Color Obsession

This is my blender. I love it.
Photo by Kitchenaid.

In addition to it's ability to make frosty margaritas, what I love about it is the color. In fact, I'm obsessed with it. I stayed in a hotel recently where the plastic room pen was sea foam green. Forget that we're in Miami, look at this pen! I also posted about the Chanel Jade nail polish.

I don't know what it is about that color, but lately it's been taking up at least 10% of my brain functioning. Mint green, jade, sea foam. Whatever you call it, I love it.

I want to have it in my wardrobe, but it's hard to find the right piece. The trouble is that the color can look a little "old lady" if not done right. For instance, if you wore a mint green trench coat, people would probably ask you if you needed help crossing the street or carrying your groceries. Trust me. Don't do it.

I think the color is best done in a way that would look sexy and lux. Picture a slinky jade party top, paired with long gold chain earrings and a large gold cuff bracelet. Le sigh.

Now I just need to find it.....

Need is a strong word...

But I need these.

Picture from Bloomingdales.com . Click here to buy them.

After the rain and slush on Wednesday, I realized I need boots that could stand up to Boston weather but still be cute/classic enough to wear in public. ( I love my bright blue and pink rain boots but sometimes I feel silly wearing them at 8:00 a.m. in December. I just do.)

The hard part is deciding which color. Black and green would both go with everything. But there's something fun about a yellow or red rain boot. I'm leaning toward green. Or black.

The list is up...

Again, I'm not on it (shakes fist at Linda Pizzuti Henry).

The Boston Globe's 25 Most Stylish Bostonians 2009 is out. Some I thought we dull, some expected, but some were inspirational. My favorite, far and away, was Marie-Claude Mendy. I just love fuchsia in the fall!

Another great one of the 25 was my favorite blogger, Martine Severin of Beyond Boston Chic.

Who was your favorite? Did you get any inspiration from the list? How the hell do I get on it? Discuss.

It's a holiday...

so I made cupcakes.

And by made I mean followed directions on a box.

They're no Kickass Cupcakes, but they'll taste good and that's all that matters. Still, I guess I'm not ready to open my own bakery (to be named: Have a Cupcake, Bitch).

Happy Halloween!

Spice up your fall.

Everyone knows that the best part of October is that you can eat pumpkin 3 meals a day. And, yes, I do actually mean normal things flavored with cinnamon and sugar. Even Dunkin' Donuts becomes festive and special this month.

Thanks to my friend Meera, I have a new October obsession (Whatever, the Red Sox, you've been replaced (But don't get mad, we're OK, you're going to be my February obsession)). Sunset Grill & Tap in Allston has a great soup called "Pumpkin Harvest". It is October in a cup. Unlike, other pumpkin soups, it's savory with chunks of chicken. And unlike some other "pumpkin" goodies, this one contains actual pumpkin.

Also, at the Sunset, you can order one of their many pumpkin beers with a cinnamon sugared rim. Because, mmmm, sugar.

Hockey Shirted

I don't want to talk about it, but let's just say that I'm glad I flaked and didn't buy that "wildcard" hat I posted about. Sigh.

Anyway...hockey!

So I've always liked the Bruins but I've never been too into hockey. The baseball season is so long, then it's the holidays, then it's oh-God-I-hate-winter-when-will-it-end, then it's spring training. But this year feels different. I'm going to throw myself into it and see what happens. And what would a new obsession be without apparel?


Photo from the NHL.

There are plenty of tops to choose from at the Bruins team store. I like this one for it's color and classic logo. You can buy it here. Go Bs!

Yin and Yang and Outfits

The idea behind the Yin and Yang is that when things are bad, there is a little good in them, and when things are good, there's a little bad in them. It means that there are no real absolutes and that things that are opposite are truly part of one another. I like to think of this when I make outfits.

Really.

Take for instance a floral patterned dress. On its own it may look too sweet. Pair it with punk inspired stud earrings and the dress feels more hip.

If you wear a t-shirt and ripped jeans you may look sloppy. But add a crisp blazer and the sloppy pieces are transformed.

Pearls want leather.

Lace craves combat boots.

Yin needs Yang.

Confucius says: Pink satin peep toes look best with those black side zip jeans.

The Sox are in the Playoffs!

Once again the Red Sox made the playoffs as the Wild Card. Shouldn't they just call it the Red Sox Card? This hat says it all:

Photo from www.boston.com

I think I might need it. Get it here. Booze-soaked Wakefield not included.

Chanel-Je t'aime

Such an unusual and beautiful nail color:


Photo: Chanel
Buy it here.

It's called Jade and it does make me think of the jade bracelets and rings you find in shops in Chinatown.

I've been wanting to go beyond the normal warm tone nail polish and this is a great way to do it without just going to black.

Love.

Love. Love this watch.
Photo from www.luvcharlie.com
Get the watch here.

Maine Inspiration

On Labor Day weekend Eric and I went up to York, Maine to get away. It was gorgeous.


This it the Nubble Lighthouse. I love the colors in this picture: Clear Blue, Khaki, Red. If we had come here in June instead of September, I think I would have worn nautical outfits all summer.

Chilly

It's September, time for more layers! One of my favorite looks is to take something masculine and give it a feminine twist. Like, wearing cargo pants with a lacy top. Here's a casual outfit I plan on living in this fall. It's a hooded sweatshirt (masculine) but in a blush pink and paired with a floral scarf.You could also play keep it going by adding a tweed blazer.

It's a nice girlie take on a look boys do. As always, click on the pictures to see them bigger.

A Fresh Wedding Blog

Here's a fantastic wedding blog my mom found.

http://weddingsfresh.blogspot.com/

Fresh is right. Now that I've dived (dove? diven?) headfirst into the whole wedding thing, I've found that many wedding inspiration sources look very similar. It's not that I want a totally unique kind of wedding, it's just that sometimes it seems like some woman in Pennsylvania planned a nice wedding in 1998 with chocolate brown and Tiffany blue and it's been recycled countless times ever since. And there's nothing wrong with that wedding. I just don't want it.

This site isn't like that at all. There are great ideas. And if nothing else, pretty pretty dresses!

Do you think they'll still have beer and hotdogs?

In a bizarre collision of two loved but very different parts of my life, on Sunday, September 27, Fenway Park is holding a Bridal Festival.

They will have wedding vendors galore, a fashion show and a champagne breakfast, all in the park!

Click here for more information and to buy tickets.

Thank you to Amanda for the heads up on this. She also has a love for the Red Sox and all things pretty.

What's next? Is the Wrentham Village Premium Outlet Mall going to host a Nacho Tasting Expo? One can only dream.

Finally!

Project Runway is back! Project Runway is back!

Picture from www.mylifetime.com

Also, if you go to the website, you can have Tim Gunn call your friends.

Best find ever?

A few weeks ago I went to a flea market on Cape Cod with my girlfriends and found some great old costume jewelry. I also found this cute heart-shape watch pendant:


I thought it was a great find as they're coming back into style. Lucky Magazine did a whole page on them in their August issue. Plus it was $8.

It wasn't until yesterday, however, that I discovered just how great a find it truly was. I dropped it off at a watch store to get the battery replaced. When I picked it up I realized that on the back was a "made in China" sticker that I hadn't noticed. I peeled it off and.....


It's a unicorn! Yes, my very own heart-shaped time-telling unicorn pendant! Sometimes you just get lucky.

Who says you can't wear stripes with stripes?

Because you can!


Make it easy by going with just two tones (if you find yourself trying to figure out if a stripe is black or navy, don't worry, no one else will be able to tell either). Keep accessories romantic (pearls, flower earrings, etc.) and not sailing themed (anchors, ship wheels) when you're wearing this much striping. You don't want to go into nautical overload. Unless you do, in which case: Ahoy!

Summer into Fall

August is a great time to shop. Clothes that you loved for summer but were too pricey are now on sale. Stores are also now displaying their fall looks. It's a great time to create an idea of what kind of styles you want to wear for fall. Chances are you probably have many of the items to pull off a given look, and can just buy some key pieces here and there.

Another thing to think about when you're shopping now is how can an item be worn now and once it gets cooler.

Take this silky skirt which is on sale at the Gap from their summer collection:



Photo from www.gap.com

With sandals and a basic tank it's an easy summer look. But because it's a jewel tone, it will transition nicely into fall. Wear it with navy tights, brown shoes and something like a navy turtleneck sweater and you've got a great fall outfit.

Cole Haaaaaaan!

Went shopping with mom last night. We had drinks and went to the Cole Haan store. Yes, I did buy a purse, how did you guess? Anyway, it was over 50% off and I've loved it for over a year and before we went to the register I put on a super serious face and said, "It's not just the booze, right?" And my mom said, no, and giggled and said, "let's go to Bloomingdales next." Picture from www.colehaan.com

All is well.

More Cheap Eats

Thanks to the Boston Globe.

Check out these Happy Hours around town.

What a great blog!

Heavy on the pics:

http://couturecarrie.blogspot.com/

I love it.

Deals Deals Deals

The lovely people at the Boston Globe have compiled a list of restaurant deals going on. Check it out here.

I found that if you click on the name of the restaurant, and visit their site, you can often find even more deals. Such at $1 oysters and charcuterie plates at Sel De La Terre on Boylston on Mondays 5-7.

A great find that is listed is 50 cent Tapas and $5 Sangria pitchers (!) at Masa.

This just in....

Ice Cream is good. But ice cream made with only five ingredients is amazing.

Haagen-Dazs has come out with their new "Five" line. Each flavor only contains:

Skim Milk, Cream, Sugar, Egg Yolks and one other ingredient.

They have flavors like ginger, mint, passion fruit and brown sugar.

Check them all out here:
http://haagen-dazs.com/

or, even better, at the grocery store. Thanks, Mom, for the heads up!

Shelf Life

We're getting our new place set up. One of the first things we wanted to complete was our big bookshelf. I like to think of books as an art installation.

We arranged the books by color and put items here and there where we thought they looked good.


The books and items can be arranged countless times when the mood strikes.

Too early for fall fashion?

Not when it's still cold and you can get some great layering ideas. I loved looking through the Dsquared Milan show on Style.com

The show was less about a new "it" item and more about looking differently at things you already have.
Picture: Toni Garrn

You can see slides of the whole show here. There are some great scarves and cargo pants.

Roadhouse BBQ

I'm moving into a new neighborhood. I'll be in Brookline right between Coolidge Corner and Washington Square. I know there are tons of great restaurants there that I can't wait to try.

Last night I went to Roadhouse BBQ for the first time. I'm already a big fan of their other place, the Publick House. The prices looked pretty high (many plates around $20) but I was happy that I ordered the $10 half rack of ribs because they filled the plate and came with two huge sides. Just like the Publick House, they had tons of great beer on tap. I had the Dog Fish Aprihop which is one of my favorites and hard to find on draft. This would be a great place to go with a group because of the casual atmosphere and sharable sides.

Know of any great places I should try in Brookline? Let me know!

I'm feeling......

Cargo pants.

Really.

image: www.gap.com

I'm going to wear these this spring/summer with heels and sandals. Since cargo pants have a masculine look, wear them with something girly like a ruffled tank or a pearl necklace and a cardigan.

Rose Bud

J. Crew has been having some adorable flower hair accessories and I thought it would be fun to make some. I used fabric and beads I already had.

I started with some airy pink silk, brown felt, and black beads. You also need a bobby pin or something that works for your hair.
Cut the silk into strips that are 1.5 inches wide and 18 to 24 inches long depending on how big you want your rose buds. Pull a needle and thread through one end of a strip. Begin to twist silk strip as you coil it around the end, securing it with the thread as you go. Keep one side neat while the other can be messy and have the thread showing. Don't worry about the frayed edge of the silk. It's pretty and gives the buds an antique quality.
Make the flower look more natural by loosening and tightening as you twist. Sew three beads into the center of the bigger flower.
Position flowers as you want them on felt and pin them in place. Cut around felt so that it mostly covers the back but can't be seen from the front.
Sew all around edge of felt to the back of the flowers. Tightly sew on bobby pin or other hair clip.
That's it! Have fun with other sizes and arrangements. You could also hot glue some to the side of a head band.

New Year, Old Scarf

January and February can be a tough time to try and pick outfits that make you happy. When I look outside and it's snowing and 20 degrees I mostly think, "what can I wear that would feel like a giant blanket?" Chic, not so much. It's times like these when I rely on the best style trick I know: Look for stylish people, and copy them.

One think I've seen on some stylish women is light, airy, colorful scarfs.

The same trend from last summer works just as well with a warm sweater as with a cotton tank. It's a great way to add some needed color and, even better, it's sort of like wearing a blanket.

Candy Cane Cocoa

Candy canes are beautiful. But once the holidays are over, I'm left with a handful that I don't know what to do with. I usually save them for a while then get fed up with the clutter and throw them out around February. The other day, while the snow was falling outside, I finally put one to use.

Candy Cane Cocoa:

You need:

1 Candy Cane
Plastic Baggie
Hammer (!)
Chocolate Syrup
Cocoa (homemade or a mix)

1. Break up the candy cane in your hands and discard the wrapper. Place in plastic baggie that zips closed. Place the closed bag of candy cane on a pot holder (so your counter doesn't get wrecked).

2. Whack with the hammer! Repeat by aiming at the remaining chunks until you are left with small bits with some powder. Pour onto plate. (Does it have to be a holiday themed plate? Yes.)


3. On a separate plate draw a ring of chocolate syrup about the size of the circumference of your mug. Dip the rim of the mug into the syrup, then into the candy cane bits.

4. Carefully pour in hot cocoa.

Perfect for a cold January day! And for a cold January night, try this technique on a shot glass then fill with Baileys Irish Cream and peppermint schnapps. Just saying.