Autumnal Accoutrements

Finally, finally, finally! Fall weather has arrived! I was delighted by the cool, crisp temperature and the gentle, refreshing breezes that accompanied my backyard Zumba session earlier today. :)

With the arrival of fall comes the opportunity to break out my near 20 scarves and the cozy sweaters that have lain dormant through the last 2 seasons. It also means that different color options are now available as each season carries it's own palette.

Pantone, "the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries," presented this list of the top ten colors for women during fall 2011 and winter 2012 (fashiontrendsetter.com).

For men, emberglow is replaced by burnt sienna, honeysuckle by raspberry wine, and orchid hush by cadet.


The appeal to these colors is that they allow you to create varying fashion forward statements; it simply depends on how you pair them. To create a standout look, pair the "louder" colors with similarly bright hues. For a more classic, complimentary approach, team up the more vibrant hues with more neutral ones.You can go bold by mixing deep shades together, or create a softer look just using the pastels. The ball is in your court!

My favorites of this lineup are as follows:
1. Phlox - As I have stated before, purples are my go-to's. I look fabulous in them. I can wear this color effortlessly.
2. Emberglow - I just recently got into this shade; although, my true preference lies with one that swings more towards coral. Paired with coffee liquer, it's a match made in Heaven.

3. Bamboo - Bamboo is beautiful, but sometimes difficult to be worn. Accessorizing with it, however, is easy and allows you to take advantage of its appeal without being drowned in it. In fact, this belt on the right was a recent purchase of mine, and I'm on the prowl for a cross body bag in this color as well. (Forever21 to the rescue!)
4. Deep Teal - I have a sweater in this color that I can't wait to wear again. It is simple and therefore perfect to wear with a brooch or a scarf. =D



5. Burnt Sienna - While Pantone allocated this color to men's fashion, it works really well with my natural color palette. My first fall clothing purchase this season was in such a shade. Pining for colored denim and after much searching, I finally found a flare pant in this alluring red hue that is perfect for autumn.








Concerning fall fashion, corduroy is back now, of course, and GAP has a love-at-first-sight pair for women in 4 fall friendly colors - dried berry (as seen on the right), milk chocolate, hematite, and camel.

Another on-trend look you'll likely see - mixing materials. Predominantly seen in over/outerwear, designers have taken us back to the 70's, pairing tweeds with leather or leather with cable knits, and brandishing faux fur aplenty. Doing so creates a luxe look that can go just about anywhere. (Both of these items can be found at H&M - Men's Blazer, Ladies' Jacket).

Riding boots and capes are coming in strong, making an equestrian look easy.








And these are just a few of the "must-haves" for this season. So if you haven't already, unbox those sweaters and cords, air out those scarves and tweed jackets. I have a strong feeling that this autumn is going to be a good one, so why not look great the whole season through!

Finally, A Manicure With Staying Power!

About two weeks ago, my mother-in-law and I treated ourselves to a manicure and pedicure. Us hard working gals wanted to do something nice for ourselves, so we scheduled our appointment at Galaxy Nails in Woodbridge. This was our second venture there as we were quite pleased with the quality of the service we received the first time, and being all of maybe a mile from home you can't beat the commute!

Before going, I had remarked to my mother-in-law that I would just like to get a pedicure as I cannot keep manicures nice for even 24 hours after leaving the salon. (Once, I hadn't even taken two steps out the door before I had horribly smudged a nail, causing me to have to sheepishly return to ask for a touch up). Nevertheless, she insisted.

Upon arriving, she saw a sign for Color Gel Nail Polish aligned with the phrases, "Tired of having your nails chip? Tired of waiting for them to dry? Try our no chip, no dry Color Gel Nail Polish!" So, she asked the owner of the shop what it was exactly and how valid were these claims. The owner assured us that it would not chip and last 2 weeks. We figured, why not give it a go. If it works, we will be able to enjoy our "treat" that much longer! Skeptical but willing to try, I picked out my color - a vibrant red/orange.

The process is a little more involved than a regular manicure but less obtrusive to your actual nails as the color gel just sits atop your natural nail - no dremmel-like tool needed to shave down your ridges and cuticles as in an acrylic manicure. Catherine Saint Louis of the New York Times provides the rest of the procedure in a nutshell:

A manicurist paints on a base coat, two color coats and top coat, as she would with regular nail lacquer. But after each coat, the soak-off gel is cured briefly under ultraviolet light, so the client leaves with impeccably dry nails.

Truly, there was very little wait time, and my salonist gave me a nice back rub while we waited the last few minutes for the final setting to occur. Both my mother-in-law and I were quite impressed with the quality of the polish's look; it was quite shiny, smooth, and gave the feel of stronger nails. We left happy and hopeful that this new product just might work for us.

The next day, I was quite impressed that I went through a whole day of work with no chipping or breakage. As was true the next day and the day after that. The true test came on Friday, our big clean and move-all-our-equipment day, and still, my nails looked as full of luster as they did when I got them done. Needless to say, I was impressed. I am very hard on my hands, and I was not getting this polish to budge.

Michelle Mismas, author of alllacqueredup.com, had a similar experience when she "test drove" the color gel polish: “When I was wearing it, I beat my hands up, and I couldn’t get a scratch...I was banging into things on purpose to see if I could trash it.” 2 weeks later, hers were still holding strong.

By the end of week 1, I, however, had lost one. It lifted and came off entirely. However, unlike acrylic nails that require plastic tips to be super glued to your real nail and, when removed, essentially leave them "torn up" and in need of another rotor rooter treament, the color gel caused little to no damage - nothing a little normal filing couldn't smooth out.

In the days that followed, a few more of my nails lifted at the corners, which of course caused me to play with them until they too fell off. But being that the color and look of the polish remained constant throughout and their removal caused far less damage than other experiences I have had, I remain a happy customer. My mother-in-law and I joked that for me to keep them nice for 1 day would be a remarkable accomplishment, and this manicure lasted 1 full week.

I would certainly get the color gel nail polish again. It is more expensive than a traditional manicure but not much different than acrylic tips - about $45 for the inital treatment, $25 to "fill," but it is worth to me it if it actually lasts. You can find more costly ones, but that generally means they are using the more high end gels. Also, a good idea to combat the growth that occurs after two weeks is to do a french manicure look with a colored tip but a more natural tone towards the cuticle.

I think for my next nail venture, I will investigate Sally Hansen's Salon Effects stick on manicure. At $8.54 + no additional tip at Target, it is worth a try in between salon visits. Plus, they have such neat colors and patterns. Looks like fun! But, I highly recommend the color gel treatment. It really does have staying power.

A Brief History of the Argyle Print

Argyle has come a long way since first seen on someone's socks. This thought crossed my mind as I stared at my lovely green & pink steel water bottle. What began as a sock trend has now encompassed nearly every clothing and accessory item as well as stationary, lunchboxes, phone cases, water bottles, and much, much more!



So where did it come from? Well, funny you should ask. :)

Fashion legend has it that the argyle print originated in Argyll, Scotland, worn by the high clansmen of the family Campbell, and dates back as early as the 17th century. It appeared as a type of tartan, which refers to the pattern of crisscrossed lines displayed on cloth, i.e. what we Americans refer to as plaid.

They used it on their kilts, plaids, and socks. (For a Scotsman, a plaid is a cloth or blanket slung over the shoulder).

Supposedly, the first argyle sweater was created sometime in the 1920's by Pringle of Scotland, a luxury knitwear manufacturer and importer. However, the print did not become considered high fashion until after World War I. One source claims that it was the president of Brooks Brothers, having returned from a golf tournament held in Scotland, who presented the U.S. with the argyle pattern. Recognizing it's great potential while overseas, he took to producing the first pair of North American argyle socks in 1949. 




And you know the rest of the story. Now, argyle is everywhere! The "look" has become iconic and associated with intellectualism ("preppies"), suiting teenagers and adults alike.

Outside of my water bottle, I do not own any other argyle printed items. "Preppy" was never my thing. Nevertheless, I can appreciate the history, uniqueness, and originality behind a trend. After all, one would be hard pressed to find someone who has no clue what argyle is. For that reason, it pervades as a timeless classic in the fashion world. Kudos to the Scottish!



Sources (the jury is still out as to whether or not they can viewed as reliable):

• Wikipeida: Argyle (Pattern)
• Squidoo: Argyle

Owls Are A Hoot!

So huge in the fashion world right now - Owls!!! And I love 'em. I am so intrigued by their various designs. Because they are a feathered friend, featuring them as jewelry or on clothes automatically lends extra texture and pop to your look.

Apparently, Marc Jacobs is a big fan. I swiped this photo of a collection of his from a fellow blogger:

I think the easiest way to incorporate an owl into your wardrobe is as an accessory. And as far as they go, Forever 21 - a favorite spot of mine to snag cheap, trendy jewelry - carries a host of Owl accoutrements.

I am dying to get my hands on this necklace, but haven't found it in stores yet. If you do, grab it for me. I'll pay you back!!!

Charlotte Russe also offers some neat options.



I love this stand-out top by American Apparel (left) and covet this whimsical scarf (right) from ModCloth.

I was curious and looked into as to why this foul may have suddenly wound up in the fashion world, but came up with no real answer. So, I looked into what symbolism lies behind owls in general. They often denote: wisdom, mystery, intelligence, and protection. One could have fun flaunting and/or embellishing on such characteristics. In fact, if you want to up the wisdom/intelligence factor, Forever 21 has this "Nerdy Owl Necklace," featuring Harry Potter like glasses. Not for me, but I could seen a brain-iac going for this piece. :)

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this small overview of owls in fashion. I am actually somewhat surprised at myself for how much I enjoy them. But, the more I allow myself to indulge in things that heretofore may have been unlikely candidates, the more delight I find in my wardrobe.  Hope the same can be said for you!

Delighted by Devil's Food

So tonight, I had a craving for a nice big piece of chocolate cake. Mmmm.... However, along with this craving comes a few dilemmas:

• Going to any restaurant, desserts are killer - calorically and certainly when it comes to fat content. The portion is usually equal to what two people should have. There is nothing guilt free about it. For example, the Triple Chocolate Meltdown from Applebee's - a decadent and wonderfully chocolatey dessert option - clocks in nutritionally at: 820 calories, 48 grams of fat (30 which are of the saturated variety), and 9 grams of protein. Eek! That's a no go. (At least for tonight; I have been known to more than happily consume on of these yummy confections single-handedly before).

• I could make my own cake! Sounds like a good remedy; however, sweets in this house don't generally go quickly. In fact, they tend to not go at all. I am the only real dessert eater. The others in my household go more for salty fare than sweet at the end of the day. Furthermore, while the version I make would hug my waistline less than a restaurant one would, prepared as directed on the back of the box, it is still not my best friend.

So, I came up with a brilliant idea!!!

I set out to create enough cake for me to consume over the course of one week. How? I opened the package of Devil's Food Cake mix I had, and after measuring the entire contents to be 3 cups, I spooned out 1.5 cups of it. Now, I only have to make 1 8-inch or 9-inch round cake instead of 2.

Next, since I slashed the amount of mix in half, I needed to slash my other ingredients in half also. Instead of 1⅓ cups of water, I used ⅔. Instead of 3 eggs.....hmmm...I don't readily have access to only ½ of an egg, so I just used 1 whole egg. And for the oil, I was directed to use ½ cup. But the eggs and the oil is where the fat comes from, so if I could substitute something here I'd feel better. So, I did.

Instead of oil, I used 1, 2.5 oz. package of pureed banana (i.e. baby food). I should have probably only used 2 oz. but since I was down ½ an egg, I figured this would make up for it. Mixing them altogether, the batter became quite smooth. Into the pan it went and baked for 32 minutes at 325°. Since I don't particularly care for frosting in the first place, I figure once it cools, I'll dust it with powdered sugar, and it'll be a done deal.

Now for the exciting part:

The nutritional data on this whole cake is as follows:

• 291 calories
• 5 grams of fat
• 8 grams of protein

That's on the whole cake. For 1 out of 8 slices, this cake weighs in at 36 calories, .63 grams of fat, and 1 gram of protein!!!!! I could practically eat the whole dang cake with a clear conscience! Prepared the way it is directed, one piece is just about equivalent to the above measurements! Check out this breakdown from myfitnesspal.com:

	Devils Food (Betty Crocker Super Moist) Serving Size: 1/12 pkg, Calories: 260, Fat: 2g, Carbs: 35g, Protein: 2g

Now, the disclaimer is this: as of this moment, I have not tried a piece. This experiement could have gone horribly awry, and this cake could be the worst thing I have ever concocted. So, I will let you know after I try it how it turned out. But this just goes to show you that with a little bit of extra thought and some ingredient substitutions, you can still make tasty treats without damaging your healthy living habits. Go me!!!

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Addendum: After allowing my cake to cool and diving into a piece, I was, in fact, delighted! The cake was super moist and delicious. Sure, it lacked a little decadence due to the lack of fat; however, I do not think that its absence left the cake wanting. On the contrary, it truly pleased my palate.

I've topped it 2 different ways: 1) with Friendly's Carmelot ice cream. Mmmmmm....; 2) with powdered sugar, drizzled lightly with caramel syrup. Both were great. I am thrilled that this recipe alteration worked out! Give it a try!