J.Crew Hughes Suede Purse Review + Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

The new J.Crew Hughes suede purse in J.Crew's newest circular caught my eye because I've been on the lookout for a grey bag and this seemed like it's the perfect size for me. I'm attracted to it's origami shape and zipper detail at the bottom. Since it's only available for purchase online, I decided to order it and see if I really do like it or not. I happily opened the package when it came in the mail and was skeptical at first because I do feel the quality of the gold hardware could be better and it bothers me that the shorter strap handle leans forward when worn with the long strap.

However, after inspecting it on me some more, I'm now torn on whether I should keep it or not but here are some pics of it on me if you're also considering buying it. It's definitely a good size for someone as petite as me.

Blazer: Old Navy Ponte-Knit Blazer. Top: Forever 21. Jeans: Gap 1969 legging jeans in washed ink. Shoes: Christian Louboutin Simple 100 Pumps. Bag: J.Crew Hughes suede purse. iPhone case: J.Crew Leather patterned case for iPhone 5 in blue camo.

As you can also see in the photo above, I have a new iPhone case for my iPhone 5S. Although I gave good reviews for the Apple iPhone 5S case here, I regretfully have to take back my recommendation because I definitely expected it to last longer for the price it costs. It's too dirty and worn now after just over three months of use. J.Crew's leather blue camo case caught my eye when purchasing the Hughes suede purse because it's a cute pattern and I like leather cases. Unfortunately, it was final sale and it doesn't encase my phone the way I want it to but it's still cute so I will be using it temporarily until another one catches my eye.

Now that both the festivities of the Lunar New Year and the Superbowl is over, my diet can hopefully return to normal. I actually did unfortunately gain 1-2 pounds over the weekend because of all the food I inhaled over the weekend. It was beautiful weather on Sunday but I stayed home in the kitchen all day. One of the many things I baked are Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Muffins, which I found online and do have to say they taste scrumptious. These are definitely not healthy but they do satisfy any sweet cravings you may have with it's cinnamon sugar topping. I'm only sharing this because I think they're worth a shout out since A actually requested I make more right after eating one but don't think we should indulge in these that often. Here's the recipe below with a few tweaks (such as less butter for the topping):

BRIETTA'S CINNAMON SUGAR FRENCH TOAST MUFFINS

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg (preferably room temperature)

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup milk

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a medium-large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir until just combined but still a bit lumpy. Do NOT overmix, which will ruin the texture of the finished muffins. Scoop batter into muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray. I got 8 muffins out of this batter and filled the rest of the empty wells in my muffin pan with water to make sure they cook evenly. If desired, you can make 10-12 smaller muffins instead by distributing the batter evenly throughout. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they just start to turn a bit golden at the edges.

3. For the topping, place melted butter in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon. Once cool enough to handle, dip the warm muffins in melted butter (either just the top or the entire thing) then dip/roll the muffin in cinnamon sugar. Any leftover topping can be used for redipping while eating the muffins.

Serves 8.

Nutrition per muffin (of 8):

Calories: 240

Carbs: 30g

Fat: 12g

Protein: 4g

Sodium: 154g

Sugar: 20g

Leaving you with the fortune cookie quote, "The efficient person gets the job done right. The effective person gets the right job done."