Stamford resident Julia Dzafic founded her blog in 2010 to share fashion and recipe ideas with friends and family. She’s now reaching over 100,000 readers. Here are some of her current favorites. lemonstripes.com.
Banza Pasta: I’m Italian so pasta is my comfort food. That being said, simple carbs don’t do any favors for my waistline. Banza Pasta is made from chickpeas and pea protein, boosting 14 grams of protein per serving. Sub it in for any of your favorite pasta dishes and treat yourself to double the protein, four times the fiber, and nearly half the net carbs in wheat pasta. I buy it at Whole Foods and Fairway ($9/box) locally and often whip it up with pesto, sausage, and broccoli rabe for an easy weeknight meal. eatbanza.com
Ode à la Rose: One of my biggest guilty pleasures is having fresh pink roses in my home at all time. With the Ode à la Rose flowers delivery service, I never have to think about it and the flowers are always stunning. Rose bouquets start at $59 and come in 14 different options. I place an order once a week and they show up at my doorstep, ready for display. Founded by two Parisians who moved to New York, they fully appreciate the beauty of quality flowers. Each arrangement is carefully created by florists who have mastered the French art of bouquet design, and it shows! odealarose.com
Gray Malin Photography:Gray’s beachy prints make me so happy that I’ve started collecting them to hang around my house. The Los Angeles-based photographer sells his prints on his website and everyone from bloggers like Cupcakes and Cashmere’s Emily Schuman to celebrities like Sophia Bush lovehis signature aerial beach shots. My favorite piece is aprint from Positano, Italy, where my husband and I honeymooned. It’s the first thing you see when you enter our house. graymalin.com
SW Basics: It’s hard to find organic, clean beauty products that actually work. This company, run by a friend of mine in Brooklyn and available at Target, uses five ingredients or less in each product. I can’t live without their non-addictive and wonderful smelling lip balm ($4) or the facial toner ($22) which I use nightly to neutralize pH, helping me wake up with less oily skin and a more even skin tone. swbasicsofbk.com
Matcha Lattes: I love a jolt of caffeine in the morning, but coffee has always made me jittery so when I discovered the magic of matcha, my life was forever changed. This Japanese green tea powder has an earthy flavor that reminds me of the year my family spent in Japan when I was a child. This anti-oxidant rich green tea powder can be made into matcha at home (find my recipe on the blog!) or pick up a Matcha hemp latte at any Green & Tonic location ($4.50). greenandtonic.com
Loren Hope Jewelry: Loren’s gorgeous, over the top colorful designs make a visual statement as well as a patriotic one—they’re exclusively handmade in the United States. The line is recognized by its rich, saturated colors in designs that channel a modern-vintage sensibility. Featuring Austrian rhinestones, semi-precious stones, and Czech glass beads on
gold-plated brass, Loren Hope jewelry is truly unique. lorenhope.com
