Monday, January 31, 2011

Mod Cloth

ModCloth seems the place to shop for vintage and vintage inspired dresses. 
I, however, decided to shop my closet for our recent Mad Men fundraiser we attended.
I forgot to take a lot of photos, but will try to find one to post of my outfit.
Oh, an exciting celebrity spotting at the hotel where the event took place, William H Macy was standing right in front of the door when we walked in.  You know when you see celebs, your first thought is, "oh, I know that person, but how..." that's when I realized it was indeed, the voice on Curious George.

Mod Cloth faves....















Sunday, January 30, 2011

Saturday Saturday

Awoke on Saturday morning very relieved that it was SATURDAY MORNING.  Nothing like a full week of work to make for some weekend appreciation!  I usually don't work everyday so this weekend was especially inviting.  Needed some major kid time so took them to one of my favorite breakfast spots in Chicago, The Milk and Honey Cafe.  When they set my cup of coffee down on the table, it was my "ahhhh" moment.  We had a delicious breakfast.  I mean delicious.  I couldn't stop commenting on how good it was and neither could the kids.

Milk & Honey Cafe
    
Cranberry Apple Granola Buttermilk Pancakes
Other yummies


If you are ever in Chicago, this is the place to begin your day!


Thursday, January 27, 2011

Mad Woman

We are going to a Mad Men themed fundraiser/auction this weekend and I just looked at the invitation that reads:
Mad Men theme attire STRONGLY encouraged
Hmmmmm. Okay.  
I could just buy a pair of white gloves and a pack of Marlboros  and call it a day?! 
But it's worth investigating.
Let's start with some inspiration....
Hopefully, I will be back tomorrow with lots of ideas!


images via AMCTV.com

Do you have any suggestions?   
I am thinking of shopping my closet on this one to see what I could pull together.  

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Canada bound

Linking up with Emily this week and participating in Listography 2011.
This weeks list:  Places I'd like to visit.

There are so many places that I'd love to visit that it is hard to narrow down, so I thought I'd focus on one country, Canada.  The funny thing is that Canada is a hop, skip and a jump away and I've never been.   Never.  I've been on an overwhelmingly long, leg cramping flight to Japan (twice) but I've never driven, flown, or even trained it to Cananda.  WAIT, I take that back.  Does Niagra Falls count?  Why, yes, yes it does.  Still, I'd love to visit Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto.  All great cities that people adore.  And someday, one day, I will get there.

Oh, Did I mention my new fear of flying?  Amtrak anyone?  Sleeper car maybe?
Okay, maybe just a few xani snacks and I could stomach the flight?

Montreal

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Photobooth

Came across this photo this other day when going through an old bin.  from a PHOTOBOOTH in a bar at the corner of 11th and Avenue B in the east village nyc.  just me and two friends, hangin out, drinking some beers, taking some pics, you know, the usual tuesday night (because tuesday nights are the cool nights to go out in ny).  sometimes, it's just good to look back.  remember another life, old friends.  appreciate the new, but remember the old.  like I said before, I love to reminisce.  


Happy Monday everyone! 

It's the start of a hectic week for me and I just needed a second to step back for a moment.

xoxo

Friday, January 21, 2011

Style Icon Redux

In the Adirondacks, Age 20



My grandmother got her ears pierced as a baby.  Being the daughter of first generation Italian immigrants, this was like getting baptised...essential.  Growing up in the Bronx, she had a pretty urban upbringing and went to Hunter College in New York City.  She spent a summer as a nanny in the Adirondacks, which was where the first photo was taken, she was 20.  I adore her outfit in this photo.  She told me that her mother would make a lot of her clothes; my grandmother would describe the current style and she would mimic.  

In taffeta dress my great grandmother made,
age 23 here
At five feet tall, she has always been a force to reckon with.  She speaks her mind which is always a stylish attribute!

I have always been obsessed withe her jewelry.  For my college graduation, she gave me the first pair of diamond earrings that my Grandfather purchased for her.  They will always be treasured.

Fast forward many years, and my soon to be 94 year old Grandmother plays Wii, reads everything, and still worries about what she is going to wear.  This past Thanksgiving, she walked into my mother's house wearing a very modern mustard three-quarter length sleeved sweater over a long black tee shirt.  My husband turned to me and asked, "Is that your sweater?"  You see, I have a very similar mustard three-quarted wide sleeved sweatshirt sweater that I also wear over a black long-sleeved tee.  Weather 19 or 94, she is always in style and will forever be my style icon, my everything icon.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Blog Neglect

A little overwhelmed this week....so the result is blog neglect!
I had saved this photo last week from The Sartorialist..love the entire outfit, right down to the black bracelet or what could be a hair band on her wrist.  I am guilty of the hairband bracelets-on a daily basis.  Doesn't she look comfy?
the sartorialist



Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Do Good Tuesday....





Their mission statement (from website)
FEED Projects' mission is to create good products that help FEED the world. We do this through the sale of FEED bags, bears, t-shirts, and other accessories by building a set donation into the cost of each product. Thus the impact of each product, signified by a stenciled number, is understandable, tangible, and meaningful.

We take great pride in using environmentally-friendly and artisan-made materials, along with fair-labor production, in creating all FEED products.

We stand behind our brand and the organizations and humanitarian programs each FEED product supports. Ultimately, we believe that everyone has the right to basic human necessities, such as healthy and nutritious food. FEED is proud to help FEED the world, one bag at a time.





Who can argue with that?  If it's a FEED tote versus a Gap tote, sorry, FEED wins.



How far do you have to go to feel like you are on vacation? Not far...

a lovely little cottage by the lake; don't you just love the stone chimney
this is not our house, just another gem we stumbled upon on our drive
Coming off a perfect getaway weekend.  Funny, how you don't have to go far to feel miles away.  It felt like a fantastic ski trip, minus the skiing, but adding the tubing and sledding!  With kids ages 2 and 4, skiing is down the road a bit, but a tubing hill with groomed trails, and sledding down Warren Dunes in Michigan was right up their alley.  Anything that comes with a lodge with a fireplace, games, hot chocolate, and antique snowshoes on the walls, count me in.  

So, we filled our days with sledding, a few long drives through the snowy country and afternoon naps.  Our evenings included roaring fires, a few cocktails with friends (who have a house down the street), Wii Glee Karaoke and Kids Just Dance.  Every night ended with kids in jammies and a chapter from Alice in Wonderland by the fire on our pillows.


Friends, how was your weekend?  Did you have Monday off?

ok, i don't understand how to manipulate photos in the new blogger template?!  this is so frustrating!  any tips?  i can't move them around easily.


Friday, January 14, 2011

Capri

A few photos from a 2005 Capri, Italy trip to take us into the weekend.....I just like to reminisce.


The Famous Shoemaker..love the three pairs of shoes I bought from him.  Love.
And what a sweet man!

Happy Friday!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

You are what you eat





I don't know if it's just winter blahness, but I have been overanalyzing my skin lately. Peering into every, what seem to be NEW, nook and cranny and I am not liking what I see. Winter dryness, more like the Sahara, is taking over and my skin can't drink enough (and neither can I after seeing these dry wrinkles).

Thought you'd all enjoy some Top Foods For Your Skin lists. We could all use a reminder once in while.


Almost all of them have the usual suspects: water, oily fish, berries, avocados

A few surprises (for me): sweet potatoes, spinach, and cottage cheese (apparently cottage cheese contains high levels of selenium, which is really good for your skin)


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Keeping it together with paper and pencil




Going old school this year and keeping track of schedule with a Moleskine calendar. Now, I just can't decide if I should get the daily or weekly one?! Decisions....

Yummy French Toast

I sometimes forget how easy french toast is to whip up. I really never follow an exact recipe (not due to experience or confidence, but to laziness). So, I just mix up some eggs, milk and cinnamon, usually. This is what I included this morning and they were fabulous. Of course, how bad can anything be with a lot of melted butter and syrup, but whatever.
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • cinnamon (a lot of shakes)
  • nut meg (a medium amount of shakes)
  • all spice (a few shakes)
  • sugar (two shakes - assisted 2yr old- out of sugar bag - not very much really)
  • 12 slices country white bread (i'm a hayseed at heart and sometimes white bread is a nice change)
Okay, this image is not of the above French Toast..you think I have time to do this in the morning...and before two cups of coffee, no way. Just a photo of some French Toast at The Blue Plate Restaurant in Union Pier, Michigan...which was also delish!







I don't understand why...(Listography 2011)

(i had to keep this list light)
  • I still can't type a complete text o my phone without making a typo (oops, or a post)
  • Kids don't sleep later after going to bed later (but they will sleep in on the morning you made plans to be somewhere early)
  • The minute bananas are brought home and put on your counter, they turn brown
A few other random things I realized while sick in bed last week:
  1. Episodes of Sex and the City will never get old
  2. All About Steve is a somewhat endearing little movie
  3. Bride Wars is not a good movie, but that didn't stop me from turning it off
  4. Heather Locklear claims that she doesn't have many wrinkles because she sleeps on her back - E! thinks she may have had a little work done. Now, WHERE is the pregnancy pillow that kept me from sleeping on my back - WHERE IS IT?
  5. Craig Furgeson is hilarious and should be on when Jay Leno is
  6. Did anyone catch the "Sweet Valley High" comment on Modern Family - could that possibly be in reference to my favorite Wakefield twins?

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

It's Do Good Tuesday....

Sweet little film...this little joint seems to be bringing some smiles to the neighborhood (and making delicious looking tacos - that's always a good thing)

Monday, January 10, 2011

San Jose, Take Me Away...

As the allure of snow, the holidays, and winter starts to subside, I am thinking of warmer places, zen spots, and relaxing moments. These all remind me of the Hotel San Jose in Austin. I once spent two nights at this hotel alone (my friend had left Austin and I was just supposed to stay one night but my flight to ny the next day was cancelled due to weather so I opted to stay here one more night instead of hanging at the airport).

I am not sure if it was because I was alone, or it was just the atmosphere, but this hotel brings a smile to my face. If I could have just one night there right now (and yes, I think alone will do) it would instantly bring me to a zen place.

This is the kind of hotel is it.... It has a huge bowl of green apples in the lobby. They have a small bar and acoustic performances in their courtyard. Room floors are concrete. The pool is nestled in between the rooms and the courtyard and is surrounded by trees. It looks dark not blue. It's lovely. Dr. Bronners products sit in their shower stalls. I don't think the shower stalls have walls or curtains. You can rent typewriters. You can rent bikes. You can borrow their polaroid camera. You can borrow their POLAROID CAMERA! There is an amazing coffee hut next door. There is an amazing mexican restaurant on the other side. There is a famous live music venue across the street. People are friendly. I did not feel alone, but I felt alone. Perfection.....

Maybe you've been? If not, you should go. I am dreaming about it...A girl can dream....

Friday, January 07, 2011

J Crew Factory Sale

Ok, still in bed here but my fingers are working and wanted to fill you in on this weekend's J Crew Factory Sale because I was just at an outlet last week and saw a lot of the merchandise in person. The Factory Sale starts every Friday and goes through Sunday midnight. Something I didn't know about factory/outlet merch. is that it is not last year's line, but goodies specifically made for the Factory stores. So, all NEW, all on SALE, all J. CREW.

I spent the best hour of 2011 so far(sorry kids, husband, friends) on January 1st at the J. Crew outlet store. I had the entire store to myself, yeah for new year's eve parties and yeah for me for getting to bed early - and did I find some great stuff. I already mentioned the fab pixie pants I scored for $16.99 so let me tell you about some of my other "smarter" spending purchases and goodies that I see are on sale this weekend.

Love the outfit on the right, but i am drowning in navy/white striped shirts and denim jackets
The adorable skirt is on sale this weekend

and the above dress is so much cuter sans that crazy scarf and belt AND in charcoal, see below

this photo doesn't do this shirt justice. it's fab in person and looks great with the pixie pants
it is on the longer end and can be belted, you would never know it from photo
result: in my closet

this belt actually looked great with the above shirt. result: in my closet

this shirt in navy: love
result: in my closet

my husband wasn't too happy to see above shirt after seeing HIS shirt below


love, love, love this sweater
result: NOT in my closet, only comes in x-small, so all you minis, go get one, it's perfect

My wonderful hour wasn't all about me, I did buy some things for the hubby too.
Well, you already saw one of the shirts above

Happy shopping!

Meanwhile, this weekend I will be rotating every dress, jean, pant, shirt this is usually just a little too small for me and that I usually can't wear because, I had the stomach flu baby, and i am going to rock those too small clothes since I am seven lbs lighter, for this weekend anyway. ;) and too bad it will be when i am disinfecting the house and resting up for next week, but hey, i'll rotate through them all anyway