I originally chose this polish to match the dress I wore to this wedding, but with fall in full swing, Essie's After School Boy Blazer has become my go-to shade. There's something about navy nails—they feel so bold and dramatic. :)
What do you think? Would you go this dark with your polish?
A lighter fall nail color here.
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'Tis the season in New York where we're gearing up for all those gorgeous Madison and Fifth Avenue holiday window displays. In the meantime, I can't help but tune in to a shopping fete happening across the pond to mark the arrival of J.Crew in the UK. This week, the first J.Crew women's shop opens at Brompton Cross in London, and the brand is pulling out all the stops to celebrate. For example: Complimentary (and colorful!) bouquets of fresh flowers with any purchase, plus cascading bursts of balloons to welcome new customers in.
It's so festive and pretty, don't you think? Totally makes me want to go shop!
More J.Crew here, here, and here.
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What's on the coffee table in your apartment? Unintentionally, Matt and I have started to curate our own mix of hard cover books to put on display. You can easily tell which books are his, and which are mine. The mix ranges from the gorgeous Paris Vu Par Hollywood, which I picked up at an exhibit in Paris last year, to Flip Flop Fly Ball, a clever collection of baseball infographics. I look at our coffee table book collection as instant-pretty for our apartment. It's something that, with a fresh bouquet of flowers, gussies the whole place up.
What do you think? Do you have any coffee table books?
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It's rare that I get to walk to see a play in Brooklyn, especially one as exceptional as Julie Taymor's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The inaugural production at the new Polonsky Shakespeare Center, this Shakespeare classic reaches new heights under Taymor's lead. I'll admit: I enjoy seeing Shakespeare in New York (especially in Central Park), but the interpretation always varies, for better or worse. This time, it's for better, as Taymor brings a vibrant energy to the show that's as enchanting as it is hilarious. The content is matched only by the inventive and airy design of her sets, which help make a small (and pristine!) space feel larger than life. If you can, grab tickets now—they are selling out fast!
To up the pressure to catch a performance, here is the New York Times review. :)
(Images via the New York Times)
I've talked about Rachel Khoo before: Ever since the New York Times' first wrote about her, I've been following her work, and her 'Little Paris Kitchen' in France. Fresh off the success of her first book, she's released a second, called My Little French Kitchen. In it, Rachel goes on a tour of the French countryside, uncovering new and delicious recipes as she goes. I can't wait to snag a copy, and start sampling her take on so many classic French dishes.
As a precursor, Matt and I attempted to make Soupe au Pistou from her debut cookbook The Little Paris Kitchen. It was delicious! Have you ever tried making pistou? It's a combination of garlic, basil, and olive oil, all mashed up into a purée. It was a challenge, given my limited culinary expertise, but added such wonderful flavor to this winter soup.
More from Rachel Khoo here, and a peek at her new book!
A snap from when I met Rachel in New York!
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'Tis the season for holiday music. Well, almost! This may sound crazy, but I've been listening to Christmas tunes since October (!!). In the fall, I joined a holiday singing group with a few co-workers of mine. It's perfect: There are about 25 of us, and we practice once a week for an hour at lunch. Then, our chorale director packs our December calendar with holiday performances around New York.
For my regular readers, you know: I'm bursting with joy every time we rehearse. Singing Christmas music harkens back to my a cappella days. I didn't realize how much I missed it until the first time we practiced together as a group.
The amazing part is that our repertoire is so varied. I'm learning all these new holiday songs that I've never heard before like this one and this one.
What about you? Has the holiday spirit hit you yet?
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