On My Radar

Last weekend we had Jack's dad pay us a surprise visit and he came with a bunch of farm goodies; a big jug of farm honey, fresh apple pie made by my mother in law (with the flakiest crust-I need to get the recipe!) and chokecherry juice that I plan on turning into syrup to drizzle over pancakes this Sunday. We have much to do but hopefully we can pack in the following:

1. Breakfast: I mentioned pancakes with chokecherry syrup but I'm going to try my hand at making creme brulee oatmeal- I might as well use up my torch! This past week though I've been eating Greek yogurt for breakfast like it's no tomorrow- it is highly addictive. Once you go Greek you never turn back... Greek yogurt is thicker, has more tang and it feels like you are eating dessert (yes it's higher in fat and calories compared to regular yogurt). It's worth it though. I like to drizzle honey and walnuts over my yogurt or you can drizzle a reduced berry syrup. I'm partial to the 2% Fage brand which you can buy at your local Whole Foods.

2. Chicago Antique Market: I've heard great things about this open air market and hopefully it will turn out well because I'm in desperate need of a new coffee table. Maybe I'll see you there!

Have a great weekend!

Picardie Tumblers

Yippee! I just found out that my favorite all purpose glass tumblers are back in production. Duralex is a French company that has been making my favorite glass tumblers, the Picardie tumbler, for a long time. They are the iconic glass of French bistros and are prized for their durability and style. They are a favorite of mine for several reasons; they are made out of tempered glass making them very durable, they have a nice weight to them when you hold them (also my thumb fits into the side groove perfectly for a good grip- weird how that makes me excited), and I'm a sucker for the classic French bistro design. Duralex went bankrupt last year and the Picardie glasses were going for a fortune on ebay but thankfully they are back in production and you can buy them at Williams-Sonoma and other big retailers. World Market is selling them for the best price; a set of 4 12.75 oz glasses will run you $11.96- pretty good deal huh? I'm going to go ahead and stock up on some more glasses-we can never have enough in our home.

Balmain

Does anyone else think Penelope Cruz looked like a beautiful bride to be at last years Academy Awards? Her vintage Pierre Balmain dress made my heart go aflutter. For a cool 3k you can also look like her too in your own Pierre Balmain gown currently being sold through 1stdibs. Although not as ornate, this dress probably comes from the same collection as Penelope's dress. I actually prefer the one from 1stdibs-it's less fussy and I love the tulle sleeves. If I were looking for a wedding dress this would be at the top of my list. Heck this dress would be stunning to wear to the Opera or to a formal event.

Leading Man

My sister unearthed this old photo taken at a Planet Hollywood event back in the mid 90's when we lived in Dubai. I was but a teenager when this photo was taken- 15 or so. My parents friend's invited us to the event and introduced us to Patrick Swayze and his beautiful wife Lisa. They were both so incredibly nice; no Hollywood airs to them at all. Very down to earth, gregarious and they made an awkward teenager feel like a million bucks.

On film I think I will remember him most for the vulnerability and strength he brought to to his characters- he was my favorite leading man. Tough with a heart of gold. He fought cancer with grace and dignity and was a leading man to the end of his life- truly an inspirational man on and off screen. He will continue to inspire and sway young girls hearts down the road because..well.. nobody puts baby in a corner. *Sigh* He is irreplaceable and will sorely be missed.

Hove Parfumeur

I love gardenias. I had them in my hair, my bouquet and in Jack's boutonnière on our wedding day. Although they are very fragile and brown easily the fragrance lasted all day long. I made such a big stink about buying the perfect wedding day perfume when the only thing Jack and I could smell were the gardenias. It made a lasting impression.

The day after our wedding, Jack and I were walking around the French Quarter when we walked by Hove Parfumeur, a small perfumery that makes custom fragrances. To my surprise Jack insisted on buying me a little vial of gardenia perfume to remember our wedding day but the vial of perfume met its sad demise on our honeymoon trip in Morocco. I forgot about it but Jack would bring it up sometimes. On a field trip to the flower market he almost brought back an entire gardenia tree, just because I like gardenias so much. Although I appreciated the thought having a gardenia tree in the apartment would have been impractical:)

Instead I got a small little package yesterday from New Orleans that made me smile real big. I got my little vial of gardenia perfume! Doesn't sound very grandiose but wearing it brings back fond memories for both of us. It's a very beautiful and womanly scent. If you are in the New Orleans area make sure to visit Hove- their custom fragrances are beautiful, they last all day long and they are affordable.

Pretty Book Covers

It seems like everyone in the blog world is talking about Penguin's Classic Series today so I won't go into too much detail but I will direct you to Design*Sponge so you can read about it further. I will say that I am completely and utterly enthralled with Coralie Bickford-Smith's hard back book cover designs for Penguin and I'm sure the series will be collectors items some day. You can currently buy 8 out of 10 of last years series release (last year because they were released in the UK and have finally jumped the pond) on Amazon and Penguin is due to release another series coming up this October (let the countdown begin). Now, hopefully those that are buying these little beauties for their design aesthetic will take the time to read them too! I know I will.

Coralie has worked at Penguin for over 6 yrs and here are some other notable works that she has done:

The Arabian Night's Gift Set:
Isn't the Poems for Life cover divine?

And last but not least the newest series due in October::

Fall Attire

It's almost Fall peeps! Time to break out the blazers and cute jackets! The above image from Ann Taylor pretty much sums up my Fall uniform: dark wash jeans, boots, a fitted blazer with a simple silk top underneath. I love lined blazers... it gives it that extra little oomph. I also love how both Jcrew and Ann Taylor play with accessories- the pearls add just the right touch. Hard and Soft....perfect.

I really like this boyfriend blazer from Jcrew. It's nice and long which I like. I would buy it if I didn't have a million blazers in my closet already.

I read that motorcycle jackets are big this season. I love Ann Taylor's feminine take on this classic piece. I want.....pretty please?!?

Kate Spade kills me every time. I salivate with each new season she pulls off. It's starting to rain off and on and each time it rains I wish I had a trench coat. It really is the only outerwear staple that I don't own funnily enough. I've tried on the classic burberry trench coats but the beige color looks awful on me and the shape too boxy. This little kate spade number is nicely fitted, sassy, has a fun lining and it's black (my go to color). Too bad it's $700! I'll have to wait and pray it goes on sale:)