La Dolce Vita with Kate Spade

I am so sick of winter - the cold, the snow, the  need for layers and layers of clothes - all of it. 
Luckily, we're in the homestretch and spring is not too far off...Even though it kind of is.
But let's think positively here!

In only a couple months, cardigans will replace our fleeces; sandals will replace our boots; and sundresses will be our go-to outfits once more. Ahhh, I'm already warmer and happier just thinking about it!

And though we do (sadly) have a couple more months till we can say that spring weather has truly sprung, it's never to early to start shopping preparing! Kate Spade is always good to turn to. Especially when it comes to shopping new arrivals.

I received am email this morning...

and was automatically enticed by the Capri-inspired trend. 

Clicking through to the Kate Spade site, I was transported to the Italian island and fell in love with all of the light, feminine, straw, nautical, and lemon-y new arrivals. La dolce vita, indeed.

 Here are some of my top picks:

The Vita Limoni Aria bag,

The Whitley top,

The Terra skirt,

The Knotical bracelet,

and the absolute cutest coin purse - The Via Limoni Lemon

Couldn't have said it better myself!

If you're longing for those warm days and nights, hop on over to Kate Spade and check out her latest and greatest.

She'll take you for a spring ride - even if it's just for a few minutes.

xo Belle

Pasta Beach, Boston

Pasta. Beach. Two things I love. Put them together and that makes three things I love.

Last night's meal was eaten at Boston's Pasta Beach restaurant, a great little spot right near Rowes Wharf. And when I say that their food is amazingly fresh and out-of-this-world delicious, I am by no means exaggerating. In fact, I think they need a disclaimer or something on their menu. You know, warning their patrons that they may never want to leave or eat anywhere/anything else ever again. Cause that's pretty much how I feel.

I've eaten here once before. For my sister's wedding rehearsal dinner. And that whole night was perfect. But I think because there was so much going on, I didn't focus so much on the food (shocking, yes). I was too busy catching up with cousins and friends, and being part of the wedding party. Between conversations, pictures, planning for the next 24 hours and all of its on-goings, etc., I took bites here and there but definitely didn't  appreciate the restaurant's creations fully.

Well thank goodness I had a take-2 yesterday evening.

With Mom as my dinner date, the two of us tucked in to glasses of perfectly crisp prosecco, and some fabulous food.

Our window seat boasted a pretty nice view of the city and clock tower too.

We opted for  Bruschetta Al Pomodoro to start.
Freshly baked bread topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and parmesean. 

 

Each bite consisted of the perfect blend of flavors and textures. It definitely set the bar high for what was to follow...

Now forget the poor quality of this photo (that's what I get for using my iPhone camera in a dimly lit place) and just take my word for it... 

This pasta is the holy grail of pasta dishes. 

It's their Tagliatelle agli Asparagi e Prosciutto. Fresh tagliatelle pasta with asparagus and Parma prosciutto in a light, parmigiano cream sauce.

It's lick-the-plate amazing.

See?

I could have had another ten servings of it.
But our next course arrived before I could order the restaurant's supply of it.

Next up was the Milanese di Pollo: breaded and fried chicken breast, topped with arugula, cherry tomatoes, and lemon.

I was worried that the chicken would be on the greasy side. But was pleasantly surprised at how light it was. The fresh ingredients that accompanied it balanced out the chicken perfectly.


This plate was also licked clean. Our waiter smiled knowingly as he took away our plates.

Complimentary almond biscottis were then brought out.

And like everything else, they were superb.

Filled to the brim, we already decided that we would forgo dessert. But that was before our waiter brought over the menu and tempted us with sinful Italian goodies.

It was difficult to narrow down and choose but after much consideration, we decided to split one of the gelato dishes.

 

Pistachio and vanilla gelato, swirled with chocolate sauce, topped with caramelized nuts.

And like those that came before it, this one was also licked clean. 

It was impossible to do otherwise. 

We waddled out of there, happy and stuffed...Promising that we'd go back to Italy soon, and to the gym the next day.

xo Belle

Think Pink

Today was one of those wonderful weekend days where I had no errands or chores to concern myself with... I was free to do as I pleased.

A few weeks back, I heard of the 'Think Pink' exhibit going on at the Museum of Fine Arts and was eager to check it out. It is about PINK after all! 

So off to the MFA I went.

The museum is home to many collections and often features a wide range of exhibits throughout the year. When I was younger, we visited the MFA quite frequently and never did we see the same things twice. They really do a great job bringing in art from all over and making sure that their exhibits appeal to young and old. 

'Think Pink' (running until May 26, 2014) is definitely one of those exhibits that can be appreciated by all, no matter what your age. Or gender. Because it looks at the color pink's history (18th century to present) and explores how its symbolism, social significance, and gender association has changed and evolved over time. 

So you know that whole "pink for girls" and "blue for boys" business - totally not the case a couple hundred years ago.

So, having arrived at the museum, I wandered around for a bit while defrosting from the cold outside.

 

And eventually found myself to the 'Think Pink' gallery.

The exhibit was structured by time-period. So you begin in the 18th century and as you walk the perimeter of the room, you advance in time.

How crazy is that dress? What's even more crazy is that it's actually a doll's dress and no bigger than your forearm. The details are amazing. It definitely puts Barbie's dresses to shame when it comes to intricacy.

Here's a look at men's fashion and how it's drastically changed.

On the right is menswear from the late 18th century. According to what I read at the exhibit, it wasn't until the 19th century that pink became more associated with women. While men went for the darker, more sober business suits, women dressed in lighter hues. This trend continued throughout the 1920s and 30s. Once WWII broke out, the connection of pink and femininity became even stronger. With women being encouraged to embrace their femininity after men returned from war, fashion, consumer goods, and even cars were pinked-out for women. Men typically stayed with the darker tones.

However, the transformation of pink fashion for men came full circle in the 1970s when Robert Redford wore Ralph Lauren’s pink suit in The Great Gatsby movie. On the left is a replica of the pink suit. Very snazzy.

These outfits date back to around 1825. In the painting behind them are two brothers (their shoes and the hat on the floor to the right indicate their gender), one of whom is wearing a pink dress. Again just showing how the color pink (or dresses for that matter!) were not always indicative of being female. 
Pretty interesting, right?

But time changes things... 

Check out these pink, suede Christian Louboutin Greissimo pumps (circa 2005). Swoon!

If you're in the area and have time, you should check out the full exhibit.  It's a pretty small gallery so you can easily pop in and out. My iPhone pictures definitely don't do it justice.

I need get in the habit of visiting museums more often.
The impressionist exhibit opened at the MFA this weekend which I'm dying to see. It was packed when I walked by though so I've made a mental note to come back another weekend.

xo Belle

Belle's Super Soft Sugar Cookies

As promised, today's post will be about my homemade sugar cookies - and how to turn them into the perfect Valentine's Day treat.

Side note: I was never a fan of sugar cookies. They were always too sweet or too buttery/oily for my liking. After experimenting a little bit in the kitchen though, I finally worked out what I think is a winner of a recipe. Soft and light, these cookies have become one of my new favorites.

I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I do.

So here we go...

What you'll need:
*Note: I halved the recipe in the pictures, but am going to give you directions for a full batch*

3 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. granulate sugar
2 t. vanilla extract
3 eggs
Decorating sugars (I chose to use red and white for the holiday)
Parchment paper

Time to make the dough. 

How to make:

In a small bowl, whisk together your flour and salt. 

In a separate, larger bowl, beat the butter until its nice and creamy.

Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

Pour and mix in the vanilla.
This is often when the dough starts to smell delicious (or rather like a vanilla sugar cookie)... I wonder why!

Next, add in the eggs one at a time. Be sure to beat each egg in completely before adding another.

Now take your flour mixture  and pour half of it into your wet mixture.
Mix until combined.

Add the remaining half and beat once more.

You should end up with a dough that resembles this:

After sneaking a pinch from the bowl to taste test, you'll need to split the dough in half and form two separate disks. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours (12 hours is ideal).

Chilling the dough is pretty important because it's quite temperamental and will stick like crazy if you skip this step. So go watch a movie, take a walk, do some cleaning, run some errands... anything to pass a few hours by.

Then, after a minimum of two hours, retrieve your dough.
Note: You'll want to set your oven to 350 degrees (F) and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper right about now too.

Okay, back to your dough disk...
Time to whip out your rolling pin and get to work.
Make sure you flour your rolling pin and surface before you start.
Rolling on parchment paper instead of a floured surface works just as well - I actually prefer it. 

You'll want to work your dough until it's spread to about a quarter-inch thickness.

And now comes the fun part. Cookie-cutter time!
For these, I used a heart shaped cookie cutter (it is Valentine's Day after all!), but any type does the trick.

Punch out your cookies until you're dough is finished. You will most likely need to re-roll the dough at least once to use it all up.

Place each cookie on your lined cookie sheet(s) at least an inch or two apart.

And then go to town with your sprinkling and decorating...

Once satisfied with your sprinkle work, pop them in the oven.
They'll need to bake for about 15 minutes. They'll start to crack slightly on the surface when they're done. WARNING: your kitchen will smell unbelievable at this time.

Once fully baked, take them out and place them on a cooling rack.

Pick out the "ugly duckling" of the bunch and get rid of it by biting, chewing, and swallowing. Pat yourself on the back for saving your Valentine from receiving the dud of the group. Good job!

These cookies cool pretty quickly so once they're of room temperature, you can package and pretty them up for your recipient(s).

I chose to wrap them in cellophane goodie bags, tied simply with a white grosgrain bow.

You're Valentine is sure to love them. And he/she will appreciate your gift even more knowing that you baked it especially for him/her.

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day!

xo Belle