On the to-do list today: packing for Ohio and setting things up for our house/Virgil-sitter.
What's coming with me: those textured skinny jeans, that black tee, and definitely those sunglasses (ooh, I love them and care zero that it's November and that they may look a little out-of-place at the Amish Country antique stores that we stop into every year).
What's not: those boots, as much as I love them.
Being in the world of parent-teacher conferences (I know; I can't believe it, either) and cubbies means being in the world of teacher appreciation, too. Seriously: I cannot tell you how much I adore and cherish my son's teachers; they're my family's friends in a very real way, and I care about them both as caregivers for my child and as just straight-up wonderful people.
Which means that I get a little stressed out about what to do around the holidays. I want to make sure that they all feel appreciated...but I also really, really don't want to offend anyone (by, say, skipping someone I really should have given a gift to, or giving something that I think is thoughtful but that isn't really welcome). I'm not entirely sure that they want another batch of cookies.
So I figured I'd go straight to the source, and ask an elementary school teacher to tell me the honest truth about teachers and holiday gift-giving.
This post was created in collaboration with Hollister Co.
All I want for Christmas: this, basically.
Seriously, this is what I would like to wear every day right around now: a perfect white tee (this particular one is light-as-air and slouchy and great), a cozy grey button-down cardigan with a bit of a I-borrowed-this-from-my-boyfriend vibe, distressed skinny jeans, and what might just be the best parka ever (faux fur + navy + a just-right length…and a just-right price).
I would also take the smushy-faced puppy, but that’s another story.
John Varvatos is one of those brands that makes you feel fancy to even know about. It's just that cool; sort of an equal-parts blend of craftmanship and rock 'n' roll (it's also popular with motorcycle riders because of the emphasis on tailored leather pieces with a distressed vibe).
I've been a fan of their stuff generally for years - I've recommended Varvatos colognes in my gift guides every single year - and now I'm a fan of their sunglasses, which are just like their clothing: classic and edgy, luxe and rugged. (Especially the style above, which is based on a vintage racing bike and is just awesome.)
Whee!
It's just about that time of year again: the time when you pile onto planes or into cars, and fly or drive far distances to eat things like cranberry sauce while wearing ugly (or ugly-amazing) sweaters.
(We're going to Ohio. That's 2011's trip, above.)
It's also the time of year when you have to start bringing presents with you anytime you see people...and especially when you see people whose homes you are invading (potentially with assorted small children and dogs) for an evening, for a weekend, or for more.
Brussels sprouts and I have quite a history together.
First of all, I've always loved them. Even when I was a kid; loved them. And when I was living on my own and could do weird living-on-your-own-with-no-one-else-to-cook-for things like eat nothing but Brussels sprouts (with about a pound of butter on them) for dinner, I (often) did.
I used to make them the way my babysitter made them when I was growing up - basically just boiling them - until I realized...hmmm, probably not the best way to do it. It leeches out flavor and waterlogs them, and besides: they end up looking a little "eh". So I started roasting them like everyone says to do...but I don't especially love roasted vegetables (or crispy Brussels sprouts).
Finally, I found my own personal Brussels sprouts Sweet Spot: steamed until half-cooked, then finished off in a sauté pan with lots and lots of salty bacon, a little lemon, and salt.
An oldie but a goodie, just because the holiday season is almost upon us and these make cool and inexpensive DIY gifts (not to mention being a fun - and non-time-intensive, promise - weekend project).
Apparently there is a first time for everything, and last night there was a first time for me and crop tops.
I don't wear crop tops.
I don't especially love showing off my waist, and also: I am not twenty, and do not have a particularly long list of places that I go to which non-bathing-suit-related torso-exposure would be considered especially appropriate. Besides, I'm grumpy when I'm cold, and...if not exactly "shy", certainly shyer than "hello, here is my stomach."
But I do wear a lot of sweaters, tees and tank tops that are so slouchy that they're practically falling off, and a significant percentage of them are of the see-through variety, so I've been on the hunt for awhile now for something that I can wear under them and look like I actually meant to have it seen. Not like a camisole, or like a bra. Not like my sequined thing; it catches on everything.
