Organizational Mess

· January 16, 2013 ·

Hey everyone!

Thanks for your nice comments on yesterday’s post! It’s so motivational to hear everyone’s reasons for running. Makes me really want to get out there and hit the pavement!

Second of all, check out this lovely scene that I was greeted by this morning.

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Guess we can forget about a winter like last year, which had practically NO snow! Oh well, this is New England after all. Guess I’ll just have to deal.

Dinner

Part of last night’s dinner was an experiment that I am glad to say turned out fabulous! It’s no secret that I am a dairy lover, hence the “yogurt addiction”. I love cheese, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, milk etc.

One of my favorite salads is the bibb salad, which is typically smothered in blue cheese or ranch dressing. I used to steer clear of this dish for this very reason, but not anymore!

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Last night I created a much lighter version of this salad by incorporating one of my favorite ingredients. I’ll give you just one guess as to what is was. Recipe will be posted later on in the week!

Organizational Mess

For the most part, I consider myself a neat and organized person. I’m not OCD by any means, but I’m generally happier when my room is neat and organized. Lately I’ve found myself getting very frustrated with the lack of space in my bedroom, especially in my closet. 

Although I could use more space to put my clothes, I seem to manage OK in that regard. It is the shoes that are causing the problem here!

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This photo is a slight exaggeration, but this is what happens when I get fed up with not having enough space for my shoes. I just leave them on the floor, because there’s no other place to put them! I have invested in a plastic door show rack similar to the one pictured below (except all the slots are filled in) and I STILL don’t have enough room.

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I don’t have enough space for plastic bins or a shoe rack, because my room is too small. I also donated several of my shoes to good will about 3 months ago, so all the shoes I currently own I want to keep!

I need some serious help from the organizational fairy right now, because my current shoe situation is more like an organizational mess!

Another area that I am having trouble keeping organized is my jewelry. This isn’t AS bad, but still I feel as though my jewlerey could be organized in much more orderly fashion.

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I often times find myself wearing the same jewelry day in and day out, because I dont feel like searching for my other pieces. I’d rather wear the same thing than create more of a mess by grabbing something from the bottom of the box!

Any suggestions on how I can better organize by shoes and jewelry, considering my lack of space?  Any insight is much appreciated! I’m going nuts over here (in case you couldn’t tell!)

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How do you organize your clothes, shoes, bags and jewelry?

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Modeling–Shows, Shoots & Past Work

· January 10, 2013 ·

Hey guyssss, happy Thursday!

We are so close to the weekend, only one more day! <—-I’m excited!

Last night I went to Barrework class and it was awesome (as usual). I always leave there feeling like I got a great workout. Funny how small movements can work up such a sweat!

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Dinner

Last night’s dinner was a great one! Chicken meatballs (not pictured), spinach salad with sliced strawberries and walnuts roasted brussel sprouts and beets with goat cheese. Talk about all of my favorite foods on one plate!

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Modeling–Shows, Shoots & Past Work

Ever since I disclosed modeling on the blog, and then followed up by discussing how it all began, I have received several questions regarding the type of modeling work I do/have done in the past.

It’s taken me a while to put together this post because I’ve had to put a lot of thought into it. Of course the highlights of my career come to mind instantly (Betsey Johnson, Reebok, French Connection etc.) but it’s the little jobs here and there, that sometimes slip my mind.

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You might be thinking, how could you forget about a job if you took photos?  Well that’s just the thing-just because I take photo’s for a living (well more like part-time & extra cash) doesn’t mean that I get to see or keep every single one of them.

Although I have done my fair share of commercial/print work, more of my modeling career has been focused around the runway. I am proud to be part of Boston’s #1 Runway Team (love you girls!) so a lot of my photo’s are of shows, rather than typical still shots.

I decided to compile some of my favorite photo’s from the most recent shows, shoots and backstage photos that I could find. I hope you enjoy them and that this gives you a little bit more insight on the “mysterious modeling world” that I speak of, haha!

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Test Shoot: Photo Credit Kara Kalchaulko

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Liberty Hotel Summer Series: Photo Credit Jan Archee Bloch & Eric Gauster

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Liberty Hotel Summer Series by Susan Young: Photo Credit Eric Gauster (Left)

Boston Fashion Week 2012: Karina Bresnahan: Photo Credit Jan Archee Bloch (Right)

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Betsey Johnson Fashion Show: Photo Credit Jan Archee Bloch

**Please remember that I ultimately disclosed this topic because I aim to show that not all models live unhealthy lifestyles. I want to lead as an example, and show that it is possible to model (or pursue any passion) while living a healthy and balanced lifestyle**

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Any questions regarding modeling? Comment or feel free to contact me!

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U.S Open Recap #2

· September 6, 2012 ·

Hello everyone!

How is everyone doing on this fine Thursday morning? Tonight is Fashion’s Night Out, so needless to say I am pumped to be attending and participating in it this year!

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In case you’ve never heard of it, Fashion’s Night Out is a huge bash with featured events in over 18 countries, with more that 4,500 fashion events taking place in the United States alone!

Tonight in Boston, several events will be taking place around Newbury St and the Copley Square area. It’s sure to be a fun night, so if you live in or around Boston, I highly suggest you stop on by!

U.S Open Recap Part 2

Here is recap #1 in case you missed it! So where did we leave off? Oh yes!

We woke up around 8:30 a.m in order to make sure that we had enough time to eat breakfast, and make our way to the open. The concierge suggested that we take the subway to Queens, considering it would be easy, fast and cheap. Works for me!

Since we did not know what the food situation would be at the event we decided to stop at the Europa Cafe, for a quick bite to eat, before boarding the subway. This place was perfect because it was only a block from the hotel, had fast service and lots of options.

I could not decide between an omelette or oatmeal, so I did what any logical person would do in this situation and that is order both! :)  I went with an egg white omelette filled with spinach and swiss cheese, alongside my small oatmeal with bananas, walnuts and dried fruit. Both options were delicious, and kept me pretty full all day.

After breakfast, we made our way to the subway. Taking the subway was actually much easier, faster and more comfortable than I thought it would be. I won’t hide the fact that subways aren’t exactly my favorite places to be.

For one thing I have a hard time navigating them (probably because I never take them), I can’t help but be grossed out by all the germ invested poles, seats and railings, I am horrified about getting on the wrong train and never being able to find my way back EVER and oh ya, I absolutely hate when the carts randomly stop in between two concrete walls and don’t move for more than 4 seconds! Am I the only person that is this paranoid? It’s ok if you say yes.

Luckily the train ride was pretty quick (about 30 min), and felt even faster since we had some entertainment for a few stops!

Seriously, these guys were pretty good! I don’t think I’ve ever seen this on a train in Boston. Have you seen entertainment on the subway where you are from? 

We got off at the Mets-Willits-Point stop, and followed everyone in their tennis gear to the tournament location. Luckily the main grounds are only a short walk away from the train stop, and thank God because boy was it HOT on Saturday.

Once we got passed the ticket line, I met up with one of my best friends; Linzee. I haven’t seen her in a few months, so it was great to reconnect at such an awesome event. She is currently attending medical school in the area (wooo!) so it worked out perfectly.

For the rest of the day the 3 of us hopped from match to match and got to see quite a few big names.

Since it was mega hot out, it was nice to watch a few games here and there, and then head back to the main grounds where there was shade, and cold drinks.

We left the tournament grounds around 5 p.m in order to get back in time to shower, relax a little and then head out for dinner. Let me tell you, a hot day at the U.S Open is quite tiring, but nothing a nice shower and a little wine can’t fix ;-)

We made reservations at STK, a well-known steakhouse in the Meatpacking district of New York. We arrived a little early for our 9 p.m reservation, so that we could walk around the boardwalk before grabbing a cocktail on the roof deck.

We were promptly seated at 9 p.m at a nice table on the roof deck. It was a BEAUTIFUL night, so I was thrilled not to have to whip out my emergency cardigan that I always have stashed in my purse ;-)

The food, drinks and service were all fabulous. No photos of the food because it was wayyy to dark, and we all know how food looks with the flash on. No bueno!

Overall, it was an exciting and fun first day in NYC! Final recap coming you way soon :)

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What is your main source of transportation? Car, train, walking etc..?

 

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Special Events & A Giveaway Winner

· August 13, 2012 ·

Hi everyone!

How’s everyone doing on this fine Monday morning? I can’t believe another summer weekend has past, and that we only have 3 more “real” summer weekends left. Summer is definitely my favorite season, so I can’t help but get a little teary eyed when it ends :( ! Despite being sad about my favorite season ending, I can’t help but be thrilled for what’s ahead. I have 3 special events to look forward to in the next few weekends and I am really excited about all of them!

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The first event is the Healthy Living Summit, which is next weekend (!!!). Followed by the Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney Brothers of the Sun Concert the weekend after that, followed by the U.S OPEN!

 

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I am equally as ecstatic for all of these events, but I am especially thrilled about finally attending the U.S Open! If you’ve read my bio, then you know that I have been a tennis player since a very young age, and that tennis has always been a huge part of my life.

I have wanted to go to the U.S Open for quite sometime now, but for one reason or another the plans never seemed to workout (except for this year!) The train tickets have been purchased, and the hotel accommodations have been made so it’s really happening! I couldn’t be happier :)

I love tennis and all but I can’t help but disclose the fact that I have also gained a new-found love for running! Yes, I said running! This weekend marked the longest distance I have ever ran! Half marathon training isn’t as bad as I thought!

Photo provided my Nike Running app, AKA the best app ever. I swear it’s what’s getting me through my training!

Dinner

Last nights dinner was some simple lobster salad served over a bed of mixed greens. Lobster (actually seafood in general) is one of my favorite foods, so I am always trying to think up new ways to prepare it. For this lobster salad, I substituted the mayo for some avocado instead. Not only is it much healthier, but in my opinion it tastes better too!

Fun fact about me: I actually HATE mayonnaise along with most other condiments. I never liked ketchup, mustard, relish, ranch dressing or pickles (my God do I despise pickles!) I am definitely more of a “plain Jane” when it comes to sauces, dressings and toppings. I almost always dress my salad with some oil and vinegar only, and never order my eggs with hollandaise sauce or anything of that nature! Am I the only person out there like this???

Chobani Giveaway Winner

The winner for the Chobani 16 oz blended Greek Yogurt Giveaway is Sarah from the Blonde Bostonion!

Congratulations Sarah! Please e-mail me at Stellinasaia@gmail.com and we can discuss the details!

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Any special events you are looking forward to?

Any particular condiments that you love or hate? 

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Weekend at Foxwoods

· June 20, 2012 ·

This weekend a few of my girlfriends and I decided to take a quick trip over to Foxwoods Resort & Casino. We haven’t been able to spend nearly as much as time as we used to together, so a full day and night together is just what we needed to get away and catch up! I have never been to Foxwoods or MGM before, so I was curious and excited to see what all the buzz was about.

Since it was going to be a nice day, we left around 10 a.m in order to sit by the pool and catch some rays before our evening of fun activities began. Check out our SWEET ride!

It was a little windy! But what can I say, we only ride in style ;-) Don’t worry we did not drive 2 hours with the top down! I think that would have been a little too intense!

We arrived at Foxwoods around noon, and quickly checked in. Soon after, we got into our bathing suits and hit up the pool at MGM. After spending two hours sitting in the car, we were all more than ready to relax, sip some girly drinks and catch up! The pool was really nice, but it was a little too crowded for my liking.

Luckily, we were able to score four lounge chairs next to each other within about 15 minutes of looking around. Upon sitting, a cocktail waitress took our drink orders, and the weekend officially began! I ordered a pina colada, which was tasty but very sweet.

I think I was expecting to taste one of the fresh fruit smoothies I had in Aruba, but instead it was a mixture of different syrups blended with some alcohol and whipped cream on top. Bust! Oh well, I still drank the whole thing!

After about 2.5 hours we had enough of the sun and the pool, so we headed up to our rooms to shower and get ready for the night.

Once we were all gussied up, we grabbed a quick dinner and then decided to press our luck at the casino before heading over to the club. I am honestly not that much of a gambler, so I only played a few games here and there and then called it quits. I like my money in my pocket, not eaten up by a random machine or dealer, thank you very much! I’m also not too found of the smell of smoke, so it was hard for me to stay in there for more than an hour. Luckily, my friends are the same, so we stayed at the casino for a short time, and headed over to Shrine, which is the nightclub at the MGM hotel.

I’ve heard great things about Shrine, so I was really excited to check it out. It is an Asian infused night club with both indoor and outdoor seating, a full bar and a dance floor.

My friends and I grabbed a few drinks, talked, danced, snapped pictures and overall had a great time. I’m not usually into going to clubs, because the loud music and massive amounts of people in such a small area usually make me feel claustrophobic! Do I sound like a grandma? Haha! Luckily we were able to sit at a table, so we had plenty of breathing room, which made for an awesome time!

We left the club around 1:30 a.m and then headed back up to our room. We may or may not have stopped at Fudrucker’s on the way up for some late night, nachos and cake, but we’ll just pretend that never happened! ;-)

Overall we had a great time at Foxwoods! Sometimes spending quality time with your best friends is just what a girl needs!

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Where was the last weekend trip you took?

Do you like gambling at casinos? Have you ever won big? 

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Mothers Day 2012

· May 14, 2012 ·

Good Morning Everyone!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and a great Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! Today we welcome the rain to back to Boston (surprise, surprise), but hey at least the weekend was in the upper 70′s!

Breakfast

This mornings breakfast was the exact same one that I’ve been having all this week. What can I say? I am definitely a creature of habit, and the plain Chobani mixed with pineapple chunks and ground flax-seed is a winner in my book!

 Dinner at L’Andana

On Saturday night, I went to L’Andana with my family and grandparents to celebrate Mother’s Day a little early. Last time went to L’Andana it was incredibly good, so we figured this would be the perfect place to revisit. Only the best for mom, right? :)

I ordered the mixed green salad with candied walnuts to start. It tasted fantastic, and had just the right amount of Chianti vinaigrette. When I make salads at home I can never seem to put the right amount of dressing. I either put way to much, or way to little. Does that ever happen to anyone else?

Matteo started of with half portion of pasta Bolognese, which he really enjoyed. I tasted a little, and it was simple yet delicious!

For my main course I ordered the grilled salmon which was served with warm heirloom potatoes, onion salad and bacon.

It was grilled to perfection, and tasted amazing. I picked around the bacon, since I’m not a huge fan of bacon, but that did not effect the overall taste of the meal.

It was an overall great night and fun way to spend Mother’s Day. L’Andana never disappoints, and both mom and nonna (grandmother in Italian) really enjoyed themselves!

Happy Mothers Day!

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Did you do anything special for Mother’s Day?

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Dinner at Sportello

· March 30, 2012 ·

Hey everyone! TGIF!

Last night I visited Adel (a close family friend) in Boston to see her new apartment!

Pretty nice right?! I absolutely love her new place! She did a lot of renovation, but it was well worth it! Congratulations Adel!

After seeing her new place, we headed over to Sportello for some dinner. This place is SO cute, and the food is even better! They have mainly bar seating all throughout the middle of the restaurant, and only just a few tables. along the perimeter. Luckily we called ahead and scored a table for 5 right away!

Since it was SO cold out, I decided to start off with the spicy tomato soup. I almost always order tomato soup at a restaurant when I see it on the menu, because for some reason I never make it at home. The flavor was spectacular, it was just creamy enough, and I could really taste the true tomato flavor. I burnt my lip because it was so hot, but that’s probably my fault for digging in too fast! Woopsie!

For a main course I ordered the grilled salmon (surprise, surprise) which was served over a bed of artichokes, chard and a lemon and olive relish. It was grilled to perfection, and just the right size! My mom and adel got the homemade potato gnocchi, which they couldn’t stop raving about, and my grandmother and aunt got the salmon and steak. All of which they said were delicious!

For dessert we shared and “affogato” which is coffee ice cream served in a cup of hot expresso. When I went to Italy, I literally had an affogato a day! It is soooo yummy, and perfect for an after dinner dessert!

Overall it was a great night, and I will definitely be returning to Sportello! I loved everything from the food, atmosphere and great service! It was a nice Thursday night out, I hope to do it again soon!

Have a GREAT weekend!!!

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When you go to a restaurant do you usually sit at the bar or at a table? 

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Big Dinner & Big News!

· March 21, 2012 ·

Happy hump day everyone!

Lots of stuff to talk about today, but first things first!

Dinner

Last night I enjoyed some grilled salmon, oven roasted brussel sprouts, beet salad and some red leaf lettuce tossed in an oil and vinegar dressing. It was a colorful and delicious meal that totally hit the spot! As a matter of fact, I had a few extra servings, (not pictured) which kind of threw me over the edge, and left me feeling WAY too full. I hate when that happens! I know that I should stop eating, but everything looks and smells so good which provokes me to continue to eat. This leaves me feeling lethargic and uncomfortable even after having a healthy meal! Sometimes my eyes can seriously be much bigger than my stomach! Any suggestions on how to shrink them? For comforts sake?

Breakfast

I keep saying that one day I will change my breakfast up, but the blog IS called “My Yogurt Addiction” for a reason! I had the usual Chobani 0% plain yogurt with Truvia, ground flax seed,  almond halves and banana slices mixed in.

Ask Miss A

I’ve got a confession to make. I’ve been keeping a little secret away from you that I am finally ready to disclose! I am proud to announce that I am a contributing city writer for Ask Miss A! For those of you who don’t know, Ask Miss A is  one of the largest and fastest growing online magazines for women. Miss A covers the intersection of charity and style in 21 major U.S. cities and offers informative content on a woman’s well-rounded lifestyle and interests. Miss A also includes the latest and most relevant information on fashion, beauty, entertainment, food, family, city events and exclusive advice and recommendations for nearly one million unique visitors each year! I am so excited to write for Miss A, and am open to any suggestions that you guys may have as far as topics, events or anything else that I could cover in the Boston area. Feel free to check out the two articles that I have already contributed to Ask Miss A here and here.  Let me know what you think!

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How do you avoid being uncomfortably full?

 

Have a great day!!! :)

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And The Winner is…

· February 20, 2012 ·

Hi everyone!

I hope that you all had a fabulous weekend! Mine was super busy, but still fun and eventful!

On Friday night, I went to go see Princesses on Ice with my mom, aunts and cousins. Even though we aren’t kids anymore, rekindling the types of activities we use to do when were were younger was really fun!

The three movies that the performers acted out were Cinderella, Tangled and The Princess and the Frog. I’m not sure if it is because I have never seen the Tangled or the Princess and the Frog movies, but Cinderella was definitely my favorite skit.

The performers did a great job of acting out the story while skating, as well as engaging the audience. It was amazing to watch how they are able to sing, dance and skate all at the same time! Lots of coordination and athleticism needed for the job folks!

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On Saturday night, Matteo and I decided to go to my favorite sushi restaurant, All Season’s Table.

I just LOVE sushi SO much! It’s is probably my second most favorite food ever (yogurt is the first, obvi). Apparently, the sushi gene runs in my family because once we sat down, we noticed my brother and my cousin sitting down on the opposite side of the restaurant! They came over to say bye before they left, and I made sure to have Matteo snap this photo of us!

We ordered 5 different rolls to share, along with some edamame to start. We got our usual torched salmon maki, salmon avocado roll, spicy tuna roll and rainbow roll, but we also decided to be adventurous and ordered the torched white tuna maki as well! It is basically a spicy crab meat maki topped with torched white tuna and a jalepeno pepper. I’m glad that we tried it, because it was absolutely delicious! I can certainly see this becoming one of my “regular” rolls.

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Giveaway Winner

Now for the moment you have al been waiting for! The winner of the Chobani Giveaway is Georgia!

Congratulations! Please e-mail me your information at Stellinasaia@gmail.com, and we will get your yogurt package sent to you ASAP! Thank you to everyone who participated! I loved reading about your favorite ways to enjoy Greek yogurt, and thank you for following me on Facebook and Twitter too, it means a lot :)

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Lastly, I am going to leave you with this simple saying.

Don’t forget it!

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Sushi, do you love it or hate it?

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Dinner at L'andana

· February 13, 2012 ·

Last night Matteo and I had a fantastic dining experience at L’andana restaurant. I had never been to L’andana before,so naturally when my parents invited us out to dinner with them, I immediately accepted the offer! I had heard great things about this restaurant, so I was very excited to finally experience it myself.


Good thing we had reservations because the parking lot was packed (probably due to Valentines day weekend). Luckily they offer free valet, which was huge considering the below freezing temperatures outside. We were about 15 minutes early for our 8 o’clock reservation, so we decided to hit up the bar for a quick drink before heading over to the table. The bar has a really laid back vibe (which I loved) full of couches and chairs to relax in while sipping your drink. I decided on a prosecco (surprise, surprise) and Matteo got a dirty martini. A short while later we taken to our table promptly at 8pm.

The dining room has a Tuscan style ambiance, with high ceilings and decorative chandeliers.  It is quite dark, but all of the tables have a lit candle, which helped when reading the menu. The service was impeccable, and the waitress was able to answer any questions that we had.

  

The food was PHENOMENAL. I started off with the mixed green salad served, with candied walnuts and tossed in a citrus vinaigrette.   It was a great start to my meal because I wanted something simple yet tasty. The vinaigrette totally made the dish and I would definitely order it again! We also ordered a plate of oysters for the table, which were beautifully presented on a flat plate over a bed of ice. I don’t typically eat oysters, but my family could not stop raving about them!

  

For my main course I ordered the salmon which was cooked to PERFECTION! It was served over a bed of black lentils and root vegetables, and topped with a “cider mostarda” sauce. The flavors were absolutely mouthwatering, unlike anything I have ever tasted before. This was probably the best salmon I have ever eaten, not even kidding!

We ended the night with the warm molten chocolate cake served with a side of vanilla ice-cream (which I forgot to snap a photo of). The chill of the ice cream against the warmth of the cake was excellent. Definitely something I would love to recreate at home if I could figure out how!

Overall I LOVED this place! I would rate it my #1 favorite restaurant outside the city, in fact I’d still rate it in the top 3 even if Boston was included!  The staff was really attentive and truly cared about our dining experience. The food was delicious and the decor is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I highly recommend L’andana to anyone who wants to enjoy excellent Italian food, while receiving top-notch service. If you’re from Boston, treat yourself and go check it out, you won’t regret it!

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How are you celebrating Valentines day/weekend? 

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