Friday, October 28, 2011

25 Ways to Tie a Scarf

I have an obscene number of scarves. Love em, but always wear them the same way. So here I am tonight, catching up on a week's worth of blogs, when what do I stumble upon? 25 Ways to Tie a Scarf!

This video is super amazing, and when you get to the end there are links to more details on how to do each one.  Let's just say I will be rocking the "magician" tomorrow.  Wahoo!





Thursday, September 15, 2011

Missoni Frenzy!



I feel like everyone will have a "Missoni story".  Where were you on September 13, 2011 when Missoni for Target was set loose on society?

Well, I'll tell you where I was.  Days before I had some minor surgery.  While the timing was not planned, I thought... how perfect.  I will be recovering at my parents house with the day off of work.  Nothing to do but pop Percocets, catch up on People's Court, and watch the day whittle away.  So I wake up, flip on my laptop, and like the rest of fashion forward America, was faced with shock and awe that Target.com was down.  What's a girl to do?

Enter my amazing father who volunteers to take me on my first post-surgery outing to the motherland!  I needed to get moving anyway, right?  It kick starts healing.  So off we go for an early morning Target trip.  I try to keep my cool as I am affronted with all things zig zag.  But I have to say, I wasn't wow-ed.  While the stuff was nice, it was all the crazy bold Missoni, not some of the subtler prints you see with the real deal.  But on I went.  I searched every little crevice of that store, and stalked the staff as they were unpacking.  But I left with only a headband.  A skinny, albeit beautiful, chevron headband.    What I really wanted was wellies, a scarf, and an iPhone cover.  Fail.  On my way out I over heard an employee saying that they didn't get accessories or shoes.  WTF?

So I spent the rest of the day checking Target.com.  Every once in a while I could get on, add a couple things to my cart, only to get kicked off.  By the time I made it to check out, everything in my cart was gone but the iPhone cover. At least it was one of my must-haves. 

The crazy thing, by 10am this stuff was on eBay at an insane mark up!  It kinda made me wish I turned rogue and bought up the store for a profit, but I guess that would be not so kind.  I guess the karma paid off.  Later that night my sister calls from her Target.  She Missoni was ravaged except for...brace yourself... a pair of WELLIES!!!!  One size too big, but I have plenty of socks to make up the gap.  Don't you worry.

So I am now the proud owner of... a chevron iPhone cover, head band, and wellies!  And the best part, I didn't have to suffer extortion from eBay to make it happen.

Big ups to my sister Barbara.  I can't wait for it to rain!

And to you infiniti scarf... you WILL be mine.



Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Currently Coveting - Cozy Edition

Jeez,  I want a lot of stuff.  Recurring theme in my life, huh?  With the last month of Summer starting, I can't help but think about Fall.  I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, but EEEEK!  Fall is so exciting!   Here are a couple items I'm Currently Coveting.



Striped Gardengate Cardigan, Madewell, $39 ($72)
Essie BBF Best Boy Friend, Ulta, $8
Stephan & Co. Patterned Enamel Bangle, Nordstrom, $14
Betsey Johnson Oversized Round Sunglasses, Urban Outfitters, $55
Cece Leather Ballet Flat, Jcrew, $89.99 ($128)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Currently Coveting - Rainy Day Edition

The weather has been absolute crap.  It's making me think I could never make it in Seattle or London, which means time to re-think my life plan.  The constant mist and depression of the last few weeks has caused me to spend a lot of time shopping.  And so here is stuff I want.  And I want a lot of stuff.



1. JCrew Racer Tote $62.50
2. Stila Convertible Color - Petunia $25
3. Banana Republic Lily Cluster Ring $49.50
4. 7 For All Mankind Jules $69
5. ModCloth Craft Sale Saturday Dress $91.99
6. Kate Spade devoté mod leopard lacey wallet $89 (Reg $225)

Monday, May 2, 2011

Kale Chips. Yup, I said Kale Chips

You know what I never thought I would do in my whole entire life? Blog about kale. There’s a first for everything… here goes!

I kept hearing people rave about kale chips and how they are JUST like potato chips. I finally decided I had to give them a try.

Truth be told, they do not taste like potato chips. Even a little bit. However, they do taste like the amazing crispy edges of roasted Brussel sprouts. The very reason I make Brussel sprouts to begin with.

I bought the biggest bunch of kale Whole Foods had. Go big or go home, right? I washed and dried it in the salad spinner, tore bite size pieces away from the thick stems. Spritzed with olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt. I baked them on 350 for ten minutes, and voila. Kale chips.

I think this is one of those things that you just have to try to believe. I get that it sounds weird, and totally non amazing, but they really are good. Especially right out of the oven.

Need more convincing?

2 cups of kale contain:
• 260% of the daily requirement for vitamin A
• 170% of vitamin C
• 10% of calcium
• 8% iron
• 3 grams of protein
• Over 1000% vitamin K
• 40% manganese
• 40% of vitamin B6
• It is a prime cancer fighting food, rich in anti-oxidants and detoxifying enzymes, carotenoids and high in fiber
• The carotenoids in kale help prevent eye degeneration and help protect against cataracts .It is also high in calcium.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Wow.

Imagine my surprise as I'm riding the elevator up to my office one morning, and this image is on Captivate.  You know, that stupid tv inside the elevator. 

This can be a really weird and scary world.  This picture just grabbed me.  It makes me smile, it makes me sad, I just can't stop looking at it.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Bar Carts: Portable Party

I have seen some pictures of gorgeous bar carts and I really really want one.  I was poking around on Overstock and it suggested this industrial cart that isn't meant to be a bar cart, but sure would make a good one for $56.99! 

 Here are some of my favorites I've seen around the block...

Cupcakes & Cashmere

Apartment Therapy
Kitchenisms

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Let Them Eat Cake

The most unique and unexpected Christmas present I got this year came from my dad.  It was an oil painting kit that came with everything you need to get started.  Paints, brushes, canvas, and a how-to book.   I felt a mixture of excitement, inspiration, and terror thinking about what in the world I was going to do with it.

The walls in my parents house feature a few of my dad's masterpieces from over the years.  After a long hiatus he started painting again, and I got dibs on one of the first ones he did when he started back up.  It's hanging in my kitchen, isn't it nice?  I left Christmas with some pointers from my dad, but was still terrified at tackling a landscape.

While reading Jordan Ferney's blog I saw an old post about a collection of cakes her husband Paul Ferney painted.  How freakin amazing is this?  And each painting has a cute little phrase like "After a slice of that chocolate cake she was in the mood to crash a party." and "As she sat there with her sisters, giggling and devouring an entire cake, she felt like she was 12 years old again." I love them all!



So while legitimately snowed in today, with my DVR bordering on empty and Netflix devoured, I pondered what to do with myself.  DING DING DING!  Today is painting day.

Not completely sure what I was doing, I pulled out all of my brushes and paints and planned my attack.  I took a look at a bunch of Paul Ferney's paintings and settled on which cake/cake stand/background combo I thought was do-able and I set up shop.  Do notice the laptop playing a marathon of Friday Night Lights on Netflix.

Now the smart thing to do would be to sketch out my attack plan with pencil, but I couldn't find one anywhere, so I drew ever so lightly with pen, which gave me enough of an idea of where to put paint to canvas.

I started with the cake stand, which I was hoping to be a nice jade green.  It came out a little darker than I was hoping, but I quickly realized that the more you try and fix a color the more paint you wind up with.  It was getting out of hand!

Next I moved onto the most fun part, the cake!  I outlined the cake and filled it in solid brown, then went back and really caked it on (no pun intended).  I wanted it to look like thick, gooey frosting.  I added a candle, painted in the background, and voila!  She was done.  And for the record, it may have been easier to paint the background before the rest of it instead of trying to paint around everything!


This is by no means a Paul Ferney, but I'm glad I took the plunge and gave it a try.  Here it is.  Not quite good enough to eat, but I tried.  I think I might attempt a painting class to actually learn what I'm doing, but this was a much better way to spend an afternoon than shoveling snow.  Although eating cake may have been better...

Thursday, January 6, 2011

I Robbed The Gap!

Well, not litterally.

Growing up, one of my mom’s favorite activities was taking us to the Gap when they were having a major sale. We would clean out their clearance section then go home and huddle around the kitchen table with our shopping bags and a calculator. We would carefully peel back the sale stickers until we could see the original prices, and add up what we would have spent at full retail vs. what we actually paid.


This was the only time I ever showed even a modest interest in math.

Last night the nostalgia flowed back as I did this again. I had time to kill before a movie, and the Gap had a sign out front that all clearance was 40% off! I didn’t have a ton of time, but I did my best impression of Supermarket Sweep and snatched up the best stuff I could find including the ballet flats that I wanted before Christmas. Two pairs in fact. Worth the wait!

Here is a recap…



Tuesday, January 4, 2011

2011 Inspiration

Flash forward... there I am!

I wanted to wait a few days before doing an official New Years post.  I don't know why, I guess all the talk of resolutions and "new year new you" bologna was too much, but I'm ready.

In reading everyone else's New Years posts, I came across an amazing post from Mighty Girl about Esquire's "What I've Learned" section.  There were some serious gems in there that have definitely helped me to look at this coming year and my attitude in a new way.

Here are some of the best quotes, followed by my favorite "Get up off your ass and be proud of yourself, girlfriend" anthem. 

“Some people understand what it is to create something special, and others are thinking what they can get out of it.” -Al Pacino

“There was an incredible power that was against me. And that power, I hope I was able to use it to do something good. Power is power. It’s energy. And if you get big, big energy, you can use that in a good way.” -Yoko Ono

“People don’t remember who the critics were.” -Robert Redford

“Running from something and running to something are the same thing.”

“There’s always going to be someone smarter, prettier, nicer. It’s better to appreciate it instead of being threatened by it or defending yourself against it.” -Mary Louise Parker

“I don’t look ahead. I’m right here with you. It’s a good way to be.”

“I don’t want to impress people I wouldn’t cross the road to talk to. I want there to be a strict door policy at my club. I want to go, “You can’t come in. You won’t like this. And I don’t want you to like it.” -Ricky Gervais

Now, I dare you not to dance a little, and feel a whole lot better about yourself after this one. 


Update: While we're on the subject, check out this non-resolution from Bridget from It's a Hunt Life.

"basically, i would just like to be a better person, but that's what we should all hope to be as each year flies by.  complain less.  love more.  be more patient.  take more time with the kids instead of shooing them away because i've got other things that can't wait (laundry can wait.  computer can wait.).  take more time to tell my husband what i'm proud of him for.  be grateful for at least five new things at the end of each and every day.  learn to be more like gracie (dogs really are the best teachers, aren't they?).  compliment more.  stress less.  read more.  eat well.  listen to beautiful music.  go to more concerts.  make some delicious new recipes.  write more snail-mail letters.  be a better person."

Amen Bridget!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Chic On The Cheap - Old Navy Edition

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In my attempt to be more financially responsible this year, I thought it would be a good idea to just write about things I want, and not buy them.  Well, not buy them all anyway.

I have always been pretty cheap when it comes to clothes, and people are shocked at the finds I get from places like Target and Old Navy.  So, while nursing a hangover (oh hey 2011) I put together some Old Navy Outfits.  One item is $50, most are $30 or less.  Can't beat that!


Lightweight Ruffle-Trim Tops | $20 
Pom-Pom Ballet Flats | $19.99 
Tasseled Totes| $28.50 
Button-Front Boyfriend Cardigans | $24.99

Ballet Flats | $19.50