Video Friday - Festival of Colors

Next time I visit India I am planning my trip around the Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors.  Nowadays the tradition has scattered all over the world.  Even my neighbors in Saratoga threw a sort of Holi the day before they teared down their house.  Take a look at the video and you can see why it's on my must-do list.  Enjoy the weekend!

DIY - Global Coffee Table

For a few years now I've been saving bills from each country's currency I visit.  They don't take up as much space as coins and are super lightweight.  Every ounce counts when you are backpacking or living out of a carry-on for 5 weeks.  As a designer, my favorites are color and name driven.  Hong Kong is never one to blend in with the crowd and covers their bills in HOT pink.  Australia has been using Pantone's color of the year, Tangerine Tango for years.  Last but not least is India, for the sole reason I just miss paying in Rupees! 

 Instead of letting the bills gather dust we used them to decorate our drab Ikea coffee table.  Any glass top table with a layer underneath would work.  Plus it's a great conversation piece for your next dinner party.

                               A few more recipes for the dinner party I mentioned.
                                                  appetizer   /   main   /   dessert

Drift / 6 / Salt Lake City

 Although it's 70 degrees in La Jolla (not like that ever changes) I'm pretending it's chilly because I'm finalizing the fall collection for Borelli.  Fall 2012 is leaning towards jewel tones and grandma chic, a random yet fun mix of prints and colors inspired by my travels in India and my late Grandmother Lorraine.  

To see more of Borelli's fall inspiration head over to our pinboards - Fall - G-Ma.

I was flying back to San Diego after a week in Salt Lake City for the Outdoor Retailer show and Alt Summit.  It was an exhausting trip and I just wanted to cuddle up to my Southwest Airlines seatmate.  TDH rarely gets jealous but that would be going too far.  So, I cuddled with my wrap dress instead.  I designed it back while attending UCLA for undergrad.  (Yes, I keep clothes for a VERY long time, I still wear things from high school.)  The boots were a very calculated purchase, I didn't have enough confidence to pull them off at first.  But once I took the plunge I couldn't take them off.  You can ride a bike or wear a sexy dress or mini shorts with 'em. 

jacket - Theory / Dress - vintage Borelli / belt - Gap / leggings - Max Studio / boots - Steve Madden

Introducing Drift

Headband - Gardenhead / Dress - Brandy Melville / Purse - You will have to take a trip to India yourself . . . New Delhi is where I picked up this elephant gem.
See the dress in action, Sunrise Yoga Video

Italian Indian Squash Delight

This week I combined the culinary styles of two of my favorite places in the world - Italy and India.  Their spices and flavors may be on opposite sides of the spectrum but the way they prepare and enjoy their food is similar.  Who doesn't love a culture that uses some type of bread to sop up the last puddles of sauce on your plate?  Each country savors each bite making dinners a 3-5 hour affair. 

In India you eat with one hand, the other is reserved for the not-so-clean bathrooms, which may be just a hole in the ground.  Took me a whole week to get the hang of tearing off naan with one hand!  Thankfully you can enjoy these lovely flavors from the comfort of your own home.  Although, if you are feeling adventurous, train yourself to embrace spicy food and book a trip to Goa for relaxation or Rajasthan to sight-see and walk with the princes.  The Prince of Udaipur was quite cute if I remember correctly.    

Ingredients

3-4 zucchini or squash, small to medium, chopped

1/2 onion, white or yellow, chopped

1/2 big bunch of kale, or 1 small bunch, chopped into 1/2" wide

1 garlic clove, smashed

1/2 lemon

good quality Parmesan cheese, NO KRAFT!

turmeric

red chili pepper flakes

cumin

salt

pepper

extra virgin olive oil

What to do with the Ingredients

1.  Heat a pan on medium heat, add evoo, garlic, onions, salt and pepper.  Cover and stir every minute or so until they start to turn clear.

2.  Toss the zucchini and squash in.  Add a few shakes of tumeric, cumin and as much red chili pepper flakes as you can handle.  (They are great for your metabolism.)  Squeeze the 1/2 lemon over the pan.  Cover for about 2 minutes.

3.  Add the kale, stir and cover.  I don't like my kale super soggy so I don't let it cook for long.  Totally up to you and your family's tastebuds.

4.  Top with Parmesan cheese. 

Step 2

Step 3

Mangia! (eat!)