H-town StrEATS

Each plate came with temporary tattoos.
Paneer & Curry Spinach Quesadillas / Risotto Balls with Tomato Jam / Monte Cristo Balls with Berry Jam
Frito Pie (these totally brought me back to my high school days)
Shrimp Puffies
Parmesan Truffle Fries (these were sooo good!)

You know, I was a teensy bit jealous of Austin for having so many amazing food trucks the last time I was there, but it seems Houston has finally caught on. H-town StrEATS offers compact versions of some of my favorite dishes. Ugggg, they are making it way too convenient for me to satiate my late night munchies!

The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side

// vintage Dickey, sweater, and satchel / Flying Monkey jeans / leopard print belt from Marshall's / GAP wedges / Target sunglasses / Casio watch from the hubby //

What does a 25 cent Dickey, a grass green Italian merino wool sweater, and an Alexa-inspired satchel have in common? They were all lovingly rescued from the thrift store. If powering through my 6-digit student loan means making the most of what I got and adding thrift store treasures along the way, then so be it (the thrill of the hunt is more fun anyway). I've never put myself on a shopping ban because like any diet, I'll probably just binge afterward. I think a conscious awareness of the looming darkness that is Salliemae is enough to scare the bejeezus out of me.

So in commemoration of kicking Salliemae's butt, I'm hosting two giveaways. The first one is from my favorite "everything" website (seriously, you can buy a wood swing set and cute shoes all in the same place). CSN is giving away a $35 gift certificate to use in any one of their 200+ stores. The catch is you have to be from the US or Canada since they only ship to those two countries.

I know I've promised my international readers a giveaway as well, so I'm also giving away a beautiful vintage navy blue snakeskin (faux?) clutch
...and a necklace with a teeny tiny piglet (for those who share my love for whimsy) to one international reader.
All you have to do is follow me on Google Friend Connect and Facebook (if you're not there already) and post your name, email address, and whether you are a US/Canada or an international reader in a comment to this post. I will pick the winners next Friday, March 4.

Good luck!

Team Timo

Photos: Fashionologie

I must admit that although the colors that I've been wearing as of late have been fairly dark and muted, I am equally just as attracted to the bright whimsy of Timo Weiland's collection. The girls actually look like they have a personality and the boys, well, I have a thing for dorky cute.

Living in an Artopian World

Went to check out the HATE Exhibition I participated in for Houston's annual Artopia show. The photographer, Jay Marroquin, debuted his collection of powerful images revolving around "hate" as a pervasive concept in both past and present society. You can check out his press release here. I'm one of the girls picnicking in the foreground of the "Not Dead" photo. I love working with Jay, as he has recently become my photography mentor. Plus, he's a pretty cool hangout buddy. He will be capturing multiple shows at New York Fashion Week, and of course, I'm terribly jealous. Instead of sulking, I'm looking forward to hearing about his adventures in the Big Apple.

My friend, Ack!, just recently got asked by Diesel to design a Valentine's Day promo bag for Nordstrom's, so if you are in any of the listed cities, definitely check it out or better yet, get one for your sweetie!

There were a ton of food vendors. The Mediterranean selection was my favorite.

Press-on nail art by Kasey Cargill. Miniature replicas of your favorite art pieces!

Glow-in-the-dark painted hallway with contributions from artists in the show.

Surrounded by cutie pie Tumblrette sisters, Faith Silva and Taylor LaShae.

Shade in the Heights

Mac & Cheese in Truffle Oil
Pork Chops w/ a Tomato Puree, Scalloped Potatoes, and Green Beans
Pan Seared Scallops w/ Grits, Spinach, and Shoestring Potato Fries

// V. Fraas scarf / DKNY wool drape cardigan / Express web top / BDG. top / Target ponte pants / Minimarket wedge boots/ Abro bag //

Yep, it's that time again. "Girls eating good food" time. When my girlfriends and I hang out, we like to spend it eating (and drinking), but mostly eating. We had originally planned to check out Zelko Bistro but found out there was a 1-1/2 hour wait. If it wasn't so late already, maybe our stomachs would have been up for it. Such was not the case. We quickly narrowed down our choice to Shade. A first time for me, but a repeat visit for the other girls. Shade is a lovely little cafe in possibly my favorite neighborhood in Houston. With newly-envisioned comfort food (which seems to be all the rage these days), it's a place where I can indulge my dirty Southern cravings for down home cooking, and still be ladylike at the same time.