Feeling thankful

"The meal isn't over when I'm full, the meal is over when I hate myself."- Louis C.K.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! Like most large families, we celebrated a few thanksgivings and that means filling up on a few plates of turkey (YIKES!) Of course I didn't end up taking many pictures of the yummy food. But trust me, it was delicious! My mom and I made a few appetizers made with gorgonzola, prosciutto, arugula and pears. Check out the recipes and family pictures below. Hope you all had an amazing thanksgiving! What kind of thanksgiving traditions do you and your family celebrate? 

Pear & Prosciutto Bruschetta 

Ingredients:

Sourdough bread loaf

Gorgonzola cheese

A pear

Prosciutto

Arugula

Balsamic glaze

Cut the sourdough bread loaf into small slices and put them on a cookie sheet. Brush a little bit of olive oil on the bread and put them in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Put pieces of the gorgonzola cheese in a small bowl and place it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Grab a spoon and smear the cheese on the slices of bread. Place a piece of the prosciutto on top. Cut the pear into small pieces and place each slice on the bread. 

Place a few pieces of arugula on top to garnish and finish by dressing the appetizer with balsamic glaze. 

Eat & enjoy!!

Pears with Gorgonzola & Prosciutto bites

Ingredients:

A pear

Prosciutto

Gorgonzola cheese

Arugula

Slice the pear and layer the arugula and cheese on the slice. Wrap each slice with a piece of prosciutto. Display slices on a fun plate for guests. 

Eat & Enjoy!!!

10 tips to becoming happier, according to the Pope

You have one life to live, being happy is your choice

According to this article, the Pope has given advice to living a happier life. As we grow older, our lives become more complicated. It shouldn't be that way, but we get so caught up in our own lives, we forget to go back to the basics. I believe we are here on earth to love others and be loved. It seems like such a simple concept that many of us cannot seem to grasp. Enjoy the little moments in life because there is no destination, but the journey itself that we must cherish. I must sound like a book of cliches, but I loved this article when I was reading it and I wanted to share it with you guys! 

The Pope’s 10 Tips for a Happier Life

1. “Live and let live.” Everyone should be guided by this principle, he said, which has a similar expression in Rome with the saying, “Move forward and let others do the same.”

2. “Be giving of yourself to others.” People need to be open and generous toward others, he said, because “if you withdraw into yourself, you run the risk of becoming egocentric. And stagnant water becomes putrid.”

3. “Proceed calmly” in life. The pope, who used to teach high school literature, used an image from an Argentine novel by Ricardo Guiraldes, in which the protagonist — gaucho Don Segundo Sombra — looks back on how he lived his life.

4. A healthy sense of leisure. The Pope said “consumerism has brought us anxiety”, and told parents to set aside time to play with their children and turn of the TV when they sit down to eat.

5. Sundays should be holidays. Workers should have Sundays off because “Sunday is for family,” he said.

6. Find innovative ways to create dignified jobs for young people.“We need to be creative with young people. If they have no opportunities they will get into drugs” and be more vulnerable to suicide, he said.

7. Respect and take care of nature. Environmental degradation “is one of the biggest challenges we have,” he said. “I think a question that we’re not asking ourselves is: ‘Isn’t humanity committing suicide with this indiscriminate and tyrannical use of nature?’”

8. Stop being negative. “Needing to talk badly about others indicates low self-esteem. That means, ‘I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I have to cut others down,’” the Pope said. “Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy.”

9. Don’t proselytise; respect others’ beliefs. “We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyses: ‘I am talking with you in order to persuade you,’ No. Each person dialogues, starting with his and her own identity. The church grows by attraction, not proselytising,” the Pope said.

10. Work for peace. “We are living in a time of many wars,” he said, and “the call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive” and dynamic.

Courtesy of the Catholic News Service.

Original Link

High Voltage

High Voltage 

For some people, fall weather means gearing up for snow with your pair of Hunter boots, knee high socks, parka jackets and layers beyond layers. For the sorry bunch in California, we complain with a bit of fog. If your fall weather is just a long held out summer, here's an idea about how to layer without bundling up like a snow storm is brewing. 

Dress: H&M // Leather jacket: Nordstrom BP // Plaid shirt: American Eagle // Earrings: My grandmother's // Shoes: Guess from Macy's // Bracelets: Forever 21, Alex & Ani // Rings: My own

Photography by Nicole Stephens

Mission Peak

"One does not climb to attain 

enlightenment, rather one climbs 

because he is enlightened."  

-- Zen Master Futomaki

Since I've moved back to the Bay Area, I realized there are so many adventures I haven't explored yet. I've been wanting to go on a hike up Mission Peak in Fremont and decided to invite some friends from work to tag along. The hike was a little cold and the incline was a bit crazy but at the end of the day, I can cross it off my bucket list. There is something motivating that happens when I go on a hike, whether it's the endorphins that make me happy or just breathing fresh air. I feel as if my mind has been cleared and when I stand on the top of that peak and look down at the world around, I realize that all the petty problems in my life don't really matter and I'm just a small piece in this big world. If you are in the Bay Area and haven't hiked up Mission Peak, I definitely recommend it, but make sure you bring a lot of water and good shoes!  

And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love

 BΔSTILLE in San Francisco 

Bastille came to the Bay Area this week and yet again, sold out another amazing show. The energy that the group has on stage is completely electric. Whether you're apart of the fan girl "stormer's" or not, this band plays the type of music that anyone can really enjoy. Their single, "Pompeii" is not only catchy, but it has topped the charts in both the US and the UK. Bastille's sound has electric, rock, indie and R&B influences which makes them sound different than any other ordinary band. 

I went to the concert with a few friends from work. Check out their blogs as well!

Angeliners

Nikki Jean Photography

This English rock band formed in London in 2010. Within the last four years, the group has completely taken over the alternative music scene. Bastille's front man Dan was the first to create the group and found the other three; Will, Kyle and Woody. Dan's birthday is celebrated on July 14th, which also lands on Bastille Day, the French national holiday which helped the group find a perfect band name. In December 2010, Virgin Records signed a recording contract with Bastille. In April 2012, the first single, "Overjoyed" was released. The song that took them to the top was 'Pompeii" featured on their first studio album. 

Their first studio album, Bad Blood was released March 2013 and flew to the top of the UK charts. In November 2014, Bastille sold 5 million records in the US and 2.5 million in the UK. As they continue to top the charts, keep an eye out for their new album coming soon after their tour comes to an end within the next few months. 

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_(band) 

http://www.bastillebastille.com/home/

Yahoo Images

Album Cover 

"Autumn. The year's last, loveliest smile". -W.C. Bryant

Boots, crisp air, pretty leaves, sweaters & football. 

I love fall!

My favorite season is fall because the leaves start to change, the weather cools down and Christmas is right around the corner. It's time to bring out your boots with dresses and skinny jeans. It's also the perfect time for this holiday Starbucks drinks (soy carmel brûlée latte, YUM!) 

I hope you're all enjoying the new season and have started layering the amazing new trends for fall. Look out for some new concert and outfit posts for 'The Society of Fashion' to feature. 

What do you love about the fall season? 

Dress: LoveCouture

Sweater: Nordstrom

Scarf: H&M 

Earrings: Forever 21

Boots: Boutique 

Photography by Nicole Stephens 

Blog Lovin'

Blog Lovin'

I've been following these blogs for awhile now and wanted to share them with you. I hope you find some inspiration in their outfit and lifestyle posts!

Lovely Pepa is the most read fashion and style blog and one of the most influential blogs in the world. If you haven't heard of her before, check her out now! 

Blog: http://lovely-pepa.com

Instagram: @Lovelypepa

Twitter: @LovelyPepa

The Classy Cubicle blog was started to show woman that dressing for the office doesn't have to be dull and boring. But the regular nine to five shouldn't be a 'slop fest' either. Mary Orton is the woman behind the Classy Cubicle and has done a flawless job at making this fashion blog an inspiration to all working women.

Blog: http://www.theclassycubicle.com

Instagram: @maryorton

Twitter: @classycubicle

Staircase to nowhere

Staircase to nowhere

Hello there fashionistas! Here to share all of recent endeavors with you including this awesome photoshoot taken by the fabulous Nicole Stephens. As I start testing the waters with this blogging world, I'm learning a lot and trying to apply it to managing my own blog. No one told me it would be easy, but no one prepared me for what I was getting myself into. I think that as of now, blogging has taught me how to have time management and learn to reach out to others around me for help. 

I hope you guys have a great week & watch out for more posts! 

Leather Jacket: Nordstrom

Shirt: Nordstrom

Jeans: Old Navy

Shoes: Target

Necklace: Grandma

Purse: Michael Kors

Photography by: Nicole Stephens

The Black Keys come to Oakland

The Black Keys 

"You'll be on my mind

Don't give yourself away

To the weight of love". 

When I think of rock and roll music, I think of guys strumming their guitars and banging on the drums in a garage dreaming of one day making it big. Please meet Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney or better known as; The Black Keys. The dynamic duo became friends at a young age and found a love for music in their pastime. They started their humble beginnings in Akron, Ohio and both decided to drop out of college and pursue their dreams of making a career in the music industry. 

The two have been known as 'The Black Keys' since 2001 and found their claim to fame in 2010 with the album, Brothers. The duo gained a large underground fan base from the start through  touring at clubs and music festival appearances. The album; 'Brothers' also won 3 Grammy Awards. In 2011, the duo started their arena tour and also landed a number 2 spot on the Billboard's top 100 hits. 

I came across The Black Keys during a very intense family game of Guitar Hero. The easiest song was "Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys. Later, I grabbed their album and immediately fell in love with the indie rock band. The upbeat tempo of their music has a positively contagious feeling that no one in the audience can deny. 

I was lucky enough to attend the concert and they absolutely blew my mind. The set changed every three songs and it seemed to change the vibe in the arena each time. Another great performance by 'The Black Keys' and I look forward to the future of their music. 

Resources:

breakonacloud.com

http://www.theblackkeys.com/giveaway

b-sides.tv