i did a little shopping at the jersey shore premium outlets when i was visiting my family for passover. i know, i know. it was so long ago. anyways, during my excursion, i discovered the greatness of the calvin klein outlet and all it had to offer. i thought i hit the jackpot when i discovered their bright skinny denims there and on sale but then i uncovered this blazer. lately, i’ve had a thing for animal prints. it started with my shoes ( i own three pairs of leopard print ballet flats), and now it’s spreading north. behold, the worn linen animal print-inspired calvin klein blazer and  for only $40?! anyways, it goes without saying, i stocked up on j.crew essentials (i’ll get into that later) but my new love is the calvin klein outlet. i know, don’t judge.

originally, i associated progressive music with house and techno which takes me back to my early 20s when i danced through the evening and into the early morning at the twilos and soundfactories of the world. you know, there were glow sticks, nearly naked platform dancers and pill popping kids everywhere back in the late 90s. that kind of stuff.

however, my boyfriend has introduced me to a whole new progressive world. my foray occurred on february 19, 2012 at cielo where the grandfather of techno, sasha, moved the crowd on presidents’ day at dance. here. now. he mixed and weaved  upbeat and soulful sounds into moving, spiritual sets. as with meditation, you can feel the light of music enter through your feet and stream up the entire body, entering the canals and channels of your legs, opening your hips, filling your stomach, stretching your arms, engulfing your heart, and finally rushing out your mouth, ears, eyes and skull. this energy is so powerful and white, it will make you dance until 4am and is strong enough to power a room full of like-minded listeners.

so after the night commenced, we found ourselves furiously searching for the recording of our favorite track, which was a remix of pachanga boys time. definitely take a second to listen to it. i promise you’ll dig.

check out the quick video i took from that night.

classic with a modern twist, this trinity bracelet from the cartier juste un clou collection is my new must-have. let’s be clear, i have no fancy jewelry or covetable pieces in my possession but hey, this is somewhat attainable with a starting price tag of $3k. i’ll keep day dreaming about acquiring the pieces that cost upwards of $35k.

can’t dish out the dineros? stop by the cartier mansion to see the cartier & aldo cipullo exhibit between 4/13 and 5/8. the show pays homage to cartier’s events between 1969 and 1970. notable moments include when the first diamond to sell for more than $1mm went to the great elizabeth taylor and then love richard burton and in 1971 when the original nail bracelet was conceived.

Photo: Courtesy of Cartier

yeardley smith, aka lisa simpson, launched shoe line, marchez vous. in french, marchez vous means “you walk”. and in these shoes, you’re strutting your stuff in comfort and sophistication. these babies have a cushy heel-to-toe insole. like a cole haan with nike soles situation.

honestly, what i like most about yeardley is the fact that she is an active philanthropist, whose non‐profit of choice is micro‐finance, which aims to eliminate poverty by giving small loans to women and teaching them to be self-sustaining entrepreneurs. kind of like jane wurland ceo + founder of dermalogica.

anywhozer, the shirt, skirt and necklace are from j.crew. the denim jacket is from american eagle and i don’t know who owns that beautiful dalmation. but isn’t he cute?!

so i bought myself some tulips. which is something i do on a regular basis. that is, buy myself flowers. some people gift themselves manicures, massages, spin classes, etc each week. i buy flowers. it’s so nice to come home to flowers after a long day of work and a gym session. not to mention, waking up to them adds color and light to my morning. what is your weekly self splurge?

or a sequined shirt dressed down. whatever you prefer. this look is perfect for a casual day at the office or for saturday errands.

shirt: j.crew outlet, jeans: abercrombie & fitch, belt: express, nails: mac imperial splendour + sally hansen lagoon, watch bracelet: kenneth jay lane, lip: mac russian red

as my sister and i rode in the back of gramps’ red datsun on our way to little beaver camp, we threw pebbles from the rear, watching them scatter away as we drove along the highway. we were in an innocent rush to play with our friends on the jungle gym, ride our horses, and do whatever it is that kids do at summer camp. once, leah caught me right as i was about to eat a worm to prove to chad/robbie that i was the coolest girl in town. i can’t believe i was going to do it. she actually had to talk me out of it, says the pescatarian.

and in the midst of all this happiness, little did i know that my grandmother was experiencing the last weeks of her life. after being washed in the sink by the softest, sweetest smelling, best sniffer and kisser in this world,  i stood in front of the box-shaped, bunny-eared contraption that streamed the latest on the new sensation, mtv.

as bubbie lie in bed being eaten by cancer and my mother and sister flank her,  i remember shaking it to the most popular song, whitney houston’s i want to dance with somebody. i stood in front of the tv imitating whitney and her two dancers as they opened and closed the doors of the changing rooms. as i swung my hips and twirled around, the four of us sang together, happily off tune. and in that moment, nothing mattered. we were engulfed by love, wishing to dance with somebody, somebody who loves me.

in the wake of whitney houston’s recent accidental death, it’s only appropriate i share i wanna dance with somebody. after all, it did inspire this post.

a few weeks ago, casey and i took the le pain quotidien scone and biscuit baking class at the bleecker street bakery, which happened to be a rude awakening. for starters, i had NO clue there was so much butter in both scones and biscuits. and secondly, i’m one of those nonchalant bakers who tend to not measure properly, because really, does it make a difference? well, apparently YES. so much so that le pain weighs everything on a fancy little scale. anywhozer, back to the situation at hand, the butter. this is the ingredient that makes the biscuits flaky and the scones (and my stomach) soft and full. but my god, they taste so yummy. and so simple to make! we added currants to these scones but any dried fruit goes well. the biscuits were plain but cheese and herbs are perfect complements. what’s your favorite butter-based treat?

Behold. My boyfriend’s favorite meal – seabass with roasted rosemary potatoes, haricovert with mustard vinagrette and tomato and avocado salad. Goes over incredibly well every time. And its super simple.

After my scone and biscuit baking class at le pain quotidien, I stopped by my favorite fish monger in Chinatown to grab this guy. For the past week, my boyfriend has been asking that I prepare my whole roasted sea bass dish. So, I am obliging. Stay tuned for more pictures. What’s your guys favorite dish?