Saturday, August 18, 2007

When Hoodies Are Not Enough

As those who live in the Midwest know, we have very unpredictable weather, particularly in the fall. Sometimes it's like indian summer, and sometime it's fucking freezing. It can be really gorgeous some days, but such a day always comes with the fear it will be the last. Even for those who live other places, you know that around late-October or November, things start getting cold. The problem is, it's not cold enough for a puffy winter jacket (or in my case, my trusty peacoat, which I love). Hoodies used to be my standby, but I realized that a) I wanted something a little more polished, and b) hoodies (or at least the semi-cute ones) aren't actually that insulating. I briefly tried to incorporate my Spring favorite, the cardigan, into my late Fall wardrobe, but you don't feel that warm in a cardigan either. In the past I've trudged through these months either feeling cold or looking like a slob. But no more, I've found the perfect solution to my problem. J.Crew's Wool Bella jacket.

Totally cute, right? It's got the crispness of a blazer without the whole powersuit look that can sometimes accompany an ill-executed blazer. I love the color, too. It's called "light heather nut", which is sort of unimaginative, but whatever. How great would this look with dark pants or jeans, flats, and a blousy white top? Pretty fucking adorable. And if it gets even chillier, a sweater could easily be layered underneath, and the texture would go really nicely with the wool herringbone. God I love J.Crew so much. They've augmented their usual hardcore preppy styles with some nice pieces like this that are more girlish sophista-prep. Go check out their site for some more seriously fabulous items, and their always luxurious color selection.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Harry Potter For the Lazy & Illiterate

Alright, so Harry Potter isn't exactly glamorous or stylish, but who doesn't love him? After reading the 7th book (which, if you haven't read it already, you should) I cried. Not so much because I was upset about the events of the book, but because I was sad that I would no longer enjoy the adventures of Ron, Hermione, and Harry. God I sound like such a fantasy-fiction dork. Don't worry, I don't like Lord of the Rings, and I've never seen Star Wars. But I've found a new way to enjoy J.K Rowling's work. Audiobooks! The books are read by this one british guy, Jim Dale. He's got a really soothing voice. I mainly listen to the audiobooks when I'm trying to fall asleep, and it works like a charm. You know how you would always fall asleep when your teacher would read to you in class? Well this is like that, but better, because I bet your teacher wasn't as badass as Jim Dale.
Each audiobook is around $40, which is a little expensive, but it's totally worth it. Also, when you inevitably fall asleep to Jim's dulcet tones, you can wake up in the middle of the night and hear that familiar accent talking about polyjuice potion.



How could you say no to that?

Friday, August 10, 2007

Things I Can't Wait to Use and Then Forget About

If buying were a drug, I would be in rehab. Or dead from an overdose. Or Courtney Love. My point is, I have a problem. Recently I completely went crazy and bought a ton of makeup. See, I'm very impulsive. Instead of saying to myself "Ok, I'm about to spend a shitload of money, why not spend it on one really expensive great item?" I buy a bunch of MAC makeup and then realize I could've spent it on a nice Burberry trench and some Christian Louboutins. But no, I spent it on cosmetics and perfume. Now I'm not going to tell you every single thing I bought, because the number exceeds 100, but here are some of my favorites.

1. Innoxa Blue Eyedrops
A friend had these and I ended up using them all the time until the bottle was basically mine. They're pretty good. They're supposed to make your eyes sparkling and your corneas a dazzling white. They don't do that, but they seem to have a nice effect on my eyes. Especially when it's like 7 a.m and I have class and I've been up since 6 a.m the previous day. That sucks, but at least I don't look like a crazed homeless person. Because apparently that is the only difference between myself and the guy who sits in the subway tunnel singing "Joy to the World".


2. Roger & Gallet Soaps
I'll admit, I'm more of a body wash girl. Bar soap is just too annoying, and is vastly inferior to shower-favorite, the loofah. I'll always prefer my soap in liquid form, but Roger & Gallet has made me realize that using soap can make for a pleasant shower experience.

Their soaps are very nice and lather-y, and they smell nice. But the best part is the packaging, it's so cute. The larger travel soaps come with their own matching case, and the guest soaps (which I fully plan on stocking in my extra bathroom when I own a villa in the south of France) come in cute little boxes. They're not bad price-wise either. Abour $7 for the larger soaps and $.99-$1.50 for the guest soaps. If you don't like bar soap, I'd still recommend buying a few of these to put around your sink.


3. Creed Spring Flower Perfume
Speaking of things that smell nice...The same friend whom I borrowed the eyedrops from generously shared a bottle of this perfume with me. To be honest, at first glance I thought it was kind of cheap-looking. She then told me it was about $150 for 2.5 oz. and I shut up. All this happened without me actually smelling the perfume. And to my surprise, I found that it smells really nice. Pretty and fresh. Spring Flower seems to be an appropriate name. Also, I've heard Audrey Hepburn wore this, and she seemed like a pretty classy lady.

4. Mary Green "7 Ways to Say I Love You" Boyshorts
Yes, I know that thongs are the undergarment of choice for most sylish ladies, and I do own a few that I like. But honestly, I prefer boyshorts. They're comfy and not as unflattering as your basic bikini cut. These come in pretty colors, and say "I Love You" in a bunch of different languages. Aww. How could you wear an uncomfortable thong when you have cute non-thongs like this? I recently saw thong panty liners at Walgreens. What the fuck? Who would torture themselves like that? Unless you were like, a stripper, and absolutely had to wear one, I don't see how any woman could subject herself to that. Thank you Mary Green, for making transatlantic flights, movies, and other potentially uncomfortable sitting situations comfortable once more.

5. The Masala Bhangra Workout- Volume 1
I never, ever, work out. I've tried the elliptical, the stairmaster, cardio salsa, pilates, yoga, but my inherent laziness always trumps any good feelings I get from a good calorie-burning session. I'm hoping this DVD won't end up like the rest, because it seems pretty cool. According to the website, at least.



"The first Indian-dance-inspired fitness video, the MASALA BHANGRA WORKOUT™ VOLUME I, is a 36-minute high-energy workout utilizing moves from traditional Indian folk dances. The video seeks to invigorate both men and women with ethnic dance steps and music that have already gained popularity in "Basement Bhangra" dance clubs around the world. All the moves are named and easy to follow."

Alright, so the picture is kind of cheesy, and the outfit is a little too bollywood, but I'll forgive it because I love Bhangra and any Bhangra remix of a popular song. And if this matters at all, I have eaten enough chicken tikka masala and naan to be counted as a full-fledged Punjabi. Unless of course we're taking into account the fact that chicken tikka masala is not, in fact, authentic Indian food, but merely a westernized take on its traditions. But let's not.

6. J.Crew Matchstick Cord
Because I went to highschool in the northeast, I will always have a soft spot for preppy styles. Now, these pants aren't preppy, per se, but the fact that J.Crew makes them renders them slightly WASP-y. I wish I didn't like skinny pants so much, because I'd probably look better in bootcut, along with most other women who aren't, like, Gemma Ward. But I can't resist these. Come on, how fucking awesome are these, and with those flats? Probably the cutest thing I've seen in a while. What can I say, J.Crew, you've got me eating out of the palm of your well-manicured hand.

7. Mountain Hardwear "Monkey Man" Jacket
Ok so this is probably the most un-glamorous thing ever, but it's so comfortable I can't pretend not to love it. As you can see, it's furry, and while this may seem like it would make for a sweaty, bulky, uncomfortable experience, it actually makes this jacket so wonderful that I want to wear it in 90-degree heat. I have never worn several woodland animals as a garment, but I imagine this is what it would feel like. It's so luxuriously soft. And it's surprisingly lightweight, and around the arms it has non-fluffy material so you don't feel like an uncoordinated ape when using your hands. Plus, I love the blue color, it's so rich. The jacket is actually made for men, which doesn't help the whole outdoorsy female lumberjack thing, but no one needs to know that, and the women's version doesn't come in this color. You will look cute in this, I promise. And, as an added bonus, people will constantly be wanting to pet you. Which could get annoying, but that's not really the jacket's fault.