Bittersweet

{My name is Natasha and I'm a Pott-Head. Don't judge me. I'm not ashamed.}

Last night, a few loyal Potter followers and I camped out to watch the midnight showing of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part 2. The last HP movie... ever. It was awesome. Everything I imagined and more, but I still left the theater in a funky mood. You see, it's bittersweet really. A strong surge of excitement mixed with feelings of sadness about the fact that there's no more Hogwarts news to look forward to. It's the end of an era really. I suppose we all have to grow up some time... 

{Like our glasses? They're preeeetty sweet.}

{my very own Mad Eye Moody}

{a line of 1,500 Pott-Heads who joined us for the midnight showing last night}

Orange Ya Glad It's Summer?

{ripe blood oranges, purchased at the farmers market this weekend}

{vintage necklace, last seen worn here}

{canvas Tory Burch beach bag}

{Oranger eau de toilette - purchased at Fragonard Parfumerie, Eze, France - perfect for summer!}

{new Revlon nail polish in Siren}

{Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - the last book of my favorite series that I'm trying to frantically re-read before the midnight movie premiere this Thursday}

Wanted to do a quick post about some of my favorite things about this season... The hidden pops of color (in my case orange), that creep up all around us during these warm summer months. 

Have a great week my sweets!

Voyou, I ♥ You

The hubs and I celebrated the beginning of the weekend by meeting some friends for cocktails and dinner at Voyou, my new favorite spot! It was our first time there, and I was mesmerized by this restaurant's European vibes. We were greeted by the owner himself, who charmed us with his cute French accent, and wowed us with his ability to cover the whole joint on his own. The food was a-ma-zing, and the prices were beyond reasonable. If you haven't been to Voyou yet, I recommend you go as soon as possible. Oh, and don't forget to order the mac'n cheese; it is out of this world!

{Olives and Stuff: marinated olives with tapenade}

{Tuna Burger: ahi tuna steak, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, tapenade, served with parmesan crusted asparagus}

{Seared Scallops: paprika seared scallops with lemon aioli}

{Mac'n Cheese: with Swiss Gruyere accent}

Obsessed

Happy Friday everyone! Can't believe how fast this week flew by. What does everyone have planned for the weekend?

Currently obsessed with color blocking and envelope clutches. How perfect is my new green clutch from ASOS? I absolutely love it!

In other news... I'm in an uber great mood today. You want to know why? Do yah? Well, because I just got a phone call telling me that I won two roundtrip tickets to Hawaii!! Yahoo! Couldn't be more excited, especially since the hubs and I were already planning to make our way out there next year. Lucky us. And being that I'm a firm believer in "what goes around, comes around", I'm carrying over my good luck to you, dear readers. Stay tuned, because there will be an AWESOME giveaway on my blog in the next few weeks! Ta ta!

 

Royal India

Last night the hubby and I were on the prowl to find something drastically different for dinner. Our taste buds needed a serious break from the repetitive fish/rice/veggie/chicken/rice/veggie combo, so naturally, something intense like Indian food came to mind. We actually drive by Royal India everyday on our way to the gym, and the delicious aroma of strong curry always wafts in the air, so it didn't take us long to figure out where we wanted to go.

{Flying Horse Lager and an Indian Mojito}

{Hummus & Nan - homemade spiced hummus served with plain nan - I'm drooling}

{Lamb Shank - slow roasted in a clay oven with onion, garlic, ginger tomato curry, herbs and spices}

Disappointed we were NOT. The food was extra flavorful, and the ambiance made us forget that we were in San Diego (the Indian Mojito definitely helped). The fresh baked nan was unbelievably delicious, and the curry kept me picking until I was ready to explode. Are you an adventurous eater who likes Indian food? If so, I definitely recommend that you check this place out. Come oooon.. don't be a slumdog about it!

{San Diego summer nights}

Summer Faves

Let's talk summer beauty routine. Living in San Diego, I'm fortunate enough to enjoy fairly great weather all year round, but even then, I still have to change it up for a few months. Ladies, drastic bronzer in February is not the business... Just sayin. I've been needing to refresh my make-up drawer for a while now, and I had a chance to do just that, at the IMATS a few weeks ago. Now I'm not going to give you a full on review on each of the products that I bought, but I did want to share with you some of my new favorites. 

Let's start with the face. I'm doomed with extra sensitive skin.. mood swings all the way around. One day it's happy, the next day it's a raging loonatic. For those of you who suffer with the same fate, I'm sure you've heard this numerous times before... mineral make-up is key. I've tried a few different brands before, but my latest obsession is Napoleon Perdis. 

Napoleon Perdis Mattifying Mineral Primer

Napoleon Perdis Advanced Mineral Makeup SPF 15

Napoleon Perdis Blush Patrol

Napoleon Perdis Lip Gloss in Nude

Australia's biggest make-up brand, Napoleon Perdis, is finally making it's way through the U.S., and I'm loving every bit of it! Their new mineral line suits my skin needs perfectly, and I couldn't be more happier with the results. 

MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Overtime

MAC Prep + Prime Lip

Pro Colour x4 Compact with Honesty, Kid and Carbon shadows

I've been using MAC since I was aloud to wear make-up.. My kit is getting pretty full, yet somehow this company keeps coming out with new things that I absolutely need...

Bobbi Brown Tortoiseshell Eye Palette

Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit

Bobbi Brown Corrector

Bobbi Brown Blush in Nectar

Smashbox Black Eye Liner

I nearly died when I turned the corner at the IMATS and saw the Bobbi Brown booth. If I didn't die then, than I definitely went to heaven when I started filling my basket and heard the sweet sales lady murmur that everything was 40% off! Are you kidding? Love, love, love it all. And the limited edition Tortoiseshell collection? I meaaaan... does anything else scream "summer" louder?

What are your must haves for summer? Do tell!

Fishy Business

It's the 4th of July weekend, and the weather in San Diego is gorgeous! I'm taking a quick break from frolicking around town to tell you about an awesome restaurant the hubby and I recently had brunch at. If you're a seafood junkie like me, then you'll definitely want to check out The Fishery. Located three blocks from the Pacific Ocean, The Fishery showcases a premier seafood market at the center of the restaurant, and an open kitchen off to one side. If you're on the hunt for some amazing fresh seafood, it really doesn't get much better than this. 

Tonight one of my best friends is in town, so we're taking downtown by storm. And tomorrow is another beach day! I can really get used to this three-day weekend business!

Obsessed

First Prince William, then Prince Albert... royal weddings are popping up all over the place, but it's the queen of fashion that steals the wedding cake today (pun intended, obviously). That's right kids, Kate Moss and Jamie Hince officially tied the knot in the Costwolds this afternoon. The bride looked stunning in a vintage-style cream dress and matching floor length veil, designed by none other than her close friend John Galliano. It gets even better. Her shoes were specially made by Manolo Blahnik, and include a blue insole to serve as her "something blue". How happy does our little Katie look? Cheers to a lifetime of love and rock and roll guys! I sincerely hope they make it last, don't you?