A Thanksgiving stroll

One of my favorite parts about going home for the holidays is the Massachusetts town I grew up in. Home to just a single stoplight, it's quiet, cozy and quaint all at once. Over Thanksgiving, my mom, Matt and I decided to take a post-meal walk and do a bit of exploring along some hiking trails that have opened up since I moved. Just imagine — in a world without the iPhone, we wouldn't have these great pics!

Morgan James at Le Poisson Rouge

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of hearing the uber-talented Morgan James perform her first-ever solo show at Le Poisson Rouge in the Village. Morgan sang everything from Regina Spektor (my favorite) to Diana Krall. Now — much to the delight of her fans — the first few clips from her show are out. Above, check out Morgan's rendition of "How Come/Feelin' Alright". What do you think? I love it!

Happy turkey day!

My dear readers, I'm off! Taking a few days away from blogging to celebrate a Massachusetts Thanksgiving where tradition abounds. I can't wait to catch up with my parents, cousins, aunts, uncles and friends, eat mashed potatoes and just be cozy. What are your plans for the holiday? To send you off, here is a clip from my favorite Turkey Day movie: Home for the Holidays. Something I'm thankful for each year? Dylan McDermott circa 1995.

Cover Star: Brendan Fraser

In the latest issue of New York Resident, I interview Brendan Fraser about making his Broadway debut in Elling. What a great guy! Read about his love for the stage, and why, for him, appearing on Broadway is his childhood dream come true.

Say yes to the dress

The first series of sketches are in for the royal wedding! Several of the world's most fashionable designers are dreaming up ideas for Kate Middleton's wedding gown. So far, Monique Lhuillier's voluminous design is my favorite, although I adore the simple elegance of Reem Acra's silk chiffon gown. What about you? Which dress do you love?

(Via People Style Watch)

By Design: Cocktail hour

It's the best time of every day: cocktail hour! Celebrate by adding a stylish cocktail table to your home like the ones above. I love the green one made from malachite. Add a set of martini glasses, a cocktail shaker and voila! Your living room will instantly become the hottest spot in town to entertain.

(Via coco+kelley)

The weekend is here!

Happy Friday! My dear readers, I hope each of you had a lovely week. Now, on to the weekend! What do you have planned? I'm hoping to finally start my holiday shopping — never an easy task! I'm also going to see Gatz at the Public Theater with Matt. A six hour play? We'll see how I do! Here, to get your weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

The fashionable princess-to-be: a look back. 

I have so much to do that I'm going to bed. 

Scenes from the High Line.  

Atmosphere, earth and ocean prints! 

The book I'm reading next.

Elton John gets a standing O.  

Purple potato chips! 

Time to start a book club. 

Ideas for a handmade wedding. 

A happy puppy — and a staircase I adore!   

Scarlet red from Alexander McQueen.

The coziest mittens to keep you warm.

A peek at the trailer for Matt LeBlanc's new show, Episodes. 

(Photo by labaronesa via flickr)

‘Great Gatsby’ casting

Leo will star as Jay Gatsby and Tobey Maguire is rumored to have been cast as Nick Carraway. At the beginning of the week, the only question still remaining about Baz Luhrmann’s Gatsby adaptation was a big one: who will play Daisy? The verdict is finally in — beating out ScarJo, Natalie Portman and many other young and stylish celebs, Carey Mulligan has won the role. Her reaction this week on the red carpet in LA was humble and sweet: she burst into tears. What do you think? Was Carey the right choice?  

On another note, I’m seeing Gatz this weekend at the Public. Can’t wait! 

(Via The Atlantic)

A Royal Wedding: Prince William and Kate!

 

What exciting news yesterday — Prince William is engaged! The lucky bride? Ms. Kate Middleton of course, his stunning on and off-again girlfriend of the past eight years. Now, the fun begins! What dress will she wear? When will we get our first glimpse of the ring? Who will attend the biggest celebration of Spring or Summer 2011? One thing is certain — Kate should take her style cue from Princess Diana, whose wedding-day grace, elegance and beauty still radiates today. Here, a photo of the happy couple, and a few shots of Princess Di and Prince Charles taken almost 30 years ago on their own big day!

Scarves by Payal Luthra

Wrap yourself in a beautiful (and cozy) cashmere scarf this winter, designed by the incredibly talented Payal Luthra. The detail on each is so elegant and chic! Such a gorgeous way to stay warm.

More A Cappella: The Beelzebubs on Glee

A world without a cappella — where's the fun in that? Last week's episode of Glee is a true testament to this fact. When Kurt decides to spy on the New Directions' competition, he checks out the Dalton Academy Warblers, played by the Beelzebubs from Tufts University in Boston. I love the Beelzebubs. Hello? Did you see NBC's The Sing-Off last year? They were a total hit. Here they are in Glee singing their rendition of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream." Talk about inspiration for other a cappella groups out there. The Wheatones, the Gentlemen Callers, the Whims — you're next!

The weekend is here!

Happy weekend! I don't know how you feel, but to me this week flew by. And now it's time for more Saturday/Sunday bliss! Tonight I'm catching up with my good friend Tamar, event planning extraordinaire who's in New York from Boston. I can't wait! Then my parents are coming to town on Saturday to holiday shop and explore. Definitely an action-packed weekend! What are you up to? Anything fun planned? To get your weekend started right, here are a few happy posts from around the web: 

A light for sore eyes.

The art of a shark attack.   

Jessica Biel brings Dorian Leigh to life!

A terrific new site for parents who love to shop.

Hello gorgeous!

Great news for SJP and her Bravo series about art.

Baking cupcakes? Display each one of your creations with this.

The perfect holiday outfit! 

Mr. Sunshine: a fantastic feature on Jimmy Fallon in New York mag. 

Spectacles that give back!

Send a holiday card from Reindog.

Make your own mini-calzones: yum!

(Photo via downtownfrombehind)

Social printshop

Turn your social media presence into art with Social Printshop, a site that takes your friends' profile pictures from Facebook and creates a 20 x 40 inch poster with them for $20! It doesn't matter how many friends you have — from 40 to 4,000, one poster will include them all. Even cooler, the site will soon expand to capture your social connections from Twitter, Flickr, Foursquare and more. Not a bad way to map your friendships — and at the same time prove you have exquisite taste in modern art! 

(Via I Heart Daily)

Green coat, yellow shoes

Leave it to Blair Waldorf to get this color combination right. The bag, the shoes, the coat, the scarf — if I could steal just one look for fall, this would be it!

(Via coco+kelley) 

Quotable SJP at the 92nd Street Y

"If you want something done, just ask a busy woman to do it!" 
                ...Sarah Jessica Parker to Leonard Lopate, when asked how she manages 
                                               to do so many things and do them all so well...

Lanvin meets H&M

Lanvin for H&M? I am so on board! On November 20, the collection arrives — take a guess about where I'll be! I love this eye-popping yellow dress. And for the guys, how fantastic are these blue formal shoes? These designs are the perfect way to spice up your holiday wardrobe without breaking the bank.

The weekend is here!

Happy Friday dear readers — and happy November too! This weekend is a busy one for me. For the past few months, I have been working hard as co-chair of the 2010 Student Communications Career Conference for New York Women in Communications. This Saturday is the big day, and what a line-up we have! Lots of fabulous women with lots of inspiring ideas — I can't wait to hear all the tips and advice they have to share. What about you? What are your weekend plans? To kick it off on the right foot, here are a few fun posts from around the web:  

City prints — including New York!

A wedding that manages to be rustic and elegant all at once.

Recipe for a spicy squash salad — YUM.

Don't you wish you were flying to Maui right now?

Start your holiday shopping at Henri Bendel (20% off!).

Be cozy (or married) here. 

Trend alert: mustard yellow!  

Cute kids wearing Stella McCartney.

Tools for achieving a work-life balance! 

For Matt: a shout-out to the San Francisco Giants! 

(Photo courtesy of floridapfe via flickr)

Halloween 2010: Ron Burgundy wins best costume

As far as creativity goes, on Halloween, it can be a tough accolade to score. That is, unless you're the brother/sister duo pictured above. Dressed as Ron Burgundy, this guy paraded around his 'hood dropping quotes from the movie: "Oh Baxter." "Scotch, scotch, scotch, I love scotch." His sister? She's a zombie girl scout, of course. These kids put my Lady Gaga costume to shame!

(On that note, I promise — pictures of me dressed as Gaga to come!) 

(Via bleubird vintage)

Polaroid coasters

Display your favorite photos with polaroid-style coasters! JustNoey on Etsy is the artistic genius behind this clever idea. And talk about perfect timing — 'tis the season for brainstorming ideas for holiday gifts! 

(Via Smallesthings)

Spring ahead

I know it's freezing outside, and the cold weather is just starting to rear it's ugly head, but take a peek at these pretty dresses for spring. Each design was unveiled during "fashion month" and, thanks to Refinery29's round-up, I can't stop fantasizing about next season's warm weather fun. My favorite dress is the purple number from Jason Wu pictured above, but I also love the white dress from Dolce & Gabbana on the left. What about you — which dress do you heart the most?

(Via Refinery29)

Food fight

While I've never really been the type of person that has trouble cleaning her plate, I love the concept behind these quirky designs from JimBob Art. London-based illustrator James Ward recreates animals thinking food-related thoughts — a great reminder of the how quickly pets turn opportunistic when dinner is on the table!

(Via dansmonboudoir)