Today Is Not My Day...

...tomorrow doesn't look too great either.

I woke up today with good intentions. I figured since I didn't have a class to go to or any immediate deadlines, I would do something I don't often have the time to do: CLEAN. So, I made up my mind that I was going to clean the kitchen top to bottom. I wiped all the counters, washed the dishes, polished the sink, swept the floor, you get the picture.

Perfect. Well almost. I spotted a white styrofoam takeout box sitting next to the toaster.

"Ok, no big deal", I thought to myself. "I'll just stick this in the refrigerator and then everything will be perfect".

Boy, was I wrong! As I reached to pick up the box, water gushed out of the box onto the entire counter and all over the floor. And, I'm not talking about ordinary water. This was straight up feta water. For those of you who have had feta cheese before, you know that soaking it in water helps to keep it moist and lower the sodium content. And, you also know that as good as feta may TASTE, the SMELL is heinous!

So, by now the aroma of feta had dispersed into the entire kitchen along with tiny chunks of feta everywhere.

Great. Back to square one.

So, after drying, disinfecting, and polishing, I realized I should probably stick to school work...and that feta cheese smells way too nasty to be considered edible. Well, that was my Friday morning. How was your day?

P.S. There is no real moral to this story. Just thought I would share it and enjoy the humor of the situation rather than get frustrated over my clumsiness.

If You Didn't Snap It, You Didn't Eat It

Today, I was going through the pictures on my phone and I noticed a certain trend. Aside from the kabillions of photos I take in stores and send to my mom to ask permission before buying something, I realized I take A LOT of pictures of food! I know for a fact I'm not the only one though because 90% of my instagram feed consists of food shots. I am sure pretty soon restaurant menus are going to come with suggested instagram filters. And people will ask the question, "If I didn't post a photo online, did I really eat it?" Some of you might think things are getting a little out of hand, but I think it's cool to see what everyone else has been metabolizing lately. So, here are some of the more photogenic foods I found on my phone complete with instagram filters and everything. Sorry in advance for the salivation that might occur as you scroll down :) And, these photographs are pretty self explanatory, so I'm not going to label or explain anything. If you have a question about what something is called, just comment below and I'll be glad to let you know!

(Note: All the above photographs are taken by me. If you would like to use them, please contact me at thedesiknot@gmail.com Thanks.)

Wordless Wednesday

        (image via 100layercake.com)

Black on Black on Black

There is nothing more sophisticated or breathtaking than a woman wearing all black the right way with subtle accents of either gold or silver hardware accessories. It works no matter how old you are, where you live, and what you look like. So, the title of this post is probably the best advice you will ever hear. I promise. You have to say it with a certain flair for the full effect, but my black theory should definitely be made your style mantra if it isn't already. Yes, you read that correctly, it is MY black theory and I am taking full credit for it. You are more than welcome to use it though! Alright, let's get into the meat of the mantra. Follow these pointers and you will look like you have a personal stylist living in your closet. Shhh....

The Fit
Yes, we all realize that black is the holy grail color for hiding that food baby, but that is not to say that size does not matter. Make sure your garments are snug, but not squeezing, stretching, or pulling in all the wrong places. Below are two prime examples of perfectly fitting black. I don't need to say much about these because you can clearly see how well it works. It just works. Over analyzing will just take away from the effortless beauty of this outfit. I will add though that the Prada bag is the blackberry cherry on top!

Accessorizing It
When it comes to accessorizing, I believe that statement pieces in gold and silver look much more subdued on black than on any other color. If done correctly, you can get away with a lot in the name of black. Here are some examples of bold hardware pieces that look stunning on black!

The Modesty Factor
Another one of my favorite things about all black clothing is the level of skill it takes to look vulgar. Basically, unless you are trying to look tasteless, black will prove to be super flattering and sophisticated looking without much effort. Here are some of my favorite black outfits. See? Covering up can be beautiful!
 

(all images via tumblr)

Bloggers I Love...

Reading blogs can be a very time consuming activity and with all the blogs out there, its definitely hard to read very many. But, I have compiled a list of blogs that I cannot miss a word of. Here are the bloggers I am obsessed with at the moment and why I love them so much!

1. Paris Rouzati, creative director of Sweet Lemon Magazine recently started a blog called Chicamoo. She used to write a different blog, so I am familiar with her writing style. I love how her writing is a perfect marriage of intellect and humor. I just can't wait to see how her site progresses over time.

2. Another blog I love reading is called A Series of Serendipity started by a girl named Melina. The site is in Porteguese, but there is an option to let Google automatically translate it for you into English. Melina definitely has a knack for photographing interesting parts of her life and I love reading about what is going on in her part of the world.

3. One of my new favorite blogs is Veronika's Blushing. Veronika is a YouTuber and a blogger and she literally writes about EVERYTHING! Whether you like reading about makeup, fashion, decor, or fitness...Veronika has got all the bases covered. By the way, I'd like to add here that she has amazing taste in interiors and her home is probably one of the most beautiful that I have seen yet! You can check out photos of her home and renovation projects she has done under the 'Interioirs' section of her blog.

Ok...well seeing as I am fighting a terrible case of the sniffles right now, I think I will leave you with this list and call it a night. I will feature more bloggers later if you all are interested in seeing more! Let me know and good night! Hope you enjoy reading these blogs!

The Desi Knot Loves #3

Welcome to the third installment of 'The Desi Knot Loves'...finally! This post is a little different from my previous ones because I took all the photographs of the mentioned items myself. I am trying to incorporate more original photography on my blog because I think it adds an element of authenticity to whatever I write about. Anyways, I know these posts are some of my most viewed ones, so I hope you enjoy seeing what I've been loving lately!

1. Eco-Friendly Portable Coffee Cup

My mom got me this ceramic coffee cup  with a silicone lid recently and I have been using it CONSTANTLY ever since. I love taking it with me for my morning commute because it keeps my drink hot for an insanely long amount of time and it doesn't spill. The only downside...I think my caffeine consumption has increased by 1000% since I've gotten it...yikes!

2. Betsey Johnson Gift Set

Well, this scent is not a new obsession for me (just purchased my fourth bottle), so me and Betsey go way back. But, I love this stuff! I wear it all year round and this time around I decided to get the gift set that comes with a lotion and shower gel as well. This perfume smells crazy good and I can't even imagine ever getting sick of it. As long as I can get my hands on it, I don't need any other fragrance in my life! Oh and did I mention the packaging is to die for?!

3. Jonathon Adler Pen and Pencil Set

My cousin recently got me this adorable pen and pencil set by one of my favorite designers, Jonathon Adler! By the way, I think a post of his work is in order, so you will be hearing more about him soon. Anyways, the writing utensils feature his signature elephant illustrations in a really punchy color combination. I love doing my homework with these and have been neglecting my beloved Sharpie pens ever since I got them...shocker!

4. Nail Color Picks of the Season

I have been obsessed with these nail colors lately. I feel like they are such versatile colors and if I had to live with just three nail hues this season, these would be the ones for me. From let to right: Revlon's All Fired Up #675, China Glaze's Evening Seduction #256, and Revlon's Lilac Pastelle #185.

5. Mystery Stuffed Animal/ My Baby

The last love I want to mention in this post is this stuffed animal that I have owned for a while. He has a permanent spot on my bed and is the perfect cuddly item during cold Fall/Winter nights and I am never going to get rid of him. We just  don't know what animal he is. I think he is either a gorilla or an ox (or a cross between the two lol), but I can't decide. What do you think? Isn't he just the cutest?!

Note: All images are owned by me. If you would like to use any of them, please email me at thedesiknot@gmail.com. Please do not take my content without permission. Thanks.

Easiest Cupcakes Ever...And Yummy Too!

These are honestly the fastest, easiest, and most delicious cupcakes ever! All I did was bake a box of Betty Crocker strawberry cupcakes and topped them with a thick layer of whipped cream and a strawberry halve. I tried to make them as lowfat as possible, but you could easily replace the whipped cream with cream cheese frosting for a luxurious delicacy. These are great to have at a party or to gift a friend. I hope you all enjoyed these easy DIY cupcakes and happy baking! xoxo Aneela