The Cat's Pajamas

I have a number of house guests coming and trips coming up in the next few weeks, and it made me realize my sleepwear situation is a little bleak.  (My litmus test is, if the doorbell rings and I am still in my pjs, would I answer it?)  As part of my closet purge, I got rid of a lot of sleepwear which just didn't fit the bill, and that left me with little which was comfy and company worthy.  Until now.  Aren't they the cat's pajamas?

They fit great, are super comfy, and I expect they will take less maintenance than the stack of lovely Belgian linen pajamas that make me look like a crumpled paper ball the next morning.  Besides, leopard is fun.  I especially like the tag:

Though very few people should see your sleepwear at all, I think having proper sleepwear is important on principle.  To dress well even while relaxing means you care enough about yourself for you, and that feels good.

Anyway, there are getting packed in my bag right now.  We leave in the morning for a weekend away in Pennsylvania.  Wishing you a lovely weekend!

A New Arrival in the (Purse) Family

Yes, I am very close to my purses.  I may not have many, but each one has been carefully curated with strategic intention.   Aesthetics, quality, purpose, and happy-factor are all considered before a new one is brought along into the family.

Last week I attended a Chanel trunkshow on the hunt for a neutral or black clutch.  They didn't have quite what I was looking for, but I ordered two variations, one of whom I hoped would fit the bill.  They arrived in the mail yesterday, so without further ado, here they are:

Here is a slightly better picture of the taupe wallet (they call the color "bronze"):

As you can see from the photo, the color is a lovely neutral which reminds me of Hermes Etaupe shade, one of my all  time favorites.  However, that's basically all I like about it.  I have a love-hate relationship with patent leather, which this is.  Sometimes it feels fun and rich and luminescent, and other times it feels sort of plastic-y.  This would be one of those other times.  It just feels squeaky in the hand, and one of my things about buying luxury leather goods is, well, it should feel sorta luxurious, no?  Anyway, if I could get over the squeak of the patent, I am still not wild about the zipper - a wide one with lots of material on either side, with some loose hanging strings and poor stitching (quite similar to the "sample" I'd seen at the trunk show, albeit in a different color).  Or the textured double C logo, which looks slightly bedazzled and a bit large for the proportion of such a small bag.  And one last gripe - it was made in Italy.  I love Italy, and I love many things made in Italy, including leather made by Italian design houses.  However, Chanel to me is quintessentially French,  I think it should still make their product in France after all, as it is a French design house.  Am I being too picky?  Anyway, I guess you can guess this one is going back to the store.  I should have gone with my gut instincts, but the color swayed me...

Okay, here is the second option:

First good sign - the box was twice as heavy, which largely has to do with the chain strap.  Yet I was already more thrilled with the feel of it overall.  The leather body itself has more heft, and feels nice and thick to the touch.  The stitching is even and leather is cut straight with even diamond quilting.   Yes, I made a careful quality inspection, especially after the taupe bag.  It even has this rich leather smell to it, which I like in a bag.  And more good news, it actually made in France!

This  design is the Chanel classic WOC (wallet on a chain) design, which can be worn on the shoulder, cross body, or as a clutch.  It has room for a phone, wallet and keys, maybe even a small compact and hankerchief, along with zippered compartments for change and slots for credit cards.  I am totally in love!  I can see wearing it for a hands-free day of touring or to a nice dinner out.  I expect it will quickly become a new favorite, as it seems so very versatile.  Welcome to the family, little bag!


Side Rant on Quality

I'll be returning the other one, and I won't be shy about pointing out some of the flaws in workmanship when I do.  Not that the sales associate can do anything about their quality, but maybe the feedback will be passed on.  I feel like a lot of their more seasonal bags are being made as throw-away bags - the kind you wear a year or so and shove to the back of your closet because they look beat-up and ragged.  Well, I would never make a such a significant purse investment if I thought it would only last a year!  If something looks a little rough around the edges before I've even had a chance to wear it, I doubt it will wear well long into the future.  The fact that I even had to carefully inspect the black WOC itself tells me I don't trust Chanel quality implicitly anymore, not for purses anyway.  (In fact, this will probably be my last Chanel bag.)  Their prices are getting closer to Hermes, but the quality is getting further away... I expect the small purse collection I have to last a lifetime, so quality is important.  It goes for Louis Vuitton too, in my opinion.  I had a recently purchased Damier briefcase whose strap broke and canvas actually tore after a couple of months of use.  My older Damier pieces are still going strong - and when I compared the leather straps, appeared almost twice as thick as the newer piece.  Is quality going down, or am I getting pickier?  Have you noticed quality decline in certain high-end manufacturers?  Has it made you change your purchasing habits?

A Spot of Shopping - Chanel Obsessed?

A few posts back, you may remember that I did a big clean out of my makeup drawer.  This of course resulted in a handful of items I added to my shopping list.  Last week, I finally got around to driving down to the nearest large mall (it's a good thing it's over an hour away, there is definitely not a lot of impulse buying to be done) to check out the makeup counter.

I timed the visit with an invitation I'd received to the Chanel Trunk Show, so I hit two birds with one stone.   I'm am not a big Chanel bag collector, but I decided to drop by because I am on the hunt for a rather specific clutch or small bag which they just might be able to fill.  You see, I have a small gap in my purse wardrobe when it comes to clutches --  I've decided I need a small bag in a black or nudish neutral that can work for day-to-evening.  Nothing sparkly, and nothing to rough and tumble, just classic go with everything.  Kind of like my nude shoe hunt, I have been looking for a long time and have something specific and apparently difficult to find in mind.

Anyway, I had a look at their new fall merchandise and not much caught my eye.  I saw a number of loose strings and sloppy stitching-- they may have been samples, but you'd think for the money they'd do a better job.  And didn't they just have yet another price increase?  Oh, well.  They had some brightly colored patents, and things in tweedy or sparkly finishes but nothing just so.  I explained to the sales girl what I was looking for, and she showed me two options which I thought were so-so, but she could get me in other colors or permutations which could be just right.  So she ordered them.  Let the waiting begin!

The top item is actually a large zip around wallet, which I liked in concept because it has room for a car key and a lipgloss and could be multi-function.  However I didn't care for the gold color or the non-matching lining (you can't see it in the pick, but the zipper and interior are greyish, which to me does not work with the gold, it only makes it look cheap).  The sales assistant said it's because it's a sample, and the actually wallet comes in the taupe color of the second wallet below.  So that's what I'm waiting for to arrive, the large wallet/clutch in the taupe color.

The second thing I ordered was the wallet-on-a-chain, like the red purse on the bottom, but in red.  Maybe I will love it more in black, I am still on the fence about it.  I post photos when they both come in!

  
After that, I headed to the makeup counters and had a look around.  After much perusal and debate (thank you for recommendations!), here's what I came home with:

Eyeliner brush (out goes the old brush I had) and nude lipsticky gloss thing.

I had on my list a nude lipgloss but I got sucked in my this hybrid I'd never seen before.  It's called Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 51 Insouciance.  A mouthful indeed.  It's between a lipgloss and a lipstick.  I liked it because it seemed to have some lasting power, was moist but not too sticky, and yet sheer enough to go over a more pigmented lipstick shade should I be so inclined.  Darn the iPhone and my lack of photography skills, this is the best I could do to highlight the actual color on the wand:

Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Shade 51

And now my other lipgloss won't be so lonely in the drawer!

PS I do buy things that are NOT made by Chanel, I swear.  Next shopping trip, I'll have to prove it to you...

The Road to Farm-ville

Ok, so I am not the sporty or outdoorsy type.  I do not have a wide assortment of sports shoes, and I am afraid of bugs.  I love flowers (in vases) and animals (domesticated, non-rabid varieties), but I am not prone to even lingering for long stretches of time on our patio.  As I type this, some kind of gopher or hedgehoggy thing atop the hill outside is looking at me through the french doors.  (When he stands on his back legs, does that mean he's planning to attack?)

So, I never thought I'd be the type to say it, but I think I am going to run away and live on a farm.  See, it all started a couple years ago with Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.  (I suspect you may have either read it or heard about it by now, but if not, I highly recommend it.  If you like food, you'll like this book -- and it will also change the way you think about words like organic, local, seasonal, etc.)

Anyway, I think a lot of food standards are different in Europe than in the US, and it was easier to find organic (bio), non-GMO food.  There were weekly food markets year-round where I bought lots of local produce, meat and eggs, and often got to talk to the grower as well.  Here in New Jersey our closest approximation was Whole Foods -- until we heard about a local organic farm selling boxed share memberships in their cooperative.  Of course, we joined, and come spring we started to receive weekly allottments of the most succulent and delicious things I'd never seen before - garlic snapes, all kinds of new greens, varigated beets, etc.

As part of our membership, we also have picking rights to certain fields throughout the growing season.  Primarily it's been herbs, which I have frozen and/or dried in enough quantities to keep myself and my relations flavorfully sustained through the dark winter months.  My counters have been over-run with herbs for a while:

Oregano, Thyme, Summer Savory, Horehound, Assorted Mints...

But it's now the height of summer, and this week was the most luscious week yet.  Our boxes have been filled with dozens of tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, peppers, zucchini and herbs.  This means I have been making pasta sauces and stews like the Italian army is coming to stay. I also made my own ricotta to go with it - simple but messy, hence no pictures of any of that.  My kitchen still looks like spies ransacked it looking for the microfiche...

The picking fields are bursting with goodness too, and it's meant all kinds of herbs, flowers and berries are now available.  I spent much of Friday morning rooting around in the dirt, not caring a lick about the red earth caked around my shoes.  I shoed away bumblebees hanging from clusters of raspberries, and competed with the blackbirds for blackberries.  I even saw a skunk (thankfully from afar), which had it not been for the intense desire to collect my berries, would have ordinarily made me scream and run away.

I am still far from being a nature-girl, but it is the most fun I have had outside, ever.  There is a joy in collecting the food you are going to eat, in seeing where it comes from and picking it yourself.  There is of course a joy in eating it too - immensely tasty when it is so fresh and lovely.  But also I have had an immense increase in my understanding and appreciation of what it means to make food.  I know just spending a day out in the sun rifling around for ripe eggplants and pretty flowers does not a true farm experience make, but it's a lot more than I ever did before.  It is hot, hard work, and a profession to be respected and admired.  Thank you, farm and farmer, thank you!
 
Anyway, I'll leave you with a few shots of my day at the farm.  Have you had any food revelations lately?

Fields of flowers, which you are actually allowed to pick!

Globe Amaranth, which look like little red pom-poms.

Ok, am I the only one who didn't know that unripe blackberries look like raspberries?

Stevia in its natural state.  Prevents tooth decay?  Neato!

Fields (left to right) of maturing Pepper plants, assorted Basils (including that dark purple row), and Sunflowers (far right).

A heap of farm-fresh flowers, iced Mint and Stevia tea, and blackberries and raspberries.
A real treat after a hot day in the sun! 

Hey, I Put Some Nude Shoes On...

I have been humming this Paolo Nutini song to myself all morning, and I've just figured out why.  I've received my new nude shoes today, and I am terribly excited.

I have been looking for nude shoes as long as I can remember.  It started sometime in high school, and has gone unresolved for...  Well anyway, it's been a long, LONG time.  Sometimes, I find a shoe that will just about sort of do it, but it never quite fit all my requirements for color, form or fit.

(You can read my far too long justification on why I wold spend years searching for the perfect shoe, or skip down to the photo at the bottom - your choice. :)  )

When I did my major closet overhaul, I rid myself of all the shoes which were my not-quite-perfects, the impracticals and the painfuls.  In the mix was about 10 pairs of one-hit wonder shoes purchased just so they could go with one specific outfit in that particular color.  That included the hot pink slides, lime green sandals, teal snakeskin pumps, cute but money-wasters one and all.   And then there were a pile of the sort of nude shoes that, because each failed in some way, I apparently needed all of them to cobble together my outfits.  I had a light ivory d'Orsay, a casual nude slingback, a tan mule with lots of gold hardware... none fit my needs exactly.  I knew that if I had the one perfect nude shoe, I could wear it with with just about anything, including otherwise hard-to-match challenges like floral dresses or prints.

Here was my list of requirements for The Perfect Nude Shoe:

1. The nude color had to closely approximate my skintone.  Off-white, light peach, soft grey, and variations of tan just wouldn't do.  The whole point of the nude shoe is to elongate your leg and simplify your look - a strikingly different color would just defeat the purpose.

2. The shoe had to have a heel, but be walkable.  Heel to make the calf look nice and be suitable for dresses and skirts, but not so high that they allowed me only to hobble from taxi to restaurant door.  (I've learned I have less fun and I am less fun in shoes that hobble me.)

3. No open toes, as I wanted this shoe to be seasonless and go just about anywhere.  If it screamed summer or strappy cocktail sandal, it wouldn't be flexible enough to be my real one and only go to.

4.  Minimal to no texture and hardware - especially gold.  (I've recently sold off my gold jewelry and most gold hardware bags as I just don't wear them, and so I didn't want to go down that road again.)

5.  Clean elegant lines - the end result shouldn't say, "wow look at those shoes!" but instead meld into the whole ensemble.  At the same time, I also believe basics should be fundamentally interesting.  Something can be too plain, and then it's not a joy to look at or own, right?  

6.  And be comfortable!  Because I have round little balls for feet (read: wide!), this meant my foot couldn't feel like a trussed ham in a tangle of straps.  This perhaps of all was my most difficult challenge, as I found a lot of styles made my foot look just horrible and feel like it too.

Now you can probably guess why I've had such a hard time finding the right pair.  Especially as I can see contradictions within my own requirements!

In my search, I wore down even the most determined shoppers who have tried in vain to help.  They put a man on the moon, surely I can find a pair of shoes, no?   I just didn't want to settle for less, and spend money on another shelf full of almost-rights.

Fast forward to this spring, and all the color-blocking trends meant nude shoes were everywhere.  I finally thought my time had come, and was determined to have a pair come home with me.  My sales associate at Neiman Marcus brought out a stack of nudes from my favorite designers.  Each broke one of my requirements in one way or another.  Finally, I tried on the YSL Tribute Sandal in nude.  It was so-so, but I harbored a secret desire to have a pair anyway, and besides, the color was right.  I brought them home.  I periodically tried them on, and then put them back in the box.  They had open toes, straps, platforms, and made my feet look like the aforementioned trussed hams.  Oh, and all I could do was totter around on thick carpet.  Back to the store they went.

The YSL Tribute fail reminded me that I needed to be patient and stick to the list.  Just because all the fashionistas are wearing them doesn't mean they will work for me.  (And I thought I was over that already - oh, well!)  Besides, that much money on a pair of shoes I can't even walk in?  I have to draw the line.

About a month ago, I went back to Neiman Marcus for their First Call sale.  I cruised the sales rack and tried on a bunch of shoes I'd normally never think of trying.  I generally know what will work for my foot and what doesn't, and which designers are cruel to wide feet.  Among them, Christian Louboutin is no friend of mine.  Even before they were super-popular, I admired the quality and workmanship but just could not stuff my feet into his designs.  There, on the rack, a pair of CLs in a lovely nude color and odd diagonal cut that said, "come on and try me."  So I did.  And they were perfect.  Huzzzah!!

Simple but interesting, walkable, elegant, go-with-anything nude shoes, and until I had put them on my feet, I had no idea they would work for me.  I thought the diagonal cutout would not suit me, but it was just the opposite.  The only downside?  Slippery soles.  Luckily, my sales associate knew a place and had them sent off for a bit of red rubber soling.  Today, they are back in my arms, and I am over the moon excited!  May I introduce to you my Perfect Nude Shoe:

CL Newton 70 Nappa Beige with Silver Heel (On Sale Too!)

What have you invested time in hunting for just the perfect _______?  Did you give up?  Did you persevere?  If you are still on the search, good luck!



P.S. Click here to listen to Paolo Nutini's "New Shoes," but don't blame me if you can't get it out of your hear afterwards, you were fairly warned.

Quick Trip to Baltimore

I had the opportunity recently to take a short overnight trip to Baltimore, which I'd previously visited on business trips several times but never had the chance to play tourist.  This time, I made sure to see a handful of the local sights during my less than 24 hour stay.

Because I only had the afternoon/evening and a bit of the following morning, I focused my efforts on the pretty Inner Harbor area which hosts many of the city's tourist attractions.

Nope, there is nothing wrong with my camera - the city was cloaked in a humid haze most of the afternoon.  

There are plenty of little shops and places to poke around along the Harbor.  Due to the humidity, I decided to stop in for a cold drink and people watch at one of the many terrace restaurants overlooking the view.

From there, I stopped by to learn more about the USS Constellation, which is the last Civil War-era US Navy boat that still exists.  The ship was used to disrupt slave trade during the Civil War, but was later used as a training vessel during WW1 also.  

USS Constellation

You can rent a boat of your own nearly from the same location, though they are much smaller (Dragon-shaped paddle boats below).  I decided to skip the paddle boats (terrible swimmer) and head straight to the Baltimore National Aquarium.  The Aquarium lives up to its reputation as one of the country's largest.  Check it out for your typical shark and octopus display but be sure to see the re-created Tropical Rainforest Exhibit too.  Highly recommended!

Foreground: Rentable paddle boats.  Background: Baltimore Aquarium (triangular roof).
 

By now, it was threatening to actually rain and my stomach was threatening to overtake sensible thought unless fed soon, so it was time to look for a dinner place.  Normally I do extensive research about places to eat great local cuisine before traveling, but as this was an impromptu trip, I didn't get a chance.  So, my dinner research involved squinting around the harbor, looking for something remotely seafoody as tribute to the local specialities.  Yonder in the distance, a sign: The Rusty Scupper.

Liking moths to a flame, my dining companion and I drifted towards it, and made it inside just before it started to pour.  From the restaurant, you can have a really great view of the entire harbor.  As a bonus, we were able to enjoy the thunder and lightening show as well.

But, we came here to eat, no?  As crab cakes are a local institution, we decided to share one for a starter. Since I am new to this whole blogging thing, I forgot to take a picture until after we had both tried a bite.  Sorry!  Anyway, you get the picture - a broiled, mostly crabmeat cake in a light mayo sauce.  It was good in the sense they didn't skimp on the crabmeat, but it didn't knock my socks off.

Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, minus two bites...

Main Course: Fish and Chips and Beer

To continue on the seafood kick, I decided to order the Fish and Chips accompanied by the house beer, a Rusty Scupper Amber Ale.  The fish was flaky, and the beer had a nice orange-blossomy aroma.  It did not compare to my favorite fish and chips in the world (Leo Burdock's, Dublin, Ireland - you will die when you try this!!), but it was decent.  The conclusion?  Come for the view and get some decent food to boot, but for a true gastronomical treat you may want to look elsewhere.

The following morning left me with just enough time for a light breakfast at the hotel and a sprint up Federal Hill for one last look at the harbor (sadly, without the camera which died the night before).  Had the camera worked, I would have also showed you some shots of my hotel, the Intercontinental Harbor Court Hotel.  Alas, all I can say is the place is pretty true to its advertising in terms of looks - very East Coast traditional decor, and excellent service.  Best of all, valet parking and a perfect location means I would stay there again next time I visit Baltimore.  And I will be back, as there is plenty more to see and do!

Make-up Redux

A couple posts back, I shared with you a few of the decluttering projects which have overcome me as of late.  Today I thought I would take a moment to show you in more detail the outcome of my rather ruthless (well, at least I think so) purging of my cosmetics drawer.

So, I should begin by admitting I adore makeup.  I like buying it, putting it on, re-applying throughout the day... the whole nine yards.  I keep to a pretty light/neutral set of colors, however, and have learned from my mistakes over the years.  My "smokey eye" looks like I've gotten into a bar fight.  Bronzer makes me look like an Oompa Loompa (unfortunately immortalized in my sister-in-law's wedding photos forever).  And that chic slick of red lipstick?  Always on my teeth.  And sometimes my chin.

Anyway, knowing what works for me has helped me keep my collection in check.  I am sure if I was a bit more suited for the experimental or trendy colors, my makeup drawer would be a bureau.  But I digress.

BEFORE the PURGE

 The "before" shot - nothing too horrific I hope, but still, filled with a lot of "almost empties", "somedays" and "mehs."  

The Casualties 

Starting at the back and working clockwise: 
Back row: Caron perfume samples that give me a headache but came in a pretty purple fan shape, almost empty bottle of Revlon Colorstay Foundation, sample packets of Chanel lipsticks in colors I would never wear, Guerlain eyeshadow/liner palette where the liner hardened and I used up my favorite color, Laura Mercier palette that I used on business trips and yet always made me feel less-than-pleased with the results, Chanel almost empty eye shadow palette.  
Third row: Bourjois powder in a shade too pink, Bourjois blush and eyeshadow that were just too hard to take the product up on brushes, Chanel blushes I haven't used in 3-5 years each, almost empty Guerlain Rouge G, dry Laura Mercier liquid eyeliner and almost empty eye shadown.
Second row: Bare Minerals pinkish powder I could never learn to wear without looking like a sparkly fairy, Dior lipstick almost empty, YSL lipstick almost empty and I hated the color, YSL lipstick really empty and I loved the color, Chanel Rouge Coco empty, Dior mini eyeshadow palette.
First row: Old YSL lipgloss, assorted samples of things I have never been inspired to use.

It turns out, the things I decided to toss fell into a handful of categories:

Samples I simply am not using.  
It's either not my color, or my type product, but I was holding onto them anyway "just in case." If unused and recent I will share with a friend, otherwise it was tossed.

Things I love.
Well, that should probably be obvious, but I had a bunch of things I was holding onto to remember the color for repurchase, or kidding myself that I could squeeze a couple more uses out it if.  Case in point, my favorite lipstick:

Yes, I think it's dead now.  (Chanel Rouge Coco 02 Perle.)

Now I have a list of things I would buy again in a heartbeat - typed into my phone so it can come with me to the makeup counter.

Things I wanted to love, but couldn't.
For example, Bourjois blush and eye shadow.  I remember reading that they were made in the same factory as Chanel, and so should have similar quality.  But for some reason, the ones I purchased were like hard little rocks in their pans.  So hard I had to scrape some product off to get it on to a brush.  Not worth it, so in the trash they went.  (I do like their mineral face powder though!)

Sentimental or pretty things.
A bunch of Caron perfume samples in pretty purple fan shapes, whose smell gives me a headache.  An empty tube of a Rouge G lipstick because it has a mirror.  The first nice lipstick I bought in Paris (Galeries Lafayette YSL horrid metallic bronze lipstick I hated to wear but loved to look at).  Gone!

The WINNERS 

 A small but trusty arsenal remains, more than enough for my daily makeup routine as well as special occasions and seasonal makeup needs.

Top Row: Bourjois mineral powder (a bit of extra coverage over foundation when needed), Chanel blush brush, Guerlain powder brush, Revlon Colorstay foundation, Chanel Levres Scintillanes Glossimer 129, Diorshow mascara, Chanel brown liquid eyeliner, Chanel Rouge Coco 02 Perle, Chanel Rouge Coco 33 Boise des Iles.
Center row: Guerlain ecrin 6 color eyeshadow palette Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, YSL eyeshadow palette Sahara, Chanel eyeshadow single in Lotus.
Bottom row: Guerlain Terracotta blush in Blonde, Guerlain Rouge G lipsticks in Gisele 08 and Gaby 07, assorted brushes from Chanel, Laura Mercier and Bare Minerals.*
* I confess, I have no idea what to do with the fan-shaped Bare Minerals brush, I just kept it because it was pretty!  Oops, forgive my weakness...

A close-up of some of the colors...

The AFTER Shot

Now when I open my makeup drawer, I am confronted only with my favorites - how simple!

Yes, it's looking a little sparse, but I am now in the market for a new nude lipgloss, a replacement tube of the Coco 33 Bois de Iles, and perhaps a second fun eyeliner.  Also I am looking to replace my lip and eyeliner brushes, which have seen better days.  Now the fun part really begins-- going shopping!  Any recommendations???