What I Wore Wednesday

It's rainy in Virginia... I still couldn't resist wearing my new shoes.  Rainy weather does call for cozy clothes though, so I wore:

Target t-shirt (on sale for $9 - a steal!)

Jack Rogers shoes

Paige jeans

J. Crew puffer vest (looks like navy is sold out online, sadly)

 and a pink umbrella for some color!

We We We So Excited

   I'm thrilled about my first Rue La La purchase!  It was my first time getting something from one of these online, members-only sale sites, and my shoes were over 50% off.  One of Rue La La's great features is that even after something sells out, they will still try to get it for you if you request it (either by finding more samples to sell or by selling returned items).  That's what I did, and it was still at the same low price!  Rue La La also features preppy clothing lines, which I love.  The hefty sticker price for brands like Lilly Pulitzer or Vineyard Vines comes from the prestige of the brand - the clothing is good, but not hundreds-of-dollars-for-a-simple-dress good.  Sales, then, are ideal.
   Here are a few pictures of my shoes!  By the way, they fit perfectly true to size - my 8.5 pair fits like a dream.

They came early!  Great way to shake a case of the Mondays.

Classic Jack Rogers "Navajo" detailing.  Note the gingerbread house kit in the background...

Perfect fit!

If you didn't catch the reference in the title, watch this music video (especially 2:15):

Trimming The Christmas Tree

   In lieu of Black Friday shopping, my family has always gone Christmas tree shopping on the morning after Thanksgiving.  By early afternoon we have the tree up, lights on, and we put on the 1966 Trouble With Angels while we put up the ornaments (don't ask me why we chose that movie, it was so long ago that I've forgotten!).  Here's our progress in three stages:

Lights and silver ornaments - until we each turned 18, my sister and I got to pick out a silver ornament each year.  Each ornament has our initials and the date engraved on it, and they'll be a "starter kit" for trimming our own trees one day!

Lights, silver, and porcelain ornaments - we found these at a local (nice) hardware store a few years ago, and bought up dozens online when the store went out of business.  We give them as gifts, but put plenty on our own tree, too!  Someday, I'll convince everyone else to stop here: the tree has plenty of ornaments and looks sophisticated this way, I think.

The whole nine yards - my mom can't resist putting everything on there, down to the preschool ornaments my sister and I made at age 3.

How do you trim your tree?

Black Friday Loot

   Normally, I'm not one for Black Friday (I'm more of a "Cyber Monday" kind of girl - no crowds, no need to wake up before dawn), but I did get four wonderful things on Black Friday yesterday.  I don't know if they quite qualify as Black Friday shopping, because I wasn't fighting crowds, but here it goes:

2012 planner and pen from Silver Papery

Display at Silver Papery

This little gem of a stationery shop is right in my neighborhood!  I love that they carry Lifeguard Press products, but the Jonathan Adler planner I had my eye on was too flimsy (tragic), and this one looks a little more professional to me.  Also, this planner from Graphic Image (although the planner says "Post" on the back), and gives you a full page for each day with hour-by-hour scheduling.  I love it - I do this anyway!

Daily Planning Detail

Coffee mug and Lola Savannah Flavored Coffee

This coffee mug comes from TAG (or Trade Associates Group), but I found it at Central Market in Austin.  Just a warning - their website plays music, so don't be startled like I was!  I love how big the coffee cup is (see this post for more on my love for coffee), and how it gets wider, almost like a bowl (which, by the way, is how lattes are served in Italy, if my memory serves - they're practically in bowls). 

I am usually hesitant about making flavored coffee (better leave that to the pro's), but this blend sounded too good and I went ahead and bought some: Lola Savannah's vanilla cinnamon pecan coffee.  Oh goodness, it's amazing!  Definitely worth $9 a pound.  Lola Savannah's coffee is responsibly grown (see more here) and roasted in Texas.  Get some for yourself!

Rue La La

   Have you ever used a site like Rue La La?  It's one of several similar sites that are popping up which bring curated merchandise to their members for special sales (I'm registered with Rue La La, Rent the Runway, Kembrel, Shop It To Me, and Joss & Main).  Some of these sites have neat nuances: Kembrel is limited to college students, for instance, and Joss & Main specializes in homewares.  As far as I can tell, all of their sales come from sample sales, so there is a limited quantity, but such a lower price.  My first purchase shipped today (Wednesday), and it's due next week... I'm excited!  I can't wait to try on my shoes!

   PS - One thing I like a lot about Rue La La is that they include preppy companies - Lilly Pulitzer, Jack Rodgers, Vineyard Vines... I love it!

Winter Nail Polish

   We all know that colors are seasonal: you wouldn't wear the same colors on New Years as you would on Memorial Day Weekend.  So I've picked out a few fall nail polish colors to go along with seasonal trends.

1.  Au Natural

This shimmery, neutral color is my favorite!  It's not exactly new (I got it in my Christmas stocking last year), but it goes great with this winter's trends that feature neutrals and camel shades.  Image found here.

2. Wicked

Note: this is not black.  It is a deep, deep slightly-purplish red.  When I paint my nails, I typically use two coats, and this came out between a deep red and brown.  It's perfect with gold or other shiny holiday fabrics, and to go with rich, saturated winter colors.  Image found here.

3.  Power Clutch

Essie's website describes this as "gray-green", but it really comes out much more gray than green.  Below is a photo that demonstrates this (sorry for the poor quality; bad lighting in the living room).  It's a great neutral, dark but not too dark, you know?  Image found here.

My photo:

What are you wearing on your nails this winter?

Headed Home!

I'm writing this from a plane - oh, the wonders of technology! Next time I blog, it will be from Texas! See ya later, Virginia!

A Walk Through My Pinterest

  If you've read this blog before, you may have noticed the button on the side:

I'm a big fan of Pinterest.  Basically, it's like a virtual cork board - it lets you "pin" photos from webpages you like onto "boards" which you can organize however you like (I organize mine by topic).  The best part?  It does all the back-linking for you!  No need to virtually plagiarize.  It's a great way to show off your finds, and also a great way to search for lovely photos by keyword/topic/etc.  On a more sentimental note, sometimes what you need in the middle of a busy day is just a quick dose of beauty.  I like to think my boards are pretty nice, so here's a tour, and what you can expect from each, should you choose to follow any or all:

Decor:

Here you'll find cool colors, high ceilings, and architechtual and decorating ideas for my future (far in the future) home.

Crafty:


How-to's, ideas for gifts, art inspiration

Tasty:

Recipes, photos of food ideas, and things that look good, but that I would never actually make.

Style:

Outfits, items, or styles to reference later.

Inspiration:

This is my favorite!  It's a little bit of everything, from artistic photos to cute puppies to 

Gratitude

It's been a while, so I'll count my blessings:

1) a recent "warn front" - I wore shorts yesterday!

2) running on the Matoaka trails (see photo)

3) today is boot weather - 50 degrees!

4) the "calm before the storm" of finals: hey, a break is a break

5) a talk with my dad

6) the thrill of the job hunt

7) supportive girlfriends

8) Mad Men on Netflix

9) finally hanging curtains

10) my roommate agreed to foster kittens!

Facelift!

   I know I've been behind on my blogging lately, but I've been working on a facelift for the blog!  Watch for something in the next few days!

What I Wore Wednesday!

Blouse: Anthropologie, discontinued

Pants: J. Crew

Flats (not pictured): Tory Burch

How To Stretch Your Nail Polish

What my favorite polish should look like.  Image found here.

What my favorite polish actually looks like.

   Do you have a favorite bottle of nail polish?  If you do, chances are it's nearly used up.  When it gets low and gummy, you have a choice: buy another bottle or stretch out the life of the one you already have.  As a college student on a budget, I chose the latter, and here are a few ways I figured out to get more out of your bottle of nail polish:

Preventative measures: Make sure to always screw the top on tightly!  A little bit of air over a long period of time can cause it to dry out and get gummy.  And of course, leaks are just a waste of good polish.

When you use it:  (1) Quickly roll (don't shake!) the bottle between your hands for several minutes.  This will warm up the polish and mix it together, if it has separated.  (2) I've never done this, but I've seen manicurists microwave an old bottle of nail polish, especially if it's cap is "glued" on with polish.  (3) Pour some thin, clear polish into your old bottle - the color will be diluted, but it will get thinner and there will be more of it!

Comfort Food

   Oh my goodness.  On Friday night, I went to culinary heaven.  I ate at Comfort, a southern comfort food restaurant in Richmond.  Friends, it was so good.

Photo from Comfort's website: http://www.comfortrestaurant.com/

For a restaurant with a renown chef (featured in Southern Living, etc etc), it is surprisingly laid-back and relaxed.  Comfort is in downtown Richmond (the "Fan" area) , in what looks like an old retail building.  High ceilings, distressed trim, classic southern music, and food that literally left me speechless?  Yes please!

The menu is easy to navigate: after a list of appetizers, there is a list of entrees which each come with two or three sides.  The entrees run from $17 to $25, and they are more than worth every penny.  My favorite sides were the green beans (perfectly steamed and flavorful), the mashed potatoes (so creamy and smooth!), and the macaroni and cheese (to die for - very rich).

Below is my dinner as well as my friend's: I got the salmon with mashed potatoes and (already eaten) green beans, and he got the pulled pork barbeque with macaroni and cheese and squash casserole.

The wait was long, so try to get a reservation, but it was so worth it.  I will definitely go back!

Fall is Here!

The leaves are falling in Williamsburg! Step on some crunchy leaves and enjoy it!

Autumn Music

Autumn, to me, is a season for mellow, folksy music.  So here you go!

Bob Schneider- Honeypot by MMMusic

Bob Schneider is an Austinite (he actually lives pretty close to me), so of course I had to include his latest song.  I love that the local Williamsburg radio station plays it!

Mat Kearney- Hey Mama by MMMusic

Latest from Mat Kearney

03. Michael Tolcher - Sooner or Later by Michael Tolcher

An oldie

And because I couldn't find it on SoundCloud (probably because the album came out in 1999...)

Enjoy!

Making Time for Rituals

   Do you have any rituals?

   A ritual doesn't have to be some kind of religious or mystic ceremony.  A ritual, to me, is simply a repeated habit or tradition that "keeps time" for your life.  For instance, my mother used to make a big pancake breakfast on Saturday mornings; eating weekend breakfast together became a family ritual.  My father and I always decorate a tree along Austin's Highway 360 (more on that after Thanksgiving); that's our holiday ritual.  I do my laundry on Sundays after church; that's my own ritual.  

   We need to make time for rituals because they give us a chance to think, slow down, and mark the passage of time.  Rituals, especially when shared with others, connect you to something bigger than yourself, whether it be your family, holiday spirit, or your church congregation and clean clothes.  

   If you don't have any rituals that you participate in regularly, think about starting one.  Whether it's reading the paper in the morning with coffee (my summer routine) or regular runs to clear your head, I bet you'll find yourself enjoying it.

Image found here.

Roll-Out-Of-Bed Hair-Do

   It's a fact of life: every now and then, we all oversleep.  I've been there way too many times - you sleep through your alarm, and you have 10 minutes to get out the door.  That 10 minutes is just long enough to realize that you really look like you just rolled out of bed - and no one wants that.  Thankfully, there is a way to style your hair that takes virtually no time and is as easy as a walk in the park (I literally did this hair-do as I walked to class yesterday).
  All you need to do is part your hair to the side and french braid it from the part, along your hairline, toward your ear (if you don't know how to french braid your own hair, try this tutorial).  Next, gather all of your hair in a pony tail at the nape of your neck, and form a loose, loose bun with an elastic hair-tie.  Tuck any remaining hairs into your hair-tie, and you're finished!
  It looks good as it loosens up.  If you have layers around your face, you might need to grab a few bobby pins to keep your bangs in line.  It can last for hours, and it even hides unwashed hair fairly well!

Finished product

Finding Old School Glamour

   I can't be the only one to miss old Hollywood glamour.  Today's paparazzi, TMZ, and commentators like Perez Hilton just take all the fun and allure out of Hollywood.  Maybe I should have been born in the 1950's.  At any rate, who wouldn't want to imitate Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly rather than Lindsay Lohan or a Kardashian sister?  They had the fame without the scandal, and always maintained their dignity.  But how do you find a balance between boring and bewitching?  How do you become an Audrey, not a June Cleaver?

  I think it all comes down to drama.  Not the kind of drama that ends in screaming matches in the street or broken relationships, but definition #4:

"Highly effective", "striking" drama.  Something that catches your eye, and holds it.  Something that makes you stare, because it's beautiful and just a little risky.

Something fresh and out of the ordinary.  A happy, positive perspective on life, and absolutely no arrogance allowed.

I'm going to try to be old-Hollywood glamourous today.

Images found here, here, here, here, here, and here.

PS - I wrote this post before Lilly Pulitzer's 2011 Resort Collection came out, so I'm not copying them, but it's nice to know they agree:

What I Wore Wednesday: Cozy Edition

Baby, it's cold outside!

Fall is upon us, with temperatures at 50 degrees and below, so I bundled up!

J. Crew Tissue Turtleneck (more on why I love this shirt later in the week)

J. Crew Puffer Vest

Citizens of Humanity jeans

Sperry Topsider boat shoes

Featuring a stretchy-cloth-elastic hair tie (I have no idea what the proper name is).  I've seen them at Anthropologie and this one came from an Austin boutique.  They're wonderful, because they don't crease your hair!

Save vs. Splurge: Dry Skin Remedies

   I turned on my heater for the first time this weekend, and along with the scent of burning dust (lovely...), I noticed that my skin started feeling drier and drier.  According to the Mayo Clinic, air conditioners and especially heaters de-humidify your air, so that it dries out your skin.  Never fear, there are ways to fix this, both cheaply and a little less cheaply.

Lips:

   

Left: Smith's Rosebud Salve, $5.  Right: L'Occintane Shea Butter Lip Balm, $10.

Hands:

Left: Neutrogena Norwegian Formula hand cream, $5. Right: L'Occintane Shea Butter hand cream, $26.

Both of these work wonders!

Body:

Left: St. Ives' Oatmeal and Shea Butter lotion, $5.  Right: L'Occintane Ultra Rich Body Cream, $40.