I recently moved into a new place and have been searching for the #allTheThings and was absolutely thrilled when I found the Eames DCMs in Navy (similar) pictured below. These babes have been my dream dining chairs for sometime so I was happy to commit to them without yet having a table in mind… plus, I’ve always been a good problem-solver. Had. To.
2. Fast-forward 2 weeks later: I meet this older woman who was selling this 250 pound thick slab of marble that was brought from Italy in 1940 to San Francisco, where it was used to make dough in a small pizzeria on Columbus. No idea how to make a table base, but amazing story & immaculate piece of marble. Had. To.
3. Fast-forward 1 week later: researching the interwebs on table-making. Because I am going for a rustic-modern-minimalist vibe in the new spot, I wanted table legs that would not distract too much from the marble nor the chairs. I opted for these 3-rod hairpins I found from this Denver-based maker. Had. To.
4. Fast-forward to this past Sunday: The parts of this dining set have been strewn about my living quarters for weeks, and I’m fed up. I spend a few hours at Home Depot collecting parts. Then many more hours of trial and error, stripped screws, laughs, tears, heavy breathing, heavy lifting, pizza breaks… and NOW I HAVE A NOT-VERY-STURDY-BUT-STANDING TABLE!
She’ll probably need some more screws and reinforcement, but SHE STOOD THROUGH THE NIGHT! Hooray!
hello, huckleberry table.
This big piece of compressed something board (the only one I could lift by myself in the store) that would serve as the layer underneath the marble slab:
Laying out ideas for the frame:
Metal bracket placement (idea credit → my wonderful bf):
Quick tip: I broke one of my drill bits as I’m new to this whole operation; so if you’re a newbie, I’d suggest 1) making sure you lock your bits in tight & 2) cleaning them off in between pilot holes!
Here I am unscrewing a stripped screw using pliers. Truth: I have blisters on my fingers from this taxing challenge 🙁 I learned the hard way that in order to effectively get these screws driven through all the hardwood, I would need to use all of my body weight to push the nail in. Learnt too late.
Remember when Jerry & Elaine had to get the “lesser babka” – the cinnamon one – because the last, greater babka – the chocolate one – was sold right in front of them?
It was the first thing I thought of when this Sandwich-inspired Babka article was recently published in a Lucky Peach newsletter. I thought to myself: what would be the ultimate babka? It would have to pair perfectly with a nice cup of coffee or black tea, enjoyed while sitting in a comfy chair, with some softly lulling melody that wouldn’t require too much attention. I’d need time to simmer on this…
Upon passing through the nut-butter aisle of my local market, the bold sans-serifed: n u t e l l a logo jumped out at me #goodmarketingguys. And on the fourth day, the nutella and bourbon babka with blood-orange glaze was born. Let me know what you think of the recipe!
INGREDIENTS
The babka:
5 cups of all-purpose flour
1 package of instant yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of canola oil
3 eggs
zest of 1 blood orange
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
The filling:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup dark or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup nutella
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
The glaze:
Juice of 1 blood orange (+ enough water to make 1/2 cup of liquid)
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
DIRECTIONS
Combine 1 cup of the flour (reserve 4 cups) with yeast and warm water; cover with a towel and let rise for 30-40 minutes (it should look all bubbly).
Add salt, sugar, oil, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla and stir until combined; then add the remaining flour slowly and mix. Gently knead the dough on a floured work surface until it becomes smooth and then let it sit in a bowl until it has risen (about 2x in size) for at least one hour
While you’re waiting for your dough to rise, you can start making the filling. In a small saucepan on low heat, melt butter, chocolate, and nutella together until smooth. Slowly add in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar and stir until smooth.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down on a floured work surface and divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each piece out into a long rectangular shape and place on a piece of parchment paper, then spread filling over the top of each. Stack the pieces and roll it into a tight coil. To keep it together, wrap in the parchment paper and use a piece of tape to keep it securely coiled. Refrigerate overnight (or keep in freezer for 30 minutes if you’re in a crunch).
After chilling, cut the log lengthwise, and with the cut sides up twist the 2 pieces together.
Place on a parchment lined pan and bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes.
While the babka bakes, you can make the blood orange glaze! In a small saucepan, add the orange juice and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and thickens slightly.
Remove babka from oven and brush some glaze over it and let them cool for a bit before serving!
blood orange zest:
combining zest, eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla into the flour + yeast mixture:
I’ve gone platinum blonde once before; previously, I had decided to for 2 reasons:
I was turning 25 and wanted to have pink/purple hair before being officially in my “mid-twenties”
Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I wanted to dress up as Sia for that Halloween
I went to my stylist in the East Village; it took 3 days and was an expensive hair investment (my hair was long at the time; see previous length of hair here). We made it work. I even went pink for a bit before going back to a more natural dark color #unicorn !
This time, I decided to go platinum blonde because I may not always have the opportunity to go have fun with my locks, so…YOLO. #useitbeforeyaloseit
The difference this time is that I DID IT MYSELF (despite the cautions and worries of my fellow platinum pal, Benjamin of Style Guise). As of the below photos being taken, I still probably have a few more lightening and tonings I’d like to do, but until then we’re in a good place with not too much breakage and a pretty satisfactory color. What do you think?
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Tips for DIY hair bleaching and toning (to platinum blonde from dark brown/black hair):
Expect it to be a journey that will take some time; pushing your hair too hard too fast will cause more breakage (this is when your hair becomes to damaged it falls apart, which gives many the concern that their hair is “falling out”).
Get an extra set of hands for help if you can! It’ll help you be more thorough and swift. *When I had long hair, 2-3 stylists at the salon worked on my hair at once to try to make sure the bleach and toners were applied for an equitable amount of time. If you can’t get help, precess your hair in manageable sections and time them closely (e.g. how long it takes to apply the bleach to a section, how long you keep it on for before rinsing)
The lightening processings are largely about time and the volume developer for the bleach powder you use. A high volume developer (40 vol) will be more intense and move your hair up more levels in lightness more quickly. Theres more risk of breakage at that level if you don’t watch it closely (I would generally only leave the bleach + 40 volume in my hair for ~15 minutes max before rinsing to ensure I did not over-process). A 30 volume developer can still lighten your locks, but it’ll take a bit more time, as you can leave it in your hair for a bit longer with less breakage-concern.
Toning is key to get to an ashier, cooler blonde and to get rid of the warmth and brassiness you may see at first. I did 2 bleach processings before my first toning with the Wella T18 (and toned twice to get to where I’m at in these photos).
Take breaks in between processing your hair! Your hair will be healthier and thank you for it. I took a 3 day break in between my first 2 lightenings & tonings before the last two.
Get a toning shampoo/conditioner; it’s a more gentle way that you can maintain your ashy platinum blonde every day while conditioning and cleansing your hair. I use a popular one listed below.
I prefer using a creme to a clear/liquid developer (I think it mixes up more easily and at a better consistency – the pancake-batter-like consistency that you want for both your bleach cream and your developed toner); here are some of the products I’ve tried and liked using:
I heard coconuts are really good for you. I’m not sure if it still counts if you add the below accoutrements…but I’m still counting the 10 coconuts I’ve consumed in the last week towards my health goals.
My favorite tropical cocktail the “Coco Loco” is usually made by blending an array of spirits (rum, tequila, vodka) with lemon juice, simple syrup and the juice from a fresh young coconut with some ice and pouring back into the coconut shell and serving with a straw. I usually like my cocktails like my favorite people: strong and straight-up. So checkout my version of the refreshing cocktail!
Huckleberry Kim’s Coco Loco Cocktail Recipe
3 oz. fresh coconut juice
1 oz. tequila
1 oz. rum
0.5 oz vodka
1 oz. simple syrup
ice
3 mint leaves
Muddle a few mint leaves with ice in a cocktail shaker
Crack open fresh coconut and add 3 oz. to shaker (reserve remaining juice for another cocktail)
Add in spirits and simple syrup
Stir down for ~60 seconds in shaker
With a hawthorne strainer, pour back into coconut shell (or cocktail glass if you don’t have fresh ‘nuts)
ENJOY! Sit back, sip, and feel your heart rate come to a relaxing 65 BPM ;P
Fun fact: Coco Locos are even better paired with shrimp and octopus tacos with a side of habanero salsa!
The times they are a-changin’ y’all. I’m probably going to have to start styling my own hair again for the next few years. FUN FACT: I used to cut all the boys & girls hairs in my university dormitory freshman year. I was compensated with wine (of higher value to college freshman than any other currency). I might also reopen the Huckleberry Hair Salon…bring wine. ;P
Whether we wake up at dawn to climb up to a rooftop in Chelsea, climb over fences into the East River, or climb up steep San Francisco hills, Mitch and I have made some epic sunrise shoots happen over the last few years. A few weeks ago, we were back on the west coast again, and this time we decided to take on the sunset in San Francisco’s Sunset district to catch our wonderful star disappearing into the Pacific. I’m usually still working while the sun goes down, so it was an extra special treat to get to do this! Checkout some fave selects, outfit details, and a song of the moment below <3
One of my best friends, S of Fork & 5th, decided that she wanted to escape frigid NYC and spend last weekend in wine country prior to our annual bonding week in SF for work. We decided to do the girls weekend Healdsburg rather than Sonoma or Napa this trip to give ourselves the opportunity to explore a new area a bit further northwest of our usual wine country haunts, and IT WAS PHENOMENAL.
We stayed at an adorable Airbnb in Glen Ellen given that we’d planned to stop over at Ad Hoc in Yountville, where the daily-changing menu included a fried burrata we had to try.
Our itinerary included some lovely new wineries including Jordan Winery located on 58,000 beautiful acres and Lambert Bridge winery, which was amazingly pet-friendly for Baloo (my 3 month old puppy).
The tasting at Jordan Winery had lovely food pairings with their Burgundy style Cabernet & Chardonnay.
Walking around the Jordan estate is a must. The main building pictured below is where the end-to-end winemaking happens – grapes come in, bottles come out.
I was lucky to spend Thanksgiving week in the French Riviera or Côte d’Azur with some of my family this year – and it was such a magical time! Here’s a quick post to share some photographic highlights and quick tips from the region:
Gorgeous beaches like this line the coast, steps from the Promenade des Anglais (above); here’s my father enjoying the lovely Mediterranean Sea.
Everyone in France seems to have a scooter – it sure made me miss mine.
Le Negresco is a lovely hotel situated right on the Promenade des Anglais – common to spot celebrities like Madonna, Julien Lennon, Prince Albert, Elton John here. I really loved their holiday décor!
| minnie rose fringe poncho | boots from italian shoemaker in venice (similar) |
Le Chantecler is “worth a detour” per Michelin review sites; I’d especially recommend it though if you get excited about food adventures and gastronomic experimentation. My wonderful parents took me to a belated birthday dinner here – such a treat!
Quick tip: Not likely one is thinking about frugality in a restaurant as this, but a bottle of water costs 12E here, so might as well drink champagne and opt for that wine pairing to enhance the culinary experience ;P
The Musée Massena is located on the Promenade des Anglais – right next to Le Negresco, actually. It’s filled with ornate art and artifacts of the French Riviera and houses Napoleon’s death mask.
The Musée Matisse was one of my favorites in France. Not only do they have a great exhibition of every imaginable media of Mr. Matisse’s work, but the building’s façade and grounds are a beautiful site to admire as well.
The Musée d’archéologique de Nice-Cimiez is a a nice stop after the Matisse Museum – after being indoors enjoying artwork, it’s a nice break to explore the archaeological site outside! By the way, it’s definitely worth getting the French Riviera pass if you’re into site and museum hopping around the region – it grants you access to a lot of these cool places (kids are free, students discounted).
Saint Paul de Vence
One of the oldest towns on the French Riviera, Saint Paul de Vence is a must-see for art-lovers. It is full of history and seemingly endless art galleries. Many well-known artists – including Marc Chagall, Jacques Raverat, and Gwen Raverat – spent parts of their lives and are buried in the local cemetery here.
Here’s a photo of my father with our friend Stephane outside of a gallery. Stephane who is from Saint Paul de Vence & showed us around the area. He runs a private car service across the Côte d’Azur, and I’d highly suggest booking his services if you’re in the area; he’s extremely knowledgeable, honest, kind, and accommodating.
It’s easy to get lost along the cute cobblestone streets here!
This beautiful “bonsai” iron sculpture was actually created by Stephane’s friend and is exhibited outside of a historic church on the street in Saint Paul de Vence.
Monaco
Wondrous and opulent Monaco features many of the lavish experiences one stereotypically expects – luxury boutiques, incredible cars, beautiful casinos (below is a photo of the world-famous Monte Carlo casino).
What’s also rather amazing – and family-friendly – about Monaco are the many sites to visit, including the Musée Oceanographique de Monaco (below) where you can get lost among the large aquariums and learn some cool things about marine life for a few hours 🙂
karen walker harvest with mirrored lenses, soldout (similar with regular lenses)
There are beautiful views along the walk up to the Place du Palais where you can go see the royal guards.
The family was actually in Monaco for american Thanksgiving, so we celebrated a French brasserie-styled Thanksgiving with a feast at the Cafe de Paris on the Place du Casino.
Cannes & Iles de Lérins
I snapped this shot of my parents at sunset in Cannes after we returned from the touring Lérins Island off the coast. They’re hands-down the best people I know. Their love inspires me. And they are just so adorable. I love them to pieces.
Getting the kids into Céline early 😉 special edition navy/tortoise color (similar)
By the way, if you enjoy seafood, it’s AMAZING on the French Riviera. I had so much fresh, tasty sea urchin.
Cap Ferret
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild: OMG this gorgeous pink mansion seems unreal and gave me a whole new appreciation for the color pink. Definitely a place one should stop for a few hours to tour the extravagant history and take in the beautifully manicured gardens whilst listening to beautiful symphonies timed to the water fountains in the courtyard.
Ok guys, I’m exhausted for now.
Tell me: have you been to any of these places on the French Riviera? Let me know what you think! I’m definitely going back to the Côte d’Azur sometime soon and am open to more recommendations <3
Lush recently released in a solid bar formula of one of their best exfoliants, Rub Rub Rub. In its solid form, Rub Rub Rub is the best exfoliant I have ever used. I loved the original tub form of Rub Rub Rub – it works so well and smells amazing; but the solid version is super easy to use, still smells amazing, and….look how pretty (!)
