Nairobi Blue

Blazer- Rag & Bone, crop top- vintage (Wasteland San Francisco), skirt- Asos, kicks- Converse, earrings- Bauble Bar (similar here)

I'm glad spring is finally here- very much sick of my black and gray wardrobe and ready for the pastels: blush, nude, and well Nairobi blue. It's really no surprise that I have an obsession with Lupita's dubbed Nairobi blue Prada number, and I've been dying to pull off a similar look myself. An older Asos skirt with a crop top from my favorite vintage store in San Francisco keeping it all in the light blue family, and a perfect way to pull together the monotone pastel spring trend. A bit more preppy than I'm used to, but spring is a time for change and renewal.

Freezing for Fashion

Let me start with this: I get it, when it's below freezing you need to find some way to shield yourself when you're outside from this horrific season known as winter. If you're part of the astronaut boot or bubble wrap club I get it, even I have been in public in fleece leggings (I just made sure I didn't run into anyone I knew while doing it).

Look even though my mom was pregnant moving from New York to California with me, I didn't pick up some resilience to cold temperature in my early months in the womb. No I was born and raised in the land of sunshine where the only coat I owned was a small black peacoat worn annually around the holidays just to pretend there was potential that LA could ever get a White Christmas.

So there were my east coaster parents warning me about what it would really be like to live in the cold. It's not all snowflakes and fun like a J.Crew catalog, it's a matter of survival: you versus the polar vortex trying to walk three blocks without slipping on ice and splitting your beautiful new blue Pandaj & Nidhi dress in half on the way to an interview. Yes my friends that happened, and I'm not sure if I should be crying more about ruining an expensive brand new dress or my body being covered in black and blue camo print of bruises.

Here's why fashion and the cold don't mix. The biggest problem isn't that it takes about 3-7 minutes (depending on how fast you are) to put on and take off all your layers. Or that even though you've covered every inch of your body you've got a Rudolph nose and that Pantone of red (Chinese Red of course...IP joke) doesn't go with anything. Or that you're forced to wear tights as if they're just an extra layer of dermis (for your information they make an awesome extra layer of insulation under pants). No, no, no, the biggest problem of them all is the shoes, even bigger problem when it snows.

Here's the thing I refuse to buy "those snow boots." Sorel or LL Bean invades the streets after a snow day, and to be honest everyone looks like they're heading to NASA to blast off into space. Then you look up and realize this guy has his trousers tucked into them, and he's probably on his way to The Hill to do something much more important than care to think about what some 20 something fashion aficionado has to say. I digress, whatever you choose to wear to get yourself from home to the office is one thing, then there's the changing into the shoes that's another. I feel like a magician with many tricks hidden in my hat, but more like the pains of having to carry what seems like an alternative wardrobe in my tote. I've become a bag lady if you will.

Let's move onto the coat culture. I spend my days on the metro analyzing coats. Sometimes you'll spot a really fantastic fur or an awesome color that really makes the outfit, but for the most part they're the same uniform black wool things or bubble wrap. Yes bubble wrap or those down parkas that don't distinguish a man from a woman and make a swish noise with every step you take. Yes, during my first winter here my North Face bubble wrap was my best friend. I felt like I was in a constant sleeping bag, and when you're living off little to no sleep that's the best feeling in the world. Year two in the cold, it's reserved for going to yoga exclusively. I began to realize that I'd rather freeze for fashion. My extensive growing collection of beautiful coats all deserve equal attention even if it means possible frost bite in the process. Finally a note on the coats, is it so vain of me to want to walk around with my coat unzipped or unbuttoned just so my well thought out and glamorous outfit underneath gets some spotlight. Is it really fair to let some bubble wrap represent your OOTD?

Spring trends

Running in circles with my trailing tail

Shoes- Vans, bag- Prada, dress worn as skirt LF stores (similar here)

Lanvin brought us pleated metallics for the spring, and no doubt everyone was running around in slip-on sneakers during fashion month (definitely Saint Laurent played a big influence). Finally in weather that feels like spring, I decided to pile on as many spring trends as possible. It's a good thing I have an addiction to sneakers and my old school checkered Vans fit the bill. These are the same sneakers that got me in trouble for uniform violation in high school. The pleated metallic bottom is actually a dress that I wore for my birthday two years ago, but it's all about reinventing what you already have. The hi-low trend is over, but in this case it let me work on tanning my stems for the day.

I've been inspired by this Chanel shoot done in Beverly Hills on this palm tree lined street for awhile now, and it seemed like the perfect place to shoot this outfit- trying to avoid getting hit by cars (goes for the photographer too) and making a fool of myself running around in circles.

Salmon two ways- Sriracha and sumac

Salmon is really the incompetent chef's best friend. If you can turn on your oven to 350 you can make it. In honor of feeding yourself good protein and omega-3s here are two super easy ways (literally effortless) to bake your salmon.

When I gave up red meat a few years ago (can't believe it's been five already) I was mostly just sad to say goodbye to my koobideh kabob. Sunday night family dinners at Raffi's would never be the same, and I would no longer have a use for sumac. I've started using it to roast vegetables and more recently tried it on salmon.

2 filets of salmon properly cleaned
1 tablespoon of olive oil/coconut oil
2-4 tablespoons of sumac enough to cover the top of the fish
Ground black pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Rub in your oil and the sumac onto the top of the fish so it's covered with spice.
3. Place fish on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Add black pepper.
4. Once the oven is ready pop the baking sheet into the oven for 10-15 minutes.
5. It's super quick you don't want the fish to dry out, but just long enough so it starts to flake.
6. Serve with a tzaziki or see my recipe for Persian cucumber yogurt.

If anyone has been to the Trader Joe's on Broadway and 72nd on a Friday night, it's a living hell. The line seems like it'll never end and every Upper West single is trying to load up on as much Two Buck as possible. But determined to make ourselves a nice healthy dinner, we braved the line inspired by the GOOP recipe for Sriracha-lime salmon.

2 filets of salmon properly cleaned
Zest and juice of 1/2 lime
2 tablespoons of Sriracha (I like a lot, according to your taste)
Garlic powder
2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro

1. Pre-heat oven to 425.
2. Mix the lime and zest, sriracha, and garlic powder into a baking dish.
3. Add the fish into the dish and spoon the marinade over the salmon. Feel free to add more directly to the top of the fish.
4. Place in the oven 10-15 minutes till flakes.
5. Add cilantro on top and serve with guacamole if desired.

The irony of health in America

Let's talk about the irony of being healthy in America. Why is it that I feel like my wallet is constantly being punished for trying to take care of myself?

Coming back from a few days of being in the land where people carry their green juice like the newest accessory to match their lululemon gear straight from a pilates class on the way to bootcamp, I found myself very conflicted. How do people support this kind of lifestyle? I'm not just talking about those lucky few who are paid or live off someone's income with the luxury of working out all day and eating leaves. There's something about LA and its pressure that keeps even the busiest people looking like they belong in Sports Illustrated.

Let's start off with working out. If I'm about to take a spinning class at SoulCycle that'll be $34 plus $3 to rent shoes. One hour of hot yoga at Corepower $20. Pure Barre pain $25. Sure there's package deals that cut down the cost a bit, but then you've got time restrictions to finish the package by a certain time or risk losing money for unused classes. There's also gym memberships that'll set you back anywhere from $20 to $200 a month depending on how shmancy you're getting. We're not even talking personal trainers or the perks that a certain small pool of people get.

Now food. There's a pretty easy formula to eating healthy: focus on lean proteins and load up on fruits and vegetables. There's also the push to eat organic, load up on vitamins and probiotics, avoid all processed foods etc. So there I am standing in Whole Foods or Trader Joe's trying to just get some spinach, eggs, and bosc pears realizing I'm about to spend more money than my meager (or non-existent) student budget allows, and we're not even talking about all the goodies and specialty items that I have to put my blinders on to avoid as I walk down the aisles. Meanwhile let me remind you that a Big Mac, medium fries, and a Coke comes in at $6.19 (just checked the Value Menu).

We're living in a country of obesity and diabetes, even though we keep pushing our kids to get moving and put down the sodas. So am I going to start making friends with the pizza delivery guy and stop my morning namaste? I was raised in a home where salt, soda, and sugar did not exist and TV time was severely limited. In a way I was lucky because I was taught good habits early on and made aware that if you're not paying for it now, you'll be paying for it with high medical bills, poor quality of life, and even eventually shortened life. But all I'm saying is can I get a little discount for getting myself up at 5 am to sweat my body dry and keeping all the kale farms in business?

Shoes are everything

Sweater- Vince (similar here), trousers, Madewell (in black), shoes- Bass, jewelry- Mexican street market

Quite simply I'm obsessed with androgynous looks. I'm having a Annie Hall moment, and all I want to wear is trousers and flat shoes. These specific shoes seem to cause quite a riot, within a block of walking down the street I've already been complimented by the most diverse group of different people. Yes they shine, but in my reality if your shoes don't call someone's attention you're doing it wrong.

I'm so lucky to get to work with someone who is talented behind the lens but has also become a good friend. These shots were impromptu trying to fight the start of the rain before another crazy snow storm, but Hafsa's quick and creative work brought out a different side in me. The outfit is masculine and minimalistic, but to be honest it takes a real woman to feel confident without all the Herve Leger bandage.

Mexican corn

Beep beep, winter your ride is here. Why does it keep snowing, and will I ever remember what it's like to feel warmth? Dying of cabin fever (I don't handle snow days well) and dreaming of being on a sunny beach I decided to make something that reminds me of summer- Mexican corn. Grilled corn dipped in salt water was also a staple for summer BBQs that's the Persian way to do it, and for some time I thought that was the only way to eat corn. Perks of growing up in a FOB house. If I'm going to go with something more elaborate on my corn I want cotija and lime please. Nothing beats summers spent at Cafe Habana with plenty of guac and ceviche and of course their Mexican corn. Those sunny days seem like they may never come again so in the mean time I decided to make a healthy version of it.

I was relatively surprised at how good a broiler can grill corn, and even though corn is not in season I found some at Whole Foods. I'm going to pretend it didn't come from some weird source. Cotija cheese was another struggle, it's not quite like LA out here where every market has a decent international section (my personal quest for Za'atar is a whole different story). The "healthy" part of the corn is swapping mayo/sour cream for non-fat Greek yogurt, but it doesn't take away from how awesome this recipe is. Sunshine, I miss you.

Serves one
1 ear of corn
1/2 lime
Crumble cotija cheese (just chopped finely will get the effect)
Cayenne pepper
1.5 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Chopped cilantro

1. Spray your corn with coconut oil spray and place beneath the broiler. 6-7 minutes on a side, you'll want to keep rotating the corn. You'll notice that kernels start to turn darker that's the right time to turn to another side.
2. While you're roasting your corn mix some of the lime juice, Greek yogurt, cilantro, and pepper.
3. Once your corn is done cover it with the yogurt mix.
4. Roll your corn in the cheese as much as you'd like. Add more pepper and the remaining lime juice.
5. Buen provecho!

Might even name my firstborn Lupita

If you don't know who Lupita Nyong'o is...STOP, Google, fall in love, come back and finish reading this post. Normally when celebrities do their first red carpet season, it's a bit of a trial and error. I can never really understand that, if you're in an Oscar nominated film I'm sure you can find a stylist and a desperate designer and put something on that doesn't look like a complete failure. Alas, there is a worst dress list and Joan Rivers for a reason.

Well flashback to Golden Globes 2014 a couple months ago and out walked that Ralph Lauren cape red masterpiece showing off the beautifully sculpted shoulders of the one and only Lupita. Everyone stopped cause in that moment she went from a question mark to the top of the best dressed list of the evening. Teal Gucci at SAG, green Dior at BAFTA, two piece cream Giambattista Valli at the ESSENCE Luncheon, and of course last night's pale blue Prada pleated dream. I'm wearing a headband everyday this week (or at least tomorrow).

Us Magazine: Jeff Vespa/Wireimage

Besides flawless skin, an edgy hairstyle, and biceps to put FLOTUS to shame what makes this beautiful canvas a knockout is her understanding of her body. She has such a strong upper body and the perfect chest for those deep V cuts and strapless gowns, and everything she wears shows them off. It's not about wearing that "it" style whether it's formal or casual, it's about knowing what your assets are and working them. Assets is not meant to be misinterpreted, it's about highlighting while looking classy at the same time. Also she's not afraid of color. I'm a bit too obsessed with neutrals right now and often hiding behind black is just easy, but she's worn every color of the rainbow and made me fall in love with colors again.

My respect for this all-star grew even more when I recently read an article where she discussed her prior experience with fashion being minimal. When she realized all the publicity 12 Years a Slave would involve she began to do research on designers and understanding their style and how it's applied during the red carpet season. Celebrities are given the perks of someone dressing them and giving them the most beautiful and expensive pieces in the world, but when a celebrity takes charge and control over their clothes it really shows.

Lupita makes me excited about fashion, and it's a feeling I haven't associated with the red carpet season in awhile. Keep your eye on her, and go buy yourself a headband.

The Wire: AP