Bonne Chance

I found this via A Cup of Jo and I can't stop watching it. The dreamy French melody, that pale orange lipstick, and her bright smile are enough to make me want to buy every single thing in J. Crew. Lucky for me, I'm about five feet from the beauty closet and approximately ten seconds away from poaching a citrusy lipstick like hers. Full disclosure: I also want to spin around in my underwear with some Charlotte Gainsbourg in the background.

Weekend Read

I love to read. I love to cook. I love to eat. Naturally, I'm a sucker for reading about cooking and eating. I was first drawn to Eat, Memory because Ann Patchett (one of my favorite authors) contributed to this essay anthology. Secondly, I appreciated that the editor, NYT food editor Amanda Hesser, required that the subject matter have no sort of frou-frou sentimentality regarding the stories and recipes. Not that sentimentality is always frou-frou or a bad thing -- I could wax poetic for hours about my grandmother's chicken cutlets. I do enjoy, though, how each of the contributors take what could be a mundane memory and inject life into it. Plus, the wide variety of cuisines and locations allows the reader to hop from Paris to China to Queens, NY within an hour. The best part? Even you don't buy this for the recipes featured alongside each piece, you still get one of the most hysterical George Saunders essays ever written.

Sarong Season

Aren't these sarongs from Madewell absolutely beautiful? I think sarongs are so versatile -- they can masquerade as bright and breezy skirts, sunny poolside cover ups, makeshift scarves for chilly late-August nights, and impromptu beach or picnic blankets. I feel like it's difficult to find a sweet sarong that's all grown up and not at all campy, as some have a habit of becoming. I have my own dark cobalt sarong from a trip to Bali when I was nine years old; it cost me only $2 and is somehow still in perfect condition. Unfortunately, the price for this isn't quite as pretty, but the idea of these skirts paired with a thin cotton tank and flat leather sandals are enough to hook me.

Dreaming of...

...Cassis, France. Herb-scented Provençal soaps, wooded cliffs perfect for hiking, and sparkling white beaches.

Where to stay: Hôtel de la Plage, for its close location to the beach and dining area on the fantastic balcony.

Where to eat: Le Bonaparte, Restaurant Calendal. I recommend the restaurants in the alleys leading to the waterfront, because they're not nearly as overpriced or crowded.

What to do: Hike the Calanques, charter a yacht to sail on the Mediterranean, or roam the flea markets (where I bought one of my favorite dresses for 20 EU). Personally, I just like to jump along the rocks and into the sea.

Back It Up

3.1 Philip Lim Juicy Couture Alice + Olivia

I love dresses that showcase the back. In my opinion, the small of the back is one of the most subtly sexy spots of the female body. It's alluring and (for the most part) never strays into skank territory. How to pull this off? Don't let the hem rise too high nor allow the back to dip too low. The end result of this look should be demure and enticing; if you show too much skin, it's the fashion equivalent of telling everyone that Dumbledore dies in the sixth Harry Potter book before they read it. If you go for straps, try to keep it simple (explanation to follow shortly). In the case of the Philip Lim dress, the basic cross-strap and higher backline allow for the shorter length of the dress (but not for those boots, which horrible stumpify what are probably mile-long legs). The Juicy Couture is a sweet choice because it doesn't bare very much skin -- as opposed to a halter design, the shoulders are covered and the back rises safely above her waistline. The Alice + Olivia dress is probably my favorite; the sheer paneling is so unexpected yet it brilliantly updates the little black dress. It's one of the most clever ways to straddle sexy and classy. (All three pieces are available from Shopbop).

Heaven & Earth Asos

Feeling a little shy? These dresses lend a bit of intrigue without committing to it. They are equally seductive with the addition of charming details; the Heaven & Earth dress offers the ever-sexy lace, which serves the ironic purpose of covering up, while the the piece by Asos features discreet draping and soft material. Nevertheless, the sneak peek doesn't decrease the captivating capacity of showing a little back. The cut-outs still amp up the typical dress and add a dose of skin that a dress without them might not have. (Lace cut-out dress by Heaven & Earth, available at Asos, and blue jersey dress by Asos, also featured at Asos).

Alice + Olivia Zimmerman

I actually liked this Alice + Olivia dress at first glance. Then, when I was thinking of a good description of it, all I could come up with was "S&M! S&M!". I think it's the thick black straps that, although they're not pleather, remind me of pleather, which reminds me of anything I've ever watched on Sex & the City concerning S&M. Hence, S&M. Combined with the up-to-whoa hemline, even the most innocent shade of white can't save it.

The Zimmerman dress proves my earlier point about the necessity of simple straps. It's as though she sat on a brocade Louis XV chair, wandered (with it) into a paper shredder, and got tangled in the remains. Exaggeration aside, I still don't understand how I could figure out which hole to put my arm through. Although, could you imagine the sort of Spiderman-esque tan lines you'd acquire with that?

What?

On first thought, I DON'T UNDERSTAND. I feel like this is the sort of thing to wear if you "take fashion risks" and then fail miserably without realizing it. Kind of like harem pants.

On second thought, it might look cute over a bright tank.

On third thought, it reminds me of an edgy take on the straitjacket. Which doesn't cut it.

If this is your jam, feel free to a) explain why/dispute me, and b) buy it here.

P.S. After looking at this for the fifteenth time, I think I know why I don't like it. The shoulders are cut far too high! Is that it? Let me know what you think about this vest - yay or nay?

Happy Monday!

Last Tuesday, boyfriend and I went hiking at Mohonk Mountain in New Paltz, New York. Isn't it gorgeous? Being there feels like taking a mini-vacation, away from Condé Nast and internships and the real world. I love to climb up the enormous rocks and soak up the sun before dipping my feet into a lake. If I close my eyes and concentrate, I can pretend that I'm anywhere.

I love quiches more than anything - large quiches, mini quiches, quiches with things I usually don't like baked inside of them. Maybe it's the crust, or it might be the cheese. Do I care? No. Just hand me a quiche and there's a 100% chance that I'll eat it.

The good thing: I have a repertoire of two incredible quiche recipes.

The bad thing: When I'm grocery shopping and don't have said recipes on hand, I mix up the ingredients.

The other good thing: Once, this resulted in a new and even more delicious quiche recipe.

By once, I mean Wednesday night. I accidentally combined the best components of both recipes and ended up with what I'd like to call a Quiche Lorraine, But Better. On account of just how good it is, here is the recipe. Try not to salivate on your keyboard.

Quiche Lorraine, But Better

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons butter

5 or 6 strips bacon, depending on the size

1 cup Swiss Gruyère cheese

1 cup whole milk (you can also substitute 1-1/4 cups of half-and-half)

1 pre-made pie crust

- Pop the pie crust in the oven at 375-degrees for 8-10 minutes, until it's a pretty golden shade.

- Heat the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Throw in the onion and sauté until very fragrant, soft, and golden -- about 4-5 minutes. Let cool.

- Cook the bacon. I do this in the microwave because I can only stand to be burnt by oil drops for so long. Sandwich it between paper towels; tuck the top paper towel well, or else the bacon fat will spatter and require a half hour of clean-up. Give it 15 seconds for every strip of bacon. If not cooked, continue to heat for 15 second intervals until crispy-ish. Crumble and let cool.

- Beat the eggs and the yolks (to separate the yolks, I suggest cracking the eggs and transferring the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the broken shell, because you can then use the edges of the shell to cut the yolk from the white as you do it)(I don't suggest plopping the white in the sink, because it'll clog the drain)(my mother wasn't happy at all). To the eggs, add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, whole milk, sautéed onions, and crumbled bacon. Whisk well.

- Add the cheese to the egg mixture, saving a handful. Pour cheesy egg mixture into the pie shell, spreading the onions and bacon. Top with the handful of cheese and bake at 375-degrees for 30-35. The end result should be wiggly but quite firm, and when you slice into it, it ought to be liquidy but still able to retain its shape. Let it cool for five minutes or else it will fall apart; try to resist inhaling it as soon it comes out of the oven. It's okay if you don't -- I wasn't able to either. Happy eating!

[photo cred to Kate Silberger, Chaucercat, and Pillsbury]