Sparkle

Elizabeth Taylor said that "big girls need big diamonds".

Well, I like diamonds, but I adore anything that sparkles...

I love Alexis Bittar jewelry. Here are my favorite picks for earrings (top row), bracelets (bottom row left and middle) and ring (bottom row right). It was hard to pick only these, the cream of the crop, because he's got so many beautiful pieces. Every time I pass his shop on Bleecker Street I stop and  drool at these and other pieces on his shop window.

Quiche

Last weekend I made a quiche for the first time, and I have to brag a bit, because it came out great. The kids loved it, and even though "real men don't eat quiche", my husband loved it too. Making it felt like quite a bit of work though, maybe because I am a cook that prefers to make quick things, and don't like to follow recipes too close. For the quiche though, I was not brave enough to stray from the recipe, which I found from the New York Times. I think it's from Mark Bittman, one of my favorite chefs ever. (Mark's book, How to Cook Everything, is amazing, truly amazing, and has helped me learn to cook over the years.) But back to the quiche. Once I got the dough right, the quiche was not that difficult to make. I used some nice tomatoes (the recipe called for heirloom, but I used plum tomatoes), goat cheese and basil (from my own backyard where I have plenty of it), and of course eggs. I would be happy to share the recipe if anyone wants it. I am going to keep it until I can find one that calls for a dough that doesn't have to be rolled out...that step to me is cumbersome and time consuming. If I could find a dough that could just be pressed into the pie plate, I could make quiche every weekend. But until then, this will be a rare treat.

Here are some pics of the deliciousness.

Saturday Evening Outfit

On Saturday night my sister-in-law took the kids to a party, and hubby and I had a couple of hours to ourselves..which we promptly utilized by going out for drinks in our neighborhood place, Bar Frites. I threw on an old H&M chiffon top, KMart ripped boyfriend jeans, a necklace bought on the streets of NYC years ago, Tommy Hilfiger espadrille sandals, and my Nancy Gonzalez bag. I like going out with my hubby, because of the conversations we have when nobody is interrupting or eavesdropping. And because of those conversations, I rarely want to go to movies on our dates. We always have lots to chat about. Of course the biggest topic is our kids!

In a Perfect World

This would be my fall wardrobe, in a perfect world. Work looks and weekend looks, all by Stella McCartney and available at Bergdorfs.

Different Stripes

We've been doing some back to school shopping with my 9 year old. She got some new stuff and mommy got some new stuff. Everyone happy. Here are our school supply shopping outfits, mom wearing Zara shirt, BR jeans, Tory Burch espadrilles, Nancy Gonzalez bag, Chloe sunglasses. Daughter wearing Gap jumpsuit, H&M bag, Kenneth Cole sandals, Ray Ban sunglasses.

Wearing it for Real

March Jacobs Fall 2012

Sometimes in fashion shows you see things on the runway that you think could never be worn in real life. Some things are just plain weird, or way too artistic or whimsical for everyday life. After all, not many us work in a creative industry where we don't have to dress according to codes. Therefore I really like those articles in magazines that show how to transform a runway look into an everyday look. And of course I totally loved it when I noticed this blog entry on the Bergdorf Goodman blog, showing the blogger on a "fashion dare" wearing the oddly shaped Marc Jacobs leather dress (see picture above).  

Yummy Mummy

The new pecking order in the "mommy wars" seems to be not between the working moms and stay-at-home moms, but between those moms who have regained their perfect pre-pregnancy body just weeks after giving birth, and those that still look pregnant a couple years after.. A New York Times article recently caught my eye that talked about this issue and I fully agree as I have noticed the same in my own life. When I had my first 10 years ago, nobody expected me to be skinny right after giving birht, but when I had my last baby 2 years ago, attitudes had already changed, and it was expected that you would lose the weight pretty quickly, if not, you were quite pathetic.. Never mind, that we all have different bodies, metabolic rates, health conditions, etc. Anyway, this is an interesting cultural subject and the story is worth a read:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/fashion/in-celebrity-climate-from-bump-to-paunch-pudgy-moms-cant-get-a-break.html?smid=pl-share

My Favorite Navy

It's been a while (ok, years) since I last wore a pant suit this much, but I really like my JCrew navy cotton pant suit. As evidenced by these photos!

Why has the term "pant suit" become a dirty word in fashion? Looking at myself in this suit, I almost feel like Hillary Clinton, only wishing I was half as smart.. This pant suit has been the savior of many busy mornings when I've had 30 minutes to get out the door. This suit would probably not get me on a best-dressed list, but in my business world it is appropriate for every occasion, well fitting but easy and comfortable, all qualities that I definitely need during a busy day when I have no time to fuss with my clothes. So bravo for pant suit, I think it's time for a come back!

The Summer Weekend

This weekend is being spent with friends and by the pool. Not much thought has been given to outfits, only to make sure they're comfy and give some coverage. My JCrew dress is the perfect cover-up. And aren't my two littlest pool buddies cute?

Not the Usual Beach Read

I recently finished reading a book about Pekka Herlin, the a Finnish industrial magnate who inherited the elevator company Kone. As you may know, Kone today is one of the largest elevator and escalator companies in the world, employing over 35000 people globally. 
 
As I get older I am more and more interested in books about real people; there are so many amazing stories and so much to learn from many remarkable people. There is also something very comforting to know that people can achieve so much despite their flaws. 
 
This book was written after Herlin's death; it was commissioned by his family to celebrate his life's work, which was creating the first truly global Finnish company, and in the process help tremendously advance and develop the Finnish economy and corporate landscape. He helped bring Finland into the modern competitive business environment, which was an amazing accomplishment, given the situation of the country after the second world war, and after the Finnish winter war with Russia. His success in business is astonishing, but what's even more remarkable, is that he was also a successful farmer, a successful competitive sailor who won many races, and a father to five children. It puts to shame my eternal complaint that I don't have enough time to do it all - and I only have one job and three kids. 
 
What is surprising about the book is how candidly it describes Pekka Herlin's interesting and deeply divided personality. His strengths were keen intelligence and a powerful drive, but he also had many flaws and weaknesses that made him very difficult to live with; among the worst of which was his addiction to alcohol. 
 
Unfortunately the book, Koneen Ruhtinas, is only available in Finnish. 

Pekka Herlin or James Dean?

Self Expression

"Girls dress for themselves and for self expression. If they dressed for boys, they would just go naked." Betsy Johnson

Here is my outfit for last Friday's date night.

Saks Fifth Avenue jumper, Tory Burch clutch, Tiffany necklace, Gucci ballerinas and H&M jacket. 

Date Night at Limani

On Friday hubby and I celebrated our birthdays by going to a restaurant that we've been meaning to try for a while. We are lucky to live in an area of Long Island that has many amazing restaurants, and we had heard so many good things about this Greek Restaurant Limani. We were not disappointed. Limani is a beautiful restaurant and the food is delicious. My best dish was the grilled octopus appetizer, it was one of the best octopus I've ever had. If I had to say anything slightly negative about this restaurant, it was that after hearing that we were there for the first time, our waiter was slightly pushy with his recommendations. But that really is a minor complaints, and overall we had a very nice time and a great dinner. I can definitely recommend this restaurant if you're ever in this neck of the woods.

Well Done Ladies!

The London Olympics came to a close, and now we don't know what do with ourselves as we don't have to spend hours catching up with the Games' events every night anymore... Yes, we are a bit of an Olympics crazy family. My daughter nearly fainted with excitement when I mentioned how cool it would be to go to Rio in four years. We shall see.

However, the biggest take-away of these games, for me, and I am sure for many other women out there, was the role of the ladies in these Olympics. For the first time in history, the United States sent more female athletes than males to the games. So did Russia, Canada and China. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei sent female athletes for the first time. Another first was the addition of women's boxing, which meant that women competed in all 26 events. Hip hip hurray!

The importance of athletics to women, and especially girls, cannot be underestimated. Participation in sports benefits both physical and mental health, builds children's self confidence, and reduces stress. Sports programs support the message of healthy living, and being strong. This message transcends to the rest of the girls' lives. Participating in sports also provides girls with opportunities to learn and lead, and to expand their network of friends and deepen friendships, even build a stronger sense of belonging to a community.

Seeing so many female athletes being so successful and strong in these games breaks down gender stereotypes, and increases girls' and women's active presence in the public sphere. This can change how  regular girls view themselves, and even change the ways as communities view girls and girls' sports.

As a mother of three strong, athletic girls, I am so happy seeing the ladies' Olympic success!

I really hope the momentum for female sports keeps going. I will certainly ensure that my daughters will always participate in some sports program.

Down to Earth

Or like Karl Lagerfeldt said: I am down to earth, just not this earth.

Here is yesterday's outfit. Wearing Ann Taylor pants, Banana Republic Tee, Tiffany necklace, Tory Burch espadrilles, and LV bag.

Edit Note: Not sure why Blogger posted this for Friday, when I actually posted this on Sunday.. Let's try this again.. 

The Dream Team

The ladies of this family all got new sneakers this week. When it comes to my own athletic shoes I am brand loyal and usually go for Nike. For me they always have the best fit, and they look good too ;-).

Fall Fashion is Here (already!)

Nordstrom's fall catalog dropped in the mail today, and it's got some nice stuff... I am definitely not ready to give up on summer yet, but I can't help myself for getting excited when the fall fashions start to come out. Here are my favorite picks from the Nordstrom book.

Stripes

Here's today's outfit. I love the stripy tank from Banana Republic, it goes with everything. And the lace blouse from Saks Fifth Avenue's house collection has been a staple for the three years that I've had it. Ann Taylor pants, Dr. Scholl's shoes and Dior bag finish the outfit.

Today's Outfit

The thing for today's outfit is the tie in the front of the black and gold chiffon blouse. And I am a real Gap girl today as both the blouse and pants are from the Gap. Slightly unusual because I usually only shop there for my daughters. But hey, whatever works!

My Birthday picnic in Instagram Pictures

I took my crew to my favorite spot in Sands Point for a picnic to celebrate my bd last Saturday. It was a lovely, picture perfect afternoon, and I felt I was living life to the fullest. If I could just bottle that feeling!

Best Things Come in Small Packages

I was so lucky to get a couple of little boxes for my fortieth birthday this past weekend. The small blue one is so iconic and pretty in and of itself! Of course what's in the box counts too ;-) but more about that later...