The LBD

I will forever love black & white; for me, it's synonymous with chic... When I saw this dress I loved it because of its structured nature and its slightly padded shoulders. I like to think about it as my rocker/modern/structures chic LBD. I had no doubt about pairing it with my oversized blazer, they both share a flair of empowerment and modernism, which make them a perfect match. I decided to add the fuchsia sandals to add color, and thought that it would look perfect when I took the blazer off, giving a sense of playfulness to a rather strong dress. I accented it with this necklace to take advantage of the V-line plunge and the Marc Jacobs bag because I can't seem to part from it! Let me know what you think about this look!

XO

Flor

Dress: Zara, Blazer: Zara, Sandals: Steve Madden, Bag: Marc Jacobs, Shades: Tom Ford, Necklace: Kenneth Jay Lane

V Day Gift Guide for Him

As promised, here is a Valentine's Gift Guide for him. There are items that are more expensive, others that are really affordable, some for the funny guy, others for the business oriented one, sports & fitness lover and for the whisky and beer enthusiast. For the beer enthusiast, try your local micro brewery or his favorite craft beer. If he's more of a whisky kind of guy a book about the heritage or types of whisky would make a great coffee table book. If he's an NBA fan, tickets for a special game would be a wonderful gift! It's really up to choosing something that's about what he really likes, be it a small detail or statement gift!

Hope this helps!!

1. Nike Ballistic Nylon Travel Kit $60 (nordstrom.com)

2. The World Atlas of Whisky by Dave Broom (Amazon)

3. Garmin Forerunner 10 $129.99 (Garmin.com)

4. Leather Ipad Case by Makr Carry Goods $240 (blessthisstuff.com)

5. Sock it to me Mustache Sock $12 (Urbanoutfitters.com)

6. NBA Tickets

7. Craft Beers (Check your local Micro Brewery)

8. Banana Republic Cupid Print Boxers $18.50

9. Mophie Juice pack Plus Battery Case $99.95

V Day Petit Fours

I love the idea of petit fours, because they're small and delicate and they're bite sized. I had some fresh strawberries so I decided to use them for the decorations and to tie in the taste decided to use dark chocolate ganache. I used this Pound Cake recipe because of the really moist cake it makes! For me personally, the moistness of the cake comes before any other factor! These V Day Petit Fours work perfectly for a V Day office party or to take to your friend's house to celebrate your singleness or togetherness! Hope you enjoy this recipe!!! Let me know!!!!

Enjoy!

Pound Cake 

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg or mace

1 cup butter (no subs), softened to room temp

1 cup sugar 

5 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla (or orange extract or 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9''x5''x3'' loaf pan with greased wax paper (let paper lop over rim about 1/2'' to make removing cake easier).

Sift flour, salt and nutmeg together and set aside. Cream butter until light, then add sugar slowly, creaming until fluffy.

Beat egg yolks until thick and light, add to butter mixture, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.

Blend flour in gradually, then mix in vanilla and beat just until smooth. 

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and fold gently into batter. Spoon into pan and bake 65-70 mins until cake pulls slightly from sides of pan. 

Cool upright in pan on a wire cake rack for 30 mins before slicing.

Ganache 

1 pound dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

1 pound butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, softened but still cool

Directions

Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer (10 mins)

In another small saucepan add cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees F, remove from heat and allow to rest for 1 min. Add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Place chocolate in the bowl of an electric mixer and pour caramel sauce over chocolate. Let sit 1 min before stirring from the center until chocolate is melted.

Attach bowl to electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Add butter and increase speed to medium high until mixture is well combined, thickened, and slightly whipped, about 2 mins. ( From the recipe of Baked)

V Day for Her Gift Guide

Here are some ideas for Valentine's gifts. There are really affordable options and some for a heftier budget! I'm completely head over heels for the Tory Burch Verity Ballet Flats! I can just imagine everything you can wear with these ballet's. I hope you enjoy these ideas and pass them to your significant others... I'll be posting some more ideas about desserts and a V Day Gift Guide for him so check in tomorrow!

XO 

Flor!

1. Tory Burch Pop Snake Small Slouchy Cosmetic Case $78

2. Kate Spade Glitterball Ipad Sleve $80

3. Tom Binns Studded Cigar Ring $154

4. Rouge Dior Lip Color $32 

5. Diane Von Furstenberg Printed Canvas Laptop Bag $225

6. Kate Spade Deborah Dot Silicone Iphone Case $35

7. Tory Burch Printed Robinson Tiny Jewelry Case $85

8. Blue Q Coffee Tote $9.99

9. Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion $128 (Saks)

10. Tory Burch Verity Ballet Flat $295

Chic in Gray

Gray can be a perfect shade of color when you want to change your black & white ways. It's one of those colors that you can match with almost any other and it's super easy to take from day to night. For this look I paired these gray shorts with a boxy purple and green accented blouse. I know it's easy for gray to look dull, but just add color or statement jewelry or shoes and you'll be sure to look anything but dull. I used the Christian Siriano platforms and exaggerated linked necklace to give a little edge to a rather sophisticated look.

Let me know what you think about this look!

Shorts: BCBG, Blouse: Vintage, Platforms: Christian Siriano, Bag: Tory Burch, Shades: Tom Ford

Chocolate Mousse

I rarely eat Chocolate Mousse, but every time I do I'm amazed by its silky and light texture. It really feels like your eating a piece of chocolate heaven. Like I mentioned before, I'm sharing all these chocolate dessert recipes in honor of the upcoming Valentine's Day. This Chocolate Mousse could be perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a group of friends celebrating their new found empowerment! You should really try this recipe, either for Valentine's or for any other occasion; it's a really simple recipe and the results are magnificent, it's really silky and not too sweet! Ideal for any chocolate lover. Let me know your feedback!

Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Mousse
6 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate or 1 (6 ounce) package semisweet chocolate bits
2 tablespoons hot water or strong black coffee
5 eggs, separated 
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Chocolate Curls* (optional decoration)

Directions
Place chocolate and hot water in the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, and heat and stir until chocolate is melted.
Lightly beat yolks, add a little hot mixture, then stir back into pan and heat and stir over simmering water 1-2 minutes, until no raw taste of egg remains.
Off heat, mix in vanilla. Beat cream until very thick and glossy (it should almost form soft peaks) and fold into chocolate mixture.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and fold in, a little at a time, until no flecks of white show.
Spoon into a serving dish, over, and chill at least 12 hours. Scatter with chocolate curls, just before serving. 

All Black

Today I'm sharing with you an all black look, the key to pulling off a one color look for me is adding some texture and some color in key places. For this look I chose a lace blouse and added a sash to create some definition. This lace blouse is extremely flattering because of the vertical direction of the lines. Since this blouse is see through I decided to wear a nude bra but I've also used black, it really all depends on what the occasion is. For the shoes I decided on these Steve Madden snake print pumps, these pumps were perfect for this look because besides their print they have the gold point. To tie in the gold from the pumps I decided on simple gold hoop earrings and the Marc Jacobs bag, which has gold accents.  Let me know what you think about this look!!

Blouse : Mango, Pants: Vince Camuto, Pumps: Steve Madden, Sunglasses: Tom Ford, Bag: Marc Jacobs