Style Post: Fairytales & Frolicking

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I've loved fairytales for as long as I can remember.

Fairytales were the first sort of story I ever wrote, back when one sentence took up a whole page, in crayon no less. The first book I've published under my own name through an indie press, The Princess Games, is a fairytale (if you haven't read it, please check it out!). Fairytales are the one certainty in my always-in-flux life.

I know I'll read them, write them, and love them forever.

I'm a relatively reasonable person in the ways that matter to be a functional adult, but I love fantasy and I love incorporating elements of fantasy into my everyday life. One of my favorite ways to do so is with fashion!



And it certainly doesn't hurt when a fairytale door presents itself, an unexpected gift from the universe. Day, made.

In just a few short weeks, I'll be back in Germany, land of castles, with my family. I can't wait!

Still, it is very, very welcome when lovely surprises, like this door, insert themselves into my life in the present. What better way to enjoy the anticipation of an incredibly lovely thing than with the enjoyment of a lovely thing?

One must twirl and be grateful!

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Recipe: African Peanut Stew with Quinoa

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Sometimes it's fun to take a little culinary adventure to some far-flung end of the globe. A flight to Africa easily takes a solid 24 hours, but this delicious stew takes less than 1 from start to finish - it's also a lot cheaper! 

I'm not saying this stew is a good substitute for traveling to Africa and experiencing some of what is a very beautiful continent with very many very rich cultures in person, but that's not always an option. Experiencing a little of the food culture in the comfort of your own kitchen is a good way to dip your toes into a little cross-cultural exploration!

Plus, it's delicious.

African Peanut Stew with Quinoa

Serves 6

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Style Post: Vivid Blues and Sparkly Shoes!

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Another day, another dress! I strive to live a bold, beautiful life, where I do what makes me happy and bring more light and positivity to the world along the way.

I'm not saying how I dress does that. It doesn't. But it's a fun way to remind myself that life is lovely and, even when it tests you, you must keep your chin up! 

I also regularly make strangers smile with my colorful rainboots and bright pink umbrellas, and who doesn't want to inspire a smile on a dreary, rainy day in the city? We could all smile more and the world would be all the lovelier for it!

Like the late Kate Spade, who designed the sparkly pink flats I'm wearing in this post (which happen to also be my current favorite shoes) I wish to leave a little sparkle wherever I go.

People have been calling me 'Diana' a lot lately and I choose to believe that that's because they see a bit of her charm in me, and not just because they're lowkey dyslexic.

This is an outfit fit for a proper tea, with scones and jam and clotted cream. 

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Style Post: Summer Brights without Splurging!

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I'm back with another style post and *surprise, surprise* it's another summer dress look!

I know, I know. I have a problem.

But what's not to love about summer dresses?

They're light.

They're bright.

They twirl well.

They take two seconds to put on and you don't have to coordinate anything. 

They can be quite affordable (like this one from Forever 21).

There are so many different styles and they draw inspiration in fabric, print, pattern, and cut from so many different sources.

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Recipe: Thai Asparagus Soup

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While winter is when you crave stews and soups, a light green soup can also make a lovely dinner on a brisk summer night. Here's a flavorful thai asparagus soup that's delicious, healthy, and easy to whip up. It beats the canned stuff any day!

Thai Asparagus Soup

Serves 6

* 1 large onion, chopped

* 3 Tbsp. canola oil

* 3 Tbsp. minced lemongrass

* 3 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

* 3 pounds asparagus, trimmed (take about one inch off the bottom of the stalks)

* 0.5 tsp. black pepper

* salt, to taste

* 1.5 c. canned coconut milk

* 5 c. canned vegetable broth

* 0.5 tsp. fresh lemon juice

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Style Post: Cold Shoulders and Flowery LBDs

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I am 100% a winter person. If it could snow every day from December 1 through February 28 every year, I would so be down. I'd also be very, very down for it never getting over 75 degrees Fahrenheit, max, in the summer. Heat and I just don't go together. 

That said, my favorite clothing style is definitely warm weather fashion. Ironic, right? It's not like I don't love slouchy sweaters and high socks, but summer dresses are just so fun and dreamy and perfect for frolicking about in!

I have some summer dresses that date back to my college years (and that's... a while... ago), but I also love to get at least a few new summer dresses every year. It's fun to update your look and try something new, even if you still like the old dresses!

And I never hesitate to mix in some old favorites, like these sandals - I've had them for three or four years and, before that, they belonged to my favorite German cousin (she knows who she is).

My earrings are also an old favorite! I got them almost 4.5 years ago now and they're absolutely gorgeous garnet studs. They're my first-ever Valentine's Day gift from my first-ever boyfriend (wonderful guy, but not my current boyfriend) and they're still my favorite piece of jewelry that I own, hands down. 

Wouldn't this be the perfect place to insert a photo of said drop-dead-gorgeous earrings?

It was a total facepalm moment when I started typing up this blog post and realized that my hair is hiding the beautiful earrings in the detail shot I took to show you said earrings! 🙈

Total blogger fail. Sigh. 

Anyway, you'll just have to take my word for it that they're gorgeous. Maybe I'll use them in another outfit post soon and then you can see what I'm talking about!

Anyway, back to what I do have photos of:

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I Tried It: John Frieda Frizz Ease for Ethnic Hair

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We've established that my hair has a mind of its own. I do what I can to tame it, but I enjoy my bouncy curls and all their character too much to chop it all off and call it a day. What can you do!

Answer: try all the things.

I received the John Frieda Frizz Ease Collection from Influenster and couldn't wait to try it out! I'd used John Frieda hair products when I was younger, but it had been a solid ten to fifteen years since I'd last tried it out.



The Frizz Ease Collection is a four product line that promises to enhance your natural curls, smooth the strands, and create bouncy, frizz-free waves. Sounds ideal!

I love that the line includes Frizz Ease Secret Weapon Touch-Up Creme to smooth frizz and flyaways on second day hair - because you're not a real curly hair ally if you think every day is wash day.

It gives me confidence in the creators of the line that they understand that washing my hair more than around three times per week would turn it into an eternal brillo pad. This touch up creme contains avocado oil for hydration and it provides grip, making it great for braided styles. All around win!

Anyway, I started out testing the line with a fresh wash, followed by the duo team of Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner and the Frizz Ease Extra Strength Six Effects + Serum.

Right out of the shower, after a little towel dry, I sprayed the Leave-In Conditioner through my hair, focusing on the driest bit - *cough, the ends, cough*.

I love that it's a spray. I'm used to cream leave in conditioners that take some rubbing to get absorbed, breaking up my pretty post-wash curls in the process. Since this one is a spray, it's easy to apply and my curls stay intact. It smells nice, features vitamins A, C, and E, and promises to protect against heat!

Next up, Frizz Ease Extra Strength Six Effects+ Serum.

This serum is a finisher containing silk proteins, that promises to tame and smooth even the toughest, coarsest hair. That's always a great thing to read when you have ethnic hair (read: kinky) and the product line isn't specifically formulated for Black hair. It says to use sparingly on dry hair as a finisher, but I used it on my still damp hair right after the leave-in conditioner and it was fine.

On my damp hair, I liked that the products smelled nice, didn't make it feel weighed down, and weren't sticky or flaky. 

It looks pretty and the curls held up well, unlike with some other products I've tried recently. 😒

So far, so good! But my hair generally looks pretty good wet and the frizzy mess only comes out when it dries, so dry hair would be the true test.

I let my hair air-dry, because that's my usual low-maintenance style, as I went about my day - a little bit of startup work, off to Silvercup Studios for a fitting, lunch at Juice Press, and back home for more work. By that time, my hair was totally dry and...

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Recipe: Avocado Cornbread

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As longer-term blog readers know, I've recently shifted away from being 97% food, 3% lifestyle to being mostly life focused and blogging about everything from modeling to startup life to staying sane post surgery.

But, guys, I love baking (cooking, too, but to a lesser degree), so we're not getting rid of recipes entirely. Especially when my late night kitchenventures result in something as millennial brilliant as avocado cornbread.

Avocado. Cornbread. It's sweet, savory, carby, and full of smooth, creamy pockets of avocado - like (healthier) butter already chillin' in your cornbread, just waiting to create a flavor explosion in your mouth. Mmmmmmm yeah.

You're welcome.

Avocado Cornbread

A 9" round cornbread

* 1 c. stone ground cornmeal

* 0.5 c. all purpose flour

* 1.5 tsp. baking soda

* 0.5 tsp. sea salt

* 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

* 2 tsp. cumin

* 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

* 2 Tbsp. honey

* 2 small ears of corn (cut the corn off the husk, throw out the husks - should be ~2 c. of corn kernels)

* 1 large avocado, cut into small cubes (~1.5 c.)

* Juice from a small lime (~2 tsp.)

* 1 c. buttermilk

* 1 large egg

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