April 2012
26 posts
1 tag
right on target
When shopping for fun but inexpensive accessories, it’s hard to beat Target. Their jewelry is reasonably well-made but won’t break the bank. That makes it a great go-to for trendy pieces that you might not wear season after season.
It’s also a brilliant place to snag some classic staples if you’re not exactly in a position to “invest” in a Forever piece (read:...
toe the line
{Clockwise from top left} Kate Spade flats $225/ Chanel flats/ Vince Camuto flats $89/ Alicia flats $245/ Ann Taylor flats $120/ Giuseppe Zanotti $495/ Nine West flats $79/ Kate Spade flats $225/ Tommy Hilfiger flats $59
1 tag
snapshot
Snapshot: hello, spring!
pretty is... poodle pride
As the proud owner of a black standard poodle, and a lover of big hair (the higher the hair, the closer to God), I am infatuated with this picture.
My mom says this will be me in a few decades. Here’s hoping!
chic sheaths
There is no dress shape I am fonder of than the sheath. Classic, chic, feminine and flattering. You can dress it up or down, wear it to brunch or to work, out shopping or out on the town. There’s a reason women have been wearing the sheath for decades. Here are some (OK, a lot!) of my favorite sheaths for sale right now.
{Click on pictures to shop}
1 tag
bricks and boards
For the past year, I’ve been living a spartan domestic existence. When I moved from Charleston, South Carolina, to Missoula, Montana – making a pit stop in Phoenix along the way – I arranged for my furniture to follow me via a long-distance moving company. Ten months later, and my worldly belongings and I have yet to be reunited –– thanks to a moving company snafu, my furniture got stuck in...
sinking spell
I’m sick for about the 18th time this year, and coming down from an Advil high. My mom’s friend Meg calls this “a sinking spell.” Generally, I hardly ever get sick, but for some reason my immune system’s been on the blink this winter/spring.
Whenever I have a cold, I’m reminded of this great scene from You’ve Got Mail when Tom Hanks extends the olive...
1 tag
pretty is as pretty does
Diane Von Furstenberg, as excerpted from a Harper’s Bazaar interview:
The first thing about love is that you have to love yourself. No relationship will work unless you do. You have to be hard on yourself, demanding of yourself, but you have to like yourself. You can’t be needy. It doesn’t matter how much people love you. You cannot be needy. It’s very unattractive and...
1 tag
pretty eats: asian vegetable soup
This is a modified version of a recipe from Joy Bauer’s Slim and Scrumptious, about which I simply cannot say enough good things. Joy is totally brilliant and cute as a button to boot.
I’m in the middle of a pre-bathing suit season health reboot, so I cut out the noodles and sesame oil from her already-super-healthy recipe, and doubled the Sriracha. (I love a spicy kick, especially...
1 tag
april showers
It’s been drizzly here this week, and that means I’ve been rocking my black Hunter rain boots.
These are a wardrobe staple, and they come in a plethora of happy colors. The glossy look is nice too:
{Click on pictures to shop}
I grew up in Phoenix during an extended drought, so rainy day accessories still carry an exotic appeal. Once when my youngest sister was about four...
1 tag
be still my heart: i dream of dresses
I actually dreamed the other night that I was in a dressing room, trying on this Anthropologie dress I’ve been lusting after:
Talk about women who love clothes too much. I recently landed a new job, and it requires that I flesh out my professional wardrobe a bit. That means Saturday dresses like this one will have to stay in my dreams, for now. Here’s how I’ll accessorize it...
1 tag
happy tax day
{Clockwise from top left} Banana Republic shirt $60/ J.Crew sweater (similar) $62/ Warby Parker glasses $95/ Rhodia notebook $9/ Rhodia pencils $18.50/ Gold Michael Kors watch $250/ Born heels $110/ Michael Kors pencil skirt $192
I thought I’d try to make Tax Day a little more fun, by dressing up my imaginary accountant. She’d look smart and pulled together with her tailored...
1 tag
smoked salmon egg white scramble
Delicious and low fat: Cut 2 ounces of smoked salmon into small pieces. Lightly beat 4 egg whites. Add 1 tablespoon of fat free sour cream or cream cheese. Heat non-stick pan over medium heat. Spray with Pam cooking spray. Pour in egg whites and cook, stirring or folding until almost set. Add salmon. When egg whites are set, slide onto a plate. Sprinkle chopped green onions on top. Et voila!...
1 tag
i love lamp
I’ve got a major thing for lamps. They’re kind of like the shoes of the decorating world –– totally practical and necessary, but capable of taking that outfit (or room) to the next level. Which of these puts the fun in your functional?
{Clockwise from top left} Houzz pendant light $475/ West Elm pendant light $99/ Oilo pendant $279/ A+R pendant light $198/ Target lamp...
1 tag
pretty is... peplum
This is one of those trends that literally makes my heart beat a little faster. I’m absolutely wild for peplum. Girlie but tailored, classic but still so modern! I’m reminded of this photograph from my favorite photographer, Richard Avedon:
Wouldn’t she still look incredibly chic today?
My only complaint is that so far the peplum craze hasn’t trickled down sufficiently...
3 tags
on the shelf
I can’t wait to get this latest collection of essays from Nora Ephron, I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections.
Confession: I recently devoured as much of it as I could while lurking in a back corner of Barnes and Noble. Being on a strict book budget, however, I put it back on the shelf, promising to return for it during the next billing cycle.
Ephron is perhaps best known for writing...
2 tags
downton abbey
I watched all of Season One and Two of Downton Abbey in the course of one fleeting week, and when I finished the last episode I thought (in a heavy British accent), “Now what ever will I do?” It’s not that my life lacks purpose, activity or meaning. It’s that Downton Abbey is just. that. good.
Although Lady Sybil (left) is the most obviously pretty and likable of...
8 tags
one dress, two ways
This Chambray Shirtdress from Old Navy is a steal at $32.99, and it fits like a charm. Here it is imagined for two different vacations –– on the ranch and at the shore. You could accessorize this wardrobe staple a million different ways. It’s the perfect easy dress to throw on any day of the summer.
{Clockwise from top left} Old Navy dress $33/ Ray Ban sunglasses $150/ Coach bag $298/ Jo...
2 tags
pretty little things: eye candy
This girlie purple nail color is just so perfect for Spring! The happy lavender color reminds me of an Easter egg, and it’s surprisingly flattering next to the skin. (This shade definitely manages to avoid what my mom calls the “dead fingernails” look of some purple and blue polishes. Yuck!)
It’s a bit on the playful side (as evidenced by its name –– Play Date!). So...
1 tag
little white frock
I have been looking for the perfect white sundress for years, but it’s one of those summer staples I’ve just never been able to nail down. I finally found The One, and it’s only $24.99! Be still my heart. It’s light but not sheer, strapless and stays put, and falls in a flattering, slight A-line cut.
You can wear this frock a million different ways. Pair it with a jean...
1 tag
snapshot
Snapshot: even concrete can be pretty!
1 tag
pretty is as pretty does
“It’s always best to be yourself. You have to care deeply, and at the same time, not give a damn.” –– Iris Apfel
If you’re anywhere near Salem, Massachusetts, go check out Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel, at the Peabody Essex Museum. (If there’s one quality I love in a girl, it’s irreverence.)
3 tags
mad for spring
Confession: I am not a Mad Men fan. About two dozen of my friends and co-workers have told me that I would love it, must watch it, have to see it now. I’ve tried – really I have. As a TV show aficionado and pop culture junkie, I want to like it. And believe me, I am as aware of Jon Hamm’s charms as the next girl. But whenever I make it through a whole episode, I’m left feeling...
1 tag
pretty eats: mediterranean egg white scramble
Heat a medium to large pan over medium heat. Beat together four large egg whites. Season with a little Kosher salt. Assemble enough mushrooms, chopped red bell peppers, chopped onion and spinach for a large salad. Spray the pan with Pam or other cooking spray. Add the mushrooms to the pan, and sauté until almost tender. Add the onions and red bell peppers, and sauté until onion is clear and...
1 tag
singin' in the rain
Get ready for April showers. Ever since Kristin Davis carried a big, clear bubble umbrella in Sex and the City, I’ve had a thing for this rainy day accessory. Target has an inexpensive option, in yellow, teal, black, red and purple trim.
