who cooks

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New friends from LA that were met last week Tuesday took us up on our offer to visit at the ski house, overnight. Kind of risky, don’t know these people, but they said yes. Maybe it was that we met over food and wine, if nothing else, we could eat and drink. Maybe it was that husbands shared first and last names, no kidding.

Plans were made for lunch, in town, followed by dinner at home, educational wine seminar/tasting, out. In between there was a walk to the club chalet and through the cross-country trail, with dogs.

Cooking for a crowd is now second nature. Cooking for six, no problem. Simply order the meat city-side bring with and kind of wing it for the small stuff, like the parsley. Got that at the ski town grocery. Kind of funny that in came in plastic pots and not one big bunch.

Dinner was sliced beef tenderloin, easiest thing ever, roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic parsley potatoes, and haricots verts, all served on one big platter. Decadent gorgonzola cream sauce on the side. Thank you Barefoot Contessa.

Went to the wine tasting in town and as educator/sommelier was talking about the pours, put a general question out there, ‘who cooks?’ Pause. New friend answered, ‘every one cooks.’ Yes, of course.

For this post every day dress celebrates every one out there who cooks. Had a fun evening, thank you new friends, Shannon, and E-Ville Spirits.

Next morning did the standard, bacon, eggs, and toast, rounded it out with sautéed spinach that was supposed to be the night before’s salad but ran out of time. Oh, well, greens are always good.

Guests left, one had a flight to catch, and we headed back city-side. Monday morning comes, and again, road trip for work, 160 miles each way.

Arrive home, dinner time: everyone wants dinner so who cooks? Boneless, skinless kosher chicken breasts, roasted broccoli, sautéed zucchini, and quick spanish rice for a Monday night’s dinner. One platter, light some candles, every day dress and every one cooks.

Celebrating every one out there who cooks.  Food is a beautiful thing. Great weekend and Happy Monday.

ps wrote this post on Monday but have been so darn busy at work with good stuff it’s taken me until almost Thursday to upload the photos and hit publish. Hope everyone is well and having a great week. Good job Diana, welcome back Susan, welcome Linda. Every day dress.

When living in upstate New York in February, food and wine kind of becomes your focus. 🙂 Fashion posts will start again March 1, promise.

Finally installed a Photo Shrink App, amazing what you can teach yourself when you decide to throw  yourself into the blogging world. Thank you google.

Random thoughts, random mind. See you tomorrow. xoxo

 

 

 

 

half-baked

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One of the guiding tenets of every day dress is to make some dinner. Who doesn’t like dinner? Frankly, I start to think about it usually at breakfast.

Another thing we talk about here is walk your dog(s) or walk yourself. Frankly, too darn cold here for that now. Dogs are even in the deep dark freeze.

Can’t look at chicken and can’t think of fish. Husband has a ‘biggest loser’ thing going on at the office so can’t do pasta. Decide on Barefoot Contessa’s California Pizza and know fully well that husband will only eat the top half, no delicious homemade crust for him, weekly office weigh-in is tomorrow.

Does he have to worry? No. Why is it that those that worry don’t really need to?

He is the king and we aim to please. Sorry, single women friends. Yes, kind of old-fashioned here but it’s working. He walks in and pizza is in the oven. After a long day he wants to hit the gym for 4o instead of sitting down for dinner. Pizza comes out, half-baked, it can wait.

He hits the gym, I hit the office. 45 minutes later pizza is back in the oven for 10, no difference really at all, and life is good.

Every day dress does half-baked pizza and doesn’t walk the dogs. It’s a carb party.

Stay warm. Love Barefoot Contessa recipes on a cold weeknight.

five forks

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When faced with five forks on the left side of your small plate on any given Tuesday night, its nice to know that your clothes have your back. Five forks are a lot to navigate. You do not want to worry about what you have on.

For husband’s wine and food group meeting chose black tights, black bodysuit, black, grey and leather detail chiffon skirt, black suede boots, and pop of bright marigold bag. Life has moved fast, outfit composition is secondary but needs to stay strong. And, it’s freezing outside.

Nothing like an endless flight of California Cabs to warm things up:

  1. Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Special Reserve 1974
  2. Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1971
  3. Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1978
  4. Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1978
  5. Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon International Vineyard Monterey 1978
  6. Leaky Lake Reserve Napa Valley 1978
  7. Burgess Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 1974
  8. Burgess Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
  9. Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks Vineyard 1976
  10. Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks Vineyard 1984
  11. Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks Vineyard 1995
  12. Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks Vineyard 1996
  13. Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard 1986
  14. Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks Vineyard 1987
  15. Heitz Cellars ‘Port’ Napa Valley 1994

Are you kidding me? Bonus points about blogging is that you get to record this kind of stuff and pull it up on your iPhone for future reference. Amazing wines. Have to say the favorite was the Leaky Lake Reserve Napa Valley 1978. Great licorice.

For the foodies here are the accompaniments:

  • Fortified Oxtail Consomme, Oxtail Dumpling and Brunoise
  • Gorgonzola and Grape Terrine, Polenta Cracker, Mache, must say best chip and dip ever and the mache makes you feel good about it
  • Seared Ahi Tuna, Baby Root Vegetables, Salsify Puree
  • Braised Veal Cheek, Merchad de Vin, Rosti Potato, Forest Mushroom, Double Smoke Bacon, as beautiful as this was just couldn’t do it
  • Dark Chocolate Torte, Blackberry Compote, Toasted Pistachio, Bitter Sweet Chocolate Mousse, Dark Chocolate Ganache

Monnie always said start on the outer side and work yourself in. Move slowly. Enjoy the process. Kind of ironic words for both life and forks. Five forks and fifteen different wines? No problem. Just make sure what you are wearing backs you up and causes no distractions.

Thank you Barney Rhodes for your contributions to the era of California wine. New friends from LA with parallel lives were made and it was a night we will not forget. Nothing quite like breaking bread and tasting fine wines on a Tuesday, or any given night.

Every day dress is thankful for life’s many blessings.

Tights and bodysuit | Wolford | really smart way to dress on a cold winter night

xoxo

 

 

 

bikeorbar

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Super fit friend, you know the one, Amy, texted me Sunday morning at 8:30 and asked if I would go with her for a 10:30 am spin and functional training class. From bed with coffee, double cream, and the New York Times Styles and Business Section texted her back and said, let me think about it. Her reply? Long and lean, Rebecca, long and lean. She got me there, been going after that look for I don’t know how long. I said, okay, great, what time are you picking me up, I need to go eat some cookies first. Mind you, she had just flown in from Palm Springs CA the night before. Does she ever sleep?

So, here is the gist: BikeOrBar on Elmwood Avenue. Super pump, great music, flashing colored lights in a dark room, and hip video on the huge Apple TV screen. This is the kind of place that you wear your workout clothes coming and going. It’s fun to have friends in their thirties.

45 minutes of spin, 45 minutes of functional training. Great spin, got a little antsy during the functional training, I mean, come on, these years of working out and we need 90 minutes? Amy told me this was the weekend treat, you can get in and get out much more quickly than 90.

Great workout, and yes, every day dress will be and needs to be back. Upon checkout complimented Robert, thank you, and asked for a class schedule. No paperwork, everything is completely done online. Pretty cool, class and spin schedules and reserve your spot online from your smart phone.

Amy and I with families will be touching down in  Naples FL together late March. She says I need to do the four-week press. I say Bike Or Bar? I’ll take both. 🙂

Thank you Robert, Alex, and staff. You’ve got a great workout going on.

Amy, super fit is front and center. Every day dress, having a great time, in the yellow tank.

To check it out visit BikeOrBar.

xoxo

 

for all ages

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When your twenty year old daughter in Boston is texting your twenty-two year old daughter in Buffalo from a quick photo saying ‘wait, I want that shirt’ and that shirt is yours and what you represent, you know you are on to something.

So happy that the clothes every day dress has dressed women in now for close to twelve years are for all ages. Even though what you see here is all black, can’t seem to shake that, women from fourteen to seventy-four and on are able to wear these on trend pieces without appearing to be trying to hard.

It’s a beautiful thing when the woman is the focus and the wardrobe is ‘best supporting.’ Best supporting, in our fashion book here, means critical, important, key, but not the main event.

When your wardrobe is flexible enough to dress you, and maybe yours, through all ages,moods, and occasions, it’s a good thing, so celebrate.

Celebrate we did. Small family dinner out and she wore the black blouse with camisole. At home we did some outfit shots for the blog and then she slipped the camisole off to continue her night out heading back downtown. Advice to her has always been, yes, it’s sexy to show some skin, but only one part at a time. Here, cleavage. Other nights she might choose legs. Never both. Her entire outfit was chic, sophisticated, and what all good-looking young women want for a night out downtown, a little sexy. Love how she was completely covered with the exception of the keyhole opening. Provocative enough that she received tons of compliments but not so over the top that it set her apart.

Clothes shown here are all from a developed over time closet. Love that the twenty-two year old is wearing them and that the twenty year old wants them.

Every day dress loves clothes for all ages.

Happy Saturday night.

Here we go, blogging it again, all clothes | Worth New York

 

not the usual


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While at a trunk show in Loudonville NY had the chance to try on a Spring jacket that would not be the usual pick. Thinking this might be the thing that is needed now to floral up the every day dress look. Had on of course, black, ground-hog day again, and it looked pretty fresh. Imagining this jacket with white jeans or going really new and not the usual and putting on the matching dress. If you are looking to add some fun to your current wardrobe, consider floral.

New canine friend? Again, not the usual: Fletcher is a very handsome Rhodesian Ridgeback. Good looking fellow, right? Amy, it was a very good day and you have a great dog. Let’s keep the faith.

Every day dress is thinking floral for Spring 13.

TGIF.

Navy Impressionist Floral Cotton Blazer | Worth New York Spring 13

sweetness

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When you love what you do, business travel can be pretty much all sweetness. Yesterday’s in and out trip to NYC, great fun. Today’s sort of planned but not definite until the last-minute road trip to Albany, NY? Very sweet with Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Decorated cookies? Gifted today to colleague Mary Collins by friend and client Kathi Sullivan. Amazing what women can do for one another.

Outfit on hotel room bed? What was planned for today but will be for tomorrow as pink jeans and white silk blouse are not great travel companions when driving on the 90 while eating chocolate peanut butter hearts.

Happy Valentine’s Day. Hope each and every one of you enjoyed a bit of sweetness. Miss you, husband, have a great time golfing. xoxo

Jeans | the Stilt Adriano Goldschmied purchased recently at Tony Walker & Company

Blouse | Worth New York

Lingerie | La Perla

Chocolate Hearts | Reese’s

classics

imageimageA classic wardrobe created over time helps the whole party get dressed and out the door when fancy last  minute dinner reservations are made. For Fat Tuesday, haha, the party went uptown.

As oldest daughter planned a three day visit and is now staying for twelve, couldn’t be happier, she needed something to wear when the skinny jeans just wouldn’t pass.

A closet of black dresses did the trick. As did the Chanel 2.55 handbag she has basically taken over since touchdown. It’s okay. Received it as a birthday gift for the 35th year and it has been a constant and classic key piece to the wardrobe ever since. Love that it looks great on her and makes her feel good when carrying it.

A little background to share with the younger girls: Coco released this classic piece in February of 1955. Therefore the numbered name, 2.55.

Classic bag and little black dresses to the every day dinner rescue when back in town with only skinny jeans.

Today, Wednesday, every day dress took the 5:45 am flight to JFK, dressed in black, black, and you guessed it, black. Helps to have the wardrobe classics when you need to get out the door quick.

This post done literally on the fly with iPhone and iPad only. Pretty cool for a forty-seven year old woman working from home in fashion to do, right? If you, or someone you know would like to do some cool fashion stuff too, email me here, rebecca@everydaydress.com. Would love to add to the every day dress team in both big and small ways.

Thanks for reading. Let’s all go out and make it a great day.

black and blue

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Oldest daughter took last flight out of Boston Thursday night before all the weather hit. Her roommate, second daughter, college sophomore, decided to fend off the cold in the sort of empty apartment on Friday and invited half the men’s Boston College soccer team for a pasta dinner. Smart girl. So glad with all those academics she might have learned to cook a thing or two along the way.

Oldest daughter, Linnie, knows denim. Actually, come to think of it, all four daughters know denim. Can’t even begin to count the pile. As second son was set to DJ at the local rag & bone new release event here in Buffalo, NY, Linnie insisted that a pre-party stop-in to update the denim wardrobe was an absolute necessity.

So, while fashion week has gone on in NYC and every day dress has followed along socially, we had our own little live fashion night out, here, Friday. Linnie was asked to model and with a little coaxing, said yes. Every day dress was asked to model too, and after a dressing room fit session, said thank you, but no. You know all that cake that’s been going down? Not a good look when considering modeling cool rag & bone. Bought a pair, black obviously, to wear to the event instead of being in the event. Much better choice.

Artists from Laura Mercier did the make-up, 716 NYC did the music, and rag & bone provided most of the fashion. Champagne, white wine, and pink frosted cupcakes were on hand and an absolutely fantastic Roberto Coin trunk show was going on as well. Fun Friday night. While certainly not fashion week, Buffalo does have it going on in an every day kind of fashion way. Thank you Tony Walker & Company.

Shown here are the said new black rag & bone’s shot in the home gym, where every day dress should be parked until dropping that cake weight. Included too are a few iPhone photos from the event proper.

Every day dress did Fashion First Fridays at Tony Walker & Company. Three of four daughters modeled, and second son DJ’d. Added five more pair to the pile. Miss you E and Booie. Thought of naming the post rag & bone but kind of afraid of search engine results. Went with black & blue. Happy Monday. Hope everyone is warm and dry.

Jeans | rag & bone

Blouse | Worth New York | love combining black & blue lately

one P.S.- Love reading all the latest fashion info and kind of love looking at super thin fashion images. Yes, the clothes look great but can’t imagine only eating apples and not doing push-ups or lunges. Every day dress images are for the every day.

 

 

before the storm

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Media has been all about the impending big storm, cancelled flights, school closings. So, before all the heavy outerwear comes on for the weekend, decided to go coatless yesterday.

Wednesday all black, Thursday tried for color. White, orange, red, blue. White jeans, orange silk blouse, red bracelets, blue blanket wrap instead of a coat.

While the weather report predicts stormy days ahead, the only thing I know from looking at recent media (camera for sure adds ten) is that it’s time to think about not eating cake. Anyone with me?

Have a great Friday.

Jeans and Blouse | Worth New York

Bracelets and Blanket Wrap | Hermes

Bag | Prada