Month: July 2011

Summer Reads: Last Night at Chateau Marmont

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I’m a huge fan of chick lit, but I particularly enjoy reading them in the summer. They are perfect to read on the plane or on vacation because of their light and breezy nature.

I just finished reading Last Night at Chateau Marmont. It is the follow up novel by Lauren Weisberger, who wrote The Devil Wears Prada (another one of my favorites).

Last Night tells the story of a young, married couple dealing with the husband’s skyrocket into fame (he’s a singer). They are having trouble adjusting to his newfound fame and the constant travel he is doing.

I would probably rate the book at 3 out of 5. It fell flat at some times and you could predict the ending from a mile away. I did however enjoy the pop culture references (ie Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood), the peek into the glamorous life of a celebrity, and a reference to the TV show Friday Night Lights.

My chick lit must reads would be: The Confessions of a Shopaholic series (especially books 1 through 3) by Sophie Kinsella, Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes, The Devil Wears Prada, and the Something Borrowed/Something Blue series by Emily Griffin.

What have you been reading this summer? What are your favorite chick lit books? I’d be interested to hear about them, as I’m always looking for good books to read!

Hope you all had a happy Monday!

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Summer Sundays

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I am probably in the minority, but I love Sundays. There is just something so relaxing and cozy about them that I enjoy. Today was no exception. We had falafels and hummus at our favorite place, opting to eat outdoors to enjoy the beautiful weather. When I got home, I immediately fell into a food/heat coma and awoke an hour later craving something cold.

I had tried Indian cold coffee many times before on trips to India. I even made it a few years ago and had the urge to make it again. I followed this recipe, because I like that it calls for vanilla extract. I also deviated from the recipe by adding whipped cream and cinnamon on top. I think it looks more appealing that way!

It’s a great summer drink to help beat the heat!
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I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!

Wedding Season

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This summer has definitely been the summer of weddings. I’ve always loved attending weddings because they are such a happy occasion and of course for the desserts! Indian weddings are so much fun to attend, because they are rich in traditions, colorful attire, and the celebrations last 2 to 3 days!

This summer, every wedding I have been to (4 so far) have added their own personal touches. Whether it was a unique dessert or references to the couple’s Alma mater (where they met), I made a mental note of everything I saw because we have a wedding coming up in the family..and well, it’s fun!

Here are a few pictures from weddings I have attended:

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The gorgeous wedding mandap that was filled with fresh flowers!

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The gondola vidai

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For dessert: there was freshly made donuts! So delicious, especially topped with the chocolate fondue and powdered sugar.

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Another wedding had a mixer: all the guests from the bride and groom’s side gathered in a park overlooking the beach to just hang out and socialize. For dinner and dessert, they called a taco truck (my first time trying a potato taco and it was yum!) and an ice cream truck. I love food trucks, so I was excited but I also wanted to have this at my wedding..Guess I’ll have to think of something else-for whenever it happens!

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The wedding took place in a stunning estate in the Malibu hills.

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The reception set up (in the same estate). It is originally a tennis court, but is unrecognizable with all the gorgeous decorations! At night, lights that were strung across were lit up. It looked like something out of a fairy tale.

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The cocktail hour took place by the pool, which had a great view of the ocean. The food was equally as good- Italian samosas and paneer tikka (my two favorites) and refreshing tropical drinks, personally named by the bride and groom.

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The desserts- Sprinkles cupcakes! How pretty are they? They also had chocolate covered strawberries and falooda.

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The head table where they bride and groom sat during the program. I like that it wasn’t a table table per say. The color scheme of purple and white was also lovely.

Have you been attending weddings this summer? What did you like about it? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Day trips

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This summer has been filled with thousands of engagements and weddings. But this long weekend, there was nothing of the sort. We took advantage of this free time and the amazing weather and headed to Sausalito.

I’ve been lucky enough to live in the Bay Area for most of my life, but I haven’t explored too many areas of it. One of those being the other side of San Francisco. As soon as we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, I was in love. Sausalito is a cute town on the water, with a main street that is filled with restaurants and shops. There were street performers as well, which I enjoy.

First we had dinner at Avatar’s. It’s a good place that serves a fusion of Indian, Mexican, and Italian. Then we walked on the main strip, enjoying the weather and the scenery around us. We spotted a Lapperts, an ice cream place where I picked up a mint chocolate chip in a cone to enjoy by the water.

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The next day we hung out in the other side of the Bay, Palo Alto. I had a coupon for the California Pizza Kitchen, where I happily ate my tostada pizza (sans the chicken). The night was so nice and we were stuffed from our meal, so we walked on University Ave while I ate my favorite frozen yogurt, Yogurtland. University Ave was so pretty- the trees were all light up (as pictured below).

What are some of the places near you that you enjoy making a day trip to?