Style Guide: 4th of July Fashion

With 4th of July right around the corner it seems only fitting to do a post about what to wear on this upcoming holiday.  Whether you are attending a pool party, BBQ, or heading to the beach with friends the Fourth of July is all about showing your patriotic pride for this beautiful country.  I don't know about you, but I often struggle with what to wear to the family gathering or BBQ.  While you can never go wrong with the good ole American Flag print and a pair or jeans shorts here are a few alternative options. This is Independence day so I urge you to make this patriotic look your own.

Traditional American Flag Style 

For more alternative looks I recommend 

1.Maison Striped Cardi 
2. Maison Scotch Star Tee w/ lace
3. Chibi Jewels stackable ring
3.Maison Scotch Tank w/ lace bra

I hope you all have a wonderful Independence day. Let us know how you plan to spend your 4th of July and of course what you will be wearing:) 

XoXo,

Christina 

Music Festival Looks we love!

It's almost April which means several music festivals are right around and the corner.  Have you picked out your outfit yet?  If you haven't don't fret we have you covered.  Here is some of our favorite Music Festival worthy looks. All items can be purchased in store at Briana Rene!

    1.  Be a flower child with this pastel flower and ruffle dress
    2.  Let the air flow with this stripped maxi with thigh slits
    3.  Channel your inner Florence in this lace dress
    All three dresses are by Elliat from Australia and will be arriving in store this Monday April 1st!
 

    Top Left: 1.Vanessa Mooney Labryinth Square Ring $58
    2. Jenny Bird Gypset Tassel bracelets 18k gold plated $48
    3. Jenny Bird Gypset Beaded Cuff bracelet 18k gold plated $84
    4. Chibi Jewels Sterling Silver native bird cuff $110

    Black Sheep Mitzy Lace dress $66
    Super soft muscle tank available in Ivory only $38.00 -currently only available in store

Bruschetta Made Easy

Bruschetta 

My favorite Italian appetizer is bruschetta. It takes all of 5 minutes to prepare and is super tasty and light.  

What you will need:  

1 french baguette 

olive oil & balsamic to taste

2 garlic cloves

1 container of cherry tomatoes 

Fresh basil 

Cut tiny cherry tomatoes into halves

Take about 5-7 basil leaves and and roll them into a tube

Cut down the middle while still holding them in a roll

Then slice into small pieces

In small bowl add sliced tomatoes, basil, and 2 crushed garlic cloves 

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Put in fridge for 10-15 minutes to accentuate flavor  

Slice Bread into thin 1/3 inch pieces 

Lightly cover with butter ( I prefer to use the non dairy vegetable butter)

Sprinkle with garlic powder

Bake on HI for 3 minutes depending on your oven  (watch very carefully-bread burns easily on bake)

Put one small scoop of tomatoes and basil onto each piece of bread and serve:)

Happy Cooking!

XOXO,

Bri

Common misconceptions about cooking

One of the common misconceptions about cooking is that you need a lot of extra time to make something nice.  I hear this all the time from friends and clients.  They hate cooking because they find it too time consuming.  I am here to break you of this type of thinking.  You must not let the kitchen intimidate you an longer.

For starters maybe turn on some good music, poor yourself a glass of wine or sparkling water and allow yourself to create.  I am not one to follow recipes EVER.  In life in general I like to dance to my own tune.  Since I know a lot of you really like the structure and ease of following a recipe I have added this new section on my blog to help inspire you and your journey in the kitchen:)   Here you will find tons of quick and easy recipes that from start to finish never take more than 40 minutes total.

Roasted Lemon Tilapia with zuchini and mushrooms 

Preparation: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

1 cup of Trader Joes quinoa

1 1/2  Zucchini's 

2 cups of mushrooms 

2 fillets of fish- in this one I used Tilapia, but you could do this with salmon or mahi 

1 lemon

California Citrus Rub from Savory Spice Shop

Note: If you aren't a fan of quinoa you can substitute cous cous. It has a lot more natural flavor than  Quinoa. I like to change it up every once and in awhile.  

Fish:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

-Put fish on baking pan - I like to cover my baking pan with foil for easy clean up

-cut lemon in half - squeeze half lemon on each fillet 

-sprinkle each fillet with California citrus rub on both sides 

-Cook in oven for 10 minutes- after 5 minutes take out and flip over to other side 

Veggies:

In large saucepan 1 tablespoon of Coconut oil or olive oil 

I like to cook my veggies in coconut oil but you can certainly use olive oil if you don't have coconut oil. 

-Slice zucchini into thin pieces

-Mix zucchini and mushrooms into sauce pan 

-sprinkle with garlic powder, and pepper

-Sauté until cooked- I like mine to be soft but not mushy 

Quinoa:
-For every cup of quinoa use 1.5 cups water i-Cover when boiling and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the seeds turn fluffy. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl.-Let stand for about 3 minutes to become fully fluffy

Happy Cooking!

xoxo,

Bri

Maison Scotch Spring has arrived!

Our first shipment of Spring 13' Maison Scotch arrived yesterday and it is super cute.  I am in love with the bright coral skinny jeans. They are super soft and stretchy, just the way I know we ladies like them!

• Wearing Maison Scotch Coral Denim $135,  
• Maison Scotch white star burnout tee with Navy lace tank $83
• Briana Rene Leather Metallic Silver wrap bracelet $44
• Stela & Dot Spike Bracelet in silver $59
• Jessica Elliot Black Diamond Silver square solitare ring $22
• Enzo Studded ballet flats - not sure I got them a few years ago
• All Items are currently available at Briana Rene 

Celebrate Love with us

Valentines day has a lot of mixed feelings for most people. Some people love it, and others hate it.  Me myself, I could really take it or leave it.  At Briana Rene we like to just celebrate love of every kind and enjoy a fun filled party.  We will be having our 3rd annual celebration of love on Saturday February 9th, 2013. This event is open to the public so grab a few friends and enjoy champagne, cake pops, cupcakes, and beautiful free gift with purchases! Keep an eye out on our instagram next week.  We will be showing sneak peaks of our gift with purchase items:)

Meet Lauren the designer of Mitsymoto Designs

One of the most rewarding parts of owning your own boutique is meeting talented designers and being able to offer them a platform to sell their designs. Recently I met Lauren the talented designer behind the line Mitsymoto Designs.  She had a pop up shop at The OC Mix next to my boutique.  I feel in love with her and even more so her designs.  Her space looked incredible.  Her and her boyfriend made every display piece by hand. As I walked through the space I noticed that there were several pieces I was immediately drawn too.  Especially her stackable cross rings in sterling silver and rose gold.  After getting to know Lauren I knew that she was definitely someone that I wanted to work with.  She has the sweetest spirit and is full of enthusiasm. You can just tell she is one of the those designers who is destined for greatness and I am thrilled to be one of the first few stores to carry her line!  Stop by the boutique to check out her collection or to see more of her designs visit her Facebook. 

Sterling Silver & 14k Rose Gold Fill Rings $45

To find out more about Lauren and how she got her start in the jewelry business check out the interview we had last week:)  

How did you get started in the jewelry business?

Growing up I did a lot of wire wrapping and pearl stranding. I guess I became interested in making jewelry from my Aunt, Diane. When I was in first or second grade I started making and selling jewelry in my Aunt's floral shop in Downtown Los Angeles. I would make jewelry for all my friends and family for Christmas and birthdays. Finally, in college I decided to major in Fine Art Sculpture with an emphasis in Small Metal Arts and Jewelry. While in school in San Francisco I had an opportunity to intern and learn from a lot of fellow metal smiths. Working with so many artists and small business owners gave me a sense of how to go about starting a business of my own. Now I'm about a semester away from finishing school and am so excited to have the opportunity to have a small business of my own!

Was it something you always wanted to do?

Working for myself is always something that I've wanted to do, having a business has always seemed so exciting. It's so out of the ordinary from what my family members are doing but I thoroughly enjoy waking up every morning and having the opportunity to create something new. 

Do you have a favorite metal that you prefer to work with?

Bronze

How would you describe your design process?  

I love working in my materials, whether it's metal or mixed media. I don't really like to sketch or plan, I prefer to just go for it and see what I can create and allow my materials to dictate my limitations. Also, working with recycled materials and found objects is something that I love to do in both my jewelry and sculpture. 

What is your favorite item in your closet?

My "boyfriend" jeans. If I could get away with wearing my paint stained, ripped, baggy boyfriend jeans everyday I definitely would.

How would you describe your personal style?

Eclectic? I always like to incorporate something a little funky and be a bit offbeat whenever I can. 

Where do you see yourself/business in 2 years?

I would really love to be carried in my favorite jewelry gallery, Velvet da Vinci in San Francisco and have a little brick and mortar in Boston or New York.