Spicy Woman!!

I can't live a day w/o chili sauce to go w/ my meal ..... so I definitely deserve the title of Spicy Woman!! lol 

They are great for cooking or as dipping sauce!

This is how much chili sauce I ate along w/ my noodle soup for lunch......Chili dry fish w/ black bean curd, Thai chili sauce and Chili Garlic sauce.
~~~ All we want is HOT HOT~~~ ^O^

Didn't I tell you that I had all my food pre-prepared yesterday and they are ready to go IN the pan anytime?! Well, most of them!!


But obviously, I can't pre-prepare my Tonkatsu until the min. before dinner time.

Flour, beaten egg, Panko bread crumbs, can't mess up the order!!

Ta da~ 

Those are dinner of the day! 

That red soup is Kimchi spicy beef w/ toufu pot...... yeah, spicy food for dinner too!!

I had to cut Tonkatsu into pieces for my kids and they love dipping broccoli into that roasted sesame salad dressing...... so I guess dressing or sauces or spices plays a big role in the dishes for my family! ^O^

Speaking of food preparation, you know, refrigerators,  microwave oven, coffee maker, food processor, and dish washers really emancipated us from much of the drudgery of meal preparation and afterward cleanup.  Let alone those so-called small "kitchen Gadgets" for peeling/crushing garlic, for extracting seed out of cherries....etc. are really helpful in certain situation.  Take me for instance, imaging w/o the extracting cherry seed gadgets, how many seeds I have to take out for all my 3 children when they eating along and the triple speed that I have to train my teeth and tongue to do the job before they all reach out for the next one!! ^O^ Therefore, thanks to the inventor who came up w/ it especially it really works~~ AMAZING!!


It took me 20 mins to cook for myself a lunch and an hour to assemble 4 dishes for family dinner.......... how about this morning!?

We all woke up around 7:30 AM for kids' dental appointment at 8:30 AM. 
zzzzzzz....... sleepy bed head~

Niel, Abby and Ilona (in the next room) take over the entire dental clinic this morning~ lol

Ah, that's why they can really sit on the exam chair -- watch
Sponge Bob - Square Pants on the ceiling!



So after hour and a half, we are OUT the dental office ......


My ODJ. 


1. Top:

• Sequin tank (gift from Pei)
• Inochi Fox fur w/ collar vest 

2. Bottom:
techno metallic charcoal skirt w/ drawstring


3. Accessory:

• Chanel Hawaii LTD metallic silver timeless clutch
• pink sparkle loose leggings
• J crew mustard green studs belt

4. Shoes:
Boss Orange 3 tons mary-jane platform


Going up to the city tomorrow~
Have a good nite sleep!


xoxo Rachel

2010 Emmy Fashion Wrap with Lawrence Zarian, Jennifer Rade, Nick Verreos and.....Countess LuAnn de Lesseps!

Red Carpet Dishing with the Countess...

Red Carpet Group Shot: Nick Verreos, Jennifer Rade, Lawrence Zarian and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, TV Guide Network Emmys 2010 Fashion Wrap

Yesterday, I had an early call time (not as early as my KNBC "Sunday LA" call time!) for my TV Guide Emmys 2010 Fashion Wrap.

The most affable Lawrence Zarian is the new host and he did an AMAZING job! He hit a "Red Carpet Home Run"! Love him, admire him, and well, just wanna put him in my TopMan blue Jacket Pocket! As usual, I was joined by my "sister"...

The most stylish and UBER talented stylist-to-the-stars, Miss Jennifer Rade (above, with moi) Our very special guest was "Real Housewives of New York City" star, Countess LuAnn de Lesseps. OK, let me begin with: She was AMAZING!!! I had never met her and yet, the first words out of her mouth were "Hi Nick, I know all about you..you are a FABULOUS designer, and your dad was a Diplomat and you grew up in Venezuela and you interned in Switzerland..."

Fashion Sandwich: Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, Nick Verreos and Jennifer Rade, TV Guide Network Emmys Fashion Wrap

I was like "Oh no you didn't!" Somebody did their Homework. This, kiddies, is rare. Can you say "Money can't buy you CLASS?" If you cannot, I'll sing it! Six feet tall, size 2 and all FABULOUS! I loved to doing the TV Guide Emmys 2010 Fashion Wrap and had a blast with all of them!

It was also a special joy when Kim Vo (above, second from right) joined us to dish on the hairstyles. He was wearing the most comfy--and chic-- Louis Vuitton denim driving shoes and I actually threatened him, saying that he would probably leave here BAREFOOT! I can't wait to do this again for the next Awards Show!

In case you missed the show--and our "Best" and "Oh Rita Wilson, What Were You Thinkin'?", click BELOW for the entire TV Guide Emmys 2010 Fashion Wrap Episode:

Liz Earle The Next Chapter - Haircare

A few weeks ago I was invited to the Liz Earle flagship store to learn about Liz's new venture - Haircare.

Six years in the making, a range of shampoos and conditioners has been their most requested product, and with over 100 variations trialed in three years this is definitely a launch to be excited about. In keeping with Liz Earle's ethos of using natural ingredients wherever possible this range is SLS/SLES free. The premise was to create a shampoo that would foam like any other on the market, but instead of using a harsh detergent to create a lather a gentle natural wash active was used (SLM1- sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate). This haircare is therefore suitable for sensitive, dry and eczema prone skins while being very gentle and promising not to strip colour.

The fragrance in the shampoos and conditioners is 100% natural and smells absolutely beautiful. It is made up of 8 essential oils and 1 pure extract. Cirus, floral, warm and refreshing, this is a scent that really lasts in the hair.

The range consists of the botanical shine shampoo, suitable for all hair types, and three conditioners tailored to dry/damaged, normal or oily hair.

The Botanical Shine shampoo contains Vitamin E, Aloe Vera, Shea Butter, Apple and Orange Extracts (same principle as cider vinegar, to flatten the cuticle and make hair shiny). Honestly, it works better than any other 'sulphate free' shampoo I have previously tried. It lathers pretty well (the key is to keep adding water), rinses clean and doesn't strip my hair of moisture leaving it tangled, as I have found some of the 'Naked' range has in the past. I also love the scent, in keeping with the rest of the Liz Earle range it smells like a spa treatment - refreshing and invigorating yet warm and slightly sweet.

For conditioner I chose the one for dry hair, with meadowfoam and yangu oil. This is a lovely, creamy conditioner that de-tangles and smooths without weighing the hair down. I have been using both for the last two weeks and I really have noticed a difference. My hair definitely feels more silky and light (minus the product build up other shampoos have left on my hair). Although I am in dire need of a haircut this conditioner has definitely helped repair some of the damage and my hair actually feels much smoother!

The Liz Earle Haircare is now available for pre-order on their website here and will be available for purchase on the 2nd of September online (and in LE stores) and in John Lewis Stores on the 6th of September. I was surprised to learn that they are priced at £7.50 each (for 200ml - 29 washes), which I think is pretty reasonable for a higher end hair product. I can wholeheartedly recommend this line and will definitely be stocking up on some more once I have worked through my samples ;).

While we are chatting Liz Earle, I also wanted to share a few photos of the lovely lady herself. I was actually given the chance to meet her last week at the celebration of 15 years of Cleanse and Polish evening.

She really is an inspiration, glowing inside and out. Not only does she look truly radiant in real life, but she is also a fantastic speaker, full of knowledge and enthusiasm about her brand, which is lovely to see!

I have been using the Cleanse and Polish for about 3 months now and I can see why it has become such a cult product, and the number one selling item in John Lewis (followed by their duck pillow... lol)!

A trick I was shown during the Liz Earle skin tutorial (available in their flagship store) is to use one part of the deep cleansing mask to two parts of the Cleanse and Polish when cleansing to help control my oily skin. I also use the deep cleansing mask as a 'spot treatment' and leave it on overnight on any blemishes threatening to come to the surface. It seems to dry them out and prevent their progress without leaving behind that horrible 'crust' that some other spot treatments tend to. The next step in my obsession is to really treat myself and book a Liz Earle facial.. bf if you are reading this take note ;).

Have you tried Liz Earle? Are you tempted? I am currently in the process of converting my friends... Do you have any tips for using the products in your own way? xxx

Work It Out: Installment Dix-Huit

Since the Summer sales have been and gone I am now beginning to run out of new purchases to show you. As a child I was always very restrained, never looking for my presents before Christmas, savouring that cohocolate bar for a week one piece at a time, and now I do the same with clothes and shoes. Now, I do not say this to mislead you, I am a complete shopaholic and if I see something I like I will most probably end up buying it. However, once it is lovingly hung in my wardrobe it can stay there for days, weeks, months and sometimes a year before I find the perfect occasion to wear it. In this way the joy of a shopping spree can outlast the damage to my bank balance ;).

With this in mind, here is a dress I purchased at the beginning of the summer sales (or rather my mama kindly purchased for me.. I can't even pretend to lie as she often mentions I don't call her enough and that she has to read this blog to see that I am 'still alive').

Dress: LK Bennett. Cardigan: M&S. Pearl necklace: Ukranian market. Shoes: Faith (though I only wear these to work on the tube, during the day I wore black patent Mary Janes).

I actually got so many compliments on this dress, and especially it's purple shade. I absolutely adore bright colours, even in the workplace (if you haven't noticed already lol).What is your take on bright blocks of colour? xxx

Calling All Fellow Self Tan Addicts

I just wanted to do a quick post about a great website I found today called TheTantalist.com.  It's a website that was started by James Read, an A-List self tanning expert who works as an international spray tan artist for St Tropez, working with the likes of Lady GaGa, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Rosie Huntington-Whitely.  He is big news in the world of self tanning so the guy knows what he's talking about!

James Read has a salon called 'Agua' at the Sanderson hotel in London and he has been known to shave off 10lbs just by his skillful use of a spray tan applicator! If only we all had him on stand-by, we'd be sorted!

The website is dedicated to sharing info about self tanning...from the best products to use, to trends and tricks, to interviews with top makeup artists like Laura Mercier on how to best enhance your tan with makeup.  The beauty blogging community is so saturated with info about self tanning products that you may already know alot of the techniques and tricks but it's always good to get someone else's take on it, especially when they are a pro likes James Read!

There's even a section called 'Tantone' where it provides a guide on which on-trend nail varnish colours will suit your skintone.  Something which I never considered before but it makes sense when you think about it!

One of the best tips I ever picked up was that it's best to use gradual tanner on your hands and feet when you are self tanning with darker products like St Tropez or Xen Tan.  This gives the most natural colour and doesn't leave any dark patches on your wrists and knuckles.

You can never have too much knowledge when it comes to self tan because it can make the difference between looking patchy and un-natural and looking fabulous.

Do you have any self tanning tips you want to share?

A Few Products I Have Been Loving Lately

Lately I have very much been shying away from wearing black khol or liquid liner during the day as I feel like it's a bit too much at the moment.  I prefer to keep it to dramatic night-time looks.  I really do go through phases of liking different things and at the moment my favourite daytime makeup is finished off with brown, bronze, smokey grey or navy blue eyeliner.  My favourite eyeliners have always been those of a gel consistency and these Clinique Brush-On Cream Liners are hitting the spot.  Getting a liner with the right consistency is very tough because it has to be fluid enough to go on smoothly but viscose enough to adhere to the eyelid, not smudge and have decent staying power.  Using the Clinique cream liners was a bit difficult at first because I was so accustomed to using the MAC Fluidlines which as we all know start to dry up a little bit over the months. 

The Clinique cream liners are alot softer in texture so you need to perfect the application.

Once you have that down, you're flying to be honest.  The Black one is probably the truest, 'blackest' liner I own and it really makes a great impact when you are doing intense, night time looks.  The Smoke Grey shade is a browny grey, almost like a taupe colour.  It's the perfect understated daytime liner to add a bit of definition without looking too made up.  I always think it's really flattering when other girls feel the need to ASK if you're wearing makeup!  I always reply with "I wish I looked like this with no makeup on!".  They come with small application brushes but I didn't think much of these as the fibres were quite splayed out so they were too fiddly to use in the end and didn't give the precise line I was looking for.  I would stick to using the MAC or Bobbi Brown fine eyeliner brushes as you get alot more control using them.  These cream liners have good staying power and didn't smudge on me at all (please note that I only wear eyeliner on my top lashline - I never wear it on my waterline or lower lashline).  The Smoke Grey shade is really unique and lately, it has become my go-to liner every day.  Have you tried these? What's your opinion on them?

I have been on the search for a good powder to bring around with me in my bag and so far, this Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder is my fave.  It's super compact and slim packaging is perfect for slipping into your mini makeup bag.  I don't know about you guys, but I don't go anywhere without powder, lipstick and lip gloss.  This neutral shade is perfect for my skintone, it blends in seamlessly and leaves a really nice, natural finish.  I can't stand powders that are visible on the skin and look cakey.  After applying this powder in the morning over my foundation, it lasts a good 6-7 hours before I have to touch it up.  My skin is combination and I get shiny on my T-Zone so it's perfect for keeping my skin from looking sweaty or greasy.  I must say that I'm not overly keen on the green marbled effecton the packaging but I can forgive that since the product inside is great.  Apparently this is the most popular powder that Clinique make and I can see why. 

As you guys know, my wedding makeup artist, Suzanne, used the Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter as a gloss on me and it gave me the perfect touch of juicy colour.  I wasn't convinced the shade would suit me as it's brighter than what I normally wear but the shade is surprisingly wearable!  I LOOOOOVE these Korres Lip Butters, I also have the Guava and Jasmine ones for a more natural lip.  The guava one is perfect to apply over any lipstick to pale it out slightly and give your lips a gorgeous sheen.  The Jasmine one is a perfect every day natural pink shade for that 'my lips but better' effect.  They leave my lips so soft and smooth and I adore the scent of all of them.  They last for ages even when you use them every day so in my opinion, they are definitely worth the money.

I really like using chunky eye crayons to get a smudged, laid back effect and this Jemma Kidd Iridescent Eye Silk Crayon in Tigers Eye is gorgeous! It has slight shimmer in it so it gives a really glamorous look to your eyes.  The shade is a perfect chocolate brown with bronzey gold reflects that catch the light beautifully.  It's super smooth to apply and doesn't drag on the delicate skin on your eyelids.  Don't expect to get a precision application with this product, it's definitely meant for slapping on and smudging in.  I love working it into my lashline and blending it with a cotton bud to get a really pretty un-done look.

This Jemma Kidd Ultimate Lip Care Protect & Shimmer in Rose is a really natural, glossy product that is definitely more in the lip balm category than the lipstick one.  It's for those days when you want to look polished but in the most natural way.  I love the pretty pink packaging and the shade Rose is a really lovely natural pink that would be perfect over something like MAC Hue.  The best thing about these kind of products is that they are caring for your lips as well as making your lips look luscious. 

I love the smokey eye look but because my eyes are deep set, I have to be really careful about the colours I use so as not to make my eyes look too heavy or tired.  I generally avoid pure black and go for Grey, Brown, Dark Purple and Bronze.  This Givenchy Le Prisme eyeshadow palette in Midnight Look is perfect for creating a softer navy smokey eye.  The shades of blue in this palette are absolutely beautiful and have the prettiest sheen to them.  The eyeshadows themselves have great pigmentation and are really smooth with no gritty glitter pieces.  The palette has a bottom drawer that slides out to reveal three applicators but these aren't ideal for applying the shadows but they would be ok for touching up the makeup when you're on the go.  I always feel that you have to be cautious with blue eyeshadow because if you get the wrong shade, it can look tacky.  However, the shades in this palette are spot on because they are slightly metallic and verging on being silvery blues.

Are you a fan of smokey eyes or do you prefer to keep it more toned down? What products do you rate for creating a dramatic eye?

Nick Verreos Talks Emmy Awards Red Carpet Fashion with NBC4's Ted Chen

Emmy Fashion Talk!

Anchor Couple: Nick Verreos and Ted Chen, KNBC Studios

Sunday morning I woke up bright and early (5AM!!!!!), after arriving home from Chicago and shooting The Victory Project, to head over to NBC Studios to talk Emmy Fashion with Ted Chen on News Raw: Sunday LA. As everyone knows, the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held this last Sunday and Fashion is always a hot topic! Needless to say, I always have a lot to say on the topic of FASHION so I was happy to join Ted at such an early hour!!
Click below to watch the entire segment and see what I predicted correctly (Lots of beading, embellishments and Black) and what I missed the boat on (The ladies from "GLEE" bringing a youthful vibe to the Red Carpet...NOT!)

CHILD-LESS and Ilona's First Day of School!!

Today is the day that Ilona goes to pre-K... FULL DAY from 9 to 6 PM. She stays at school mostly from 9 to 3:30 except for Monday and Wednesday. I know, you probably think I am so cruel to her...... 


However, if you listen to what she talked about school stuff endlessly, I know that only denotes SHE IS SO READY FOR School! ^^

Ilona looked very "sleepy" there~ 
How cute she sits on her luggage for her "bedding" and that lunch box placed right next to her seems so gigantic!! Lol

I did a lot of house chores in the morning, except for cleaning the stove top, I also went two grocery stores to shop.....then I came home to do the preparation for rest of the week prior cooking such as cutting/dividing the beef into small containers, use "Cuisinart food processor" shredding carrots, asparagus, and wash string beans and cabbage and store them in the ziplock bags ... for ready-to-use. As far as what types of dishes and what kinds of ingredients make up a dish goes, I think it is a pretty big task for everyone ....especially for moms to bring the food to the table!!  So I think prewash, pre-cut..... food definitely helps. 


You know, when I was choosing some pre-cut/pre-washed/packed vegetable in the WHOLE FOODS Super Market on Sunday.......I saw a "cutting" man standing in front of a HUGE sink full of water and cauliflower behind the shelves, I suddenly want to take picture w/ him. To thank him for doing such boring job to make people's life easier, to thank him for understanding his girlfriend/wife's hard work too..........Well, I guess he must wel-know that how tiresome and boring doing these cutting/chopping everyday. ^O^

RUGBY dress, Jean Paul Gaultier flower print blouse (past season), Max Co. leather jacket, brown w/ lace trim socks, Chanel Hawaii LTD metallic silver clutch and Proenza Shouler runway heels.   

I can't believe today I have the whole world luxury to really SIT on my sofa and not yelling my kids for messing around the decoration at home and enjoy my full cup of coffee!! 


See you tomorrow. 
xoxo Rachel

Quality Time w/ Family at Burlingame!

You know, there must be a lot of moms who thanks for technology just as much as I do too....  ^^

Why?

When we are on-the-go, Iphone and I-pad are our life-saver, literally!! 

Those cartoon movies or games are just a-touch away and they keep my children entertained while I can speed up or enjoy a little longer doing whatever I am doing. 

We went to Burlingame city this weekend and we had a wonderful time there... high fashion and high technology.... I mean APPLE store where my kids can enjoy playing the latest games on i-Pad. NOW, whenever I mention there is an APPLE store in certain area that I am going to, I can see my kids' eye lighten up.... cause' they know, they wont' be bored anymore!!! lol

Gymboree where my kids can watch some cute and educational TV in the store. 
Abby found it~~ ^^

Apple store.... We 3 girls love the no-brain game.... haha.... Marble Mixer!!

This harvest furniture store has this cute and vintage looking mini mannequin which is a perfect alternative to a accessory rack/hanger for your necklaces.($38)



Children's wear: Baby Contour. 



Ralph Lauren has been a long time fave. brand since I was in high school. 
Their clothes are classic and sophisticated yet so feminine if you pair it right. 



Do you remember that I have this leather vest w/o pockets from 3 or 4 seasons back....
I love it and it is one of my wardrobe staples! ($498) 



I talk DH into buying this 4 pockets cardigan... I love the fun look of those pockets and I know it is another wardrobe staple for MAN. ^O^



I create this hallucination look of a pair of over-the-knee leg warmer + mary-jane heels =  FAB. BOOTS. 





1. Top:

• Brown cropped turtle neck sweater
• Tsumori Chisato pink puff-sleeve blouse

2. Bottom: Orange wool wrap skirt


3. Accessory:

• Proenza Shouler PS1 yellow clutch 
• Argyle pattern tassel belt (bought at India)
• Free people pink/nude/coral leg warmer 
• gold tassel earrings

4. Shoes:
Chanel 09' runway pink tulle mary-jane heels



I had that brown cropped sweater and orange wool wrap skirt like thousand years ago. You know it is hard to depict how I am pleased to see CHOLE brought those back to the runway A/W 2010! ^O^




resource: Chole: Style.com 



Big kiss to Pei who gave me this pair of sparkled pink/coral leggings for my another birthday gift. (FREE PEOPLE) 



Last, my little fashionable daughter, Ilona. 
I am very much of a heel gal, so TOM shoes is ruled out by me.  
Now I am glad that Ilona can enjoy the shoes while knowing I am doing some good to the poor. 




Tomorrow is Ilona's first day of school.... let's hope she will be fine all day at school!!
xoxo Mom