Beautiful weather, barbequing with dear friends and LOTS of home improvement (will that garage never get done?!) are on the agenda for me this holiday weekend. I can hardly wait till that 5 0'clock whistle today so I can get to it.
I don't know about you, but for me, one of the most disappointing things from a style perspective is seeing the homes of celebrities. I mean, for all that money they have, they barely ever seem to have the taste to match. When was the last time you saw the interior (or exterior, for that matter) of a celebrity home that didn't include massive gold candelabra or some other such hideousness? I think that was what stunned me about this spread in Elle Decor of Meg Ryan's sophisticated and ultra-chic beach house in Martha's Vineyard. It's positively gorgeous. (Try this link for more photos).
I hope you are feeling a bit better today Ms. M! If...well...not so much, check out this link I found on The Dieline. It is about the packaging design for the first patisserie in Mexico specializing in French macarons! Gorgeous! I would say they have definitely captured everything that is wonderful about these amazing treats in their campaign.
I'm feeling a bit blah today...but I sure felt a bit more chipper when I thought of my all time favorite cupcake/cake sprinkles...the delightfully cheerful confetti sprinkles. I love confetti in general--something about their festive nature and they're just so darn cute. Anyway, here's to hoping I pick myself up today....
I hate to say obvious things on Ooh La La Dujour...but don't you just love biscotti? It is my absolute 'new' favorite thing to have on Sunday morning with my coffee (hot or cold!) . It is that perfect combination of cruchy and sweet and there are about a zillion flavor combinations. It really just hits the spot. My favorite is the lemon chocolate chip vartiety at the Wegmans Pattiserie in Pittsford...but here is a pretty awesome and simple recipe you might like to try (especially if you love coconut :)
Believe it or not, when you work in a library, you spend a lot of time on your feet. This is especially true if you are doing public library duty (shelving, working at the circ. desk et al). Of course, being on your feet requires some comfortable, sensible but never style-free (of course) shoes. This isn't usually such a struggle for me in the fall and winter. Danskos, loafers, knee and ankle high boot can all be found in comfortable yet stylish varieties. For some reason,I really struggle with this in the summer when my shoe of choice is sandals. Much as I love Chacos, Keens and Birkenstocks, they always seem a bit too casual for work...on the other hand, many of the other styles are just not comfortable. But I think I finally found a happy medium in these Cole Haan Air Jordana Ankle Strap sandals. With the strappy, metallic, upper and the Nike technology cushioning, I've found 'style meets comfort' foot heaven!
You know...I would give my proverbial 'right arm' for the perfect bra. I am not sure how many times Ms. M and I have discussed this but I feel I need to renew the topic every so often because, frankly, like jeans, I am just convinced that there is no such a thing as perfection when it comes to this elusive garment. So please, I know this is asking a lot for a Friday afternoon...and feel free to ponder this over the weekend...but for the love of god, if anyone has a tried-and-true, 100% love for a particular brand, style, whatever....PLEASE let me know!!
I was out with a friend yesterday evening, who had just returned from a trip to Southern California...L.A. to be exact...and I have to admit, it got me kind of nostalgic for the Golden State. Years ago, I spent a few months there (anyone remember that?) and I really did kind of fall in love with it. California has that beautiful, almost Mediterranean-like climate, fabulous topography, and beaches...lots and lots of beaches. Even though I cannot see myself living there permanently (just too far from everyone I love on the east coast)...there are days, like today, when I look back on the time I spent there and feel pretty darn lucky to have had the chance :)
Can you actually love a specific brand of...water? I think so! Case in point...Acqua Panna. Love it for the bottle design...the bright hint of orange....and oh yeah..it tastes pretty good too! Not as flashy as his more famous cousin, Evian (I still love you!)...and definitely more interesting than Poland Springs (would have been better named as Moland Springs!).....This is my water of choice when I have people over. It shows I care....but in an understated kind of way. :)
OK...If I wasn't already in love with the name Jack....I am loving my latest find....English clothier Jack Wills (also, wouldn't this make a faboulous name combo?....hmmmm....)...And how cool are these glasses?
For a very very VERY long time, I had a rule. I tried to follow it pretty hard and fast, and I was relatively successful. My rule was based on the idea that each and every time I purchased an item of clothing, I thought to myself, 'will I be able to wear this 10 years from now?' The principle, I think, was that I was trying to stick to purchases that were classics...stay away from items that were too trendy. I am sure it was for both practical (I don't have an endless supply of money so I am trying to get as much bang for my buck as I can) and aesthetic (I have always liked a few quality pieces over a million poorly made pieces). Over the years, I've been relatively successful with this rule...there are many things in my closet I've had well beyond 10 years and I love them as much today as I ever did. But then, I have things that I bought which violated the 'rule', that I really didnt' think I would have for many years that, surprisingly, I have! Of course there are also the things that I swore I would keep for a life time that didn't last a season. So what to do.
Of course the Paris charm necklace is cute....but take a look at the Tokyo charm!
From getting this whimsical skirt! I just love pineapples and this is such an adorable print!
Refinery29 has piece on new ways to wear a scarf!....Look closely at the heart garland scarf by TopShop....I'm in love w/ it and it's sold out!!!! I guess I officially have a new item to stalk. I must must have this. (They have another one that's black so I might have to settle for this...for now) My current obsession with all things hearts is really getting ridiculous.
I kind of love all these doormats but I'm really torn between the Tigerfish and the 'Flower market'. So cute for the front porch!
An adorable printed scarf from an unexpected source I usually don't shop at...Talbots. I had heard they're trying to re-vamp their "motherly" image...and some of the items I've found are pretty cute...(case in point...these leather espadrilles)
I can't believe it's taken me this long to post about a tip a dear friend (shout out to you J.p!!) gave me months ago. Maghound is an online service that allows you to bundle the magazines you would like to receive at your home for one, flat, monthly fee. For instance...I chose 3 magazines (that I would normally buy at the newsstand anyway) from their selection (in case you are interested, mine right now are Everyday Food, Dwell and Lucky). Every month $4.95 is deducted from account (frankly, I pay more in a week for coffee ... and I buy the cheap stuff from my neighborhood FastTrac on the way to work) which is pretty much nothing when you consider that 1 issue of just 1 of these mags. costs that!! They have different levels of subscription (ex. 5 mags. is $ 7.95/month etc.) so you can add on more titles that you enjoy. The other thing I love is you can change the mags. you recieve at any time AND if some of your mags. have off months, Maghound allows you to have back-up titles that you will receive while your priority choices are in hiatus.
Can you believe it? Ooh la la...is almost a year old??? I simply cannot believe where the time has gone...let's do a countdown....shall we? June 11 here we come!!!.....How fitting it's on a Friday too! yay.....
You've heard me yammer on about the weather up here for a while and now I need some advice on what to wear for these perpetually chilly 'spring' mornings. When I leave the house for work, I always need to wear some sort of jacket (or maybe sweater, I am thinking). Lately, I've been in a rut, wearing this little quilted number I got from Old Navy a few years back ( I adore it, but I'm tired of wearing it, day after day after day). So any advice? I don't know if I want to go the jacket route 'cause I have plenty of those and always seem to get more use (in general) out of sweaters...but I am open to any advice. If you've seen something you love out there for mornings in the 50's and cool evenings...please let me know!!
