’tis the season for sample sales! on saturday, december 13, dear creatures will be hosting a holiday sale. prices will start at $10 with nothing over $45! if you’re in the la area, it’s a good time to stock your closet!
a scene from last week
i caught a few snapshots of adam with his great-grandparents when they came over for albondigas last week! it is such a special treat to be able to watch him interact with them, he really does have a special bond with them.
family recipes: albondigas soup
it’s the time of year to celebrate family, so i’ve decided to share some of my favorite family recipes for the month of december. i grew up on mexican food, with all of the recipes being handed down from generation to generation on my mother’s side. and as soon as the weather gets chilly, we all start craving a pot of caldo (soup) to warm our bones. albondigas (meatball) soup is one of my ultimate comfort foods. in fact, after adam was born earlier this year, i asked my mom make a giant pot for me, and it was literally the only thing i ate for at least a week after i got home from the hospital. i just didn’t have the stomach for anything else. she would serve me a warm bowl of soup with a rolled up tortilla, and i would be in heaven.
last week was grey and rainy, so it was the perfect time for us to practice our family recipe. my sister and i made a big pot of soup under my grandmother’s supervision so that we could share the recipe with you. mind you, this is a recipe that we’ve all committed to memory, we eyeball the measurements for all the ingredients, and each of us tweaks the recipe to our own personal taste. there really are no rules, especially when it comes to making soup! i’m offering you the base for how we make it in our family, but feel free to add or subtract whatever ingredients you prefer.
albondigas soup
for the meatballs
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup brown rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped mint
garlic salt, pepper, and cumin to taste
for the soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup rice
1 tbsp crushed garlic
cumin to taste
3 cups vegetable stock
3 cups of water
1 small can of tomato sauce
2 cups cubed red or yellow potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
green beans or any other vegetable you prefer!
garnish (to taste)
cilantro
green onions, chopped
oregano
after prepping all of your veggies and meatballs, coat the bottom of a large pot with a thin layer of olive oil. saute onions until translucent, then add crushed garlic and saute for another minute before adding the cumin. finishe sauteing for another minute, then add the vegetable stock, water, and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil.
once the soup is boiling, carefully drop in the meatballs. let boil for about a minute before adding in the vegetables. reduce heat and allow the soup to simmer until all of the ingredients are tender, about 30 minutes.
serve with cilantro, green onions, and oregano to taste. then warm a tortilla and enjoy!
a current affair: pop-up vintage marketplace this weekend!
it’s time once again for a current affair, my favorite pop-up vintage marketplace, happening this weekend at the cooper design space on saturday, dec. 6 from 1 – 7pm. if you live in the la area, then i highly recommend you check it out. the venue is beautiful, the sellers are all top notch, and there’s even an open bar!
you can find more info here and buy tickets here. hope to see you there!
joshu+vela
it seems like no matter how many handbags or accessories i own, i always tend to gravitate towards one or two pieces that i end up wearing almost every single day. two such items that have been currently getting a lot of wear are my clare v. messenger bag and this amazing patent leather joshu+vela envelope. they’re such a pretty duo that i hardly ever switch them out. i purchased the handbag shortly after adam was born as a little gift to myself. at the time, i didn’t even realize how practical it would be: the roomy size means it doubles as a lightweight diaper bag on quick excursions where i don’t need to carry much more than an extra diaper and a few toys.
the wallet was a gift from the designer, something i would not have picked for myself, but that has quickly become a favorite. first off, it is the most perfect mustard yellow hue, and second, the patent leather makes it pretty much indestructible in the hands of a teething infant. it’s pretty, it’s practical, it’s handmade made in san francisco, and it’s a perfect gift (for yourself or someone special).
handmade holiday: soaking salts and milk baths
the holidays can be stressful, you guys. every year, i feel totally chill– until the day after thanksgiving, when i suddenly realize that i have about a million gifts to give, and my already monumental to-do list seems to quadruple in size. add a baby to the mix, and i can become a bit of a scrooge. but this year, instead of allowing myself to become overwhelmed, i decided to simplify. instead of trying to fight the holiday crowds over silly little trinkets, i decided to partake in a handmade holiday. yes, i still have plenty of holiday shopping to do, but making the bulk of my gifts has already lightened the load tremendously. so over the next couple of weeks, i’ll be sharing some of the holiday diy projects that i’ve been making along with the help of my sister.
first up, a collection of luxurious milk baths and soaking salts. since having the baby, i’ve been making an effort to set aside some chill-out time to soak in the bath about once a week, so i already have my own little stockpile of soaking ingredients in my cabinet! they can all be found at your local health food store, and the recipes are really simple, with many of the ingredients being easily interchangeable. the only real investment comes in the form of the essential oils. some bottles run upwards of $25 a pop, but you only use a few drops of each, so there will be plenty leftover for your own concoctions. plus, the act of simply slowing down and making something was rather therapeutic, and felt a lot more meaningful to me. probably because making these soaks is basically one big aromatherapy session in itself!
the shopping list
pink himalayan sea salt
pink sea salt
red hawaiian sea salt
grey celtic sea salt
epsom salt
baking soda
powdered coconut milk
powdered buttermilk
powdered honey
essential oils (i used vanilla, lavender, ylang ylang, grapefruit, orange, and a “relaxation blend”)
soaking salts
1 cup sea salt
1/2 cup epsom salt
1/4 cup part baking soda
5 – 6 drops of essential oil
i should probably start out by saying that you don’t need to get himalayan pink or celtic grey salt for these. i think they are said to have special therapeutic properties, and that may be true, but i mostly went with them because they come in pretty colors. regular old sea salt and epsom salts will still do the trick. my personal favorite mix of essential oils? lavender, grapefruit, and ylang ylang.
milk bath
1 1/2 cups powdered milk
1/4 cup powdered honey
1/4 cup epsom salt
5 – 6 drops of essential oil
for this recipe, we tried two different soaks, one made with coconut milk and the other made with buttermilk. the coconut milk obviously has a very strong coconut scent, so we mixed in some vanilla to compliment it. the end result basically smells like cookies. the buttermilk is more neutral, so this one is a good option if you want to use essential oils that might not go as well with coconut. we mixed it with grapefruit, orange, and vanilla.
giveaway: enter to win $175 to earth & beauty!
today i am excited to announce my latest giveaway courtesy of earth & beauty. this new online shop features modern women’s clothing and accessories sourced from independent and hard-to-find designers across north america, europe, asia, and the middle east. every piece of clothing is carefully selected for it’s quality craftsmanship, and i have to say that i was really impressed when i received this versatile little dress in the mail. it has a certain quiet elegance and effortless ease about it, and i especially love how it creates the perfect canvas for showcasing a statement necklace, like this little marbled piece i made a few weeks ago. and it turned out to be the perfect thing to wear this weekend to a thanksgiving dinner with family.
earth & beauty has just released their winter lookbook and have freshly stocked the shop with plenty more to choose from, so i’m especially excited to be able to offer you the opportunity to win a $175 gift card to the shop. there are four ways to enter below:
Calivintage x Earth & Beauty Giveaway
wearing:
gaia black shift dress courtesy of earth & beauty
jenni kayne suede d’orsay flats
vintage coach bag courtesy of twice
self-made necklace
earth & beauty would also like to offer you 20% off your order with code “calivintage” now through 11:59pm pst on sunday 12/7!
at the apple orchard
we’re spending time with family for the holiday, so i thought it would be fitting to leave these here. some photos from a recent trip we took to the apple orchards in oak glen. adam’s great-grandpa proudly held him in his arms and showed him around. we ate apple cider donuts and drank warm apple cider, and got to watch adam as he squealed in delight over the animals at the petting zoo. and funnily enough, we didn’t get any pictures of apples!
adam is wearing: hat handmade by niko’s naptime, american apparel baseball tee, gap sweatpants, old navy sneakers
jane sews summer capsule
today is a good day for those of you in the southern hemisphere! the south african-based label jane sews has just released their new summer capsule collection, and as expected, it’s a good one! designer amy venter has introduced a beautiful new set of classic dresses and separates in a clean black and cream palette with the cutest little sandals and handbags to go with them. the palm print is fun and playful without being overdone, just the type of thing i would love to wear on that imaginary resort vacation i’ve got planned in my head. everything is constructed in crisp cotton, breezy rayon, and luxurious silk blends right in their durban studio, at an incredibly affordable price point. if you haven’t taken the time to check out this brand, then today is the day!
tink photography
hair and make-up by candice mac nicol
model ndumi matiwane
a variation on candied yams
and just like that, thanksgiving is upon us. my family will be gathering at my grandma’s house for a traditional thanksgiving with all of the usual suspects: a giant turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, rolls, and steamed veggies. my grandma’s been making it that way her entire life, and we don’t tend to stray away from her tradition. but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a bit of fun on our own. my sister came over this weekend, eager to try out a recipe for “healthy” candied yams that she’d dreamt up the night before. it turned out so good, that we’ve decided that we might as well entertain ourselves with all of our own thanksgiving alternatives in the days before and after this most gluttonous of holidays.
a variation on candied yams
- 4 cups cubed sweet potatoes (you can also go half and half with butternut squash if you like!)
- 2 Tbsps olive oil, or enough to coat the potatoes
- 3 – 4 Tbsps maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- juice of half an orange
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup pecans, lightly chopped
set oven to 400 degrees. toss the potatoes lightly in olive oil and bake in the oven until tender, about 20 – 25 minutes. remove from the oven and stir in the orange juice, pecans, and cranberries. drizzle with maple syrup to taste, then return to the over for an additional 15 minutes, or until the dish has caramelized. let rest for a few minutes and enjoy with your favorite thanksgiving dishes!
