Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  Hope you guys are doing something fun today.  This actual Halloween day, I'm letting it be all about the kiddos.  Hubs and I plan to take my 2.5 yr old trick or treating through our neighborhood this evening.  MY Halloween was Saturday night.  I had a blast as usual and here are a "few" snaps. I saw so many creative/clever costumes!  I'm already contemplating what I will be next year. Oh, and my costume is a Hindu temple dancer. Have I ever mentioned that I'm a Bollywood fanatic?

(Click to enlarge picture)

Date Night Snaps

What is it with us and desserts?!

Me and the hubs had a quick little "date night" last night while my father-in-law visiting from the Bahamas is here.  We only stepped out for a couple hours to share a chill moment with each other and to be able to have an uninterrupted conversation (which is scarce, thanks to a 2.5 yr old).  We went to one of my favorite restaurant/lounges here in Atlanta called Apres Diem.  They are (surprise surprise) owned by the same people that own Carpe Diem, the place I posted about previously.  Whereas, Carpe is more of a real restaurant in the traditional sense--Apres has a more "lounge-y" feel, i.e. lights a little dimmer, DJ spinning, couches, candles, etc. Anyway, nothing spectacular--just a few quick snaps.  I had a raspberry tart martini (or two), and we shared a slice of pumpkin cheesecake. It didn't disappoint!

The selection.

The ambiance.

The pumpkin cheesecake.

The martini and the wash-n-go hair. ;)

Oh yea, so this is Halloween weekend!  So what are you all going to dress up as?  Are you dressing up?  My friends and I are all set to go, and I plan on having a good time at a Halloween party tonight.  As you can tell from a previous Halloween post, we like to dress up and partayyy.  Hopefully, I'm not having too much fun that I forget to take pics.  Stay tuned!

xoxo,

-Nik

Nik's Favorite Things Vol. 2

This post should probably be called the "Trader Joe's" Edition. lol

Assorted suede wedge booties.

Trader Joe's tasty (and cheap) wines from around the world.

Soooo delicious on toast. I use it on "fiber & flaxseed bread" for a healthy twist.

 

Brotherly love. <3

Take a Listen: Miranda Nicole - Kissing You (Libation Vox)

So yea, I happen to have an acquaintance who happens to have a lot of talent.  Take a listen!  I *heart*
House Music.

Hair stuff: Bantu Knot-Out

Just thought I would do a quick post on the bantu knot out I'd done on my hair two weeks ago.  My hair had been straight for two weeks and it was time to give it a (co)wash.  I was thinking about how I would style my hair, and decided that I wanted a style with a lot of volume (which would also give the illusion of shorter hair).  I've yet to cut my hair significantly, of which I'm constantly claiming I'm going to do, so I thought maybe I could create the illusion of shorter hair. Immediately, either a flexirod set or bantu knot-out came to mind.  I decided on the bantu knots because (1) they're quicker and easier to put in, and (2) my 2 yr old has gotten his hands on my flexirods and I'm not quite sure how many I have left.

So, I co-washed in the shower and then out of the shower, I applied coconut oil to my hair.  I then begin to put in the knots.  Each section I applied Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk, detangled with the Denman brush and then proceeded to put into the bantu knot (twisting the hair into a single twist until it twists down on itself and then continuing to coil it down/wrap the hair around itself and then securing it in place with a large bobby pin).  I had 6 knots total.  I then let it airdry (which I won't do again--it took 2 days. lol), and then uncoiled each knot, separated and fluffed with my fingers.  As it gets older, it gets even curlier (from frizzing slightly) and bigger.  This style lasted me about 5 days, and it's also workout friendly! My previous "Pumpkin Patch Excursion" post, the pic of me I'm actually wearing the bantu knot out that I pulled into a bun, to take it a day further.  I think this will be my new "main" style for a while.  And no, the bangs gave me no problems!  Just pinned them back loosely with a bobby pin.

**Also, for those of you who are just getting to "know" me.  I have an extensive chronicle of my hair journey from transition to 3 years natural on Fotki <--click here.

UPDATE:  How I maintained this style at night, I'd pull it up loosely in a ponytail on the top of my head and then slept on a satin pillowcase.  The allows me to sleep on the sides of my head or even the back with out smushing the curls (especially on the ends when is the most important to the style).  For you ladies with shorter hair, all you need to do is pin the sides of your hair back loosely (so that you can sleep on the sides of your head), and sleep with a satin bonnet or satin pillow case.  I sprayed my hair every couple days with Hot Six Oil SPRAY (yes they have a spray as well) to keep it looking shiny and fresh. HTH

Mommy Style Essential: The Crossbody Bag

Left: Cloth crossbody bought from an Indian store in Seattle (<--one of my most fave places ever)

Right: Canvas army green (I'm a fiend for army green, by the way) from Walmart--12 bucks!!!!!

As you could probably assume, after becoming a mother, there are lots of little adjustments a girl must make to her wardrobe.  Moreso, after becoming a mother of two!  I will say, one item I cannot live without are "crossbody" bags.  They come in all kinds of shapes and forms--messengers, saddle bags, fabric Indian sling bags (one of my personal faves), etc.  There are plenty of times when I'm out and about that I need to be able to have access to BOTH of my hands, and the crossbody allows that--all the while allowing me to still look stylish.  Plus, in this day and age, it's just not wise to carry a bag that you may have to sit down (like in a shopping cart) while you tend to other things.  "Sticky fingers" in grocery and department stores have been on the rise here in Atlanta.  Plus, a lot of the cross bodies (especially the fabric kind or the messenger style) allow room for me to toss a sippy cup and/or the baby's bottle into it when I'm just going to be away from the car for an hour or less while shopping.  I mean really, do you really want to lug around a diaper bag when you're just going to be in and out? No.  But you definitely need to have the kid essentials (juice, bottle, snacks) when all hell breaks loose.  Now if something major like a diaper change HAS to be made (i.e., diaper explosion)--I can always go back to my car.  I have an SUV, so the back portion has become my portable changing table on plenty of occasions. I digress...

So these days, as much as I like all of the different styles of handbags available--you'll more than likely catch me wearing a crossbody.

Family Fun: Pumpkin Patch Excursion

Just thought I'd share a few snaps of our family excursion to the pumpkin patch. The pumpkin patch admission came complete with a hay ride, bounce houses, castles, etc., petting zoo and a small pumpkin.  You could even pay extra for a pony ride.  My 2 year old, Max, REALLY enjoyed himself and is totally obsessed with his "punkin"<---how he pronounces it.

Mommy style--what I wore

Lucky Brand embroidered jacket
Old Navy striped top
F21 jeggings
DSW boots

In the Kitch: "Japanese" Beef Stir Fry

We don't really eat a lot of beef in my household, but here lately I've been wanting the feeling of being super satisfied after a meal.  I'm talking that good ol' STUFFED feeling.  So I figured some form of beef/steak would probably hit that spot.  So I found this recipe for a beef stir fry online and gave it a go.  No, your eyes are not fooling you--I'd completely forgotten to add the mushrooms, which as you can see by the recipe is a big part of the dish (4 cups!).  I think I was so busy feeling so much like an Iron Chef whipping stuff up in my wok, that I'd just completely forgotten about them. Needless to say, it still taste great.  I figure the mushrooms really just add volume, which means more food that can last over more days.  I won't forget next time, believe that!

JAPANESE BEEF STIR-FRY

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless beef sirloin or beef top round steaks (3/4" thick) 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 (10.5 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Beef Broth 1/2 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms 1 head Chinese cabbage (bok choy), thinly sliced 2 medium red peppers, cut into 2"-long strips 3 stalks celery, sliced 2 medium green onions, cut into 2" pieces Hot cooked regular long-grain white rice

Directions:

1.	Slice beef into very thin strips.
2.	Mix cornstarch, broth, soy and sugar until smooth. Set aside.
3.	Heat 1 tablespoon oil in saucepot or wok over high heat. Add beef in 2 batches and stir-fry until browned. Set beef aside.
4.	Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, peppers, celery and green onions in 2 batches and stir-fry over medium heat until tender-crisp. Set vegetables aside.
5.	Stir cornstarch mixture and add. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Return beef and vegetables to saucepot and heat through. Serve over rice.

Tips & Mods:

-As you can see, it's still quite tasty with or without mushrooms, so if you're not a mushroom person, feel free to leave them out or reduce the quantity.

-I seasoned the beef with a little seasoned salt and garlic powder after I'd sliced it up and let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours before cooking.

-I also added a clove of minced garlic to the sauce ingredients.


ENJOY!