IMHO
We email, text, tweet and ping - surely we can use the language while we do it, right? Love this graphic.
aha!
I'm Eating Bon Bons Baby
So beautiful.
So delicious.
So when can I get more of these?
Just came upon Christopher Elbow's Back in the Swing Collection of gorgeous artisanal chocolates. Elbow is one of America's premier chocolate makers with stints in Paris, Vegas, and his flagship location in hometown, Kansas City. His beautiful collections have been featured in Oprah, Food & Wine, Fine Cooking and InStyle.
The Back in the Swing collection includes phenomenal dark chocolate made better with antioxidant-rich blueberries, ginger and green tea. Best part: Christopher is donating $5 from every box to support Back in the Swing®, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting breast cancer survivorship through healthy living, and by encouraging patients to access post-treatment programs and clinical care.
I promise you - no one will take a bite and leave half in the box.
Food Glorious Food
The Box Rocks
Oh my. This is appealing in so many ways. Water in a box, otherwise known as Boxed Water Is Better is a brilliant little Michigan start up company that's getting a lot of buzz throughout blogland. Boxed Water containers are made from 90% renewable resources and responsibly shipped flat to the filler at 1/5 of the carbon footprint used to truck empty plastic and glass bottles. Of course the cartons are completely recyclable and the company has a give back policy of donating 20% of their profits back to their resource - water and trees.
Smart. Simple. So cool. The only question is: why is this only available in Michigan?
Check it out here and call your Whole Foods/Trader Joe's to spread the word. We like the box! reFRESH
Spring Fling
It's light out at six o'clock these days. Save the dates for weddings are popping up. The air has that good orange scent. It's spring.
As I make a wish list for spring and summer, I'm keeping an eye on the reports from Fashion Week and what's coming down the pipe for the coming year. Recession / depression shopping means any purchase has to go the distance - through the summer and even into the fall. (Something not terribly hard to do when you live in Southern California.) Some of my favorites from the shows...
Lovely things by Oscar de la Renta, Teatro and Versace. In that order. I Heart Fashion.
More like it
Post rant fashion findings. Forget rompers, punk, and disposable. This is more like it:
Images courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman. And The Row, Ralph Lauren and Dior...
A Wednesday Rant on Thursday
The sloppy 80’s glamazon look is back and it is so confusing. I recently read this month’s ELLE, which is consistently my least favorite fashion magazine on the stands, but I’d read everything else. What is going on here? Ridiculous photo shoots full of loud and unflattering Desperately Seeking Susan mesh punk, out of touch sheer dresses on languishing models and completely out there jumpsuits with booties that that have no place in a modern woman’s closet.
I am dumbfounded why editors continue to talk about encouraging their audience to be resourceful in these uncertain times, and yet offer up crazily expensive pieces that we all know have no more than a couple months shelf life in them, at best. The only thing worse that cheap disposable clothing is expensive disposable clothing. To borrow a word from the financial and environmental sectors – we are looking for sustainable. We are looking for something smart and chic that doesn’t break the bank and will offer up major ROI in the coming years. We are desperately seeking responsibility from our leaders, ourselves, and yes – our clothes.
Images courtesy of Elle.
My Whole Life, I Don't Know What This Song Means...
As 2008 comes to a close, I realize that I don't know what it is I'm singing every December 31st a few strokes before midnight...
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
"Auld lang syne" translates to "for times gone by". How lovely. Tonight we'll raise our voices and our glasses in celebration of the year gone by and the happy times to come in 2009. Happy New Year!
Goop
About 10 years ago, I became quite enamored with Gwyneth Paltrow. She's my kind of girl - intelligent, warm, stylish, and completely her own. Sliding Doors, Emma and Shakespeare in Love became part of my "most watched" rotation and I confess that I own them all on VHS. (Yes, VHS - Gwynnie and I go way back.) Somehow, I always thought we might be great friends, should our paths ever cross.
Though I've lost sight of my girl in recent years, I was delighted to come upon her new website, GOOP. It's a lovely lifestyle blog full of resources on food, fashion, health, and a myriad of little things we all like secretly like to know about our favorite people. I confess that I'm about to google the jeans and trench coat she references in her "My Uniform" post as I feel that they would be great additions to my own uniform. Worth a look today...
Thank you to another stylish blond, Miss Bridget, for the Goop referral. aha!
If The Stockings Get Hung...over
If you are feeling festive and your social calendar is lit up like a Christmas tree, there is a very good chance that you will find yourself over-served this holiday season. Here are Boy Wonder's tips on surviving the season:
Before Bedtime…
Alcohol is a diuretic. Your head hurts in the morning because you are dehydrated. The next time you enjoy 5 glass of Glenlivet, know that you are massively dehydrating yourself. Water before bed is an essential to avoiding a mind-splitting headache the next morning. Also, a snack with some protein (go for the cheese; skip the crackers) can help breakdown the alcohol in your system and fend off a hangover. Also, keep in mind when placing your drink order… the darker the alcohol the worse the hangover.
What to do When You Wake Up Hung Over…
- Go back to sleep - Take a loss on the 9am conference call and give your body the time it needs to process the alcohol. Alcohol prevents deep, REM stage sleep so you might need the 3pm nap on the couch to make it through the workday.
- Replenish your body. That 4th vodka martini was a mistake and now you need to replenish. Water, orange juice and Gatorade in mass quantitieses are the best. Caffeine always sounds good after an all-nighter but make no mistake; a cup of coffee or can of Coke won’t help you at all! Caffeine is another diuretic and we don’t want that.
- Eat. Your stomach is probably questionable and crackers or toast may seem like the answer but trust me, they are not. You are looking for mineral rich food (or something with grease) to help right your system. My go-to: a hamburger and fries. In Poland, they drink pickle juice as a hangover remedy. To each, his own.
- Hair of the dog. This is a controversial hangover remedy but if you must, a Bloody Mary is the only way to go. Your body will start dealing with the new alcohol and be forced to ignore the old and in the mean time tomato juice is full of vitamins.
- Shower. You probably smell like bar and cigarette smoke anyway so what can it hurt? A word to the wise: switch back and forth between cold and hot water. No science here, just a good old fashioned wake up call.
- Last resort: Alka Seltzer Morning Relief. This stuff does wonders, but please be careful when self-prescribing aspirin, Tylenol and ibuprofen. The side effects can be magnified when alcohol is in your system.
Hang over tips from the master, Boy Wonder. Food Glorious Food
Giving Thanks For...White Chocolate and Raspberry Bread Pudding
Hello Life in Style! The dishes are done, the project is wrapped, and just in time for Thanksgiving and the commencement of what I am now calling, the "MONTH OF JOY". Let the joy begin.
No doubt everyone has their favorite traditions, but on the off-chance you are in the mood to bring something new to the holiday table this weekend, let it be this: White Chocolate and Raspberry Bread Pudding. I had it at a wedding a few years ago and it changed my life. Luckily, I was the event planner and the generous chef, Lon Lane of Inspired Occasions in Kansas City, has offered to share the recipe with us. Do not miss:
White Chocolate and Raspberry Bread Pudding
by Lon Lane of the Catering Company
10-12 oz. Challah, cut into 1" pieces
3 cups whipping cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
10 oz. white chocolate
7 egg yolks
2 eggs
1/2 pint raspberries
Preheat oven to 275. Arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until light golden and dry, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Increase oven temperature to 350. Combine whipping cream, milk and sugar in large saucepan and simmer over medium heat stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and stir until melted to blend.
Whisk yolks and eggs in warm chocolate mixture. Place bread in bowl and pour chocolate mixture over. Let stand 15 minutes. Gently stir in raspberries. Place in pans and cover with foil, spray foil. Bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
Thank you thank you to Lon Lane for sharing his genius and to mom for making the ask! Food Glorious Food
Top Ten Things To Do While You Are Waiting for Life In Style To Resuscitate...
Sometimes life and work throw you a curve and all you want to do is blog, but you get so busy and it's 5:00pm and there you are: in your pajamas, you didn't go to the gym and there are still hours of work ahead. As it's clear that Life In Style is taking an Indian Summer hiatus while it's author works her butt off, here are The Top Ten Things To Do While You Are Waiting for Life In Style To Resuscitate:
10. Call Babbo and wait on hold for a reservation not at 4:30 or 11:45 pm.
9. Celebrate the return of the fall television shows and get into Mad Men.
8. Download the summer's pictures off your camera and have them printed. When was the last time you held a photograph?
7. Swap your foundation out for the non-summer shade. Replace your mascara while you're at it.
6. Go to yoga. It's a love/hate relationship with the mat, but we all need it.
5. Anna Wintour your closet for the outdated pieces that are holding your New Fall Self back and start the recon mission for key wardrobe updates. Get out there - it's not an easy fall...
4. Try sticking to the "cash only budget" plan and see what that life is like.
3. Be thankful that the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, is on its way.
2. Trade heirloom tomato salad for Granny Smith apple crisp.
1. Call your mother. She knows a lot more than you do.
aha!
Life Moves Pretty Fast...
If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it... Thanks Ferris. At the end of a very busy work week, I'm stopping for a moment to look around and be proud of the work. As my Grandfather said: Work. Thank God for the might of it.
Here's your thought for the day: 60 in 60.
Flash created by Creative Producers Group. aha!
An Outdoor Girl
Have a wonderful holiday everyone! I am off to the mountains for a full week of rest and family and will return...maybe.
A Week In The Life Of My Mouth: Day Four
I've always liked the idea of a neighborhood restaurant. In a perfect world, we all would have one: a warm, dimly lit café around the corner; a bistro just a stumble down the block; a spot up the street where you could always get a table. We all would have a restaurant where we truly belonged—like the bar in Cheers, only without the kooky customers.
In this perfect world, the maître d' would greet you with a kiss on the cheek. The server would set down your usual drink before you'd even taken a seat. The menu would open like an old, familiar novel, the one you've read a half dozen times but never seem to tire of. You could eat and drink and carouse as though you were at your own kitchen table—but at the end of the evening, you could tumble into bed without washing a single dish. When I die, I've decided, I don't want to go to heaven. I want to go to my neighborhood restaurant.
-Molly Wizenberg; excerpt from her September article in Bon Appetit
Day Four: Le Petit Greek
Amen Molly. After living on the fringe of cute neighborhoods for the last ten years, I have finally landed in a lovely area of town that has a bustling little main street full of cafes, boutiques, ice cream parlors, and a terrific yoga studio. I feel like I've arrived. I live in the cute.
Perhaps my favorite thing about living in such cuteness is my own neighborhood place, Le Petit Greek. The Ideal Husband and I happened upon it the day that we moved in and haven't stop going back since. It's that perfect mix of a relaxed atmosphere that is always 3/4 full but you never have to wait for a table and the food is honest and fresh. The restaurant is family owned, and supported by the most gentle and friendly staff I've ever come upon - led by their charming maitre d' Mario. It's the perfect neighborhood place and the evenings I spend on the outdoor patio eating spanikopita, Ionian salads, and freshly baked pita make it all worthwhile.
It's Friday and half past 5 where I live, so let's call an end to the working week and go for an end of summer supper to usher in the first signs of fall. Can you believe it's time for a jacket again?
Food Glorious Food
A Week In The Life Of My Mouth: Day 3
Day 3: Palate
Serious excitement and anticipation preceded our evening at the newly opened, Palate. It was to be a double celebration housewarming and birthday dinner for two very special friends, who also happen to be family. Palate is hot off the press with a glowing rave from the L.A. Times which described a carefully edited menu of simple dishes done to a perfect T. Palate also boasts a sister wine merchant and cheese shop where where you can indulge in small plate tastings while browsing a gastronomic library full of foodie books. Heaven.
I confess that I had pre-ordered in my head, which I am prone to do, but was delighted when our group opted for the full-on shared experience and so we ordered half the menu. From the porkfolio to the truffle risotto to the vegetable papillote to the impulse-buy rabbit, it was beautifully conceived, executed, and presented. Thoroughly well done in all aspects.
Except one. We had the oddest service. Left relatively unattended, patronized by the sommelier who kept calling us "kids", and an unbelievable moment when an entire bottle of water was spilled onto my lap... Without a big to do about the whole service bit, I'd say that the confluence of odd service dynamics could have soured the evening if not for the genuine delight and conversation of our company.
Let's chalk the weirdness up to an-off night and say this: The food is excellent. The ambiance is excellent. The whole gig is exactly the kind of well-conceived dining experience and culinary intention that I root for in a restaurant, but somehow I know I won't be back. Too many restaurants out there to look back, except to check if my pants are dry yet.
Food Glorious Food
The Bird of Peace Gets It Right
I ran across this today and loved it. Dove, I think you're on to something. aha!
A Week In The Life Of My Mouth: Day 2
Day Two: BLD
Say hello to my new go-to L.A. restaurant. BLD is a perfect candidate for the "place you go to most" with a user-friendly and yet inspiring menu complemented by a nice wine list, a gorgeous cheese plate, and seriously good coffee. Fresh decor and truly alluring lighting make you want to linger over cappuccino and solve the world's problems. So we did.
For me, the standout was the evening's special heirloom tomato salad with insanely good burrata. (I told you it was burrata week in Los Angeles.) For my date, the Banana Cream Pie with brownie crust made him put his head on the table in disbelief. The spot-on dessert menu lingered with us so much that we brought a visiting friend back two nights later and left in a blissful coma of Three Layer Yellow Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Frosting, Blueberry-Nectarine Crisp, and good old Chocolate Chip Cookies with milk. Don't worry, we shared.
In short, BLD goes on the short list. Food Glorious Food
A Week In The Life Of My Mouth: Day One
As a newcomer in the City of Angels and self-respecting food lover, I have decided not to eat at the same restaurant twice until I have an understanding of the culinary landscape in this town. Armed with a willing dinner partner, a slew of brilliant guides and recommendations from the local food blogging community - I'm on it.
I think we've made some real progress this week as the past seven days have been chock full of visiting friends, special occasion dinners, and a Saturday night date with the Ideal Husband. Hence, there's been A LOT of food. I'll give you the run down in the next couple days - let's call it A Week in the Life of My Mouth.
Day One: Osteria La Buca
The warm bustle and bursts of laughter from neighboring tables made me feel instantly at home at La Buca. Tucked in among who knows what on east Melrose, the exposed brick, unfussy decor and interesting multi-level space make this little osteria seem like it's own world. Among a group of friends, we sampled a decent amount of the menu. Here's the report:
Everyone but me loved the duck prosciutto with burrata. (By the way, it must be burrata week in Los Angeles because every single restaurant is hawking burrata specials.) We tasted two of the pizzas, both of which were successful with crispy crusts and well balanced flavors. The pesto ravioli and pink vodka gnocchi were a little run of the mill and though the Fungolata salad was lovely, it made me realize just how good Mario Batali does it over at Mozza.
Yes, the atmosphere is more cravable than the food, but worth it for that "good-to-be-with-friends-St. Elmos Fire" feeling. I'll go back.
And The Ideal Husband sat next to Kevin from the Backstreet Boys. Food Glorious Food
Everything Nice
Everything Nice, the second novel by favorite author, Ellen Shanman, has arrived as the perfect book to get your brain out of summer beach mode and back to the real reading of the Must Have fall short list.
Smart, textured, and poignantly stinging - the novel is right on point to bring about the next evolution in sophisticated romantic comedy fiction with really good female driven storytelling. More so- the story seems ripe for movie plucking. Somewhere between Sex and the City and the forthcoming The Women, Everything Nice is exactly what people who hate the words "chick lit" and "chick flick" are looking for. If you haven't picked it up yet - go get it. Or order it here. Must Haves
The Santa Monica Farmer's Market
Beautiful, beautiful photos of a friend's day at the Santa Monica Farmers Market...
Images courtesy of Bill Sinclair. Food Glorious Food
Farmer's Market Friday
This weekend: go to the farmer's market and cross your fingers that summer never ends.
Photos and recipes found on the latest incarnation of Tastespotting. If you haven't been - go NOW. .
Dance, Sing, Floss...
I loved this ad from Lululemon - (found on the back cover of a yoga magazine, naturally) ...especially the bit about the flossing.
Breakfast of Champions
Evidently it takes a lot more than a bowl of Wheaties to get the gold these days. Take a look at the 12,000 calorie day in the life meal plan of Olympic gold medal superstar Michael Phelps...
Breakfast:
3 fried egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomatoe, fried onions and mayonnaise
5 egg omelet, grits, 3 slices of french toast with powdered sugar, 3 chocolate chip pancakes
2 cups of strong coffee
Lunch:
1 pound enriched pasta
2 large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread
1,000 calories in energy drinks
Dinner:
1 pound of pasta
1 large pizza
1,000 calories in energy drinks
Awesome. And the 11 gold and 2 bronze medals are good too.
Read the full story Here.
Maxed Out
Something very good is happening this summer. Something smart. Something versatile. And something that is universally flattering to women...the maxi. If you don't recognize the name, don't feel bad (it's dumb)- most of us know this item of clothing as an update on the very user- friendly hostess gown or caftan. The caftan is a chic woman's answer to the little girl's sundress. Quite sexy in its ease and silhouette, the maxi has found its way back into our hearts as we realize that it takes us to brunch, on to an afternoon of shopping, and somehow gussies itself up for dinner with a pair of flat goddess sandals and a little clutch. With the summer's best headed for the August sale racks, keep an eye out for this updated classic. I predict it's not going away anytime soon. I Heart Fashion
Swamp @ss Be Gone
Boy Wonder saves your butt...
With the thermometer cresting 100 degrees on a regular basis, men are faced with the terrible reality of Swamp @ss. Also known as Monkey Butt, Swamp @ss is that awful combination of sweat, humidity, and cotton underwear that every man experiences when wearing jeans in the heat.
It's a problem.
Enter Patagonia's Active Classic Boxers.. The super breathable and quick-drying boxers wick away the swamp stuff before it gets you, plus they are made of 100% recycled polyester so not only will they keep you and your patute cool, they are another way for us to save the world and go green.
As a fan of all things that wick, Patagonia has truly outdone themselves. Unbelievably comfortable and light weight, they are available in a variety of colors and styles. If you are old school or a bit Metro - have no fear. They also offer a brief and boxer-brief in the same material. And as I never want the ladies to feel left out, Patagonia has a full line of women's underwear as well.
Patagonia is one of the most trusted names in outdoor equipment and is designed with outdoor enthusiasts in mind, so imagine what it could do for your cubicle-bound lifestyle. I never gave much thought to underwear but I have seen the light. A pair of these will change your life.
Check out the anti-swamp @ss collection at REI or Patagonia online.
Wordle Me This...
Wordle. Oh, this is a good one. One of the most addictive little sites I've come upon in a long time, Wordle is the perfect toy for wanna be graphic designers who wish they had skills. Enter a mess of adjectives, snippets from a paragraph, or full prose and the Wordle tool will generate “word clouds” from what you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes.
You will spend more time than you'd like to admit concocting the perfect jumble of words to randomize and tinker with until it looks just so. For all you typesetting font geeks out there - this will keep you busy for a while. aha!
Fourth Finger Figure 8's
Beauty tip of the day, complements of the Skin Care Guru at Larchmont Beauty:
Apply eye cream with your fourth (ring) finger from the outside corner of your eye inward. Tap the cream gently into the skin of both eyes and then trace a figure eight path outward to stimulate blood flow to the area. Give it a couple 8's for good measure.
Note to all readers: The Larchmont Guru is a rare commodity in this day and age. A lovely and frank Frenchman, he can diagnose any skin, hair,or beauty need and recommend THE perfect product solution for your query. He's only in the shop on the weekends - so plan ahead.
The Driving Loafer Changed My Life
Boy Wonder emerged recently from his self-imposed blogging hiatus to share a bit of fashion wisdom For The Boys...
The Driving Loafer Changed My Life by Boy Wonder
The heat of the summer creates a problem for most men. The desire to remain cool and look cool inevitably leads to a default footwear option: the flip flop (or man-sandal, if you are more the Armani type). While the flip-flop is hard to beat for comfort and ease, it is often, if not always, lacking in the appropriate dress category. You can't roll into a nice restaurant or a dinner party in flip-flops and expect the world to take you seriously.
Enter the driving loafer. Designed to be worn with or without socks, the driving loafer offers all the advantages of a flip flop (breezy slip-on ness), while still providing a sense of Clooney style that the flip- flop just doesn't get done. Plus, I know no men who actually update their rubber flip-flops each summer which means we're all walking around in a serious funk of sun-dried chlorine, sweat, and beer from the last year's 4th of July party.
Moreover, the driving shoe is versatile. It dresses up with slacks and a blazer or down with jeans and a button up. It says to the world, "Hey world, I am comfortable and confident in my shoe choice and I know enough not to wear my shower shoes out for sushi on a Saturday night." Dig it.
I proclaim this the summer of the driving loafer.
In the Swim
Loving the new swim suits from Stella McCartney and Pucci...
The Wright Stuff
At 5:05 today I set off to find a little shop that I have known of for some time and never seen. Having poured through the Jonathan Wright and Company catalog for years and ordered specialty items over the phone long distance, it was heaven to spend a serene hour wandering through the carefully curated trove of papers, desktop baubles, gifts, and curiosities Mr. Wright and his associates have assembled. The custom letterpress invitations are to die for and the "ready to wear" papers are marvelous. I hope the June birthday girls like their cards, if I can part with them...
The Land of Avocados
There may be traffic and botox and smog in Los Angeles, but let me tell you - there is also PRODUCE. Serious produce. From the Farmer's Markets to the road stands to the vegetable aisles of Whole Foods - the California produce is unbelieveable and this Midwesterner/New Yorker is very, very excited. Among other things, California is quite literally the land of avocados - home to about 90% of the nation's crop and a large part of the region's farming business...which means that we should all be doing our part to make really good guacamole...and enjoy it all summer long. Here it is:
Perfect Guacamole (tried and true)
6 vine ripened tomatoes; chopped
4 T. white onion; minced
1 Serrano chili; finely chopped
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. kosher salt
4 ripe avocados
4 T. cilantro; minced
In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, chili, fresh lime juice, and kosher salt. Halve the avocados, remove the pits, and scoop out the avocado flesh into the tomato mixture. Add the cilantro. Mix and mash with a fork, leaving some lumps. Season with salt, add a little lime juice to prevent the avocados from discoloring, and garnish with a sprig of cilantro.
Makes 3-4 cups which will all be gone in a matter of minutes.
About Life In Style
- A loving pursuit of new ideas, sparkling finds, and good works - Life In Style is a daily site celebrating ways to live your best life, in style.
About Kate
- Kate Sinclair is an event producer, stylist, and lifestyle writer. Currently in charge of Special Projects at Creative Producers Group, she lives happily with her ideal husband in Los Angeles.
