Thursday, September 30, 2010

I'm going bananas

Ever since Miuccia Prada sported them on the runway in Milan, I can't stop thinking about bright yellow banana earrings, and whether or not I could pull them off myself. What do you think? Would you rock these dangling earrings come Spring? Seems like the perfect way to add a punch of color to your wardrobe or your favorite LBD.

(Photo by veryvintage via Etsy)

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Morning Glory


As a long-time Natasha Bedingfield fan, you can only imagine my delight upon hearing her voice in the new trailer for the Rachel McAdams/Harrison Ford flick Morning Glory. The song — "Strip Me" — is the title track on her upcoming album (scheduled to be released in November). Download the single now on iTunes or give yourself a preview and watch the film's trailer above. When it comes to female pop ballads, Natasha is one lady who always seems to get it right.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Twitter according to Chloe

Forget about buying a new bag for fall — all I want is this Twitter keychain from See by ChloĆ©. I would use it as my daily reminder to Tweet! A modern day version of tying a string around my finger for the things I don't want to forget.

Monday, September 27, 2010

DIY Painting: The Bathroom

Remember my idea to repaint my bathroom last weekend? Here is the final result, with a couple of before and after shots mixed in. How gorgeous is this new shower curtain from Anthropologie? The cherry blossom paint hue makes the bathroom extra girly, but I think it's the perfect match! What do you think?

Friday, September 24, 2010

The weekend is here!

My dear readers, are you as excited as I am about autumn in New York? I can't stop dreaming about pumpkin patches and apple picking and warm bowls of clam chowder. Definitely a few of my favorite things! So, I ask, what's on tap for your weekend? I'm hoping to see The Town starring Ben Affleck and Jon Hamm — I keep hearing such good things! Here, for you, a few happy posts from the web to get your weekend started right:

Bewitching invitations for Halloween. 

Lauren Santo Domingo on the street in New York.

Country living, including a trip to Cold Spring!

In Montauk: the ocean's varying moods.

One more post about the ocean: live vicariously and wade in!

A color palette for fall.

An ode to ballet. Which reminds me, is anyone else planning to see Natalie Portman in Black Swan?

Success in the kitchen: delectable apple and pear tarts.

A shout-out to the premiere of Modern Family. So happy you are back!

(Photos by Max Wanger via 100 Layer Cake)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Ping pong a la Susan Sarandon

New Yorkers, take my advice — the next night you have free, play ping pong at Spin, Susan Sarandon's new club near Madison Square Park. I finally had the chance to check it out and, oh, what good times we had! Grab a bite to eat at Ducks Eatery before and prepare to hit the tables yourself by watching the pros play. The bleacher style seating next to the courts is the perfect pre-gaming decor. It's the best way to get your adrenaline pumping before picking up a paddle to play!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Sing Off 2: Brown Jabberwocks

It's like an a cappella dream come true! Now that NBC's a cappella hit The Sing-Off has been green-lighted for a second season, rumors about possible contestants are swirling around the Internet. Who has my vote? I agree with Yahoo's "Reality Rocks" music blogger Lyndsey Parker — the Brown University Jabberwocks are it

Seeing Lyndsey's post about their winning potential made me think back to my college days. As a member of the Wheaton College Wheatones, the Jabberwocks opened for us many a time, much to the delight of our audience members and fans. On the December night pictured above, they wowed the crowd with a little John Mayer, Prince and the most crowd-pleasing version of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" I've ever heard. 

Straight from YouTube, check out this clip of the Jabberwocks at a recent show. Something tells me that after watching, this group will have your vote too.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

Is anyone as excited as me for the opening of Woody Allen's new film? His latest work — You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger — is set in London, a comedy starring Anthony Hopkins and Gemma Jones. I love the movie poster (pictured above), almost as much as I love his recent interview with Dave Itzkoff in the New York Times. The film opens in theaters this week.

Monday, September 20, 2010

My West Coast Escape: Part Two

As promised, here it is: my California adventure, part deux. For Labor Day weekend, I flew north to San Francisco. After a beautiful (and quick!) flight up the California coast, I arrived to see this: The Golden Gate Bridge. The first day was pea soup fog, but on day two, it burned off. What a sight to see!

On Saturday morning, we left the city fog behind and drove to Napa. Our day of wine tasting began at the Robert Mondavi vineyards.

Next, we checked out the Pride Mountain Vineyards in St. Helena.

Here are a couple shots from inside the caves at Pride during our private tour. The vineyards are 50 percent in Napa and 50 percent in Sonoma, illustrated by the well-marked town line on site. I love the label on this bottle of Merlot, but Pride's best wine was definitely their Cabernet.

We rounded out our weekend with a beautiful art deco-themed wedding in Danville. The setting? The Blackhawk Country Club at sunset. Gorgeous!

Pre-ceremony, the bride and groom provided guests with a few finishing touches. Although I'm pretty sure the fans were for the ladies, Matt couldn't resist.

The bride and groom say, "I do!"

This detail, I loved. How creative are these place cards? One olive please, shaken not stirred! 

And no wedding is complete without a big sparkler send off! Until next time California. Thanks for a lovely visit!

Friday, September 17, 2010

The weekend is here!

Oh Friday, you are my favorite day of the week! My dear readers, what are your weekend plans? Matt gave me this gorgeous shower curtain for my birthday, and now I have a painting project in mind. With the addition of the shower curtain, there is far too much white in my bathroom now. Calling Benjamin Moore! We have a color palette decision to make! Will keep you posted on what I decide. In the mean time, here are a few fun posts from around the web to get your weekend started right! 

A woman's right to (summer) shoes.

The perfect host/hostess gift (bottle of wine not included)!

The LBD I can't get outta my head.

Recipes for a Mexican fiestawatermelon skewers with cojita anyone?

A Napa wedding with blue shoes.

Vintage invitations.

Man (and woman) on the street scenes from fashion week.

A baby massage!

A Fenway Park homecoming for Ben Affleck and the cast of The Town.  

(Photo via The Newlywed Diaries)

A tree (falls) in Brooklyn

How crazy was the late afternoon storm that we had yesterday in New York? These photos prove the power and force of it all. Definitely glad that I decided to linger for a few extra minutes at work until the rain let up!

(Photos via the New York Times)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Fashion crush

I can't help it — when fall rolls around, all my thoughts turn to clothes. Right now, I have a huge crush on Steven Alan. How cute is this crossback nighty? Or this Hudson silk dress? Each one of his designs makes me think about the charm of the city, but also the coziness of my country roots.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

End of summer

I don't know what I love more — the red lobster and corn on the cob or the colorful yellow umbrellas decorating the background in this photo. Either way, I do know one thing: I miss summer already.

(Photo via Mimi Crawford Photography)

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

September beauty

Read all about the arrival of Blue Mercury on the Upper East Side in this interview with Marla Malcolm Beck in the latest issue of New York Resident (read the full story on page 37). Also, check out Zenergy at the Sports Club/LA — it's the fall fitness class you won't want to miss.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Peanuts for a good cause

In celebration of 60 years of Snoopy and the entire Peanuts gang, you can pick up a vintage tee at Mighty Fine and pay homage to your favorite characters from the beloved comic strip. There's Charlie Brown, Linus, even Pig Pen! Each shirt is just $22 and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Something tells me that Woodstock would approve.

Blame it on the boogie

Club Monaco seems to have read my mind: if the clothes aren't comfortable enough to dance in, why bother? Check out this adorable video shoot featuring designs from their fall 2010 campaign. Ballet dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied brings the clothes to life while photographer Victor Demarchelier snaps away. Love it!

My West Coast Escape: Part One

Finally! Snaps from my trip to the West Coast. What a fantastic vacation it was! I'm going to post pics in two installments. This is part one. It all started in Southern California — I flew into LAX and got a small taste of Los Angeles before driving north to stay with my little sis. Here I am beach-hopping — Crystal Cove, Laguna, and more. The views were to.die.for.

On my first day there, we decided to venture into LA...

We messed around with Jaws at Universal Studios and went on the Studio Tour!

Here we are outside Jurassic Park — love that Steven Spielberg signed it "Roar!"

We stopped by the Hollywood Walk of Fame to say hello to Uncle Dave...

...and rounded out the day with sunset views from Mulholland Drive.

My biggest vacation goal was to visit Santa Catalina, the island my college a cappella group sang about. We rented a golf cart to drive around and see the sights.

The golf cart allowed us primo access — check out these views from the top!

Here we are leaving the island on the ferry, called the Catalina Flyer. 

For my birthday, we went out for Mexican food and rooftop drinks on Laguna Beach.

And on my last night in SoCal, we managed to catch the most breathtaking sunset. Stay tuned for part two: my weekend adventure in San Francisco!

Friday, September 10, 2010

The weekend is here!



TGIF! I love a four-day week, don't you? This weekend, I'm happily planning to relax and enjoy the start of autumn in New York. Right now, I'm in the midst of reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. The pressure is on to finish it before the film comes out this month! What about you — what are your weekend plans? The photo above is a teaser for Monday's post about my California vacay. In the mean time, here are a few fun reads from around the Web to get your weekend started right:

See and be seen during fashion week.

A side table that's perfect for apartment-sized living!

Gorgeous (and lacey!) head pieces for fall.

Blue boots!

A Shopping palette for a garden wedding.

New and colorful patterns to brighten up your home!

Homemade orange soda!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt sings Lady Gaga.

Words of wisdom for the weekend.

(Photo of Santa Catalina via Relish Small Pleasures)