If you operate a little last-minute like we do here and are still wondering what to cook for a crowd this weekend, we love Ina. While Martha and Julia have inspired many a fine meal, it’s Ina we really have fun with.

Her recipes always work, can be easily multiplied, ingredients are accessible or can be easily substituted, and her whole aura seems to encourage dance parties in the kitchen while cooking.

Shown here are photos from last week late Friday night while prepping for Saturday’s annual birthday party for youngest daughter. We have a big party every year and just kind of cook for fifty never really knowing who’s showing. As she has grown, cotton candy, sno cones, and the bounce house have given way to smoked salmon dip, marinated organic grilled chicken breasts, green beans gremolata, lobster mac & cheese, roasted potatoes and caesar salad. Party started at 6 pm rather than 2pm, she is thirteen now, and we so danced the night away in the barn that we forgot all about cake.

Ina’s food is all about do it yourself. Thank you Barefoot Contessa for inspiring us all to eat well, have fun, and not take it all too seriously.

We love Ina. Wishing you all crazy great food this weekend.

Every day dress.

food inspired by Ina Garten | Barefoot Contessa

Super quick post: for the upcoming weekend every day dress will be wearing white, as much as possible. White linen, white denim, white shoes, whatever. Come Tuesday, the white will stay around, white jeans are a twelve month closet staple, and that uberfashionable French woman Carine Roitfeld wears white shoes any time of the year, but this weekend wearing white will for sure be the theme.

Gotta keep it easy, gotta go, so much to do, it is labor day, right?

Wishing everyone a weekend full of love, wearing white or not.

Outfit shown was what was worn last night out. That’s as much skin as you’ll see here, shoulders and back. Can’t quite understand why almost every single magazine at the grocery store shows women of all ages with their stomachs exposed. Like that’s a natural way to dress?

 scarf worn as halter | Hermès

white linen pants | Worth New York

Come September 1 and most women I know breathe a little differently. Maybe it’s that promise of a new season, maybe the kids are (finally) back to school, maybe the first or last has just started college, maybe it’s time to go back or revisit work. Maybe there’s been a marriage, or a baby, maybe it’s just that June July and August have come and gone, maybe it’s time to try something new.

If you’ve landed here and you are a natural connector, love great clothes and or want to make money, this is my deal: consider what are you doing in three days? Come September 1 could you think about starting and growing your own business with the support of a luxury fashion company that believes in all women? A position where you work from home while still balancing and breathing and doing all that we all do?

The work I do doesn’t save lives or the environment, plan for the future, or educate our people. The work I do makes the lives of those doing those things better, and easier. By dressing well and feeling good about how they look, women are able to meet the demands of their day while feeling confident and can offer their best work, whether it be cancer research, high finance, practicing law, caring for elderly parents, raising children, running corporations or running errands. It’s all important.

Professionally, if what you are doing in three days isn’t what you want to be doing, let me recruit you. Talk to me about how you can be part of a team  that is all about helping women to wear beautiful clothing while looking good and feeling great. Ask me how you can build your own wardrobe and start your own business. Imagine the possibility, imagine your potential.

What are you doing in three days? This September, why not something new? Email me here at rebecca@everydaydress.com, check out the company I adore at www.worthnewyork.com, or better yet, call me direct at 716-445-3033.

Every day dress. For all women.

 

Have been feeling a little post shy lately and have also been a little preoccupied. Sixth child and youngest daughter turned thirteen this past weekend, second daughter leaves for Spain in a few weeks, and second son moving to Boston MA to study I’m not sure what. Oldest daughter in town for barely 48 hours and oldest son starting third year of law school. Fifth child, daughter, she’s pretty easy, but still likes her time. Where are we going with this? Not really sure.

Anyways, we all need good clothes for all the running around we do. This combination, white shirt and black skirt gets taken up a notch by the skirt being leather and then right down with the white shirt being a tee. The skirt is so special with the chiffon pleats that it could have gone anywhere; black tie, cocktail, uptown. As we are every day dress, wear the good stuff all the time, pairing it with a low brow tee makes it easy for more casual times. Added from the closet a red quilted Chanel bag and Chanel sandals, sweet bows, both probably at least five years old, and white shirt and black skirt were good to go.

Post shy as in this blog is personality based, always sharing with you the up close and personal, not ever really sure it’s all that interesting. Intent is to inspire women around me to feel good in their skin and to wear their good clothes now. Yes, I know all about when I lose the ten pounds, when I start to exercise, when the job gets less stressful, when the kids go back to school. Feel good now, dress like it matters today.

Every day dress does white shirt, black skirt. Would love to see/hear your white shirt black skirt look. Always a classic.

Black Leather Pleated Skirt | Worth New York Fall 2013

Basic White Tee | Club Monaco

Bag and Sandals | kind of old | Chanel

ps. even though you might pay big time up front for Chanel shoes and bags, they last forever, can make anything at all look great, and guaranteed the women in your life, daughters perhaps, will always find a place for them, no problem.

Saw these pants in the Fall 2013 line and just couldn’t resist. Never in a million years did I think I would ever wear Camel Skin Print Velveteen Pants. Are you kidding? Turns out I couldn’t be more excited, ran to the door when the UPS man arrived late this afternoon and knew I had to put them on then and there for dinner out. While contemplating them several weeks ago twenty year old second daughter took a look and said, ‘oh, no, you are not wearing those out with me.’ Well, wear them I did, and with her, and she now thinks they are kind of great.

Thinking that the trick of pushing it with the wardrobe is that when you wear a stand alone statement piece, here camel skin print pants, that most of the time the rest of the outfit should stay kind of quiet. Kind of like too many voices speaking all at once in a small room, way too distracting. So much more effective to listen to one at a time.

Every day dress is kind of pushing it with the so on trend this season of skin print pants. So many women could have so much fun with this pant. Skin prints have become so classic they could almost be considered neutral, much like your favorite jeans or black pant but so much more interesting. Couldn’t wait to wear it out even before it was shortened. If you are thinking of adding this kind of thing to your wardrobe, go for it and don’t look back. Skin print pants will make you smile.

Paired these with a Manolo Blahnik single sole pump from the back of the closet worn years ago while working in professional fundraising. Kind of thought I would never wear this conservative shoe ever again, was keeping it in the closet strictly because they were Manolo’s. Good thing. Turns out the shoe is feeling quite fresh.

Pushing it a little with the wardrobe is fun. Heck, they’re only clothes. 🙂

Camel Skin Print Velveteen Quinn Pant | Worth New York Fall 2013

Flannel White Doubleface Pullover Jacket | Worth New York Spring 2013

This time of the year, even the dogs need grooming. Five women in the family and not one of us has had a haircut all summer. Manicure and pedicure here and there but honestly it was mostly do it yourself. We were all busy; working, playing, traveling, loving.

Now, it’s time for polish. That back to school thing when you want some new shoes and a new look. Time to drop the summer fun weight by moving more and eating less. Increase the cardio and decrease the lovely glass of wine or two. No problem here putting in double weekend sessions of ninety minute hill training but can’t seem to let go of that nightly red. Such a pleasure of daily living.

Every day dress knows it’s time for polish. Shown here wearing an Adam Lippes dress from several seasons back before his recent relaunch in 2012. Done nails but undone hair, trying to get those last swimming pool laps in.  Always a work in progress. Really need to schedule all those haircuts.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Sure, it’s always great to make an effort and make things nice for friends and guests. Even more important is putting forth the extra push when it’s for the family.

I know we all get this. It’s just that life is so busy and moves so fast that at times you can feel like giving in and getting through quickly, without maybe the water and the wine glass and the cloth napkins because everything will just be easier.

For the family the extra effort is so incredibly worthwhile. It’s the doing it every day stuff that counts big time. On a Thursday night in August for dinner with two sons and husband, had dinner on the lower deck, a spot that we usually when friends and guests are over.

This intimate gathering of four is what good memories are made of. By doing this kind of thing in the every day living, not only for special times, you create something that is bigger than simply having dinner.

Every day dress takes a deep breath and does the extra effort on a Thursday night in August. Share and show the love. For the family.

A few flower and fashion notes: Cut a little Queen Anne’s Lace for the small table bouquet. Some think this is a weed, some not. Worked for us. Potted petunias in whisky barrels were planted dark with a small amount of white in the geraniums. Love black and white clothes, why not black and white flowers. Pots by the pool are in their late summer glory but like the summer clothes, feeling a change is needed. With upcoming sweater weather the pale pink cascade petunias will be put away for the season and out will come the mums. Hermès blanket wrap? Love that thing. Gives instant casual luxurious warm style to anything at all. Lends a little extra style credibility to jeans and a v-neck sweater. Wardrobe classic.

If you are anywhere in the northeast you are probably trying to grab the last couple weeks of summertime 2013 that you can. Couldn’t agree more. Even though we are working and thinking fall clothes here at every day dress, there’s still time to do a white on white look. We are all trying to get it all in.

Ordered four fall items in all black today, black leather skirt, black leather pant, black fur vest, and black one shouldered sweater. Two of them will ship, two will come in mid fall. No problem, two to wear now, two pieces on order, it will come, we’ll get it all in.

Every day dress wears all white with third daughter in mid August and constantly works to get it all in.

Happy Summer 2013. Hoping you get it all in. Wear your white stuff right this minute. Soon enough, when the temperature drops, won’t feel quite right.

 

Wearing a kind of tough love look and feeling a little of the tough love women have for themselves. Every day dress wrapped the first of the Fall 2013 Trunk Shows today and has helped women with their bodies for as long as I can remember. Started as a fitness instructor, crazy aerobics dance class, remember those, thirty some years ago. Have always craved a fitness fix, as I’ve said here before helps the mind and the body. Have always loved clothing too, started dressing women at the local mall while still in high school along with the fitness thing.

Here we are, at forty-eight, still dressing women and still moving the body. Have met with over two dozen women the past ten days and as women we are so darn tough on ourselves. Would love to help us all shake a little of that tough love feeling off. Sure, strive for excellence, stay in the game, set goals, but also let’s all enjoy where we’re at. Ten pounds up, ten pounds down, let’s love us now. Anytime I get anywhere near a complaint husband reminds me that it’s over when it’s over so love some of the tough stuff now.

Every day dress moves through a busy day in all black and ponte and leather. Tough love look indeed. Love that it’s easy, love that it’s black. Tough is not so tough. 🙂

Couple of fashion notes: leather vest purchased probably five years ago, Harley pant new this season. Actually bought two, one size up, one size down. That tough love thing you know. With a shorter length on top, want a little extra room. When wearing something longer and looser, kind of like wearing the tighter ones. Inside tip: actually spot clean the leather vest with baby wipes. Yes, every day dress keeps a tub of baby wipes on hand to quickly and gently clean leather shoes and leather garments.

Four week recruiting blitz starts tomorrow, Wednesday. Who do you know that loves clothes, likes to move and be busy, and help women feel confident with what they wear? For the right woman, it pretty much doesn’t get better than that. Every day dress. We believe all women can have and wear beautiful clothing. Ten pounds up or down. Let’s not even get going with ten years up or down…

If I had to choose one single outfit to wear each and every weekend, it would no doubt be blue jeans white shirt. Unimaginative, yet classic and great. Would choose too to cook simple food, the best in arm’s reach, and to set the table for family and friends with what’s at hand. Add some time to read, walk, sleep in past nine, heaven on earth.

Grounded the outdoor table for Saturday night’s dinner with a blue-green quilt. Saw mums at the farmers market and while we didn’t make the purchase, table setting is turning to the next season. Small coffee mugs with fresh-cut flowers, added basil and rosemary from the garden, love mixing fresh herbs on the dinner table, and Saturday night slipped into a lovely Sunday. Fresh coffee, sleep in a little, cut back the day lilies and the overgrown apple trees, depend on what’s only in the closet, blue jeans and white shirt, weekend is very good.

Actually read two books, one fiction, one not. Like to spread it out. The Good House, Rework. Both great, highly recommend.

Hoping you all had good thoughts on the weekend. Every day dress.