Our team is rounding in the fall winter 18 fashion season while feverishly prepping to enjoy all holiday gatherings and the ringing in of the new year. Everyone is on the go go – shopping, cleaning, cooking, baking, decorating, travel, getting kids home from school, work work work. Doing all this stuff requires clothing (optional?), and sometimes it’s best to keep it tight.
A capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that can be worn over and over. The term capsule wardrobe was coined by Susie Faux, owner of the London boutique ‘Wardrobe’, in the 1970’s. Donna Karan popularized it here in the 80’s by releasing a capsule collection of seven interchangeable work-wear pieces. While not shiny or colorful, the concept works. You can always mix in a few trend pieces.
black turtleneck, black skinny trouser Worth New York
black silk blouse with tie, black silk skirt Worth New York
black sweater, blue denim, suede flat, lots of green
Still getting settled after Thanksgiving week and now entering holiday mode, oh, boy. We’ve done this before, yet there’s always those moments of uncertainty when you think you just can’t get there. One year when staging and decorating for husband’s office Christmas party with major event designer sister from CA, she said, ‘you can never be done’, and I still think of that. Any party or event or dinner or holiday or even wedding planning could just keep going and going. Now I tell myself to give it a really good strong effort and then at some point just let it be enough.
We’ve got trees, some decorated, some not. Some with skirts, and some without. Twenty year old daughter hung some of the ornaments while home from break and I wasn’t even in the room with her. We chatted, room to room, her hanging, me cooking, and I just let her be. Years past or even recent years I might have micro-managed, this tree decorating I can totally let go.
Card writing is giving me anxiety, and we’ve even got a great photo or two this year. The actual card is on order, and that’s two steps ahead of where we usually are in this production process. We’ve looked at stamps, no decision yet. Details details.
easiest dinner ever is to have your butcher trim and tie a whole tenderloin, pop it in a super hot oven for 22 minutes or so, let rest, and carve
We had a full house, and I cooked and baked my head off. Tenderloin, ham, turkey. Potatoes, beans, pasta. Cinnamon rolls, pies, cakes. Bacon bacon and bacon. Wine wine and more wine. Can you tell where this is going?
probably spent 16+ hours or so in an apron
new French food processor, needs to go back, Pulse button not working!
This most wonderful time of the year is by any stretch not easy. Trimmed and tied, perhaps, yet always ongoing….
big chunk of blue and chopped tarragon
birthday wedge and bolognese for fourteen, kind of standard. this was after Thanksgiving and there wasn’t a clean white linen left in the house, so, mismatched it was
bought two $40 bouquets at grocery and had oldest daughter cut them down into 11 small arrangements in canning jars, a look she totally dismissed for wedding vibe, hahaha (and agree)
Okay, so we’re desperately working on finishing professional plant-based cooking curriculum at Rouxbe, and it’s as expected in our world taking longer than what’s expected. We even paid extra for extra time to finish, a 30 day extension for $129.99 to be precise. As we have only 9 days left to finish, upload and send 28 graded activities, we’re most likely definitely looking at another extension for another chunk of cash. We’ve got life to tend to, the fall garden, the small business, and the family.
We’ve always been a non-traditional student. Night school non-matriculated courses at State University of New York at Buffalo served as our college introduction, and that entire process evolved over seven years, with an eighteen month old and twin newborns in the arms of my husband on graduation day.
This Professional Plant-Based Certification Course is intense. Designed as a six month foundational instruction in plant-based culinary arts, it focuses on the core techniques found in a plant-based kitchen. The course forces me to explore and practice a variety of recipes and flavors from around the world that I might never experience without having to leave my home. It’s all online, love that, and you receive ongoing chef instruction and support. I am consistently challenged to master technique, and those skills will now stay with me forever.
You might recall I was enrolled in the Rouxbe Professional Cook Certification, and that course took me longer to complete than the expected six-months as well. For us, everything seems to take longer, and that’s okay. A few of the lessons are repeated in the Plant-Based curriculum, such as knife skills and dicing practice, and I could upload my earlier work to move the process along. Thought about it, and then thought not. I’m here to learn, and get better, and by doing it again I’ll only get better. Doing things again and over and over to make a more pleasing, satisfying outcome, is the basic tenet of our every day dress lifestyle. It takes work, and it can take a long time, and like I said before we don’t always get it right.
simple cabbage soup with heat from cayenne
confetti quinoa salad – big hit with twenty-six year old daughter
While prepping plant-based soup and salad a few days ago I’m sure I swore and eye rolled a few times as plant things seem to take way longer to bring to table than throwing a tenderloin of any kind into a hot oven. Simple Cabbage Soup with scratch vegetable stock and Confetti Quinoa Salad with garlic fried quinoa will take every flat surface and probably every bowl and several pots and pans in your kitchen.
It’s a journey, and we’re definitely learning new things, and that’s kind of what life is all about anyways.
As for the what to wear where, we’re about adding some color to the rotation. If we’re doing new things in the kitchen why not add some new dimension to the wardrobe.
Every day dress all the time and why does everything always take longer than what we expect?
To cap off summer shenanigans, thank goodness as it’s been a long one, husband and I did a two-day getaway at The Red Horse Inn before hitting Greenville SC for Furman University family weekend.
we stopped at a small Amish store and bought ham off the bone, hot pepper cheese, a jar of mustard and mayonnaise and a loaf of bread
Hiking the foothills of the Blue Ride Mountains and making grilled ham and cheese sandwiches in the petite cabin kitchen were the activities, perfect. The new terrace of the main house was a great spot for a glass of wine or two.
denim shirt with wide legged navy pant
new season square toe lace up boot, a season or so ago bag
Yeah, we’ve been out for a while, and looking to get back in. Two life changes, a marriage and somewhat of an empty nest after sending youngest of six off to Providence College this fall and just gotta say the tank feels low. Things that got us going like writing, and cooking, and even dressing haven’t had the same pull. That’s a problem, as we named this site every day dress, not only to talk about clothes, but more about the idea of getting up, showing up, taking risks and putting yourself out there, and to perhaps help inspire a few women to do maybe a little of the same.
Simply putting this post up on this first day of October feels awkward, as we’ve fallen off the habit, kind of like the first day of school or the first day back at the gym after a too long hiatus. We know we like it, and that it’s good for us, it’s just that we’re out of the routine.
In talking with a client today she reminded me that research suggests it takes thirty days of regularly doing ‘a thing’ to make ‘a habit’. So here we are, with an awkward feeling post, hoping to get back to regularly writing, cooking, dressing.
We’ve been moving 5th child into university the past few days, and we’re all lingering about, hanging on, fading summer. She opted out of her dorm room last night, and we we’re three in a bed, priceless.
It’s been a summer for the record books, husband and I basically checked out of professional life for two straight months, (him, not so much, me, 100%), and late this afternoon we fly home.
dress | Worth New York
Tomorrow first thing I’m back into styling, and I’m going in cold. Simply gonna jump, no time for slow immersion, stunning new fall clothes arriving overnight air to studio, and late afternoon client appointments.
Thank you, Michele, for reaching out and inviting us to visit and reminding me how lucky we are to dress amazing women in beautiful clothing.
Mom, chic soon to be seventy-nine year old, thought this dress looked flirty, and now, after looking at photos, kind of agree.
Bought it in San Francisco at Saks in Union Square in July, and the husband picked it out. He has a good eye. Wore it recently for oldest daughter’s rehearsal dinner. Felt great. Never underestimate the confidence giving feeling of good clothes.
We love the kind of quiet sophisticated hue and the kind of crazy eyelash print, and the ease of fit. Paired it with a pair of lace block heels, a small top handle bag, and done. Flirty it is, and at fifty-three we’re good with the crew neckline, the below-the-knee length, and the A-line skirt shape. Ease over fitted for the win, at least this time around here at every day dress.
xoxo
really looking forward to getting back in the groove….
Normally we’re checked out in July and/or August, this year it’s June. Big at-home shindig late summer, so oldest daughter/bride to be headed to Wyoming, and I did Food & Wine Classic in Aspen CO, thank you Jackie, than met husband for more wine in CA.
When home Wednesday it will be head down, all systems go. 200+ for dinner and dancIng in the back yard is a big lift, so, for the time being we’ve gone fishing.
basic little black cardigan what’s for dinner post
Days move so fast sometimes you’ve just got to put it together: the clothes on your body and the food to eat for dinner.
Essentials to keep on hand might include black denim and a cropped cardigan, a pound of bacon, frozen peas, a fresh bunch of kale, imported dried pasta, a good black bag, and maybe some Boursin cheese and a handful of asparagus.
looks weird yet wildly delicious, everyone loved this ad hoc what’s for dinner put it together
We love a good outfit and adore a good meal, keeping at the ready some strong basics makes it easier to put it together.
Never mind book club, we’ve joined a farm share for the season and couldn’t be happier. Picked up our box last week Thursday, and have cooked and baked from it since.
We’re all about eating fresh, and working on adding in more plant-based items to the daily rotation. Work it is, as I find plant-based a bit challenging, and honestly kind of time-consuming. Maybe it’s just getting in the swing of it, not sure, simply seems to take forever to chop so many ingredients to arrive at great flavor. I have to say though that once the prep is done, the results and the taste and the variety of meals you can create is worth the effort, so go figure. Daughters in the house love when I cook this way, they are all over the Cucumber Rounds w/Cashew Cheese Tapenade.
soaking heirloom tomatoes for consomme and cashews for ‘cream cheese’
recently bought 3 bistro tables from Amazon for entertaining activities
Friday night committee meeting
we like odd numbers
tomato consomme shooters with avocado garnish
roasted pepper pesto crostini with fresh horseradish garnish
cucumber rounds with cashew cheese tapenade and garnished with balsamic figs
prepping Beefless Southeast-Asain satays
serving Beefless Southeast-Asian Satays with Peanut Sauce
(don’t think I’ll ever do this one again, would rather use grass-fed, organic beef)
On Friday I was in kitchen heaven as entire family was out and about. Simply settled in with a counter full of plant ingredients and did what I could for a little patio and lawn committee party we had that evening to kick off WNY Women’s Foundation Fall in Fashion 18. Lovely evening, lovely women.
Sunday night halibut and asparagus
Monday morning halibut on toast with fresh squeezed OJ
As for creating, this morning we started with last night’s halibut garnished with olive and sun-dried tomato tapenade, protein at breakfast in our every day dress world is always a good idea.
strawberry rhubarb pie
A few disclaimers:
Started here as a ‘style’ site and feel like we’ve evolved more into maybe a ‘food’ site? Whatever, we’re passionate about both, even if involves most of our time spent in denim. We can still clean up nice when needed. 🙂
If you read my posts on Facebook, here is my apology: I am freaking terrible at Facebook, and one of my young admins linked my blog to Facebook seasons ago and I still haven’t figured it out, oh, well, always learning and figuring things out. Sorry if I’m not good at replying to comments.
living in denim, and sneakers, and a puffer, still in June
black cotton dress, Dior bag, guitar strap, waiting for Uber
Saturday office look, new shoes, and loving Diet Coke in a glass bottle
Joined a farm share, and had a plant party. xoxo, Rebecca
