I like books. At an early age, I had a pretty badass
collection of Dr. Suess books. That then morphed into me being a member of The
Babysitters Club. Monthly, I received three books and some stickers in the
mail.
My love of reading stayed with me through college where I
got hooked on the Harry Potter series. Then in my grown up life, I breezed
through Twilight – and a million other RoCom books. What can I say, I’m a
reader.
Today, I was actually pleasantly surprised when I pulled
the word “Book” from my jar ‘o words. I found a lot of cool ways for people to
use books as décor and entertaining.
Love this tote bag
How cute are these
book worm favors?
Book party invitation
Book party décor
Centerpiece using vases as bookends
Put the vase on top of the books
Card catalogue as
a place card holder
The Facebook Book?
And finally, I’m
obsessed with this library.
So I have a confession. While I’m a total girly
girl, there is one area that I’m just awful with – beauty products. Let’s just
say that I’m lucky if I wash my face with water at night. My beauty regime is
non-existent.
HOWEVER, now that I’m getting a bit,
ah hem, older, I decided to devote some more time researching beauty products,
creams, etc.
I’m a big fan of test driving products
before I buy them, but I’ve found that there are less smelly perfume ladies
passing out free samples at department stores.
ENTER
A SOULTION – BIRCH BOX.
Most of you probably have heard of
this, but last year I signed up for Birch Box. It’s like a magazine
subscription, but rather than receive some paper, you get a handful of beauty
products each month to test out in a pretty little box. So far I’ve got awesome
things like nail polish, face creams, exfoliating masks, etc. For a minimal
cost ($10 a month), I’m able to sample new things to determine if I’m going to
invest in the full-sized sample.
So far, it’s so good! I’ve found that I
LOVE Zoya nail polish because it stays on forever. Applying eye cream nightly
isn’t difficult. Juicy perfume and my allergies don’t mesh. Hot pink lip gloss
is fun, but not functional for me. See, I’m learning a lot!
Note that the pics above show a few
items from more than one Birch Box. I wanted to show the variety of stuff that
you get! Oh and you can end your subscription at any time.
Wanna join? Click here!
Do you know what song I love? That one that goes, "I do, I do, I do, I do..."
This year is starting to become the year of engagement
(and in some case wedding) for the hubs and I. If we thought years past were
spattered with weddings, it was really only a pregame for what we are about to
experience in 2012 – 2013. And let’s just say we’ve got our party shoes ready!
In thinking about weddings and trends, here are some that
I’ve seen and that I hope to see at the upcoming nuptials that we will attend.
·
Individual
Centerpieces
o LOVE
this idea. Rather than go for one show stopper centerpiece, give guests their own
piece of flare.
o This
may include mini flower arrangements, cakes, piñatas!
(source)
·
DIY
Bouquet Bar
o Building
off of the first idea, for a shower, I love the concept of buying bunches and
bunches of flowers and inexpensive vases and allow guests to make their own
arrangement to take home.
o You
can also have signs up on tips for making the perfect arrangement – like what
colors to mix, flower placement, etc.
o In
Pittsburgh, you can buy the flowers from the Strip District OR order from Sam’s
Club or Costco. For vases, go to Home Goods or Garden Ridge.
(Photo – Moi)
·
Farewell
Toast
o While
people tend to serve a signature drink during cocktail hour, the new trend is a
farewell toast. It’s a great way to thank guests for coming and cap off an
awesome party.
o This
is also where you can hand out sparklers for a farewell photo!
o Also
unexpected – rather than give people a welcome bag, work with the hotel to drop
of some goodies for guests to find in their room when they go to sleep or in
their car through the valet!
·
Bringing
the Outside In and Inside Out
o Way
before Kate Middleton turned Westminster Abbey into a forest for her wedding, I
noticed this trend of brides bringing the outdoors inside and chic things from
inside, outside for their weddings. Let me show you what I’m talking about
here.
o For
these outdoor weddings, one brought couches on to the sand, while the other
used a door as the opening to the aisle. I’ve also seen people pull vintage desks
outside to use as a bar, gift table or buffet.
o For
indoor weddings, brides are bringing trees and the second photo incorporates
twigs (with lights), wood and pinecones. This is also popular to bring summer
(seashells) and winter (snow) inside.
Other “In’s”
·
Arcrylic furniture – still in (and still
pricey!)
·
Doughnuts
·
Chevron
·
Local food
What’s moving out?
·
Cigar Bars
·
Candy Bars
·
Cupcakes
(source)
Reader Margaux Writes:
I have noticed that people all over this winter are
rocking peep toe shoes, even on the coldest and rainiest of days! Is there a
new fashion norm I am unaware of?!
Well Reader Margaux, I believe the answer is – yes you
can.
There really isn’t a rule that exists that says you can’t
wear open toe shoes between Labor Day and Memorial Day.
Last year there was an open-toed winter booties trend (it
also carried over into 2012). So I think that was also leading in it being more
acceptable to wear open toes year around.
You see, a lot of people look to celebrities to set
trends. And frankly, they wear open toed shoes year around.
Margaux lives in the south (Atlanta) and I tend to see
more bloggers that I follow that live in warmer weather markets wear more open
toed shoes in the winter. For those in colder markets, it’s more so for a
special occasion.
In my opinion, I would say that more of a trend is to
rock tights WITH open toed shoes. Let me caution you – you need to do this
right. This can go way, way wrong.
(source)
I did some research and here is what some stylists say:
·
"That old thing about not
wearing tights with an open-toe doesn't exist anymore. And it's a very economical way to winterize
your spring accessories." – Rachel
Zoe
“You can wear tights with open-toed shoes, as
long as there’s no reinforces toe or even toe seam,” – Stacey
London
“… more sophisticated women
that are older should experiment with tights — try a colored tight and see how
it plays out. If that’s pushing it too far, try a black stocking. I don’t think
women should feel limited to thinking they can’t wear an open-toed shoe in the
winter and they should just play around and explore what looks best for them.”
– Cristina
Ehrlich (Ashley Greene’s stylist)
Check out these girls on Accidental
Chic doing that tight and open toed shoe trend the RIGHT way!
(source)
A few years ago, I set a personal style rule. I only wear
boots from late September until March 31st (one exception – cowboy
boots). The same typically goes for tights as well (with MAYBE some exceptions
in early April or late September).
So to sum this up.
Use caution, but yes, you can wear open toed shoes in the winter. However, if
you are in a colder market, why not try the tights with open toes!
New Jersey
has a bad rap. Whether it’s the reality TV shows, the jokes about the smell or
even the recent decision by the governor to lower the flags in honor of
Whitney, people are always picking on the home state of my hubs.
One thing I love to do when I visit the dirty jerz is to
stop by Joe Canals. No, this isn’t a friend of Brady’s – it’s the liquor store.
They always have cool wines and liquors that aren’t always readily available in
Pittsburgh because PA is a control state (the state controls the liquor).
On a recent trip, I spotted this – Whipped Lighting. As the tagline
states, Whipped Lighting is the first alcohol-infused whipped cream.
With flavors like Spiced Vanilla, Strawberry Love,
Chocolate Mint, Tropical Passion, Coconut, German Chocolate, White Chocolate
Raspberry and Caramel Pecan, this “Whipahol” is sure to jazz up almost any
cocktail. I mean this stuff is perfect for shots and coffee drinks. It’s
totally one of those “Why didn’t I think of that” inventions!
The site is full of recipes and here are a few to show
you all how Whipped Lightening is used!
(source)
If this still isn’t in PA by the time of my next trip, I’ll
bootleg some past state lines ; )
(source)
One of my FAVORITE words that I put into my Word of the Day
jar came out this weekend – piñata. When adding this word, I knew that it would
inspire some fantastic ideas – and it totally exceeded my expectations. So I decided
to share here some great ways to incorporate piñatas into your next fete.
.jpg)
Mini Pinatas for
place cards!
A party favor!
(source)
DIY pull string piñata
– so much safer than hitting. And all kids get to participate.
(source)
Confetti System
has some awesome, rad sparkly piñatas, BUT I would suggest DIYing these – they are
a bit pricey!
(source)
A Halloween costume?
Maybe 2012? I’m thinking I can make the headpiece a bit more authentic
(source)
And finally,
humor.
(source)
It’s Oscars
Week! It’s Oscars Week!
Go on a juicing diet and roll out the carpet – it’s
Oscars Week!
Forget the fashion, one of my FAVORITE things to do is
create an Academy Awards party menu inspired by the Best Picture nominees. I must
say, this has been an easier, more fun year for this little activity of mine.
(source)
·
The
Artist
o Silent
movies were super popular in the 1920’s. You know what wasn’t? ALCOHOL. You see,
in 1919 the 18th amendment passed – which prohibited the manufacturing
of alcohol. So legally, booze production
was corked until 1933.
o Let
this set the tone for your bar. Serve classics like The Sidecar and French 75.
These also help set the tone for another nominee – “Midnight in Paris”
(source)
·
The Descendants
o This
movie set in beautiful Hawaii was the perfect escape for the hubs and I on a
snowy night.
o When
you think of Hawaii, you think of luaus. When I think of luaus, I think of pig
roasts, kabobs, pineapples and rice. Since this is a winter entertaining occasion,
I say go for the kabobs!
o Signature
Cocktail: Blue Hawaii
·
Extremely
Loud and Incredibly Close
o Another
sad theme – a young boy deals with losing his father after September 11th.
While there was loss all over the country that day, people often think of one
city – New York.
o You
can go a few ways with New York fare – a big apple themed menu, NY style pizza,
food trucks.
o Signature
cocktail: The Manhattan. Duh.
·
The
Help
o Two
words can sum up all you need to know about what to serve with this movie –
FRIED CHICKEN.
o There
is actually a lot of food in this movie. From cocktail meatballs at Bunco gatherings
to pie, pie, pie – The Help (as in the movie and the help!) leaves your mouth
watering.
o This
story from Food & Wine is a great resource about food in “The Help.”
o Drink:
Southern Sweet Tea
·
Hugo
o Dude
– what’s up with Paris? Yet another movie with Parisian influence.
o This
movie takes place in the Montparnesse
Train station. In one scene, Hugo steals a croissant, so let’s go with that!
·
Midnight
in Paris
o Don’t
we already have this covered!? The movie is set in Paris, yet has throw back
scenes to the roaring ‘20’s. So we killed a lot of birds with some stones, BUT
if you are still looking for some more French fare, what about some French
Fries (they would be awesome next to the ballpark buffet).
o Drink:
Champagne.
(source)
·
Moneyball
o Another
movie perfect for entertaining. I mean do I even need to say it? Ballpark fare –
hot dogs, cracker jacks, nachos. I say turn this into a big DIY station. Let
people put their own toppings on the dogs and nachos (think cheese, jalapenos, Heinz
Ketchup, tomatoes, etc.)
o Drink:
BEER.
·
The Tree
of Life
o This
movie is based on the childhood memories of a man growing up in the ‘50’s.
o Since
we are lacking some sweets at this party, I saw we incorporate some 1950’s
candies.
o I
consulted Old Time Candy
and found that popular sweets included: Atomic Fireballs, Beer Nuts, Bubble Gum
Cigarettes, Candy Necklaces, Certs, Charleston Chews, Gold Coins and Jolly
Ranchers.
o Drink:
Root Beer Floats – spiked or virgin!
·
War
Horse
o To
figure out food for this one, I had to consult the Internets – specifically the
interwebs of the Smithsonian.
You see, this movie was set during World War I. So what were American’s eating
during this time? Corn, oats, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables and potatoes.
o What’s
old is always new again and food manufactures were pushing an “eat locally”
theme – way back then!
o I
say make a meal with the ingredients above featuring all local foods.
o Drink:
Water
(Source: Wikipedia for film synopsis)
Monday, February 20, 2012
Fashion Week F12 Summed Up In One (very long) Post
It’s that
time of year for the guys to stop reading and for us gals to talk fashion.
While many of us are thinking spring, fall 2012 Fashion
Week wrapped last Thursday in New York. While the fun is still going in London,
as usually, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite things on the
runway. Note that all photos are from Style.com.
Oh, so by me publishing this now, most of the critic’s verdicts
are already out – the collections were boring. They felt that designers didn’t
really take any risks.You know what - I agree.
The marriage
of Black and Red was very apparent on a lot of runways and presentations. Jason
Wu, Monique Lhuillier, Jenny Packham, Kate Spade – the list goes on.
Shot of
Brandi* favJason Wu was inspired by the town he was born – Taiwan. The pieces
in his show featured awesome lace and quilting.
There were a few designers that typically had me wishing
that I’d hit the lottery. That included collections from Monique Lhuillier,
Naeem Khan and Marchesa.
The Monique Lhuiller runway featured fancy fall jewel
tones. I specifically pulled these four gowns to show some new neckline options
out there.
Naeem Khan showcased a plethora of black and white
frocks. B+W was in a number of shows. Also – note the variety of patterns.
As usual,
the Marchesa featured a crazy about of detail in another to die for collection.
It’s been said that the show was
inspired by a painting titled “A Soul Brought to Heaven.” You can see it
here – complete with a nip slip.
Two show-stopping gowns here from Christian Siriano and
Zac Posen. Not only did I like the shape of both of these dresses, but I also
loved the colors. Perfect for fall.
The next two sets of slides remind me of prom back when I
was in high school. Us gals wore head to toe tight sequin frocks. A few things
to call out – obsessed with the green and preplum in the Tory Burch look. I
feel like the Reem Acra dress is classy, yet super sexy with that sheerness
that still shows major leg.
The Carolina Herrera gown is the most beautiful purpleish
color, while the others on this slide would be great for any woman up for a
gold trophy next weekend!
Now back down to earth with some wearable jewel-town dresses.
According to my closet, I’m obsessed with the color of this DKNY dress. These
other dresses would be perfect for a fall or winter event.
Speaking of color, I loved the bold neons (pink, blue,
yellow and green) mixed with black on the Milly runway. Brights are still big
and I was super giddy to see the red/pink mix still trending through Takoon.
Finally, I had to throw in these last two dresses. Isn’t
it crazy how similar they are?! Whoops!!
Some other trends that I noticed for fall you won’t see
here:
·
Outside of Lincoln Center, one trend that was
emerging that is going to take me a long time to get into – a skirt over a dress.
Yes – you heard me right. This was seen on the catwalk at Nahn.
·
Libertine showed these amazing coats with a confetti-like
pattern on them that was just awesome. Speaking of coats, lots of shows had
super pretty coats including Ruffian, Tory Burch and Marc Jacobs.
·
Prints are wayyyy in. Print dresses and pants
were huge at a number of shows including Jill Stuart. Pint mixing was also
popular at Tory Burch.
·
Watch out for Winter White. It’s gonna be big!
·
Rachel Zoe showed a lot of separates that
focused on suiting.
·
Shorts were included in a number of shows
including Jenni Kayne.
·
Leather is still trending. Pants, coats…invest
now. Fur too.
All photos from Style.com.
A new year means
new products hitting the shelf. And there is not an exception at the liquor
store. Browsing through my local Wine & Spirits (and its wonderful
magazine), here are some of the new launches that I can’t wait to get my lips
on.
(source)
·
I mentioned before that Cupcake was moving into
a new category – Vodka. Its new line features flavors like Chiffon, Frosting,
Original and Devil’s Food. Yum!
·
Pinnacle is also expanding its flavored Vodkas
with Cake, Gummy (red fish), Tropical Punch and Marshmallow (and did you know
Pinnacle is the #1 Imported Vodka in PA? – REALLY??)
·
Moonshine is becoming modern. Companies mass
producing this Applichia fav include Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon Cranberry
and Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine.
·
The Winter 2012 Fine Wine & Good Spirits
TASTE magazine (free in our local PA Liquor Stores) had some great recipes for
dessert cocktails, including:
Birthday Cake
Martin (from Edward Jones, Darmicia Food and Tonics, Philadelphia)i
·
2 oz cake-flavored vodka
·
Slash of Godivia White Chocolate or original
·
Splash of cream
·
Whipped cream for garnish
Shake
all ingredients together over ice and strain into a martini glass
Red Velvet Cake
Martini (from Pinnacle Vodka)
·
2 oz Pinnacle Cake
·
1 oz. chocolate liqueur
·
Splash of grenadine
Combine
ingredients in a shaker with ice.
Shake and strain into a martini glass.
Orange Dreamsicle (From
Pinnacle Vodka)
·
2 oz Pinnacle Whipped
·
2 oz orange juice
·
Splash lemon-lime soda
·
Orange wheel and / or cherry garnish
Combine
vodka and orange juice in a glass filled with ice. Top with soda and garnish
with orange and/or cherry
Editor’s Note: Because you are using a
fizzy soda in here, that’s why you don’t shake it in a martini glass
Since today is
like the biggest day of the year for flower sales (I kinda made that up – or is
it?), I thought I would share my with you one of my favorite floral trends – live
wreaths.
All of these
wreaths above are available from Williams-Sonoma. The care for these wreaths is
simple – hang them up out of sunlight and let them age! Warning – some pieces may
fall off, but that happens with a lot of wreaths, right!?
The Farmer’s
Market wreath (top right) includes goodies like dried flowers and fragrant
herbs like blue lavender, purple sage, golden yarrow, orange sunflowers, thyme,
safe and fresh bay leaves.
The Culinary
Wreath (bottom right) is perfect for a kitchen with cherry peppers, sage, bay
leaves, red chilies and purple oregano (among other things!).
And to make you
love these even more, most are hand-made on a family owned farm!
I have a bit of a
personal war of the roses with flowers, but I’m warming up to them. I just
think they are so pricey for something that doesn’t last!
(source)
Despite what
recent advertisements would lead you to believe, girls don’t want a cheesy open
heart pendant for Valentine’s Day (no offence here). We also don’t put out
after receiving some flowers.
So what do women really want for Valentine’s Day?
I did an
unscientific survey of some of the ladies in my life, and here’s what they
said.
·
“I want acknowledgement of the day, a card and
maybe dinner,” – Dana
·
“I don’t need (or want) a candlelight dinner and
flowers, and certainly no chocolate. But I do want recognition that it’s
Valentine’s Day, especially since this is like my Christmas! A nice card and
dinner will keep me a happy girl! Oh, and maybe some heart-shaped gummy candy?”
(Editor’s note – Brittnee LOVES Valentine’s Day, so I was surprised at this
response! Oh and she hates chocolate – for realz)
·
“For
me, I don’t really “want” anything. An acknowledgement of the special relevance
of the date would be nice – whether a ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ in person, or a
card (preferably with cats and/or wordplay),” - Libby.
·
“The old romantic
roses and a card. But the roses have to be bought at shoprite and not the crazy
amount at a floral store,” – Aunt Donna
BOYS! Do you
see this?!?! Girls are SIMPLE! We just want some acknowledgement of the day, a
paper card and some food (which we are going to eat anyways – at least some of
us). Not a diamond pennant! Let’s not complicate things!
To be fair, I
asked someone other side of this day. A man. The response…
·
“Nothing,” – Jason
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