Posts from — August 2012

First week back after vacation, always a difficult one.

Last month, I polled you all on which bedding from Anthropologie I should get for my new bed. I’m thrilled to share with you that I finally picked one out, bought it, and have been enjoying it ever since I got back from vacation.

The poll was tight between the two options, but I ultimately decided to go with the Ipomoea Quilt and Shams!

I fell in love with this quilt since I saw it in Anthropologie’s catalogue in July and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. Looks like Lily is pretty content with the choice, too.

Thank you all for your help!

Last week, I was on vacation in Disney World with my family- my brother’s one last hurrah before he starts high school tomorrow (yikes). While most people would plan their days around what attractions and rides they want to go to, we did something a bit different: planned our days around food.

When you go to Disney World, you can add different dining plans to your reservation that help you save a bit on food. We did that for our trip, and let me tell you, I ate some of the best food I’ve ever had while on this trip. I used Foodspotting at almost every meal because I was that impressed with the quality of food I was eating. I honestly forgot that I was at a theme park and thought that I was at any five-star restaurant in any major city in this county. Really, it’s incredible how perfect everything was.

The restaurants are also really good about any food allergies or special dietary needs you might have. When making reservations, you can add any special food requests or needs you have, and either your server or the chef will come over to you and talk about it the minute you sit down. I’m allergic to tree nuts (basically everything except peanuts, which aren’t technically a nut…), and I was so impressed with how on top of the allergy every restaurant was when I was away. That’s so refreshing to see, since I’ve found myself in some scary situations.

I’m sharing just a few photos from a meal I had while on vacation at a restaurant called Flying Fish Cafe at Disney’s Boardwalk resort. This was probably one of the best meals I’ve ever had, if not the best. The food was delicious, but the chef who was there that night not only made custom food to order for me, but he hand delivered everything and was really dreamy to boot. Check out the menu [PDF] and you’ll be able to see how everyone in my family struggled on deciding what to order.

Chardonnay-steamed Maine Coast “BIG ONE” Mussels
Fennel, Chiles, and Ciabatta Crostini (normally served with a pesto crèma, but that was omitted because I’m allergic to pesto)

Ginger and Teriyaki “Char-crusted” Yellowfin Tuna
Epcot Bok Choy, Sesame-laced Tiny Beans, Snow and Snap Peas, Royal Trumpet Mushrooms, and Tiny Asparagus with a Lemon Grass-Kaffir Lime and Wasabi Tobiko-Butter Emulsion

Caramelized Banana Napoleon

This is pretty much how we ate every night, so needless to say, I’m considering an all liquid diet this week. It was so worth it, though.

Guest post by L’Oreal Thompson

It may sound weird, but I’ve always had a thing for men’s watches. My fascination began when I was a little girl trying on my grandfather’s watches. Of course, they were too big for my tiny wrists, but that didn’t squelch my appreciation for fine timepieces.

Now that I’m older, I wear my boyfriend’s watches…still too big, but just as stylish. I believe watches should be functional and fashionable, which is why I love the boyfriend watch trend. Finally, a chunky watch with a feminine touch.

Below are a few of my favorites. They’re elegant and edgy, but timeless, too (get it? Timeless! Hehe):

MICHAEL by Michael Kors “Dylan” Watch. $295 at bloomingdales.com.

Coach Boyfriend Strap Watch. $298, coach.com.

MARC BY MARC JACOBS “Blade” Watch. $275, bloomingdales.com.

Believe it or not, fall will be here before you know it. Every brand’s fall look books are available to view, making me long for crisp air, boots and sweaters. I’ve found myself repeatedly looking at Stella & Dot‘s new fall 2012 collection, perhaps my favorite collection from Stella & Dot yet.

The fall collection seems to be very simple: a nice mix of chunky and delicate pieces that can be mixed and matched into any wardrobe. I think everything can be worn throughout the entire year, not just the fall, which is something I look for when buying pretty much anything. My favorite thing about the fall collection is the amount of rose gold available. Rose gold is my favorite metal, and I find myself always hunting for the best rose gold jewelry to match a rose gold Michael Kors watch I have.

Check out my favorite rose gold pieces from Stella & Dot’s new collection below. I’m hosting an online trunk show so feel free to shop the collection here!

Pyramid studs, $29

Geneve lace cuff, $79

Ginger layering necklace, $89

Tag, you’re it!

I’m participating in Coach‘s Color Tag, which is in honor of the brand’s launch of its Legacy Collection. I picked the Legacy Stripe Pink color here, mostly because it’s one of my favorite colors, especially for fall. The legacy stripe is also my favorite Coach pattern.

Here’s how it works: hover over the color swatch and share this color with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, your own blog, etc.

The blogger with the most shares (or “tags”) will win a $2,500 Coach gift card. I could do a ton of damage with $2,500, a task that I am more than willing to take on.

There’s gifts for you too! Coach is giving away 100 giftcards randomly embedded into different swatches. So keep on sharing and you could win!

Keep up with the game here by checking out the tag leader board. Hopefully you’ll help me get to the top standing!

A weekly round-up of where I’ve been and what I’ve been wearing from the past week. Follow my daily snaps on Instagram!

Sunday night walk with Lily.

The largest zucchini I’ve ever seen (or bought).

White out.

Sunrise over my neighborhood.

One of two double rainbows this past week.

Watch pup.

I was introduced to the fashion PR and marketing blog PR Couture when I started following Crosby Noricks. In my humble opinion, PR Couture is one of the best fashion blogs to follow, especially if you have an interest in the business and/or communications aspect of the industry. That’s why I was thrilled when I received a copy of Noricks’ book, Ready To Launch: The PR Couture Guide To Breaking Into Fashion PR.

Ready To Launch features advice and tips for anyone looking to break into fashion PR from someone who has almost 10 years of experience in the field. While I’m not a student anymore, nor do I work in PR, I appreciate what Noricks offers her readers: a succinct guide to getting your foot in the door. Her own personal advice and experiences mixed with interview advice, a glossary of terms, and first hand advice from fellow PR professionals.

If you are a student considering fashion PR as a career, add this to your must read list. I tore through this guide in less than a day, and as a fashion blogger, found myself learning from Noricks and her journey to fashion PR it-girl stardom.