Winter Style: Brights in the Grey

I love winter. I think I might have mentioned that before. Nevertheless, it's really hard to rejoice in the brisk cold air when you're dragging with what seems to be the 537th cold, a stack o' DayJob deadlines, and a crankypants attitude that may or may not be well received at home.

So I don't have energy for much reading, but trolling - ahem - scrolling through Pinterest when I'm waiting in line at my morning Starbucks stop, or at Target picking up yet another glamorous package of toilet paper or paper towels seems to give me some short & sweet reminders that life is not only not that bad, but under control, manageable, and even gloriously bright. Oh yeah, and I'm steering the ship.

So here are some of my recent pins and how they spoke to me. Hope they brighten your already-sunny-but-crazy-windy-cold day.

We'll start with the night when I was feeling crazy overwhelmed and sick. Pinterest said this to me, which TrainerJen had emailed me, in not so many words, just minutes prior, changing my workout plan for the next morning to, literally: sleep.

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And then Pinterest said this. So I figured I'd better listen and go to bed. I did.

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Earlier, Pinterest had tossed this image my way. The coat, in its gloriously wrecked and punk sensibility, was in, and was the cover art for the catalog of, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2006 Anglomania exhibit. Later in the day, The Museum at FIT (one of my favorite places on earth, and one that gets far too little notice, in my opinion) posted an article from The Observer on their facebook page (like it now, please, for all of the amazing current and historical fashion they post). As the discussion around The Met's newest take on punk shows, punk is funny stuff, both musically and culturally. The sheer chaos that shows there is apparently bubbling up in the provenance of the fashion, too.

Once again, the Pinterest universe was speaking to me. Ok, the online universe. Quibbles.



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We're renovating our kitchen this spring, and are in final debates. We have a tiny, but not terribly tiny kitchen, so the "galley kitchen" stuff isn't quite right, but neither is the sweeping expanse of some things I find. I pin them nevertheless. I couldn't be more excited about finally getting a handle on our culinary world by taming our insanity known as our cabinets. I'm in love with a modern + rustic combo like this one.

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Once that's done, creating culinary masterpieces will be a cinch, right? Isn't that how it works? In the meantime, H's orthodox Christian tradition of an essentially vegan fast is coming up, so I'm grateful to Pinterest for helping to maintain the trendiness of veganism. I cook vegetarian often (but LURV a brilliant steak), but am lining up new tastes for the 40 days, like this mushroom ragu. You can bet I'll serve it over some soft polenta...or...

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And while I'm a Winter Girl at heart, still pinning away from the Autumn/Winter 2013 runways to get my fix of fur, coats, and scarves, and, well, fur coats and scarves (comma placement, anyone?),

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I've also started pinning and planning for #DownthaShore2013. Cannot wait to get a new bikini and maybe a retro suit (last year's don't fit!). Also can't wait to rock my best schlumpy Jersey Shore looks. Or, if I'm feeling ambitious, a crisp, clean (ha!) summer look like this one. (And gee, Bloomingdale's *just* pinned their version of the shorts, here)

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What's getting you through?

Style Want: Terra Azzura by Guerlain + Pucci, and Why I Want It

I am not a beauty blogger. Heck, I can't even manage to wash my face on a regular basis, and I've been known to once-in-a-while (ok, way more often than that, but let's pretend, shall we) not even bother with makeup in the office.

But I do love a product or 3 (see my Sample Pledge, here).

I'm also a sucker for the old French design houses. And for the mad crazy beauty of an Italian great.

Therefore, my stylish friends, when Bloomingdale's nicely sent me an email this morning (just a regular ol' promotional email, not a blogger-y-please-post-pretty-please email) touting the marriage of two of my style icons in a beauty product, well, let's just say that I'm adding it to my Things I'd Like to Have List. Why, you ask, does Guerlain matter to me? Just think Shalimar + my mommy. Even my mother-in-law knows that I love old fashion things, and gives me lovely old French perfumes bought in Paris flea markets.

Ignore the cream sample in the foreground. The Molyneux box in the background contains a lovily-bottled ancient French perfume that, while it probably smells nothing like it originally did, still holds (lord knows how long after) a stunning, old school scent. It was one of my MIL's first gifts to me, after she went to Paris on a relative whim with 2 girlfriends.

And Pucci? Yeah. I'm a scarf-a-holic. And a print-a-holic. Though I've not worn them much lately (pre-#healthyme, I felt like a scarf around my neck was just too much and made my face quite frankly fatter than it was already), but among my prize possessions are scarves of all varieties from my grandmothers, a Schiaparelli scarf (thanks, Malena, for the amazing gift) in a marvelous blue-green print, and an Ali Ro dress that screams "I copied Pucci" in a way that I think is just marvelous. One day, I'll have the real thing.

Original link is long gone, but here's the post in which I first purchased the dress at the Clarendon South Moon Under (and found my Style Mojo again, for what it's worth)

I have no idea if it's worth trying, but I'm thinking that it might just be my next #healthyme goal reward. Anyone with me?

Thank you, Bloomie's, for the image that I not-so-slyly poached from your Terra Azzurra page.

A couple of additional style notes my brain connected from this post but aren't necessarily related:

1) Crazy, ridiculous excited about the "Impossible Conversations" Schiaparelli/Prada exhibit at the Met. As I've mentioned, I'm planning a trip to NYC with The Bean and my mommy (The 2 Elsas + I). Can't wait.

2) Crazy, ridiculous excited that, as the Schiaparelli website now says, "Rendez-Vous en Juillet 2012."

3) Malena's. Yes, DC people, she's in West Chester, PA. But a) she has a rubylane store, and b) she's phenomenal. She's my dealer, and the woman responsible for The Bag.

Shop in Style: Events Galore I - Be THAT Mom

Apparently the event season is back in full swing. Details in the next few posts.

Events Galore I (apologies to the Bean-free, but it should be a good event, whether Bean-free or With Bean)

What: Be THAT Mom - runway, nibbles, and midday cocktails (woo! hoo!)

When: 24 October, 11-1pm

Where: Bloomie's, Chevy Chase

Why: Joyce Neave, stylist extraordinaire of That Mom, Inc. helps us (yes, I'm going, with D-day return to work just around the corner) spruce up and be practical (see? Told you it wasn't just for mommies.)

RSVP (soon - spots are being snapped up) to thatmom@thepattongroupinc.com