Chic Chef

Among the many amazing trends this Fall is military inspired clothing and shoes for women. Army greens, camo prints, and uniform-style jackets and pants were all over the runways during fashion week. I got these awesome camo pants from Zara, and my initial intention was to do a feminine look with them, but then I thought, why not do something completely out of the norm for me? So, I styled them with a simple grey vintage tee, chambray top, and brown leather lace-up boots.

I accessorized with a “hamsa” necklace, an evil eye bracelet, and a chunky gold chain bracelet with a really cool green agate stone on it (both on Etsy). It went great with the camo!

Pants: Zara/ Tee: J.Crew/ Chambray shirt: J.Crew (old)/ Boots: Italian (don’t know the brand!, similar here)/ Bracelets: Darya Designs

This mural provided the perfect backdrop for this “masculine” look. Can you believe it is part of the same mural as this post?

Do you like the military trend for Fall?

Also, be sure to follow me on my Facebook page and on Bloglovin’. Have a great week!

xo

Layla

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One of my favorite salads of all time is the Central Market Kale and Pepita Salad that you can buy from their prepared foods section. I have been trying to recreate this salad for a while, and I finally think I’ve got it! If you are a fan of this salad, this version is really close to the real thing, and you can make it at home. Here’s how you make it:

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of Kale greens (washed, de-stemmed, and chopped)
• 1/4 cup Orange Juice
• 1/4 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce (I use Liquid Aminos which has less sodium)
• 1 Tbsp Sugar or Honey
• I/4 cup Toasted pumpkin seeds or Pepitas
• 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries
• 2 Tbsp Candied Ginger (I left this out because I don’t like the taste)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk all of the wet ingredients together and toss with the kale greens. Add the pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and ginger and light toss to combine everything. Let the salad sit for 15 minutes so that the kale softens. Serve and enjoy!

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, and let me know how you like it!

Also, don’t forget to “Pin” this recipe for future use.

xo

Layla

 

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I haven’t shared a food post in a while, mainly because of my hectic schedule, but today I wanted to share a quick and delicious snack idea with you. I love to snack on popcorn, and lately I have been making different kinds of popcorn at home. I found this great blog called Versus from my Kitchen, where he shares 3 very “chic” gourmet popcorn recipes. I love that he added the fresh herbs to the popcorn, and the thyme and sea salt one is to die for. Check out all three of his recipes here.

I also wanted to share one my favorite popcorn recipes, which is a truffle and parmesan popcorn. As you may know if you have been reading my blog for a while, I love anything with truffle on it. I recently made a batch of truffle parmesan popcorn, and it disappeared rather quickly. All of these recipes also make great gift ideas. Just place them in a cellophane bag with a nice bow, and voila!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels
• 2 Tbsp Canola oil (or any vegetable oil)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp Truffle Oil (more if you like a stronger truffle flavor)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

•  Place a few kernels and oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the kernels pop, add remaining kernels to pot and place lid over it (leaving a gap for steam to escape).
•  As the kernels pop, shake the pot until the popping slows down to about 2-3 second between pops. Remove from heat.
•  Melt the butter in a small pot or in the microwave. Add the truffle oil to the melted butter.
• In a large bowl, toss the popcorn with the melted butter/truffle oil mixture and season with salt and pepper. Then add the grated parmesan.
• For presentation, you can add some fresh herbs like rosemary or chives to give it a pop of color.

xo

Layla

 

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When I first met (online of course) Sandra from Portugal, I knew I had found my fashion soul-mate. In her blog, Blasfemmes, she loves to wear color, and is not afraid to experiment. She always looks so beautiful and put-together. I wanted to invite her to guest blog on Chic Chef today, so that you can get acquainted with her.  I am loving her all-metallic look; it is so perfect for the Summer to Fall transition.

Hi everyone!

My name is Sandra and I blog over at Blasfemmes.com, a fashion based blog. I am an avid reader of Chic Chef and that’s why I’m delighted to be here today sharing my love for fashion with you guys!

 

French Connection Metallic Pants // French Connection Sequins Top // French Connection Shoes // YSL Arty Ring // BoutiqueMinimaliste Above The Knuckle Ring

I’m wearing a full metallic look this time! I guess sequins can really brighten up the dreariest of days, don’t you think?

And they’re not just for New Year’s Eve anymore! In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself loving sequins for Summer.

Also, we’ll want to have sequined garments on hand as they’ll still be hot or even hotter in the A/W to come. How do you feel about wearing sequins in day-to-day life? Do you think it’s overdoing it or quite the contrary?

Finally, just want to say that you’re more than welcome to visit me at my little corner of the internet!

And thank you so much Layla for having me

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The other day, my husband and I saw the most amazing mural as we were driving, and we decided to stop and take a closer look. Luckily, some of the artists that painted the mural were there, and we got to meet them. The “F-team”, as they call themselves, is made of five local artists that are collaborating to make this jaw-dropping mural. There are many different parts to it, and I hope to photograph all of them as they are finished.

Now to the fashion. My love for the color cobalt blue  just keeps growing, and I recently purchased a pair of cobalt skinny jeans. I wore them with my cobalt blue heels, and a grey oversized knit jumper. Is it okay to wear the same color jeans and shoes? Well, if they are cobalt blue then yes! I was also looking for a great small black bag for a while, and I found this one at Dao Chloe Dao. It has nice gold hardware, and I like the studs at the base. And I can’t forget to mention my sunglasses. I have a thing for mirrored aviators now, and this pair with a blue tint complimented the wall perfectly. What do you think of the look?

 

Three members of the “F team”.

On the lift, painting. You can get an idea of the size of this wall. If you live in Houston, make sure you check out this mural (corner of Main St. and Rosedale).

Knit: Zara (old collection)/ Jeans: Zara (also similar here)/ Shoes: Boutique 9/ Sunglasses: Gap (old collection, similar here)/ Bag: purchased at Dao Chloe Dao (similar here)/ Cuff: Hermes

I hope you like the look! Do you love the color cobalt as much as I do?

Join me on Facebook here and Bloglovin here.

xo

Layla

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I am so excited for Fall to roll around because of all the amazing trends that are popping up on the runways.  One of those trends is Victorian style clothing and accessories. As Harper’s Bazaar put it “your grandmother’s closet will be at the top of your shopping list this Fall.” One of my favorite jewelry trends is the come-back of cameo jewelry. Designers like Mui Mui and Lanvin have included some amazing cameo pieces in their Fall and Pre-Fall collections, and I am obsessed! These are not your ordinary cameos…these are what I like to call “kicked-up-cameos.” I love the nyg Cameos collection (stands for Not Your Grandma’s cameos), because they have really one-of-a kind pieces, but they are affordable! I am wearing their mixed neutral cameo charm necklace, inspired by my favorite fashion icon, Miroslava Duma (picture at bottom). You can find their designs on their Etsy store here.

 

Blouse: Zara/ Pants: Zara/ Necklace: nygCameos/ Bag: Tory Burch (old collection)/ Sunglasses: Nordstrom

What do you think of the look? Do you think you will wear an updated Cameo this season? Check out my other Cameo look here .

Here is a collection of some of my favorite Cameo pieces.

1. Lanvin/ 2. Mui Mui/ 3. nyg Cameos/ 4. 5. Tom Binns

xo

Layla

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As I looked through my bathroom drawers the other day, I realized that I have so many different products, but I only really use a handful of them. So, I decided to put together a collection of my all-time favorite beauty products.

1. St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse: I have tried so many self-tanners, since I don’t like the idea of getting into a tanning bed, and this one is by far the BEST. It goes on easily, with little or no streaking, smells good, and gives you a real bronze color instead of “orange”.

2. Ole Henriksen Total Truth Eye Cream: I didn’t start using an eye cream until this year, and I actually got this as a sample and got hooked. It isn’t too thick, and  my under-eye concealer goes on smoothly over it. This brand also uses natural ingredients.

3. Boscia Blotting Linens: All of my friends know that I am obsessed with looking matte, so I always have blotting papers in my bag. I like these simply because they do a good job of taking away shine, and they smell nice.

4. Josie Maran Argan Oil: I use this with just about everything. You can mix it into your conditioner for some serious shine, or into your moisturizer. It’s a light oil, so it doesn’t weigh down your hair or make it look greasy.

5. Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel: I have been using this face wash for over 5 years now, and it’s still my favorite. It is made with natural ingredients, smells great, and leaves my skin clean without overdrying it.

6. MyChelle Incredible Pumpkin Peel: I think exfoliating is an important step in skincare, but I don’t like the scrubs because they are a bit harsh for my skin. I love this peel because it exfoliates with all-natural pumkin acids. It is a little pricey, but totally worth it.

7. Eucerin Everyday Protection SPF 30: This is another product I have used forever! I apply it everyday after I wash my face and before makeup. It has an SPF 30 which is great, and it is not greasy.

8. Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 45: I tried this product for the first time last year when I was looking for an easy way to apply SPF while on vacation. This was the perfect solution because it comes with its own brush that contains the SPF mineral powder inside, and you just brush it on. They even have the tinted kind now, so it can give you a little color.

I hope you find this list useful, and if you have any products that you absolutely LOVE, then please share.

xo

Layla

2 Comments

Hi everyone! I have had one amazing weekend, and I wanted to share a few shots from last night with you. My husband and I went to see the Lion King musical here at the Hobby Center in Houston and, it was unbelievable. The costumes, the  dance numbers, and the voices were all spectacular. We managed to snap a few pictures before the show started. I unintentionally wore animal print to the Lion King! I wore a leopard print peplum top with red slightly-flared pants. I accessorized with a pearl necklace to soften the look. I also wore my Valentino rock stud bag, which is still my favorite.

Top: Zara/ Pants: Gap/ Shoes: Gap (similar here)/ Bag: Valentino (similar here)/ Cuffs: Hermes/ Watch: Michael Kors/ Necklace: Stella and Dot

I hope you like the look! And if you get a chance, definitely go check out Lion King the musical.

xo

Layla

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I hope you are having a great weekend! Join me on Instagram @ chicchef.

xo

Layla

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I have a little problem I call Fashion A.D.D where I get really excited about the upcoming season, but I really wanted to share some of my favorite trends for Fall with you all. One is the black and blue color combination, and the other is Cameo jewelry, especially collars. I love this cameo collar necklace by nygCameos. It looks great under a collared shirt (like I am wearing it), and also on top of a shirt, so that the gunmetal chain shows.  I am also really excited about my new leather skirt and cobalt blue heels. I can’t wait for Fall fashion!  What do you think?

Skirt: Free People/ Shirt: Zara/ Shoes: Boutique 9/ Bag: ASOS (old collection)/ Cameo Necklace: nygCameos

I hope you like the look! Also, you can follow me on my Facebook page here.

xo

Layla

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