Sundays at home

cream cardigan p/s (stolen from mom) On Nick: Hedley & Bennett apron, thermal joggers

As much as we love dining out, my favorite part of the week is cooking Sunday supper with Nick. We usually reserve this day for any slow-cooking or soups / stews, and start early so that the aromas fill the house by the time afternoon sports are on. This weekend we made both my favorite dutch oven crusty bread and white chicken chili - the chili is easy enough for beginners, takes under an hour, and boy is it flavorful! Nick likes his brunch-style topped with a sunny side up egg. Read on below for the recipes!

Kate Spade kitchen towel
I'm also partnering today with Macy's wedding registry - I know several of you are planning a wedding (a huge congrats!), so I wanted to share some of our favorite, useful registry-friendly items. Snapchat friends probably see our Le Creuset cast iron oven on the regular, producing stews, roasts, bread, and so much more. It's quite heavy, so an added benefit of use is an extra arm workout!

Martha Stewart also makes a more affordable cast-iron collection that my mom uses and likes as well. Ours was thanks to a generous friend Liz who makes yummy "dutch oven crusty bread." It's soft on the inside, just perfect while warm with a pat of butter or olive oil. She got her pot as a wedding gift with the bread recipe card inside, and passed the tradition on to me since I always asked her to make it! We couldn't resist baking a loaf to go with dinner (recipe here; instructional video here) - I'm no baker, but this is the simplest bread you'll ever make. Just make sure to use instant yeast per the recipe, or proof your non-instant yeast first.

On to the chili - I love a good recipe that serves as a guideline, but can easily be adapted for individual tastes or for vegetarian friends (try veggie broth instead of chicken; extra beans and veggies instead of meat).

White Chicken Chili Recipe
Adapted from Cathy on Allrecipes. Serves 4.

- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed then diced*
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 2.5 cups chicken broth**
- 3 cups cooked, chopped or shredded chicken***
- 3 (15 ounce) cans white beans
Optional:
- canned or frozen corn
- topping ideas: cilantro, scallions, ground pepper, cheese or sour cream

* If you like it hot then put some seeds in since that's where the heat lies. Be careful and don't let your bare hands linger on the inner membrane & seeds! I learned this the hard way years ago and had hands on fire.
** Original recipe calls for 2 cans, or 3.5 cups broth which was a little soupy. You can tweak the ratios of broth, chicken, and beans based on your liking.
*** We love flavorful dark meat, so used boneless, skinless chicken thighs seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Wrap in foil to keep juicy, and bake for 20 minutes on 400 degrees. If they're not fully cooked at this point they will be in the chili. Ground chicken or turkey would be interesting too!

1. Heat the oil over a large pot on medium-low heat. Cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, cayenne, and oregano. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the beans then chicken broth, and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

2. At this point if you want a thicker texture, dip an immersion blender into your pot, and pulse a few times to puree some of the beans before adding chicken. Otherwise, just stir in the chicken and simmer another 15 minutes. We're obsessed with the Cusineart smartstick (ours is a prior model) which we also got as a gift - it's a food processor, whisk, mini blender, and immersion blending stick all in one. The immersion stick is a must if you like making creamy soups - no messy & dangerous step of pouring hot soup into a blender!

Kate Spade apple spoon rest

3. Stir in optional corn at the end before turning off the heat. Serve hot and top with garnishes. I just love the sweetness of the corn and some fresh cilantro with the spices in this!

Bloopers - got hot beans up my nose due to an impatient Nick

Here's a few other gift-able items that we have and love. Readers - what was your most memorable wedding gift received?

Thank you Macy's for partnering on this post!

Party in Pink

WHBM skirt 00p (similar in burgundy in petites, similar in red/black), J.Crew tee xxs, 

long rope pearls + Ann Taylor crystal necklace, M.Gemi heels sz 35.5 (similar)

Happy 2016! Wishing each of you a joyful, fulfilling, and�of course�stylish new year! Fashion-wise, one of my resolutions is to take better & proper care of my clothing, shoes, and bags. I've been researching and experimenting with products for the past few months, and am eager to continue and eventually share my learnings!

This was one of my last outfits in California before returning to the cold reality of winter in Boston. The skirt was on clearance at White House Black Market, which continues to impress me with the quality on certain items. My friend who does quite a bit of sewing scrutinized this piece, and was surprised by the use of horsehair braid along the hem (for fullness), in addition to the heavier material, full lining, plus side pockets at this price point. I paired it simply with one of my go-to turtlenecks, which have gotten more wears this season than I can count.

Dress the Population Zoe dress xs (neckline closed up 1"), Steve Madden heels 5.5

We rung in the new year helping good friends host a party, with the same group at the same place for 3 years in a row now! I figured why not live it up a little and ended up going with the makeup look & dress from this post. The original neckline was quite low so I put on the dress, threaded a needle, and stitched together the V until Nick's bulging eyes receded back a bit. Here's some pics I dug out from NYE of 2014, 2015, and now 2016...must remember to continue this photo op in the years to come!

After wearing this dress for a solid 8+ hours, I can confirm it has continuously good hold at the tummy area...I was gorging on snacks all night but the very stretchy, thicker material kept my food baby in check. It's still fully avail. in my "antique gold" color and just got restocked in the blush pink/gold "opalescent," which was my first choice but had been sold out for ages (would be gorge for a bachelorette or girls night)! For fellow shorties, the neckline will hit lower than on the model, but is very easy to safety pin or hand-stitch up.

While on Nordies' site, I noticed their big half-yearly sale is currently going on until Jan 3rd. You can shop the sale here and filter by size & price after selecting a category. Here's a few picks I came across, still available in small or petite sizes:
- Ellen Tracy belted down coat w/ faux fur trim, very reminiscent of my J.Crew one but comes in a pretty olive in addition to black. Nearly 50% off and starts in size Petite P.
- Skinny cargo-style pants - under $30, starting in size 00. 27" inseam may fit like regular ankle jeans on petite ladies.
- Lucy Paris lace dress in navy, now 40% off. Runs small and narrow (see my review)
- Infinity scarves in 2 cute plaids for 50% off - now under $12
- TOMS classic slip-ons in a tweedy gray, starting in sz 5 for 30% off. I find their slip-ons to be very comfy for running errands with no breaking-in needed.

I saw a pretty necklace recently with layered pearls and crystals, and figured it was easy enough to recreate. I found a thin rope pearl necklace and wrapped it around three times so that it sat shorter than my Ann Taylor crystal piece. Speaking of AT, my white twill trench is now online in a versatile navy blue! See my original review here and it styled again here - the quality is really lovely, and I imagine the darker color is much lower maintenance for those scared of white. I kept seeing the navy as a tease in the stock photo, but it never appeared to be available for sale until now (and is 40% off).

PS - the 3 Nordstrom gift card winners have been drawn & announced! Congrats!

What to wear: black tie holiday party or formal winter wedding (and the right bra for low-cut or backless items!)

ASOS petite dress US 0p, Steve Madden heels (also here), Baublebar earrings (similar)

H&M faux fur wrap (similar here or here), NARS shanghai express lipcolor

On Nick: J.Crew Ludlow tuxedo, DIY pocket square (I always make him one to match me : )

As holiday party season will soon be upon us, I�m going to be sharing outfit ideas for all sorts of environments and dress codes! I�ve gotten requests for office-appropriate party attire and also more formal black tie wear, so will be showing those first this week. Earlier this month, Nick and I attended a fun Fall formal organized by our friends. They raised an amazing 100k for charity, and we got to dress up and drink the night away in the Children�s Museum, so win-win all around! For a winter formal party or wedding, I love the look of a long gown with a little sultriness and touches of glamour. Here I looked to my usual old-school hollywood inspiration with a high leg slit, faux fur wrap, crystal drop earrings and minimalistic shoes. I took to the same inspiration for makeup with a subtle smokey eye, wine red lips and wavy hair swept off to the side.

For this event, I had procrastinated and was at a last-minute loss on what to wear. I wanted to rent this sequin gown recommended by my petite aunt but it was booked up well in advance. For readers who ask about formal dresses for petites, I usually suggest browsing ASOS and filtering their selection by size and item type. Their sizing runs very small and they have some unusual styles that you don�t see everywhere. I ended up taking my own advice and ordered this dress 2 days before the event - their express shipping is amazingly fast from across the pond!

Here's are a few other formal dresses from there all under $200, starting in 0 or 00 petite...

And here are a few other budget options above for under $100!

I will say ASOS is a fast fashion retailer so you do get what you pay for. This dress is a bargain for a long piece but it is not made of high quality materials, so I wouldn't suggest wearing it to a nicer event where others may be decked out in intricate gowns or couture. I would prefer to pay more for better quality, but due to procrastination, was hard-pressed to find formalwear anywhere else that fits with no alterations at all, even in length! Please note that ASOS sells a variety of different brands in addition to their own in-house one, so sizing may vary. Their in-house brand runs 1-2 sizes smaller than American brands for me (I'm wearing US 0 petite here which was a good fit throughout), and I've heard from friends that Jarlo petite which they sell also runs very small.

And now for the common question of what bra to wear with these dresses that have dips and cutouts here and there. I was able to wear a regular bra with this one, but my bra drawer is armed with the four tools below for those unexpected times when you can't:

Low back items: low back bra converter strap in black, 2 hooks (or in nude, 1 hook). I showed how to DIY one of these back in this post but at $9, it is totally worth purchasing instead of buying the materials. ASOS also sells a 2-pack of converters in both black and nude, with 2 bra strap hooks and 2 size options.

Low front items: nude plunge front bra. This one is noted with cups that run small and the reviewers say the B is actually well suited for A cups.

Backless and strapless or other items that will show any bra straps: Nubra adhesive silicone bra provides the most minimalistic coverage. I have one from this brand based on a friend's suggestion, and highly recommend it in return! The A cups fit me well, create magical cleavage, and the adhesive can be re-used for numerous wears (listed to last up to 50 wears!).

Very low front or unusual cutout designs: adhesive nipple covers! Lots of choices out there with mixed reviews. The ones linked here have fairly positive reviews, and are probably best for smaller busts that don't need a lot of support.
PS - For this particular dress, If you�ll be out in breezy conditions, be sure to secure down the front flap with double-sided fashion tape, a safety pin, or some thread at the highest point you�d want it to fly open! Another alternative which I did is to wear a pair of biking shorts underneath and let the skirt flap away without worry.

Pear Picking at Honey Pot Hill

On me: BP scarf, J.Crew tee, Uniqlo vest (review), J.Brand jeans (old), boots c/o Sorel

On Nick: Nordstrom sweater, J.Crew shirt, Levis jeans, Clarks boots

While leaving Honey Pot Hill with our bellies full of donuts, our eyes perked up at signs for pear picking. Picking and eating apples off the trees are an annual favorite activity of ours, but pears would be a first. We went back to do just that and it was so worth it - these were the sweetest pears I've ever crunched into! If you live in the vicinity I'd highly suggest going (FYI their site says this is the last weekend for pears, and you can mix and match with apples in your bag).

For fellow ladies who shop for their men, I wanted to share this half zip sweater from Nordstrom that's a layering staple. It's good quality at 95% cotton / 5% cashmere, and my favorite little detail is the brown zipper pull. Another one of Nick's favorite sweaters is a Ted Baker cardigan from last year that I noticed has been brought back this season at Nordstrom only. Guys have it so easy with their foolproof uniform of button-ups under sweaters - they just need a handful of each and can wear them on rotation all year.

And yes I finally gave into Sorel boots, a favorite of all my friends here (& apparently the rest of New England) for keeping feet toasty and dry. My personal favorite style is these Winter Fancy Lace IIs (comes in 3 colors - I'm wearing the grizzly bear / elk combo) which are waterproof and insulated like most of their boots, but more wearable in my opinion for everyday outfits than their intense Joan of Arc signature eskimo-y snowboots. Perhaps I'll change my mind though when we're 5 feet under another snowmageddon later this year!Don't let these pics fool you...I have the worst balancing abilities and Nick wasn't helping. While I was on his shoulders trying to diligently pick fruit, he kept terrorizing me by swooping and stooping for big pears that caught his eye, not to mention munching on all the good ones I picked! 

Thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post!

Our Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony at the Lenox Boston Hotel

We got wedding photos back and are so excited to share parts of our day with you guys! Today's post is from our Chinese marriage tea ceremony, which took place the morning of our wedding. Traditionally, the tea ceremony is a symbolic way of presenting the bride to the groom's family, and for the couple to express gratitude to their elders. The couple typically wears embroidered silk outfits in the color red for luck and prosperity. We wanted to pay homage to our heritage in a way that made sense for us - we may not have adhered to all the pillars of tradition, but focused on honoring our parents and family from afar whom we don't get to see nearly enough!

All jittery during our first look...you may recognize this dress from our engagement photos, minus the convertible snap-on bolero.
I came across several websites that made Chinese wedding dresses, but was unsure about their legitimacy and quality and couldn't find any reviews. My talented friend Khatu offered to hand make this one which made it all the more special to me. The design is inspired by the traditional qipao / cheongsam dresses with mandarin collars, but we used a softer color scheme and lace applique instead of embroidery.

During the ceremony, the couple kneels down and offers cups of tea first to the groom's parents then the bride's, followed by other family members in order of seniority. The elders sip the tea, and share words of blessing and red envelops filled with "lucky" money or jewelry.

Nick's mother wore a darling dress by Eliza J - it comes in petites and runs ~ a size small FYI.

My grandma was MIA during her turn...we finally found her hiding in a corner looking like this^

I had been pretty composed up until then, but the grandparents get me every time! They are elderly but traveled in from both across the country and globe. It meant the world to me to have them there.I love how my other grandmother's outfit matched her jade (they never take these off, ever!).

I also wanted to mention my petite aunt rented this sequined Nicole Miller gown (starts in sz 0P) from Rent the Runway. I thought it was an eye-catching yet elegant option for anyone looking for a black tie dress in petite sizing.

My mother (below) went for a silvery-blue beaded Sue Wong dress...I wish we were the same size so I could steal it from her closet!


I've gotten numerous emails and messages about where to find a similar teapot set as well as a mandarin-style dress - I'm so bummed I can't be of much help since we used an heirloom tea set and my dress was made by a friend. For any readers who have tips and suggestions from your own experience, I would love to hear them in the comments! I am sure that fellow ladies planning a similar ceremony would greatly appreciate any advice as well as reviews of mandarin dress companies.
Photos by Katch Studios; Dress by Khatu; Florals by Pollen; Makeup by Lisa Chy; Hair in partnership w/ TRESemm�; Nick's suit from Theory & accessories from The Tie Bar

Our Boston garden party brunch / bridal shower

ASOS petites lace dress in sz US 1 (2 colors, runs small), M.Gemi heels (sold out, similar)
On Nick: J.Crew Ludlow blazer, Levi 508 jeans, Cole Haan shoes

We're gradually getting photos back from our wedding-related festivities, and are excited to share some with you guys! Instead of a traditional bridal shower, my bridesmaids helped organize a coed garden party brunch of sorts, so that guests who had traveled early to Boston could join. We had it the day before our wedding which turned out to be hectic, but we were just happy to have time with our friends & family. Ladies were encouraged to wear their floral finest (I was amused by my grandma frantically iMessaging me all her outfit options from the 60's) and make their own fresh flower crowns at brunch. The DIY activity was a hit and made for some great photos to boot! Per your requests, I've made a very easy tutorial that's coming up.

Nick and his mom made these cute signs for all the food. The mini chalkboard selection at AC Moore is a dangerous place...I came out with more of 'em than I could ever need.

Now about this dress...I was beyond excited that it got fully restocked, as I've gotten tons of questions about it. I'm wearing a size US 1 (usually size up when I see the word "bodycon") and would say this runs about 2 sizes smaller than typical US brands. The material is lightweight and stretchy, and the dress is lined with an invisible zipper down the back. I see it's available in black lace now too! Some of you have asked if the white version is OK to wear as a wedding guest - I don't know what the rules are these days, but I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't the bride. Aside from bridal activities though, I've been wearing this to cocktail parties and out to dinner alike - it's just an elegant and unique piece that is comfortable too. If you don't see your size, check back in the mornings as they often restock due to returns (since sizing can be confusing for customers).



We borrowed several decor pieces from our wedding the next day. The adorable vintage suitcases are from one of my favorite places to browse, the SOWA vintage market. Nick and I love poking around there on Sundays and then grabbing lunch at the mass of food trucks down the street.


To be honest, we didn't put too much thought into decor as we were much more interested in the food! Mini Maine lobster rolls, crabcakes, and oysters were a must - no visitors should have to leave Boston without a heavy dose of our yummy seafood!

And what's a dessert table without mini Boston cream pies...

Surprise surprise...Nick and my little brother Schuyler were never more than two feet away from the food table all morning:

I don't see too much resemblance, but I can't count the number of times my own family members kept mistaking Wendy and I for each other throughout the wedding weekend! My aunts, grandpa, brother and even my dad (*shakes head*)...

My grandparents mean the world to me, so seeing them in Boston having a blast made the stress of wedding planning worth it. Even my grandmother couldn't resist making herself a little crown! Stay tuned for a tutorial post and a few more photos.

Photos by Katch Studios, Florist: Pollen Floral Design, Restaurant: Precinct