After a full-out four-day weekend of merriment, with more yet to come, the best way to deal, besides being back in the office, is to go to the gym.
Whatever that may be for you, and yes it does change over time, to get to the gym is a very good thing.
Happy Monday, December 1.
Simple style note: first time out with the leather culottes, really kind of liking the shape in a sea of skinny leather legs. Kind of fun to wear an unexpected shape.
Every day dress, go to the gym, whatever it may be for you.
From now until about the second week of January, it’s all systems go. Family, friends, food, home, we’re all about it in one way another, thinking that one of life’s greatest pleasures is sitting at table with those we hold close.
And so it begins, knowing to have great moments we need to put the time in up front. Creating special times can be hard work, therapeutic, often expensive, and sometimes downright exhausting. We had ten yesterday, not the biggest and not the smallest, simply right for this time. Celebrated second daughter’s twenty-second birthday as well, remembering that special day pushing three babies among the two of us down Delaware Ave in Buffalo NY, in America’s oldest foot race, the Turkey Trot, a 5k race/run/walk that now closes out at 14,000 participants. That day is like many of these days, long walks outdoors to nourish the body, mind, soul, spending time with loved ones, and cooking and breaking bread at table. Except that day twenty-two years ago finished with a trip to the delivery room to greet our fourth child, now there are six. Good habits. 🙂
Wishing everyone special days and special nights, with all those you hold close.
Every day dress, and so it begins…
xoxo
her first scratch pie
simple style notes: like a little black dress, white candles, linens, and roses always look good, now and later. Really don’t want to deal with gourds and leaves the morning after when we’re moving to all things green, silver, white. Hand-made glittered, ombréd place cards (second and fourth daughters made those day of) and personal salt cellars with small spoons make things personal and special. Let some things go, put fifteen year old third daughter in charge of setting table and buffet, she succeeded brilliantly. Leave the mess and dishes go, so much more fun to sit at the table hours on end sipping wine and naming all fifty states, the dishes don’t go anywhere anyways, table guests move on. 🙂
wool scarf worn as halter keeps things easy | Christian Dior
Every day dress has been busy at work dressing others and putting on a local runway show to benefit women and children in our community. It’s a good gig.
Here’s some behind the scenes shots taken yesterday with the lovely iPhone. Brought the good camera, simply couldn’t get to it with all the activity, and there were professional photographers on site so better photos on their way. Made friends with one of them, Joe, by ordering him a Bloody Mary at the bar and a burger and fries. In addition to beautiful clothing we’re all about feeding others and providing food and drink, too. He was busy all day and he’s got the good photos. Can’t wait to see the upload.
Event was completely sold-out with a waiting list, way to go WNY Women’s Foundation. Two runways were needed, and these pictures are from the ‘overflow’ room, so funny that this event is so successful that the ‘overflow’ room is actually the down-low kind of place to be. 🙂
Morning of the event baked cookies for client/guests and put some nice ‘dress’ labels on the wine bottles. Underage models, there were two, got the new Essie Holiday Nail Collection instead.
Cinched the wardrobe addition of some great fur cuffs for a client that has thought about a winter white dress coat combo since July. Finally put the coat on, it was a sample brought in for a special Trunk Show, added the cuffs, had a colleague take the picture and texted her and said, Susan, you need these, they are so you and you will have them forever. Sold. She will be beautiful in them. Thinking we are all now feeling that yes it truly does get cold in winter and yes there are places to go and oh, boy, what are we going to wear.
Every day dress, more hours please. Thank you models and clients, love what I do.
Blogging has been a bit slow and life has been a bit fast, isn’t that the way? While cleaning out the home office, trying to get a bit centered as always, taped up these two photos of Anne Hathaway from December 2010. They’re right beside two other tape-ups, how to work when you just don’t want to, and …can’t remember better read it again.
Not sure what about these tear-outs that have kept them around so long, loved you in Princess Diaries, didn’t understand the Oscar thing, and cried like a baby watching Les Mis on a flight home from Paris this time last year or so.
Your Elle December 2010 cover shot feels relevant today with the smoky eye, nude mouth, and long, high-lighted hair. While we might really think a chic short haircut, bright red mouth, and skinny skinny whatever is good, it’s just not that doable in the every day.
In the every day the red lip, while looking quite great, is a little hard to kiss, eat, and drink. Leaves marks on the glassware, and telltale go-to signs on others.
Oh, Anne, kind of got you going on the taped up inspiration board, these images still have my attention. Want to highlight my hair, wear a smokey eye with a nude lip, and a gold dress, and have a bit of thigh meat going on. That thigh thing just doesn’t seem to change here.
Every day dress, oh, anne, may we all be ever evolving.
If there’s something out there with a bit of an edge and a clean line and it’s black and has silver hardware, here at every day dress it’s gotta be an instalike. Working on the social media thing, kind of slow going as we’re doing some every day living here.
Restaged this from #saksstyle, shared and tagged by twenty-four year old daughter, and had fourteen-year old daughter snap the photo while driving her home from a sleepover. Had my most likes ever (on Instagram),, 135 or so, ha, (thought that was pretty good), those two-teenaged daughters get 300+ with pictures of themselves in the garden. ha.
Black leather jacket, grey cashmere sweater, black bag with silver hardware, instalike. Should we say instalove or is that way too serious, considering all that black?
Keeping it easy, instalike, instalove, whatever. It it’s black and has some silver going on, insta wardrobe workhorse.
With big food days approaching, you know, Thanksgiving and Christmas, yikes, every day dress was gifted yesterday.
Thinking we all might like to make it ahead, and couldn’t be more thrilled to have Ina’s latest in the repertoire, thank you.
Mom, client, I get to dress her in the day job, wrapped it up nicely: plain white tissue, real ribbon, small gift card, and a sprig of thyme.
Ina, we count on you. Just yesterday did your Mac & Cheese, no tomatoes in the house and used whole wheat bread for the crumb top, your recipes and way of cooking and presenting have become part of our every day life.
Can’t wait to dig into your latest volume, now we just need to make a little more room on the shelf.
Thanks, mom, client, early gifting is so much fun. xo
Ina Garten | make it ahead
ps. hyperlink to Ina Garten, Make It Ahead, so slow on the upload. You know where to find her, she’s that good.
Change is good. Keeps you on your toes, right? After years of serving family style starting a slow switch again to now we’re plated.
Had a chef come in three nights out of six while in Provence in September. Obviously, he plated everything. Now that we’re settled in back at home trying to recreate that French kind of feeling.
Here’s my stateside effort:
Three courses, still working on that. Lifestyle is a work in progress, for sure. Always a good thing to keep things fresh, now we’re plated.
And, here’s one more: chicken, haha, husband’s favorite. 🙂 Homemade sweet potato fries make up for the sameness. 🙂
Spent a good part of the weekend outdoors, walking. Walked everywhere and did some good work. It’s amazing what can get done in your head when you walk miles.
Read a book too: Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered, by Austin Kleon. Really like what he had to say, if you have any sort of online presence, artist or not, (aren’t we all really artists in one way or another?) this quick little read gets to the good points fast. He talks about sharing, and teach what you know.
And, now that the eyes need help picked up some readers. Usually buy them half-dozen at a time, here you see three pair.
So, here’s my Sunday night share: walk always, every day. Visit your local art gallery. Read. Cook dinner, doesn’t have to be fancy. Tonight its Caesar Salad with pan-sauteed chicken. Always use real cheese and grate it yourself. Best reading glasses? At the gallery.
November 1st, and we’re headed straight to holidays. Time to pull it in, clothes, time, work, house. A week or two ago out in the country decided to pull in the geraniums and give a try at overwintering them down in the cellar, just like my grandmother Lottie used to do. Cut them down by half, uprooted them, shook the dirt off, and down they went.
It’s not just the cost of buying new plants next Spring, it’s also the time, energy, and full day I’d love to save in actually going out to get them. As you move along you know what you like and what you need so if I can just put them away, half of the lot covered in brown paper bags and the other half hung upside down from the rafters, I’ll be all set come mid-May in 2015. Will have to drive out and mist them from time to time, not really a big deal.
Fashion wise, it’s been such a spectacular Fall that I have yet to fully plan the Fall Winter wardrobe. While I know the big guns are already all about Spring Summer 2015 and beyond, this is the every day and like I tell my mom I’m often not sure what’s happening even tomorrow night. So, I’ll be about pulling it in and putting it together this weekend. Laptop and Lookbooks in hand, all set. Good place to start might be this Burgundy cashmere sweater and bucket bag. Will go quite nicely with a glass of Pinot Noir, snowflakes flying as I write.
Feeling that there’s a super magical power in a good sweater and a silk scarf. Monday comes and it’s fun at work.
Not wanting to bore you but this cashmere crew has been the total go-to for weeks now, added the silk scarf to at least look more ‘dressed’.
Colleague Erika has it going on, she’s in heels and a jacket. 🙂 We’re in trunk show mode and days can get downright busy.
Her client Suzanne, while she liked the raspberry jacket, really wanted to know more on the scarf, says she has tons and just never really wears them. Showed her how to tie one on, kind of explaining that the less precious it looks and the more kind of effortless, the better. Oh, we have fun at work.
Every day dress, hope you’re all having fun at work this week.
