RW: Bijoux

"Bisous" means "kiss" in French. When I saw a restaurant named "Bijoux," I mistook it for "kiss" but it's actually "jewelry." So, I've been updating like crazy, It's hard to keep up with. There are just a lot of things going on at this time and I don't want to get behind. Probably my background in journalism... gotta publish it while it's still fresh or else no one will care later! Lol, Plus, I still don't know what's blogworthy or not so I just wanna post everything. Maybe you can help.

Anyway, at Bijoux, the food was pretty good but I wasn't really impressed with the atmosphere and decor. It looked really normal. We all know I don't like "normal." Something's gotta stand out... Bijoux didn't have that "something." Tsk, tsk.

The location: It was in the middle of a shopping center with other stores like Neiman's Last Call, CVS Pharmacy, etc. Blah. The restaurant itself was pretty nice-looking. The tree totally covers the awning that says "Bijoux."

Well, at least their food was yummy!

Stupid me, again, forgot to take a pic of the menu. This was my first course, it was taglioni (pasta) with vegetables. It was very very seasoned and delicious! It was either this or pork belly, which was also delish!

Our extra course, giant prawns, for an additional $9, which we could've gotten for free if we bought $25 worth of stuff from Central Market. Good, but fishy.

Main course: a salmon dish. It was also really good but I can never eat too much salmon in one sitting. I ate about half and asked the rest to be boxed up to take home. Then, the waiter forgot to give it to me to bring home. What a waste. =( That orange sauce it came with was sweet and went well with the salmon.

Last, my 4th course, dessert. Cheesecake with fig and ice cream = average. Like I said previously, not a fan of really nice desserts. I'm more of a cute cupcake gal. ;)

Kimchi Blue lace inset tank (Urban Outfitters), Sparkle & Fade sequin skirt (Urban Outfitters), F21 belt, Nine West suede strap platforms, Zara studded drawstring crossbody bag.

I know you never need a reason to dress up, but dressing up to GO somewhere is def. fun!

Close up of shoes, sequin skirt, belt. The sequin skirt is really fun! I love it! UO is the best!

Have a great Labor Day weekend, everyone!!

Lady in Red...

is dancing with me... cheek to cheek. I've always loved that song. Chris de Burgh has such a soothing voice. I went down to Houston this weekend for a friend's wedding. It was really fun. They had a live band that played a lot of fun songs. I'm never really sure of what to wear until the day of so I usually bring like 5 outfits to choose from. This weekend, I was short on time for packing so I packed ONE dress, ONE pair of shoes, ONE pair of earrings, and brought ONE bag to choose from. It ended up being nice. I really should be more confident since it worked out so well. But of course, the more options you have, the better your chances are of looking your best.

Ya Gig Harbor dress (ModCloth), Antonio Melani nude pumps (Dillard's), gold chandelier earrings, and Louis Vuitton Roxbury Drive in Noisette.

I was a huge fan of the cut-out back and that's why I got it. I always love little detail that make pieces stand out.

Louis Vuitton Roxbury Drive, Antonio Melani nude patent pumps.

They go so well together, don't they? I don't really like matchy-matchy too much but this was almost too good (shades are a little off but the bag isn't close enough to your feet to tell).

The wedding had a lot of little details that made it all really cute. Shear white draping, signature cocktails named after the bride and groom, floral centerpieces that were lovely, etc. My favorites were the wedding favors.

Sets of chopsticks with the bride and groom's names and wedding date engraved on them. They were really fancy, I thought. Very cute.

I also got a chance to see some of my girlfriends while I was in town, also my old roommates from college! One was in from Seoul (she left me to take a teaching job there) and the other was in from Lubbock. It was good luck that we happened to all be in Houston on the same weekend. They were there were their dad's 60th birthday and I was there for a wedding. So good to see old friends.

Like I said, I didn't have much time to pack so I forgot some things like sleeping clothes and going out clothes. However, that never stops me from going out! I rolled out in what I wore on the way down.

F21 floral top w/ the Madonna style corset top part thingy, Zara tie-dye washed skinny jeans, Nine West suede thick strap platforms, Burberry Ashbury bag, F21 double connector ring.

My boyfriend drove me down and went out with his friends down there and I wanted to see my girls so my girlfriend was waiting at the hotel where we were staying before I even got there and right when we arrived, I literally got out of one car, into another and rolled out! That's how I "ROLL OUT!" Dun duh- nuh...

My main squeezes this weekend. Love my girls~!!! :) :) :)

Until we meet again, Houston!

RW Review 2010: The Mansion Restaurant at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek

Earlier this week, I got to try another restaurant for Restaurant Week this year! I was lucky enough to get a reservation at The Mansion Restaurant at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek (using my awesome persuasion skills- the place was completely booked at first). The place fully booked up for restaurant week very soon after you could make reservations for it. Let me tell you, it was harder than getting Lady Gaga tickets!

Needless to say, both the exterior and interior of the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek were stunning. My pictures don't do any justice but take a look at their site (link attached) for more detailed photos.

Here's one of my own:

There was another huge mansion-looking building nearby (white and HUGE) that I thought was the Rosewood but it wasn't. I love the exterior of this mansion. The orange-y color and the rooftop reminds me of when I lived in Spain and passed by so many homes this color while walking to school. When I'm older, I want some orange-y/Spanish-looking parts on my house (either the walls or roof, I guess).

The interior wasn't bad either. It actually looks REALLY nice... It's a real mansion with a real cute fireplace and real life kitchen and everything! It gave you a very "at-home" feeling but much nicer. Hehe I really loved it. Best-looking restaurant I've been to in Dallas, hands down. (The French Room is pretty darn close, though.)


The walls had little hinges that made it look like there were secret passageways throughout the mansion. Maybe there are. Don't you have to have secret passageways to be a mansion, anyway?

The food was prepared so nice. This place really concentrates on display.

1st course: House-made Salmon Gravlax, fennel and citrus salad (above). Effing delicious. Smoked salmon topped with citrus-y sauce and mandarin oranges to balance out the salt and sweet tastes? Whoever invented this is a clearly a genius.

1st course: Watermelon Salad, local feta cheese, crispy prosciutto, pink peppercorn vinaigrette (above). ALSO effing delicious. Before I went, I read a review and someone had written that this watermelon salad alone makes it worth going... I absolutely agree. Watermelon? Yum. Prosciutto? Yum. Feta cheese? YUM. ALSO genius.

2nd course: Boneless Veal Osso Bucco, Texas field bean succotash, natural jus (above). None of us really knew what veal was, we were all just like... "That sounds fancy and we'd get the best bang for our buck if we get that." I don't regret it, it was pretty good. I thought it was a baby lamb but it's actually baby cow (I think?). Either way, it still went in my belly along with the yummy succotash (minus the beans- not a big fan of beans).

3rd course: Chocolate Caramel Tart, soft caramel, chocolate ganache, vanilla ice cream (above). It's prettier than it tastes. Very sweet, wish I had more ice cream.

3rd course: Peach Sundae, vanilla panna cotta, poached peach, almond crumble, peach ice cream (above). This reminded me of a fruit and yogurt parfait because it was very tart. The peaches tasted and felt like they were from the can. Boo. Guess I'm just not really a fan of expensive desserts. I would definitely opt for a chocolate molten cake from Chili's or a Sprinkles cupcake. OOhh, those both sound so good.

Before we left, we took some photos outside of the mansion. Soooo pretty. Before we were able to take enough photos, the valet guy came with our car already. Man, he's quick and we didn't even have to ask him! Wish we had more time. Impeccable service, for sure.

Here's one by the fountain outside of the mansion. Isn't it just lovely?
Willow & Clay Asymmetrical Ruffle Racerback Tunic/Dress (too short for a dress, too long for a shirt- Nordstrom), Jessica Simpson studded peeptoe pumps, Christopher Kahn pale pink leather clutch.

Close-up of my main squeezes that night. The Christopher Kahn pale pink clutch won me over with its smooth, soft leather (also the soft red suede interior and dustbag!). I got it at a consignment boutique I worked at when I was 17 called Jacqueline Jarrot. Retailed at $300something... Luckily, we had a pretty kick-ass employee discount, which saved me a lot. I got a lot of nice, high-quality unique stuff (for pretty cheap!) that I still have and use today. The Jessica Simpson studded peeptoe pumps... Found it (my size, LUCKILY) on the clearance rack at TJMaxx last season!

Anyway, Labor Day's right around the corner! Make use on your white clothes everyday for the rest of the week because you know it's a fashion no-no after Labor Day (not that I always follow the rules!!)! :)

Summer Lovin'

Summer lovin'... Had me a blast.... Summer lovin'... Happened so fast...

Not that I really care for summer as much anymore since I don't have "summer breaks" or anything but I will miss the bright colored clothes, eating outside and summer-y type foods! Can't eat outside much though since it's usually 100+ degrees out. Is it just me, or are there certain foods you eat more during certain seasons? Well, for me, it's like this... Summer: pizza, ice-cream, junk food, margaritas. Winter: soups, hot chocolate, pasta. Some of these are like... duh... of course you eat soup in the winter because you're freezing your ass off. Whatever. I'll definitely miss my shorts, tank tops, and colors! Loving the floral this year, too! Not ready to give it up! Summer is over, wahhhhh!!! :(

A couple buddies and I went to Kona Grill last week for happy hour (they have a great one!). We are huge fans of Kona since it's pretty close to work and good food for a great price! Plus, their sake bombs!!! The ahi tuna wonton crisps (looks like nachos) are to-die-for! Yumm!!

Forever 21 braided strap floral top, Mossimo inside tank. Not pictured: Free People skinny light washed destroyed jeans, paired with Cynthia Vincent cognac wedges and black leather Burberry Ashbury tote.

Also before the end of summer, a friend of mine came in to visit from South Korea!! We took her to this awesome pizza place I discovered (through Yelp) in uptown, called Sfuzzi. It wasn't just a pizza place, they had pasta and everything! We tried a pizza with an egg on it... yes, an EGG on it!! It was yummy!!! Their traditional drink, called the "Sfuzzi," was sooo strong! It was like taking a mini shot each sip.

Collective Concepts Batwing top with attached beaded necklaces (Nordstrom Rack), Jeans from BP Juniors dept. (forgot the brand- Nordstrom), black leather Burberry Ashbury tote, and pink Guess wedges.

Since we can never have enough food, drinks and fun, after this, we migrated over to Luna de Noche for reverse happy hour at NorthPark Mall (because Kona was too packed). :)

Went out a few times this summer, but I didn't capture any of the moments (bad me!). This past weekend, I remembered to snap a few at "The Bank" for my cousin's birthday. Bottle service is always great. :) Happy birthday, cuz! After about an hour, me and my girlfriend walked down the street to party some more at Mantis.

Silence + Noise studded V-neck romper (Urban Outfitters), Tiffany & Co. necklace, Banana Republic aged lambskin clutch, Guess Emy studded heels.

This romper I picked up off the clearance rack (online) at Urban Outfitters was suchhhhh a deal! It's sweet and cute, finely made, comfortable to wear anddd the stud detail is awesome! I love it!! Also, the Guess Emy heels are soo comfortable! They definitely don't look like it... being studded, high and glamorous... but they sooo are! I think it has something to do with the tiny cork platform in the front. So glad I found these (also on clearance) at the Guess Factory store in RoundRock, TX. Both are definitely some of my best buys so far!

RW Review 2010: Abacus

Best 3 weeks of the year: There's fashion week, shark week, and then you have RESTAURANT WEEK. Mmmmm... Yummm... It's always so good when it comes around!

So, I think a lot of people don't know KRLD's restaurant week isn't ONLY 1 week... some restaurants participate for 3 weeks! I love this, since I always have such a tight schedule, I can't do too many in just 1 week. I forgot to make reservations early this year but was still able to get some good ones lined up for the next 2 weeks (1 week already passed)!

This is my 3rd year in a row participating in trying out the restaurants for RW. Before that, I was still a student and spent all the earnings from my part-time job on handbags, shoes and alcohol. ;) I've tried several places on the list so I wanted to go to new places this year. A few days ago, my boyfriend and I checked out Abacus for RW, on McKinney Ave. in uptown.


I can't remember all the exact items we ordered, but good thing I took some photos. Forgot to take a photo of the menu (oops!), I thought it'd be online but I can't find it! For our first course, I ordered the seafood jumbo, which was delicious, not really spicy at all. It had some Cajun sausage and shrimp and some other stuff. Joseph had something with shrimp that was delicious! It was better than mine and I was jealous. :( For our main course, I ordered the beef cheeks with a side of garlic cheese mashed potatoes and some carrots. Mmmm, the beef cheeks were sooo tender! Great with the mash! Joseph ordered a pork dish the chef recommended but mine was better so he got jealous. ;) For dessert, they brought out a plate with 3 different mini desserts: a chocolate cup with peanut butter, something like a lemon cracker thingy with raspberry sauce or something, and the last was some sort of chocolate mousse cake. The interesting lemon cracker dessert was good, but the other two were just average. Wasn't very impressed. The setup was nice, also a very lively environment (the fact that it was RW probably helped!). We had to give up our table an hour and 15 mins. after we arrived... wasn't really a problem since they brought everything out so fast. Overall, a nice place with a lovely wait staff! :)

Felt awkward asking Joe to take pictures of me here (or anywhere) so I just asked him to snap a quick one outside while waiting for the valet (complimentary, btw!).

Mossimo colorblock dress (Target), Steve Madden belt, faux pearl necklace, Banana Republic aged lambskin clutch, Guess white patent peeptoe heels (My fav. peeptoe heels, btw! Soooo comfy!).

I'm not usually a fan of those colorblock dresses that seem to be very popular lately but this one really caught my eye when I stopped by Target during lunch last week. 1- It was on the 30% clearance rack, and 2- It was NOT made with that awful cheap cotton material (no offense to anyone who owns one, it's just not for me). The top actually feels like a stretchy polyester or something (nice), and the bottom is silky/chiffon material (very nice, IMO). I really need to learn my fabrics again. Have before but totally forgot them.

Went shopping this past week and bought tons of stuff... Can't wait to wear them all and share on my blog!! :) The Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek (long ass name!) and Bijoux for RW later this week! Can't wait!!!

Animal Lover.

So I've recently been obsessed with jewelry that have animal/unique centerpieces, like this owl necklace I found while shopping at F21 last Friday at NorthPark shopping Center:

Forever 21, $5.80.

It's so cute and it adds a little flavor to your outfit on days you don't feel like dressing up. Say you're wearing some skinny jeans, plain solid white tee, and a darker solid cardigan... keeping it plain and comfy. You can just throw this on top of it to add some toppings while still being comfortable! Easy, right?

And the cool thing is that you can stop by a Forever 21 and pick up a few for less than $10, most of the time! The thing that annoys me is that when you're browsing online, you can find tons of cute things you want but when you're in the actual store, you can't find any of it!

Here are a few I found when browsing Forever21.com that I thought were cool:

My faves are the weirdo voodoo looking one and the glasses one. These are all priced between $3.80-$11. So decently priced and so cute!

I also love huge rings! I have one that is my favorite... It's a cameo antique-y looking ring I picked up on clearance at Off Saks awhile ago. This is a picture from the first time I saw Lady Gaga in concert in Chicago.

Off Saks (Saks 5th Avenue outlet), originally ~$60, on sale for $11.

Forever 21 really is one of my go-to stores when I'm looking for something fast and don't have time to search around everywhere. The animals seem to be pretty in now and I'm lovin' them!

All of the above pictured are available on Forever21.com, priced between $2.80-$9.80! I really love that bird connector ring and the owl one!

Speaking of animals... Isn't my 4 year-old puppy cute!?


She wouldn't look so cute on a necklace, though. She's TOO cute for a necklace! Look at her sweet puppy eyes... How could you ever say no to that face!? Oh that's right, we don't.

Hope you enjoyed this post!! Stay tuned, some mini travels coming up!

Réunion de Famille 2010!

I've got such a huge family, you can't even begin to imagine. We usually use weddings as an opportunity to have a reunion and that happens about once every year or other year. This year (even though we just had a get together in Jan. for my cousin's wedding here in DFW), we decided to have a full, blown-out family reunion in Seattle, WA, Vancouver, and Portland, OR! It was my Uncle Tony's idea and he lives there and wanted everyone to visit and have a good time. Family members from all over came to the week-long celebration, including some from Germany! Sadly, I could only make it to the second half of the trip due to WORK :(. I've done my fair share of traveling but had never been to Portland, OR before this so I was STOKED about this opportunity to get together with family in a city I'd never been to.

Portland is definitely a nice city. Very different than Dallas but has some similarities to Austin, as I've noticed. I absolutely love Austin, TX. I'd move there over Dallas any day... but that's a subject we'll get into later on ;). Lots of outdoor activities, pedestrians, cyclists, food carts, and art. It's a very lively city in general.

On our first day, Uncle Tony got us a private bus to take us all to visit 2 vineyards for wine tasting and the view! Yes, we need a WHOLE BUS for our family! We went to 2 vineyards but I can only remember the name of the first one...

Anne Amie Vineyards. The view was just breathtaking.
Dillard's top, F21 tank, F21 shorts, Ann Taylor belt, Cynthia Vincent wedges, and Zara studded cross-body bag.

SOME of the cousins... That's my bro in the middle being a goofball.

The view at the 2nd vineyard we went to was pretty similar but not as nice looking. Here's one at the 2nd with my mommy.

This is some of us tasting wine at the 2nd vineyard on the patio. (There were also 2 or 3 more tables of us.)

Cheers!!! Wine tasting was so much fun (even though I really can't tell the difference between most!)

Later that day, we took the bus back to the city and visited Uncle Tony's condo near Pearl Street (downtown). It's so modern and chic-y, I loveddd the ceiling-to-floor windows. Mmm...
We had lots of fun cramming like 30 peeps+ in this condo... but it was only for a bit to rest before we headed out to dinner downstairs at this nice Asian fusion-ish place. We all thought about fighting for the one bed in there but then we figured we'd all share!

After dinner, some of the cousins headed out to explore Pearl District, which is where "First Thursday" is held (the first Thursday every month). There's a bunch of little tents set up with people selling their paintings, drawings, other art, and just a bunch of creative stuff. It's crowded but nice. I didn't buy anything but my sister bought a cool little hacky sack that looked like an owl.

Here's a little idea of what "First Thursday" looks like.

Afterward, we went to a park nearby to relax. It was a nice park with a bunch of kids running around, some small ponds, and a view of some tall buildings and bridges.

The next morning, we split up into groups (it's hard to keep 30+ people together) and did our own thing. I went with some of the grown-ups to see some sights (since I love being all touristy! :)). We had lunch at Pho Van and headed to our main sight, Multnomah Falls. On the way there, we passed by Vista House, which is this cool shaped building made in 1918 or so as a memorial to Oregon pioneers. It wasn't THAT interesting but the view of the Columbia River from there was amazing.

After a quick photo sesh at Vista House and driving round and round up a mountain, we arrived at our main destination: Multnomah Falls. It was sooo breezy and beautiful... like Covergirl! Making those rounds up the mountain was worth it!
Forever 21 "hole-y" sweater shirt, AE nude tank, Seven For All Mankind Skinny jeans, Aldo sandals, Dooney & Bourke vintage cross-body bag, Burberry sunglasses and the color of my toenails are OPI's Lucky Lucky Lavender.

Later that evening, we all got dolled up for an Anniversary Celebration for Uncle Anh and Aunt Van from Austin! (You can see the 'Happy Anniversary' poster in the back!)

Our family always does it REAL BIG! Moët Hennessy and Edible Arrangements! Yum!

Us and the happily 20-year married couple! Happy Anniversary! :) :) :)

BCBG Max Azria stewardess dress w/ belt, Cynthia Vincent wedges.

To end the night, of course we had casino equipment ready for a casino night! Blackjack, poker, roulette.... But of course, we all know that HOUSE (Uncle 2) always wins.

To be honest, after this point, I was very lazy to take more pictures. I really need to get with it! The cousins (and Uncle Scott, who tries to fit in with the youngsters... it's quite cute actually) went to Pioneer Place Mall and bowling and out to sushi! Losers did pushups... which were pretty much all the guys.

To top it all off... at the very end of the trip, we got Voodoo Doughnuts (appeared on the Food Network)!!! (That's my bro's hairy ass leg in the pic... appetizing... not.)

There were so many other things I didn't capture on camera... Delicious waffle sandwiches and tacos from the food carts, so much more of First Thursday, the great food everywhere, etc. This trip was a great one and I'm so glad we aren't all too busy for each other!
<3 ma famille!