Off to Savannah for a long weekend! I can’t wait to share some Southern food, historic architecture, and artsy style finds.
I have some posts lined up while I’m away so check back. I hope I can still run next Sunday after all the fried food I’m about to ingest. The mounds of sweet potato fries and beignets will be worth it.
Any things I should make sure to check out while I’m there?
Lanvin‘s fall combination of the floppy hat, cape, and loafer is my fall jam. It’s so… mysterious. I have the black floppy hat; and I have the loafers. The cape eludes me.
I say, “To Cape or Not to Cape?” because they have their pros and cons.
Pros: Instant chicness. Hides your food baby. Eliminates need to decide on a top. You’re basically a fashion superhero.
Cons: Cannot wear a bag crossbody (I’ve done it. Such a fail.) You may look pregnant. Exposed arms in the cold, therefore you will need to plan a top accordingly. Might experience difficulty reaching objects on high shelves.
Oh cape, you had me at hides food babies. Now to find an affordable one…
Loft and J. Crew have eerily similar capes. Both are camel colored with darker trim, but one is $90 cheaper. If you’re looking to add a cape to your wardrobe, I recommend looking at Loft.
Can you think of any other cape cons? It’s a fun game.
I’m running my second half marathon next Sunday in Boston! I attempted to follow an intermediate training plan, but this summer was too sweltering to run outdoors more than 3 days a week. That means for the other 3 or 4 days I cross-trained. Since outdoor activities were out of the question due to the aforementioned heat, I had two choices: pay for a gym membership or go it alone.
I do enjoy gyms. I like being in a workout atmosphere. Making the effort to get to the gym ensures that I’ll actually (hopefully) complete a workout. But if I’m running 3 days a week outdoors, that rules out use of the treadmill; and I own a recline bike. So, I would essentially be paying for the weight room, and classes if I choose to shell out even more money.
Alone it was. I decided to hit up Amazon for some workout DVDs and venture into the depths of my closet to find my old yoga DVDs. I feel like workout DVDs get a bad rap. I’m not sure if that’s the case, but in my head they are seen as monotonous and easy. I’m sure for some that may be the case, but the ones I use actually work you out.
The first part of this series will focus on the yoga DVDs.
Is there any combination more comforting than tomato soup and grilled cheese? Last night I discovered there is.
When I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen last week, I bookmarked faster than I’d ever bookmarked before. It. Was. Genius. She basically created a french onion soup but substituted in homemade roasted tomato soup. The ultimate comfort food loses the “and” in favor of “on”. Grilled cheese on tomato soup.
It seems like every designer and their mother has created a bow blouse this season. And… I kind of adore them. I imagine they’ll flatter just about every size.
How cute does Emma Pillsbury look in last week’s episode of Glee? That blouse was the only novel thing in the entire episode. Let’s not discuss how she’s affording Marc by Marc Jacobs on a high school counselor’s salary and instead focus on which color is cuter. I’m a sucker for pink.
Tory Burch has created quite a few designs as well. I love this geometric printed sleeveless one best. According to the website, the bow detaches. I don’t know what that means but I’m picturing clip on bow-ties. Tory wouldn’t do that, right?
This one from Anthropologie is more affordable; and it has a cute bird pattern that would be great for fall.
There’s also a ton of solid colored bow blouses around. Alice & Olivia’s has button-tab secure cuffs for rolling up the sleeves. This feature makes the garment a bit edgier than the bow blouses with gathered or ruffled sleeves.
Have you noticed the fashion saturation of the bow blouse? Any favorites you’ve found?
I like to think that eating a raspberry streusel bar for breakfast this morning was completely healthy. Two full sticks of butter are contributing some calcium. The top layer is full of oats, a heart healthy grain, and pecans, which are an excellent source of good fats. Also, there’s a layer of fruit! And not just any fruit– raspberries. Can we say fiber?
These are seriously amazing. It’s really hard to go wrong with layered desserts. The bottom adds a delicious buttery base, supportive but still chewy. The middle is probably where this recipe shines. Fresh raspberries, raspberry preserves, and a bit of fresh lemon juice make a flavorful layer that tastes like the fruit without being overly sweet. And lastly, the streusel topping. All the goodness of the bottom with the addition of chopped nuts, brown sugar, and rolled oats. Alright, I need to stop describing them or they’ll end up being my lunch too.
Raspberry Streusel Bars
I love period pieces. Anything set in 19th century or Edwardian era Britain and I’m horizontal, remote in hand. I downloaded the first season of Downton Abbey on iTunes this summer and I can’t recommend it enough. If my word isn’t strong enough, the series just took home a slew of Emmy awards on Sunday.
Downton Abbey follows the lives of an aristocratic family, the Crawleys, and their overabundance of servants. The first season begins after the sinking of the Titanic. The acting and writing are superb. Professor McGonagall, I mean Maggie Smith, plays the stuck-up matriarch with just the right amount of arrogance to incite humor. Creator Julian Fellowes is known for his Oscar-winning screenplay Gosfard Park. Also, the musical score is perfection. I find myself humming it as I dust.
While Lady Mary Crawley is far from my favorite character (I judge anyone who does not love Matthew immediately), I can’t help but yearn for her wardrobe. However, I’d look like a fool walking around today wearing a giant hat, gloves, and floor-length clothing. I’ll just have to channel modern day Mary.
The Zara blazer‘s black collar against a lighter fabric is very reminiscent of the jackets Mary sports. The one-buttoned tuxedo jacket is on trend right now, and the pencil skirt with an edgier ankle boot creates a modern look.
Beaded embellishments were slowly being incorporated into women’s clothing during this time period and, of course, Mary was on top of it. The silk Robert Rodriguez blouse, with an embellished collar, is perfect for fall. Plus, it’s sheer which is just about everywhere right now.
While Mary is literally an equestrian, today’s fashion is more figurative. The J.Crew Academy coat, complete with buttoned-up white shirt and layered black clothing, is so Mary I can’t even handle it. Jenna Lyons, are you watching Downton Abbey?!
Can’t you just hear Edith’s response to this post? Poor Jan.
