All posts by Cath

17 March 2014

T-Shirt and Jeans

black vneck

I wish I had pretty pictures to show you of Atlanta – especially now that the cherry trees are in blossom – just like Lar showed you of Edinburgh in her last lovely post. Unfortunately I haven’t had much time to get out of the house. I’ve been slammed with work and school work for the past few weeks. Being so busy has made me want to simply everything – including my wardrobe.

tshirt and jeans

camper wedges

When I get tempted by cheap trends and online sales, here are some links that inspire me to keep it simple:

• Felicity (the TV show) style – remember the converse and leather backpack? It might be a little dated, but I love how Keri Russel’s character made t-shirts, jeans and sneaks look pulled-together and laid back at the same time. Plus, mom jeans are coming back in style.

• Stephanie Trong’s Why I Didn’t Dress Up For Paris Fashion Week (and Won’t Ever Again)

• A great post about simplifying your wardrobe.

• Good reads from Life Edited here, here, and here.

• Update: Esther just left a comment about Project 333. I’m intrigued and think I want to try it. Anyone ever tried it?

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Dearest Lar,

I finally got to see The Grand Budapest Hotel. Can you believe it’s only playing in at one movie theater in Atlanta (Tara)? I loved it and I want to watch it again so I can soak in all the details. I wish we could have seen it together.

I think one of the reasons I love Wes Anderson films is how almost every character of his has a uniform: Team Zissou, Margot Tenenbaum, Suzy, etc. I like the simplicity of it amongst all of the visual stimulation.

I feel like you’ve developed your uniform with flowy tunics and leggings and I love it. I know you’ve had to simplify because you and Matt don’t have a lot of closet space, but I’m totally inspired by it (the simplicity more so than the lack of closet space). So thanks for inspiring me from hundreds of miles away!

Hope you have a fun, stress-free week!

xoxo, Cath

Category: Cath's Style
14 Comments
5 March 2014

My Spring Reading List

Use Grammarly for proofreading because, it’s like a little (comma) splice of heaven.*

reading list

It’s been a while since we’ve talked about books on AsianCajuns. Lar and I have always been big readers, but since I’ve been going to graduate school while working full time, my reading has tapered off a little bit in the past few years. Lately, I’ve been trying to take more time to read, even if it’s just a few minutes before bed. Here’s what I’ve been reading/planning on reading these past few months:

Stitches by Anne Lamott – My mom saw Anne Lamott give a talk at our local library and immediately bought a copy Stitches for herself, me and Lar. It’s about dealing with loss and catastrophic events. It sounds dark and self-help-y, but it’s not. I like reading little snippets of it throughout the week.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – This is one of those books that I’m planning on reading. Eric from Mosey bought it for me when Troy and I got to hang out with him in Decatur a few months ago because he said it was one of the best books he’s read in while. I know fellow blogger, Laura, just finished it and loved it. I’ve been holding off reading it until I have a free weekend, but that’s never going to happen and I’m really looking forward to it, so I might start it this week – can’t wait!

Financially Fearless by Alexa Von Tobel – Alexa is the founder of LearnVest.com, which I use to keep my finances in order and occasionally “meet” my online financial advisor. It’s a great book (and website) for anyone needing to up the ante on their personal finances. I haven’t read the entire book, but I know I’ll use it continually as a reference.

Hot Rum Cow – The company that Lar works for in Scotland publishes this independent magazine about beers, wines and spirits. Every time I visit Lar in Scotland or when she comes home for a visit, she brings me the latest issue and I love it. I’ve kept all of the issues she’s given me and have even reread some of the articles. It has everything I love: great writing, awesome design, and a focus on booze!

reading list

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer – A Beautiful Mess started an online book club this year and The Interestings was the January book. I bought it in January with every intention of participating in the online discussion, but have yet to finish it. Whoops! Luckily I got my friend, Alison, and Lar to read it with me so we’re going to have our own little book club chat via Skype soon.

A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book by Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman – As much as I love instagramming and taking photos for the blog, I sometimes feel uninspired and “meh” about my photos. I use this book when I need some inspiration and a little pick-me-up.

Brother – I bought this journal at Octane in Grant Park for Lar since she loves independent publications. I was going to wait to read it after her, but I couldn’t help myself and read it before giving it to her. This particular issue was about oysters in Charleston, SC. I read it from cover to cover (it’s not a big publication) and immediately went to the Kimball House to eat some oysters after. I can’t wait for the next issue.

 * Blogger disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by Grammarly. All thoughts and views expressed are my own. 

Category: Decatur/Atlanta, General AsianCajuns Info
4 Comments
3 March 2014

Acrylic Tray DIY

the easiest DIY ever

A couple of months ago I reorganized my vanity and realized I needed a tray to corral all of my stuff. I started searching all over online for an affordable tray. When I say “affordable,” I mean like $15 or less. It doesn’t exist. $26 was the cheapest I could find.

Then I remembered my friend, Katie, telling me about using acrylic frames as a tray. Brilliant! Even better? I had one laying around my house. One brand new tray for $0!!! If you don’t already own one, you can purchase an 8″ x 10″ frame for $5 on Amazon.

Not that it’s really necessary, but here’s how you turn an acrylic frame into an acrylic tray:

step one tray diy

Step two tray diy

Boom. Done.

acrylic diy tray

Easiest. DIY. Ever.

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Dearest Lar,

Remember how we used to do crafts all the time? I loved creating stuff: a bunny pin cushion, magazines, paper dolls, necklaces, and a bunch of other stuff. When did we get too busy to have craft time?! I suppose creating a tray from a frame isn’t the most crafty thing in the world, but I still felt a sense of accomplishment when I was done (in five seconds).

Next time we’re together, let’s have a crafternoon. Deal?

xoxo, Cath

Category: General AsianCajuns Info
14 Comments
27 February 2014

Thursday Reading List

I know it’s been a bit quiet here on the blog this week. I apologize. I wish I could spend all of my time on AsianCajuns, but work, school, and life tend to get in the way every once in a while.

One of the things I’ve been up to as of late: writing a handful of articles for Groupon. Click on the photos and have a look-see 🙂

10 Crazy Great Things About Atlanta

Enjoying nature in atlanta

Groupon Southern History Atlanta

The best of Decatur

Let me know what you think – even if you’ve never been to Atlanta!

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Dearest Lar,

It already feels like I haven’t seen you in forever. We’re both slammed with work in our different parts of the world and it makes me feel even further from you. You should just buy a GoPro and wear it everywhere you go so I can feel like I’m right by you during the day. That’s not weird, right?!

Skype this Sunday? I hope so!

xoxo, Cath

Category: Decatur/Atlanta
8 Comments
21 February 2014

Another Rent the Runway Success at a Great Wedding

Last month I rented this Zac Posen dress for my friends’ wedding:

Rent the Runway wedding

No Turning Back dress |  Brighthouse Baubles necklace | Simply Vera shoes (similar here)

It fit perfectly except for the straps – they kept sliding off my shoulders. Since I had read the reviews on Rent the Runway before ordering the dress, I knew this was common a issue so I made sure to add some double-sided tape to keep them in place. Everything else about the dress was great. The material was heavy so it hung nicely and never wrinkled and there were pockets! Bonus: it only cost $34.99 to rent.

I wore this dress

to their wedding

and had a blast

The last two photos in this post are by Matt Miller of Diamond Eyes – an awesome, Atlanta-based wedding photographer.

Have you tried Rent the Runway? I’ve used the website twice before (here and here) and have always been pleased with the service. Feel free to leave a comment if you want more details on how it works.

Here’s to a great weekend!

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Dearest Lar,

I’m still kind of in shock that you left to go back to Scotland today. I was getting so used to having you around – and it felt so right!

At this very moment, you’re flying over Ireland – I’ve been tracking your flight this whole time. Creepy? Perhaps, but it makes me feel closer to you to know exactly where you/your plane are/is. You’ll be landing in Amsterdam in less than two hours with plenty of time to catch your flight to Edinburgh. I wish I was on the flight with you! I find it so strange that we’ve travelled back and forth between the states and Europe so much in the past few years and haven’t flown together once!

You know I’ll be missing you like crazy, but I’m so glad you’ll be going back to Scotland to make a full recovery. You’ve been through so much this past month, but I really believe that by this time next month, it’ll feel like a distant dream. Okay, “dream” sounds way too pleasant, but you know what I mean.

Skype you this weekend!

xoxo, Cath

Category: Cath's Style
9 Comments
14 February 2014

Happy Valentine’s Day – or Not!

Image via Pinterest

I know there are those who love Valentine’s Day (pink! hearts! true love! date night! romance!) and those who hate it (too sappy! too commercialized! singles power!). I can confidently say I LIKE Valentine’s Day. It’s not my favorite holiday, but any excuse to buy/receive flowers and chocolates is okay in my book. So instead of a long-winded post about the virtues vs. the deficiencies of the holiday, I’m just going to do a link love instead. Sound good? Here goes:

Category: TGIF Link Love
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12 February 2014

Peter Pilotto Collab for Target

Peter Pilotto for Target

My friend, Meredith, and I have made it a tradition to wake up early and head to Target whenever a designer collaboration comes out. The Peter Pilotto debut on Sunday was no different. We headed over to our local Target and rushed the doors with about seven other people.

Honestly, I wasn’t quite as excited about this collaboration since I’m not a big pattern/prints fan and this collection is nothing but prints. Nevertheless, I liked the modern cuts and shapes that I saw on the online lookbooks so I figured it was worth waking up early on a Sunday.

In person the items didn’t look as crisp and bright as they appeared online, so I only tried on a handful of items:

Peter Pilotto skirt and top

Tank Green Netting Print | Red Floral Check Print Skirt | Black Check Print Pants

I liked the way the tank fit, but I ended up not getting it because the print was too busy for me. The skirt was probably the worst fitting item I tried on. It puffed out at the waist awkwardly and fell just above the knee. The pants, however, were so comfy!

Peter Pilotto sweatshirt and pants

Light Blue Sweatshirt | Black Checked Pants

I really wanted the sweatshirt even though it’s on the busy side, but after my 5-day, foodie trip to Seattle funds were a little limited and I could only afford one item. So I got the pants! They’re more versatile than the sweatshirt. I can wear them to work, but they’re also comfortable enough to wear with sneakers on the weekend.

Peter Pilotto pants

Now that I look at these photos, I think might get the pants hemmed ever so slightly since I plan on wearing them with these heels or black pumps. In the winter I’ll wear these pants with the Funktional sweatshirt (above) and in the summer I’ll wear them with a loose-fitting, black, short sleeve shirt like this one.

My favorite part is the little pattern detail by the pocket.

Peter Pilotto pant pocket

Have you checked out the collection yet? Did you buy anything? Even though Peter Pilotto isn’t a household name, it sounds like the collaboration was incredibly successful. I’m hoping that the sweatshirt might eventually go on clearance in a few weeks, but it’ll probably be sold out by then. Fingers crossed!

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Update on Lar:

Lar was able to come home from the hospital today – woohoo! She’s still on super strong antibiotics, which are making her feel like crap and she’s emotionally and physically exhausted. Once she gets her strength back up, I’ll have her check out all the sweet comments that you guys have been leaving.

Category: Cath's Style
22 Comments
5 February 2014

AsianCajuns Guide to Seattle


Photo credit

Yes, this is a very impartial, biased guide to Seattle, but we had so much fun eating our way around the city and following our friends’ recommendations that I wanted to share it with you. The shops section is lacking a bit so fill free to leave a comment with some suggestions and I’ll add it to the post.

pike place market Pike Place Starbucks The Walrus and the Carpenter Top Pot Doughnuts Ba Bar Dicks Seattle

Drinking & Dining:

  • Percy’s & Co – We just went here for some cocktails and olives, but I would have loved to stay for dinner because I liked the low lighting and modern farm/victorian feel of the decor. My Negroni was spot on and Lar ordered a mocktail that she really enjoyed.
  • Hot Cakes – Stood in line after dinner for about 30 minutes for boozy shakes that did not disappoint. I wish they had more seating for the night crowds, but I would have eaten my s’more shake standing up if I had to.
  • Pike Place Market – Touristy, but still fantastic. If it was a warmer day, I would have purchased some cheese, fresh bread, olives, fresh flowers (just because), and a bottle of wine from the multitude of vendors for a picnic. It was also fun to join the throng of Japanese tourists at the original Starbucks. My iced decaf tall soy latte was perfect.
  • Ballard Farmers Market – Open every Sunday on a closed-off street in the historic section of the Ballard neighborhood. We loved the sauerkraut tent (seriously – so many different flavors!), the gluten-free bakery, and the mini doughnuts stand.
  • Dick’s – Delicious, nostalgic burgers that you order at a walk-up window. We went to the Wallingford location after drinks and it was the perfect end to a long evening.
  • Top Pot Doughnuts – I loved the old fashion cake doughnuts, but my favorite was actually the cranberry mint rooibos tea Lar and I sipped on.
  • Ba Bar – So, so, so good! I wish all Vietnamese street food-inspired cuisine tasted this good. Order the congee and your life will never be the same.
  • Shiro’s Sushi – the. best. sushi. ever. Stay tuned for Lar’s post on Monday all about this place.
  • Din Tai Fung – unfortunately overrated, but still good. I enjoyed the soup dumplings more than Troy and Lar (they didn’t think they were very flavorful), but the whole experience seemed watered-down and Americanized. We went to the new, fancy location in the university district. I’ve heard the other locations feel more authentic.
  • Brouwer’s – Troy and I went for the great beer selection, but stayed for the delicious food. The muscles and cioppino were out of this world.
  • The Walrus & the Carpenter – Great oysters. Great staff. I loved the vibe in this tiny spot in Ballard.

Fjallraven Seattle Uwajimaya

Shopping:

  • Fjallraven Seattle – Lar and I love our Fjallraven backpacks. You’d think we were getting paid to blog about them since we both wear them everywhere and have featured them here, here and here. I had no idea Fjallraven had any stateside stores so when Lar and I were walking around downtown Seattle and passed by the Fjallraven store, we did a double take and then ran inside. I was so tempted to buy another backpack when I saw the rainbow wall of backpacks and Lar fell in love with this hat.
  • Uwajimaya – a Japanese grocery/mega store. The housewares section reminds me of Pearl River Mart in New York. Plus, Troy and I found giant Pocky, which we’ve been looking for all over Atlanta.
  • Kinokuniya – the Japanese bookstore adjoining Uwajimaya. Yes, it sells plenty of Japanese books, but it also has a great selection of international magazines, books, and gifts.
  • Glass Baby – Beautiful handmade glass votives and cups in every color of the rainbow. Plus, ten percent of all revenues is donated to organizations dedicated to healing.
  • E. Smith Mercantile – An amazingly curated shop with a bar in the back. I loved the old-timey, apothecary feel to it and wish I had had more time to spend in it.
  • Elliott Bay Book Company – Lar and I are suckers for independent book stores and Elliott Bay is HUGE. We spent hours browsing the shelves. Troy loved it because they serve good beer in the store cafe.

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Dearest Readers,

Instead of writing Lar (who is currently sleeping in a hospital bed after a successful surgery today), I want to write a quick thank you note to you. All of your support and kindness about Lar’s surgery was so wonderful and I’m so incredibly grateful for it.

If all goes well, Lar will be sent home later today. Keep your fingers crossed!

xoxo, Cath

Category: Experiences
12 Comments
21 January 2014

Ramen Pop-Up Shop

Last week Troy and I went to Guy Wong’s first evening of his ramen pop-up shop at Octane Coffee in Grant Park. The pop-up started at 6pm. We arrived hungry at 6:30pm, saw that the line was insanely long, and then decided to come back the following week.

ramen

And we did! This time we brought our friends, Ellen and Sam, and arrived at 5pm. We were 17th in line and had our piping hot bowls of ramen by 6:30 p.m. Totally worth the wait.

Miso ramen

Ramen pop up

ramen back room

ramen chopsticks

In addition to ramen, there are a few other delicious items on the menu. We all got an order of the Soft Shell BLT Bun (soft shell crab, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and sambal mayo) and two orders of the KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) for the table. Everything was melt-in-your-mouth good, but I think the bun was my favorite.

soft shell crab buns

Guy switches up the menu a little bit every week. This week the two ramen options were beef stew and shoyu. I ordered the shoyu ramen: savory, soy sauce broth, pork belly, shoyu egg, spinach, menma, scallion, and naruto maki. Sooooo yummy.

ramen bowl

If you’re in Atlanta and craving a bowl of ramen, come by Octane around five on Sunday. Bring some friends, then grab a coffee or cocktail while you wait and make an evening of it.

I’ll be out of town this Sunday (visiting Lar in Seattle – woohoo!), otherwise I’d totally go back to Octane this weekend. Local readers, let me know if you go!

________________

Dearest Lar,

I hope you had a smarvelous time in San Luis Obispo! Your instagram of the beach made me so jealous. I hope you were able to soak up plenty of vitamin D and eat plenty of Mexican food.

Alison and Greg’s wedding party on Saturday was wonderful. I wish you could have been there! They used the quaich that you and Matt gave them, which was awesome because it brought a little bit of Scotland to their party. I took a quick video and will show you when we see each other in four days!

Love, Cath

Category: Decatur/Atlanta
13 Comments