If wee ones can do it, well, I probably can't screw it up too much. Right? ...Right?
What I’m Reading Now
At the moment, I'm simultaneously reading both of the books pictured above. Slow Death By Rubber Duck: The Secret Dangers of Everyday Things (by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie), and Lunch In Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes (by Elizabeth Bard). Slow Death by Rubber Duck is for the mornings, because if I read it at night it'll take about twenty Tylenol PMs to get me snoozin'. Sample quote: "Pollution is now so pervasive that it's become a marinade in which we all bathe every day. Pollution is actually inside us all. It's seeped into our bodies. And in many cases, once it's in, it's impossible to get out." See? Total mood-upper. But the book is fascinating - the two authors, who clearly subscribe to the Michael Moore-Fast Food Nation school of journalism, literally expose themselves to a bevy of chemicals to "see what happens"...and as you can imagine, what happens is quite bad indeed.
Lunch in Paris is my sunset reading: it's a book made for paging through while sitting in a warm pool of sun at a glorious cafe, martini in hand, waiting for my husband to get off of work and come join me (well, that only happened once last week, but that moment allowed me to quote him the first line of the book - "I slept with my French husband halfway through our first date" - in hopes of injecting him with a little inspiration). This book - which recalls Under the Tuscan Sun, Julie & Julia, and even Judith Jones' The Tenth Muse for its life-inspired recipes, which are scattered throughout like tiny, sweet pops of sugar - is just what I want to be reading while the days grow warmer. Preferably while eating croissants in Paris, but hey...Second Avenue'll do.
P.S. Elizabeth Bard also has a totally charming blog; check it out.
Chilly Day, Cozy Company
Yesterday I had a late lunch with Carla, a talented actress and a smart, genuine, and driven young lady who's going to be helping me out with some upcoming shoots, events, etc.
Styleite: Let's Bring Back The Rucksack.
An excellent article containing an excellent idea that I am 100% on board with (see also: shout-out to yours truly towards the end).
So now I need to know...where can I get an equally fab one of my own for an equally low price?
Melrose Street Winner
Congrats to Chiaberry, winner of the $50 gift card to Melrose Street!
Hill Country / Fanelli’s
Yesterday I did a lot of not-fun running around, but I did manage to fit in two very fun pit stops: lunch with Liz at Hill Country, and drinks with Verena from Styleite at Fanelli's.
Tote-Ally Green Design Contest – Bloomie’s / Rebecca Minkoff!
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Bloomingdale's. All opinions are 100% mine.
Well, this is fun!
Obviously, reusable bags are the way to go for the environment...but they don't have to be castoffs from Grandma Rose or the last seminar you attended. They can - and should - be cute! I keep resuable tote bags on hand for grocery shopping, for summer picnics, and for carrying around flip-flops in the event that my brand-new Jessica Simpson platforms (yeah, I bought 'em) prove to be a little too perilous on the New York City streets.
Reader Recipe: Chicken Vesuvio
Last night, I made Chicken Vesuvio based on a Giada recipe sent in by reader Molly.
Happy Hour #2
For Happy Hour #2 yesterday evening I met up with reader Caitlin at Ship of Fools, and discovered that we share a bit of a popcorn fetish.
Finally…
...the weather has turned.