More Practical Pursuits

Now that I've started down my practical path, I can't seem to stop buying essentials, like beautiful dish towels and gorgeous serveware. Here are a few more of the necessities that are currently calling my name:

1. Three tiered black wire basket, $35.96: A glass bowl currently does the job of holding fresh fruit on my kitchen countertop. This is better suited for the purpose, and looks fabulous too! link

2. Maison Measuring Tape, $34: This tiny, vintage style measuring tape is so cute, I might forgive it if my waist size isn't quite as small as it used to be!link

3. Panda Pan: Pandas were my sorority mascot and I still have a fondness for them. This might tempt me to fry a couple of eggs for the girls in the early morning hours. link

4. Russian Doll Measuring Cups, $16: Finally - plastic measuring cups that are actually cute. These 6 cups nest for easy storage, just like those adorable Russian dolls. link

5. Squeeze Tomato Bottle, about $4.60: My girls put (organic, agave-nectar sweetened) ketchup on everything, and this squat little tomato will make it possible for them to serve themselves. link

Current Obsession: Elevating the Mundane

I seem to move from one shopping-related obsession to another, and while some of you may think I need help, in my opinion, the best therapy is to blog about it. Currently, I am obsessing about the pretty and the practical - items I can use every day that will make the most mundane tasks seem somehow a little more glamorous. And who couldn't use that?

1. Stunning scissors, $98: My whole list could probably come from this one website - they have the most beautiful home accessories ever. I love these Charles X scissors. They recall a time when even the most ordinary items benefitted from an amazing attention to detail. link

2. Retro Cellphone Handset, $65: I spend a lot of time talking on my cell phone during the day. This looks just like a vintage phone receiver, but you hook it up to your cell phone. Not only does it make it safer to speak on your cell phone, but you'll look much cuter doiong it! I want it in hot pink. link

3. Eiffel Tower Salt and Pepper Shakers, $28: Seeing these on the kitchen table is sure to brighten my mood, no matter how early the morning. And they will remind me of our upcoming summer trip to Paris. link

4. Milkmaid Butter Dish, $28: I am ashamed to confess how long I spend on Anthropologie's website eyeing kitchen accessories and adorable aprons. There are a dozen items I want for my kitchen, and this is one of the cutest. link

5. Castle Key Bottle Opener, $12: I was digging around in my utensil drawer for a bottle opener today, and all I found was a disappointing green plastic one from my husband's single days. This is way cuter. link

Update: What I Bought for Lola

Okay, it's 3 days before Lola's Sweetheart Ball with her daddy, and I have bought several dresses for her, and narrowed it down to two:

1. Luna Luna Pirouette Top and Tutu: Love this, but the tutu is still a tiny bit long, so I might save it for next year. The tutu I have is a deep purple color. link
2. Halabaloo Pink Rosette Dress: I can't find a picture of this dress anywhere, but it's a pink tulle dress, empire style, covered wtih pink rosettes. It's sleeveless.

Now I am trying to find accessories, which is very hard to do locally, and since I didn't plan ahead for this part, I am going to need to find shoes, a hair accessory or two, and a wrap or cardigan within driving distance, or possibly overnight shipping distance, if I can find something fabulous online. It's hard to pick accessories when you haven't decided on the dress. So I have two looks that I am trying to pull together:
Luna Luna Look: I think gold shoes or black shoes with the cream-beige of the top, and possibly a golden ribbon in her hair or gold hair accessory of some kind. Her gold shoes are too casual, so I think her Kid Express black patent leather mary janes will have to do unless I find something better.
Halabaloo Look: This dress is over the top, so I think I would like to do a simple pink ribbon as a headband in her hair, but how to attach it to her slippery locks. I've also bought two pairs of sparkly shoes, on impulse, at Target, of all places. I bought them in pink and white. Target isn't usually my first choice for dress shoes, but it is literally the only place I can buy them in this line. Hence, my obsession with online shopping. But they are pretty cute: link

What I Bought... So Far

Okay, thanks for the input. So far, I've had a couple of votes for the Biscotti dress, a couple for the Twinkle dress, and a couple for the purple dress, as well as one vote for the white and silver Halabaloo dress. I still haven't tried the Luna Luna outfit on Lola, but in the meantime, I didn't let that stop me from buying a couple of dresses for the girls for Easter, next Christmas, etc. I just now realized that all of these dresses are from Halabaloo. Here's what I bought so far:
1. Halabaloo Navy Tank Dress: Too cute for spring. I want Lola to wear this in Paris! link
2. Halabaloo Striped Bow Dress: This is for Eva for Easter. Now I need to find a site that carries the matching tank and skirt set in Lola's size. link
3. Halabaloo Circle Embroidery Bow Dress: Eva's Christmas dress... Great sale. link
4. Halabaloo Circle Embroidery Rosette Dress: And this is Lola's Christmas dress. link
5. Halabaloo Circle Embroidered Skirt and Matching Bow Sweater: Don't know why I bought this, but I couldn't resist! Here's a picture of the sweater: link
6. Halabaloo Fuchsia Silk Dress with Rose: Maybe for Christmas, Valentine's... Birthday. Who knows? I got it for Lola. link
7. Halabaloo Velvet Dress with Silk Roses in Fuchsia: And this one for Eva. Again, don't know for what yet, but I will invent an occasion. : )) The price is right! link

I'm Back, and Please Help Me PIck a Dress for Lola

I've never gone this long without blogging, so I plan on posting a lot of interesting things in the coming weeks to make up for my negligence. Not that I really have a great excuse, but in the last two months I have hosted Thanksgiving, Christmas, thrown a major Christmas party and my Eva's 2 year old birthday party, attended many parties, shopped, decorated and cooked for the holidays, then taken it all back down again, and filmed an episode of a new HGTV show called Battle on the Block, where my husband and I competed against two other teams of friends and neighbors. Whew!!! (More on this later...) And now I find myself two weeks before Lola's upcoming Sweetheart Ball, without a definite dress. Sweetheart Ball is an annual daddy/daughter dance fundraiser sponsored by the Junior League, of which I am a member. Anyway, I have already purchased a couple of options, neither of which I am convinced about:
1. The Luna Luna Piroutte Top and Tulle Skirt: Love this set, but Lola's skirt is a deep purple, and I am afraid it is too long. Tomorrow I will have her try it on:
link
2. Yellow Save the Queen Circus Dress: This is cotton, so I don't think it is formal enough. link
3. Right Bank Babies purple velvet tunic with green iridescent silk taffeta ruffled palazzo pants: Too funky? link

So I am still searching. A non-cheesy, non-flower-girly formal dress for a little girl that is classic but still fashion-y is really, really hard to find. Here's what I've come up with:
1. Halabaloo circles dress with flower: Love this dress. If I don't get it for the ball, it's going to be for Christmas. I think. link
2. I am currently obsessed with Halabaloo. Too bad it's so hard to find. I think this dress is so chic! link
3. Sweet Biscotti dress. link
4. Too boring? I'd choose a different color sash. link
5. Very sophisticated, but is it too much for a 3 year old? link
6. Love the color and the tiers, but I am worried it might look cheap because of the price. link
7. Pretty and youthful. link
8. Lola will feel like a princess in this, which is exactly the point. link

I'm Skinny Fat

A few years ago, I read an article about women who are "skinny fat." Even then I suspected this might apply to me. While I may appear to be skinny, and am even underweight, my body fat percentage is higher than it should be, something that was confirmed by my first visit with my nutritionist. Apparently, I am not the only one aware of this condition, because when I mentioned my surprisingly high body fat percentage to friends at dinner a few weeks ago, one of them said: "You're skinny fat." My thoughts exactly. Much as I hate to admit it, now that I am pushing 40, a diet that largely consists of bread, cheese and hot tea might not be cutting it any longer. Keeping a food journal is an eye opening experience - I eat much elss than I thought I did, and much less nutritiously. So, based on my food journal so far, here are my nutrition goals:
1. Eat more fruits and veggies, which should be easy because I love them!
2. Eat less cheese and bread, even whole grain bread.
3. Drink more water. My superfit sister swears it is the secret to the fountain of youth. Since she started drinking 12 glasses a day, she has beat the energy crisis that used to plague her. And who couldn't use more energy?

Back on Track (and a recipe)

After two weeks of dropping out of sight, I am back on my 90 days of Christmas program with nutritionist Pam Giese. I hope that I haven't disappointed some of you too much, but there has been way too much on my plate, including a father-in-law in the hospital and a trip to Cape Coral for a visit (he's better now, thank you), singlehandedly making dinner for 80 people for a meeting, planning a cocktail party for the Junior League, our annual Christmas party for 80-odd guests, and Eva's birthday party, as well as hosting Christmas and Thanksgiving. Add my writing (columns and magazine articles) and accompanying shoots on top of that, and raising two little girls who are constantly inventing new ways to challenge me, and I've been overwhelmed. But today I am starting fresh and trying to find some balance. I even ate pretty well today. Here's my food journal:

1 small serving of steel cut oatmeal made with skim milk, dried blueberries and honey
half a banana
1 beef hot dog with mustard and relish (it was either that or a funnel cake - we were at an art festival)
1 small handful (about 10 pieces) of Chex mix
6 oz of Buffalo sirloin steak, 1/4 cup of whole grain rice blend, and oven roasted kale (see recipes)

Dijon Sirloin
Buffalo steak is very lean. An 8 oz portion has only 3.7 grams of fat, and my husband thought he was eating beef. I marinaded the meat in this mixture for a few hours in the refrigerator, grilled it, and then finished it in the oven.
1/2 cup dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apple juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
3 - 8oz. Buffalo top sirloin steaks

Crispy Kale
This is the first time I have ever bought or made or even tasted kale, and I have been wanting to try this recipe for weeks. You roast the kale in the oven until it is really light and crispy and almost disappears in your mouth. It tastes like it's fried and sinful, but it's superhealthy for you!
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
6 cups of kale, washed, cut and trimmed of hard stems (I bought mine prewashed and cut)
Spread kale out on a baking sheet, and then drizzle olive oil and apple cider vinegar over the top and toss to coat. Roast at 350 on bottom rack for 10 minutes, stir, then roast again another few minutes (maybe 5) until it holds up and is no longer wilted, and is brownish but not burnt. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve right away!