Merry Crunkmas to you

This year is the first year I will spend Christmas without my family.  This year I'll be with my boyfriend's family.  It's not my first holiday with his family - I've actually spent probably at least one of every other holiday with them, but for whatever reason it feels different when it's Christmas.

One of my biggest anxieties, of course, is what to give everyone.  I like giving good gifts.  Around Halloween we were visiting with my boyfriend's family and his brother came back from the airport talking about this drink called Four Loko, which I hadn't heard of.  The next week, it was all over the news - and rumored to be banned. 

I am an anxious person so as soon as November hit, I was already starting to stress about gifts... when it occurred to me that the best gift I could give to my boyfriend's brother was as MANY Four Lokos as I could buy before the FDA banned it and removed it from the store shelves.

So friends, you know what I did?  I went to the convenience store and filled my arms with Four Locos in fruit punch, watermelon and lemonade and whatever disgusting flavors they had, and I asked the 18 year old working there to please go in the back and grab a few more.

And when my boyfriend's brother came to visit in early December, I had to hide them in the back of my closet in a box, just like I did in high school.

Oh, I cannot wait for this weekend!

photo credit: Grub Street & NBC - image is from the hilarious SNL skit with Jason Sudekis :)

this photo can cheer me up any old day of the week

Friends, today has been frustrating.  I was going to call it a wash and hope for a better one tomorrow but this photo makes me happy. 

And yes, I did print the image out and put it next to my desk at work, and then added the book* to my Christmas list.

*as far as I can tell, the book is called Equestrian Style by Vicky Moon, and the photo is by Francine Zaslow.  I found it on This is Glamorous via Decor8.  Oh, design blogs, I love you.

interrupting your normal programming.....

...to alert the internets that it has been one year since we brought this little love-ball of fur into our home.

oh, what a year it's been.  I want 100 more years with her!

pupcakes for everyone!

what do you all think about these stocking stuffers?

Because I'm 99.9% sure nobody in my family reads this blog, I am going to go ahead and (potentially) ruin a little holiday surprise to get your opinions, dear internet friends. 

Yesterday I took a trip to the Container Store (and caught a gift wrapping & bow making demo - sweet!) and they had these little reusable plastic bags for sandwiches and snacks.  The hook was the apple print, it reminds me of Orla Kiely. 

I thought they were awesome.  The 9 year old boy shopping with his mom said they smelled funny (a little true) and made me think they may not be cool with the elementary school set.

But they are reusable, dishwasher safe and adorable.   Did I mention you can put them in the dishwasher? 

How much do you hate buying, using, then throwing away little plastic sandwich bags?  I feel guilt two-fold: first, I'm basically ruining the planet by creating more trash, and second, it's a waste of money - these cost about the same as 2 boxes of Glad zipper sandwich bags.

Thoughts?  I already bought a few for my family and friends (okay and also for myself - I'll admit it) but do you think they will put them in a drawer never to be used?  Or do you think people will like them? 

if money were no object....

....then I would have one of these Virginia Johnson chain stitch bags in every color!  Or, maybe just choose my most favorite.  AREN'T THEY GORGEOUS?

photo credit: virginia johnson, virginiajohnson.com

High Gloss Magazine - Fabricadabra Giveaway

Erin from Elements of Style is one of the contributers over at High Gloss Magazine, coming January 2011-- I cannot wait for its debut.  I LOVE magazines.

High Gloss is hosting some incredible giveaways!  Today's is a giveaway of Fabricadabra pillows, and you know what?  I've been holding on to a secret favorite fabric over there, waiting until I have a more permanent residence where I actually want to invest in window treatments.  That will probably be YEARS.  Now I'm starting to think I should just have a few pillows made!

Head over to High Gloss to enter the giveaway - and for the record, these are some of the ikat print fabrics I want in my house.  What do you think?

new fave blog: i want to be her

One of my favorite pieces of Lucky Magazine - which I've discussed before! - was (since she's left the building!) co-founder & editor Andrea Linett's page with a watercolor sketch and lots of beautiful things.  It reminds me of my friend Lauren's blog, My Closet in Sketches (mentioned here).

So imagine my delight now that I can see a new Andrea Linett sketch, not monthly with each new issue of Lucky, but on her very own website, I want to be her!  (How perfect is that name, by the way?)  I imagine Ms. Linett has more creative license on her own website now, and ZOMG why didn't they let her do this with Lucky because these are amazing. 

My favorites so far are:

Sharon, painter & stylist from Columbus, Ohio.  That ostrich feather collar, sequin clutch and wedge boots combination is very nice.

and

Flea Market Girl: for her killer outfit, obviously; but also because I always see a girl I want to be when I go flea marketing and think, why can't I look that cool?  It's probably because I am not brave enough to wear red pants or a leopard jacket, let alone at ONE TIME.

alyson fox + verabel lockets

some of you may have seen this collaboration already but I can't help but write another post: I love these lockets, and I hope they restock this pretty one soon

but, if they don't, I'm very close to pulling the trigger on this beauty

....to wrap nicely and place under the chrismukkah tree this holiday season.

via cup of jo via lola is beauty.  alyson fox + verabel

quite possibly the smartest thing Albert Einstein ever said!

Everybody is a genius.  But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.
                                        -Albert Einstein

via most beautiful darling, via cup of jo - found after seeing this lovely photo

i want that!

to the owner of this gorgeous victorian moonstone ring from erie basin: if you ever change your mind, I WANT THAT!  and may make it my life's work to find one of these and make it mine.  surely there was another lady romping around 1890s with its twin.... no?

14k gold, big round stone, asymmetry predating art noveau?  LOVE.  i am having a greed attack.

E Jean's 25 things women should know

Elle Magazine just celebrated it's 25th anniversary (happy birthday, Elle!) and their advice columnist, E. Jean, posted the 25 things every woman should know.  I am a sucker for those kinds of lists, and I love E. Jean's snarkiness, so naturally I am in love with this list, and plan to take it to heart.


Below are some of my favorites....  read the full list on Elle.com!


#3: If you don't question what you believe in, you end up making the same mistakes over and over.  When we find ourselves in a romantic quagmire or struggling for an eternally denied promotion at work and our old ideas aren't working, we must, must, must ask ourselves two questions:

a) Is this idea I'm acting on even effing true?  (e.g., am I so irresistible this time that he really is going to leave his wife?)

b) What would happen if everyone in the world believed this idea and behaved as I'm behaving now? (this is our old friend Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative--view every action you take as universal law.  Meaning, if you're considering lying to your boss to save your job, imagine a universal law that says everyone must lie to his or her boss.)


#11: go play with your dog.  Your dog is the one creature on earth you can make insanely happy by playing 'hide the cookie' in the living room.  If you have neither cat nor dog nor bird nor fish, it's not essential, but if you want to lead a more enjoyable life....why not?


#15: When you're in college, don't worry too much about grades.  Other than getting into a decent grad school and associating with the cream of your generation, getting straight A's means diddly squat in the real world, where it's all about hustle, determination, focus, dressing right, sucking up, and who you know.


Some of these are harsh but true-- and you know what?  I appreciate E. Jean's honesty.  

Now if you'll excuse me I have to go hustle and show determination and focus at work before going home to play with my dog.  And I can check "dressing right" and "sucking up" to my "accomplished tasks" list for today, obvs.

help me pick out a holiday card!

I won a Minted holiday card giveaway from one of my most favorite bloggers, Joslyn from Simple Lovely.  If you don't know about her blog yet, you are in for a big treat.  It's one of my favorites.  She is one stylish and smart woman, and a dedicated mama bear.  


I adore her blog and hope my family life is as beautiful as hers is when I have a family -- she makes having kids and maintaining a healthy loving marriage, and a beautifully decorated home look easy and charming, simple and lovely.  Just as the name implies.  


I feel a little silly sending out cards because my "family" includes myself, a young dog and a boyfriend, but I always loved the idea of sending out a little holiday card with a photo.  I love receiving them from others and I'm excited to give it a go this year.  


So I'm enlisting your help, friends: which card to choose?  Here are a few of my favorites:

all images via Minted

game changer: Ralph Lauren

This 4D video is incredible, and I am in awe of the work Ralph Lauren is doing to stay ahead of the curve technologically.  Fashion and design in the past has been a little behind the times on adopting new media and technology trends, but this is a great step forward, it increases accessibility-- which is never a bad thing artistically and from a business perspective. 


I can't wait to see everyone else catch up.  This is awesome!  The lights and camera work is amazing.  I wish I could see the behind the scenes on how they actually did this.



The Official Ralph Lauren 4D Experience - London from Ralph Lauren on Vimeo.


(thanks to the friend who posted about this on facebook!)

Can Andy Spade save Lucky Magazine? I vote yes.

One of the brands I am continually impressed with is kate spade.  They're phoenixlike-- even after all the fake bags in the past 15 years, their brand is still alive.  Lately I'd even say it's booming, thanks to Deborah Lloyd. 

The company expanded slowly and took care to make sure their aesthetic was really communicated all the new items they rolled out, so the clothes really do look like the same company as the bags, the shoes, the jewlery, down to the wallpaper in the shops.  It's well done across the board-- from (in my opinion) the design end of it to the business end-- they are great.

On Saturday I was reading my Lucky Magazine thinking about how downhill they've gone.  I used to read it cover-to-cover the day it arrived in my mailbox but I got bored, and this November issue seemed like it had equal parts ads & actual magazine content, and it was just not compelling.  Like, if it didn't come to my house, probably I wouldn't buy it in the checkout line.  And I am a pretty big impulse magazine purchaser.  Then yesterday I read that Andy Spade is coming in to help revive and rebrand Lucky Magazine, and you know what?  If anyone can do this, it's Andy Spade.  They picked the exact right person!  I'm so excited to see what happens.

I hope they start with revamping the website, and then bringing back Cat Marnell from the Beauty Dept because she was (is? where is she now?!) hilarious and had awesome reviews, and then start putting together editorials where I will actually consider wearing something, because I cannot remember the last time I looked at a Lucky editorial and said i want that.  It has been since probably 2008 and in magazine-time that is a hundred years.

(photo credit: kate spade)

twinkle, twinkle

Emersonmade is killing me-- I want the whole line.  It's practical, classic, easy to wear, and made in the USA.  


Emerson herself seems like the kind of girl you just want to be friends with.


I am lusting after the tiny stars tunic.  Sadly, it is sold out in my size, and when I inquired about its availability, I hear it will now come in silk instead of the fall-weight cotton it originally came in.  I love silk-- it's elegant and has its place, but in my life, cotton is just easier to care for and easier to wear, so I am disappointed it won't come back in cotton.


In the meantime, I am loving those adorable poppies and the clutches for the fall and winter holidays!

(photos from Emersonmade)

Holly Golightly on Halloween

We've all considered doing the Breakfast at Tiffany's thing for Halloween once or twice, ladies, have we not?  It's a simple solution to a last-minute party invitation.  The only problem is that you'll run into at least one other girl with the same costume-- how dreadful!

Why not dress like Holly Golightly in costume?  The mask is easy enough to find, and all it requires is a sheath dress in another color and a little mask, and a cute Fred on your arm.

I've got another costume in mind, but because I'm planning on rocking it this weekend and to avoid that whole situation we are avoiding above, I will give you a hint so only the most clever of you foxes will figure it out. 

Here are your clues: the movie is not yet released, stars Natalie Portman, and the eyemakeup is the trickiest part. 

PS: how much do you want that orange coat?  I know I do....

(photo credit & idea via starfish & sundresses)

Hi to my new friends at Portfolio Creative!

I met some new friends this morning at Portfolio Creative, a creative staffing agency I'm (honored to be) working with!  Just wanted to say hello and welcome them to my little blog!

New alternative to the played-out antler trend, for those of us who still love antlers

I love the antler trend in home design.  I know it's everywhere now and therefore probably uncool to blog about now, but there is something about antlers paired with feminine details that makes it rustic enough to balance a room.  Also, I grew up in Michigan, where hunting is a fun activity everywhere across the state except for my hometown of Ann Arbor.

I like this alternative to the antler trend--  one, I love lucite, and two, because living with a dead animal mounted on the wall just doesn't sit right with me, but I've always wanted a den with a 12-point.  I know.  It doesn't make sense.

I think it would look good with dark wallpaper-- like this Hygge & West fir wallpaper.  The dark tones make the lucite stand out, but is it too over-the-top with the forest theme? 

I think it has a sense of humor but I understand when you are spending $500 on a lucite deer head and over $100 a roll on the wallpaper, "humor" might not be the look you are trying to achieve.

(photo credit: A + R Store, also where you can buy me yourself this deer)

Fool me once, shame on me...

This is not the first time I have aired my grievances over ugly harem pants.

But to see so many brands with talented designers who should know better put their touch on this classic hot mess is unfortunate.  If this is what Jenna Lyons comes up with I will have nightmares about Target's in-house interpretations. 

One of my favorite interior designers/fashion bloggers, Erin from Elements of Style, has definitely commented on the JCrew sequin pants as have a few others around the internetz but I just couldn't resist. 

Especially after I saw what Lululemon was up to.  Lululemon is growing like crazy, but they should be growing because their yoga leggings and exercise pants prevent unsightly camel toe.  Stay away from harem pants Lululemon!  As an athletic apparel company and is it just me, or would running be made much more of a challenge with the extra fabric flapping in the wind?

Source of incriminating photos from JCrew, Lululemon

hello, delicious!

This caramelized chocolate banana marshmallow sandwich looks delicious, but do you eat it for a meal or is it a dessert? 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp

2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar

4 slices buttermilk bread

8 whole large marshmallows

2 metal skewers

2 tbsp semisweet chocolate chips

12 banana slices

How the magic happens:

mix butter and sugar in a small bowl to blend and spread on one side of the bread slices.  Place 2 slices, buttered side down, on a plate.  Skewer 4 marshmallows on each of 2 skewers; hold over open flame and toast until marshmallows are blackened in spots (about 10 seconds).  Divide marshmallows btwn bread slices on plate, leaving about an inch of a border.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over marshmallows and top with banana.  Cover with bread slices and enjoy the deliciousness of an updated s'mores sandwich!

(recipe and photo credit: bon appetit)

well that's a crazy outfit!

Sometimes when I discover* a new blog it feels like I am talking to my snarky best friend who lives far far away in St. Louis!   That is what happened when I found The Man Repeller. 

I'm so glad someone finally wrote about this-- it's like the phenomenon of women dressing to impress other women.  I love my boyfriend, but he wouldn't care if I never wore makeup and started wearing my asics grandma arch supporting running shoes with jeans and a wife beater everyday, in fact, he might love me MORE because I'd have more money and I would only take 2 minutes to get ready when we go out. 

See also: this girl from Elle.com's Daily Street Style in difficult-to-wear-but-she-pulls-it-off-like-gangbusters-pants; and, also, Carrie Bradshaw.  Most men will tell you she dresses like a hobo or a child playing dress-up but ask most women and they will set you straight. 

*okay, honesty-police, when another blogger links to a blog and I read it


(photo credit: photo #1: elle.com, by courtney d'alesio, photo #2: fabsugar.com)

and now I have the Dawson's Creek theme song stuck in my head....

I'm loving these two photos of Katie Holmes right now.  They're taking me back to the middle school days when I just wanted to jump through the tv screen and Joey Potter's best friend instead of the awkward new teenager* I was.

So, the ironic part is that when she was on the show, I wanted to dress just like her-- those baggy boyfriend sweaters and rolled up jeans; even that stupid fisherman's hat--which I wore too, since she was my fashion icon.   These days I'd jump her for that Steven Alan top or the sequined sweater!  

(photos from people.com)

*Dawson's Creek premiered on my 13th birthday! 

Lady in Red

When I was in college, I found the most amazing red leather bag for $3 from my favorite thrift shop.  It was the perfect size: I could fit at least 2 notebooks in it, plus makeup, an assortment of pens, phone.  It was cross-body, durable worn leather, and the most wonderful shade of cherry red.  


I LOVED that bag.  Loved.  Past tense.  


My sister's dog ate it.  I was doggie sitting for the weekend.  The dog, a rescue, had (and continues to have) crippling separation anxiety.  Hs coping mechanism is to binge eat.  By the time I got to him, he had already consumed the entire strap.  


Since then I have been on the hunt for another vintage red bag but nothing comes close!  In the meantime, I do like these, found on Etsy:

Lauren's Closet in Sketches

My adorable friend Lauren is the talent behind this new blog, My Closet in Sketches. I love all of the pieces from her mom, who, by the way, is as stylish as her daughter.

I wonder if there is a gene for that sort of thing? (See: Charlotte Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin) I like to think I inherited and learned a few things from my onetime Macy's accessories buyer mother but mostly I think it is just the bad habit of acquiring way too many pieces of costume jewelry and trying to wear it as often as possible without looking like a pirate-gypsy.

These are a few of my favorite sketches so far and I am so excited to see what Lauren posts next!

(all photos are from My Closet in Sketches)

In the wink of a young girl's eye

(on the right with the cat eyeglasses and cigarette)

(as a schoolgirl with an uncharacteristically feminine bow)

(donning her classic co-ed picnic on the diag casual ensemble)

When I was growing up my parents had this older friend who never married or had children. She spent every holiday and most weekends with our family attending concerts, movies, trying new restaurants or testing the latest Bittman recipe from the NY Times.

I wouldn't describe her as motherly or even interested in children, and frankly, I don't think she cared much for children. (I later found out that she gradually lost her hearing and had a particularly difficult time hearing children's voices; something about the pitch.)

For our birthday, she always gave me and my sister books-- really wonderful books. When we were young it was irritating but now that she's gone, my biggest fears are that I will forget the sound of her voice and I won't be up on the latest and greatest books. She used to send me random packages from Amazon with books I didn't even think I'd like, but inevitably enjoyed.

She passed suddenly about six weeks ago and as my family and her friends gather for her celebration of life, many photos have emerged of her as a child and a young woman. I never thought of her as old or elderly, but I really never thought of her as a young person. She was in a realm of agelessness and I was shocked to find out her real age (79) when she died.

These are photos of her as a young adulthood and as a girl, and they are fabulous. Look at those glasses! Sassy. And that bow around her little towhead is just adorable.

It's a funny that I never thought about what she was like when she was young or how her life experiences shaped her into the adult she was.

Sophie and her Voluptuous Peach Treat

I am taking this peach-based recipe by Sophie Dahl a whole lot more seriously because her grandfather, Roald, wrote my favorite piece of literature on the peach. Is that wrong?

I love how the description is "feeds two greedy people." I am familiar with food-greed. (What? I'm a twin. We learn to be greedy in the womb.)

Ingredients
4 peaches, ripe but firm
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter or sunflower oil
2 cups low-fat greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup
fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 450. Wash and halve peaches, removing the pits and place in a small roasting pan. Sprinkle each half with cinnamon and brown sugar, and dot with butter or oil. Cook for about 10 minutes.

While the peaches are roasting, mix the yogurt with vanilla and honey or agave. Serve peaches in a bowl doused with yogurt.

Now I am seriously interested in checking out Sophie's cookbook, Miss Dahl's Vuluptuous Delights. Have any of you seen it? Worth buying?

recipe and image of peaches via House Beautiful

just a little green, like the color when the spring is born

I've spent pretty much all night on Shopbop and I'm feeling a tiny but guilty for giving them a hard time about those horrible Rachel Pally pants. Hey, we all make mistakes. This little dress by Rebecca Minkoff is pretty amazing. I'm going to daydream about it for a long time.

Rebecca Minkoff Ilaria Dress via Shopbop

fail: rachel pally

Rachel Pally makes some really, really, really great pieces. They are simple, easy to wear, comfortable and the fabric is both washable and durable. But somebody must have blindfolded her and/or drugged her to get a signature and green light on this disaster.

Clearly the cut and fit is all wrong, and the shade of rose/taupe that is just the right color to turn California sunbathers into Wednesday Addams. Also, Shopbop? I'm not overlooking the fact that you stocked and sold these.

Rachel Pally, more of this please:

Images via Shopbop