learning new stuff

 mise en place for first step of minestrone

Life-long learning, we’re all for it. Enrolled in some online stuff and while we love clothes, shoes, and bags, decided to upgrade the culinary skills.

Here’s a little of what we’ve been up to, the past three days at least:

setting up for poached eggs

barely yet greatly set

lunch for one, new nail color, Essie bikini so teeny, and a jam jar with a smash of Walt Chardonnay

homegrown kitchen counter basil

resulting basil walnut pesto, skipped those pine nuts this time

veggies prepped for dinner

couldn’t resist, pussy willow for the front hall from the grocery, $15

if it works, do it again, this time black suede Birkenstocks, OPI boyfriend jeans nail color

Every day dress, learning new stuff. xoxo

a little funk

balsamic, olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper

8 minute soft-boiled eggs, prosciutto

chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, tastes way better than it looks

Sunday afternoon late lunch

She’s recovering, although it might take a little. We’re in a little funk, so doing what we do: making the bed, putting on a little makeup, walking the dogs (or spending time out in the garden with them), making some dinner, spending time with those we love, enjoying a glass of wine. A little curve ball, so we’ve battened down for a little, it will get better.

Scary stuff when your kid is in the OR, and we like to share, the good and the scary. We don’t push the site, if you’re here we suppose it’s because you might like to cook, and feed and care for others, or enjoy good clothes, or maybe even a little of each.

Linnie fishing, Booie wining

miss you peanut, xoxo

cozy dinner for 3

We’ve ducked out of the office for a little, her sister’s are all in FL, soaking up some vitamin D, and don’t want to leave her home alone. We’re at the table, enjoying meals for three.

Two weekends ago it was ski town, these last days we’ve seen a lot of the couch. 🙂

indoor garden from sister in CA

outdoor garden where we find peace, 2/21/17

Every day dress, a little funk, tomorrow is a new day. xoxo

 

the subtle power of good clothing

hand cut vegetables and bouquet garni

going with carnations instead of the expected roses, on Valentine’s Day

So, Tuesday night we were cooking up some short ribs, parsnip puree, green beans and creme brûlée. Wednesday night I was standing gurney side as they were about to wheel our eighteen year old daughter, fifth child, into emergency surgery at 10:56 pm.

Oh, how life can change on a dime. Picked this child up after a phone call from the school nurse, drive sixth child out to her drivers ed class and husband comes home to find fifth child on the floor, in pain. Quick trip to the ER, three or so morphine shots later and the late night surgery crew is saying ‘you look way too dressed up to be here’. We were wearing our regular stuff, yet they noticed, and took us seriously. When your kid is being wheeled in for your not quite sure what and you put your faith in the powers above, it’s a good thing to feel good in your clothes.

Wednesday office outfit that went until Thursday late afternoon

Laid down in those clothes, in the surgery waiting room. Slept in those clothes, in two chairs pushed together at the end of her bed. Woke up in those clothes and was thankful for another day, and Tim Horton’s hospital coffee, a breakfast sandwich, and a sour cream donut, we we’re running on empty.

Really, what you wear can speak volumes, oftentimes without you even saying a word. We write here about good clothes, good food, and sometimes about drinking good wine, and if it came down to the end I’d want to be wearing a good outfit, having enjoyed a good meal, and definitely a good glass of wine, all with the people I love, that’s really the gist of us here at every day dress.

That outfit gave me strength. She’s on the mend. xoxo

what we wore on Friday, for four hours at the office, when what we really felt like doing was never leaving the couch

Every day dress, the subtle power of good clothing.

settled in | a new habit

Still winter, so we’re settled in, working for spring 17, and baking off some cranberries, walnuts, and orange zest.

We’ve got a new habit too as we’re hanging in the kitchen and looking to upgrade our skill set: in addition to all of our ongoing every day dress habits, we now hone our chef’s knife, every single use.

We used to simply throw those berries or whatever in the food processor, now we mind fully rough slice them, and everything is better.

Garlic is early prepped for tomorrow’s night dinner.

Every day dress, all settled in with a new habit.

on rotation

we love this easy day look 

Seriously need to get the stylist shoes on, trunk opens next week Tuesday and we’ve been doing other things, like solitary slicing carrots into all different little cuts.

two bunches organic carrots

a few hours and just about a bottle of wine later

And the thing is, I’m really good at styling women, yet honestly would rather weed the garden, even in winter, than doing what would make me really successful. 

Had two conversations today; one with a potential client, and she was talking about how she needed some solid investment pieces in her wardrobe, for her to put on rotation.

The other conversation was with my momma, and we were talking about the necessity of doing things, getting out of your comfort zone, being engaged, or you just kind of wither and die. (not really, but sort of). 

So, for the balance of this month of February, I’ll be on rotation as stylist, and try to curtail my home culinary activities, or at least a more balanced combination.

Every day dress, on rotation, being a life long learner, always. xoxo

a few simple style notes:

  • when it’s not snowing or raining, we like to wear white open toe shoe boots with a block heel in winter.
  • black leather jeans and a black cashmere turtleneck can take you just about anywhere. Thinking the only thing that might be better than a black cashmere turtleneck would be a black cashmere v-neck. The one shown here is two years old, and yay, it has a few pills on it, but that’s okay, the face and body do too. 🙂 We like it that way. Investment dressing. 🙂

the pre-party

Sometimes it’s the lead up that can be the most fun: prepping for the party is so part of the joy.

Love too that the second daughter and the second son’s girlfriend are getting in on the game, they spent the better part of their Saturday making up some amazing dips and things.

Writing this during second half of super bowl, kind of hoping the Pats win as oldest daughter’s man is extremely attached and I want her to have a good week, lol.

Anyways, we did some New England lobster rolls, good old tenderloin sandwiches with arugula and horseradish cream sauce, a couple of Georgia peach tarts and a double batch of Katharine Hepburn brownies. We took it all on the road, two son’s hosted the party, so happy.

Every day dress, always. xoxo

 

over time and distance

So, the closer to fifty-two than fifty-one year old face/body looks (and feels) a bit different from that forty something year old face/body that we started with that April day about five years ago when we put up our first every day dress post, and that’s okay.

We’re doing many of the same things, making the bed, eating protein at breakfast, getting out of the yoga/workout clothes, putting on some makeup, walking the dogs, making dinner, spending time with those we love, and enjoying a glass of wine (or two).

We’re also cooking more, and reading more. We’ve become protective of our time in the kitchen, and choosing our food more carefully, and with consideration.

Our feelings towards clothing for ourselves and our clients is kind of the same: careful, and considerate, especially over time and distance.

We love a base of black and denim, totally gets us around. The scarf was collected in France, the bag in northern CA years ago, and the jacket from a client. With days getting longer we can do more outdoor outfit stuff, still not used to shooting style indoors.

Every day dress, over time and distance. xoxo

 

some new denim

      

While in San Francisco with the momma and the sister they advised to ditch the rips. Bought a new pair of higher waisted, split hem, dark wash, denim. Colleague was in the design studio today and we were each talking about our mutual love of denim, and she was saying how she loves pretty much everything about it, although her love stops at rips. 🙂 Won’t give up the rips, love them in the kitchen and the garden, yet this was the office look yesterday: super well-designed winter white wool pullover blouse, dark denim, suede boot, long earrings, red lip. Felt good and easy.

happy 🙂

In the kitchen we cooked up some minestrone, a big pot of soup can be as comforting as your favorite denim, especially when paired with some good grilled cheese sandwiches. 🙂

Every day dress and cook, and some new denim.

 

read the directions, or not

prepping for the osso bucco

slicing these things yourself is better

Spent a week on the west coast, San Diego and San Francisco, and now doing the every day on the east coast. Cooking and dressing.

First morning home ran out to the grocery for supplies and Williams-Sonoma for a new knife. That west coast food culture can sure inspire. Not that I cooked any west coast fare, simply saw a gorgeous knife in a wine | home | decor store and wanted to replicate. Would love a full set yet starting slow, kind of like a good wardrobe, one beautiful piece at a time.

cooled coffee, salad dressing, cake, gift, and flowers before cutting

3 small arrangements, black linen napkins

spinach, walnuts (toasted), mushrooms (sautéed), and goat cheese

forgot to garnish with the gremolota last time we made this

it can be a blur, keep calm

bread and butter is love for Ethan 🙂

For husband’s sixty-second birthday again cooked up some Ossobuco, one of his favorites, and the cover cake of this months Food & Wine. I always pretty much read the directions, yet sometimes the following can get a bit blurry. Thought it was going fine yet simply overlooked the first step, to tie the shanks. Oh, well, keep cool and move on. Last time I cooked this off forgot the gremolata garnish just before serving so thinking things kind of even out. It’s food, and we usually get to do it again in about three or four hours.

picked up these little sparkly candles in San Diego

baked the Food & Wine cover

The cake has almond flour, and coconut sugar, and was advised to simply whip the cream with some cinnamon. Tasted the cake, tasted the cream, and then added some good old white sugar and a teaspoon or two of real vanilla.

black biker and white denim on the beach

professional image | Worth New York Spring 17

As for the clothing thing, wore white denim in San Diego yet not in San Francisco, feel the mood. Black denim biker leather in both locales. Once home, after cooking all day in husband’s button down and an apron, slipped on a little one shouldered cashmere number to sit down at the table in.

Every day dress, read the directions, or not.

Couple of footnotes: started this blog five years ago when working corporate, kind of as a recruiting tool. Have since left corporate, yet still styling, so keeping the blog. Professionally we dress women in beautiful clothing, personally we like nice clothes, nice places, and to cook for and feed  others. Passionate about all. Spring trunk show coming February 14th to February 28th, I’ll have that little leather biker number in black and pink. Choices. xoxo

 

replenish

When you love great food and good clothes, or good food and great clothes, replenish is the word.

As we’re about the every day here usually at home we’re at the market like that, every day. As for the wardrobe, our go-to basics like white denim and a comfortable, soft black turtleneck, those too need to be restocked. We like to do them both once or twice or maybe even three times a year as they are basics, worn over and over, kind of like coffee and half and half first thing in the morning.

We’re traveling, and picked up the denim, sweater, and Birkenstocks which eighteen year old daughter kind of dislikes, yet we’re all about them, especially that they are black, and suede.

First three photos from the iPhone, last one from the digital camera. Need to stock the home bar on the kitchen counter kind of like that. 🙂

Every day dress, replenish. xoxo