Lately.

This week has been a little crazier than I'd imagined it to be. I saw three movies in 6 days (as part of my Oscar movie challenge-more on that in a later post, I'm sure!), held a press event at work, did some holiday shopping and on Wednesday I got dinner with my girls Tracy, Jen and Jessica to belatedly celebrate Tracy's birthday! It was exactly the lift I needed after my last couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to a relaxing, slow-paced weekend after tomorrow.

Walking to the subway after dinner.

Busting out my yellow winter coat. Hands down, one of my favorite things I own. 

I hope everyone has a FABULOUS weekend!

xx

P.S. Follow me on Instagram!

Home of the Week: Vibrant Color, Flatiron District

**I'm setting a new goal, to bring you one home, place, room, etc. that I really love, each week. What better day than Wednesday? It is the middle of the week & we could all use a boost from a gorgeous space to get us to Friday!**

This week's home comes from Drake Design Associates; a beautiful, colorful space in the Flatiron District of NYC. If I haven't made it clear yet, there is a huge chunk of my personality that adores rich, bright colors. My winter coat is vibrantly yellow, and when combined with my long and very blonde hair I may as well be wearing a strobe around my neck in the winter, especially in this city of dark clothes and dark hair. There are other parts of my personality devoted to modern lines, clean spaces and that ever-lovable French-country-chic. They'll manifest later, don't you worry. 

I've been extremely attracted to the oft-underrated color purple lately (royalty, anyone?), especially that bright jewel-tone it can take on (as spotted on this magnificent turquoise couch in SoHo last weekend). The beauty in these rooms comes from their bold use of unusual colors, graphic patterns and clean lines.

Lastly, as every good design junkie knows, it's all about the details...and does it get any better than having a Chuck Close hanging in your apartment??

The pops of teal really pull everything together for me (that, and the yellow bedroom!). Getting my head out of the clouds now, and filing this home away as inspiration for later. 

xx

Holiday Hostess Gifts-Under $50!

Your immediate family, extended family, close friends, co-workers...gift buying lists can get long, fast! Sometimes it can be hard to find time to squeeze in a gift for your host(ess) when attending a party; these great finds are all under $50!

You can never go wrong with a small home item (colored glass votives, or handblown vase, anyone?). Scented soaps are a simple & appreciated gift any time of year, and-let's take a minute to talk about those champagne flutes!! I love the solid, sturdy base, perfect for those friends with slippery fingers once they're a glass (or two!) in.

The best tip I've heard this season? Keep a small basket of giftable items around (and I think this should be any time of year-not just the holidays!) and you'll have something on hand even when you're dashing out the door at the last minute. 

Holiday Gift Cards, Terrain | Animal Calendar, west elm | Colored Glass Votives, C. Wonder

Grapefruit soap, fresh | Chalkboard Canister, Crate & Barrel | Aqua Handblown Vase, Tosel and Glass

Vintage Cocktails book, Amazon | Penguin Dessert Plates, west elm | Verve Flute, Crate & Barrel

I think I'll be picking up a few of those flutes for myself-New Year's Eve party, anyone?

xx

Booties with an Edge

Sorry to have gone a little MIA last week...I spent the days I had to work running around trying to get everything done, and then switched immediately to cooking mode to prep for the nearly 20 people we had in our apartment on Thanksgiving! It was a complete success, with enough leftovers to get us through the weekend.

After that came lazy mode (...and a little shopping, what can I say). I'm on the lookout for some new shoes & after two recent purchases of studded pieces, I've decided boot(ies) with an edge is my new thing for this season. The key thing to look for is an unexpected detail or fabric, whether it's a rich dark color, studs, or-my latest favorite-shiny, gold metals.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

I think those gold Rag & Bone's might be my next investment. Aren't they completely FABULOUS?

xx

Style it: Ballet Skirt

I've been obsessing (drooling, dreaming, craving, you name it) over this Anthropologie skirt for several weeks nows. Being a dancer my entire life, I'm always drawn to things that remind me of it, like tulle and sequins and romantic layers.

I thought I'd showcase the skirt with some other pretty things for late fall, but then I realized-that's not how I would wear it! For me, a pretty and very girly skirt needs some touches of edge to make it realistic for everyday life, and bright red lips & nails to tie it all together.

Skirt, Anthropologie | Necklace, Shorouk | Sweater, Madewell | Clutch, MICHAEL Michael Kors

Lipstick, NARS Semi-Matte in Heat Wave | Nail Polish, Butter London in Knees-Up | Shoes, Zara

How would you style this pretty skirt?

xx

Words to Live By

Things have been a little crazy & hectic in my life lately, so this morning I would just like to share a quote with you. Don't worry, I'll be back with normal posts later this week.

xx

Thanksgiving Dinner Rolls

As you may have guessed by now, I have an affinity for food, and I love to cook. For Thanksgiving, my roommates & I have all the "orphans" (friends, coworkers, etc. who are also in the city/not with their families) over to our apartment and we spend plenty of time eating, drinking and catching up. The only requirements are that they have to bring a food dish and a drink option!

Last year, I did a crumb top apple pie, dinner rolls and a veggie-friendly main dish for myself...this year, I'll be adding a pumpkin pie to the mix. First thing on my list, though, are those dinner rolls. I made them for the first time last year and everyone went nuts about them (and for the apple pie-it lasted all of 20 minutes. I'll share that recipe later!).

I first picked this up through Pinterest and traced it back to How Does She. Her recipe, which you can view in full (with a lot more photos) here, is simple to follow, even if it's your first time working with yeast. If you're feeding a lot of people (or you're like me, and you have several roommates who would love leftovers), a double batch wouldn't be a bad idea.

Delicious Dinner Rolls
Yield: 48 rolls
Oven temp: 350º

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of milk
3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons yeast
2 cups of warm water
about 9-10 cups of all purpose flour
at least 1 cup of butter

Directions

1.  To start out: Scald 1 1/2 cups of milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of butter, in a microwave safe bowl, for about 2 minutes. Cutting the butter into pieces helps it melt faster. There will probably be some little cubes of butter still floating in the hot mixture, they will melt.

2. We are going to add yeast to this hot mixture, but it will be too hot to just dump the yeast straight in (it would kill it!). To cool it down stir in 1-2 cups of flour, then add 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of salt, and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a measuring cup dissolve 2 Tablespoons of yeast in 2 cups of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until it is bubbly.

**Keep track of how much flour you are adding, and make sure your mixture is warm, not boiling before you add the yeast mixture!

3. Using a fork or wooden spoon, gradually stir in 9-10 cups of flour (total-counting the flour you have already added to cool it earlier, you should use 9 to 10 cups). I would recommend only adding 2 cups at time and stirring in between. These rolls turn out so much better when they are mixed by hand.

4. At the end the dough will be dense and sticky, and may be hard to stir, you can use your hands to incorporate the rest of the flour if needed. Be sure not to add too much flour. Then smooth the dough out and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place and let it raise til it doubles in size (while you're waiting, butter two cookie sheets and set them aside).

5. Cover your working space with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Dump your dough out and divide it into 4 balls. Eyeball the sizes, then lift them up and feel the weight of each ball. Try to make them even, but they don’t have to be perfect.

6. Using one ball of dough at a time: roll the dough into a circle on a floured counter. Once it is rolled out spread the top with butter from edge to edge. You will use about 2 tablespoons per circle of dough. Cut the dough into quarters using a pizza cutter, and then each quarter into three triangles (giving you 12 triangles per ball). 

7. Roll the dough from the wide end of the triangle. Tuck the tail of the triangle under the roll and place it on the buttered cookie sheet. You will make 3 rows, with 8rolls per row. This will give you 24 rolls per pan. Two balls of dough will fill 1 pan. You will get a total of 48 rolls!

8. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans of rolls in a warm place (on top of the oven if possible) to let them rise. Once they are touching and full in size, cook (one pan at a time) in the oven ’till they are golden brown. About 10 – 15 minutes, It may take longer depending on how hot your oven cooks. Keep a close eye on your first pan to get the right time for the second.

9. While they are still hot and fresh out of the oven run a stick of butter over the tops of the rolls for a delicious buttery glaze!

Lastly...enjoy!!

You can also print out this easy to read PDF of How Does She's recipe. What's your favorite thing to make during the holidays? Share below!

xx

Coney Island in DC

As I'm sure you all know, Coney Island is NOT in D.C., but I did bring a little of it down there with me (courtesy of Zara). I spent this weekend with my family, seeing all the main sites again and doing a little damage to my bank account with my sister while my mom and brother looked at houses (he's planning on buying one, pretty exciting!).

I apologize in advance for the slightly off photos, but my sister's learning. Sort of. Enjoy the nice view of the Spy Museum if you need a distraction!

T-Shirt, Zara | Blazer, Charlotte Russe (old, similar) | Jeans, Joe's | Boots, Kelsi Dagger (old, similar)

Bracelets, Sequin | Rings, gift & vintage | Nail polish, Sephora by OPI

Earrings, Sequin

 Necklace, MUZ Designs

I'm off to Cold Spring with a friend for the weekend-can't wait to do some hiking & antique browsing! Hope everyone has a good weekend.

xx

Like a Cozy Blanket & a Warm Fire

...with a cup of hot cocoa.

Okay fine, that's not exactly what this post is about, but I do have cozy bedrooms on my mind (this probably stems from a lack of sleep, but let's not get into the psychology of it). Like any good Internet addict, I turned to Pinterest to mine my inspiration...and I discovered I actually have a bit of a pattern.

Despite my love of bright, bold colors in my wardrobe, I tend to be drawn to neutral spaces, especially a clean white. I think this is because it's like a blank slate, though I would certainly add pops of color throughout, but there's also something incredibly cozy and comforting about a fluffy white duvet and clean lines.

Need more convincing? See below.

 

images via | via | via | via | via | via | via

Stay cozy

xx

The 2 Bandits

The gorgeous brainchild of Tamar Wider, The 2 Bandits is a collection of Southwestern-inspired, truly American jewelry. I stumbled across photos from the current lookbook last month and was immediately drawn to the natural metals & smooth stones. I've long had a thing for all things Southwestern, classically American and Native American inspired (you can see the first time I included some 2 Bandits in my perfect weekend look, and more of my love of southwestern details).

Since I visit their site a few times a week to drool over which piece I want to fit in my budget first, I figured I'd share some of my favorites. You can read more about Tamar & how her line got started here.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Which pieces would be on your wish list? 

xx

Two-tone Lips

For my job, I spend a lot of time searching the web for current trends in the fashion industry. Every now and again, I come across a real gem-and this is one I had to share. Holly Fulton, who shows at London Fashion Week, had the best makeup I've seen on any runway for Spring/Summer 2013. Some days, I just can't decide if I want to go bright pink or bold coral on my lips...now I'll be tempted to do them both at the same time!

Prep your lips with a sugar scrub before applying intense color. I like Fresh Sugar Lip Polish. Follow up with a clear balm to lock in moisture, then apply your first layer-in this case, the pink! Make sure you have an even, blended coat as this is your base. Next, put a little of your orange on a lip brush and apply it to the center of your lips, blending outwards as you go. You can also use your fingers. Et voilà! 

NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage | MAKEUP Forever Lip Brush | OCC Lip Tar in Beta

Is this a trend you would try? Sound off below!

xx

Doughnuts in Bryant Park

Okay, this post isn't really about doughnuts. BUT, I did actually have doughnuts in Bryant Park, from Dough. They're based out of Brooklyn and can usually be found at Smorgasburg, where I first discovered them, as well as at their shop in Bed Stuy. I highly recommend the blood orange or the café au lait if you have the chance to try one.

The day before the hurricane (I know, this post is incredibly delayed-but I should be back on schedule after this!) I met up with Jessica at Bryant Park because we both needed a break from work-it turns out, it was one of our last chances to be outside before the storm hit (you can read about our experiences from the hurricane here, here and here). The photos aren't the best quality because by the time we stopped to take photos, the sun was nearly set. Daylight Saving's Time screws everything up.

Sweater, Target | Scarf, Von Maur | Jeans, Joe's | Earrings, Sequin

I was playing with these metal rings at work & tied them onto the ends of my scarf to weight it down. Everyone complimented them, so I left them on!

Necklace, Sequin | Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple

Bracelets, Sequin | Skeleton Key Ring, Ashley Nizolek Jewelry | All other rings, family gifts

Nail Polish, Julep for Trina Turk in Delaunay

xx

A Treat for All My Friends (Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies)

One day, while browsing blogs, I stumbled across a recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. It was late September, so I knew it was a perfect recipe for the fall season! I have a thing about trying to bake something every weekend, usually on Sundays, as a dessert for the week (& yummy treat for my roommates). 

The best thing about these cookies is their cake-like consistency, keeping them nice and fluffy after baking instead of flattening out the way most cookies do. I like mine to have a rich, spicy flavor so I've adapted the recipe a little bit. I've also read great things about substituting applesauce for the oil, I'm going to have to give it a try next time! They're also super quick to make, perfect if you don't have all day to spend in the kitchen. I highly recommend investing in some Goldtouch Baking Sheets from Williams Sonoma if you're in need of new bakeware before you start this recipe. They're pricey, but well worth the investment-I use mine several times a month.

I've made these a couple times now, and they don't last more than a day or two. I had a special request from Jessica to make them once she finished her Whole 30 plan in October, so I baked up a batch last weekend & took them to all the girls at brunch on Sunday!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: About 25 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon vanilla (extract or paste)

16 oz bag chocolate chips

Directions

1. Combine pumpkin and sugar. Add vegetable oil and egg. 

2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

3. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and stir into pumpkin mixture. Add flour mixture and mix thoroughly. 

4. Add vanilla. Mixture will be very moist, but not runny. Stir in chocolate chips.

5. Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (can also be a greased cookie sheet). Bake at 365º for approximately 12 minutes or until firm and lightly brown. 

6. Enjoy!

*adapted from allrecipes

I fully plan on making another batch for the orphan's Thanksgiving we hold at my apartment every year. Last year, I did a crumb-topped apple pie that lasted all of 15 minutes once it was cut! 

xx

Insta-life

I see a lot of things & feel the need to immediately share them (or later-gram them) on instagram. Here's a few I want to share with you! Follow me at Rosamapose.

Halloween. I am Sookie.

Post-Sandy in Astoria.

UES

Dreaming for Christmas.

Wafels & Dinges, my Sunday tradition.

Coney Island love.

VIP at Irving Plaza on Tuesday!

That beautiful building turned BLUE!

Black + Brown + White + Gold

I've been itching to re-do some aspects of my current apartment (with roommate approval!) for quite a while; I'm kind of held up while we figure out whether we're going to stay in the same apartment much longer, but in the meantime I'm constantly searching for inspiration. I love the living room of this home in Coquitlam, British Columbia designed by Angela Robinson. The mix of textures with modern, minimalistic design makes the room feel cozy and inviting. I am especially in love with the set of gold paintings above the couch. I think they'd be pretty easy to replicate on some level!

The browns & blacks in the rooms ground the eye, while the gold adds an exciting, slightly glamourous pop.

images via Angela Robinson

Doesn't the white rug make you want to curl your toes into it? I'd spread out in front of the fire with a cozy throw & good book in the winter.

xx

Sunday Brunch Sparkle

I spent my Sunday trying to get back to normal this weekend...by taking the train into the city and getting brunch, of course! I met up with Jessica, Jenny, and Tracy and we attempted a go at Alice's Tea Cup Chapter II, but learned they don't take same day reservations (boo, but lesson learned). We ended up at a diner around the corner on Lexington, then strolled to the park to snap some photos. Luckily, Sandy didn't take ALL the fall leaves with her.

(P.S. I know my hair looks a little crazy, but I'm going to take this opportunity to blame it on the hurricane. Next time, I'll have to find a better excuse).

Scarf, a street vendor in Italy | Sweater, Zara | Jeans, Joe's Jeans

Shoes, Jeffrey Campbell

Alexandrite ring, gift from my sister | Skeleton Key Ring, Ashley Nizolek (on sale!)

 Nail Polish (two colors) both Sephora by OPI

Bracelets, Sequin

I purchased this sweater as an I-survived-the-hurricane present to myself, and I'm already in love with it. The nails I had to try after reading a new tutorial that promised a better gradient, although I'm not convinced it was the best tactic! One nail came out great, but the rest didn't blend as well as I'd like. Still, I'm in love with the deep purple + rich turquoise combo. 

Thanks Jen for shooting my photos!

xx