Its OK Thursday

Its OK Thursday Link-Up

It's OK.....

That I cried driving home from work yesterday

To skip the gym multiple days this week, justifying that I will drink Slimfast shakes for lunch the first week at the new job because I'm pretty sure I'll have no friends to eat lunch with anyway

That I spent more money on cases for my new iPhone than I did on the iPhone itself

To attempt to drink a white wine spritzer instead of straight wine in an attempt to save calories, only to end up drinking twice as much wine as I would have if drinking it normally

That at tonight's Brooks Brothers cocktail reception for work I won't actually buy anything, but will have multiple cocktails

To spend more time planning Tucker's outfit for our cocktail party this weekend than I did on my own

That I ignored several work phone calls and emails to write this post

Cyber Success

Since Hurricane Sandy's house-bound shopping extravaganza, I have tried to pull the reins on my Online opulence. But Cyber Monday emails persisted like petulant pre-teens all day long until I caved after my evening glass of wine. The sale-resistant J.Crew giant participated in the mayhem with 25% off and free shipping, and when the odds were again bucked by finding my size still in stock in a style I has spied in the holiday mailer, I pounced on it.

Lady Jacket in double-serge wool

Originally $258, and arriving at my doorstep in days for $74. Hopefully the hubs will share in my joy when he sees yet another J.Crew charge on the bill this month!

Closing Time

(Thanksgiving, dressed in his Ralph Lauren best- thanks to Josh and Jane Z.- clutching the ever-present straw cup, curls extra long since the line at the Barber resembled that at the Whole Foods produce section on Thanksgiving Eve). This face will help ensure this last week at my job goes smoothly, since everyday, no matter what has gone on at the desk, he awaits my return home. Not sure that it's really sank in that I'm starting a new job one week from today, and other than equipping myself with some fabulous new outfits, reading the compliance manual cover to cover, and scheduling drinks out with coworkers many nights this week, I'm not so sure I've done enough to prepare. Suggestions?

Sweet and Salty

Though I am mostly Italian, Thanksgiving food is my favorite of the year.  And though this is my 7th holiday with the hubs, not spending the day with my own parents never really feels quite right. (My dad is aboard their yacht en route to Florida where the vessel 'winters', and my mom who couldn't take enough time off from work to join him is land locked with Italian cooking and the Macy's Day Parade, just how she likes it).

For Thanksgiving with the in laws, I made maple glazed Butternut Squash. Simple, sweet and tasty. Happy Thanksgiving from WWALD!

Ingredients:


2 pounds Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
1 cup maple syrup
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
2 tsps olive oil

Lay squash cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer. Coat with olive oil. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle maple syrup and sprinkle cinnamon and a pinch of salt over all cubes. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes (edges should just begin to brown). Remove from oven, let rest about 5 minutes. Serve as cubes, or toss in a large bowl and mash for a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes!

Fresh Take

I love fall for nail polish- the pale pinks of summer can finally take a back seat to plums, lipstick reds, and deep burgundies. But by late November, these shades begin to bore me as well. I despise shades of blue or green (they resemble finger nail-beds that have been deprived of oxygen), and I stay away from metallics, which I prefer on my shoes or clutches and not on my nails. (I also have this obsession about nail polish not clashing with clothing- as in I will not wear any outfit containing pink with red nails, or vice versa, and so on.) So I was excited to find a shade of neutral wonder from OPI that goes with all my outfits, and doesn't invoke death.

OPI 'Over the Taupe' nail polish, available Online

If you are fairly classic when it comes to nails but crave something new, give this taste of fall a try.

MODern

Home decor is a dynamic process, and is never actually complete. I've fallen in love with objects I'd never have even considered before becoming a homeowner, and every time the FedEx man arrives with yet another box, I am giddy and can barely wait for him to place it on my step before I am tearing it open (my husband then complains that, second to the number of wine bottles in our recycling bin, he has never seen so many boxes at the curb each week).

Parsons Dining Table with White Power-Coat top from Crate and Barrel, Aaron Dining Chairs from pottery Barn

 Clay vase collection and green hand blow glass decanters, both from One Kings Lane; white candle sticks a house warming gift from Hayley and Jason

Jonathan Adler Pop Art enamel frames add a nice vibrancy to the wall

Bright Lights

A successful day begins with an outfit that makes you happy. And when you can mix in several bright colors, all the better.

Loft cozy cable in mustard

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Classic white button down from JCrew underneath

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Loft blue slim pants

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Ballet flat from JCrew

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Animal Bangle

This outfit is primarily dry clean only, and thus has to be disassembled immediately upon arrival home, prior to playing with trucks on the floor and eating messy toddler snacks that inevitably end up all over my pants.

Personal Touch

Always a fan of all things monogrammed, Williams-Sonoma  offspring line Mark and Graham takes my love affair with letters to new heights. Hopefully arriving before our December 1st holiday party, the below additions to our bar will add the perfect hostess touch.

And for my stocking, I'm hoping the hubs surprises me with one of these bangles (inscribed with Tuck's name and not my own). I've dropped not so subtle hints, such as emailing him the link to the site, and a code for free shipping on all order over $49.

Now I just need to be invited to a few more parties to gift some of the fabulous hostess treasures I have been hording!

Preppy for Night

Since the clock is running on my time left at the current job, most projects have been reassigned, final even details put in place, and I find myself left with oodles of free time during the day. My Online browsing has thus reached new heights, and with the impending holiday season looming around the corner (first party is this Saturday!), I have many reasons to shop.

J.Crew factory is a pretty good diffusion of the parent label. The quality is not too steep a departure, and the prices are more friendly (through 11/20 enjoy 30% off and free shipping with code 'scoremore'). Scrolling through the small selection in my size, I was happy to find these plaid pants, which I immediately added to my shopping bag and can picture pairing with a sequin tank for Christmas Eve dinner. 

Even if plaid scares you, or reminds you of an elderly grandparent with a pipe, a slim, straight cut (J.Crew's classic city-fit) a little sparkle on top should ease the fear. And really, I plan to wear them to work with a more conservative top and fabulous black Prada heels as well (all the things I am convinced lawyers can wear if they want, I'm sure my friends at Loveliness of Life and Illegally Blonde would agree!)

Rash Decisions

The evening started with an honest attempt at research. Before commencing my new lawyer job on December 3rd I need to get caught up on all things legal (my last 3ish years of employment have involved more gala planning and floral arrangements than juris prudence). A few minutes on Google and sweet baby insists climbing into my lap, where he will bang mercilessly on Mac keyboard. I sigh, but acquiesce with his demands to avoid a post 6 pm meltdown, which would no doubt be epic this close to bed time. Little chubby hand reaches out and, what? Red hives from fingers down to elbows. Freaking out ensues.

Luckily the pediatrician returns our page before we have left for the emergency room, and the situation is calmed. "Roseola" replaces "2013 ERISA compliance" in the Google search field, and the next few hours of intended career prep are forgone in favor of baby center and other such sources of stories (apparently these scary red blotches are not a big deal, fairly common, and not super contagious. Go figure). Add this to the long list of things I'm glad no one told me before having a baby.

To the Dogs

Though I am a cat person (mainly because I am a compulsive clean freak, and dogs are just too hard to mesh with this complex) I am fairly obsessed with dog-inspired fashions. Again, for the second time in recent weeks, I bought a full price item from J.Crew (because I couldn't bear waiting for it on back order).

I love this intarsia sweater and have convinced myself there are many lawyer appropriate outfits I can weave it into.  This lamp doesn't really go with my new decor scheme, but it made me laugh and I feel like I know at least 2 people that would die to get this as a holiday gift.

And if you like the pops of pup but can't commit to an entire sweater or lamp, this pendant from Madewell is just a dash of doggy.

Sorry Coco, but cat sweaters are just weird.

New Discoveries Online

So much time indoors these past 10+ days has given me much time to scour the Internet for the most random things. Some embarassingly ridiculous (a monogrammed toothbrush holder?) and others chic and astoundingly affordable (this two-toned clutch pictured below for just $28 from a Website I don't know why I didn't know about sooner, C Wonder).  A website where I can buy all forms of apparel, home goods and free shipping? Love at first sight.

I'm going to need another closet room pretty soon to accommodate the number of cuffs I seem to be adding to my collection a rapid pace, but no worries, there's always room for more. (And where I used to collect 'C' monograms on anything I could wear or carry, I now get a 'T' without exception).

And then I became obsessed with finding a new serving tray for an upcoming gathering, and this one  seems good enough to plan parties around.

To serve the obligatory cheese (obligatory because I love all varieties of cheese and will eat it all night long) this pineapple board is beyond cute, and makes me think of my friend Cara who loves pineapples.

And though by night's end the glasses will inevitably end up on all surfaces in the house without coasters, I will start off with good intentions and place these on most table tops I can think of.

Its OK Thursday

Thursday Link Up

Its Ok.....


1. that last night, I made my 17 month old Kraft Easy Mac for dinner, and all I could think about was college while feeding him

2. that the recent snow storm, following the recent hurricane, makes living in the suburbs seem less appealing than it did this summer and makes me long for NYC life again

3. that I shopped Online everyday that I was stuck home from work after Hurricane Sandy (day 9 and counting....)

4. that empty wine bottles in our recycling bin out number any other item this week

Wedding Bells (and Brocade?)

Spring 2013 brings a fresh wave of weddings for the hubs and I, reminiscent of 2009 when we cut our honeymoon short so I could serve as maid of honor for my bf 2 weeks after our own wedding (and then did so again happily in May for my other bf), and in between attended a myriad of 'I Do' dances. This time around, we are a little older (and wiser?) and are in dire need of an uplifting excuse to dress up and party.

My dear friend since 8th grade gets married in April, hubby's groomsman gets hitched in May (in Napa!), college roomie ties the knot in July, and best guy friend since Middle School walks down the aisle in August. This schedule requires repeating at least once, since Hubby's law firm is still not quite revenue producing (and the whole point of my new job is to save the money!)

One Shoulder Misha Dress from J.Crew- tangerine is fresh for evening with pewter heels and accessories

The vintage feel of this brocade Anthropologie number is fabulous, with a bright necklace and shoes to breakup the black

Blue is a nice alternative to the LBD, and this mini by Aqua is super wallet friendly priced under $200

Cynthia Rowley brocade frock that I love (image from Zappos.com- free shipping!)

Note: ALWAYS check what color the bridesmaids are wearing to avoid an unintentional (and then uncomfortable) mistake resulting is glares from the bridal party, and elderly aunts asking you who you are and how you know the bride all night. 

(And be sure you get to the polls today!)

xo

Spotted: Dotted

Polka dots are akin to stripes in my closet. I have plenty of both, but like Toll House Pie from the Colgate Inn during college, its seldom about the need and instead about the desire. When I spied this single bag dangling from a display in the newly renovated (and relocated) J.Crew in Americana, I almost snatched it out from an approaching shopper's grasp. The envelope style is classic, and being able to use this as a clutch or a shoulder bag is a plus (which will be helpful at this Friday's Colgate Campaign dinner at Cipriani when I'll need both hands to thoroughly enjoy the cocktail hour).

Invitation clutch still available at J.Crew.com in  this neutral colorway. Banana Republic ring (similar here), J.Crew leopard bangle which I caved and paid full price for last month.

Click here to read this post on Lucky.com!

When it Rains....

When we bought our house this summer, we were so excited to have the beach at the end of our street, and a scenic bay running path for morning jogs with tucker. Sandy brought that beach feet from our home but we were very lucky. Hoping to see that proverbial rainbow all week long for all those in need.

Bay cliff walk on the left, cresting before the storm even hit

Photos courtesy of Sonna Allen

Dream Land

The finishing touches on a house are almost illusive, until you spot them and know exactly what they are. At a market last week I spied a hand painted glass jar, and pictured it sitting perfectly on my dresser, with a small silk flower. Next, a set of 2 nickel lamps (for just $15 each!) called to me from the store shelf.  The vintage style mirror (similar here) was purchased a few years ago after our wedding when we decided we had had enough of hand me downs, and actually purchased new furniture for our single room New York City studio apartment.

Yes, I love the twisted mind of Kurt Vonnegut (Cats Cradle & Slaughter House 5), and a few of my favorite books prop up my new lamp

A lush, white chair provides a great place to read, watch some Bravo, and more importantly, to cuddle with Tuck when he wakes a tad too early on a Saturday morning (and always with the zebra accent!)

And of course, the mate to my bedroom lamp sits very happily in the closet room on a new white table I assembled myself (a steal at $29). My closet is my version of a 'man cave', all that's missing is a small white wine refrigerator.

Fashion Now book written entirely in Italian, purchased at Corso Como in Milan when visiting with Rebecca after college in 2005