P2P

OOTD || #1

White will be the death of me.

Last week as I was putting together my capsule closet, I scanned my wardrobe filled with black. I knew I needed to incorporate some lighter neutrals to balance everything out. I needed something white.

I never wear solid white. I always have a hard time finding white items that flatter. All I ask for is a white t-shirt that doesn't show every detail my bra, yet flowy and forgiving enough to flatter my body. Is that so hard? Apparently so.

Well bless the clothing gods, I finally found a white t-shirt that fits my check list. Thank you Kit and Ace for making your Linden Tee.

*sleeves are rolled up in the photos below.

details
cardigan - madewell [similar]
shirt - kit and ace
jeans - madewell
shoes - nine west

Here's to capsule closet outfit #1!

-P

PROJECT || "Winter" Capsule Closet

Hello!

Guess what?? I officially started my capsule February 1st, 2016. I have gone through every single item and have simplified my closet to 34 (including shoes) beautiful items. My goal was to downsize to 37 items. I'm leaving some space in my closet in case I find some clothing gaps that need to be filled.

My process was simple. I went through every item and made three piles (storage, donate, consign). Any item I haven't worn in the past year was to be either donated or consigned. Whatever didn't sell was also added to the donate pile. That's it! If I was on the fence about any item, I didn't keep it. If I'm on the fence about it, I don't love the piece anymore. I chose to keep some sentimental items, but those were put in storage as well.

The clothing put in storage is what you sift through for your next capsule. You're basically shopping your own closet for the upcoming season.

Everything pictured is all I have left clothing wise for these next couple months or until the weather permits a new capsule. :)

*Accessories will not be included in my capsule but I did the "three pile" process with them as well.

My final count:
3 jackets
2 cardigans
2 vests
4 sweaters/knits
2 button-ups
8 shirts (long+short sleeves)
1 pair of textured leggings
1 pair of joggers
5 jeans

6 pairs of shoes

Let's see how this goes!

-P

PROJECT || Capsule Closet

Long time no see! :)

It's been about a year and a lot has changed! I've graduated from nursing school and am currently studying for my boards and working. The stress isn't over until I pass that exam. But why start up the blog while all this is going on??

The main reason why I'm getting back into blogging is to provide myself with some accountability. Myself, along with a small group of friends, have decided to try out participating in a capsule closet challenge.

We were inspired by Project 333 and the Un-Fancy blog.

Our rules aren't as steadfast as Project 333 and will be more like Un-Fancy's. We figured this is suppose to be a fun and rewarding experience.

I'm currently on day two of cleaning my closet. I snapped a couple before pictures on my phone before I started tearing through it. I will post pictures once I'm done and tell of my closet purging process.

Please prepare yourself...I actually take two closets and an extra hanging rack. I know. It's ridiculous. You can judge me all you want because I'm judging myself too. Hahaha.

Oh goodness...do you see my external rack sagging on the left side? Bleh! The next time you hear from me, this will be reduced significantly...

Can't wait to show you my finished capsule closet! See you next time! :)

-P

Recipe || Pan Roasted Duck with Red Wine Shallot Reduction

Hello Everyone!

Instead of an outfit of the day, I come to you with a recipe! I posted, on instagram, a 5-spice duck and siu yuk (crispy pork belly) dish I made awhile ago. The siu yuk was a trial run and I need to try it out a couple more times before posting a recipe for it. Therefore, today we are gonna talk duck!

People often don't realize how easy it is to make duck. Duck breast is extremely easy to prep, cook, and is virtually fool-proof.

I usually prep my duck with salt and pepper, then play around with sauces and side dishes. Therefore, I'm gonna share with you my most basic recipe, then explain what I paired it with. Let's get started!

Ingredients:

Duck Breast - 6-8 oz per person

Salt and pepper

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 200F

2. Season the duck with salt and pepper on both sides

4. On Med-High heat sear the duck for 4-5 (depending on size) minutes on each side, starting with the skin side down

5. If you want an extra crispy skin, sear the skin again for 2-3 minutes before removing from the pan

6. Place duck onto a baking sheet and pop into your warmed oven to allow resting time*

7. Prep your sauces/side dishes and remove the duck when you're ready to plate

*Let the duck rest for at least 10 minutes in the warmed oven, but don't let it sit in there for longer than 20 minutes or else it may be closer to well-done. The duck should be nice and pink in the middle, a nice medium-medium well. :)

This time around, I paired the duck with a red wine shallot reduction (recipe here!). For the side, I sauteed some broccolini and blanched some enoki mushrooms and carrots. I seasoned the veggies with salt and pepper and topped off the mushrooms and carrots with a tiny drizzle of truffle oil.

This recipe will always impress. I hope you give it a try!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Bloglovin', & Pinterest to keep in touch during the week.

See you on the next post! :)

OOTD || The Plaid Coat

Hi Everyone!

How are you doing? :) I'm currently recovering from a horrible cold/flu that I got when I came back from a week long vacation in San Diego. I am planning to do a little food post on San Diego, but I got a load of pictures to sort and edit through. I am also in the midst of planning a mini-weekend getaway to Seattle. Eee! I love that city!

So, Des and I planned to make a trip to San Francisco because we haven't gotten to go on a date in quite awhile. We made a lunch reservation at my favorite restaurant in the city, The House, and left the rest of the day to do whatever we wanted. Thank goodness we didn't make other plans, because when the day rolled around, my cold was hitting me pretty hard. I was actually feeling horrible during the shoot and had to go home right after. The next day I got a 103F fever and couldn't move from my bed. Self-pitying aside, we shot this outfit at the Sutro Baths in SF. It's beautiful and worth a quick stop when you're in the city. :)

Oh! I snagged these Madewell boots from my local J.Crew Factory Outlet! They retail for $238, but I snagged them for...$70! At the outlet, they were reduced to $140 and were an additional 50% off. Madewell & J.Crew are the same parent company, so keep an eye out for Madewell products at your J.Crew outlets! :)

Outfit Details

Coat: Madewell [on sale!]

Top: J.Crew [on sale!]

Bottom: Topshop

Boots: Madewell via J.Crew Factory [on sale!]

Purse: Marc by Marc Jacobs [old; you might like this]

Scarf: Nordstrom Rack [old; very similar]