Date Night: On20

{Black T: H&M; Navy stretch pencil skirt: Forever21; Brass and crystal necklace: Target (biting off J.Crew!); Bag: Michael Kors, Gray cage wedges: NineWest; belt: vintage; Flower ring: vintage (estate jewelry at Becker's in West Hartford); Lipstick: Maybelline Cool Watermelon }
We were craving a romantic, dressy, old-school date night, so we decided to head to one of our favorite restaurants, and in my opinion the most romantic place to eat in Hartford - the Polytechnic Club On 20. It's on (of course) the 20th floor of an office building where my husband now works. This is the sign in the lobby:

You take the elevator up to the heavy frosted glass doors with brass bar handles and enter a large, darkened, spacious dining room glowing with warm, candle-like golden light (with actual candles, too). Tables are spaced so that you have a luxurious feeling of intimacy and privacy. There's live piano music and the adjoining bar is absurdly elegant and gorgeous, with plum and bronze colors and dark woods. Even if the dining room is full, there's a quiet peacefulness that always leaves me incredibly relaxed. I had to limit the number of photographs I took as I don't think picture-taking at a beautiful restaurant really flies at all, but I have to wax rhapsodic on the massive windows that span the entire back wall of the restaurant. It is just stunning at night. This Friday, we were lucky enough to get a window seat in the corner, where we could look over the sparkling panorama of the city, the Connecticut river, and the new Science Center, as well as a fire-fly flickering stream of cars flying down the highway in the velvet darkness. Hartford can be like an awkward relative in that we get sort of embarassed by what a mess it is, but we still don't like outsiders talking smack about it. The view from On20 at night transforms our city into a truly glittering metropolitan postcard. All this is even lovelier around the holidays in winter-time, when the dining room is adorned with shining lights and a festive pine tree. Steve and I decided to start a tradition of an annual Holiday Dinner, just us two, every December. Again, I think taking photos spoils the romance of dinner (and is admittedly pretty gauche, although I care way less about that), so here is the view from my husband's office on the 14th floor, just for a snapshot visual:

I'm so excited for him - what a calming work environment, and the job is perfect for him. He said that he sometimes drifts off into a reverie when the crew teams row down the river, it's just such an idyllic picture. The service at dinner was excellent as always. We started with cocktails (single-malt Scotch for him, a rather strong Bellini for me). The amuse was a sort of Thai chicken-patty treat with a delicate coconut-mushroom broth. Then we had langoustine ravioli - I'd never tried langoustines before and they were delicious in a frothy sauce - and a mushroom plate. He got the short ribs and I got a perfectly pink strip steak. The food is always so spot-on and the staff is extremely gracious. We had a delicious bottle of Bordeaux and the kind of laughter-filled, flirtatious conversation that reminds me why date night is so important, as much as we love OnDemand, free-style fart jokes, and the couch. (Which we do. And how.) I've always wanted to snap a photo of the ornate, heavy place-setting plates they start with, with its pheasants, parrots, viols, mandolins, horns, flora and general Renaissance vibe (without the role-play). I took this as quickly as I could and cringed because I'd left the flash on.

{This Michael Kors bag was a gift from Steve. (He is awesome.) Its thunder-greige color, bronze and silver detailing, size, and shape make it the perfect bag for day or night, and I liked how it looked on the decorational table in the ladies' room, alongside postcards advertising a local artist, Sandy Welch.}

{Chocolate and candy plate we had for dessert, along with grappa and a ridiculously light hazelnut gateau and mango sorbet. I especially liked the pumpkin chocolate, bottom left.}

{He good-naturedly humored me for a quick "artsy" elevator shot on our way home.}

{The hubs is addicted to the sci-fi show Fringe. We were watching when we got home, and this flyover shot of Hartford was one of the more accurate ones we've seen on TV. In fact, Steve can see his office building. A fitting end to a romantic local evening.}

-- xoxo

I Spy (Inspiration): A Cozy Corner

{Our breakfast nook, aka one of my favorite parts of our home (To the left is a window to our driveway; to the right is a window to our sun-porch)}
Now that our house is painted a classic, pretty slate-gray with black shutters and white trim, a vast improvement over the previous neither-here-nor-there shade, it really feels completely like home. We moved in at the end of March 2010. While we've loved our house and gotten lots of time to enjoy it, I felt bad that our sunny, tangerine-orange, cozy little kitchen-nook was getting piled high with jackets, paperwork, and cookware that we didn't feel like properly storing. It was essentially a glorified closet. When we first bought our house, this was my favorite room. The sun streams in when you wake up and it's the perfect place to read quietly, have coffee and cereal, and collect your thoughts. There are storage cabinets to the right, and it also has convenient spaces to store unsightly necessities like dog food, a Swiffer, and our ridiculous accumulation of Whole Foods bags (branding us as yuppies on sight). We started off on the right foot; I found this great print at Bed Bath and Beyond and loved how the colors complemented the paint. Our wonderful friends Nadine and Dylan contributed the table, the top of which is actually the legit lift-cover of a ship's storage compartment - you can see the brass handles. Then we found a really cute, antique side-table for take-out menus (the "sin bin") and photograph display. As work and our wedding followed by non-stop work consumed us, we really let things get sloppy, so this past weekend I decided to bring back the nook, especially since I plan on doing lots of reading and cider-drinking in there late at night.
I'm always amazed by the interior-design and decoration instincts of my friends. Oversized abstract bird prints, adorable DIY beaded photo frames, and a great use of space for unique knick-knacks (say that three times fast!) are some touches I've seen; my bestie Lisa, in one trip, thrifted an antique glass lemon, globe, and ornately worked glass candle-holders which she scattered effortlessly on her mantelpiece, lending an old-fashioned charm. I, on the other hand, have virtually no skills in this department, so I decided to - at the very least - make a functional display at the (unused) far end of the table with some of our favorite reading materials: cookbooks and fashion magazines.
{Currently on display: a fantastic read and even better cookbook, David Chang's Momofuku. One of our favorite restaurateurs, and one of my favorite awesomely cool, creative, balls-to-the-wall successful Asians representin' on the streets. My husband slays it in the kitchen; I'm planning to request the pork-belly buns, pork-and-oyster ssam, and spicy rice-cakes for my birthday. Cookbook display: Glass and steel, William Sonoma. Fruit bowl: Kate Spade china.}

{A vintage cookie jar that belonged to my husband's father now houses spare change. It's in a convenient location, and is great for grabbing quarters on the way out to dinner. It reminds me of the "Paradise Falls" money-jar from one of the greatest movies ever, Up. If only we had all the colorful balloons! That movie kills me. Once I turned to Steve during the opening scene and asked wistfully, "Do you love me that much?" Happily, his answer was affirmative.}

{Prized volumes anchor the magazines on one side. Richie Slotkin and his wife Iris are my parents' BFFs, so it was fitting to display one of his incredible books. The Shakespeare is a very dignified, old-school edition, but it's such a behemoth, it was cramping my bookshelf style, and to be honest, I'm not a frequent Shakespeare-reader, English degree be damned. I like spicy new language and poetry books with beautiful covers on the shelf. The Heath anthology is chock-full of goodness.}

{A piece of our wedding china makes the questionable clementines I bought at Target more appealing.}

I hope we can maintain the state of the breakfast nook as it is right now! On that note, I'm going to enjoy a drink at that table toute de suite. But I'll pass on the clementines. xoxo

More September Obsessions

Dear Fall, Thank you so much for arriving! I love you with a passion. This year, my plans are piling up; I want to enjoy every minute of living in the most beautiful part of the country - at least, it is for these few months (and yes, I'll stand by that statement with all my might!). Every cliche autumn activity is on my list: apple-picking, getting cider donuts and hot chocolate after selecting the most aggressive, ostentatious Jack-o-lantern possible, setting up corn-y (pun weak, but intended) Thanksgiving centerpieces, driving around to gape at the foliage, downing pumpkin spice lattes and reading with cinammon candles burning, maniacally attending the farmer's market, building fires and sipping scotch and blackberry brandy while cracking out on Breaking Bad and other favorite shows, rocking fur-trimmed hoodies, tailgating my face off at a football game (not that I understand a damn thing once they start playing the game), and of course, wearing jodphurs and leggings (with no camel toe!) as often as I can get away with. It's a season when my allergies fade out, leg-shaving becomes irrelevant (yes I'm gross), the air is crisp and sparkling most days, rainy days are cozy rather than annoying, and, to quote Calvin and Hobbes, "bugs are dying by the truckload." My students are still maintaining a respectable semblance of sanity, and the sun glows through the leaves of the tree next door in a scarlet haze. While life is still whipping by at a frenzied pace, I'm trying to make time to pause for the moments that make me happy. In that spirit, here are a few of my September obsessions (with bargains, as always):

{Leopard (cheetah?) wedge booties from Forever21, about $30.00}
I would never have tried these on my own, but I was inspired by a fellow petite co-worker (Chrissy!) whose shoe game is bangin'. (Her work ethic is even better.) She dons a lot of super-cute huge wedges and platforms, and I was inspired to up the fashion on my own feet, having been in a conservative kitten-heel slump of late. I'd been wanting leopard booties forever but lacked the cahones to do more than flirt with them until I saw this pair. So comfortable, so fabulous, the price so right. I've never gotten more compliments in one day on something I was wearing, including my wedding day. I could get used to being this fierce!

{Enamel and metal bangles - both from Target, purchased about 4 years apart; both under $10.00. Substantial on the wrist, but still feminine - fabulous ringers for exorbitantly expensive Tory Burch bracelets}

{Multi-chain necklaces in heavy mixed metals, to lend a nautical-meets-rock-and-roll meets Danaerys-from-Game-of-Thrones vibe - Top, Kenneth Cole for Macy's; bottom: Forever21}

{More "enamel" jewelry - For a lady-like touch, over-sized love-knots from Forever21, $4.80}

{Awesomely throw-back-style stacked-heel loafers by Me Too - satisfying my lust for Prada's pair}

It seems that I'm intent on stomping, clanking, and jingling my way through fall, but I'm all too eager to kick off my work heels, put on the biggest sweatshirt I own, and hit the Big E for the very first time. Shameful ... but exciting!

What are your obsessions this month? -- xoxo

Boots and Blazer Weather At Last

{Black crew neck sweater (not seen): H&M; White T (not seen): Target; Black "linen" blazer: Forever 21; Black ponte jodphurs: Target; Gray sequin scarf: J.Crew; Black "Billie" short riding boots with buckle: J.Crew; Green studded doctor's satchel: Aldo}
Every year, I tap all fingers and toes with barely-contained impatience as I wait for the last of the summer fruit-flies to die off, the humidty to burn itself out, and the crisp weather of New England fall to begin. It's been unseasonably cold all weekend and I'm loving it. We're getting our house painted (it used to be an ambiguous shade that was all too reminiscent of urine), enjoying a slow pace, and cuddling with the puppy. I can't wait to buy tons of apple and pumpkin candles and get a fire going. Nothing, in my mind, compares to autumn 'round here. To warm up on Friday night, we headed out for Korean spicy sea-food hot-pot - I got a killer hankering for it after one of my precocious, adorable 7th graders was talking about it. (Picture a tiny, bespectacled, preppily garbed African-American boy with the face of a seventy-year-old history professor whose blinding ambition is to become Hartford's Anthony Bourdain.) I was thrilled to bundle up in some light layers, especially my new J.Crew boots, and do the equestrian thing. The pants are one of my favorite scores - thick, structured ponte leggings with a seam that dresses them up and no camel toe! I have an almost irrational fear of camel-toe. These were only $20.00, and I have a feeling I'm going to live in them during brisk weather. (I also scored a khaki pair this summer on clearance for $5.00!) The boots, aka my biggest buy for the season, were scouted out by my BFF Liz. I'd been searching for the perfect riding boots (rugged yet feminine, simple but striking, last-forever quality, reasonable price, professional enough for work) for about six years and nothing was just right until these. The shorter height and beautiful cut makes them amazing and comfortable to teach in, the leather is gorgeous, and they go with everything from dresses and tights to beat-up jeans to flouncy skirts. I imagine they will just get cooler as they scuffed-up and broken-in. I have some paperwork to take care of tonight, but overall it's been the perfect, cozy kick-off weekend for fall. Here are some moments that kept me smiling:

{Two-tone Burberry men's watch; heavy chain from a Big Buddha handbag worn doubled around wrist as a massive, vintage-nautical-inspired bracelet}

{Immensely satisfying magazine pile to be devoured with the window open, a thick blanket and slippers on, and a candle burning - includes one of the best September InStyles I have ever seen!}

I try to manage the number of notebooks and journals I compulsively keep, but these are currently in my essential rotation: a red student notebook (traded by an 8th grader who needed a composition book, hence the awesome name "Jerome Drackett" stenciled on the front) for work and inspiring ideas in general; a red brocade journal from China for To-Do lists; a sky-blue mini-Moleskine for fashion/style notes; my vintage mustard sketchbook from Indonesia; butterfly journal for fiction jottings, and brown leather Tumi planner. Lilu, as you can see, is totally unimpressed by my neurotic assortment, and wonders why I wouldn't rather chase a ball with her. The scale of the items around her demonstrates her diminuitive size, but shh, she thinks she's quite the respectable presence.

----xoxo

I Spy (Inspiration): September Obsessions

{1st anniversary card on great, thick stock paper from my best-friend-since-3rd-grade, Lisa - so perfect for me and Steve, and befitting my tongue-in-cheek, macabre aesthetic as autumn commences!}
In typical fickle New England fashion, the weather went from almost 90' last week to a brisk 50' this evening. I'm fighting off a cold, which always happens at exactly this time of year, so I spent the day and night drinking water with Emergen-C, lounging around, organizing odds and ends around the house, and taking an extremely satisfying 25-minute speed trip to T.J. Maxx. I don't go that often, but when I do (usually solo), I always have a great time. I generally follow the logical lay-out and do a loop around the handbags, then scarves and belts, then shoes, and finally a rapid dart through the clothing and home goods. I fill a cart with things that initially spark my interest. By the time I'm done with my laps, I put back extraneous items, editing my cart down based on the questions, "Do I adore it/is it a great deal/will I use it a lot?" Maxx trips usually involve consulting my Moleskin notebook, where I keep a wish-list for the season to help me stay focused and avoid gratuitous spending.

This was my cart in the first ten minutes. I really liked the big, structured camel satchel on the far left, but I always gravitate toward structured camel satchels, especially if they have gold or brass studs. I decided to forego this one because something in me is always trying to subconciously stock up on versions of my much-loved Michael Kors bag. The next purse is by B. Makowsky. This one was actually pretty lust-worthy. It was a deep silver, with black and yellow-gold-toned trim. I thought it would go well with the mixed-metal jewelry and black clothing I favor, but ultimately, $150.00 is more than I would spend on a bag I wasn't even looking for at T.J. Maxx. The emerald-green snake-print envelope was intriguing, and at a ludicrously low price - let's just say a Chipotle dinner would set you back more - its appearance belied its cost. I actually sort of regret not snapping it up and might go back tomorrow for it. Might. The BCBG snake-print ballet flats didn't make the cut, either - I am simply not a ballet flat kind of gal, wish as I might that I could be.

In the end, I took home some real treasures, clearly indulging my craving for subtle shots of animal print. The leopard scarf is fantastic - I'd been looking for one like this forever, with alternating spot size/pattern and a soft, thin texture - an ideal piece for the transitional temperatures. The palette is flattering and versatile. I'd also been seeking a perfect animal-print accent belt. Everything - the scarf, belt, light-nude/cream wedges and the amazing leopard wedges - was Jessica Simpson, which I didn't realize until I got home. While I'm not a fan of her as an artist or really a human at large, I have to admit, the girl does damn good accessories. Her wedges are insanely comfortable; I have the same ones in a darker dove-gray and didn't even have to break them in. These are really going to help tie my work warddrobe together and move seamlessly through the season.

This beautiful Kate Spade china was all over the bridal magazines last summer (in green) when I was getting married. I'm not often drawn to flatware or kitchen-y accoutrement, but I loved this so much. My BFF Liz sent us two of the flat soup dishes in the platinum, which I absolutely adore. Since we might never acquire the whole set, I've used the bowls for other purposes, such as storage for candy, matches, and most recently, as a shiny display for some of my favorite chunky metal pieces of jewelry.

We finished out the night with delicious, peppery Cornucopia-style wedge salads with blue cheese dressing, cukes, red onion, and the last of our summer tomatoes - I'm so lucky to be married to such a chef - followed by steak and Swiss chard. Steve was grossed out by my hasty Columbia Crest wine selection and drank Scotch instead. I just smiled cluelessly in response; it seemed undignified to admit that I had sacrified a few dollars' worth of tannens in order to scoop up multiple leopard accessories. My bad!

I Spy (Inspiration): Summer Desk

{My desk in our study at the end of August, late-night}
Recently at work., I offered to launch a new teacher-blog (participation optional) at our school, since I'm not the kind of person who thrives on crunching data, serving on committees, or coming up with innovative workshops. As a result, one of the sweet, talented new teachers said to me encouragingly, "Oh yes, I understand that you're sort of the resident blog-expert?" I was slightly mortified that this dorky persona was now a part of my professional identity, and quickly assured her that I am simply a mild-mannered hobbyist and in no way an "expert." However, the conversation did make me ruminate on my blogging ways these days, and I realized that it's become a great outlet and a way for me to stop and look around at what makes me happy and inspired on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, no matter how tough the grind might be otherwise, or how bland I might be feeling. It allows me to think, write, and be light and frivolous; between work, life, and "serious" writing projects, it's refreshing to take time to breathe, reboot, and reflect.

{Beloved favorite Marc Jacobs slouchy medium satchel - coal-black perfection, butter-soft with gold hardware - a wedding gift from my husband. Knife-edge 14k-gold wedding band. Essie nail polish.}
So many moments, visuals, favorite items, works of art, meals, people, etc. lend a bit of spark and joy to one's day, and often the centrifugal force of balancing work/life blinds us to it all. I'd like to take the time to snap photos (although my skill and camera could both stand improvement!) of these little moments, hence the regular feature "I Spy (Inspiration)." (Trust, this won't turn into straight journalistic rambling - that's far too confessional for me.)

My desk in our study, shortly before the school year started back up, was a summary snap-shot of my end-of-summer obsessions. I was writing a lot (novel in progress for about 548 years now..) on my dinosauric old PowerBook, reading dark, moody novels, craving fall fashion with its macabre jewelry and smoky accessories (hence toting my fave black bag), and working on mini-style/craft projects. The notebooks, Post-Its, and clippings were handy for exciting thoughts. In the mail-holder, you can almost see my friend Dana's business card. He and his beautiful fiance Lauren have a creative business together - they are painters! Their work is incredible; I think it's so romantic that they share their artistic pursuits.

{Josie and Jack, a novel by Kelly Braffet}

This novel is described by one reviewer as being "a deliciously satirical confection as dark as black licorice ... a twisted fairy-tale that will forever spoil your appetite for typical coming-of-age novels." I'm paraphrasing somewhat, but it's spot-on. I accidentally (I swear!) stole this book from a Border's when I was doing school work there a few years ago. I hated one of my grad program classes, so I would do everything I could to put off doing work for it, including writing papers in such a distracting environment and skimming interesting novels while I "took little breaks." When I left, the book fell in my bag along with my work pile (I swear!) and I ended up devouring it that night. It's so dark that I don't think I even appreciated its brilliance until last month when I gave it a re-read while soaking up my last summer sun and drinking Bloody Marias in the back yard - could not put it down. If you're more cupcakes and sunshine, this novel might not be for you, but if "gorgeously written, re-imagined, Hansel and Gretel modern-day allegory" rings your bell (toss in chiseled cheekbones, home-schooling by brilliant but deviant/mentally-ill abusive parents, running away to NYC, sociopathic manipulation, eroticism, desperation, charisma and alienation), give this a shot. It's artful rather than melodramatic (once you let yourself get into it), and the narrating character's voice is so strong that you feel like she herself is telling you her f-ed up story, which I think, for a writer, is far easier 'said than done. ' Truly worth at least a couple of reads.

Now that I'm back to lesson-planning and grading, time is as precious as air, but I'm going to strive to keep up with my blog. Dorky, yes. But I yam what I yam, and look forward to keeping my eyes peeled. Happy Fall! xoxo

Feeling Slightly Catty

Leopard is always ubiquitous in fashion, but it's having a remarkably pronounced moment right now. Between various designers and chain retailers ushering in the fall season, the Kardashian infatuation and their new line, and the classic quality of the print, you can't avoid these spectacularly feline spots. Leopard (or cheetah) goes with almost everything, lets women feel a little wild (even in a conservative cut), and isn't too scary because of its neutral palette. I had owned this ruched, form-fitting dress from Forever21 for a few years now; it's pretty flattering, but every time I wore it out, I got meows (literal cat calls), knowing leers from men of all ages, and the occasional mocking "Get it, girl!" It's frankly a little more than I, personally, can handle. However, I really love the print and the fit, and finally realized I could make it work. Magazines are always telling us to layer creatively, but it took some time for me to come up with this equation: once I threw on my very favorite soft, thin, cozy cropped black H&M sweater, my slightly-awkward party dress became my new very favorite soft, thin, sexy (but not salaciously promiscuous!) new mini-skirt.

The comfort of this outfit is sublime, and it's great for cooler weather since the dress is a built-in layer under the sweater. I am planning to capitalize on the versatility by mixing in tights, blazers, and different bags over the course of this fall and winter. I added this gold rope necklace (an $8.00 Forever21 find - it was two-tone, but I took out the thin, dark center chain and knotted it), gold drop earrings, bar ring, Burberry watch, and these huge, chunky, wooden, open-toe-clog-esque, studded platform monstrosities from high school which I could never, ever, ever bring myself to throw out. Like Shrek, they will always have my heart with their large-and-in-charge presence and their loving soul. (Of course, almost anything with a feminine flair and a punk-rock stud gets my vote.) The final touch was my mom's acquired-on-crazy-sale, deliciously lady-like caramel Brahmin handbag which she had squirreled away in her attic and "didn't really want." Man, that lady is fly.
Feeling inspired by fall's crisp air and fierce look. If I promise to switch to flat riding boots, can I get away with wearing this get-up for apple-picking and a hayride or two?
- xoxo