SS Eats: Matcha Time Cafe

I'm all sorts of pumped to tell you guys about Matcha Time Cafe today on SS.  I discovered this gem on yelp and couldn't resist featuring it!  Located in Historic Ellicott City, MD, this Japanese cafe + gift shop was seriously the cutest ever, AND there was a huge free lot out front so parking was easy peasy.  A definite plus for me because my parallel parking skills = not so hot.

My bf and I came here last week to try their desserts, and we were pleasantly surprised by everything. The interior was on point, the staff was super friendly, and the food was delish!  We got a matcha latte, green tea waffle ice cream (pictured above), and homemade mochi with red bean to share. Note: make sure you check out their hanging menu w/ specials before placing your order.  I totally missed it at first so I wanted to give you guys a heads up.

Our drink was made with almond milk - you can get it with soy if you prefer - and although tasty, it was a little too sweet for me.  The green tea waffle ice cream was $5.99, and the presentation was super on point.  It was cut into four pieces and coated in dark chocolate (!!!!) It was then drizzled with chocolate sauce and garnished with strawberries and whipped cream.  The homemade mochi had a nice texture, but you MUST get it with red bean.  It makes all the difference in the world!

A shot of Japanese goodies + drinks.

Also available: a variety of award-winning teas, in-house made pastries, sushi, and ramen.

Cute origami decor!

Their gift shop featuring items from Japan along with adorable crafts made in the US by Japanese and American artisans.

Alright guys, that's it for today! I'm planning on featuring more local joints in the near future so keep your eyes peeled. I'm all about supporting small businesses so I'm extra excited for what's to come. What do you guys think of Matcha Time Cafe? Are you a fan of asian pastries and desserts?

Love is in the Air: My V-day Outfit

Alright everyone, I'm super pumped to share the first of 4 collabs I did with the wonderful Veronica Campbell of Voulez Boudoir.  We shot these in her beautiful studio in Maryland, and I'm so beyond impressed with her work! Didn't she do an amazing job?

Anywho, for today's featured post, I styled a glam look for you all in honor of Valentine's day.  I centered everything around my new mini-dress from Sincerely Sweet Boutique.  I stumbled upon it online and just knew I have to style it for you guys.  

The piece creates the illusion of a flattering hourglass with its tapered waist and flared skirt.  It also features an open back with a cut-out front that oozes flirty!  The best part of the dress though? The gorgeous color - it's a fabulous, shimmery sea green that changes color under different lights. Heads up, I know I mentioned this earlier, but the skirt's all sorts of dramatic so keep that in mind before purchasing, and as always, let me know if you have any questions.

I wanted to have some fun so I accessorized with a playful piano clutch.  I bought this baby at Kate Spade years ago, and I still can't get over how adorable it is.  I'm a pianist by day so I couldn't resist purchasing this piece, especially since it was on sale at their factory outlet in Hagerstown, MD.  To finish things off, I wore a moto jacket for some edge and threw on black heels to match!

Other fabulous Kate Spade clutches:

Dress:  c/o Sincerely Sweet Boutique ($54.99) || Jacket:  Ann Taylor Factory Outlet (similar) || Clutch:  Kate Spade (similar) || Shoes:  Qupid

Shot by the amazing Voulez Boudoir.

My First Juice Cleanse Ever

I've been wanting to try a juice cleanse for years now, but I never got around to doing so because I didn't want to be hangry at work or school.  It took some serious self-control on my part, but Jus by Julie made the whole process pretty dang easy.  I went with her 3 day juice + soup cleanse because I wasn't down to skip food entirely.  Here's a detailed breakdown of what I did:

Day 1:

Sweet Spin Juice

Split Pea Soup

Spicy Pomegranate Juice

Carrot Ginger Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Chia Berry Juice

Day 2:

Sweet Spin Juice

Red Lentil Soup

Spicy Pomegranate Juice

Detox Broth

Pumpkin Coconut Bisque

Chia Berry Juice

Day 3:

Sweet Spin Juice

Carrot Turmeric Soup

Spicy Pomegranate Juice

Roasted Tomato Gazpacho

Hearty Potato Leek Soup

Chia Berry Juice

Her juices are blended (as opposed to cold pressed) so they have a smoothie-like consistency.  Note: if you dislike pulp, pass on this!  However, do keep in mind that their special blending process makes sure you get 100% of the whole fruits + veggies that go into their products aka all the good stuffs like antioxidants, fiber, and live enzymes.

I personally didn't have to do much prep for the cleanse because I was already eating clean, but if you're not, Julie recommends cutting out heavy foods like meat, dairy and sugar a few days beforehand.    You can eat as many fruits/veggies as you want, but go easy on rich foods like burgers.

The cleanse itself was easy because in addition to juice, I was having soup 3x a day.  Serious props to Jus by Julie because everything was on point!  I was VERY pleasantly surprised with the taste of it all.  The soups were legit good - like I would eat them for an actual meal...and enjoy it!  My favorites were the hearty potato leek, carrot ginger, and butternut squash soups.  The drinks were also really great - I could straight up drink spicy pomegranate all day, every day.  

FYI: their juices have a refrigeration shelf life of up to 4 days and a 3 week frozen shelf life.  Soups have a 2 week refrigeration shelf life and a 3 week frozen shelf life.  If you're looking to start your cleanse right when you receive your delivery, make sure you store everything in the fridge STAT and start with Jus 1.  If you want to do it all later, freeze everything!  The night before your cleanse, leave one day's worth out overnight at room temperature - they'll be ready in the morning.  Do NOT thaw in your fridge.

Anywho, I didn't find myself getting hungry throughout any of this, BUT if you want to munch on something during, you can have raw or steamed green veggies, egg whites at dinnertime, or 1-2 cups of coffee or green tea. Afterwards, you want to make sure to very SLOWLY integrate heartier foods into your diet.  

Now, would I do this again? Yes, but only a juice and soup cleanse like this.  I can't imagine cutting food out entirely.  I'll probably try a hardcore one like that at some point, but for now, this works perfectly fine!  I didn't lose a ton of weight or anything, but I'm not really surprised.  If I did, I have a feeling it would've been temporary, ha. I did, however, feel refreshed (and healthier) afterwards.  This cleanse costs $120, and if you subscribe to their mailing list you can get an extra 10% off your purchase.  Have any of you guys tried a cleanse? If yes, which one? Was it worth it?