick one up at your local beauty supply store or just google it and purchase one online.

Hurray for bad hairs days (fixed with mesh donuts)!

________________________

Dearest Lar,

Do you ever use that mesh bump it that you bought at Primark when I bought the donut? I think that one was trickier to use.

Even though I’m easing up on the diet a little bit, I’m still drinking my green juice every morning. I love it!

How many more days on your veggie cleanse? I had seafood the other day when we went to get dim sum and I felt guilty thinking of you eating nothing but fruits and veg.

xoxo, Cath

Category: Cath's Style
12 Comments
30 January 2012

Feiyue Winner

Hello dear readers! Thanks for entering our Feiyue contest.

The winner is Parker Cross! Here’s the proof:

 

Congratulations, ParkerCross! I’ll email you the details soon. I hope you enjoy your new pair of Feiyues!

To everyone else, don’t worry! We have another contest coming next week. Stay tuned.

Category: Uncategorized
1 Comment
29 January 2012

High-Heeled Rain Boots = Awesome

Disclaimer: I am one of those people that has become so accustomed to wearing heels that I’ve, at least temporarily, fore-shortened the tendons in my calves and feet. Eeesh, I know that sounds bad, but it’s true that my feet now hurt if I don’t wear heels. So when I was looking for wellies for Scotland, I decided to see if they made any with a stacked rubber heel. I was in luck and found these:

Hunter Boots with a wedge! But I don’t just love them because they are easier on my shortened tendons (again, I know, eeesh!), but they are in fact better than their flat-footed cousins. You know why? They keep your feet warmer! There is at least 1-4 inches of rubber between you and the cold stone pavement. It’s the same reason why people wore pattens during the 14th-20th centuries in Europe:


Image 1/2/3

For centuries, pattens, or chopines, kept ladies and gents from getting their feet stuck in the mud and errr. other stuff in the street. Luckily I only have to combat cold puddles and the occasional snowy mixture here in present-day Edinburgh.

I’ve worn my green wedge wellies so much, I thought maybe I should buy another pair. If I were still in Atlanta, two pairs of wellies would be unnecessary, but in Edinburgh you can wear these bad boys all year round.

(Gabby Hunter Boots)

If you are in a less rainy and cold climate, but still like the look of a wedge wellie without the cost, here is a round-up of less spendy versions:

Target boots • Wedge Welly boots from Amazon • Walmart boots (available in store)

So what do you think? Have I convinced you of the awesomeness of a rain boot with a little bit of a lift?

Thrifted Wrangler shirt • Blank Denim black chords • Beret from Debenhams • Hunter Boots

—–

Dear Kitcath,

Now that I have two pairs of heeled wellies, you can wear a pair while you are here too!

I hope you are having a wonderful time dim-summing! Wish I were there!

Mucho Love,

Lar

Category: Lar's Style
10 Comments
27 January 2012

Hiking to Buy Groceries


(Me with about 15 pounds of groceries on my back and Matt with about 35 pounds- ahhh true love!)

Not owning a car in Edinburgh is no biggie. The bus system here is great and the entire city is really very manageable by foot. There are even trains and buses that take you to nearly every little town in Scotland that your heart desires. But even with this cornucopia of public transport at my disposal, I still sometimes fantasize about my gas-guzzling Chevy that I left in the states.

Starting to eat an uber-healthy diet has changed our lifestyle in a number of ways: no more cookie time; no more quick stop to the local fish n chipee when our tummies growl; and no more hopping on a bus to Asda or toddling a few blocks down to Tesco. In order to be able to afford all this fruit and veg that we are eating, Matt and I now walk about 1.5 miles round trip to an inexpensive green grocer.


(On Lar: snood from Vivid Boutique in Decatur • thrifted shirt from Armstrongs in Edinburgh • Next pink skinnies • Hunter Boots wedge wellies) • hiking backpack is from a random outdoorsy store in Murica, Spain circa 2003 • Eugenia Kim hat • Primark coat and gloves)

I like to feel all noble and Lance Armstrongy because we are walking to buy healthy food, but really I just get whiny and grumpy-pants. I pine for the days of yore in Atlanta when I could drive .75 miles to my grocery store, fill up my trunk (or do I mean boot?) with tons of food, and then drive home and congratulate myself for.erm. finally going grocery shopping, with a nice cookie or two. or five. Horrible I know! Bad for the planet, bad for my health, bad for my cookie jar (always depleted).

I would like to think that if I did have a car in Scotland (and could drive manual, on the wrong side of the road!) that I would never use it except for romantic weekend excursions to castles and lochs. But I know that if I could, I would drive nearly everywhere — especially when it involves totting 20 cucumbers, 5 sweet potatoes, 2 bags of kale, innumerous cans of chick peas, jars of almond butter, peppers, squash, romaine, onions, avocados, etc.


(Daily green juice: cucumber, romaine, kale, apple and celery. not very good for cookie dipping if you were wondering)

The annoying part of all of this is that because I’m eating all these veggies and whole grains, I have a lot more energy and walking back up a hill with a hiking backpack full of veg isn’t as much of a problem as you would think. Sure, I gripe and groan the whole way (sorry, Matteo!), but — blast it all!– this eating healthy thing is working.

This above pic is actually a new favorite recipe of ours. We feel so decadent eating it: roasted sweet potato, black beans (cooked with onion and garlic and some veggie stock), lightly steamed kale, and kiwi (yes, kiwi!) salsa on corn tortillas – soooo good!

—-

Don’t forget to enter Cath’s give-away, lovely readers! To find out how to win a pair of these awesome Feiyue sneaks, see this blog post (the one below). These sneaks were favored by Shaolin monks and now loved by Parisian hipsters. I feel these would go well with my new active lifestyle, non?

—-

Dear Cath,

Do you find yourself more grumpy on this diet? I’m trying to over-come some of it with some ommmss and journaling, but it’s so much more satisfying to gripe. Why is that?

You should definitely try that sweet potato meal above though! It’s one of the only recipes that isn’t too salady and I don’t complain a jot when I eat it.

Love,

Lar

p.s. This was a photo from yesterday morning out of our kitchen window. Pretty ooo lala – non?

 

Category: Edinburgh, Lar's Style
14 Comments
24 January 2012

Reader Giveaway: Feiyue Sneaks!

This contest is now closed

I love reader giveaways, especially when I can show off the item we’re giving away – like these sneaks!  When Feiyue first got in touch with me I thought, “I’m not a sneakers girl, I’m an impractical heels girl!” Well, that was before I tried these babies on and they fit like a glove. Seriously, I feel like I’m walking on air with these on.

I picked out the vintage style Feiyues and one of you lucky readers has the chance to win a pair!

What is Feiyue, you ask? How do you pronounce it? Well, I’m so glad you asked! Here’s a little story about Feiyue:

Once upon a time, in the beautiful land of China, resided in one of the most famous temples of the country a different kind of monks; the Shaolin Monks. These athletic and agile monks were known for their kung fu fighting skills.
In the 1930’s these same monks along with kung fu masters, were seeking for a robust, flexible and comfortable shoes to wear while training. This is when they found out about a chinese company manufacturing a shoe called FEIYUE (pronounced « Feî-ué »), literally meaning “Flying Forward”.
The renown of the shoe spread out to the rest of the country; flying over the mountains, running down the Yangtz River, passing through the forest and deserts. For decades FEIYUE continued to be popular with hundreds of thousands of shoes manufactured, and sold not only to martial arts practitioners but also to the rest of the population.
Unfortunately, sometimes good stories turn bad, and with the opening up of China, and the associated cultural and economic changes, the sneaker was gradually forgotten and began to lose prominence in China.
So in 2005, Patrice Bastian, a French entrepreneur living in Shanghai, decided to team up with Nicolas Seguy and Clement Fauth – whom also have a interest in urban culture, music, art and travel –  to recreate the brand name with the intention of improving the image and appearance of FEIYUE. In February 2006, they launched the first French-designed FEIYUE collection (new sole, thicker canvas, more styles).
As of today, FEIYUE is sold all over the world which includes countries such as France, UK, Belgium, Spain, Australia, South Africa, and Hong Kong. Last October, the company opened its first flagship store located in the heart of Paris.
In the midst of 2011, the French street style sneaker brand decided to conquer the American Market, offering many Americans’s feet the opportunity to feel comfortable and look nice. Those who adopted the sneakers have been walking and looking happily ever since
The End

Outfit details: Feiyue shoes (of course!), secondhand Brooks Brothers shirt, Target belt, Forever 21 pants, Muji watch.

How to enter: Leave a comment on this post telling me how you’d wear these Feiyues and I’ll pick a winner at random. Unfortunately, if you reside in China or Japan, you can’t apply. Contest ends Sunday at 5 p.m.

Good luck!

 

Category: Cath's Style
33 Comments
22 January 2012

Scottish Sheep

Post Update:

Thanks to Lisa and Betsy for pointing out that my lovely sheep sweater is a remake of one Princess Di wore. It makes me love it that much more!

__________________________

One of my favorite purchases from my trip to Scotland. It’s not really my style (i.e. cutesy, not black, patterned, and not appropriate for work), but I fell in love with it when I saw it at a little shop in Edinburgh. Every time I wear it I think of Scotland and the cold, blustery day Lar and I went shopping. I can’t remember the name of the shop where I bought the sweater, but I remember the guy working behind the counter was super sweet. . . and dressed exactly like Captain Jack Sparrow – I kid you not!

I feel it’s unfair to name a post “Scottish Sheep,” without including a photo of the incredibly cute Blackface Highland:

photo

Gah! Look at their wittle faces! And there’s millions of them in the highlands – easily outnumbering the human population in Scotland.  See why I love Scotland so much? And why Lar moved there against my wishes? And why I can’t blame her for it?

Outfit details: sweater from a shop in Edinburgh, H&M black turtleneck, Blank cords, and H&M boots.

I’ve got to be honest that the two times I’ve worn this sweater out in public in the states I’ve gotten some stares. Apparently a 28 year old wearing an over-sized sweater with a sheep pattern isn’t typical. It felt so normal when I bought it in Scotland (they’re more into patterns there). Maybe I’ll try wearing it with this black mini to make it more grown up, less cutesy. Then again, maybe I should just embrace the cute factor. I mean, I did use baby talk in this post – eesh!

________

Dearest Lar,

What was the name of that shop? I can’t believe I can’t remember it. All I can remember is that it had a name that made it sound teeny-boper-like. Have you been back since we went last month? Is Captain Jack Sparrow still working there?

I hate that you’re sick! Make sure you’re eating enough. Even if you have to skip the cleanse for a few days until you’re feeling better. Hell, go crazy and eat a cookie! Maybe it’ll make you feel better – as long as it’s gluten free 🙂

xoxo,

Cath

Category: Cath's Style
22 Comments
20 January 2012

Our Flat in Paris- ooo la la!

I know a lot of you well-traveled readers know about Airbnb already, but isn’t it fantastic? Cath used it last year when she went to L.A. for vacay. Matt and I used it when we first got to Scotland — we needed a temporary home for two weeks and a hotel was too pricey. And we turned to Airbnb for our recent trip to gorgeous lovely Paris.

Airbnb works two ways: you either rent an entire flat/apartment/house from someone or you rent a room and stay with your host. I know both of those options can sound sketchy. Staying in someone’s house, with their things? Or with them? Strangers?! Airbnb is based on trust, testimonials and reviews. And so far the system has worked really well. I know it might still sound sketchy, but that’s why I wanted to mention it here, and to show you some pics of the flat we stayed at in Paris.

(Those are linen sheets on the beds — ooo lala indeed!):

Don’t you love this chair I’m sitting on? I wanted to take it back with me, but it didn’t fit in my carry-on:

All our Airbnb hosts have always been super-informative about where to eat, how to get around, and provided us with clean and beautiful places to stay. Mark, our Paris host, left us with maps and detailed information on how to get to the grocery stores and use the washing machine. On top of that, his flat was just as beautiful as the photos we saw online (the photos in this post with the airbnb watermark are Mark’s) and Mark himself was such a sweet guy — we can’t wait to go back and stay at his flat again!

He even had fancy diptyque room spray in all the rooms:

There was a gorgeous back patio that looks like this in the summer (it was too chilly to use in December):

But still beautiful, with herbs in pots and lanterns with candles:

Cath blended right in:

Have you guys ever used Airbnb? We’re thinking about trying it for London, but they are a bit pricier there (i.e. the same cost as a hotel). Tell us your stories too!

p.s. Thanks you guys for all the encouragement about our new “diet” plans and all the helpful tips! I’ll let you know how we’re feeling in a few weeks time.

—-

Dear Kitcath,

Doesn’t it feel like we were in Paris together months ago? It’s been just about a month now- booo, too long!

I hope you have a really awesomely relaxed weekend — you so deserve it after the crazy, busy, stressful week you’ve had.

Oh, I’m still on my CSD cleanse even with this cold, but I’m doing more raw rather than cooked veggies. Something about uncooked spinach going down a sore throat makes the soul go cold, doesn’t it?

Love you!

Lar

p.s. I added this photo to our About page:

Category: General AsianCajuns Info, Uncategorized
14 Comments
18 January 2012

Giving Up Bread, Butter and Bacon (and Cookies)!

I apologize for things being a bit quiet around here these last couple of days. Cath and I have been making some changes that are taking some getting used to. We are trying to exercise more and go vegetarian/vegan.

Vegan?! This from a girl who dreamed in high school of becoming a pastry chef and marrying Jacques Torres (just to eat his chocolate and sugar sculptures — sorry, Jacques!). You know Cath and I love food — all food! Even the kind with cute faces — we just kind of liked to forget where our delicious maple syruped bacon comes from because it tastes soooo gooood.

In fact I’m stepping it up a notch and going vegan (mainly raw- gak!) and gluten-free and sugar-free for the next little while. I know that sounds fairly crazy. I mean once you cut out gluten, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, meat, cheese, milk, butter. heat! what and how do you eat? And more pointedly, what the hell do you live for?

(Arugula and quinoa, you sooo don’t taste like mac and cheese):

I’m not a big fan of diets (especially this one!), but I’m not doing this to loose weight and I think that’s why I might stick to it. The much more convincing reason to eat veggies, veggies, and then more veggies is to ease some chronic health problems and pain. I’ve always had a rummy tummy and on top of that I have some tremendous endometriosis pain. Will lettuce and tofu “cure” me? Maybe not. But pills don’t work, so I’m willing to -gulp- cut out croissants and cookies for a while to see how I feel.

(breakfast of champions who dream of buttery crumpets: juiced cucumber, celery, kale, romaine, and apple):

It really helps I’m not doing this alone. My mustachioed man and twinsie are following similar plans. I got the omph and encouragement to try this wacky (but very healthy — full of nutrients even though it doesn’t sound like it) diet by reading Kris Carr’s Crazy, Sexy Diet. She is my new guru. Haven’t heard of her? Check out her fabuloso blog.

(there are 14 cucumbers hiding under this stash – I kid not. we only have four left in our fridge):

We don’t usual talk about health foods and diets here on AsianCajuns, but all this stuffs (veggies, being kinder to the planet, curing my ails) have been on the forefront of my mind for a long while. Are any of you guys vegan or have tried cutting out foods for allergies or inflammation? Do you think Cath and I are nutso for giving up such delicious things even for a short while? (Erm, I kinda do!).

Kisses and Kale (and broccoli and spinach and cucumbers and carrots and),

Lar

Oh! And I found this video of me, showing you how I feel about 98% of the time:

—-

Dear Kitcath,

So glad you are doing this with me! You would be so proud, I haven’t had a cookie/biscuit in three days. Three days! I definitely have the non-cookie grumpies though!

Love you!

Lar

Category: Uncategorized
43 Comments
13 January 2012

Dressing Like a Danish Crime Detective


photo credit

The Danish television crime drama “The Killing” hasn’t made it stateside, but British readers probably know the show and will roll their eyes at hearing yet again about Sarah Lund’s famous jumpers (that’s “sweaters” for you/us Americans).

I’m not a huge fan of crime detective shows unless it’s quaint or period (e.g. “Pushing Daisies” or “Poirot”). Too much crazy psychopath nonsense gives me the hibbie jibbies. But “The Killing” is totally worth the mind-shivers because of its kick-ass, female lead who wears these awesome sweaters/jumpers:


photo credit

Sarah Lund (see above right) is the crime-solving Danish bad ass/leading lady in “The Killing.” Her character isn’t Carrie Bradshaw. She wears the same sweater/jumper nearly every episode (she has 2-3 she rotates in the first two seasons), but it’s because of these sweaters that she has become a style icon. In fact The Guardian listed her as #1 on their best dressed celeb list of 2011.


photo credit

You might be thinking “Sweater, schmeater (or jumper, schwumper) — who cares?! Wearing a woolly knitted pattern on your torso does not a style icon make.” I think it goes something like this: It’s winter time and cold and windy. You wear lots of layers, but still walk around shivering. You know why? Cuz you don’t have a 100% Danish wool jumper that not only keeps you warm, but makes you feel like an intensely-focused, crime-kicking lady detective that doesn’t care what others think. In fact, you care so little, you wear the same outfit for 10 days straight without showering. It’s the ultimate in I-don’t-give-a-s*&t clothing. And who doesn’t want more of that in their closet/lives?

I’m still taking showers regularly and have only worn my sweater once, but, yes-indeedy, I now own what I call my “Sarah Lund Jumper” for those days when I feel like “ooo sooo cold {shake, shake}” and need to feel like “F*&%, the cold and that stupid guy who cut me off in line at Tesco!”

Here I am in all my bad-assery. Yeah, I’d scare the pants off all those bad guys:

I got this 100% wool, Danish jumper at a lovely vintage shop here in Edinburgh called Godiva for £25. Mine is real-deal Danish wool, but it’s not the actual sweater/jumper Sarah Lund wears. Lund has a $300 version by Gudrun & Gudrun. It’s self-cleaning and much softer than my itchy wooly job, but I think you can kick ass in either version.

So ladies and gents, lesson learned today: buy a crime-fighting jumper and you too can run after bad guys and solve intricate crimes or, you know, at least give that Tesco line-cutter guy the evil eye with Danish aplomb.

—-

Dear Cath,

I’m so bummed we didn’t get to watch this together when you were here. I still hope you guys can get your hands on a copy! I wonder if the sweater would work as well in Atlanta. Even in the winter I think the humidity would take down anyone wearing a Scandinavian jumper faster than any psychopathic serial killer, so maybe don’t try this until you come visit me again.

Skypie date this weekend?

xoxoxoxo,

Lar

 

Category: Edinburgh, Lar's Style
13 Comments
10 January 2012

Things I’m Loving

Warning: This post is not for those of you who have resolved to simplify your lives and buy less in 2012. It’s a pretty materialistic post filled with items that I’ve recently bought.

Now that you’ve been warned, let’s get started. I find that I miss Lar even more now that I’ve gone to visit her in her new home. How do I overcome my sadness? The healthy way. I buy things!

Well, this first item is actually one thing I didn’t buy: red embroidered tea container from a tea shop in Marais. We met up with my friend Celine who lives in Paris and who I haven’t seen in 7 years. It was so wonderful to see her and on top of that, she took us to her favorite tea shop and bought me this beautiful tea container.

Here’s what the tea container looks like open – so elegant! I bought some delicious loose-leaf, rooibos tea for it, which also happens to be something I can drink on my cleanse because it’s decaffeinated.

What are those lit-up white paper bags, you ask? Luminaries from Paris! They’re from a store called Merci to be exact.  I will tell you all about that great store in another post  – or maybe Lar will, she has all the photos on her camera 😉

But I digress. Back to the luminaries. I wish I could take credit for discovering them, but it was really Mark, the super-sweet owner of the apartment in Paris we rented, who should get the credit. He had them lit on the dining table the first day we arrived and they seemed so magical. So when I saw them at Merci, I snatched them up.

One of my favorite purchases from Paris is this copy of Northanger Abbey I got at Shakespeare and Co. It’s not one of my favorite Austen novels, but look how it opens!

It’s a Flipback Book! I wish they sold these in the states. My whole library would be nothing but Flipbacks. The size is perfect for carrying around in my purse and reading on the metro.

Two of my favorite nail polishes right now: TopShop nail polish in Sketch (gift from Lar) and Essie’s Limo-Scene, yep, that’s its name.

Last, but not least, my zebra scarf from Swish in Edinburgh. It reminds of this wallpaper.

_________

Dear Lar,

Just got my copy of Crazy Sexy Diet in the mail today. I don’t think I’ll ever completely give up meat and dairy, but it’s already inspired me to be healthier.

I took Toby to his first obedience class and he was great! He did such an amazing job paying attention. I can’t wait to call you on Skype and show you what we learned.

Miss you like crazy!

love, cath

Category: Cath's Style
5 Comments