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So far Kirsten has created 1387 blog entries.

Why Don’t You Eat Me: Pitza! Pitza!

By |April 19th, 2010|Guest Blogger, Why Don't You Eat Me?|

balade 2

This week I’ve got yet another East Village newcomer that’s definitely worth checking out.  Balade serves traditional Lebanese cuisine in a traditional Lebanese atmosphere. I got my first taste of Lebanese food back in Memphis from a family who made amazing meat pies. I instantly fell in love and have been in search for meat pies that rival them ever since. So, when I heard about Balade, of course I had to go and check it out.

Balade

I’ve been twice for lunch and both times the place was pretty empty (I’m hoping they are busier for dinner or that my rave review will amp up their business). My first trip, I ordered the Sambousik (those meat pies I keep talking about) and the vegetarian mazmeez (hummus, tabouleh, baba ganouj, and labneh with toum) for appetizers. Raise your hands if you don’t know what half those words mean. Yup, thought so. Feel free to Google. The meat pies were good. Unfortunately, not as good as the homemade ones from childhood, but definitely worth going back for. I loved the mazmeez platter. I’m typically not a fan of tabouleh, but theirs was perfect with the lemon juice on top. The hummus and baba ganouj were both good and the labneh was great.

For the mains I ordered the Greek pitza (yes, they spell it like that and it makes me love it even more) and meat shawarma. The pitza is just a pita that they pop in the oven and remove once crispy. The Greek pitza had, as I’m sure you could guess, feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, lebanese zaatar, kalamata olives, and basil. The meat shawarma had slices of beef and lamb with tomatoes, pickles, parsley, sumac and tahini sauces. The pickles on there make it even better. I know, I know. There I go again with the pickle talk.

My second trip we decided to try the kebbeh which is a mixture of beef and cracked wheat shaped into shells and filled with a combination of seasoned ground beef and diced onions. Not my fave, but the odds were stacked against it from the beginning since my boyfriend’s mom makes the same thing and they’re absolutely out of this world good.

I give Balade 4 out of 5 mouths for being the kind of place that makes me keep wanting to go back. I swear it’s not just because they have Lebanese pitza!

5-mouths-300x65_2

See you next Munchin’ Monday!

xx,

WhyDon’tYouEatMe

Why Did You Wear That: Under Where?

By |April 16th, 2010|Why Did You Wear That?|

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Yesterday, my beautiful LA counterpart sent me this text message:

“You should do a blog post on sexy lingerie and where to find it. NOT some hoodrat Victoria’s Secret stuff but not stuff that’s like $200 … Is there a middle man?:)”

Well, if there is something I know about, it’s lingerie. I spent a good two plus years buying lingerie for Henri Bendel and I have two giant drawers dedicated to my undies alone. So, Miss Wright, this post is for you!

First, let’s start with a few things that every girl should have in her lingerie drawer:

tinythongcom_bv5Commando Tiny Thong, $22

coverupsHollywood Coverups, $14.99

fashiontapeHollywood Fashion Tape, $8.99

thumbnail.aspStrap Perfect, $11.99

Yeah, I know that last one seems a little queer. My mom insisted I own them and I reluctantly took them home with me to New York. They turned out to be a lot easier to use than my usual MacGeyver method of using a safety pin. So now, on to the fun stuff.

One of my favorite, favorite, favorite brands is Deborah Marquit. The price point is on the higher side, but it is literally handmade and beautiful! My favorite pieces are from the fluorescent collection, although all of her pieces are ridiculously sexy. I’ve had the pleasure of going into her store/design studio here in NYC. She’s incredibly talented and a very interesting woman.

1010-1002-0000-00-F-ORAN

Lace underwire demi bra, $185, Lace g-string, $55

Cosabella is another great line of lingerie that is sexy and more friendly on the wallet.

AMORP1103_LEOHPNKbAmore Mio pushup bra, $56.25

AMORP03ZL_LEOHPNKbAmore Mio Lowrider Thong, $20

Another personal favorite is Huit. It’s a great French brand that fits incredibly well and is very girly and fun. They also have a great line of basic bras for everyday wear.

huit-huit01-vea8-gsVertiges Magic Air Underwire bra, $79

huit-huit01-vej10-gsVertiges String, $47

I could go on for DAYS about this, but I have things to do, people. So here are a few of my favorite NYC lingerie stores:

Sugar Cookies

203 W 19th Street (between 7th and 8th)

212-242-6963

Journelle

3 East 17th Street (between 5th and Broadway)

212-255-7800

And for those of you who are NOT in NYC, don’t worry your pretty little heads… I’ve got you. Here are some great sites for online lingerie shopping:

Catriona Mackechnie

La Petite Coquette

Azaleas

Tell your boyfriend, “you’re welcome.”

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: RiRi Rehab

By |April 15th, 2010|Why Did You Wear That?|

Dear Rihanna,

First and foremost, I think you are exquisite. I remember seeing you on the rooftop of Soho House last summer and being stunned by your beauty. You truly are a gorgeous girl. Our entire group had to pick our chins up off our poolside bed/couch as you sashayed by.

That being said, dub tee eff is going on with your outfits? I get that you have your own “personal style” but it’s getting kind of offensive. You’re sort of channeling Taylor Momsen/Jenny Humphrey with your “I don’t give a f*#$” get ups. Guess where that got little J? Written off of Gossip Girl. So let me step in and stop you before someone decides to write you off.

I get it. You’ve had a rough go this past year. My heart goes out to you. I know firsthand what boy dbaggery looks/feels like. No one deserves that. However, looking like a crazy bag lady certainly isn’t the best revenge. Take a cue from Kim K strutting around looking hotter than ever in her bikini (suck on that, Reggie). Or go get a weave like I did!

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest offenders:

Rihanna-Betsey-Johnson1

image001

celebrity-picture-rihanna-pajama-pants

What the f*#%? What happened to this little cutie?

rihanna

rihanna-hot-photo

I mean, I can’t vouch for that belly chain, but you get what I’m saying.  Let’s go ahead and reel it back in. How about getting some of your girliness back? Remember when you were so hot and feminine that people were hypothesizing that Beyonce was getting nervous? Yeah, let’s get that RiRi back before we have to send you to fashion rehab.

Sending my love.

xx,

WhyDid

WhyDid Wisdom: Do It Yourself

By |April 14th, 2010|WhyDid Wisdom|

one lady dinner

People wonder why I don’t discuss my love life in my posts. Well, there a few reasons. One being that I’ve had some pretty traumatic experiences that aren’t ready to be discussed (yet) and another being that writing the details of my love life might mess up my game.  The current reason? I don’t really have a love life.  I have decided that I’m just not in the right place for it and there is no reason to subject someone else to my relationship ADD or lack of willingness to commit to anything serious.

Now, don’t take this the wrong way. I love the thought of sharing my life with someone special, but not right now. I’m actually happier than I’ve been in quite some time. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want and not feel guilty about it. I can sit around and partake in my “secret single behavior” without ever being judged. It’s really kind of amazing.

There are some little perks that may be missing by not having someone “special” in your life, but these are all things you can do yourself. So, if you are choosing a temporary bout of celibacy like me (or Lady Gaga), here are some sweet nothings to whisper in your own ear:

Floral Sex: I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, why wait for some dude to buy you flowers (probably the wrong ones) when you can hit any deli in the city and buy yourself some? They’ll brighten up your home and your mood.

What Lies Beneath: I always feel much better when I’m wearing beautiful underpinnings.  There’s no reason you should save your sexy lingerie for a special occasion. Every day is special.

Putting on the Spritz: Perfume isn’t just for a hot date. Nor should it really be meant for someone else. I always dab on my favorite scent before leaving the house, but I especially love to spritz it on right before bed.

Fall Down the Rabbit Hole: I mean, without getting too into detail… Why not enjoy yourself… alone? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. You’re probably a whole lot safer healthwise both physically and emotionally.

Spoiler Alert: Whether you buy yourself something shiny or cook yourself your favorite meal, it’s great to pamper yourself every once in a while. Go to the spa, get a massage, get a manicure, feel good about yourself. There’s nothing more gratifying than knowing you can take care of yourself.

See? The single life is highly underrated. I’m enjoying it for the time being. The more you take care of yourself, the more likely you’ll be able to care of someone else when you’re ready. Besides, I share my bed with the most handsome man every single night, Smitty Lebron Smith.

xx,

WhyDid

Beauty Buzz: Roll Out

By |April 13th, 2010|Beauty Buzz|

People are always asking me what I did to get so much volume in my hair (even without the weave, folks). When I don’t blow my hair completely straight (more a result of me being lazy and not having enough time), I slap in some old school hot rollers. That’s right, rollers. The kind that your mom used back in the 80’s when you were a mere fetus. The ones I own (and actually swiped from my mom) are an older model of these:

2050458Conair Jumbo Roller Instant Heat Hair Setter, $33.99

Everyone doubts me when I tell them all it takes is a set of jumbo rollers to add oomph to your wimpy ‘do. Yesterday we slapped them into our lovely photographer, Kellie Sliwa’s, luscious locks which she claims just won’t hold curl… and voila! She had a beautiful mane of heavenly curls. So how does one create vamp hair?

  • Wash and condition hair as usual.
  • Blow dry with flat brush to get the moisture out and smooth the tangles.
  • Spritz (lightly) with hairspray.
  • Section hair off and start at the back bottom and work your way to the top.
  • Leave in hair while you do your makeup or pick out your outfit (although that one could take a while).
  • Remove curlers in the order which you put them in (i.e., start from the back bottom).
  • Shake out curls and spritz again. Do NOT brush.
  • Boom! You’re a bombshell (but not a Bombshell McGee).

Happy curling!

xx,

WhyDid

 

 

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