I've been completely obsessing about wedges lately and I finally bought my first pair last week! (above) mine were by Jefferey Campbell and I'm absolutely in love with them. I love heels and I buy them but you rarely see me wearing them unless it's to an event or if I really feel like dressing up. Reason being, heels kill and I've always been a comfort first kind of girl when it came to almost anything. I will tell you, these wedges are SO comfortable I wear them even when I'm doing my day to day stuff. They're that comfortable, they're still in style for A/W 2010 and great for the winter :) Few other designer/brand names:
When I was a kid, I thought of tights as scratchy, confining tubes of death...maybe because they came out of a plastic L'egg. Last year I recently rediscovered tights and my world changed. Skirts all year round? No problem! No worries of cottage cheese peeking out? Hurray! Not receiving comments about my palest-legs-ever? Bonus!
Don't get me wrong - spring is my favorite and I love a good short - but I am going to mourn my season of not worrying about self-tanner, shaving or cellulite.
Goodbye, tights, it was great while it lasted. See you next fall.
(Who am I kidding? Winter will be here for another two months. I wore tights and a skirt on Saturday. I still have plenty of time. But I keep seeing catalogs with bare-legged girls in Milan. Damn you, J. Crew!)
It rained all day yesterday and it's still raining this morning. It seemed kind of dreamy and relaxing as we went to sleep with the soft sound of it last night but I doubt it will seem as sweet when I have to head out of the house this morning and into it. Wish I could stay in bed today. Ah well, I guess this rain is better than another monster snow storm, right?
In an effort to trick myself into thinking we're not still in the dead of winter (with likely at least another two months to go), I've been salivating over fresh fruit, light layers and delicious drinks.
Yesterday was another snow day here, so B and I made smoothies for brunch (from frozen fruit chunks, since you'd be hard-pressed to find fresh mango around here right now), but I'm drooling over this drink recipe posted on Design*Sponge last week: Doesn't it look delicious? (If not totally out of season...)
Created by wardrobe stylist Talitha and shared with us by Tec and Chelsea Petaja (he, an amazing photographer; she, an artist and educator), "Magic Juice" looks light, refreshing and perfect for a summer day....or just for pretending it's summer.
Here's the run-down on how to make it:
Ingredients (makes two drinks): 6 hulled strawberries 1 peeled orange 5-7 mint leaves 1/4 peeled cucumber 4-6 oz gin, depending on taste 8 oz fresh lemonade
Methodology: Dice, then muddle fruits and mint Pour gin into fruit mixture and let sit for 10-15 minutes Strain over lemonade and ice Garnish with fruit slice or mint leaf I might crank up the heat in our house, put on some shorts (and perhaps some self-tanner - don't want to blind myself with those pale, pale legs), kick back with one of these bevs, and pretend like there's not actually still 39" of snow on the ground.
I'm done posting about the snow after this, I promise (welllll, I might have to take that back in a few days, since we're supposed to be getting more snow on Tuesday/Wednesday), but remember the uber-amber-alert snow warnings we got on Friday? It came. Here in Annapolis, we got 33 inches of the powdery stuff, and in some parts of Maryland it was up to 38 inches. Yikes!
It took us three solid hours of shoveling on Saturday to get B's Outback out of our parking spot. The first 30 minutes of that time might have been slightly wasted since we don't own a shovel (yes, B dug with a camping hoe/mini-shovel contraption and I used a combo of ice scraper, ice sweeper and...stick. Yes, stick). Thank goodness our neighbor took pity on me with my silly stick-shoveling and lent us his shovel. The work was much more productive after that. :) [Stop judging about the stick shoveling! It's not our fault! Every store in town was sold out of both firewood and shovels by Thursday evening! Marylanders are very afraid of snow!]
Anyway, all the hard work was well worth it, because with B's all-wheel drive, we were able to make it safely and fairly easily to a bar on Saturday night to hang out with friends, and head out to another friend's house to watch the Super Bowl yesterday. Too bad when we got home last night, some giant SUV had taken our hard-earned shoveled parking spot! Technically we can have people towed for that (since the spot is reserved for us), but we were feeling charitable (and tired) so we let them stay for the night. But if you are the owner of a green SUV monstrosity parked in a spot that is not your own, somewhere in Annapolis, and you're still there today, watch out - I have a stick-shovel and am not afraid to wield it! (Kidding.)
Did you all get snowed in? Did you have fun? We made snow angels like in the photo and had a blast enjoying the "snowpocalypse" of 2010. Hope you got to enjoy the weather too!
Emergency! Have you heard?!?! It's the snowpocalypse! They're predicting 24" for Maryland over the next few days, starting tomorrow at 10am. We're being advised to "shelter in place" tomorrow. Therefore, RUN - do not walk - to your nearest grocery store and buy the jumbo pack of TP, all the milk you can carry, copious canned goods, and maybe some chips...ASAP!
Can you tell I'm kidding?
I love that people are freaking out about this. Haven't we already gotten snow like 14 times already this winter? I'm pretty sure we'll all make it out alive. I might even go sledding tomorrow. Or have a snowy brunch: Photo by Emerson of EmersonMade
Okay, just kidding, I won't be dining dans la neige anytime soon - I hate the cold - but Iwill be enjoying the snow day(s). Tomorrow morning I'm stocking up on firewood and bevs, and hopefully we'll have a nice, relaxing weekend at the homestead - and be able to make it out in time for the Super Bowl on Sunday!
At the very least, hopefully they'll close your workplaces midday and you'll all get to go home early for a slightly extended weekend. Woohoo! Hope you have a good snow day!
I'm sure you must be entirely sick of hearing me say this by now, but it snowed here last night. Again. I think just the fact that we live in Maryland - not Alaska, not Vermont - keeps me so surprised each time we get dumped with the cold white stuff. This is at least our fifth snow this season!
Anyway, I hope all this frosty precipitation didn't mess up your morning commute. On a chilly day like today, all I can seem to think of is cuddling up in bed, or sitting by a fireplace drinking hot tea, or taking a really warm shower. Wow, that all sounded so old-lady-ish, didn't it?
While this bathtub fits in nicely with the aforementioned winter hibernation tactics, there's nothing elderly about it. In fact, it would be great for kids. I mean, who wouldn't want a porthole in their bathtub?: The Porthole Bathtub by Water Monopoly, as seen on Beach Bungalow 8
As described on their website: "The porthole bath is an original French double ended bath with two portholes cut into the side. It makes a wonderful piece for children's bathrooms, or it can be used to create a bathroom with a nautical theme. The bath can also be supplied without portholes, and has a variety of different feet available."
But why wouldn't you want fun portholes?
(Oh wait, unless you don't want someone to walk in and get a lovely view of your saddlebags all splayed out. Ew. Why do I think of these things?? Let's keep this tub for the kids only for now, I suppose.)
I think this cute blue tub is the only thing this ideal bathroom is missing.
I completely forgot that today - February 2nd - is Groundhog Day. Happy Groundhog Day to you!
Don't you kind of miss elementary school, where we celebrated every holiday and got to do a special project for each one? I remember February always seemed jam-packed with special activities, since it held Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, and Presidents Day (and my birthday!). I miss being instructed to do crafts on a weekly basis!
Anyway - lucky us - this morning at sunrise, Punxsatawney Phil prognosticated that winter will be for six more weeks. Ugh. But that was really no big surprise anyway, right?
Hope your February is going well so far. Bundle up and enjoy our (at least) six more weeks of hibernation! (And tonight's premiere of Lost!!!)
Morning, y'all! (Wow, can't believe I just used "y'all" so breezily and without thought. I've been in the pseudo-South for too long...)
How was your weekend? I know it's another Monday morn - bleck - but at least this one is sunny and bright, thanks to the most recent dumping of snow in the Northeast (or semi-South, as we are here in MD). Can you believe we had another snow storm here? Mother Nature is really showing us what's up this winter. At least it'll be pretty for another day or two.
So, even though it's Monday, at least we have some things to be happy about. Besides our recent dusting of snow, it's also February now (can you believe it?), which means Valentine's Day, President's Day, my birthday and Annapolis Restaurant Week all in one month - what more could you want? :)
Let's continue to get this Monday morning started off on a fun note, shall we? If you haven't been to Unhappy Hipsters yet, go go go. It's hilarious. It's basically just a tumblr site of random photos, but the clever captions pertaining to our era's angsty hipsters puts it totally over the top into super funny territory.
Side note: Val, this so reminds me of your skinny-jeans-wearing, rocking-a-handkerchief-"for when I ride my bike" donning, messy-haired-by-night, high-paid-oil-exec-by-day boys in Phila! Doesn't it just scream them? And Sam/Jamie, living in Hampden, you should be able to relate. :)
Here's a recent posting: "Maybe naming him Rimbaud wasn't such a good idea." (Photo from Dwell, February 2009)
So, laugh at the unhappiness of hipsters here. Go now!
Happy Friday everyone! How cute is the picture above? I couldn't resist posting it. In (a reach of) an effort to make it make sense with this post, let's just say that adorable baby is really excited for the weekend, shall we? :)
So speaking of the weekend, do you have any good plans for it? Any of you (in Maryland) doing the Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday? If you haven't signed up yet, but still want to, it's not too late. Just click on the link in the previous sentence and you can register online, or pay tomorrow on-site. We've done it the past two years with groups of friends and it's been a blast, though this year the group has dwindled (due to: a bike race, pregnancy, a head cold, a roommate's birthday party, and various other reasons), so we're not sure if we're going to make it or not. I know either way we'll be celebrating the great effort and all the money raised for charity by cheers-ing to the Plungers past and present.
I'm signing off for the weekend, but I'll be back on Monday with fresh new posts. Hope to see you back here then!
No need for knick-knacks cluttering up your mantle when you have a fireplace this beautiful. Those gorgeous pink hydrangeas and clean white details are all you need for this fireplace to feel pitch-perfect. It helps that the inset mantel is so lovely, too. Isn't this home heater somehow just right, for either a snowy winter or a breezy beachhouse?
Morning, everyone! Sorry for the slightly late start today, but I've got cozying up under covers and just hanging around on the brain and am therefore moving a bit slowly. With that all being said, when the very cool Anne Sage from The City Sage posted about having a "grown-up sleepover" a few days ago, it struck a chord and I've been thinking about it ever since. Especially with these gets-dark-early-and-is-perpetually-cold nights of what seems like an everlasting winter (we still have, like, at least two more months of winter to go! ack!), I feel as though a night in, hanging out with my girlfriends, would be a perfect Friday or Saturday night.
As Anne suggested, "Makeovers and movies, 'Truth or Dare' and Ouija boards, snacks and sleeping bags...these were the things that made being a little girl awesome, and can't we all use more awesome in our lives?" Photo from Martha Stewart Kids
So girls, who wants to come over some weekend and have a sleepover at my house? I'm sure B will be happy to have a boys night and return the next day, and we could hang out by the fireplace, drink milkshakes (spiked or not) and eat popcorn, paint our nails and play MASH. And yes, S, you can wear your onesie.
We'll need tons and tons of pillows and blankets. How about these beauties?: Cozy comforter (and so pretty!) from Rubie Green
We could even set up a tent in the middle of the living room! This one is from Cath Kidston, as photographed by Marcus Nilsson for Country Living.
Of course some cute PJs are in order. These silky pants from Victoria's Secret are surprisingly non-slutty.
I'll provide the DVDs of cheesy chick flicks, plus the fireplace, snacks and drinks, you all come armed with a pillow, PJs and maybe some MadLibs. Then next morning we can either go to yoga or go out for brunch and continue on our weekends refreshed. (Sorry girls: I love a good party, but I'm no chef, so you will not be waking up to freshly made Belgian waffles.) Sound good?
With winter here (and with my extreme hatred of the slightest bit of cold kicked into high gear), my tea consumption goes from zero to nightly. This Tea Sub is the sunniest looking tea infuser I've ever seen - so fun and functional! Designed by Ototo, it submerges your tea leaves to the bottom of the mug, creating the perfect infusion for your brew.
Wouldn't it be fun to drink your tea from the Tea Sub while reading with these?
This pic might be a bit summer-y, but the drinks got me in the mood for the weekend and for our party! Photo found on Mary Ruffle's tumblr.
I'm so happy today is Friday. Maybe it's because poor B had a really stressful week and I want him to be done work for the next three days (gotta love a long weekend!), or maybe it's anticipation for the wine tasting party we're throwing on Sunday, but I am thankful that it's Friday.
What about you? Any big plans? I'm also super excited that the weather in Maryland is supposed to be more mild than the hideous cold snap of last week and weekend. I'll definitely be happier running errands and out and about on the town with it slightly less bitterly cold.
Hope you have a great weekend and hope to see you back here Monday!
The girls at Studio Choo do such beautiful work. Remember the gorgeous picnic bouquet they did this summer, shown here? Well, they're back on Design*Sponge with another perfect menagerie of arrangements, this time using more winter-y materials (well, winter-y by California standards at least).
Here are a few ways they used seasonal, locally grown flowers and produce: I love how these pretty little kumquats (which are in season right now) are tucked into "nest" of rosemary - can you imagine how fragrant this must be? It would be lovely as a centerpiece for a dinner party, or even just in your kitchen to liven things up and bring in some amazing scents.
This arrangement, as well as the one pictured at the top, are my favorites. A combination of ranunculus and rosemary, along with the fresh pop of orange from the kumquats, make this bud-vase bouquet colorful, fresh, beautiful and not too stuffy.
As soon as the Studio Choo shop opens in San Francisco, I'm sending my friend Lauren (who lives in SF) over there to investigate and take pictures so I can see it vicariously through her!
It snowed here last night. Big, fluffy flakes that came down for a solid few hours, all the while looking beautiful when we caught a glimpse of flakes from the darkness as they drifted in front of the outdoor lights. It turned out to be nothing big - work and driving went on as normal - but I can't believe this is our third snow this winter and we're only just getting started. Brr. The snow looks really pretty, but I'm kind of bummed to think that we have a solid three more months of cold. Grr.
Anyway, the upside of things is that it's Friday and the weekend is almost officially here! We have a busy one this weekend, from going to my mom's house for a big furniture delivery, to celebrating her birthday, to a friend's graduation party, and more. Any fun plans for you all this weekend? I hope you have a great one, and see you back here bright and early on Monday!
B and I are hosting our first party of the new year in a week and half (on the Sunday of MLK weekend - hooray for holiday Mondays!). It's a pretend attempt at being grown up (ha). It's going to be oh-so-classy (double ha).
Not so much. But, it is going to be a wine tasting/judging. We'll do one each month - that's why we've very officially formed the "Annapolis Wino Club" (see? keeping it classy already) - and we'll taste/judge a different variety of wines each time. The fun part is that it's a blind taste-test: everyone brings a bottle to be tasted and judged, we'll conceal it so no one knows whose is whose and what is what, and then we'll all score what we taste. The bringer of the best bottle (once the scores are tallied) will win a prize. I'm thinking something stellar like these: Photo from SabbeSpot.
Again, classy, no?
For this first party - which is clearly going to be very trial-run-ish - we've chosen to simply go with red wines in general, but hopefully we'll do one variety each time starting with month two (perhaps Cab or Pinot Noir since it's winter and then maybe whites in the summer, etc.).
I have to wrap my head around snacks (cheese, duh, plus fruit and bread? any other suggestions...that are cheap and doable for someone who can't cook to save their life?), plus score cards (luckily B's sister, who has done this at her house is sending me some templates, thanks Kel!), tasting glasses, and giant tarps - to protect our light carpets from the red wine - kidding. B is also going to have to hold me back from "branding" everything; I've already considered making a custom logo for the AWC (Annapolis Wino Club) and adhering it to everything from the glasses to napkins, to a tablecloth to party favors. But I won't. Because the whole point of this party is that it's recession-friendly (everyone brings a bottle so the host doesn't bear the whole burden) and we all know how out of hand my crafting gets....
Regardless, I'm excited for it. It should be a fun time and a good way to get friends together during the winter months when we all just want to hibernate at home.
Have any of you done this before? Any pointers on score cards, procedure, etc? Thoughts on accompanying snacks or the winning bottle's prize? Do tell!
(And I promise to post photos of the event once it happens mid-month!)
Does anyone know where this photo came from? I only saved the quilt info (which, if you're curious, is the poppies quilt from John Robshaw). Der. Sorry for the unaccredited photo.
I was going through my home design files the other day and came across the above photo, which I had ever-so-brilliantly labeled as "bad room but good textile layering_John Robshaw Poppies quilt." Thanks, real helpful, R.
I think what I meant by that brilliant labeling job was that when I look at each item in this room individually, I don't really like them (not a fan of the curtains, the lighting fixture, or even, surprisingly, the headboard), but all in all, I love this room.
Whoever designed it (again, not sure whom, since I so aptly labeled the image) did a great job of layering things in this room so that all together, it really works. I don't necessarily love those black pillows or the tri-section headboard, but with the layered bedding it looks so good. How sunny and nice would it be to wake up in that gorgeous bed on a dreary winter day?
The bedding mix is the real winner in this room, so I'm going to try to remember that the next time we update our linens (ahem, registry items).
