Buy it at Insound!

Friday, October 30, 2009


two words: JADE KITCHEN.
So so so, so so so, so so so glad my sparkling sister, Amy finally got me to Jade Kitchen. It's exactly, to a tee, my fave kind of eatery. Cozy, casual & eclectic with a petite, yet KILLER menu.  The furniture's IKEA, the decor appears to be local art work, the staff is hip and knowledgable and the owners are oh so cool and friendly.


Ms. Amy's a regular, so the second we sat down a bucket of ice and a bottle of bubbly followed within seconds. You must know by now this is the way to delight me. Amuse Bouche rolls out... yummy corn fritters with a tangy dipping sauce + a cold cumcumber soup served to sip in a shot glass.
Then, I see grilled cheese with peaches & pecans listed as a starter and HOLY! Cloud 9! This is not a grilled cheese sandwich. This is that awesome white cheese you can eat all over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that is durable enough to grill without breading. The peaches were in a cinnamon spicy sauce, warm and drizzled over said grilled cheese, then sprinkled with pecans and OMG. WOW. I could have ordered another & devoured it.




Golden chanterelle mushrooms & STAR-shaped ricotta gnocchi rolled out... and was surprisingly light, so fresh tasting too. Homemade pasta is next to Godliness if you ask me. No sacrilege intended.  While I enjoyed these two delectable starters the German was digging into calf brains. They came out of the kitchen looking like an innocent empañada with a lovely little side of raspberries but oh my, once the breading fell off, I saw it. A BRAIN. A real life brain. Gray crevices and all. NOT my thing. The German said it was "light as air".























  1. Yeah, I'll pass. Bring on the less Halloween-ish eats we greedily ordered. I do have a wee confession to make here before I carry on. I was a little fascinated by the brain on his plate. Looked just as one does in photos. But I sure as HELL had no desire to bite into it. NO WAY. Those poor raspberries. Out came another yummy and oh so pretty pasta dish. And the very accommodating chef acquiesced to preparing it sans bacon. THANK YOU! Amy asked for it on the side, perfectly fine with me. It was the ideal proportion for such a creamy dish. And the pumpkin was a much more delightful Halloweeny touch to our meal. 


    Now you should know, I'm a finicky eater when it comes to the textures of some foods. And beets are one such food. However, the    slow roasted beets, pickled onion and goat cheese dish we indulged in, came close to converting me. I made sure to pair each bite of beet up to a smear of warm goat cheese + a pickled onion too at times & wow, YUM. 






















    Another nice, fresh, unique plate we enjoyed... tiger striped green tomatoes with feta & mint. At this time I should send out a big MERCI! to both Amy & the German for forever tolerating my insistence upon many vegetarian dishes. Thankfully, such fare is not sacrifice at Jade. Lucky them! Perhaps the plate of succulent prawns, cooked perfectly, not too fishy and tastily seasoned helped.  Yeah, that's the side of bacon you see next to said prawns. Nice of me to indulge that too, I should say! :-)










    So yeah, that's the aftermath and somehow, like a complete idiot, I failed to photograph the "tiny sliver of a slice" of pineapple upside down cake Ms. Amy ordered. It was moist and heaven-like. I have to say I'm fine with the fact that they were out of their infamous POP ROCKS chocolate cake. The pineapple cake suited us all just brilliantly. And right about then I would have done anything for a wheelbarrow. I insisted we stroll the street a bit. A street and honestly an area known to be a tad sketchy but I felt absolutely cool to be there, lucky even. Sidewalk tables full of chatting patrons created an extremely warm and inviting atmosphere. You gotta. GOTTA! Give Jade Kitchen a go next time you're in the West Palm Beach area. The menu is said to change often, based on what's fresh. The staff and owners rock. And the atmosphere is charming and unpretentious. I only drank sparkling so I can't speak of the rest of their wine list. I apologize for that. Someone else should go and report back on its offerings. And you know what? They should totally host a tweet up! 















    love,sunlovey
    Jade Kitchen422A Northwood Rd.West Palm Beach(561) 366-1185

























Thursday, October 29, 2009

NARC's & Control-less Girls Unite
Just as I say Shop Your Closet. I should also say Shop Your Own Itunes Library. Like my closet, my itunes library is a treasure trove of sound, rather than threads. And whenever I get the slightest bit sick of whatever's been on continuous play, I scan my endless list of songs, randomly zero in on one and hit that killer little genius button that I've told you about before. BAM! Awesome mix in effect. I bring you the NARC mix & the She's Lost Control mix. My intention is that you read my comments behind each song, and hopefully seek out the ones that taunt you. I link you to youtube videos of many. Please click when inspired.




NARCMIX

NARC - Interpol - Antics (BEST BASS LINE EVER. OK, for Interpol at least)

Like Eating Glass - Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (1st Bloc Party song I ever heard, instantly sold, haunting & killer )

The End Of The World - The Cure (From their "angry" album, as I call it, great angst, love you Robert!)

Our Swords - Band Of Horses - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (Reflective, folksy brilliance)

Irish Blood, English Heart (Live In Manchester) - Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors (He expresses his anger SO well, so eloquently, LOVES IT)

Retreat (Phones Remix) - The Rakes - Retreat EP (Frenetic awesomeness)

Finding Out True Love Is Blind - Louis XIV - (You're going to LOVE the beat, can't get their live performance of this out of my head, only The German knows why )

L.S.F (Lost Souls Forever) - Kasabian - Kasabian (Classic British-ness )

The Funeral - Band of Horses - Everything All the Time (Haunting & emotional)

Transmission - Joy Division - Substance 1977-1980 (Classic, post-punk with more great bass )

NYC - Interpol - 22 (It's his voice! And well, the music!)

Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors - The Editors - An End Has A Start (SO MUCH EMOTION, BEAUTIFUL & TRAGIC )

Still in Love Song - The Stills - Rememberese (Gorgeous reflection. The chorus haunts.)

Public Pervert - Interpol - Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) (Slow & smart)

Hard to Explain - The Strokes - Is This It (Oh Julian+, you can do no wrong.)

7/4 (shoreline) - Broken Social Scene - album.final (Get lost in all the layers)

I interrupt this music blog for a bit of fashion just because i want to tell you about an item of clothing that I'm mad glad I bought last year, in two colors, and plan, after today, to get in more... it's that genius! there it is, the word genius used, now THREE times, in one blog.


American Apparel's shiny ruched tube bra rocks. As evidenced by the following photographic proof:

Cute little dress, no?

But what the hell, when it comes to bra options? Back goes way too low for strapless. Leaves one with no choice but to FLAUNT whatever undergarment they're wearing. Thus, GOLD LAMÉ. Then there's that pesky super plunging neckline VS dress I wore to ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL this year. Solution:


The trusty lamé bandeau bra strikes again! p.s. My cheesy smile & product placement is intentional. Every time I get my hands on a new beverage I insist upon someone taking my [new beverage] photo almost immediately. One day, if you're super lucky, I'll post them all in a blog for your enjoyment.


OK, back to sounds, as originally intended.






She's Lost ControlMIX

She's Lost Control - Joy Division - Substance 1977-1980 (A song we girls strangely don't mind relating to, so insanely good)

Join in the Chant - Nitzer Ebb - That Total Age (Can you handle it? )

The Perfect Kiss - New Order -International - The Best of New Order (Vintage New Order= my purest happy place)

Strangelove - Depeche Mode - Singles 1986-1998 (Vintage DM = my guilty pleasure )

Everyday Is Like Sunday - Morrissey - Viva Hate (Because his whining is pure brilliance)

Wake Up - Arcade Fire - Funeral (ANTHEM-LIKE GRANDNESS )

Can't Stand Me Now - The Libertines - The Libertines - Single (Annoyingly charming)

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division - Permanent (Brutally so very honest & raw)

Push - The Cure - The Head On The Door (What is it about it, that gives me chills every time? )
Master and Servant - Depeche Mode - 101 (Martin's fetishes are our gain)

An End Has a Start - Editors - An End Has a Start (So true. So good.)

Night On Fire - VHS or Beta - Night On Fire (If it doesn't make you move, we're not friends. )

Get Myself Into It - The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love (Same exact sentiment, move to it.)

10:15 Saturday Night - The Cure - Boys Don`t Cry (Drip drip drip drip drip...)

Ceremony - New Order - International - The Best of New Order (They killed it in their day, evidence.)

U.R.A. Fever - The Kills- Midnight Boom (THIS SONG IS SO DAMNED HOT.)

Everyday is Halloween - Ministry - 27 (Freak anthem. Oh how I miss THIS Ministry)

Cuts You Up - Peter Murphy - Wild Birds 1985-1995 (Moody emotional gothy goodness)

Suedehead - Morrissey - Viva Hate (Morrissey, get better & keep bringing us your endearing honesty)


p.s. The golden ruched bandeau will be utilized once again beneath my GREEN FAIRY costume. See what I mean? I need it in every color. (i DO have it in silver already.)


love,
sunlovey

Wednesday, October 28, 2009



IT'S NOT BLACK ALRIGHT?! (It's hunter.)
OK, I've learned my lesson. I really have. I neglect way too much in my closet, on Websites & real live stores that isn't INKy & ONYXy. I'm going to do better. I really am. I got lost in a season in which fashion went totally ROCK&ROLL. I'm so hook, line & sinker sometimes. And I'm learning, RIGHT HERE, to correct that. Really. I will reach for attire that isn't JET BLACK, put it on, wear it. Sometimes.  And I'll add BRILLIANT POPS of color to all my inkiness. I commit to it. I promise. Just give me back my black. 

Alright. That rant was necessary. Tomorrow I'll wear color.

love,
sunlovey


(Vintage pin & feather hair accessory acquired at Stitch Rock. Necklace from Forever 21 of course, the site & store I totally recommend you get your accessories of the more "trendy" nature. Insanely gorgeous photo of chica in black & blue courtesy of Elle's November issue.)



Tuesday, October 27, 2009


If in fact
YOU ARE 
WHAT YOU EAT 
then WHAT, may I ask,
ARE YOU?

 mmmm, Buddy Fruits!
Stumbled upon this effortless, yumminess, HEALTHINESS by accident the other night at the store. The German frequently tells me I don't eat enough fruit (don't freak out! i prefer vegetables, people!), so I jokingly tossed two of these little guys into my cart in a gesture that said "see there, I'll get more fruit in a fun, kiddie way!"  
Turns out Buddy Fruits are FRENCH! Ooh la la! & quite delicious, once you adapt to their unique texture. Buddy Fruits are fruit pouches, a best-selling concept in France, highly demanded by kids and parents. "We have found the best fruit producers and mixed traditional and innovative recipes thanks to my chief skills to create our pure blended "fruit to go". You can be sure that our wholesome pouches will always deliver 100% natural and delicious fruits. It's our promise. It’s our commitment." So far I've tried the multi-fruit flavor & I would definitely have it again! Got kids? They WILL LOVE THESE!!!

AND THIS JUST IN FROM MORNING STAR:  Imagine a great meatless meal, nine of your closest friends and a professional chef.

 "Enter the Morningstar Farms™  Private Cooking Party Sweepstakes, and if you’re the winning Insider, you won’t have to imagine it at all! A professional chef from Parties That Cook will bring all the necessities for a “Sumptuous Small Plates” private cooking party to your place, and show you and nine guests how to prepare two signature Morningstar Farms® – the sweepstakes ends December 7!"  

Not familiar with Morning Star? Oh dear. BECOME familiar. They make some of my fave meatless products, i.e. The Spicy Black Bean "Burger", which I love eating with sour cream & fresh salsa. 
Or The Tomato Basil Pizza Burger, so deeelish topped with melted cheese on a whole wheat bun! Then there are their  Chik'n products, perfect for making meatless chik'n parmesan. I promise to share this utterly simple recipe with you if you wish! Leave a comment if so. Additionally, their meatless crumbles are amazing when making tacos, spaghetti and lasagna. NO JOKE. Again, just ask, I'll tell you how.  Needless to say, I've entered the Morning Star contest! Hope I win! ;-)
In other delicious news... Check out my Aero Garden!  What you see is (from front, left to right, then back, left to right) Italian basil, purple basil, cilantro, parsley & mint! I'm still holding out hope for dill and chives. Especially chives, PLEASE grow, chives!!! You can't imagine the delight this little herb garden brings me. My thumb is by far NOT green & yet, these delightful little seedlings are sprouting and they're so cute! I can only imagine how much we'll love having fresh herbs constantly growing for us right there in our kitchen. Again, thanks mom! And dad! 

Easy, mostly healthy, vegetarian  
things you can bring to work for lunch? I opt for many of Wolfgang Puck's organic soups & because the word pizza can be used to describe a number of food items that contain dough, cheese & tomato sauce, ;-) I do like to eat California Pizza Kitchen's Margherita Pizza with crispy, thin crust from time to time. Doctor it up with fresh pressed garlic & chopped tomato and it's even better! 
So yeah, I guess I'm a fruity, meatless, herb-y, soupy, pizza-y kind of chica huh? 
WHAT ARE YOU?


love,
sunlovey


p.s. STILL not wearing black. Feeling more girlie & femme in non-black clothes, which makes me laugh. I'm looking forward to Friday... (and the END of this week-long hiatus!)



 



Monday, October 26, 2009


It is finished. 
THE LONDON. 
And a big thanks goes out to mon mere for helping me decide! These bold red platforms with textured, tonal stripes & high-shine high-glam gold trimmings are going to rock MANY nights away in the approaching holiday season, she's right. Days too.YAY. Thanks @ShoeDazzle! Next up, once they've arrived, we'll talk quality, fit, brand, etc. Because at just $39 a pair, these questions are plaguing me.

In other news, managed to dress myself in colors other than black for numerous scenarios over the weekend. Won't even try to pretend that it wasn't a pain in the YOU KNOW WHAT. It was. The bathing suit cover up I reached for Saturday (yep, still hot as hades here)? Black with silver stars. Nope. Went with blue stripes, as shown. Dress for the Saturday night birthday dinner party? FORCED myself to shun my killer black or grey numbers & went with bright florals, FELT WEIRD. But I survived. ;-)
 Yesterday I opted for a gold sequin tank, jeans and killer gold heels for a day of leisurely shopping & didn't allow myself to purchase anything black either! Do know, this too was a fight. I'm breaking this addiction, you watch! I did, however, come home with the most lovely top ever, in an icy pale blue with exquisite structure and pintucking, intricate lace-like embroidery and fluttery cap sleeves from Anthropologie.  I'm utterly in love... Got to work this A.M. to find a wee little package waiting for me, a steal of a deal I ordered on a whim from Boston Proper, in  rich, RUFFLY vibrant blue...
So tell me, and think hard, are their fashion ruts you find yourself slipping into? Have you ever thought about putting yourself up to annihilating such ruts? I challenge you to try.  This could mean hiding away that one pair of jeans you wear over and over and over and always for a week or two. Ban yourself from wearing pants for a few days, instead, opt for ultra-femme dresses. Pack away a pile of frumpy go-to sweaters and commit to wearing tops & blouses with smart jackets instead for a bit. Do you slip into the same pair of dull shoes way too often? Get them out of sight and revisit other shoes in your closet that have collected some dust. This is what I've referred to before as shopping your own closet. It's also important that you break such habits when out shopping (or online shopping) for real!  SHAKE IT UP, COOKIES. It can be exhilarating!

love,
sunlovey

p.s. Just WON a FUN black & white skull hair bow from C.A.B. Fayre! Old habits die hard! ;-) 


Sunlovey's Spin: Hitha, I totally admire you for recognizing that you too can land yourself in a fashion rut at times. But listen. Sweaters & trousers can ROCK! Even at work. 

Do you have a boyfriend cardigan or two? Wear it with a dramatic ruffly placket blouse underneath and BOLD accessories.

Also... try long tunic-length sweaters  paired to straight-leg pants, then finish with a great belt at the waist.

And why not sub a sleek pencil skirt for your trousers sometimes? Add tights!

You were totally onto something when you said your killer ShoeDazzle shoes will work for work. Great shoes can totally reinvent the 9-to-5 wardrobe. Same goes for statement accessories like multi-strand necklaces and striking cuff bracelets. Does that help? :-)

Sunday, October 25, 2009




The ShoeDazzle 
Story Takes a Harrowing Turn
So there has been some major improvement in my custom "shoe showroom". So improved that I can't bloody decide which to go with. I have eliminated one pair. Can you guess which? Yep, the gold. I abhor them for some reason. And trust me, metallics for me are like a flame for a moth. But they're just not floating my boat. The studded black cut-out booties? A couple months ago, YES. Now? Kinda tired of the style. I can blame the nature of my industry for that. Should I get over it? I mean, they ARE really hot... The killer red platforms with golden soles and tonal textured stripes? SO BAD TO THE BONE. But what percentage of my wardrobe will work with them? I suppose ANYthing black. Or denim. They are truly amazing, they are. What's with me being so practical!?  The tri-color patent round-toes? DARLING. Seriously. Fresh. So fun. Again, somewhat limited when it comes to the wardrobe, but they certainly could liven up all the GREY my closet seems to be so freakin' fond of. And last and most definitely what I'm leaning towards most, the pewter screw-studded croco-inset pointed toes. They get to me in big ways. I think in this case it's the screws, the croco, the metallic-ness. I'm so nowhere near narrowing this down for myself. I could see myself doing my best to rock all four.  What do YOU think? This is so UN-ME asking for other's fashion input. SOS.  :-)


love,
sunlovey

p.s. wish to be in similar shoe turmoil? ;-)
GO HERE:

Friday, October 23, 2009

THE CHALLENGE IS ON:
7 DAYS SANS BLACK


















(shoes don't count) starting today. this is going to be tough.
it's gotta stop. i reach for it too often. black is bad ass. i'm in love with it.
have been since my dalliances with goth in high school.
but COLOR, dear color. i'm in love with you too.
and you deserve to be worn JUST as much. i apologize sincerely for
my neglect. Ridiculous that i threw the gauntlet down for myself
in the lead up to halloween though. DUMB. this is the time of the year
when inky blacks and skulls and such are the most justified in everyday life!
well, it makes the challenge all the more challenging...
if this doesn't make a bit of sense to you, then good for you. ;-)

love,
sunlovey

p.s. i'm going to do my best to shun grey too. oh that is going to HURT! 

Thursday, October 22, 2009

 THE ShoeDazzle Saga Continues...

GOT MY EMAIL! Got all jittery! What a jolt of endorphins I felt making their way to my brain as I clicked through to see "MY showroom".  OK, I'm feeling like this was SO worth it. The shoes... 

Quite cute right? Minus the flats. OK, even they're cute, for flats. Thing is, I was instantly drawn to the first pair, I'm not a huge pink girl but they're hot, so bright, a great heel and 10% of proceeds go to Susan G. Komen. They'd lend a burst of delicious POP to my sea-of-black wardrobe. The problem? On back order. Infinitely. The second pair? Pretty OK. Great height, just not special enough. The third? While yes, I'm hearing nudes are hot, I HATE EARTH TONES. So they were a no. If only they were another hue... like turquoise! Fifth pair? Just not high enough. Sixth pair. LOVE LOVE LOVE. But does sunlovey really need another black peep-toe? Perhaps they'll be my ones that got away... because in the end, I requested new selections. Not that I'm NOT impressed. I think I am! I simply had to see what else was out there. Curiosity would have killed me. I specified a love for metallics and WOW details. And said not to even bother sending me another flat, EVER AGAIN. So... let's see. This is too fun. Oh come on, get in on it if you're tempted! Because I love seeing the selections they send to others! (Checked out both Debbie's & Margaret's). 
How?
GO HERE:  

love,
sunlovey 

p.s. Kim K., I'm sorry for doubting you. 
I think! 

 

Wednesday, October 21, 2009



Going Out On 

a Limb for Shoes....
This could totally suck. I realize that. But I'm intrigued. 
Here's what I did. Got an email earlier today from my evil little co-worker, Debbie. She's not really evil but she DOES know sending me shopping sites tends to get me in trouble.  She's the lovely little culprit of my http://www.ruelala.com addiction. So here's the email I got, thanks Debbie! ;-P

Hi!
Debbie Soles wanted to tell you about ShoeDazzle.com. Here's her message: "Hey! I wanted to share this amazing shoe site called ShoeDazzle, where you get custom shoe selections picked by fashion stylists. It's an interesting concept, started by Kim Kardashian. Just joined, so haven't bought anything yet but could be fun!"      

 More About ShoeDazzle:  Founded by Kim Kardashian, ShoeDazzle is the world's premier shoe society. For $39 a month and no obligation, members receive: 
5 personalized shoe recommendations selected by our professional stylists
One pair of fabulous shoes
Free Shipping
Exclusive access to fashion tips and tricks from Kim and the ShoeDazzle stylists
A no-obligations guarantee 


No obligation guarantee eh? Need to complete a fun little fashiony survey where I get to click on gorgeous photos of runway looks, celebrities and shoes? Just $39 a pair??? OK. I'm in. I am not good at reading the fine print but it seems to say and Ms. Debbie's confirmed, that I can cancel at anytime if all the shoes they spit out at me suck. 

We're both a bit weary, and justly so, about the quality of their selections ($39 is CHEAP). We have no idea what to expect. But, it's a fun little experiment. So why not? Dying to know what Kim Kardashian (wink. wink. wasn't born yesterday!!) and her team of expert shoe stylists are going to pick out for moi. The survey was fun though! And it does feel quite cool to be a part of "The World's Premiere Shoe Society!" 

Do know, NO ONE has put me up to writing this blog post. If ShoeDazzle blows, I'm totally going to tell you.

love,
sunlovey


p.s. i have to wait a day or so to get my picks, hold tight!


another p.s. they're @shoedazzle on twitter & http://www.facebook.com/ShoeDazzle

just one more p.s. I THINK THE NAME SHOEDAZZLE IS TRES HOKEY.

 
UPDATE: near superfluous tears here! where's MY shoe dazzle email!? another friend got hers. oh woe is me!
 

Tuesday, October 20, 2009


ESCAPE ROUTE!
ah yes, i'm escaping...
for a full week into the crisp, autumn-leaf drenched,  laid back and cozy Georgia Mountains. This will be my third trip to Blue Ridge, Georgia and the fabulously killer cabins that are quite literally ABOVE THE REST .


Just a wee hour north of the ATL, the land of Trader Joe's galore , you arrive. You breathe in. SUPER. FRESH AIR. And that's when it happens. You feel the stress & B.S. of everyday traffic, cubicles & meetings vanish. GONE. POOF. It totally helps if you stock up on a fair amount of vino & prosecco at the above mentioned Trader Joe's. Gosh I love Trader Joe's. Can I say Trader Joe's one more time? If you live in a state where Trader Joe's exists and you don't shop there I'm going to smack you. Great eats. Great buys. The ideal place to acquire ALL you need + delectable things you don't, that you couldn't have even imagined, for your mountain holiday. 












OK, back to Blue Ridge. 
Lovely mountains, quaint towns. LUXE cabins. Listen, Above the Rest's rentals are so incredibly appointed and equipped. They probably shouldn't even be referred to as cabins. Wine glasses? Check. Hot tub? Check. Pool tables, rocking chairs on amazing porches with insane views. Check. Check. Check. And the price? So right it's wrong. I'm so nervous to type this blog. Please don't change, Above the Rest. I beg. You are loved. And I anxiously await reacquainting myself with you for one glorious week with my fabulous family this Thanksgiving. 



Tip: There is not a bad time to visit. Each season offers its own rewards. Spring= flowers & temperate weather. Summer = tubing & a lovely escape from summer's heat. Fall= changing leaves, festivals, harvests. Winter= just the right amount of snow. 


Plus: Most of Above the Rest's cabins allow pets! Isn't that awesome? 


Must do whilst there: shop downtown Blue Ridge, visited the kitschy pseudo-German Helen, stroll the quaint town of Dahlonega, check out water falls, eat BBQ, pan for gold, on, and on and on... 



Questions? ASK. Would absolutely LOVE to tell you more. 

love,
sunlovey


p.s. We've stayed at both Tranquility and Timberline. This time, because I procrastinated and the above cabins are already booked, we'll be making Deer Crossing our cozy little retreat. 


another p.s. wanna go here? tell them sunlovey sent you, please! 
:-) thanks.