Rocky Road Bars...

Sundays were made to be spent at home, curled up on the couch watching movie after movie. No more no less than that. And that’s exactly what I did last Sunday, with my perfect partner-in-crime, my mother. We actually managed to watch four romantic comedies and it was exactly what I needed after a lonnngggg work week.

And on days like these you do deserve some treats, and usually I resort to a pint of Häagen-Dazs chocolate midnight cookies or Lindt lindor chocolates. But this time around I was in the mood for something different, and I remembered something I tried on a friend’s birthday rendez-vous: Rocky Road bars. They are such a killer combination of dark chocolate, biscuits and marshmallows, absolutely delicious J

I found this Nigella Lawnson’s recipe and couldn’t be happier with the result. A couple of notes though:

(1) I only used half the amount of butter;

(2) I didn't have any Golden Syrup, so I used Agave Nectar - maybe my Rocky Road bars lacked something that only golden syrup can add but still I was pretty happy with how they turned out;

(3) Again, I didn't have mini marshmallows, just regular ones - so, I cut them into little pieces. Not the easiest task, actually quite frustrating because it sticks to your fingers and to the knife but totally worth the effort :)

*ENJOY*

Colours for work...

You know how people like to categorize everything, like you are supposed to dress and look a certain way depending on the kind of work you do. Well, this is one of the things that I fear the most, to be put in a certain category, and have that certain look that hints immediately what’s my occupation. And, believe it or not, my job kinda requires a formal attire, so I am always trying to figure out ways to look “proper and fit” for work, but still feel like myself.

This outfit pretty much represents the balance I have found – boyfriendish fit trousers, a plain tee, a blazer and always (or at least, most times!) high heels J And lots and lots of colour for some much needed fun J

Tee French Connection / Blazer Reiss / Trousers French Connection / Necklace Fio D'Água (portuguese store) / Bag Carolina Herrera / Shoes Louboutins

When a dress becomes a skirt...

I bought a cute dress about two years ago in New York, whilst visiting a friend but never really got around to use it! My friend in the meantime got married and had the most gorgeous baby ever (this is to give you a little perspective on how long this dress has been sitting in my closet waiting for its debut!). The thing is, although I love its soft fabric and sort of ethnic pattern, it is like a tunic dress and it kinda makes me feel fat like a drum! There, I said it! However, never one to admit I bought something on a whim, I kept telling myself I would eventually wear it. And I did, but not as a dress but as a skirt. Doesn't it look like this dress was meant to be worn as a skirt?

I wore this outfit to catch the plane back to Lisbon after a fab weekend in my beloved London and I was going for a casual chic vibe. And this time I decided to take the mismatch theme all the way, by matching the dress/skirt with a striped tee and leopard flats. Overall, I was quite happy with the result. The dress? Is with the seamstress on its way to become a real skirt ;)

Striped Tee H&M | Skirt/Dress DKNY | Blazer H&M | Flats Tory Burch | Bag See by Chloé | Necklace Pedra Dura (Portuguese Store)

Aldo Rise...

Maybe it's old news for you guys, but I just recently found out about the project Aldo Rise, how this high street favourite is collaborating with some of the hottest new designers. And the best part of this deal? Stylish, bold, "steal the show" designer shoes at affordable prices :) The shoes will be for sale at Selfridges (both instore and online) til the 20th of January, and afterwards in Aldo flagship stores.

My personal favourite? The Weatherbee Eyelet and Feather Courts from JW Anderson! A red midi length pencil skirt paired with a stripe top and a boyfriend blazer and I'm ready to go ;)

JW Anderson Eakins Colour Block Sandals

Libertine Allor Striped Wedges

Mark Fast Cregger Cut-Out Courts

Preen Giffee Slingback Sandals

JW Andersosn Weatherbee Eyelet and Feather Courts

Roasted Carrot Soup...

Interesting enough, after a long day in the office there isn't anything quite as comforting as a big bowl of hot soup and a slice of bread. I was really happy when I found this Donna Hay's roasted carrot soup recipe, as it was something familiar but with the volume turned up. Roasting the veggies does enhance their flavour and the end result is completely different from a regular carrot soup.

As usually, I changed a few things! The recipe is actually a roasted carrot and herb dumpling soup, but I decided to leave the herb dumplings out, although I'm definitely trying them sometime soon :)

(1) Preheat the oven to 180º C;

(2) Peel and roughly chop 1 kg of carrots;

(3) Peel and roughly chop 340gr of brown onions;

(4) Combine the carrots, onions, one tablespoon of olive oil, one teaspoon of cumin, black pepper and sea salt to taste in a baking tray;

(5) Roast for 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender - in my case, it took about 45 minutes;

(6) Put the carrots and onions into a blender, add 1.5 litres of vegetable stock and blend until smooth - I didn't have vegetable stock so I used chicken stock;

(7) Place the mix in a saucepan over medium heat, add one cup (250 ml) of single cream and bring the soup to the boil - I used greek yogurt instead of cream;

(8) If for some reason the soup isn't as smooth and creamy as you want, just use an hand blender til it gets to the right consistency.

*ENJOY*

Golden Globes 2012...

The awards season is upon us yet again, and the Golden Globes were the perfect kick-off. The red carpet did not disappoint, flooded with beautiful gowns that were absolute artworks. There was an incredible palette of colours, from vibrant blues, to elegant nudes, sexy reds, fun yellows, intense greens and the classic combo black and white. Some wore truthfully daring/fashion-forward choices (Piper Perabo in Oliver Theyskens), some looked absolutely fierce (Evan Rachel Wood in Gucci), some were a bit disappointing (Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen), some looked picture perfect (Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang), some proved, once again, their ability to surprise us over and over again (Michelle Williams in Jason Wu), some played it safe (Kate Winslet in Jenny Packham), some failed to amaze (Mila Kunis in Christian Dior), some masterfully showed why black is always a dead-on choice (Salma Hayek in Gucci), some were their typical flawless selves (Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace) and some just made a wrong choice (Amanda Peet in Marc Jacobs).

 Below, my personal favourites:

Jessica Alba in Gucci



Mary J Blige in Michael Kors

Julianna Margulies in Naeem Khan

Salma Hayek in Gucci

Viola Davis in Emilio Pucci

Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann

Claire Danes in J. Mendel

Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

And the ones that failed to impress:

 

Amanda Peet in Marc Jacobs

Ariel Winter in Dolce Gabbana

Kelly Osbourne in Zac Posen

Reese Weatherspoon in Zac Posen

Laura Linney in J. Mendel

Lea Michele in Marchesa

Hint of summer...

Summer or Winter, it really doesn't matter, my love affair with maxi dresses is a constant and I am always trying to figure out different ways to wear them regardless of the season.

Maxi dresses are just perfect for running errands, meeting friends for lunch, wandering around and meeting more friends for a pint at the local pub. They're practical, versatile and stylish!

And as you've seen before, I just love pairing maxis with blazers, they make quite the fab "couple" ;) Usually I would add either booties or heels, but this time I just felt like keeping things simple, and all I really wanted was to feel comfy, so I went for my utterly comfortable converse shoes. For a little bit more of warmth, a chunky scarf with a gorgeous green colour :)

For some reason, we did not take a single shot of the final touch, a camel coat I wore wide opened, I really like the idea of showing the different layers one is wearing under the coat.

Well, here are some of the snapshots Hubby kindly took ;)

Dress Ted Baker | Blazer Zara | Scarf Mango | Bag See by Chloé | Converse

Colourful pleats...

I don’t know if you face the exact same drama, but every time we host parties at our cosy Love Nest, I find myself struggling to pick an outfit. It’s a party, so you really want to look all glam and elegant, but it’s in your home, the place where you spend most time in your pj’s (at least I do) and it’s instantly connected with comfy clothes. And, you’re the host, so you know you will be back and forward taking care of everything, making sure everybody’s happy, so your outfit kind needs to help you on that.

In my opinion, this outfit represents the perfect compromise between glam and comfy, party and home, host and guest (after all, you also want to enjoy yourself, right?) – an elegant pleated skirt (still madly in love with pleats), a relaxed but still fancy tank top (which must be tucked in), a blazer with the most gorgeous colour ever for a hint of classic and ankle boots for the final stylish touch J

You are probably wondering why in the earth I will need a clutch – this is just how I see the entire ensemble, tomorrow I will most probably not wear a clutch, but for a night out with my girlfriends (perfect outfit for that too ;)), I will surely need it J

Have a fab weekend everybody J

H&M Jacket

FCUK Star Runner Tank

Topshop Pleat Calf Skirt

Gucci Tassel-embellished Suede Ankle Boots

River Island Black and Gold Envelope Clutch