the good stuff, vol. 7

Here's what I'm into this week....

reading

Target has historically done very well when collaborating with designers who do fun, bold prints (Missoni, Lilly Pulitzer), so I think the upcoming Marimekko line could be a winner -- it's cute!

These historical photos of New York City are fascinating (and enormous -- not suitable for browsing on your phone).

I feel like Lorelei and Rory did a lot of eating but almost no cooking on Gilmore Girls, but I'd still check out this Stars Hollow-inspired cookbook. I'd like to know what was in that very potent Founder's Day punch...

More information than you ever wanted to know about pigments, and the library that is guarding some very rare ones.

This interview with Miuccia Prada is presumably about menswear but really offers a glimpse into the world of a very cool lady.

This week's warm fuzzy is this sweet story of how one person responded to a stranger's text message.

A look at what it takes to go from brunette to platinum blonde (it sounds grueling, like a hair marathon).

There is a right way to use post-it notes and none of us were doing it.

watching

Kendall Jenner and Gigi Haddid are pretty adorable, and I watched this video of their goofy "sleepover" antics more than once. You need at least one viewing just to drool over the Chanel.

I'm hunkered down during our first big thunderstorm of the season and decided to check in on Shon-day. The Catch looks interesting, and I might tune in just to drool over Mireille Enos' hair, and face, and wardrobe.

the good stuff, vol. 6

This week's distractions...

reading...

This list of a stylist's go-to sources in a slew of categories (t-shirts, lingerie, nail polish, blazers, and everything in between) is a treasure trove.

The Instagram effect on museums -- is it a good thing? I'm a museum-lover, and I'm dying to see the Wonder exhibit. The thought of snapping a cute selfie definitely crossed my mind...

Love this profile of Isaac Mizrahi and his many fashion lives -- next time I'm in New York, I'm heading straight for The Jewish Museum to see his exhibit and have a little nosh at Russ and Daughters.

Here's an easy makeup tutorial so you can look ex-actly like Karlie Kloss (promise).

Aidy Bryant is an absolute gem, and her apartment is pretty adorable (but also, pretty small -- no doubt about it, real estate in NYC is brutal).

On TV, everyone has the same hairstyle (also on blogs too, right?)

The Most Interesting Man in the World is actually, pretty interesting.

I don't think there are any bad buys at Trader Joe's, but here's a list of some of the very best things to load into you cart on your next trip (for me: popcorn, frozen veggies, avocados, bananas, trail mix/nuts/dried fruit, and whatever assorted snacks look delicious). I had no idea about the sampling rule!

Next time you read an article about millennials being lazy or whiny, think about this youngster who has already accomplished a lifetime's worth of goals (and she's still in high school).

Did you know J. Crew has a blog? It is a bit of an amalgam, but I liked this quick but enjoyable profile of Iris Apfel.

Very happy birthday to the Notorious RBG -- some of the many reasons we love her.

watching...

House of Cards is back, and I'm (sort of?) excited. I decided to check out the first episode of the new season on a lazy Sunday afternoon and was surprised to get sucked down the rabbit hole. At moments it's pretty great, but there are definitely missteps and just way too many characters and storylines for the average person to keep track of (I totally forgot about a major plot point that comes back in a big way this season and had to stop the show and do a few quick Google searches to figure out what the hell was happening).

#bam4ham -- Lin-Manuel Miranda doing a little Rose Garden Freestyle, because I will never not be charmed by either of these two gentlemen.

Under Armour has made some pretty great ads, and this one featuring the US Gymnastics team is definitely trying to motivate me to get back to the gym.

coffee (table) talk

When I fantasize about hitting the jackpot in Vegas or scoring a lottery windfall, it's the possibility of little luxuries that excite me most: Chipotle for lunch every day (oh, I know guacamole is extra), weekly blowouts, and best of all, the ability to buy all of the books that my little heart desires.

I mean, I'm sure I'd buy a fancy house and expensive shoes and all of that stuff, but...I really love books (#sorrynotsorry Marie Kondo).

Right now I'm dreaming about coffee table books, because there are so many good ones coming out soon! Unfortunately my coffee table is always bigger than my book budget, but here's what's on my wish list...

Isaac Mizrahi

This gorgeous book is being released in conjunction with the Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly Life exhibit opening at The Jewish Museum next week. I can't say how exactly, but my job has involved working on this exhibit in a small way and it looks AMAZING. I've always loved Isaac's style and have a soft spot for him as he really blazed the trail for the modern high/low designer collaboration (RIP, Isaac Mizrahi for Target).

Things Neatly Organized

A fun read for those type-A obsessives who love keeping things tidy and organizing by color. The cover is sort of mesmerizing, isn't it?

Beaches

The colorful, wanderlust-inspiring photographs of Gray Malin collected in one lovely place. I'd never thought about changing my coffee table books seasonally, but this would be a great one for the top of the pile once May rolls around (or for my beach house, definitely #4 on my list of things to spend my lottery winnings on).

Hamilton: The Revolution

I have known about Hamilton: The Musical for years, and I knew it would be great but never could have predicted this level of hysteria (why, why, why didn't I buy tickets months ago??). Until I finally get to see the show, this behind-the-scenes look will have to hold me over.

Botticelli Reimagined

I'm not necessarily a huge Botticelli fan, but l love the idea of looking at the way one great artist has influenced some of my favorite contemporary artists, musicians, and designers.

Painting Central Park

I spotted this sweet looking book in the gift shop last time I was at The Met. Central Park has always been a bit of a mystery to me (I always, always, always get lost), but I'd like to know it better. Maybe there's a pretty little map in here somewhere...

Love Style Life

This has been out for a few months, but I'm dying to read it and dying to display it. Blush, black, and gold - is there a more perfect color palette?

the good stuff, vol. 5

On my list this week...

reading

Lanvin's F/W2016 show looked like the collection of Project Runway's second runner-up (i.e., Alber Elbaz might be feeling some pretty good schadenfreude right now).

I love Jezebel calling out J. Crew for shoving a metric (fuck) ton of gingham down our throats this season (I'm no fan of gingham, unless I'm dressing a picnic table).

Fun new buys in store at Sephora this spring (those Derek Lam fragrances look so chic).

A woman eats a sandwich, and somehow this is news.

Adding this tiny but super popular Airbnb rental to my travel bucket list.

Wherever your political allegiances lie, can we just agree that it is completely embarrassing that someone dressed up as a Mexican border wall for a Trump rally? Bad even for Orlando standards...

Jennifer Garner reminds us that she is a delight, even if she sometimes has questionable taste in movies and husbands (bonus points for dropping one of the greatest burns in recent history -- bless his heart, indeed).

Anthropologie's housewares section is awesome, and may one day surpass their clothing business.

Oprah cleaned her closet! And you can buy her castoffs -- I'm scoping out the shoes, cause O and I wear the same unfortunate size.

J. Crew has given it's maligned Tilly sweater the Mean Girls treatment -- are all of their problems solved? We shall see...

Fashion is boring and everyone's sales are down (but people are buying lingerie, so that's good?)

If Mad Men was ultimately the story of Peggy Olson, Downton Abbey ended up being much more about Lady Edith's story than we ever could have expected (warning: ALL THE SPOILERS)

watching

Spike Jonze had a very different vision for the opening of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

I can't keep up with all of the great late night TV -- we are living in the golden age of talk shows! -- but I find myself staying awake too late to watch @Midnight most nights. Hashtag Wars is, of course, the best game and I loved this Florida-themed edition.

the good stuff, vol. 4

Some things I'm digging this week, presented for your entertainment...

reading

Another donut bucket list (note to self: good intel for a donut-based cross-country road trip).

I'm still settling into a new job that came with a lot more responsibility, and my daily task list is a little insane -- I thought this article about the morning routines of seven ladies with cool jobs was interesting.

The negative power of our unused stuff -- a good quick read that is as much about knowing yourself as it is about possessions.

I'd never heard of Yolanda Betbeze, a former Miss America who was a bit of a disruptor, until I read this obituary but I think I'd like her.

What's the matter with Prada? An interesting look at the cycle of demand for luxury brands, and how and why they fall out of favor.

Cate Blanchett was my pick for best dressed at the Oscars, and in almost every other situation. I devoured this profile of her stylist Elizabeth Stewart, because the world of celeb styling is weird but fascinating (I want someone to make me a PDF with all of my outfit combos when I travel!).

There are a lot of really stellar makeup tutorials, but you need to see the Instagram account of a woman who uses her hajib to transform herself into your favorite Disney princesses.

A handy chart for letting the stars help guide you to get your drink on.

The origin of Flamin' Hot Cheetos -- quite a charming story!

Goop, Glossier, and how G became the It Letter in the beauty world.

watching

I had to work for most of Sunday afternoon and I was feeling sorry for myself, so I decided to catch up on some mindless TV and watched the first episode of The Fashion Fund, a documentary/reality-style show about the process of choosing the winner of the very cool CFDA Fashion Fund (previous winners include Public School and Alexander Wang). It's like a lighter, but more important, Project Runway.

God bless John Oliver for this piece on Donald Trump, who is awful #makedonalddrumfagain

the good stuff, vol. 2

Here's what I've been loving this week...

Reading:

In preparation for my move back to New York I've bookmarked this very important article about the best donuts in the city. I'm super devoted to Peter Pan Donuts, but I am willing to do some research.

In honor of the new Van Gogh exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, airbnb is offering the chance to stay in Van Gogh's bedroom (or, a room decorated in the artist's style). Here's your chance to feel like you're actually living in a painting (bonus, this one is more affordable than the rentals Gwyneth and Bey have been crowing about).

"Shit happens, so power through and then go to In n Out Burger" -- this is why we love Adele (I thought she killed it, by the way).

My best friend always joked that all of the fashion jobs I lusted after paid in lip gloss. This article about magazine and design job salaries proves she wasn't too far off.

Uniqlo collaborations are the best -- they work with great, fashion-forward people and create interesting, affordable pieces. Their new collab with a Muslim designer to create hijabs and headscarves is a whole new level of cool. (The second season of Carine Roitfeld x Uniqlo has some nice pieces, too.)

I'm enjoying watching the Fashion Week coverage from afar (though I do miss being closer to the hustle and bustle), but this article with photos from the 1994 shows is amazing. Such a simple time, when celebs could be out and about without being perfectly coifed and contoured within an inch of their lives.

If you're a pet-lover, you might want to check out how the various presidential candidates stack up on animal rights. There are a few surprises...

Thank you for being a friend...and buying me these amazing figures of my favorite sassy senior citizens.


Watching:

I finally finished Mad Men, and I loved it. I binge watched most of the series last summer but was waiting for the final episodes to hit Netflix and they did, just in time for a long weekend. I cried a bit, I think because I was a bit sad to not have those characters in my life anymore (even though I hated them all, at least once or twice). Now to obsessively read all of the ink spilled over the final episode...

Broad City is back! Looks like things are going well for the girls.

the good stuff, vol. 1

Here are some of the things I've been digging this week...

Reading:

Someone actually put themselves on the Gilmore Girls diet...and lived! Those girls sure could pack away the junk food (and still fit into their early 00's bootcut jeans).

Kate Spade is launching Broome Street, a more casual line that seems a bit like Saturday part two. Honestly, I feel like you could find a lot of those pieces at Old Navy (for a teeny tiny fraction of the price).

Everyone in NYC has a crazy story, but the one about a rat who went from rags to (Broadway) riches and then died just days later is truly unbelievable.

I've always loved Humans of New York, but I think this week's focus on inmate stories is really remarkable.

Not much new here, but it's helpful to have a list of great online shopping resources all in one handy place.

Low maintenance skincare and beauty is all the rage right now -- Milk Makeup is a new line that appeals to the busy girl who still wants to look cool.

Good news, in 2018 we'll finally be able to get Hamilton tickets!

I have a serious case of wanderlust and this article about Istanbul's Grand Bazaar is not helping...

Watching:

Samantha Bee is kicking ass and taking names. The first episode of Full Frontal was smart and funny and pretty damn ballsy, and I don't know why it's only on once a week.

Formation -- hmmm mmm

Do you know who Amanda Chantal Bacon is? You may be more familiar with her very, very fussy diet, which made the rounds this week. This spoof video is hilarious without being too mean (he uses her own words!)