Back on the east coast and back at it at work. Doesn’t really feel like work at all when you get to be with great women and do things that empower others.
Three weeks ago put together a small runway show in support of the WNY Women’s Foundation, its’ mission is to invest in innovative solutions to issues and needs of special significance to women and girls in Western New York. It was their 11th annual Fall in Fashion Luncheon, and we were there.
Bonus? Not only got to work with amazing women and in support of a very special not-for-profit, third daughter was off from school and her being there made everything that much better.
Every day dress, three weeks ago, black sweater, black and gold belt, black pants, current go-to all day long outfit. Daughter seems to like the all-black too. 🙂
Went to the Canyon Ranch in Tuscon AZ for two days and two nights and honestly barely left the room. Needed some grounding and it was there.
Alcohol free? Check. No wine induced self slide into night at the end of a long day.
Healthy, delicious food? Check. Kind of funny but was actually looking at the posted calorie counts and ordering the highest on the menu. 🙂 Sweet potato pancakes for breakfast two mornings in a row.
Gym? Multiple, never went. Ditto for hiking, swimming, and anything else exerting. Did do a couple of yoga poses while waiting for the clairvoyant. Read a fiction book, was an hour late to a two-hour cooking class, never once turned on the television or even took a photo until here, at the end when waiting curbside for the airport shuttle. Bought not one thing new.
Modern life can wear you out. Was gifted this getaway for good performance by the company I work for. Wasn’t going to go, Tuscon is a hell of a long way from upstate NY for a deep tissue massage and an anti-aging facial. Turns out it was just what was needed: a lot of nothing. Sure, the moon and the stars and pretty much anything that was health enriching could be experienced, it was not having an experience was what I liked best.
Here’s an intimate thought: when having babies there were times I couldn’t wait to deliver to be in that room and to have three meals a day delivered on trays. No thinking, no getting, no doing.
Love life and all its bigness. Love too two days of nothing. Canyon Ranch and Worth New York, thank you. Wishing everyone everywhere a bit of soul now and again.
Simple style notes and play on words: Packed light for this getaway, some exercise clothes that get worn all the time back home and that are going back clean, sneakers, one black blouse worn both nights to dinner. For travel both ways, blue jeans, of course, same cashmere sweater and black leather jacket. Yes, needed all those layers in the desert in December. No jewelry, minimum makeup, and one fancy belt. The black boots with fringe? Sole me: took those pre-trip to the cobbler for rubber soles. It’s good to be grounded. While a beautiful leather sole on a good shoe or boot is luxurious, taking the time when you live in the northeast to protect that beauty from modern runaround is a very good thing. Damage control, ha, clairvoyant said you can end up stripped.
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 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.Â
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.
