Monthly Archives: October 2011

monster cupcakes

by reallyrisa Posted on October 30, 2011

My friend Sarah and her husband Tim go all out for their annual Halloween party. We’re talking mummies, skulls, spiders hanging from the ceilings, lots of fun cocktails and festive foods. So this year I decided to bake something scary and yummy. My friend Meghan and I sipped some appropriately flavored Cupcake Red Velvet wine (my new favorite!) and made monster cupcakes, complete with six eyes (halved gumdrops + licorice laces), crossed eyes (vanilla wafers + M&Ms), spiky hair (blood orange candy corn) and big, scary teeth (sliced marshmallows) — thanks to a few of these recipes. Our food coloring didn’t quite turn out, so our purple icing and batter was really a grey-blue, but our monsters were scary, delicious and absolutely perfect!

Posted in Baking and confections, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

facing fall

by reallyrisa Posted on October 25, 2011

When the leaves change color, so does my skin. From beachy glow to winter white! Which means it’s time to break out my old fall face favorites and find some new ones. This season, I’m all about the stain. Since I work a nine-hour day with an hour commute each way, I need a hint of color that lasts from breakfast through bedtime, or at least fits in my purse! These two gems do both.


Josie Maran magic marker lip and cheek stain (color: cha cha) +
Hourglass Aura sheer cheek stain (color: petal)


a little magic marker + sheer gloss and voilà, perfectly kissable lips!

Posted in Beauty | Tagged | 3 Comments

big city blues

by reallyrisa Posted on October 20, 2011

Vintage street finds, local boutiques, unparalleled people watching … I am obsessed with New York City. After our photo shoot in the Meatpacking District, we stopped off at Chelsea Market, had a Good brunch with my uncle and visited our newly married friends in the West Village. We ladies then sent our men to the bar to watch football and shopped the day away on the streets of Nolita and SoHo. We shared wedding tips, perused the vintage jewelry collections at a few street vendors and agreed we’re both currently loving blues. Funny enough, my photos are proof. As I scrolled through them on the train home I noticed they were everywhere! Before meeting up with the guys and heading home, Nicole and I stopped for an afternoon snack at Tacombi, where they serve tacos out of an old Volkswagen bus parked in what appears to have once been a garage. Apparently the joint is “driven” by Food Network Chef Aaron Sanchez. It was perfectly spicy and absolutely delicious, just like our visit!

blue chandelier in the window at Chelsea Market

Eleni’s Cupcakes, Chelsea Market

the Al Pastor (marinated pork & roast pineapple) + Tostada de Ceviche (Yucatán style fish cooked in jalapeño lime juice with pico de gallo served on a
flat, crispy tortilla) — YUM!

Posted in City Living, Style | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

city street shoot

by reallyrisa Posted on October 17, 2011

I admit I was a little nervous about our engagement photo shoot. I mean, it’s one thing to be on the road to happily hitched, and it’s another thing to be photographed trying to show it. All that PDA is just not normal! But Sue was amazing. It was fun to watch her work her magic, eyeing up warehouse doors for a touch of texture, fighting off cabs on the cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking District and scouring High Line Park for the prettiest blooms. I’ve posted a few of my favorites but be sure to check out the Blue Koi Studios blog to see more!

(Madewell silk blouse, Loft cardi, J.Crew necklace + scarf, Steve Madden suede ruffled booties, Current/Elliot skinnies, very handsome fiancé)

Up next: the rest of our day in NYC. I told you we were busy on Saturday! Be on the lookout for some photos of my day of street shopping in SoHo, Nolita and Chelsea Market + some delicious garage tacos!

Posted in City Living, We Do!, Wedding | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

frothy sunday stroll

by reallyrisa Posted on October 16, 2011

We’ve had the perfect weekend. We modeled for our beautiful, amazingly talented photographer, Sue Fan (Blue Koi Studios), in the Meatpacking District and I ended a gorgeous sunny Saturday street shopping with a girlfriend in NYC. Photos of both to come. But first, brunch! There’s nothing more peaceful than waking up on a Sunday morning in the city. After a long day and drive home last night, we needed a good night sleep. I must have been dreaming about frothy cups of chai and hearty breakfast sandwiches because I woke up craving a visit to our favorite local, mosaic-covered coffee shop — Black & Brew. While the city slept in on this brisk fall morning, we strolled the quiet streets and enjoyed a relaxing breakfast inside what has to be the cutest local café this side of Jersey.

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Posted in City Living, Life | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment