NEW YORK: DAY 1




Early on Wednesday morning my family and I made the 4 hour drive to New York City for 2 days during our Spring break! On this day we went to Manhattan and walked through the Financial District, SoHo and went on the Staten Island Ferry where we got a beautiful sunset view of the skyline and the Statue of Liberty. 













                                 
                                                                                    ♥Helena

In the City




It's the first day of my spring break and I started it off with a good old fashion shopping day. Its still cold here on the east coast but hoping for some warmer weather before break ends! Its hard to pick out what to wear when the weather starts changing and become stuck on wearing a light outfit but then have to hold a coat in case it gets too cold!So today I initially went for black tee with gold detailing, a leather jacket and jeans but then threw on my coat because it was a lot colder than I expected!
I actually bought this scarf while shopping to keep me warm! 






Shirt:Forever 21 | Leather Jacket:H&M | Coat: Forever 21 | Jeans: Calvin Klein | Scarf: H&M | Bag: Nordstrom | Shoes: Steve Madden | Sunglasses: Forever 21 | Latte: Killer E.S.P in Old Town Alexandria :) 
                           

                                                                                                   ♥Helena
                                           

New Bag Haul




Steve Madden pencil/makeup bag


Foley &  Corrina camel coin purse

Neiman Marcus handbag
Find it here


Foley & Corinna handbag



This past weekend my sister and I went shopping and ended buying 2 bags each and wanted to show you are great finds! The Foley & Corrina bags and the Steve Madden is from Nordstrom Rack and the large black handbag is from Last Call by Neiman Marcus. 

                                                                                                  ♥Helena

Snowy day at Dolcezza Cafe



Its another snow day here in the DC area and with school closed, we headed to the Mosaic District! We've never been here before, but many of my friends have recommended me to check out the area. Its a quaint and cute place located in Fairfax with stores like Anthropologie, Target, Lou Lou, small boutiques and healthy restaurants and cafes. 

Dolcezza serves gelato, pastries and coffee, the space has a urban warm feel with cute decor and an welcoming environment. Its a charming place to sit down with a book, write a blog post or just to people watch! 
Almond Milk Latte

                                   I'll definitely come back soon and I definitely recommend it if you're ever in the area!
                                                                                            ♥Helena

Vegan Brownies





Good morning! My sister and I tried out this vegan brownie recipe as we are both going vegan for a while. Its healthier than the regular brownie and just as easy to make. You can add any type of nuts, coconut shreds or pair with your favorite fruit, in this recipe we used walnuts. 
Recipe:
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup cane sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened 100% cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
handful of walnuts
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in water, vegetable oil and vanilla; mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
  3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is no longer shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.








                                                                             Hope you try it out!
                                                                                   ♥Helena

Best Looks of Vanity Fair Oscar Party 2015





Joan Smalls in Balmain
This would have to be my favorite look, I love the neck shape and the details of the skirt!
Natalie Portman in Dior

Amy Adams in Atelier Versace

Zoe Saldana in Prabal Gurung

Beyonce Knowles in Stella McCartney

Miranda Kerr in Emilio Pucci

Nina Dobrev in Reem Acra


Gigi Hadid in Atelier Versace

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad

Solange Knowles in Naeem Khan
The Oscars were last night and that's what everyone seems to be talking about, of course after the big show Vanity Fair held its annual party. Where all the actors, actresses, models and singers came together and celebrated the night away. The gowns all had the same color trend going on and those being of course white, black, blues, nudes and reds. In no particular order here are my 10 favorite looks of the night! 
                                                                                            ♥Helena

CAMEL & STEVE MADDEN OOTD




Hey there! Its currently snowing and while everyone is at home by the fire I decided to go out and shoot this outfit, I couldn't help missing the snow fall! Its 27 degrees outside and this outfit definitely kept me warm. Recently, I bought Steve Madden boots and I styled this look based on them.
Scarf: H&M
Coat: Forever 21
Sweater: H&M
Jeans: Calvin Klein
Boots: Steve Madden




The camel color is definitely a trend this season and it gives a nice luxury feel to any look. 



  
                                                                 Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week! x
                                                                                         ♥Helena

VEGAN PANCAKES & CURRENT BOOK




Good morning! I've recently started a 2 month vegan diet and finding the healthiest options takes a lot of trial and error! Today I tried out making pancakes out of flour, almond milk, vanilla and baking soda which I topped with fruit, granola and honey. It turned out to be really good, you wouldn't even guess they were vegan! 
 I am currently reading Tanya Burr's new book: Love, Tanya. Its about her life as a child, a makeup artist and Youtuber with tips and advice about all things beauty, fashion and happiness related.   


                                                                                      ♥Helena

INSTAGRAM DIARY NO. 2

 The past month has been very memorable and exciting! I've been updating Instagram very frequently as I began December in NYC, flew to Los Angeles a few days later and began the new year by seeing Sam Smith in concert back in DC!




From Left to Right:
Sam Smith Concert Video| OOTN Concert| Morning ootd| Plane View| Venice Peace| Urth Cafe| Marina Del Rey| El Matador Beach fun| Reflective| Milk| Cousin love| New Years Eve
Getty Museum| Getty 2| California trees| Christmas| Santa Monica| Sisters' b-day| Blaze Pizza| Coming home| New York City

                                                                                      ♥Helena








EL MATADOR BEACH



Two days before we left LA we made an early trip up the coast to El Matador Beach, close to Malibu. It was one of the best highlights of the trip, the sun was beginning to rise, the weather was perfect and I had my sisters and cousins to share the memories. 







                                                                                      ♥Helena

IN THE SKY



Early Wednesday morning my sisters and I made the trip from DC to Los Angeles for Christmas break. This was our view as the sun began to rise.




















         
                                                                                            ♥Helena

NEW YORK PT II

 


I posted part 1 yesterday which you can see here! Below are photos of the second museum we visited which was the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and Soho. 






































                                                                       Hope you had a good weekend!                                                          
                                                                                       ♥Helena

NEW YORK CITY PT I




Early yesterday morning my photography class along with other art students traveled to New York City. We visited the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum and lastly went shopping in Soho! NYC in the Christmas season is truly magical, there were Christmas trees everywhere, more lights than usual and the window displays were amazing! 























Central Park






Part two will be posted tomorrow! 
♥Helena

THE TEEN VOGUE HAND BOOK




Teen Vogue recently released their new handbook which gives advice and insight to fashion lovers who want to learn more about the industry. It includes behind the scene shoots, interviews with people in the industry, fashion school guides, photography, beauty tips and style inspiration. If you have a fashion enthusiast on your Christmas wish list I would definitely recommend getting this book!






Thanks for reading!
♥Helena

NIKE SHOES




I recently purchased two pairs of Nikes that I could wear not only to workout in but pairs that I could style in my everyday outfits. The first pair are very light weight and flexible while the black pair is sturdier but both equally comfortable.  
Nike Black Orive


  ♥Helena

DINNER AT THE AULD SHEBEEN



My family and I went to an Irish restaurant called The Auld Shebeen in celebration of their anniversary. I'd never been before and I would have to say it is one of the best restaurants in my city. We were welcomed to sit by the fireplace and all the decor was charming and festive. 







Salmon Salad





                                                                                                
                                                                                  ♥Helena