LUXOMME

I had the most amazing night out on the town with my girls last week.

It was just the pick me up I needed after a week of work, meetings, and an especially rough tuesday night. I had work during the day and they had school, so I didn't actually meet up with them till later that night.


I started my evening off with a brisk walk through Osborne village with this one. We popped in and out of stores for an hour before settling down at a restaurant so we could continue our conversations about everything from University to things we were going through. She filled me in about all her med school adventures, and then we fought over which half of the food we wanted the other person to eat. (She never wants the bigger half)




Despite having a crazy evening ahead of her and a full day of exams, this girl carved out time for me and made the extra effort to meet me where I was working. Even when I gave her the option to bail, she still insisted, even though that meant she would be more rushed. We weren't able to meet for long, but I was so thankful to have spend those few hours with her.



She bought me my first piece of birthday cake for the year! A massive piece of schmoo cake from Baked Expectations which was absolutely divine. The two of us split the giant piece since we had to pace ourselves for the rest of the evening.


With the sun setting quickly, it was time for her to head on over to her next engagement, and me to mine. We said our goodbyes, laced with conversations about personality tests (we're both extroverts apparently) and then parted our ways with promises to meet again once our schedules settled down again. Despite not seeing each other all the time, she's one of those people I can always count on to be there for me and to have my back. I'm so thankful for her friendship, whether that be consoling me with sour soothers through my "break-up" or going out of her way to meet up with me. Who knew that the red coat wearing, pink bow girl I recognized at science fair would end up being one of my rocks.

My next engagement was all the way over on the other side of the city, so the moment we parted, I rushed over because I was running a little late. After 10 frantic phone calls of "where are you guys?!", I finally located these my two dates!







After musing over life in between bites of crisps dripping with melted cheese, we retired to Albany's car for some heart to heart girl talk till wee hours in the morning.

I ended the night feeling really full. And not just physically (although the nachos were a bit excessive). I felt really loved that night. Between spending time with a girl who has grown up with me during my most transitional period of life and being there for all the good and the bad parts and never judging me - to the one whom I have known since the moment she was born and seeing the way our friendship has developed over the years - and lastly, the friend whom I have only known for a year, but has had my back in every single obstacle since then and gets me so much better than most other people, I feel so blessed.

Thank you for your time, thank you for your support, thank you for your friendship.

And thanks for an amazing night out :)

naomi

So I know it's Fall and technically pumpkin season, but I had a hankering for avocados the other night and something a bit more tropical and delicate.

I rummaged through my pantry in search of something that would fulfill my craving and came across these perfectly ripe avocados, practically beckoning for me to pick them up. I remembered an avocado ice-cream recipe I had come across earlier and quickly went to work preparing the ingredients.



I scooped out the soft avocado flesh into my trusty blender. Emptied half a can of coconut cream and a squeeze of lemon to cut the heaviness of this recipe. A pinch of salt too and a dash of vanilla, to bring out the flavors.

Recipe
2 Avocados
1/2 Can of coconut cream
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Pinch of salt
1 tsp of vanilla extract
Sugar if needed


After blending, you end up with this smooth and rich mixture.

I was tempted to just scoop it up from my blender at this point and eat it like a pudding, but I showed extreme self restraint and decided to wait.


The messy part is pouring it into the ice cream machine. But this is the fun part. Watching your mixture slowly freeze up as it turns into ice-cream.

I bought my maker off amazon for $30 and I'm satisfied with the way it works, but if you don't have an ice-cream maker, simply add a quarter cup of whipping cream into your blended mixture, whip it up using a mixer and then pour it into a pan before placing it in the freezer. You don't even need to scrape it every 15 minutes to make sure it doesn't freeze into a solid block. The air that incorporates because of the whipping cream makes for a decadently soft consistency.


30 minutes of whirring later, you're left with this smooth "ice-cream".

This recipe is deliciously creamy and sweet, but also a bit tangy from the lemon juice, so it's not too heavy.

On one hand, I want to sleep. On the other, I want to stay up as late as possible to do things that I can't during the day, like binge watch Scandal. Which, let's be honest, a lot of us do.

One of my guilty pleasures (while binge watching TV) is my bedtime routine. It's the time of day I really set aside for myself to just relax. I try not to do anything 30-60 minutes before my bedtime, just
to have a chance to wind down and prepare for the day ahead.


As the Autumn months are finally here, so is the Winter dryness that absolutely ruins my skin. I prevent the cracking and flakiness by slathering on a plethora of different products. Excessive? Yes, but absolutely necessary.


I've tried a lot of hydrating mists over the years, but my favorite has to be this H2O Oasis Mist which contains wakame, sea lettuce, and sea fennel etc. It honestly sounds more like a salad I'd order at a Japanese restaurant than something that does anything for my skin, but it's refreshing and I always wake up with glowing skin the morning after.

I can live with that, who am I to argue with glowing skin.


For my difficult lips, NUXE Reve de Miel. Nothing beats this. Not even Biotherm, which I rave on and on about on this blog. I learned about it during a quick trip to the pharmacy in Paris last Summer. Didn't even know how much hype surrounded this little tube when I bought it. Now I regret not buying more.


My friend Lawrence sent me this Hada Labo serum a while back.

Actually, I asked him to buy it for me and then send it over. I haven't actually gotten around to using it till now, and it' part of my routine now. I'm not sure what it does actually, but my skin looks better when I use it, so I do now. It's pretty thick and sinks in well.

More moisture! More Cream! More hydration!




After I've done all that, I begin focusing on my hair. If you're like me, sometimes my hair will wake up a little wimpy and sad looking. I googled up solutions for this, and found that a spritz of dry shampoo before you go to bed really wakes it up in the morning! I've since come to love batiste, which does the job better than higher priced ones I've tried. It's disappointing to spend $30 on a bottle of product which does nothing for you.

$5 worth of gold here. Even if your hair is never dirty.


The perfect end to my day doesn't really lie in all the products though, I could do without all of that and be fine. The REAL relaxation comes with everything else.


I've always loved songza, but it's almost like I've rediscovered it these last few weeks. I went through a smooth jazz phase, a la what you hear at Indigo, but have now found myself back in the Chopin section. I have a really soft spot for Chopin.

My best night is simple. All I need is a candle, a warm cup of hot cocoa or tea and a steady stream of Chopin drifting through my bedroom.



It seems as though all the leaves have decided to change color overnight. I'm really loving this Fall weather we are having right now, it's the perfect combination of breezy and warm. Really excited for some Fall events in these upcoming weeks ahead!

But for now, it's time for me to unwind and get ready for another beautiful day tomorrow.

What is your bedtime routine like?

naomi

This is a super quick, super healthy, inexpensive sort of fill your tummy snack. It also satisfies matcha and pudding cravings.


All you need is some almond milk (or whatever you have on hand), a dash of honey or agave syrup, and a heaping spoonful of matcha! More if you like that intense flavor.

I picked up my matcha from David's Tea, but some Asian supermarkets as well as other tea specialty stores carry it as well.





You blend all the ingredients together and then pour it into your chia seeds.



Give it a good stir, and then pop it in the fridge for 1 hour.


If the pudding is too runny, add more seeds. If it is too think, add more almond milk! OR cream, if you're feeling particularly indulgent.


It's very pudding like, extremely thick, and the almond milk lends a touch of creaminess to your matcha. It's like a thick frap, in a bowl.

Chia seeds are also super healthy and chock full of antioxidants and fiber. It's the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth, while getting some nutrients. I also promise it tastes better than it looks!

What's your favorite mid-day snack?

naomi

We actually made three different things that night. It was an absolute baking bonanza, but I forgot to take pictures of the macarons and red velvet cupcakes.



Jane did most of the heavy lifting, as you can see, while I stood there snap happy.






Kneading the dough together was stickier and messier than I thought it would be. Not to mention the amount of butter that this recipe calls for, which in combination makes for a really squishy time.


After an hour of rolling and pressing, our cookies were finally ready to pop in the oven! We wanted to try out three different flavors; Lavender, Earl Grey, and Matcha. Her and I worked like an assembly line, almost robotically, and without realizing it, we made 5 trays worth of shortbread.







And of course, and obligatory us-ie with our pile of hard work.


After 5 hours of mixing, kneading and pressing, her and I were ready to relax. We completed the night off with some vanilla coke and Pitch Perfect, which made me wish that I had joined an acapella

Recipe is HERE for those of you who want it. Just sub out the lavender for any other dry or oil based flavoring you would like.

naomi