Fall Foodie Faves

I've been doing some fall recipe research in magazines and favorite cookbooks. The crisp weather puts me in the mood for chili, soups, chowder, and all things pumpkin. What types of recipes do you like to make in the fall?

Book-It

I'm excited to finally be stocked up on some new summer reading material. I can't wait to start The Hunger Games. I've heard great things about it, but was slightly surprised to find it in the young adult section of the book store. Guess we'll see how it goes!

What's on your summer reading list?

P.S. Does anyone else remember the Book-It reading incentive program from elementary school? I remember one of the prizes was being able to get a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut, which was so awesome!

Mother Monster

She is everywhere lately. Is anyone else listening to Lady Gaga's new album on repeat like me (especially at the gym!)?

Just For Fun

Inspired by an article in this month's In Style magazine (the color issue), I opted for a non-traditional manicure to start off my weekend. I used Chanel's Riva (one of my favorites) on all of my nails, except for my ring finger, where I used Essie's Chinchilly. The verdict: I really like the look! I think it would be fun to choose colors in the same family, like hot pink with a pale pink accent finger. It was fun to change it up a little and I definitely got some compliments while out running errands. In other news, I am totally obsessed with the new way they brew chai tea at Seven Stars. It's spicy and frothy and it's making not having my morning coffee pretty bearable.

What do you think, would you experiment with this trend?

Unsubscribe

This afternoon I ran out to the grocery store to pick up a couple things for dinner. Totally normal, not anything out of the ordinary. When I came back, I walked into a semi-intervention, staged by my lovely boyfriend. He took the liberty of stacking every magazine I own on the dining room table, separated by issue and type. It was astonishing, even for me. Now I know exactly how those addicts on Intervention feel when they walk into the room and realize they're not really there to give their 'final interview'. Ouch. I took a picture of the entire table (by standing on a dining room chair) that I'm too mortified to post here.

I subscribe to a (generous) handful of magazines, which I really enjoy reading, especially while at the gym. The problem I have is getting rid of them (obviously). There's always a recipe, an exercise routine, or a pair of shoes that makes me dog ear the corner and hold on to it for later. Much later. Like years. Scary. Well, today I faced my hoarder-like tendencies and purged a huge chunk of my magazine stockpile. They went out with the recycling. I neatly organized and stacked the issues I allowed myself to keep and now I feel a lot better. I guess sometimes you just have to get ambushed! Talk about a productive Sunday.

Practically Perfect

I love my Friday nights. It's the perfect time for me to unwind with take-out, catch up on my favorite blogs and new magazines, and decompress from the work week. Tonight is no exception! I'm armed with my laptop and chopsticks and enjoying some pretty tulips I couldn't pass up at Whole Foods. This weekend I'm planning on spending some quality time with M and not cooking (since I've made dinner for the past five consecutive nights). Hopefully that means we can try somewhere new tomorrow night-always exciting! I may even try to sneak in a Pinkberry/Nordstrom run on Sunday afternoon. Hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing weekend!

How do you unwind after an exhausting week?

My Growing Library

I was so happy to come home from my trip home to a stack of new magazines and another book by Steve Martin (gifted from M, of course)! I've been a fan of his ever since he starred in Father of the Bride (and the subsequent sequels). I just finished reading An Object of Beauty and I must say, Steve Martin is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. The newest book in my collection is actually a memoir that Steve wrote about his own career in stand-up comedy. I'm only a few pages in and I can already tell I'm going to love it. Side note: doesn't Kate Winslet look amazing on the cover of Glamour? Love her hair!

Grand Wagoneer

I really love these Tommy Hilfiger ads that are running for fall. Growing up, my family always had a Jeep Grand Wagoneer and I thought it was super cool until I had two little sisters and we all had to sit next to one another in the back seat. Yikes! There were definitely some tense moments there. I feel like Wagoneers are the classic prepster car that could easily go from the beach to soccer games. Even though they stopped making the Jeeps in 1993, I'd still love to own one and drive it around the Cape in the summertime. Oh, and those L.L. Bean inspired lace-up boots are pretty amazing too!

Jak & Jil

Love these shots of some of Christine Centenera's favorite things. She's the fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar Australia. Amazing pictures. Seen here on Jak & Jil blog. It's got me thinking about what photos of my favorite things would look like. Hmmm...

She's a Lady

I keep turning back to this spread in September's Marie Claire (featuring Mary-Kate Olsen on the cover). It is absolutely gorgeous and features the beautiful Ingvild Moerk. This is my absolute favorite shot of the bunch. There's something so glamorous about the scalloped Valentino dress and the Yves Saint Laurent cape. I love it! There's also a Prada dress cinched with a neon yellow J. Crew belt. I love seeing couture pieces mixed with affordable basics. It makes even the most outlandish designer price tags seem slightly more attainable (at least for part of an ensemble).



What do you think? Do you mix expensive pieces with affordable ones?

The Perfect Dress?

I visited Borders over the weekend (one of my favorite stores ever) and scooped up a few new magazines and a copy of Julie and Julia (finally). I couldn't resist picking up a copy of People's Style Watch, mostly because it was loaded with cute dresses and accessories that I wanted to browse through. One of my favorite finds was this metallic Shoshanna dress that People claims is the perfect dress to carry you through wedding season. I couldn't agree more! The dress can be done up with sexy heels and an updo or dressed down with a cardigan and a low ponytail. I haven't seen the dress on Sak's website yet, but you can be sure I'll be checking back over the next few days.

Could you see yourself going to a wedding in this Shoshanna number?

Furniture Hunting

I've been looking for a coffee table for ages and can't seem to find one that I like that's reasonably price. I've decided to move on to the next item on my furniture wish-list: a desk. My favorite styles are sleek, simple, and spacious. I don't need a lot of drawers for junk, but I like a large surface so I can spread out magazines, my laptop, and flowers. I find that the cleaner my workspace, the more I can get accomplished. These Parsons desks from West Elm are my absolute favorite. I love the yellow one, even though it doesn't really fit my color scheme. It's so cheerful! The price is right, compared to some other furniture sites I've been browsing.

Glamourous

I picked up the new May issue of Glamour on Sunday afternoon and it's packed with adorable spring outfits and style tips. I like Glamour because it's not too serious of a fashion magazine and it usually showcases some affordable runway-inspired trends. Plus, they have other worthwhile articles and fun recipes to try.

Lauren Conrad is on this month's cover and her feature is great! She is photographed with her two bffs, Lo Bosworth and Whitney Port. She talks about their friendship and designing her new line of clothing at Kohl's. I loved the pictures--their outfits were cute and the shoes were to die for (especially the lavender CL peep toes!). It's definitely worth checking out the gallery here. I'm in love with the Citizens tank she's wearing on the cover.

What are your guilty pleasure reads?