Sunday Morning Cartoon:

"Tulips"- By Shahin G.

      Here it is, the second installment of Sunday Morning Cartoons! If you happened to miss the inaugural post, click here for an extra giggle! Hoping each one of you is having a lovely Sunday filled with laughter.

Yours,
Nico
      

What is closest to me:

Corset- Betsey Johnson, Necklace- Self Made (Featured here), Lace Shorts-
 Victoria's Secret, Lips- MAC's "Daddy's Little Girl," Nails- Chanel's Black Satin

      I've been hanging onto these photos since January reluctant to put together an actual post. At first I was at a loss for words when trying to compose a bit of writing to accompany these images. So many thoughts were fluttering in my head. What do I have to say about underwear? Is lingerie too inappropriate to share with an audience? Needless to say, I was mostly just embarrassed. Then it hit me, I love fashion but why am I embarrassed to talk about something that I wear basically at all times?! Was the subject so locked lip that I couldn't even muster an opinion of my own? Truth be told, I have lots of opinions and questions on bras, panties, and corsets because it's what I wear closest to me. In the coming weeks and months, I'd love to open up this discussion here on Satin And Salt and I hope that you will follow along with me. 

      One of my favorite reasons to love corsets is that not only are they perfect for extra luxurious sleep but the more demure varieties can also be worn outside of the house if you are daring and confident enough! One of the main reasons why I purchased this Betsey Johnson piece is that I knew it would look lovely with a high waisted black poodle style skirt (like this American Apparel version I already own, currently on sale). Or I might even try wearing this top with a pair of high waisted black slacks and a men's wear inspired oversized blazer. I believe that the key to wearing lingerie as clothing is to make sure nothing is overly exposed and to balance out a racy item with something masculine or loose fitting. 
      I was very inspired by my friend Kizzy's post on shapewear recently and her confidence motivated me to finally share this post! I'd love to know, what do you wear closest to you?

Yours,
Nico

We've got the beet!

      

      I have this game going that whenever my boyfriend says he doesn't like a particular ingredient I insist on figuring out a way to prepare it that he might enjoy. Shahin used to hate raw red onion until I placed fine slivers of it in a strawberry cream cheese salad with sweet balsamic dressing. Until recently, he used to loathe beets until I finally decided to cook them at home for the first time! I love beets, but I have always been intimidated by preparing them myself. I had heard horror stories about staining clothing and counter tops with the vegetable's dye (wouldn't wear white for this recipe folks!) and that the amount of work that went into making beets did not out weigh the benefits. However, to my surprise and delight, these tasty morsels were a breeze to roast in the oven and I find myself making batches each week! I serve these ruby red beets with an easy and delicious dressing of champagne vinegar, olive oil, lemon thyme (from my garden), sea salt, and the juice of one large blood orange. I inhale these roasted beets as if they were savory bits of candy and the best part is that I can make a large batch and store them in the fridge for several days to use in salads or as an easy side dish! 

Magic Ingredients:

-1 pound fresh beets

-1 cup olive oil

-1 tablespoon sea salt

-1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

-1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme

-1 blood orange (or whatever citrus you prefer)

-1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

Getting Started:

1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees then using a sharp knife, carefully slice the tops off of the beets and peel away all the skin. 

2: Slice the peeled beets into equal sizes about 1/2 inch thick.

3: Toss the beets in the olive oil, salt, and black pepper and layer evenly on a baking sheet covered in foil. Bake in a preheated oven for roughly 45 minutes

4: While the beets are roasting, be sure to turn them to coat them in additional olive oil every 15 minutes!

*The beets should look something like this after 45 minutes. Slightly crisp on the outside and tender and yummy to the taste.

5: As soon as you pull the beets out of the oven, drizzle the juice of a blood orange and the champagne vinegar over the warm vegetables. 

6: Chop the fresh lemon thyme and garnish the roasted beets, then serve!

       Coming up shortly I will be sharing my absolute favorite way to serve beets, in a hearty yet healthy salad! Stay tuned for the recipe I have been devouring over and over recently!

Yours,
Nico

Small Morsels:

Made sure to squeeze lots of citrus for breakfast each morning after recovering from the flu.

      As the days get progressively more beautiful here in Santa Cruz so does the intensity of the road construction. Warm weather not only means lovely afternoons but also lots of road work here when the sun is hot enough to dry the pavement. But I couldn't care less about the angry groan of tractors and heavy machinery, this gives me an excuse to turn up the happy tunes full blast or take a walk down the near by river path for a bit of quiet scenery! It's like that old saying, when life gives you lemons... make lemonade! Which is literally what I have been doing, but I took things one step further by added tangelos, grapefruits, and limes to the mix!

Couldn't possibly get enough of my favorite flowers, daffodils, this season!

A favorite scene from my semi regular walk down the near by river path in Santa Cruz. 

New (to me) Betsey Johnson corset in bright florals that I love.

Purple graffiti cauliflower that I roasted in my oven with simple salt, pepper, and olive oil. 

A green bagel that I enjoyed a several weeks ago for St. Patty's Day.

Freshly baked bread from my favorite local bakery, The Buttery (I think all the local bakeries are my favorite!).

My boyfriend and I make and enjoy most of our meals at home but once a week we like to get out for a bit of a date. We prefer to go out during happy hour (to save a couple bucks) and on weekdays (to avoid major crowds). Hula's tropical cocktails and appetizers are a favorite of ours, be sure to check out the tiki room for swanky mood lighting!

Black wild rice with (homegrown!) roasted spagetti squash and (homegrown) lemon thyme! Rustic, vegan, and above all... utterly tasty!

Listening to records spin while enjoying the comforts of my small backyard/garden.

My new favorite drink of choice, Rack & Riddle's Blanc De Noirs, a champagne made with a red grape! I picked up a bottle of this at Vino Prima on the Santa Cruz Wharf, an excellent local hot spot!

Yours,
Nico

Floating On An Earth Sized Crystal Ball:

     Recently you have seen a small portion of my rock collection in this "Cosy Casa," post as well as some of my own handmade jewels in this post. I love collecting rocks and crystals and some of my favorite pieces come from the store Gemshow in Capitola, California. This store has the biggest assortment and variety of stones in my area along with some of the best prices! I adore reading and learning about how each rock is formed and these bits of minerals also make for wonderful home accent pieces. Unlike flowers (which I love!) rocks won't wilt and die out and I dig (pun intended) the idea of having a bit of nature inside my home at all times! Some of my favorite stones are intricate jaspers, boulder opal, and labradorite. I took some photographs during my last visit to Gemshow, maybe you can pick a favorite as well!   

      

Geodes treated and fused with titanium and other metals, I love these guys!

Boulder Opal (my favorite stone), in it's raw form! I think it looks like alien writing left on earth's surface.

An assortment of carved stone skulls, that striped zebra jasper is so striking!

Rustic pieces of petrified wood which is believed to absorb negativity...I feel like everyone could use a piece of this!

Polychrome Jasper is such an unusual mineral, it's almost as if each piece of rock is illustrating a picture of a much larger story. 

Not totally sure on what type of teeth these are other than the fossil is from China, if anyone has any idea on what these teeth might be to, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Gorgeous natural stone beads for crafting and jewelry making.

Carved Fluorite points with lots of amazing layers of color. 

The face on this orange adventurine pig is killing it.

I'd love to fill the bottom of a fish tank with some of these little stones. 

An assortment of various rocks and minerals.

Another fossil material that I cannot remember the name of but I am pretty sure its a type of ancient squid, how strange and bizarre!

Quartz cluster on pyrite, such a stunning piece!

Yours,
Nico

Beach Water Babes:

Sunglasses- Chloe, Lipstick- MAC's "Vegas Volt", Dress- Hand-Me-Down featured here, 
Denim Jacket- Vintage Paul Frank, Insect Brooches- Vintage, Heels- Prabal Gurung 
for Target, Watch- Michael Kors

      Some days are just too good to resist. The sun, the surf, the feeling of Spring in the air... it all adds up to perfection and you can't help but stay out of the house regardless of how many errands and house chores you may have! When Mother Nature shows us her good side, I believe that it is essential to stay there by enjoying the weather she has graciously offered us, don't you? I took advantage of the happy sunshine we've been having in Santa Cruz by heading to the beach to snap some photos with my friend Jenna who I have known since I was a teenager (You can view her tumblr by clicking here). Even though we are not children anymore, we gladly accepted the chance to run thru the wild flowers, climb over treacherous rocks, and at least act like we were kids again! 

      As the weather warms up, the colors in my wardrobe and beauty routine seem to heat up also. I trade in my usual red pout for an electric vibrant mandarin shade. The lipstick I am wearing here is called "Vegas Volt" by MAC and it's one of those slightly crazy statement colors that I love wearing because when I catch myself in a mirror, the bright shade instantly makes me want to smile. I was able to pick up this lipstick for free (always a plus when you are experimenting with new shades) by taking in six empty MAC products to my local MAC store for their "Back-To-Mac" program. You get a new lipstick, MAC recycles your old packaging, and Mother Nature is happy again! The bright orange lipstick pairs perfectly with my rocketship dress and elaborately printed and utterly colorful pumps. I have to say, wearing color may be one of the best ways to stay vibrant!

Yours,
Nico

PS: With Google Reader shutting down, keep in mind that there are other ways to stay connected with me! You can sign up to follow me on bloglovin, facebook, twitter, pinterest, instagram, and chictopia just pick the social media channel(s) that works for your lifestyle and we can keep in touch if you would like!

Sunday Morning Cartoon:

      I have mentioned several times before that my boyfriend, Shahin, is quite the artist (he even designed my caricature on this page featured on the right side bar!). Not only is he very creative but he is also good for a laugh, I constantly find him making corny jokes and rhyming ridiculous words in common conversation. It seemed only appropriate to start featuring a Sunday morning cartoon by my very own partner in crime! We worked on this cartoon together but honestly, it was mostly all him, I just happened to be good with lines and lettering. However, I couldn't be more thrilled and excited to add this element of fun to SatinAndSalt.com! On the real, I think everyone one of us feels a bit sad over having to give up weekend cartoon watching, let this be your quick fix of nostalgia instead!

Yours,
Nico

A Simple Preview:

      Snapped a couple pictures at West Cliff here in Santa Cruz recently, full style post and color images will be showing up soon! Stay with me : ) Also, I announced on Facebook that I will be showcasing a new feature on the blog tomorrow called "Sunday Morning Cartoons." Incredibly stoked on that new adventure, I hope you will be too. 

Yours,
Nico

PS: Notice the Jenna Hutchison Photography stamp? This girl and I have been friends for years but it was the love of taking photographs that brought us together again after a long hiatus. I love her beautiful kindness and talent, you can view her tumblr by clicking here.