Monthly Archives: May 2012

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be giving away the beautiful pastel necklace I am wearing in this look, valued at $175.  To enter, just follow the steps at the end of the post.

One of my favorite contemporary designers, Phillip Lim, put together some gorgeous pastel looks for his Spring runway collection. One of my favorites was this one, and it inspired me to try a pastel on pastel look. I have to say, I felt so feminine in this outfit, even though it is menswear inspired.

How amazing is this Noble House Designs three strand beaded necklace? It is so perfect for Spring, and looks amazing with pastels and with white. The magnetic rhinestone enclosure is one of my favorite features of this necklace.

Blazer: Zara (sold out)/ Top: Zara (in stores)/ Pants: Zara/ Shoes: Enzo/ Necklace: Noble House Designs/ Bag: J.Crew/ Rings: Ariella/ Watch: Michele/ Sunglasses: Gap/ Nails: Revlon in “Charming”

To Enter the giveaway, you need to do all 3 of the following:

1. Leave a comment, telling why you love this necklace.

2. Join my Chic Chef facebook page here.

3. Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or Google +by clicking on one of the “share icons” below.

Good luck to everyone! I will pick a winner on June 10th.

You can also use my “Pin It” buttons below my pictures for easy Pinteresting!

xo

Layla

 

 

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The Valentino Rockstud collection is one of those collections that is on the verge of being tacky, but is so well executed that it’s just purely fabulous. I have been eyeballing these rockstud slingbacks and this tote for so long, and I can finally call myself a proud owner. Even an avid Zara and J.Crew shopper can splurge sometimes, but here’s the best part: they were on sale…bigtime sale! I basically got a two-fer. So, if you are one of my Houston readers, or if you have a Valentino store in your city, they are having a hush-hush sale starting tomorrow for the public. Here’s a little shopping hint: try not to pick out anything that is going to be discontinued next season (a little birdie at Tootsies told me the bow collection is not coming back, but I don’t know if that’s true).

I chose the Rockstud shoes and handbag, because Valentino is continuing this collection into the Fall and Winter, so it won’t go out of style. Also the taupe color is perfect year round. I can’t wait to wear them! (but not together…that’s too much stud for me).

Shoes: Valentino Python Rockstud Slingbacks/ Bag: Valentino Rockstud Tote (not sold online)

Aren’t they beautiful? What is your favorite Valentino collection?

And while we are on the topic of Valentino, these are my absolute favorite flip-flops for summer.

xo

Layla

 

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I love to pair cool shades together, and cool blue and deep violet work beautifully together. I wore an aqua blue lace skirt with a silk violet top, and accessorized with a minty green necklace. I also wore my favorite nude pumps from Steve Madden and my Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC seen in this post. How do you like these two colors together?

Skirt: Zara/ Top: J.Crew/ Beads: J.Crew (on sale!)/ Watch: Michael Kors/ Shoes: Steve Madden/ Bag: Rebecca Minkoff/ Sunglasses: Gap/ Rings: Ariella

I hope you like the look! You can use my “Pin It” buttons below the pictures if you are a Pinterest lover like me (follow me at ChicChef).

Also, check out my latest jewelry designs here…my Nora necklace now comes in 3 colors.

xo

Layla

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One of my favorite things about summer is the abundance of beautiful, ripe watermelons. I have been guilty of eating insane amounts of watermelon in one sitting, and with the seedless variety, it’s so easy to eat! I love to make refreshing summer salads once it starts getting warm, and this watermelon, feta, and mint salad is definitely a favorite of mine. The combination of the sweet watermelon, salty feta, and tangy mint is just perfection. It is also an incredibly easy recipe, and of course, the finished product is colorful and pretty. Here is how you make it.

Ingredients:

• Seedless Watermelon (cut into cubes)
• 3 oz. crumbled Feta cheese
• 1 cup chopped Mint
• 3 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Combine the cubed watermelon, mint, and feta in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss lightly. Garnish with fresh mint.

Enjoy!

xo

Layla

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I have been playing around with the idea of including some indoor studio-style photos in my blog, and thanks to my lovely readers, I decided I would finally do it. Here is a series with my white Zara dress, silver MANGO heels, and chain choker-style necklace. I know I usually post very colorful looks, but I wanted to go for a very stark and simple look.

Dress: Zara (sold out online)/ Shoes: Mango/ Cuff: Nordstrom (Thanks Nancy!)/ Necklace: BCBG/ Sunglasses: Halogen

I hope you like the look and the photos! Let me know what you think, and honesty is appreciated here=)

xo

Layla

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Since our 3 year wedding anniversary is coming up, my husband and I decided to celebrate a little early this past weekend. This was the perfect opportunity to wear something fun, flirty, yet still elegant. I wore this sapphire blue criss-cross halter dress courtesy of Chloe Dao for the occasion. If you live in Houston, you know Chloe Dao as our celebrity designer, and winner of Project Runway. Chloe and her sister Sydney have played a huge role in putting Houston on the map as a fashion city. I recently visited their boutique, where I met Sydney, and she is as sweet as she is talented and creative. Make sure you check out their Spring/Summer collections because everything is so wearable and on-trend.

I love that this dress can be worn for daytime or for an evening look, depending on how you accessorize it. I chose to make an evening look with a rhinestone belt and beaded clutch.

Dress: c/o Chloe Dao boutique/ Clutch: Banana Republic (old collection)/ Belt: BCBG/ Shoes: Gap/ Earrings: Alexis Bittar/ Watch: Michael Kors

What do you think of my anniversary night out look?

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful hubby!

xo

Layla

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A beautiful breezy evening called for a dress that had a little movement to it. This peach dress with kimono sleeves is so light and flowy, and the color is absolutely gorgeous. I accessorized with a sequins oversized clutch and copper-toned strappy sandals. What do you think?

Dress: Zara/ Clutch: Zara/ Sandals: Zara/ Necklace: Nordstrom/ Bracelets: Anthropologie and Nordstrom (Nadri)

Have a fabulous rest of your weekend! Also, look for some changes coming soon to my blog. And thank you to everyone who has joined my Facebook page.

xo

Layla

10 Comments

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that I love to wear things that are a little out of the ordinary. That is why I love this “under-the-sea” printed dress. It has a classic shape, but a very interesting print. From far away, you can’t really tell what is going on on the bottom of the dress, but as you get closer, you can see that it is the bottom of the ocean. It is a bit avant garde, but that’s just the way I like it! I wore it with a layered pearl necklace (also seen here) and white pumps for a really feminine look. P.S White pumps are a must this season, and I love these by Enzo.

How many fish do you see?

Dress: Zara/ Pumps: Enzo/ Necklace: Stella and Dot/ Ring: YSL/ Sunglasses: Gap

How do you like the look?

Please join me on my Chic Chef facebook page for extras like pictures from fashion events that I don’t have a place for on my blog YET=)

xo

Layla

 

10 Comments

I am not much of a dessert gal; I prefer savory any day. However, I love poached pears. Depending on how you poach them, they can have just the right amount of sweetness to finish off a great meal. If you really want to impress your dinner guest, this is the dessert to make. It is really easy, and looks so chic! Here’s how to make them.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

• 4 pears (I used bosc pears)
• 1 bottle of Cabernet sauvignon – you can use any red you like
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 lemon sliced thinly
• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp powdered sugar

First, you need to peel, half, and core your pears. I kept the stems on for presentation.I used a melon baller to remove the core and make a nice nest for the mascarpone filling.

Next, combine the red wine, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and a few slices of lemon to a large pot, and bring to a boil.

While the poaching liquid is coming to a boil, you can make your mascarpone filling. Simply combine the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract and whip until smooth.

Once the liquid is boiling, add the pears, making sure they are not overlapped. You want them all to poach evenly.

Bring the liquid to a simmer, and cook the pears until they are fork tender. You may need to flip them carefully during the cooking process. My pears were very ripe so it only took about 15 minutes.

Red wine reduction sauce: After you remove the pears and set aside to cool a bit, bring the remaining liquid to a boil until it reduces to a syrup consistency.

Presentation: Add a spoonful of the mascarpone filling to each pear, and then drizzle the red wine reduction over the tops.

Enjoy! These are seriously delicious! Let me know how it turns out. You can also pin this recipe by using my “Pin It” button below the picture.

xo

Layla

4 Comments

I hope you had a fun and relaxing Sunday/ Mother’s Day. Today’s outfit was so much fun to put together and to wear. I have had this tribal print shirt from Zara for a while, but I wanted to wait for the perfect pair of jeans to wear with it. I found these indigo colored skinny jeans by Current/ Elliott on sale, and I loved how it looked with the shirt. I added a peach blazer (also seen here), and accessorized with my House of Harlow sunburst pendant and Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bag. What do you think? Do you love colored skinny jeans?

Top: Zara/ Blazer: Zara/ Jeans: Current/ Elliott (this color is super cute too)/ Shoes: Steve Madden/ Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (I really want this one!)/ Necklace: House of Harlow/ Sunglasses: Dior/ Watch: Michael Kors

I hope you like the look!

You can also follow me on Bloglovin’ here and Facebook here.

xo

Layla

Thanks for making this one of Lookbook’s top looks!

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