*Remembering the good

Of course, even the so called "Decade from Hell' had its moments. 2 things I loved about the '00s...iPods...and my sister's amazing wedding to Joe in 2003 :)

Kissing off the worst decade EVER!

Ooh La La Du Jour is always and forever meant to be fun and while acknowledging that the '00s were just about the junkiest 10 years ever (ah, let's see...9/11, war, tsunami, Katrina, market meltdown...need I say more?) may not seem real positive...I do it only to highlight how much more awesome I think the next decade will be. I know (I can just feel it, I tell ya') that 2010 and beyond will be a whole hell of a lot better than what we just experienced. We survived and only the best is yet to come!

(Check out why Time agrees...goodbye and good riddance to a truly stupid decade)

Smashing bag for a smashing 2010

When my sister, Laura, was in town a few weeks ago for our (now) annual holiday shopping extravaganza, we were both searching for 'the perfect bag'. We looked and looked..Target...H&M...all over. Granted, neither of us wanted to break the bank on this new bag but to get exactly what we want, we might have to splurge. This bag from JCrew really fits the bill. Perfect for work...for everything really, I am really keeping my eye on this.

Let me know what you think Laura?!?!

Sushi and New Year's Eve

Up until the last few years, I was not much of a fan of New Year's Eve. I mean really...who cares about a holiday which is essentially about turning a calendar page. That all changed the first time I celebrated the holiday with friends over a big tray of sushi. If you know me, then you know sushi is my 'desert island' food. I could eat it every day, for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. It's beautiful...it's yummy...it's perfect! The New Year's Eve/Sushi tradition started for me about 10 years ago and while the friends have changed, the menu remains the same.

I am also much more aware of the passing of the years these days and I see the start of the new year as a time to reflect and a time to be optimistic about the future. Things can only get better...right!?!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, healthy New Year and here's to more fun at Ooh La La Dujour in 2010!

XOXO,
KatieP

Easy News Year's Resolution

Just another day of 2009 and then its (happily) time to put a close to the year. I have a few resolutions lined up for 2010 (you know...the usual...try to spend a little less...work out a little more) but my favorite is resolving to wear more brooches. I love love love them and there are so many fabulous directions you can take this fashion statement.
First on my list is this truly lovely brooch set from Anthropologie.

move over xmas, it's almost valentine's day!

It's shameful to even say this but we're now moving on to Valentine's Day! Paper Source has the cutest stickers for V-Day! Check them out....Who doesn't need a little macaron sticker in their lives???

Joyeux Noël

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you're all having a very pleasant Christmas evening...

From the sublime to the ridiculous...

Don't forget....December 23rd is Festivus so to put up the pole and air your grievances ala Frank Costanza!

A couple to go

Here we are now...2 days before Christmas. It seems like just yesterday that I did my first holiday post (remember...you laughed...it was back in October). With Christmas in sight, I just want wish everyone the best day ever. Whatever you are doing, wherever you are going and whoever you are spending it with, remember how lucky we all are to be here and as always...eat, drink and be very merry!

Merry Christmas All!!

In case you missed it...

...the always smashing Sadie the Scottish Terrier won 'Best in Show' yet again. This time she took the top honors at AKC/Eukanuba National Championship (she just won top honors last month in Philadephia at the National Dog Show). She's one of only 25 or so dogs in history to win 100 'Best in Show' titles. Wow! I love this girl!

No better boot

Nothing pleases me more than the combination of style and function. I'm not real psyched on anything that is one or the other. I think pretty much everything in life should have a touch of both. That is probably why I am just tickled that duck boots are making such a comeback these days. I see them all over various blogs...JCrew has paired up with Sperry, and is now carrying their own version. For all the talk though, there is no better duck boot than LLBean's 10" shearling-lined boot. I've had mine many, many...many... years and besides being indestructible, they are insanely practical and comfortable. I've shoveled several feet of snow in below-freezing temps. literally for hours and my feet are the only part of me that stay totally warm and dry. After so many years, I can't even remember half the things I have done in them. I get such a charge out of wearing them...function, with a dash of style and in a word, amazing.

Got my eye on this one

I have never been a Lord & Taylor fan. I've always thought it was just too stuffy and conservative and to be honest, I still pretty much think this way. But last weekend I was walking through L&T with my sister (we were cutting through to get to the mall) when we spotted these adorable Radley coin purses. I have to admit, I am coveting this little item.

JCrew-A Love Letter

Dear JCrew,
While perusing your website, searching for a new turtleneck, I stumbled across this lovely camel colored, tissue style top. The only problem? Just look at the gorgeous skirt you have it paired with?! Now I simply must have the felted-wool bistro mini too!

Why oh why, does every single thing in your shop have to be a must-have, drop-dead gorgeous piece?
You slay me.

Love always,
KatieP

The winter solstice....

And so it begins...winter. Of all people, places and things in the world, I think winter is the one I have the strongest love/hate relationship with. I look forward to it every year...I feel rejuvenated by the cold and the snow. I know I get toughened up by sub-zero temperatures and bone chilling wind. And there are very few things that I find more mesmerizing than snow...falling and endlessly falling...piling up everywhere. Of course I love the holiday season and in my opinion, celebrating in temperatures above 30 degrees is well, just lame.

But then, by the time March rolls around...and its still snowing...and snowing, frankly, I am pretty tired of it. I'm sick of bundling up to do the simplest things...I'm sick of shoveling and cleaning off the car. When March rolls around though...April is right behind...spring is around the corner and you know what...I'll kind of be missing winter already :)

(Beautiful photo by mailelani)

Green Party (aka...the most fun ever!)

This past Friday, I went to a 'Green Party' hosted by the church of a good friend. No, this party had nothing to do with global warming or carbon footprints. At this party, we made Christmas wreaths and centerpieces. The church supplied all the beautiful greens (pine, spruce...you name it). For practically nothing we bought candles, pine cones, ribbons. I never imagined it would be so much fun...and so festive. We laughed and listened to Christmas tunes, sipped tea and honey and made our creations. In the end, I had a wonderful fresh centerpiece for my home. It smells sensational and reminds me of my new Christmas tradition.

Another Holiday Fave

The first time I saw the ABT/Mikhail Baryshnikov production of the Christmas classic The Nutcracker, I was a 11 or 12. I remember being less than impressed. The sets were kind of bare...some of the costuming seemed less than dazzling. Of course that was then. Now, I realize what a masterpiece it is...because it begins and ends with the principal dancers, Baryshnikov and the mesmerizing Gelsey Kirkland. I get it out on DVD from my local library ever year because I hardly ever see it on tv anymore. If you can, do the same...

Have youself a Merry (Etsy) Little Christmas

A 20 inch snow storm is no excuse for not having your Christmas shopping done. I've been trolling Etsy for some unique gifts and not that I want to give anything away to some of my giftees but look at these adorable finds.

I love giving Etsy during the holiday. Not only can you give beautiful, unique gifts, you can support a variety of artists.

Squirrel-y weekend....

Hi all! How is your Saturday looking? In the DC area, we're having quite a "nutty" weekend (I couldn't resist)!!! We're set to get around 20 inches of snow by tomorrow morning and the worst of it hasn't even started yet! For those who've lived here in the past, you know how we get about any amount of snow....it's mass hysteria....and we're just loving the 24/7 snow coverage on all the news channels! Check out Anthropologie if you're stuck indoors, like I am..... They have the cutest squirrel ever....I'm very tempted because I've always had a thing for these little creatures!

Loving my....J. Crew hair pins

I just noticed that Oh Joy! had a post about the J.Crew hair pins.... I bought a set of these in Nov. and am in love with them...There are different color tips in each set and when I bought them they were on sale!

crafty calendar

Loving Purl Soho's 2010 calendar. Keep busy with nifty craft projects all year long!

a winning combination

You know you have a winner when you pair Liberty of London with Target! I've read Liberty is doing a line for Target next year! Yay! I love Liberty prints and it'll be interesting to see their lower priced line.....

Holiday Countdown & Happy Friday!

Happy Friday to everyone! I'm playing elf today & doing a little shopping around for those last minute xmas items....We're supposed to get a "moderate to heavy" amount of snow tonight/tomorrow so I'm trying to fit in as much hassle-free shopping as possible! I cannot wait for a little break from work & now I'm officially counting down the days til my last day!!! What's on your plate for the weekend?
{lovely card designs from Rifle Design}

names of colors...

One of the things J.Crew does really well is giving their clothes life with their descriptive color names...My favorite for the moment is Vintage Forest. I have visions of pairing this cashmere crewneck with a nice pair of camel khakis, Burberry scarf, & ankle boots. The color is intriguing to me for some reason... I'll let you know what it really looks like when I receive my package soon!

smelling & viewing....

How brilliant is this new perfume?...inspired by one of my all-time favorites! I still haven't decided which perfume to buy...maybe this is a sign?!?

who do i want to be today?

I'm having an identity crisis of sorts...Should I be Miss Dior's Cherie or YSL's Parisienne? This is the fundamental question. Now, I think I've said this before but I'm not a very perfume-y person. I have my one summer staple (Bobbi Brown's Beach), but even that is only worn when I actually remember to put it on.... But I feel I need that....signature scent. You know what I'm talking about....perhaps your mom has been wearing the same perfume since you were a kid or you have a friend who's always recognizable by that certain-special-smell.....The problem w/ perfumes are that they always sell you a storyline.... So the ultimate question becomes...who do I want to be? Sounds silly enough, but I'm one of those suckers who gets swept up by ad campaigns---if they're good. And Parisienne is ever so enticing! Who doesn't want to be a Kate Moss figure wandering around the Seventh Arrondisement in a tight black YSL (?) dress? Do I want to be the sophisticated Parisian? or the fun, young-at-heart Ms. Dior? I mainly go towards Ms. Dior because of the lovely commercial directed by Sofia Coppola....I really am a big sucker. Oh, I forgot: the actual smell of the perfumes. Both are nice enough, but again...it's more of the "feeling" I'm trying to capture. I'll be making my final decision tomorrow when I take a jaunt to Sephora. Will get back to you with my answer on who I want to be!

festive peanuts

How about some peanut fun??!!!

on the hunt.....

So for the last week I've been on the prowl for the coveted Starbucks ornaments--in red coffee cup & cold beverage cup. Seriously, I became a madwoman looking for this thing in every Starbucks I could get to... I think I must have tried at least 5 free standing stores and finally managed to get my hands on them at a Starbucks located inside a grocery store! Bingo! The absolute best moment in a shopper's tale is when you see your target in sight! The moral of the story should be: Always buy this stuff early....when there are plenty in stock! (of course i'm kicking myself because i didn't buy last year's version of the red cup!)...

One semi-related (shopping) story: There was a suede skirt that I wanted from Target years ago and my parents happened to be w/ me at a local Orlando Target.....When they realized how disappointed I was about not finding my size, they took me to EVERY SINGLE Target in the Orlando area....They even drove me to one that was a good 40 miles away from our home! I never got that skirt but we had a blast going all around Orlando looking for the elusive suede skirt!

Your grandmother's brooches...

I love brooches in general but I have always really loved slightly old-fashioned style Christmas pins. They remind me of the kind you might see on your grandmothers best coat...the one she wore once a year to midnight mass. You can probably only get away with them this time of year, but they are so festive and such a lovely way to make any outfit more Chrstimas-y (and no, you don't have to get one of those hideous sweaters :)

Genius-Splash Sticks

Did you ever wonder,when you are at the fixins' bar at Starbucks, what those cute little green sticks with the coffee angels on top are for? Well, as far as I am concerned, they are yet another bit of genius from everyone's favorite coffee company. Slide that baby into the opening of your hot drink and you have a fool proof way to transport your drink sans spills!

candy cane mood...

Dreamy candy canes...Yummmm...

Happy Chanukah!

Happy Chanukah to B. & everyone out there! I'm in love with these recipes I found in the NY Times food section...How good does deep fried garlic cloves & green olives sound? Yikes... I'm salivating as I write...

nostalgic over coffee maker

I bought my first coffee maker when I went away to college in 1990. I loved my white Krups 6 cup brewer... I kept that coffee machine for a good 13 years and only disposed of it when I moved out of Brooklyn. It was still functioning really well and now I regret having thrown it out. Since then I've had two coffee makers, but none really compared to my Krups. This morning Williams Sonoma had a deal I just couldn't pass up and I've re-discovered Krups again. I guess people get attached to the weirdest things....and coffee makers are one of them!

Update: I received my Krups last night and tested it out! Loved the results... Unfortunately we only had soy milk so the taste was a bit off...but overall I really like the coffee maker! One strange thing is that I think you need to place the carafe holder right in the middle of the machine...just as the photo above has it. Kinda quirky but it works so I'm fine w/ it.

Happy Friday!

Hi everyone! Hope you are enjoying your Friday morning. Love this ad from Kate Spade...Kind of festive, no? Have a great weekend....

Functional....Yet Aesthetically Pleasing....

I knew I had to have it when I saw this lovely doodle pen necklace from Kate Spade. How brilliant is this concoction? For some reason the first image I had was of a librarian wearing it!...Anyway, it turns out I wasn't the only one who was so taken by this...It is now out of stock!

Lovely indeed...

I never read The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, but I am intrigued by the film adaptation because it is directed by Peter Jackson. What piqued my interest immediately was this beautiful shot from the film. There's something about the close-up, the colors....something beautiful. Here's the review from the NY Times.

Oh...strawberryluna

Just LOOK at this gorgeous print by strawberryluna. Fourth in the series of her 'season' prints, this piece pretty much highlights every single thing I love about winter...a snowy scene...clean, cool colors and the occasional brave, yet beautiful bird hinting that spring really isn't that far off. Once I add this print, my house will be dangerously close to a shrine to this amazing artist.

Persimmons...mmmmm!

A co-worker treated me to a lovely bunch of persimmons today...what a treat! Have you ever had one? I know you have Ms. M. Remember...way back in 1995...you gave me some,I think as a treat for driving you to the airport in Buffalo. I had never had one and you told me exactly when they are ready to be eaten. I was pretty sure I had never eaten anything so delicious in my life.

I've loved them ever since...and with all the sugary, sweet treats around this time of year, these are a perfect change of pace.

Really...it's all about the wrapping

You must check out Luxe Paperie. I know Ms. M and I have given lots of holiday suggestions for wrapping et al but this site has some of the best paper and cards I have ever seen. Wrap gifts in this paper and your giftees won't rip into their packages...they'll make sure to tear carefully...this wrap is a keeper!

Adorable gift tags

Just look at these cutie pie gift tags! The only thing cuter than an owl, is an owl all bundled up for the cold!

Hooray for (wintery) Friday's !!

Everyone loves Friday...but they are even better during the holidays. I guess that's because everything is better during the holidays. Well, I can't wait for the weekend. I'm running in a 5K with friends...the weather is supposed to be cold and wintery...and I am doing some holiday shopping...and White Christmas is on AMC.

I hope everyone has a festive weekend!

(Photo...by Joe...of course!)

cutie pair

I've been eyeing these every time I go into Starbucks....Online they have them in pairs!...and this combo of cold/hot cups is just perfect!