Thursday, October 30, 2008

the jamie bag.

never thought i would see the day that jcrew would put out something with my namesake on it :) oh if only i had $495 to spare....

http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Feature_Assortment/NewArrivals/bags/PRDOVR~98871/99101577112/98871.jsp


“It is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure.” - CoCo Chanel, on handbags

Sunday, October 26, 2008

simply real.

Every month i buy 3 magazines: Vogue, InStyle, Real Simple. Occasionally I might pick up an extra here or there, but those 3 are my staples. I know them cover to cover. I was eating tomato soup today while reading Real Simple & this blog came to mind. I was at dinner the other night & talking about how smart & practical Real Simple is, when the girl I was talking to said "that makes me want to leave here and go buy it!". so i thought that i would do a blog on why Real Simple magazine is one of the little things in life that makes me happy.

the 5 reasons i am addicted to Real Simple magazine.

1. It is stocked full of simple & easy recipes (trust me. if i can do it, you can do it)
-this thanksgiving i am going to make pumpkin cheesecake. my favorite part is that not only do they give you the recipe & step by step instructions, they also give you the shopping list & the order to cook your thanksgiving dinner in. (i.e. dessert first, bc it can sit in the refrigerator while you are preparing the stuffing)

2. new uses for old things. best section in the magazine. i pretty much adopt atleast one of these ideas a month.
-original purpose: magnetic paper-clip dispenser
new use: bobby pin holder for the bathroom counter.

3. perfectly tailored for Type A's & Type B's.
- type A's love it bc it's the only thing better at organizing than they are.
- type B's love it bc they never wouldve thought to organize like this on their own.

4. quotes at the beginning of each section. LOVE it. i practically bookmark or write all of them down. (this was actually the inspiration for me putting a quote at the end of every blog entry & what also initially drew me to the magazine.)
- the section on gardening dons the quote: "in the depth of winter, i finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer" - albert camus
- section on putting down new hardwood floors: "if God wanted us to bend over, he'd put diamonds on the floor" -joan rivers
- section on the presidential election coming up this month: "he knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. that points clearly to a political career" - george bernard shaw

5. it makes me want to be more domestic.
- any magazine that packs organizing, party planning, gardening, home decorating, cooking, fashion, and psychology into one publication every month.... practical practical practical.


“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” -henry wadsworth longfellow

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

fall to the breeze of the autumn leaves.

things i am obsessing over right now...

- colorful eyeliner.
- fall. pumpkins. leaves. fall. fall. fall.
- pumpkin spice lattes!
- mustard yellow.
- ann taylor lofts fall line
- my vintage riding boots
- taking emmy to furman & pulling her in the wagon to see the ducks at the lake
- GOSSIP GIRL.
- paul newman.
- OPI's new France nail polish line (i've already bought 2 colors)
- driving mocs
- mad men & the wardrobe of the characters.
- new england and how beautiful it must be in fall.
- purple. eyeshadow. cardigans. cords. purple. everything.
- doing the crossword puzzles in People magazine every week
- how cute ella looks with her huge backpack on when i pick her up from school.
- how adorable my boyfriend is when he asks me if his shirt matches his pants.
- football season :) i am giddy every saturday morning watching college gameday.
- jess' consistent typos on her twitter.
- grier caroline parrott. (this blog is for you & kat)
- jewel tone tights
- how God is teaching me to trust.
- the office is back!!!!! and jim & pam are engaged!
- coffee table photography books. (most recent purchase: Vanity Fair Portraits)
- eating healthy. okay okay... eating healthier.
- making the perfect batch of brownies.
- scarves. (just got an amazing cotton & silk one from Gap)
- the hills. (who isnt?!)
- pretending to be gossip girl with jess.... dont ask.
- twittering.

this quote was on my starbucks cup this morning:

"i used to think that going to the jungle made my life an adventure. however, after years of unusual work in exotic places, I realize that it is not how far off I go or how deep into the forest I walk that gives my life meaning. I see that living life fully is what makes life - anyone's life, no matter where they do or do not go - an adventure."
-- maria fadiman, geographer, ethnobotanist & national geographic emerging explorer