Product of my environment:

      

      I never realized how my taste in fashion jewelry is linked to how I decorate my own room! While browsing the nordstrom webpage, I noticed I was repeatedly selecting jewelry based on these items found thru out my room:

A peacock lamp found on overstock.com 

(similar style available here)

A fan I found at World Market. I usually have it tacked to my wall but it has also been used as a practical accessory on especially warm days.

A piece that hangs on my wall. Drawing 

by Pepe Nunez (he does amazing tattoo 

work as well!), coloring by yours truly! 

Costume jewelry I crave:

Betsey Johnson "Asian Jungle" long statement pendant necklace. Would wear with a white tank, black formal vest, and flared dark denim jeans:

Bring some sparkles to your face 

with this stunning pair of earrings:

What I refer to as the "holy grail" of peacock feather earrings. Won't get damaged over time like these ones and have that instant WOW factor:

The instant I saw this featured on my dear friend Paris' blog, I knew I wanted it for myself (would wear with this fantastic dress):

Wouldn't you find this guy inspiring? 

Clearly I sure do:

(image courtesy of National Geographic)

Yours,

Nico

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies:

     Summer is beginning to fade away here in Santa Cruz and Autumn feels near. Chilly weather and over cast skies make me want to curl up in bed with a magazine and good old fashion oatmeal cookies and milk. I used this recipe found on my favorite website, foodgawker.com. There were only a few alterations I made: substitute the 1 tsp of vanilla for 1/2 tsp of vanilla and 1/2 tsp of coconut extract, add 1 cup of dried cranberries to the batter, and add 1 cup of white chocolate chips to the batter. The finished product resulted in a chewy but slightly crisp cookie filled with tangy cranberries and smooth white chocolate. This recipe makes 65 cookies, which keep for 7 days. However, I froze half of the batter in my freezer for another cloudy day!

Yours,

Nico

A portion of food favorites:

A few cooking gadgets I'm loving at the moment:

On the far left is my mini mandolin, perfect for slicing up radishes, carrots, and even cucumber spears as thin as paper. I purchased this one at Daiso  for a mere $1.50! Located in the middle is my bright orange juicer and lemon shaped timer.  I used to juice dozens of citrus fruits with just a fork and my arms got really buff but this device has saved me SO much time! The final item in this photo is my (NEW!) "spider." At least I call it a spider because its mesh web helps me capture food from boiling water or hot oil!

Beautiful Farfalle Pasta:

Dress up your table settings by "accordion" 

folding napkins and adding a napkin ring:

Strawberries fresh picked today!

(They are also a preview of an upcoming post....

can you guess what it will be about?)

Yours,

Nico