Wintervention

Winter Doldrums

One of my best friends (you know who you are!) is in dire need of what my girls call a "wintervention". Winter can be a depressing time of the year for some us. Mondays especially.

Psychiatrist John R. Shar, author of The Emotional Calendar, offered some advice in the February issue of Allure:
"Jetting off to the Caribbean can leave you seasonally dislocated, so if you're going to take a vacation, a ski lodge - where everyone is enjoying winter - may be a better choice. At home, find things about winter to get excited about, such as sitting around a roaring fire or having friends over a for a cozy dinner. Get a dose of sunlight by walking outside everyday - it'll boost your immune system. Adding a supplement of vitamin D, which we usually get from the sun, also helps."

I have a ski trip planned to Lake Placid for Presidents Day Weekend, so hopefully that will help shake my own winter blues.

Some advice if I may (1 & 2 that may be going against Dr. Sharp, oops):

L'Oreal Paris
Sublime Bronze Pro Perfect Airbrush

• Spray Tan - Who doesn't feel better with a tan? I read about L'Oreal's self-tanning mist on a friends blog. It sprays on evenly, drys quickly and has a pleasant scent. I had previously used Jergens Natural Glow but couldn't take the smell anymore. Tip: Spray in the shower and stand still!. It will stain your feet if you move around, talking from experience.

J. Crew Tuxedo end-on-end dress

• Get excited about spring clothes - We've been seeing the same ol' everything in stores for quite some time and the sale racks are stripped. I spotted this dress at J. Crew over the weekend and if I'm still thinking about it in the coming weeks will be placing an order. (Mentally cropping those shoes in the above photo and picturing Jack Rogers Navajos.)

Bungalow Scout Collection

• If you're stuck inside take time to get yourself organized. There is bound to be a task that you would rather do in the winter months than in the spring when you can be playing outside! Bungalow is offering 35% storage with code CLUTTERBUSTER. The bright patterns will motivate you.

And finally some more great tips in this article, 10 Cool Ways to Beat the Winter Blues. Alright, enough about winter!

Countdown to Super Bowl Sunday

"Go Steelers" Polyvore

One week until the big game... who will you be rooting for? I am a proud New York Football Giants fan but will be rooting for the Steelers next Sunday. I have a few friends that are Pittsburgh fans so I am happy to support. Hey, as long as I'm not rooting for Boston or Philly teams it's all good. (Boyfriend is a Boston fan...ha ha)

The Black-Eyed Pease will be starring in the half time show, I don't particularly care. Nothing beats 2001!

Superbowl XXXV - 2001

Who could forget this epic Super Bowl half-time show?!? Relive Walk This Way. (Thank you Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake for ruining all future pop collaborations.)

Anyway...I came across the perfect treat for Steeler's fans - Terrible Towel™ Chocolate Bars. They are available from Tello, a company located outside of Pittsburgh.

What will you be bringing to the party? It has become my annual responsibility to fill the musical football snack bowl. I'm obsessed with how it plays the Fox NFL theme music upon open. Seriously, it's awesome.

P.S. Thanks to all my new followers! :)

Loveknot Links

Matchbook
My Google Reader has been abuzz with this week's launch of Matchbook, a digital "charmed" lifestyle magazine. I haven't had time to fully indulge yet, but a few things caught my eye.

My most wanted from "50 classics for your closet":

Burberry Trench Coat

...happens to be #1 on their list too.

One of my favorites that I own from the spread are the Frye Paige Tall riding boots - I have worn the black pair to death over the past couple of years.

Another notable from the mag:
"10 secrets to a charmed life": #8 Chia seeds. Eat them, and feel great! A powerful Antioxidant!

I've been meaning to buy some to top my oatmeal and salads. I've been reading about them everywhere. Last year someone in my office wanted to have a Chia Pet growing contest (never happened). Now I want to eat the seeds? Weird...

Shop

• Lilly Pulitzer's spring line launched today

Giveaways (fingers crossed!)

• Stationery - {long distance loving} - $35 to Minted (ends 2/6)
• Jewelry - cornflake dreams - Under $40 piece from the vamoose (ends 2/4)
• Bracelet - College Prep - One of a kind bracelet by Kiel James Patrick (ends 2/4)

Not a long list today, but should keep you plenty busy.

Brooklyn Brewery

Happy Friday! Finally...the day we have all been waiting for.

My friends and I had always wanted to visit the Brooklyn Brewery - our beloved alma mater Lehigh University held an event last weekend so a date and time were set for us. We arrived at 2PM and enjoyed a few beers before the line became ridiculously long. $20 for 6 beers, not bad!

Unfortunately most areas of the brewery were shut down for the tour due to renovations, but that was okay because we were freeeeeeezing. We ordered pizza for delivery to the brewery and then traveled back to the East Village and stayed out until 2AM. Followed by more pizza. (Bad idea!)

The next day we recovered by watching football and feasted on a Thanksgiving-esque dinner. Thank God I have friends that are great cooks. I wish I could say that I contributed to making this!

This weekend I'm traveling to New Haven with the girls to visit our newly engaged BFF. Can't wait!

Kate's Dress Under Lock & Key

I am loving the hype over the royal wedding. Back in college I interned at a national bridal magazine and since have been obsessed with wedding dresses, shoes and all the details. I think just about every top designer has been asked to sketch what they envision Kate wearing on the big day. I'm sure she'll surprise us all. Can you imagine the pressure?!

Mark Brower
Vineyard Collection
via Brides.com

Diana's dressmaker says secrecy may be key for Kate from Reuters gave me a laugh.
Security Measures:

• Guards
• Safe
• Wrong clues

"We used to leave bits of different colored threads and things to put them on the wrong track and we had to put blinds up so that people couldn't peer through the windows, and we even had a spare dress hanging up just in case somebody did discover the secret." - Elizabeth Emanuel, Princess Dianna's dressmaker

Crazy!

While speaking of the royal couple, take a look at these copycats. Ha!

via Yahoo! News

How To Clean Hunter Boots

Before & After

If you own a pair of Hunter wellies you are well aware of the fact they develop a white residue over time. According to Hunter, it's a wax that "blooms" to the surface when exposed to certain elements. I hadn't worn mine for over a year and needed to break them out when all of the snow first hit the Northeast. They looked awful! Here are the steps to take to clean your boots so they look like new.

What you will need:
Goo Gone
Hunter Boot Buffer Spray (available at Nordstrom or Zappos) or McNett UV Tech
Paper Towels or Cloth

Step 1: Rinse your boots off with lukewarm water to get rid of any debris. Let them completely air dry.
Step 2: Once the boots are dry, wipe your boots down with Goo Gone to remove the white film. I just squirted the cleaner directly on the boots and then wiped with paper towels.

Step 3: To protect your boots, spray them down with either Hunter Boot Buffer Spray or McNett UV Tech (spray them outside). This will protect them from "blooming" again.

Step 4: Invest in some matching fleece socks to keep you warm!

It's going to be messy today in the city with all the snow (mystery puddles), these boots will be essential.

Top Dog

J. Crew circa 1998

The American Kennel Club announced the Labrador Retriever as the most popular breed for the 20th consecutive year today.

2010 Most Popular Dogs in the U.S.

1. Labrador Retriever
2. German Shepherd Dog
3. Yorkshire Terrier
4. Beagle
5. Golden Retriever
6. Bulldog
7. Boxer
8. Dachshund
9. Poodle
10. Shih Tzu

The French Bulldog made the largest leap in the past decade, jumping 50 places from 71st to 21st. Other breeds with the biggest increase in rankings over the last decade include the Havanese (from 86th to 31st) and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (from 54th to 23rd).

See the full list and other trends here.

Ted, my boyfriend, has a black lab named Skipper. Skip is lucky enough to live on Martha's Vineyard. Jealous.

Skip checking out dinner

This post wouldn't be complete without a shout out to my own (13-year-old) puppy, Darcy. Shetland Sheepdogs came in at #19 on the most popular breed list.

Happiness Granted.

You can expect the majority of my posts to involve shopping, pink or plaid. I've got 2/3 covered here.

I finally received my dress from Rue La La's last Lilly Pulitzer sale. There was a delivery delay due to "emergency conditions" - the UPS driver didn't want to walk up my driveway in the snow. I was working from home the morning of the scheduled delivery, wish I had looked out the window. Even though I won't wear the dress for months (wahhh) I was so anxious to see if it fits, and it did! Success!


Bowen Buy Local Dress


Loved the note that came with the dress: Happiness Granted. As you open this box, we hope you're having one of those "moments."

This is my first apparel purchase from Rue La La. I ordered a dress last year, but had to send it back because it looked like it had been previously worn and dry cleaned. I received a refund along with an additional credit, can't complain about their customer service. Definitely recommend!

Pre-drinking leads to pre-writing

I went to see Lisa Birnbach speak last November on her True Prep book tour in New Canaan, CT. One of her anecdotes was about "mummy's" mid-life job crisis; she has moved on from real estate and is now pre-writing for her novel. "Being a pre-writer is a preppy career choice. Anyone can do it and it's good for corresponding with doers." Well I'm far from a mid-life crisis, but this struck a cord. I joked with Ms. Birnbach afterward that I was doing some research and pre-writing for my non-existent blog.

Had it not been for all of the hype of True Prep on my Google Reader I may not have attended. My daily reads have inspired me to buckle down and start my own. After all, I studied journalism and the only thing I have written besides emails and PowerPoint decks since college are Facebook posts. It just seems fitting. Finally, an outlet to chronicle my ventures, likes, dislikes and everything in between.

Cheers!

True Prep & Official Preppy Handbook signed!