Get Stuffed!

One of the best things about living in New York is THE FOOD! Which makes it almost impossible to narrow down which restaurants we want to highlight as our favorites...

Instead, we've compiled a list of some of the best dishes (at $10 and under) that we've eaten in the past week. From steamy dumplings (always a favorite), to the best sandwiches available 24/7, to overstuffed tacos, we hope you'll get a chance to try these plates at least once in your lifetime. Until then, maybe you can just salivate over our photos.

M Shanghai in Williamsburg is one of our favorite places to go, period. The Steamed Juicy Pork Buns pictured here are only $5.00 for an order of 6, and come with a tangy, gingery sauce that the waiters mix up for you at the table.

There must be crack in these Spicy Wontons, also from M Shanghai, because we find ourselves craving them all the time. They come drenched in a rich peanut sauce, and at only $6.00 for 6 pieces, it's not rare for us to get two orders each.

Coming from Los Angeles, it is hard to find good, cheap Mexican food in Manhattan, but we've always been a litle obsessed with La Esquina. We especially love hitting up the cafe during the day, when the place is a bit more low-key and you can opt to sit at one of the outdoor tables if the weather is right. The Bistec Tacos pictured above are stuffed with perfectly-seasoned meat that's grilled to perfection, and at $10.00 for two, fit nicely into our budget.

For everyone living in the East Village or Lower East Side, there should be one eatery on your speed-dial: Sunny & Annie's. This unassuming deli on Ave B and 6th Street has come to be one of our favorite sandwich makers in New York. With a never-ending list of incredibly creative sandwiches, all under $10, you can't really go wrong. Try the Bush, pictured here, which is stuffed with Teriyaki chicken, avocado, mozzarella cheese, jalapenos, red onions, seaweed and ranch dressing. Or go for the Pho Real, hand-crafted to resemble a bowl of Pho noodle soup, complete with roast beef, onions, cilantro, bean sprouts, hoisin and sriracha sauce.

Like what you see? Don't worry, we have plenty more food and restaurant recommendations to come...so don't fill up!

Belmont Recap!

Well, we've finally recovered from our experience at Belmont, and finally found a free moment of time to do a post in-between LoDo getting sick this past week and our never-ending workload. 

That said, you know you've had way too much fun somewhere when you check out your camera the next day and half of the images are blurry, while the other half you thought you took don't even exist. Ah, the memories! Here's a quick recap of what we wore to another amazing day at the races...

LoDo sporting her Mango strapless dress (with the bow tied around a re-furbished DIY Belmont hat), a vintage pearl necklace, and blue Ray Ban shades.

LoGo with her dapper date. On her: ASOS striped dress, canvas American Eagle for Payless wedges, and a blue fringe Monoprix bag. On him: Topman checkered shirt,  Zara blazer, thrifted bow tie and beige seersucker shorts, & Sperry for J Crew topsiders.

Our friends Rose (l) and Micol (r) sporting their own Belmont-y dresses by Zara and ASOS, respectively.

Can't wait until next year!

Summer Blaze

Being from California, our happiness throughout the day is often directly proportionate to the amount of sunlight that we're exposed to. Unfortunately in New York--even on the hottest summer day--the weather does not always create the ideal environment for these conditions. 

So how do we deal? Well, we're still trying to work it out to be honest, but this summer we'll be experimenting in new ways by adding a little burst of sunshine to our lives in the form of bright, blazing hues. We'll be feeling anything but drab in these firey frocks & accessories that we've hand-picked based on their ability to put a smile on our faces. Check out the product details for yourself below...and let's blaze!

1. Pink Zara tulip dress - $99.00

2. 'All Fired Up' Sally Hansen nail polish - $7.99

3. Orange Zara tunic dress - $168.00

4. Feathery Zara necklace - $29.00

5. Succulent Mango sunnies - $19.90

6. Tangerine Stila lip gloss - $22.00

7. Splashy yellow Fry handbag - $336.00

8. Coral Forever 21 ring - $4.80

9. Punchy Mango t-shirt - $49.90

10. Tangy ASOS cropped pants - $64.63

11. Red Franco Sarto Gadget heels - $59.50

Shove these in your playlist...

Loving the Mad-hatter styling in this shoot from Jalouse magazine's July 2011 issue that we stumbled upon from Fashion Gone Rogue

Not going to lie...we're finding it harder than ever to find time to keep up with our posts this week, as we're helping design the in-store art for a huge event taking place next week at Macy's in NYC (more on that later)...

But that doesn't mean we're going to leave you in the dark! So here are two songs to help push you through a busy work week, and maybe fill up that summer playlist a little bit more. We know we'll need em.


Matt & Kim - Block After Block

Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone (Deadmau5 Remix)

A Day at the Races

In our circle of friends, floral dresses, oversized sunglasses, strappy sandals & flamboyant hats can only mean one thing come June: BELMONT! Since the beginning of time, our newly engaged friends Meena & Adam have been organizing an excursion to the Belmont Stakes that's fully-equipped with a party bus, coolers full of food and drink, and plenty of trilby hats and seersucker. Never ones for gambling, we direct our focus instead to going all-out with the attire. Here are some of our looks from years past, as well as the dresses we'll be rocking at this year's event, taking place tomorrow, June 11th:

Posing with the park's adorable brass band with our friends Micol (L) and Rose (R) in 2010.

A close-up of our home-made hats. Every year, Meena hosts a hat-making party where we go crazy with hot glue guns and embellishments like colorful ribbons and fake flowers. Strawberries, roses and butterflies were merely a few of the items adorning our hats in 2010.

Here we are on the bus in 2009,  sporting our usual floral attire, and another home-made hat (on LoGo) 

And now: the big reveal....what will we be wearing this year?!

LoDo plans to sport this strapless Mango dress with removable bow...

...while LoGo is opting for stripes in this short ASOS dress with a Peter-pan collar and open back.

Stay tuned for more photos, straight from the track. 

Let the races begin!

Let's Get High!

It's always fun when vintage styles come back into fashion, and we're especially into the return of the high-waisted jean.  For a classic look with a little nod to the 70's, we like to wear ours wide-legged with a thick, colorful belt and a loose, blousy top. For night, a skinny version with chunky heels keeps the look from becoming too early 90's...

Here's LoGo donning a pair of high-waisted Top Shop jeans, a beige thrifted blouse, a purple thrifted satchel, and red Pour La Victoire heels before a night out in the city.

 

We're in awe of this image of Claudia Schiffer channeling Brigette Bardot in a Western-inspired belt and super skinny, high-waisted jeans. And what a waist!

LoDo sporting the wide-legged look while taking in some sun with a pair of H&M jeans, an Aqua silk top,  a MUJI hat, a leopard-print belt from Target, and gold gladiators from Old Navy.

You can't go wrong emulating the icon of 70's style, Farrah Fawcett. The skinny belt and platform heels help bring together this casual, wide-legged jean look.

On the modern side of things, wide-legged denim doesn't really get any better than these two looks from Derek Lam's Spring 2011 collection. For more breezy, easy-going jean looks, check out the full collection here at Style.com

One tip that applies across the board: there's a fine line between cute and camel-toe! 

What We're Sipping On...

Let's face it...New York can be pretty expensive at times. So you can't blame us for loving a good bang for our buck, especially when it comes to our booze. Check out some of our favorite wines for the summer...from dirt cheap steals (thank you, Trader Joes) to refreshing, easy-to-drink bottles that keep us coming back for more:

Broadbent Vinho Verde: This wine is perfect for the stifling summer heat. It's crisp, light, and goes with almost anything, so it's ideal to bring along for picnics and bbqs. Oh, and it's only $9.99!

Contadino Pinot Grigio Vivace: We were pleasantly surprised when we found this sparkling Pinot Grigio at Trader Joes for  only $4.99. Ummm...we'll take 4 bottles please! Perfect for dinner parties and faux-champagne toasts.

Lini, Lambrusco LV: If you've never tried Lambrusco, we're not really sure what you're waiting for. We'll admit, the concept of sparkling red wine at first sounds kind of tacky and weird, but this wine is actually super smooth and succulent. This one in particular has the perfect amount of effervescence...making it another top choice for summer at only $16.00.

 Fontsainte, Gris de Gris 2010: We tasted this rose for the first time at Diner in Brooklyn, and we were shocked at how much we loved it. Sure, the fact that you can get a magnum for only $30.00 helped out, but this is honestly one of the best rosés we've ever had. We promise, you won't be disappointed.

Summer Jams

Every summer, we like to pick out a few tracks that will serve as our overarching theme songs for the season. The biggest qualifier? Their ability to bring us from rooftop tanning bbqs to all-night dance parties, and keep us moving at every moment in-between.

Here are our picks for Summer 2011:

LoGo's Summer Theme Song:
Bag Raiders - Sunlight




The video alone makes it one of our favorite tracks...we couldn't stop laughing the first time we saw it. And the lyrics make us think of a super sunny, NY summer day, when the air is thick, the sun is bright, everything is sweaty and you're surrounded by the people you love the most.




LoDo's Summer Theme Song:
Adele - Rolling in the Deep (Jamie XX remix)




We always love new takes on older songs, and this remix is no different. The combination of Adele's strong vocals and the beat make this track so addictive! Just ignore the depressing lyrics (though we're sure everyone can sympathize) ...



Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Prints Charming

Who says New Yorkers only ever wear black? After a dismal winter, there's nothing like throwing on a pretty patterned outfit to squash your seasonal depression. From stripes and polka dots, to florals and tribal patterns, we just can't get enough! Here are a few of our favorite ways to wear em:

Kenzo's 40th Anniversary, Spring 2011 show from Antonio Marras had some incredibly inspiring patterned ensembles. 

We especially love the pastel tones and sheer fabrics.

LoDo takes on punchy prints in a folky Forever 21 maxi skirt, Streets Ahead belt, gladiator sandals, vintage key necklace (made by LoDo) and a Louis Vuitton carryall.

Mango has some amazing (and affordable!) floral dresses right now, like this one ($89.90) featured here in their new ad campaign with Josephine de la Baume. Loving the bright accessories too!

For those just starting to break into patterns, a little polka dot never hurts!

LoGo sports the spotted look here in a Pins and Needles dress (borrowed from our friend Micol), Alexander Wang cropped trench, Franco Sarto shoes, thrifted glasses & necklace and a Banana Republic bag.

 We love the combo of tan and white in this spotted shirtdress from ASOS, which is also super affordable ($64.63).

The best part? Free shipping to the US! 

The lesson? Girls in prints have more fun.