Soap & Paper

I wandered into Soap & Paper Factory's stall at the Grand Central Christmas Market on a whim. I swear I didn't mean to stumble into the money pit of all things beautiful and fragrant, but then again, I have such a penchant for all things beautiful and fragrant that this was bound to happen eventually. I'm not sure which snagged my attention, the pretty packaging or the wafting scents. Then I spotted drawer liners, and the gift radar in my head whirred a bit before screaming "MOTHER. MOTHER. MOTHER." My mom has a thing for anything luxurious and typically useless, and what do drawer liners do? They sit in a drawer, look good, and smell like flowers. I wish I could find something like that in a job description.

I bought her a pack of drawer liners in the green tea scent, and it smells so good that I almost want to keep it for myself. But I can't — right? On the bright side, I can "hide" it in my drawer until Christmas so that my mother won't find it and my sports bras will become tea-scented sports bras. And everyone knows that tea-scented sports bras are way better than unscented ones. If you have someone on your list who doesn't treat themselves to the lovely, however frivolous, things in life, these drawer liners are the perfect gift.

Holiday Fever

 

Now, after a long, relaxing Thanksgiving weekend filled with late night drinks with old friends and dainty cheese flights of Taleggio, Gouda, and English Cheddar, I can unabashedly blast my Christmas music — my favorites are Bing Crosby and The Carpenters. My house is decked out in gold and white, with ribbon and lights wrapped around the banister and a glittery, snow-covered Christmas village in the living room. This editorial from J. Crew, though, inspires me to incorporate other hues, perhaps silver and the softest rose. I love that they used Confetti System to decorate; what could be more festive and appropriate for the holidays than bright, whimsical tassels?

Lanvin Loves H&M

It's retro chic and back to the '50s this winter, according to the looks from the Lanvin ♥ H&M collection runway show. I'm usually wary of wearing both a bright lip and accentuated eyes, but these are subtle enough that I think I could take the plunge. I think it's the fact that everything else is just so groomed and polished, from the perfectly arched eyebrows to the flawless complexions. I'm back in New York for Thanksgiving, and I'm so incredibly pleased to be going to get my eyebrows waxed in about two hours because well ... they need it. Plus, the timing is perfect to try out this new look for Thanksgiving dinner. With lips like these, no one will suspect that I'm the one swiping all of the cranberry sauce.


I had the most awful time getting home yesterday. The flight was ideal, particularly for Chicago — an hour and a half long, no layovers, no delays. My sister and I arrived with an hour to spare, and as we were checking our luggage, I realized that my ring was missing. This isn't just any ring. It's a silver snake thumb ring that I found for five Euros in Rome, and I'd worn it every single day since I was fifteen. My dad had mentioned that he thought thumb rings were the tackiest jewelry on the planet, so this was my own personal and very tame teenage rebellion. After going through security, I emptied my bag on a chair to search for this ring, which was nowhere to be found. I crumpled up on the floor of the airport, sobbing while my sister tried frantically to console me. I  eventually collected myself, sulkily refused to wipe the trails of mascara running down my face, and left the terminal to go back to the curbside check-in, but the ring wasn't there either. I gave it up for lost, miserable and furious that I didn't take better care of it. Later that night, though, as I wriggled out of my jeans, my ring flew into the air. I've lost some weight (particularly in my hands, for some reason — is this not the most pointless place to lose weight from?) and as I was pulling my pants on yesterday morning, my ring had slipped off and settled comfortably in the pant leg of my Earnest Sewns. The moral of the story is to buy a reaaaaally awesome present for my little sister, who put up with the weepy, complaining, and utterly despicable me like a champ.

[Photo cred to French Vogue]

Do You Rue?

 Because I truly do! The Holiday Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Rue magazine is now available, and I can't get enough of the gift guides and the gorgeous editorials. These shots are my personal favorites. A few feathers, a little bit of lace, and a gutsy shot of cobalt make for what is — in my opinion — the perfect New Year's Eve ensemble. I feel like glittery sequins or beads always come to mind first where New Year's fashion is concerned, but feathers? Genius! Plus, I love the extra touches: blood-red nails, a sparkly cuff, strappy sandals, that incredible view. Do you have any plans for New Year's Eve yet? I feel like I'm going to dream big, but actually find myself with some close friends, sipping Baileys and coffee at a bar on the Hudson River and counting down...

[Photo cred to Erin Hiemstra for Rue No.2 via Coco+Kelley]

Toasty Tunics

I never know what to wear for Thanksgiving — jeans just don't seem dressy enough and are far too restrictive, while a silk dress will inevitably be crumpled when I curl up on the floor to nap in between the turkey course and dessert. Plus, heels are superfluous because they'll be kicked off at the door, relatives having ruled in favor of the spanking clean hardwood floors. These tunic dresses by Toast, then, must have been designed for this exact occasion. There's no need to unbutton your pants if you're not wearing any, and the addition of cozy leggings and thick, patterned slipper-socks make this a complete and perfectly appropriate outfit. The best part? Wearing something as deliciously soft as this renders the blanket for the post-turkey nap unnecessary. Because you're wearing one.

Marvelous Weekend

This is my last autumn weekend at Northwestern. I've considered sitting on the rocks by Lake Michigan and wallowing; this happened yesterday in particular, when I had to don a purple cap and gown for my senior portrait. Instead, I'm going to make this a marvelous weekend (don't you love all of the vowels in "marvelous"? Or is it just my own little obsession with words?). Tonight, I'm meeting several different groups of friends for drinks — I'm a newly-minted twenty-one year old, so I'm probably going to say "I'm meeting so-and-so for drinks" for the next three years. Even if we're actually going to brunch.

Here's my recipe for a marvelous weekend:

Step one: spend a very long time lounging around bed in these pajamas. I love my bed, but I don't think I spend nearly enough time in it. Have a cappuccino, which is something I don't usually indulge in during the week. Maybe eat some bacon with your morning omelette. Read a magazine and listen to holiday music.

Step two: light a winter-scented candle, my favorite being Voluspa's Frost Pinecone scent. Think about all of the delicious food that's just waiting to be gobbled (awful pun, I'm sorry) next Thursday. Call a friend. Pretend to study, but actually check your favorite blogs compulsively. Think about outlining your final papers. Do anything else instead. Slip into this sweet dress and invite your best friend over to drink some peach champagne.

Hope you have a marvelous weekend!

[Photo credit to Amanda Nisbet Design via Love. Obsess. Inspire.; cappuccino via And Flowers Pick Themselves]

Confections

It's just as though Kate Spade knows how to design happiness: a dash of confetti, a sprinkle of gold. I don't even need a thermos, but do I care? It's almost as though the other pieces would be so incredibly lonely without it that it would be a true travesty to not get every single one of them. If I wasn't twenty-one and expected to have an smashingly inebriated New Year's Eve, I would throw a classy party and serve mini quiches and sip hot toddies all night — using this set, of course. Instead, I'm probably going to drink beer and wonder about whether or not I'm going to find a job come June, because that is what college seniors do. On the bright side, though, Kate Spade gives me a world of glitter to look forward to.