Denim on Denim

I think it's been over 20 years since I rocked the denim on denim look.  In the late 80s and early 90s, it was all the rage, especially in head to toe acid wash.  I tried to update the look by mixing washes and adding a print.

Another example of how fashion trends seem to cycle back are these shoes.  I purchased these 'Sport-i-que' pumps almost 10 years ago while I was in medical school.  I wore them to death and then tucked them away in the back of my shoe closet hoping that I would be inspired to wear them again.  They've moved with me from Detroit to Cincinnati to Denver and finally to L.A. and never saw the light of day...until today.  Digging these babies out was also a nice way to justify my hoarding tendencies to Mr. J. 

Denim shirt: Express. Polka dot distressed jeans: Zara (similar here). 

Athletic pumps: Donald J. Pliner 'Sport-i-que' (similar here and here). 

Necklaces: Forever21 and HRH Collection. Bracelets: J.Crew and DIY.

Beauty Essentials

Sephora's Chic week is starting for Beauty Insiders and V.I.B.s (Very Important Beauty Insiders).  You can save 15% off from April 12th - April 21st (V.I.B.s can redeem the promotion from April 11th - April 22nd).  Use code CHIC at check out.

Chic Week is the perfect time to stock up on some beauty essentials or to finally pull the trigger on a fun beauty item that you've been eyeing.  The beauty regimen at Life by Appointment is pretty basic but there are some "holy grail" items that we just can't live without.  Here are our top 5 beauty essentials:

Clarisonic Mia

There's no better feeling than knowing you've literally (gently) scrubbed everything from the day off your face.  You go to bed feeling clean and refreshed and are ready to get some rest so you can put your best face forward the next day.  We use our Clarisonic Mia's so much that stocking up on replacement heads is a must!  We personally prefer the Sensitive Brush Head.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

Neither of us wear foundation daily.  Instead, we spot conceal any blemishes, discolorations, or hyperpigmentation spots with our Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer.  Between the two shades, we can custom blend to cover up any imperfection all year round.  

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Fortunately, we're leaving winter and dry skin behind as we enter the spring and summer season.  But when our skin is feeling super parched, we turn to the First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream.  It hydrates without leaving you oily and greasy.  It's a holy grail for Sarah during the winter months.  Carolyn prefers the more affordable (and drugstore-available) Cerave for daily moisturizing but picked up a tube of the F.A.B. cream for traveling.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

When we want our eye makeup to last all day and all night long, we make sure we apply some Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion ahead of time.  The original sheer nude is good if you want to start with a blank canvas.  And when we're feeling lazy, we sometimes use the tinted versions as cream shadow substitutes.

  Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint

If you're new to lip color, the Tarte LipSurgence sticks are a great place to start.  They go on smoothly and keep our lips from drying out.  They come in a variety of colors and finishes - lip tint, matte lip tint, lip luster, lip creme...we love them all!

Readers - What are your beauty essentials?

If you're not a Sephora Beauty Insider, we highly recommend signing up!  It's super easy to join and comes with a lot of perks.  Learn more about it and sign up here.

above images from 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Cauliflower Soup with Seared Scallop and Caviar

We love to eat out and LA provides no shortage of delicious options.  However, it's also nice to stay in and make a tasty gourmet meal every once and a while.  We decided to treat Dr. S and Mr. J to a nice home-cooked dinner for their support and encouragement for the blog.  We started with a cauliflower soup with seared scallop and caviar, moved on to a walnut-crusted baked sea bass with a zucchini and arugula salad, and finished off with a lemon budino.  Today's post features the cauliflower soup...stay tuned for the other recipes!

The original recipe asks for an American sturgeon caviar.  Caviars come in a variety of price points and can be very expensive.  The role of the caviar in this dish is to deliver a kick of saltiness and to provide some texture to offset the smooth creamy soup.  Since we are not caviar experts, we simply purchased a jar of black caviar from Bristol Farms and to our unrefined palates, it tasted just fine!

Cauliflower Soup with Seared Scallop and Caviar
(adapted from this recipe.  We skipped the lemon-infused grapeseed oil)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 3 3/4 cups (1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces cauliflower (from 1 large head)
• 1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• Coarse kosher salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 
  
• 1 leek (white and pale green parts only), cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

• 6 sea scallops, patted dry
• 1 jar caviar (about 1 ounce)
• Finely chopped fresh chives
• 
  
• Directions
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, broth, and cream. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer gently until cauliflower is tender, about 18 minutes.

Puree soup in small batches in blender until smooth. Return to same saucepan. Season soup with kosher salt and white pepper.  If making this ahead, allow soup to cool to room temperature, then cover and chill.  Reheat prior to serving.

Blanch leek in small saucepan of boiling salted water for 1 minute then drain. Place some of leek in center of each bowl. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Sear until brown and just opaque in center, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Place 1 scallop on leek in each bowl. Ladle soup around scallop, top with caviar, and sprinkle with chives.

Patterned Pants, Please!

I wasn't sure how I felt about boldly patterned pants.  Weirdly, my mom actually picked these out for me!  I was hesitant at first, but after some urging I begrudgingly tried them on, but ended up liking them.  Our epic mother-daughter shopping trips are no longer frequent, but when we get together for some good ole' fashioned bonding, it's always a good time.  What can I say?  Mothers are *almost* always right!    

The pants are a casual cotton material, so I dressed them up with some black heels and a chain strap bag for a night out.  I loved my nude/orangey-red Zara sandals so much (last worn here), that I bought another pair in black!  They're simple, and a pretty sweet deal at just under $50.  

Patterned pants: H&M (similar here).  Black sheer shirt: Calvin Klein.  Blue silk jacket: Yumi Kim (similar here). 

Blue chain strap handbag: Torula Bags from Shopaholic Sample Sales (similar here). 
Black ankle strap sandals: Zara (love these). 

Stripes and Silver

It's been years since I shopped at Express but I popped over to the website a few weeks back during their 50% off dress sale and was drawn towards several of their newer designs.  I was a bit skeptical about the fit and quality but when the package arrived, I was pleasantly surprised.  This dress is fitted, comfortable, and made of a thick ponte knit.  The affordable price tag (and frequent sales) makes this a perfect casual summer dress.

Finding a dress to fit me off the rack is often challenging.  Petite sizing usually fits in the chest, waist, and hips, but measuring at just over 5 feet 4 inches, petite items are often too short and shrunken on me.  I was so happy with my dress purchases that I snatched up a few more goodies during the Easter weekend sale.  Specifically, I ordered the pleated ponte skirt and a couple pairs of Columnist pants in 00.  Unfortunately, these items were inconsistent in fit and quality and were subsequently returned -- the waist on the skirt fit well but the pleats laid awkwardly and the material felt cheap and the pants were way too big in the waist and hips.  Despite this, I am happy to have rediscovered the brand and will be adding it to my queue for online browsing.

On another note, my obsession with all things Rebecca Minkoff continues.  I just got these mirrored silver sandals and I know that I will be wearing them all summer long.

(***Update*** Rebecca Minkoff is having her Friends and Family Sale.  The entire site is 30% off with code FRIENDS30!)

Black and white striped dress: Express. Silver sandals: Rebecca Minkoff 'Bettina' (similar here and here). Necklace: David Yurman. 

Silver bead bracelet: Tiffany's. Studded mint satchel: Rebecca Minkoff 'Blake'.

Work Outfit Series: Our Favorite Shoes

Today, we would like to introduce to you our favorite work shoe -- the Cole Haan Air Bria Cap Toe II wedges!  Sure, these may not win any style awards but when we spend 12+ hours on our feet, running between clinic and the OR and all over the hospital, these babies are the ones we slip on time and time again.

We made a simple pros and cons list on why these shoes are our favorites for work...and as you can see, the pros definitely outnumber the cons!

Pros
Comfort - Probably the biggest pro of them all.  The Nike Air technology in the sole makes you feel like you are walking on pillows.  No joke.  The soles are super soft and cushiony but still offer good support.  Wearing a shoe that offers good support not only prevents foot pain but it also limits lower back pain.

Style - The patent cap toe gives this simple shoe a bit more style and makes it a little dressier and more work-appropriate.  Closed-toe shoes are also a must in the hospital!

Heel height - The small wedge gives you just enough lift to prevent pants from dragging on the ground.  It also contributes to the comfort of the shoe.  We both have countless pairs of flats that we wear but by the end of the day, the pressure points on our soles (like the heels and the balls of our feet) start to hurt from the flat soles.

Construction - The leather is buttery soft.  The edges are smooth without any blister-inducing seams.  The soles, while a bit casual, offer good traction on the slippery hospital floors.

Cons
Sarah - I don't really have any complaints.  
Carolyn - I'm nitpicking here but I wish there was slightly less toe cleavage.  By the end of the day, the shoe also rubs a little on my pinky toe (this is easily fixable by wearing some foot liners).

We heard that Nike sold Cole Haan so we're a bit sad that these shoes may not be available in the future.  We both bought ours on mega discount.  The last time we saw these was at the Cole Haan outlet so it may be worthwhile to try calling an outlet close by and see if they still carry them (style no. D35669).  As for sizing, we find them to fit true to size.  (FYI, this post is in no way sponsored by Cole Haan.  We just wanted to share these with you!)

It is so rare for the two of us to be in the same post, so here are some silly shots we took together after work.  Thanks to Dr. S for being our photographer!

Reading pages aloud to one another is normal, no?

Extra hair-ties on the wrists are another essential in the hospital

On Carolyn // Silk chevron-striped blouse: Equipment (similar here). Black cropped pants: Gap. 
Gold link necklace: Stella & Dot. Belt: Forever 21

On Sarah // Black and white knit sweater jacket: Target. Silk check blouse: Club Monaco. 
Black ponte pants: Theory. Pony hair leopard belt:  J.Crew

And because jumping pictures never get old...

Black, White, and a Hint of Red

Sometimes it's fun to dress up super lady-like in a full circle skirt with d'orsay heels.  The best part about this circle skirt is the pockets. When wearing it, I can't help but twirl about until I turn dizzy.  I kept the accessorizing to a minimum since both the stripe pattern of the shirt and the snake print of the skirt were pretty bold.  Rather than an arm full of bracelets or a chunky necklace, I went instead for a full red lip.

Striped shirt: Zara (similar here).  Circle skirt: Anthropologie (old, but here's one similar).  

Belt: Mom's.  D'orsay heels: Chanel from the Decades Shoe Sale.  Sunglasses: Chloe.  

Handbag: Chanel Medium Flap Bag in black caviar.  Lipstick: Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro in #402.