Escale à fragrance heaven.

When it comes to perfume, I think we all have our "go to" scent. We get comfortable in our fragrance and rarely venture out into the unknown....

For about a hundred years mine was Lolita Lempicka. It smelled like cotton candy, strong, delightful. And it came in a bottle that looked like a forbidden apple. As I grew older I then moved on to the other usual suspects, Chanel (in my case, Chanel Chance). And then finally last year, I stepped into the unknown, Viktor and Rolf's Eau Mega. This was a fantastic scent, fresh, floral, green. Although expensive, about $100 for 1.7 ounces, it was well worth the price, because it lasts......................................................................

Next up, my mom just recently came back from Italy and brought me the new Dior fragrance I've been after, Escale à Portofino. This is downright awesome. The same fresh, light green floral scents I like, but feminine, not unisex smelling (like some can be). Davidoff Cool Water anyone? Anyone? Just kidding. So anyway, this Dior features bergamot, citron, orange blossom and almond notes. If you're into fresh floral scents like me, head up to your favorite Nordstrom counter and grab a sample. The only downfall is that it doesn't last long on you, so I feel like I might go through this bottle rather quickly. But oh well, the smell is worth it.

Bananas in a box

Oh behold China Grill....the one place that does Miami Spice well. For those of you readers who don't know, Miami Spice is the season during August and September when some of Miami's best restaurants offer a price fixe menu for lunch ($24) and for dinner ($36) for three courses. And that's where China Grill comes in....

So many restaurants skimp you on small portions, bad menu options, and poor service when you want to order of the miami spice menu, but not China Grill. I usually hit up the place for lunch once a year, but this year they decided not to offer the lunch menu, and only offer dinner instead. So three of my friends, Angela, Emily and Stefanie decided to go for dinner this rainy Thursday evening.

The menu is served family style, large portions, great flavors, lots of choices. For four people, we got to pick three appetizers, three entrees, and a dessert. The skirt steak and spicey beef dumplings are always a favorite when we go there. Angela also loves the calamari salad with the miso dressing. But a standard is always Bananas in a Box, our dessert. It arrives in a tower of carmelized confection, filled with whipped cream, chopped bananas, and a custard of sorts. What you do is take your forks, and whomp the tower over, crunch up all the carmelized candy shell and mix 'er all up. Yum, it's bananas.....and it's our favorite part of the evening. Don't leave China without it.

Oh and did I mention we left looking like bag ladies because we each had a monster sized doggie bag to take home our leftover man portions????? This miami spice is good. Don't miss out.

Sweet Succulence

Monique Lhuillier

I wanted to share some more fashion photos from Monique Lhuillier's ready to wear Spring 2011 show. Something about the models' makeup and the splash of colors just made everything pop. It looks like such a happy, colorful show.

And for any of us who have gotten married, we all know that Monique makes the most exquisite wedding dresses....this is actually where she began. Her ready to wear collection only began recently, in the past few years I think. Monique Lhuillier's wedding dresses are known for their "pick-ups" in the skirt and her beautiful lace and other detailing. Nevertheless, she knows what looks good on a woman and her fit looks perfect. I would like to have one of everything in this collection! Yes please!

I need this. We'll call it "lacy mermaid"

I love everything, I almost put up a pic of every look from the show.

Altamar

It is my favorite restaurant in Miami. And if you haven't been there you've been missing out. We had dinner there last night with some friends, and as always, it food did not disappoint. Where else can you go and find such yummies on the menu such as: yellow jack, mutton snapper, hog fish ceviche???? Sound just like "some other fish" to you? Well, let me explain. Most restaurants don't serve these types of fish. Sure you go somewhere and you can always find a snapper, a grouper, mahi, but you can't always find jack, hog or mackeral on the menu. The very first time we went there, on the menu that night was hogfish, triple tail, jack, and tilefish. My husband was astonished. It's hard to really explain, but you don't see all these fish together on ONE menu. Altamar is known for serving up exotic fish.

We ordered the raw sampler for an appetizer. I adore their scallop ceviche. Usually they make with with the Meyer lemon and blood orange and it is simply spectacular. On the bottom left is the hog fish ceviche made with lemon and asian pear.

Also I miss the old Altamar before they expanded into a larger space and made it more "south beachy," their food hasn't changed. It is still the best seafood restaurant in Miami.

Go there.

                        

Marvelous Marchesa

So I just finished looking at the Marchesa spring confections. Wow. Honestly, I think that Marchesa might be one of those designers where photographs just don't do justice to their pieces. Everything looks so complex and intricate from the beading to the tucks of tulle (yet weightless). Maybe this is why Marchesa just plops their models onto pedestals to show off their show, instead of the typical runway march....Gives the viewer some time to take it all in. Otherwise that runway would never be long enough.

So many things to wear, so few places to go.....

Miami needs a little more high fashion.

Enjoy.

love this grecian drapey ensemble.
Can this double as a wedding dress?

Wow. Flowerbomb. How much tulle is in there exactly?

Oh how I adore the boho floatiness of Anna Sui

There's nothing more fun than procrastinating at work by watching the New York Fashion Week runway show recaps....courtesy of NY Magazine's slideshows.

I could spend hours going through all the designers and loving or hating their ready to wear 2011 spring collections. It's uttering addicting.

Sooooo my 1 o'clock hour consisted of Anna Sui procrastination. Here goes....I love love LOVE the way she can put together such a boho show. The floaty dresses, empire waists, those lace shorts (I need!), and the indian feathers....muah! I love it. Not only is it a little native american mixed with of The Mamas and The Papas' "california dreaming", give me a pair of ivory lace shorts and a peasant top and I'm yours forever. Enjoy....and did I mention I love those shorts. Oh yes, about 3 times now.



enough said. i want these shorts NOW

give me Pocahontas inspired flower child anyday.



Ode to Essie

I just found a new nailpolish color that I'm obsessing over....

Essie's Playa del Platinum. Not only is it a great summer shade (it was part of Essie's 2010 resort color collection) but I'm finding that it's a good transitional color into the fall and winter. Playa del is a wash of a semi-opaque dusty gray. Does that make sense? Probably not. Well maybe you can vision an overcast cloudy day?

Anyway, I'm loving it. If you're not afraid to live on the "not so normal" nailpolish color side, give this color a try. You won't be sorry you did.

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

I tried out a new recipe tonight that I saw on Barefoot Contessa a while back.....
It was one of those weeks where we had a bunch of weird produce in our fridge that was going to go bad if we didn't eat it soon, namely arugula and cherry tomatoes (random things for Peter to even buy I know). I had remembered seeing Ina make this recipe on Barefoot Contessa  and I figured it would be a great way to rid our fridge of these random ingredients.

Verdict.....it was actually pretty yummy and easy to make. Although it would best be used as something to take to a dinner party or picnic and not to feast on as a main course. But since Peter and I like to "carbo-load" we ate it as our dinner.

Interestingly, the flavors were very different than how we usually make in our pastas. The lemon juice and zest and the two cups of heavy cream (yes we are fatties) made for such a different take on our everyday pasta. But after half our bowls were finished, I started to get annoyed with the lemony tang.

Bottom line.....great recipe, but better as a pot luck or side. Gracias Ina.

Recipe for lemon fusilli with arugula

the best wedding photographer ever.

I might be a little obsessed with our wedding pictures. They are amazing. This past week, our photographer, Roy Llera put up our slideshow on his blog like he does with all his clients. I fell in love instantly with our wedding all over again. The way Roy captured our night was spectacular. He didn't miss a thing.....whether it was the incredible sunset pics I wanted or when we were hoisted up high on our chavari chairs for a horah (umm, I guess we were jewish that night????)

I would recommend Roy Llera photographers to anyone who is getting married in south florida. His professionalism and talent far surpasses anyone else I looked at to hire for our special day.

And could watch our slideshow all over again.

Molly and Peter's wedding slideshow *courtesy of Roy Llera Photographers

*all images from Roy Llera Photographers

Lobster Assassins!

I love long weekends......especially ones that involve boating, sunshine and cocktails. This past weekend Peter and I went down to Ocean Reef to relax. On Monday, my friend Katie came down with her boyfriend and her dad and took us out for a lobstering excursion. Bottom line, I love killing lobsters. Well, actually we all love killing lobsters. They might possibly be the dumbest creatures of the ocean because we catch a lot. I'm still learning, I've only been out lobstering about five times now, but I've found that "tickling" and "netting" these spiny creatures is SO FUN! First of all you see their tentacles or feelers sticking out of a hole or under a rock. Then you take your tickle stick and tickler behind their behinds (yes, I know it sounds a little sexual) to coax them out from their hiding spot. Then you throw the net on them! CAPTURED! Voila! But you have to accomplish this all while holding your breath......ehhhh not so simple now...

Anyway enjoy the pics and please be jealous of our catch, because I just had some for dinner tonight :)

lobster killers

the fruits of our labor.
aka DINNER

My so-called gym

I belong to a gym just down the street called Metropolis Fitness & Spa. I've been going there since it opened, about two years. Before this I've never had much to "gripe" about. BUT something has changed....let me explain. Recently a sister gym nearby fka Body and Soul closed its doors subsequently shifting all its ex-members, trainers, blah blah etc to my gym. Now consider this... I do not like going to the gym. Honestly the reason why I liked Metropolis so darn much was that it was never really that crowded. My classes were never packed, there were always fresh towels available, there were typically only two meatheads per 50 people, etc. Now ever since Body and Soul closed, there are 30,000 people belonging to our gym now, and no fresh towels, and the amount of meatheads (trainers and clients) has exponentially quadrupled. Ick. And also at the top of my list, is that the owner has now moved my kickboxing class to the "new" outdoor studio which is nothing more than a pile of cinder blocks and a great view of the parking lot.
So picture this.....I've been accustomed to working out in a nice air conditioned studio, with lights, great stereo system, mirrors (yes mirrors are important) and the like. NOW I have my classes outside in the 90 degree heat, with no lights, no music, and no mirrors. Hey if I wanted to work out in a garage, I wouldn't pay $107 per month to have a gym membership. Has my membership been downgraded???? Am I being punished for being a member since the gym opened??? Has the owner Pilar never heard of the term "grandfathered???" The reason why I'm so pissed about this is that now the new trainers get to have their new classes in the nice indoor studio, while banishing all the older classes at that time schedule to the blasted outdoor cinder block garage (grrr I mean studio) . Oh and did I mention that if I wanted to take these new classes, I could, but I'd have to pay an extra fee per class? Bottom line, this is BS. 

Dear Metropolis,
You've really angered a lot of the original members. In fact I guess they may have complained to you already, because you thought that email you sent to us (the original members) last week stating that we were important and valued would appease us. It did not. I'm giving you another week or two to sort things out, and then I'm complaining face to face, woman to woman.

Peace out,
Molly