Happy Thanksgiving!

My dearest readers, I'm off for the Thanksgiving weekend! Wishing you a wonderful and relaxing holiday with family, friends and lots and lots of good food. :) Here, to get the delightfully loooong weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

They're baaaack!

My new fave nail color.

Great tee for all SF fans. :)

Thanksgiving etiquette.

If only I lived on the west coast.

Love this skirt!

A teaser that will make your heart flutter.

What a sweet idea for a kid's book.

Please mail me this card.

Bonus: To make you laugh—and put you in the Thanksgiving spirit!

(Image via Pinterest)

Movie Page: Jennifer Aniston in 'Cake'

Have you heard about Jennifer Aniston's Oscar-worthy performance in the new film Cake? The film is about Claire Simmons, a woman dealing with chronic pain and grappling with the suicide of a young woman from her therapy group (played by Anna Kendrick). It originally premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and supposedly, Jennifer knocks it out of the park. 

Personally, I've always been a champion of Jennifer's acting skills. Yes, I loved her in Friends, but I was equally impressed by her work in films like The Good Girl and Friends with Money, too. I think she excels at deeper roles and I'm excited to see her do something different than anything she's ever done. 

It's scheduled to hit theaters everywhere in December and January. What do you think? Will you watch it?

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An ode to my houseplants

As I get ready to travel for Thanksgiving this week, I've been spending a lot of minutes thinking about the houseplants that I've been dutifully watering on my windowsill. For example, this pretty Boston fern: I'm worried it won't make it through the weekend! I water it twice a day right now since it has been so dry. My mom suggested this tip:

"Give your plants a good soaking, then place them on a towel in the bathtub. Next, fill the tub with 1-2 inches of water. They'll take care of themselves while you're away!"

Of course, this only works if you're gone for just a few days, but I think it will be perfect. Will let you know how it goes, but I trust my mom and her impressive green thumb. :)

Do you have any tips for taking care of houseplants when you're away?

(Image 1 via Apartment Therapy)

The weekend is here!

Happy Friday, my darling readers! What do you have planned for the weekend? The next couple of days are busy for me—I'm co-chairing New York Women in Communications' Student Career Conference and I'm also going to see Emma Stone in Cabaret. Big weekend! :) Wishing you a wonderful and relaxing couple of days off. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Such a cool (multi) million-dollar idea!

For anyone who loves Salt 'n Pepa.

73 new reasons to adore Amy Adams.

Hang this to get into the holiday spirit.

An ode to old-school Brooklyn.

The gals behind the Everygirl.

Pretty polka dots. 

Cool project.

Golden elephants!

My new favorite Christmas song.

(Image via Pinterest)

Taylor Swift is on my morning playlist

What music do you listen to on your morning commute? I'll admit it: Right now, I have "Shake it Off" from Taylor Swift's new album, 1989, on repeat. That song is so infectious!

Truth: Sometimes, even if I have a seat on the subway, I'll give it up just because it's way too tough to sit down while listening to this song. I know this is crazy talk since seats on the A train can be very difficult to come by! ;)

Do you have a song that wakes you up during rush hour?

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More cute cards from Garance Doré

I'm a longtime fan of Garance Doré and was so excited earlier this year when she announced her collaboration with Rifle Paper Co. (I even paid a visit to her New York pop-up shop!) She just released new additions to her stationery line. How cute are the adorable cards below?!

I would buy this one to send to my best friend or sister. Those three letters capture the typical way most of my conversations (via phone, text, email or in person) with the two of them begin. ;)

I love this one as a "just because" card to send. One of my favorite expressions is, "Tomorrow's another day." This seems to mimic that—it's just a prettier version. It always sounds better in French, n'est-ce pas? 

This card is another favorite. As you know, I'm such a huge fan of sending handwritten notes. I would love to send this as a note to friends celebrating something special—a new job, a new house, even just as a congrats for hosting a really awesome dinner party!

So, be honest: Do you still send handwritten notes?

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The Affair

Is anyone watching The Affair on Showtime? It filmed all summer right in front of our apartment in Brooklyn, so Matt and I decided to check it out. Now, I'm totally hooked—and since I'm basically watching it in real time (instead of binge watching at the end of the season like a normal person), I have to wait with baited breath each week for a new episode to air. ;)

Here's the gist: The show is about a Brooklyn family who spends their summer vacation at their in-laws' estate in Montauk. The dad/husband (played by Dominic West) meets a married waitress (played by Ruth Wilson) and there's a spark...dun dun dun. (I promise, I'm not giving anything away!) One of my favorite parts about the show is the supporting cast which includes Maura Tierney and Joshua Jackson. Anyways, it's intense! I don't think I've yelled at the TV this much in a long, long, long time. :)

Are you watching this show? Any other fall TV you're newly addicted to? Would love to know!

PS: In case you're hesitant to commit, The Affair has already been renewed for season 2!

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Brunch Page: The Butcher's Daughter

I first heard about this sunny brunch spot from Bri over at Design Love Fest—she recommended The Butcher's Daughter as one of her favorite New York spots when she was in town to teach Blogshop last year. 

This past Saturday, I finally made it over there for a solo brunch, iPad in hand. I nabbed a window seat (those vintage-looking stools swivel out) and ordered the smashed avocado toast and a cup of green tea. Delicious! But my favorite part truly is the interior design. The whole place is so airy and bright. I especially love the pops of yellow against all the white. With the sun shining in, it was a lovely spot to sit, read, eat and write.

What's your favorite spot for a cozy winter brunch? Do you have a go-to place?

More New York brunches here, here, here, and here.

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The weekend is here!

Happy Friday, my dearest readers! What do you have planned for the weekend? I am SO excited to say that I am getting a haircut. I can't tell you how overdue I am. Will try to post a pic next week of my new 'do. :) Wishing you a wonderful Saturday-Sunday ahead. Here, to get your weekend started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

70 questions for Reese.

Love this apple crostada recipe. Yum!

Faux-braiding—just what I need.

Oh, Jimmy. (Plus, this is a great read.)

I so want to give this a try. Yum!

One week from seeing Emma. Counting the minutes. :)

Love these winter gloves.

Perks of dating someone older.

The best advice about hat hair.

C'est la vie!

(Image via The Coveteur)

Holiday shopping strategies

This year, I'm trying to get a jump start on my holiday shopping and avoid the December rush. I'm always such a last minute girl with Christmas! I keep thinking: If I can just iron out my gift list now, I'll be so prepared when Cyber Monday rolls around! 

Since I have time on the subway, I've been using my morning and evening commute to jot down notes about the people in my life that I love and gifts that might suit their interests. It sounds funny, but the subway is such a helpful place to ponder ideas. My goal is to at least have a finished list by Thanksgiving. Fingers crossed. ;)

Do you have any gift-giving strategies? How do you get a jump start on your shopping? Would love any tips and advice!

PS: One of my favorite sites for gift ideas!

(Image via Pinterest)

Travel Page: Southern California

A month late, but at last—a recap of my trip to California to see my little sister. It was so nice to be able to take a week and pop out for a visit and some road tripping around LA. I miss her! But man, did I run her ragged during my stay. Seven days seems like so much time, but there is so much to do where she lives. What I learned: All plans need to be made with LA traffic patterns in mind. ;) Still, we had such a fantastic time. Here, some pics if you'd like to see what we did...

1 Weekend, 3 Restaurants

This past weekend was all about good food in Brooklyn. It was mostly spontaneous: Matt and I had no intention of eating three meals out. But our Friday-Saturday-Sunday plans took us to different neighborhoods with restaurants that had long been on our list. The first, Union Pizza Works in Bushwick. Has anyone been? We had plans to see this awesome show in Brooklyn, so decided to grab a bite nearby. The pizza was delicious, the ambiance even better. They even have this cool neon sign. :) We still had two more places to go... 

Movie Page: St. Vincent

After weeks of good intentions (about four to be exact), I finally made it to see St. Vincent, starring Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, and newcomer Jaeden Lieberher. Up until now, Boyhood was my favorite movie of the year, but this film is a close second, maybe even a tie. I loved it. Sure, the acting was terrific—I'm not sure many can outdo Bill Murray, who is still one of the greats—but the story is what got me. The script is beautifully written, funny, raw, and real. Since I don't want to give anything away, all I can say is go see it. Now. You'll want to savor every minute.

Click here to watch the trailer.

Oh! And, after you see it, let me know what you think! ;)

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The New Photobooth

So, I'm a lady who loves a good photo booth. That's why I'm sort of intrigued by Phhhoto, a new app that instantly turns your photo booth pics into gifs. What's cool is you don't have to be at a wedding to try it out—just download the Phhhoto app to your iPhone and start snapping away. The app takes a sequence of pics fast, then turns them into a moving image. 

Where I think it could be helpful: In the fitting room. My sister, friends and I are always snapping quick pics of outfits we're trying on, then texting (or Snapchatting) them for a speedy yay or nay. Wouldn't they get a better read on the clothes if you could send an easy-to-produce gif? Just a thought. :)

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The best mascara ever

For years, I've been searching for a great mascara. I've tried them all—from drugstore brands to top of the line formulas—but nothing has been quite right. Until now. A couple of weeks ago, I wandered into Sephora to replace my shampoo. I passed the store's wall of mascaras and decided, what the heck, let's sample a few! I found Lancome's L'Extreme mascara and really liked the soft and fine bristles on the applicator wand. For $27.50, I went for it. And you know what?

This. mascara. is. amazing.

It doesn't clump, it doesn't get dried out, it doesn't flake midway through the day. It provides definition (my lashes are blond, so this is very important) and lengthens, too. I've actually never had so much fun putting mascara on. 

Have you ever tried it? What's a dream beauty product you can't live without?

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One month, 100 miles

 

Maybe it's because I'm feeling inspired by the New York City marathon, maybe it's the fact that the holiday season is near: I'm trying to re-commit to a regular running routine. My sister's friend recently went on a running spree to get in shape and set a goal of running 100 miles in one month. She did it! What's cool about this plan is that it comes with flexibility. Maybe one morning, you only have the energy/time for 2 miles, but another day, you can fit in five. It's a fitness plan that's challenging, but accommodates busy work schedules, lives, etc.

So, I've decided that I'm going to give it a try—and I'm tracking the miles I log using a big and colorful oversized post-it as a visual reminder of my goal. I will say, I'm going to go a bit easier on myself and try to do 50 miles. But it's a good starting point (that means I need to run about 12 miles a week). We'll see how it goes!

Do you have any tricks/games/apps/motivational tools for getting in shape when you're short on time? I welcome any and all tips!

(Image via iVillage)

November Page: A toast!

Happy November, my darling readers! This weekend's cold weather in New York announced November's arrival more than anything else, right? Brrrr.... I finally got a cute new fall coat and I already need my puffer! ;) 

There is so much to love about this month. A few of my favorites: 

• Apple crisp (or apple pie!) made from scratch on Thanksgiving 
• The beginning of festive parties and catching up with friends and family
• My always-in-November ritual of watching Home for the Holidays, starring Holly Hunter and Robert Downey, Jr.
• Carefully picking out holiday cards to send
• Oh, and don't forget to vote! 

What do you enjoy about November? 

PS: For more November picks, go here and here.

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