Category Archives: Miscellaneous

13 March 2012

Train Travel: Edinburgh to London

Chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga. . . the Orient Express, the Trans Siberian, Harry Potter! Aren’t trains just so romantic? Maybe it’s just being a car-centric American, but train travel seems so marvelous. It’s the stuff off cinematic fog-filled farewells, rolling green countryside, and ladies with fur stoles drinking tea in the dining car. (Can you tell most of my knowledge comes from BBC period dramas and old black and whites).

I’ve been on a few trains in my day (mostly around Spain, Scotland and Eastern Europe), and no one runs alongside them waving hankies any more and everything is sort of gray plastic and fabric on the inside (no more polished wood and white linen table cloths). Still, there is something marvelous about them. Sitting snugly while the countryside and cities sweep by.

We took the train down from Edinburgh to London last weekend. Here’s a bit what that journey looked like:

Edinburgh’s Waverly Station:

That’s the Scottish National Gallery looking all neo-classical in the background:

Southern Scotland whizzing by:

Train necessities: freshly baked bread, Scottish butter, and dominos:

Newcastle through my smudgy window:

The sun came out around York (just look at them clouds! Ahh to be in England!):

Still on the fence about all my fashion dribble, so in the meantime here is a tilted photo of what I wore to train travel:


Really old pleather Express jacket • Madewell Skinnies • Hunter Boots (on sale now at Shopbop!) • Zucca canvas tote via a Japanese fashion mag

Have you guys been on any train trips? Any romantic hanky waving moments? Cath and I had one our senior year in high school when studying abroad in Spain. Our Spanish families came to say good bye to us and there was much crying and cheek kissing. I think everyone should have a misty-eyed goodbye at a train station at least once in their lives.

—-

Dear Cath,

Remember when we left A Coruña years and years ago? I loved that sleeper train! I even loved the non-fancy trains we took around Scotland — just watching the landscape change.

I have more posties coming up about my London trip so I can show you a bit of what we did — so not the same as you being there!

xoxoxox,

Lar

 

 

Category: Edinburgh, Lar's Style
6 Comments
11 March 2012

Holi Moly!


(Above: Matt showing you how to get rose-colored glasses).

I’ve always wanted to visit India for Holi, the festival of Colours celebrated at the end of winter in India. Throwing colorful powder around, eating delicious Indian food, and dancing sounds like a brilliant combination. Lucky for Matt and me we didn’t even need to get on a plane to celebrate our first Holi. Holi came to us in Edinburgh.

Our beautiful friend Nutan (remember her and her Bollywood Coffee Box?) threw a Holi party for us. The party was open to any Edinburgher who wanted to be covered in colorful powder by Nutan, willing to dance on the sidewalk by her coffee and curry stand during rush hour, and can’t get enough of her delicious food and generous spirit.

(Below: Matt gets powdered by Nutan)

Nutan explained to all of us that the powder is not just a way to welcome spring (or commemorate Lord Krishna teasing his consort Rahda), but also a way to equalize everyone. It doesn’t matter what caste or class you come from or what gender you are. Everyone comes together on the street looking the same (in my case, that meant Oompa Loompa) and celebrates. Don’t you wish we did that at least once a year here in the west?

Want more Holi? Look at these gorgeous photos from The Boston Globe’s Big Picture.

Thank you, Nutan, for such a wonderful night!

Readers, have you celebrated Holi before? I’d love to hear your stories!

—-

Dear Cath,

I sooo wish you and Troy had been there! You would have had so much fun! The color powder kind of acted like booze usually does. Once you were all powdered and looking ridiculous you couldn’t not dance in the street because you figured you already looked strange to most passer-bys.

I don’t remember ever hearing about local Holi celebrations in Atlanta. Maybe at the Hindu temple in Gwinnett?

Miss you so much!

Love,

Lar

Category: Edinburgh
14 Comments
7 March 2012

Food and Fashion

I thought it would take me weeks to recover from last Wednesday’s amazingly delicious and amazingly filling dinner. Turns out my stomach (and liver!) is more resistant than that. Troy and I have been eating our way around town for the past week more than usual, which is saying something for us. There was day drinking at Steinbecks (home of my all-time favorite Chinese Breakfast), sushi at Sushi Mito (all the way out in the ‘burbs!), Corner Pub last night (thanks, Scoutmob) and Miso Izakaya (of course).

Outfit details: Primark cardi, Madewell silk tank, Forever 21 pants, Target belt and Payless shoes (Lar’s).

This is all to say that it’s pretty amazing that I can fit into any of my clothes still. Enter my Forever 21 trousers! I’ve loved these pants ever since I bought them last year. They fit perfectly except the waist is too big – great for days when I feel like I could use some extra, uh, room in the waist area.

For the record, these are one of the many great pairs of shoes that Lar left me when she moved to Scotland. She wore them to our cousin’s wedding (you can see here) with a red dress and looked gorgeous.

______________

Dearest Lar,

I just realized that I never sent you a photo of Toby’s graduation from Jabula Dog Academy. These two pictures actually capture his graduation perfectly. He was well-behavied and obedient when the instructor made him sit to get his certificate (see left hand photo) and then seconds later, terrified for no good reason (see other photo):

Okay, but regardless of his random moments of being terrified, he’s much more mellow. I think the obedience training really helped him. Here’s what he usually looks like now (alert, but happy):

I wish I could bring him with me when I come visit you in the summer!

xoxo,

Cath

Category: Cath's Style
13 Comments
5 March 2012

Leap Year Dinner

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.

_________________

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

Category: Cath's Style, Decatur/Atlanta
7 Comments
1 March 2012

To Fashion or Not to Fashion


(Black and white photo = broody, thinky, rambly post ahead).

Roughly a year ago I started getting rid of a lot of my clothes. I had been feeling a little weighed down by the number of shoes, bangles, earrings, blouses I had and rarely wore. It wasn’t excessive. I’d say it was the average amount of stuff that most of us have who are at least slightly interested in fashion/style (and can afford to be).

I gave a bunch of my stuff to Cath, went to a couple of clothing swaps, sent things to charity shops, etc. I knew I’d be moving and thought it would be a great time to start with a clean slate.

By the time I made it to Scotland in September, all of my clothes fit into one large duffel bag. I had this idea that this “clean slate” (aka extremely paired-down wardrobe) would give me the chance to really think about things (warning: long-winded rambling about to ensue.). Could I live with less stuff? How important are clothes and outfits and trends to me? Did I really want to be a fashion blogger?

Cath and I rarely talk about just clothes and fashion on AsianCajuns, but when I do, I feel kind of fraudulent. I like using clothes/attire as a way of expression, but I feel a bit stuck. I don’t feel the urge to shop at the places I can afford (H&M, Zara, Primark, Target, etc.) because I’m still struggling over the ethics of fast fashion. And the fashion world that I can’t afford, seems a little silly to me sometimes. I’ve always been inspired by the gorgeous craftsmanship and creativity that goes into high fashion, but my brain struggles with cost and importance of it. The artistry and creative expression will always be necessary, but the price, turnover and regurgitation of trends seem unnecessary and out of touch.

There are charity shops, Etsy designers, and independent boutiques to shop at when I do want to consume (nom nom nomm). But there’s still the tricky balance of buying less and having less in general.

In conclusion: I’m in a muddle!

While I try to figure this out, I hope you’ll continue to be inspired by Cath’s wardrobe and our adventures around Atlanta/Decatur and Edinburgh! I’ll try to keep most of my ramblings to myself and just share any light-bulb moments I have. In the meantime, thanks for your generous patience, readers!

xoxox,

Lar

Category: Lar's Style
24 Comments
28 February 2012

Sugar-Coated Radical

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

Category: Cath's Style, Decatur/Atlanta
7 Comments
26 February 2012

Cath’s House vs. Lar’s Flat

Cath and I have lived apart now for five months (minus our holiday stent in Paris), and I really, really, really don’t like it. Really, really, really. Six reallys. And it’s more of a hate rather than a dislike. I really(x 6) hate it.

We are obviously separate people living separate lives, but I’m not entirely sure I can deal with that. When we lived in Atlanta we didn’t see each other daily, but knowing that I could drop everything and be by Cath’s side in five minutes or less was key. Now I can drop everything and be by Cath’s side in 10 hours (if I had gobs of moola and no lay overs). I feel like I’ve adjusted to living abroad in every way except for that.

I really don’t feel quite whole being so far from her — it’s just one of those twin things. So in order to banish that feeling of half-ish-ness, I like looking at what her home looks like and to see what she’s up to (thank you, blog). So these photos aren’t meant to be a comparison, just a peak at how small the differences are between us each day — it makes those 10 hours distance feel more like five minutes.

—-

Dear Cath,

Miss you as per usual and can’t wait for our Skype date!

xoxox,

Lar

p.s. When are you moving here?

Category: Cath's Style, General AsianCajuns Info, Lar's Style
11 Comments
23 February 2012

A Sheepie Sunday

So I thought since Cath told you about her Sunday in Decatur a post ago, I would tell you about mine across the pond. For one, I put on a dress! I haven’t worn one of these in roughly five months because they expose the legs too the wily Scottish wind (how is this the country where men decided to wear skirts sans knickers?!).

What did I get all dressed up fer, you ask? To walk two blocks from our flat, buy some delicious German bread from Konditormeister Falko, and come back home. 20 minutes later I was back in my sweats another tres chic outfit. We then proceeded to eat butter, jam and bread for the next hour (my first slices of bread since I started that diet thingy). My, it was delicious!

This is what it looked like on our two block walk (blue sky!):

We spent the rest of the afternoon reading, and I started a mini art project (I’m calling it Sheep in Party Hats. because, you know, the world needs more sheep in funny attire):

The scuba dress I donned to buy bread is from Primark — a shopping trip that happened in December, before I let my guilty conscience get the better of me. The dress and belt were only £17 -ish, so you can see why it will be a hard vice to back away from. I did get this ring on Friday that’s from a fair trade shop called One World Shop to make up for my sinful shopping:

So not a particularly productive Sunday, but isn’t that how they should be? What did you guys get up to? Any lazy plans for this weekend?

Oh and thank you for the sweet comments about our wedding! xoxox

—

Hi Cath!

How was your midterm?! It sometimes boggles my mind that we’ve been out of undergrad for so long. “Midterm” sounds like something 21 year olds worry about. Are they easier at 28?

It’s been so warm here (mid 50s!) that sometimes I keep the window open all afternoon! Lovely!

Miss you so much!

Love,

Lar

Category: Edinburgh, Lar's Style
8 Comments
22 February 2012

We’re In Atlanta Weddings Magazine!

I hope you guys don’t mind some personal horn-tooting, but remember that teeny weeny wedding we had last year? Well it’s in the Spring/Summer issue of Atlanta Wedding Magazine! Woohoo! Yippeee! Huzzah!

I feel like I hit the jack-pot in Atlanta wedding vendors: they all listened to the vision I had and helped make it happen in three months. And the queen of all the vendors was without a doubt my lovely wedding photographer, and now wonderful friend, Aharon Hill (all these photos in this post are swiped from Aharon’s blog). I stumbled on her  just googling Atlanta Wedding Photographers, and feel so incredibly lucky!

It’s kind of ironic to have our teeny wedding mentioned anywhere because I still kind of feel like The Anti-Bride. Matt and my mom had to convince me not to elope. I’ve just never been a big wedding person. Getting to be with this wonderful human being (hi, Matteo) for as long as I’m here . words can’t express that euphoria! The hype of a super big party with a super expensive dress . eh.

Once I was convinced I should at least have a mini-ceremony for immediate family, I thought “okay, I’ll treat this like a styling job.” And I knew that if I was going to put the creative effort in, I wanted it captured on film. I spent the majority of my budget on photography and flowers, and the rest was three months of DIY blood, sweat and tears (wrapping all those books in white paper!). I had major help from my family and friends, Candler Park Flowers, Red Queen Tarts, Tinsel and Twine and of course Aharon Hill. Et voila, dream mini-wedding!

If you guys want to read more about all my wedding stuffs: click here (or under Categories, Lar’s Wedding Stuffs).
Engagement photos: click here.
Wedding photos: click here.

The wedding was also mentioned on Style Me Pretty here and here and the engagement was mentioned on Wedding Chicks here.

Okay, done with the horn-tooting, I promise!

P.S. Local Atlantans, definitely pick up a copy of Atlanta Weddings Magazine if you can (Barnes and Noble carries it). The cover shoot was styled by the uber-talented Ginny Branch. And if you are Top Chef fans, Kevin Gillespie’s wedding is shown on the pages right after mine. You go, peachy city!

—-

Dear Cath,

Sorry if you feel bludgeoned over the head with all this wedding stuffs again. Thank you for searching hi and low for a copy of the mag for us!

Good luck on your midterm today!

Muchos LOVES,

Lar

Category: Lar's Style, Lar's Wedding Stuffs
15 Comments
20 February 2012

Happy Rainy Sunday

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!

______________________

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

Category: Cath's Style
7 Comments