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