Lar has been in London the past few days and I’m so jealous! I really shouldn’t complain though because I’ve had a pretty gosh darn good week. It was spring break so I didn’t have class on Wednesday night, which meant that Troy and I were able to attend the Leap Year Dinner at One Eared Stag.

Robert Phalen, the chef at One Eared Stag, invited five of Atlanta’s top chefs to make an amazing five course meal. Actually, amazing doesn’t even begin to describe it: scallops with crispy smoked duck, pea consomme, braised bacon with kale, and so much more delicious goodness.

I decided to dress up a bit for the evening so I wore my new Marc by Marc Jacobs dress. It’s billowy and stretchy – perfect for belly expanding meals.

Outfit details: Marc by Marc Jacobs colorblock tunic, Claire Vivier clutch (gift from Lar), Mossimo for Target shoes (gift from Troy) and H&M belt.

The dress is meant to be worn as a tunic without a belt, but it makes me look like a walking trash bag. Plus I love how it looks drape-y when it’s belted.

But enough about me, let’s return to the food! Below Troy is pointing to Robert Phalen’s barley fed chicharone with powdered kimchi served with Hitachino Nest red rice ale.

My favorite dish of all was made by our friend Guy Wong, the talented chef at Miso Izakaya: Japanese hamburg with poached egg.

Troy and I want to come back to One Eared Stag when the weather is even nicer so we can sit outside on the back patio.

If only Leap Day was every year Troy and I would make reservation for next year this very minute! Absolutely one of the all time best meals I’ve ever had.

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Dear Lar,

How is London? Do you realize this is the first time one of us is in London without the other? I feel like I should be in London with you and you should have come to the Leap Day dinner with me.

We’ll just have to take a trip down to London together next time I come to visit you in Scotland. We can go have tea at the Savoy and then head over to Oxford Circus and then maybe head on over to the Tate Modern. And next time you’re in Atlanta, I’ll take you to One Eared Stag and of course we’ll make a few trips to Miso Izakaya.

I hope you’re taking lots of photos and can’t wait to hear all about it!

love, cath

Troy and I stopped by Sugar-Coated Radical on Sunday for the CashMob that was taking place. The shop was robbed last week and a CashMob was set for Sunday so the community could come out, buy some delicious sweets and help Sugar-Coated make up the money they lost.

See that sign in the door? The CashMob was from 9am-4pm on Sunday and because Troy and I are such lazy busy people, we didn’t get to the shop until 2pm. There was such a great community turnout for the CashMob that Sugar-Coated was completely sold out. Pastries? Gone. Chocolates? Gone. Caramels? Gone. All sold out. Sugar-Coated t-shirts? Still in stock! So I did my bit and bought this shirt.

I first found out about Sugar-Coated Radical when Lar and I were extras in the Trends With Benefits pilot and were fed delicious chocolates with equally delicious beer. We fell in love with Sugar-Coated’s branding – look, they even use washi paper tape!

After some t-shirt buying, Troy and I headed to the nearby Irwin Street Market for some lunch: swiss chard soup and a fried green tomato sandwich with pimento cheese. And like any respectable fashion-blogger type, I made my bf take some outfit pics:

Outfit details: Jacket by Gruhche on Etsy, Son of John shirt,  secondhand necklace, American Apparel skirt, Calvin Klein socks, American Eagle booties, and purse from a shop in New Orleans.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

___________

Dear Larbar,

I wish we could video Skype everyday! Weekends aren’t enough. Since you couldn’t be here for Wheatie’s birthday on Saturday (yes, Troy and I are totally those kind of dog owners), here’s a photo:

Also, look what I found at Publix – of all places: sticky toffee pudding!

Troy has been craving it ever since we left Scotland. We’ve discovered that  4th and Swift and Holeman and Finch both serve sticky toffee pudding. We plan on eating the Publix version in between trips to both restaurants Can’t wait to be back in Scotland so we can have sticky toffee pudding together!

love, cath

Today was rainy and a little on the cool side, but it was also a Sunday followed by a holiday Monday – woohoo! At least those of us who work for the government get tomorrow (that’s President’s Day for you non-United States-ian readers) off. So tomorrow I’ll be thanking the presidents for an extra day of studying for my midterm on Wednesday and the chance to get to sleep in just a wee bit.

Sunday was also great because my friends invited Troy and me over for lunch. We had vegan tacos, fried plantains and coconut rice. It was so delicious. Usually I end up wearing jeans and a t-shirt on Sundays after a week of blouses and pencil skirts, but I thought I’d step it up a bit this weekend:

Outfit details: Norma Kamali for Walmart shirt, J.Crew sweater (from 10 years ago), Blank corduroys, and H&M shoes.

I twisted together a curtain pull and black knotted necklace I got at a secondhand jewelry sale. I just recently cleaned my AsianCajuns name necklace, so I threw that on for a little sparkle.

Troy wore his trustworthy Chuck Ts. Sometimes we end up wearing our Chucks on the same day and I worry that we’ve become one of those lookalike couples. Good thing he isn’t part Chinese and part Cajun too!

Along with the Mexican/Cuban/Panamanian food, my friend also made this awesome fruit salad: watermelon, mango, pineapple, cucumber and jicama. Anyone else out there a Fiestaware fan?

After lunch, I went home and finished my reading for book club (we’re reading this book and I love it) and then ended the evening by watching Drive for the first time, which made me want to wear tight-fitting jackets, drive a vintage car, and chew on a toothpick. I’m always a little thrown off when I’m more inspired by the guy’s style in the movie than the girl’s. Why does Carey Mulligan’s character wear so many damn long, flowy skirts?!?

Happy President’s Day!

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Dearest Lar,

Look at the card that Alison had on her kitchen counter when I came over for lunch today:

Do you remember when we danced at the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange for two summers in a row? Well, apparently Alison’s friend is the artistic director of the company! Such a small world.

She also has this on her kitchen wall, which reminded me of the blue version you had/have in your Atlanta house:

I love RLand’s work and want to get the Pray for CATL version at some point – maybe when I’m not desperately trying to save money to come visit you in August!

So glad we finally got to Skype each other today!

Miss you, as always,

- Cath xoxo

Hello Lovelies and Happy Valentine’s Day! Thank you so much for entering our Shabby Apple dress contest. I’ll announce the winner later on this week, so stay tuned.

Valentine’s Day came early this year. Over the weekend my parents hosted a brunch to thank everyone that helped us out while we were in Europe for the holidays (dog sitting, house checks, drives to the airport, more dog sitting etc.). And because my mom is basically Martha Stewart (just nicer and much less egotistical), she had the house done up with Valentine’s Day flair.

Exhibit 1:

Exbit B: The brunch menu. I think my mom gets bonus points for making half the menu vegan and/or vegetarian-friendly.

Drinks included coffee, tea and mimosas. Cuppa anyone?

Exhibit D: Mimosa extras. Orange zest, maraschino cherries and lemon slices.

Since this is suppose to be somewhat of a fashion blog, I’m including a picture of what I wore to brunch. Not the most elegant outfit for such a splendid meal, but super comfy for the weekend.

Outfit details: H&M sweater, Gap tank, Muji watch, scarf from Swish in Edinburgh, Blank cords and Feiyue sneakers.

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Dearest Lar,

Do you and Matt have anything fun planned for Valentine’s Day? Is it as commercialized in the U.K. as it is here? It’s supposed to be cold and rainy tomorrow night, so Troy and I have planned a cozy night in. We’re ordering the special Valentine’s Day menu from Oakhurst Market and plan on sharing at least one bottle of wine. At least!

We’ll also be taking Toby to his last obedience class – so romantic, no?! He’s been doing so well. If he gets a diploma, I’m totally framing it and hanging it up somewhere – maybe over his dog bowl – ha!

Speaking of dogs, here’s a pic of Boo Radley on Sunday:

And one of your Toby:

I’ll be wearing one of my hot pink tops to work tomorrow in honor of the holiday. Will you be wearing your pink sweatpants at home? I kid, I kid.

Love you,

Cath

This contest is now closed.

Two giveaways in (almost) as many weeks on AsianCajuns! Thanks to all of you who entered the Feiyue contest. For those you who didn’t win, why don’t you enter this Shabby Apple dress giveaway!?!

If you aren’t familiar with Shabby Apple, it’s a website that sells beautiful women’s dresses that you won’t find at the mall. For example, this dress I’m wearing:

My Shabby Apple outfit: F21 cloche, Shabby Apple Dressage dress, shoes c/o Sole Society from this fabulous party.

My outfit is every so slightly inspired by Downton Abbey. Anyone else obsessed with that show? I’ve finally caught up to the fourth episode of the second season and just love the clothes. The dresses are so feminine and elegant. It makes me wish I had more reasons to dress up.

The next time Troy and I go out to a fancy dinner (Valentines Day, perhaps *hint, hint, Troy*) or maybe a trip to the symphony (oh la la), I’ll wear this Shabby Apple dress. I know it’s called the Dressage dress, but 1.) I don’t see how anyone could wear this while riding a horse and 2.) the idea of riding a horse scares the hell out of me. So fancy dinner and a concert it is!

Look at the gorgeous pleats:

And a close-up of my not-so-dressage-friendly-shoes:

Contest info:

One lucky reader will win a dress of her choice. I’m loving the new Mad Hatter Collection for spring – just a thought .

How to enter:

1.) Like Shabby Apple on Facebook
2.) Leave me a comment letting me know you’ve done so and let me know where you’d wear your favorite Shabby Apple dress.
3.) The contest will end at 5 p.m. this Sunday.
4.) I’ll pick a winner at random on Monday.

Lagniappe (A little extra):

For a limited amount of time, AsianCajun readers can get 10% off of their order at www.shabbyapple.com by typing in “asiancajuns10off” at checkout

Best of luck!

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

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.

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:

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!

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!

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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!

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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

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.

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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