Look At This Thing I Made!

 I've finished my second sewing project, this bag from Burdastyle. 

Granted, it doesn't look much like the picture, but I think it still came out pretty cute, yeah? 

 I used the leftover toile fabric from my curtain project and some plain linen I picked up at Jo-Ann's. 

Next up? I'm attempting to make an Easter dress resembling this pattern with some upcycled fabric I got at Saver's for $5. I think it used to be a tablecloth. 

Weekend Update: Some Shoes, Some Books, and Granola Pancakes

I had a pretty productive weekend that involved a lot of cleaning, organizing, sewing, baking, and shopping. The only thing I didn't do was relax. I have to get better at that... 

I found another Coralie Bickford-Smith-designed Penguin Classic at TJ Maxx. This time it was Jane Eyre. 

I also picked up these cute Bass oxfords for 50% off. I'm so excited about them, I just had to share! Ok. I know this isn't a fashion blog, so on to the food...

On Sunday I had a hankering for pancakes. I used to eat them nearly every weekend as a kid and they were the first thing I learned to cook, but I haven't really had much over the last few years. In my house, my mom always used Bisquick, but since my pantry lacked the requisite yellow box, I turned to my well-worn copy of The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham. This is the definitive cookbook for all things breakfast.  Of course, she has dozens of pancake recipes, but I was looking for a basic one. Luckily, Marion claims that her recipe for plain pancakes "tastes better than all the others I've tried." And, it's easily adapted to incorporate add-ins like fresh fruit. We had a box of Trader Joe's Low-Fat Berry Granola, so I added that to the batter. I'd recommend putting together the dry ingredients ahead of time and storing them for later use since, if you're anything like me, you're kind of hungov--I mean, tired on weekend mornings and the more streamlined the recipe, the better.

         I hate James' plates so much I (accidentally) dropped one right before I took this shot.

Marion Cunningham's Plain Pancakes (with granola)
2 eggs
5 Tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups flour
1 Tablespoon sugar 

4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt


Put butter and milk in a small saucepan and warm on low until butter is melted.  Allow to cool. Beat eggs in a bowl. Mix milk/butter mixture in to eggs once it has cooled-- you don't want to cook the eggs! In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until combined. Cook on a hot griddle.

For granola pancakes, I added about a cup to the batter once it was mixed.

This makes about 6 pancakes, so if you're looking to feed a family or a bunch of friends, you should definitely double the recipe.

Occupy New York

I spent the long weekend in New York visiting my friend Elizabeth. Here's some things we did and ate:

Enjoyed classic and potent $5 cocktails at The Astor Room in Astoria

 Took in the sights and sounds of Occupy Wall Street....

                      Ate some Brooklyn Sushi at Samurai

          Ordered a Midnight Salad Nicoise from Brick Cafe in Queens.

   

Browsed through Beacon's Closet, an awesome spot for thrift and vintage.

                      Brunched at Trix with James in Williamsburg.

                                    Fancy steak and eggs for him...

                                     And a fruit plate for me.

      Got my foodie on at Milk Bar, part of the Momofuku empire.

And ended the weekend in the best way possible: at home on the couch with a slice of Crack Pie.

Costume Drama

Unlike seemingly every other woman (and tween girl), I'm not down with the whole 'it's ok to dress slutty since it's Halloween' trend that has taken over the most sacred of all pagan holidays. Unless you're going as Sexy Boris Yeltsin, because that is just awesome. Hence, I tend to wear whatever the heck I want, which has led to some interesting choices over the past few years re: Dickensian street urchin, Sarah Palin, Don Draper's new secretary, Miss Havisham. Now, I realize that some of these costumes could be considered 'sexy' (I'm looking at you, Miss H), but remember: There's a difference between sexy and slutty. Sometimes less is actually more, and other similar idioms.

So, what do I have lined up this year? A couple options for a few different nights:

I picked this lovely number up at Garment District ($10). Perfect for going as Norma Desmond/Washed Up Movie Star!

I also bought this weird/awesome 70s dress for I-don't-know-what because it was cheap ($12!)

I was originally going to where the blue dress but since I'll be heading up to Boston tomorrow I figured I should wear something a little more conducive to running around The Bean all night.

Enter: Annie Hall

Oxford Shirt from TJ Maxx via The Limited: $14

Men's Hat via Penguin: $15

Ridiculously baggy/pleated khakis from Savers: $4

Tie (not pictured): $3

Vest from my time as a Ruth's Chris employee: free!

Maybe I overspent a little, but I know I'll use the shirt again. As for the hat...well, I'll just have to make it work.

Note: When you find a gross hat at Savers don't put it in the washer and dryer. Just save your two bucks and spring for the Penguin.

Happy Halloween!

Back when movie stars were movie stars...

My favorite picture of Dame Elizabeth as a student at Hollywood's University High School.


This is what she looked like in HIGH SCHOOL.

She will continue to be an inspiration for brunette girls everywhere (well, at least this one.)

And yes, I realize my hair is currently red(ish). Still.

Coats, Glorious Coats

The Holy Triumvirate

Hi, I'm Emily and I have an addiction to buying coats.

For some people it's shoes, for others it's bags, but for me it's coats, jackets, and the like. Now that the weather is finally warming up, I don't have to wear my fully-functional but kind of ugly sleeping bag coat. Coincidentally, over the past month modcloth has had two amazing sales, during which I purchased the beauties pictured above. Why bother putting together a whole outfit when I can just wear a cool jacket and some pants? WHY?

I Prefer A 50s Silhouette

I was flipping through the channels the other night and came across the Marilyn Monroe/Jane Russell classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Despite my qualms with the title, I love MM and think she's supremely underrated as a comedic actress. (If you don't believe me, watch Some Like It Hot.) But probably the most famous scene from the movie is her performance of the song "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" wearing that hot pink strapless dress. This scene was, of course, channeled by Madonna in the music video for "Material Girl". However. This isn't a post about that pink dress. This is a post about the blue dress she wears in the above image. I'm sorry it isn't bigger. Stupid internet failed me. Here's the scene it's in though:

Isn't it great? Perfect for sailing across the Atlantic on a mid-century ocean liner or simply Monday at the office. I'm not crazy about the gold necklace though. It takes away from the scarf detailing around the neck, which really makes the dress. Le sigh. Now to troll the internet looking for something comparable...

How Much Is That Mad Men Dress In The Window?

As Seen At... Cafe Society, Brookline, MA

No, really. How much? I saw this while walking home this evening and tried to get a look at the tag through the window, since the store was closed. I was almost able to make it out by pressing my face up against the glass, but I didn't want to be mistaken as a burglar. That is the last thing I need right now. Anyways, can't you see Peggy wearing something like this? In fact, I think she may have last season. Oh if only I could spend my dollars on vintage clothing instead of food and shelter...oh, and presents :)

On that note, enjoy what will probably be my last non-holiday related post for the next few weeks.

Bargain Costuming in Boston

Like most of you, I have several Halloween parties to go to over the next few days which call for two separate costumes. The first costume is for my school's Halloween party tomorrow and wherever the heck I end up on Friday night. Since I needed to get two costumes, I decided to go low budget for the first one and just use something I already own. I keep seeing this listed as a great way to save money on blogs and such. And while it's sure better than shilling out 50 bucks for a polyester Alice in Wonderland get up, not everyone can 'shop their closet' for Halloween costumes and I don't even want to imagine what it says about me that I can. Anyways, I have this adorable 60s suit that I bought on sale last spring and haven't worn yet:

I figure I'll just call myself Megan and go as Don Draper's fiancee (a step up from last year when I went as "Don Draper's new secretary").

However, I am going to an actual grown up costume party on Saturday with my cousins and the theme is "Insane". I know, right? It took me a little while to come up with an idea but who embodies insanity better than Miss Havisham, from Charles Dickens' classic Great Expectations? For those of you too lazy to google, here's a recap: Miss Havisham was left at the alter by a con artist who broke her heart. She then had all the clocks in her mansion stopped at that exact moment (20 minutes to 9) never took off her wedding dress, and somehow raised a little girl (Estella) into an icy maneater. It don't get more dramatic than that. And! Apparently Dickens based Miss Havisham after a real woman. As they say, the truth is usually stranger than fiction.



So, for this outfit I needed to find and old-fashioned white wedding-ish dress and some accessories. I was prepared to have to bleach an old prom dress white as wedding dresses tend to be big bucks even in secondhand shops. But, lo and behold I found the perfect dress for the perfect price: $12! I threw in some lacy fingerless gloves for $6 and a veil for $2.50 and voila! A costume for $20. On the day of I figure I'll put some white flour in my hair and do some gothy-makeup but for now here's a little preview:

"Well, you can break his heart."

Sundays To (Open) Market

I moved to Boston for many reasons, grad school being the most important, but coming in at a close second was the fact that Beantown seemed to be the closest I could get to living in London aside from well, living in London. And while those hopes were dashed long ago, I've come to love a lot about Boston. I've written about the number of farmers markets before, but this past Sunday I took a trip down to the SoWa Open market in the South End. (Unfortunately, a lack of sleep and caffeine caused me to misread the map and take a detour through Roxbury, but that's another story...)

One of my absolute favorite things to do when I was living in London was wander around the outdoor markets, each with their specific day and specialty: Borough market was on Friday and was foodie haven, Saturday was Portobello market and good to go to when relatives visited, and Spittlefields was on Sundays and had a bit of something for everyone.

According to the New York Times, the SoWa Open market is Boston's version of London's Portobello market. And while it certainly reminded me of Portabello in the sense that everything except the food was too expensive, the indoor /outdoor set up as well as the mix of vendors gave it more of a Spittlefields market vibe. However, like I mentioned, everything was pretty pricey and the place was crowded with yuppies-- or whatever the millennial equivalent is-- so Spittlefields still comes out on top in my book. That being said, it was still fun to walk around and imagine what I'd do with, say, old suitcases or Darth Vader masks.










Of course, where there's yuppies, there's usually the "hottest" food trend close by. So, naturally, there was an assortment of food trucks. Clover was the most popular by far. Lines never lie, guys. The cupcake truck next to it was so pissed...

Why I Hate Anthropologie...

Well, it's more like a love/hate relationship. For as many dresses or aprons or impossibly cute cardigans that cause me to lose my breath, the price tags make my heart skip a beat--and not in the good "Oh, Alcide's shirtless again" kind of way. More in the "Who the fuck pays $168 for a cotton dress?" way. And yes, yes, I know the quality is better than something I'd buy at Target. But, man. Love hurts.

I can still remember the first time I looked through the catalog, back when I was young and naive. A guy I was seeing at the time actually brought Anthropologie to my attention by pointing out the most amazing, whimsical Edwardian-style coat. "This is just the kind of thing you would wear," he said, or something to that effect. (Hey, this was like six years ago.) My eyes widened with delight. I had never seen such a coat outside of a Masterpiece Theater miniseries. Then, I saw the price. It was three digits long. But, just like in West Side Story when Tony sees Maria for the first time, everything got all misty and it was too late. Rationality had left my mind. I was smitten.

Over the years the store and I flirted back and forth, though it was always me who took things to heart. They'd send me a catalog, so I'd peruse their website, always led on with visions of impossibly twee frocks, delicate, lacy blouses, and furniture that resembled finds from the best estate sale ever. Once in a while I'd visit the sale section in the NYC location and rummage through the racks with a dozen other girls, searching for that illusive blouse marked down to half-price. Of course, even at half-price we're still talking $60.

But, like most love stories, the things I once loved about Anthropologie were the very things I came to hate: The whole faux vintage/flea market/heirloom-schtick. As someone who regularly wears dresses without irony (yes, that's a thing), has long collected teacups, and had a grandmother who was the best quilter EVER I feel like they've tried to market uniqueness to the point where said things begin to lose their value--and I don't mean monetarily. It is meant to evoke a lifestyle that comes with a pre-fab meaning--even as they describe their mix of products as eclectic.

I can still remember having a friend over and her taking notice of the handmade quilt on my bed and asking if it was from there. Now, granted, I know not everyone has quilts their grandma made, but still--when you're pricing such things at $200, it's not as if this is fashion for everyone to begin with. I guess I hate Anthropologie for the same reason that old punks and original Nirvana fans hate Urban Outfitters for making flannel and chucks trendy. (It's also probably no coincidence that both these stores are owned by the same company) They take the things that groups of people find meaningful and make them meaningless through mass production--not to mention with some unbelievable mark-ups.

But, much like how you occasionally drunk-text that hot guy you went on one bad date with last year, I can't completely let go of Anthropologie. Despite everything, they still make clothes I like, even if I can only afford to shop the sale section once or twice a year. I'm not exactly sure how to reconcile this. Perhaps there isn't a way. We all have to "sell out" to a certain extent when we participate in anything that is popular. I guess the most important thing is to just do/buy/wear what you love because you love it. As I once said to my friend Kimmy:"I was wearing dresses over jeans before it was trendy, and I'll still be wearing them when it isn't."

In Which I Post About Something Besides Food...

Because I do actually have other interests, you know. This past Sunday I indulged in two of them: clothes shopping and pretending I still live in England. Allow me to explain...

Since it was reasonably nice weather a friend and I decided to do something outside. I suggested a visit to the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, Ct. It's known mainly as a place to have pricey weddings, but the parklands that surround the mansion are open to the public and really quite lovely. Apparently there will be an open air market on August 22nd--around the time I'm supposed to go home next--perhaps I'll visit. Now, I'll cop to possibly imagining this place as a potential venue for my imaginary wedding. (Hey, I figure it's as close to Pemberley as I'm ever gonna get) But after seeing the place in person, I'll admit I wasn't exactly blown away. Then again, I'm kind of a snob about these things. Moving on...

On the way to the mansion we drove by an antique shop called Never Say Goodbye that was set up inside a house. There was a pretty cool 50s ballgown blowing in the wind outside, so naturally I made my friend pull a U-turn. Though I may have been let down by the mansion, this place more than made up for it. Every room was transformed into a collectors dream and, quite frankly, I can't do the place justice. You'll just have to visit. The owner was incredibly nice and full of information and, best of all, more than willing to bargain. My friend got this amazing Miller High Life light up clock from the 60s for $25 and I got an adorable pair of pale blue vintage gloves for $8.

 Here's a shot of the kitchen...

A small sampling from the toy room...

And hats! So many! None fit me though :(

But, that's ok because then I went and got this one from Target.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Ok, so I'll admit: I haven't seen the first episode of Mad Men yet. I have, however, reviewed the recap at jezebel.com and saw this screencap of Joan. Plenty has been said about the impact MM has had on, well, everything, but its' biggest influence has certainly been on fashion. I've long been a fan of typically feminine clothing: I frequently wear dresses, have a penchant for tasteful ruffles, and can't get enough of 3/4 length sleeves. Therefore, this dress is blowing my mind. I won't even try to search for a similar style right now because I will easily lose three hours trolling the internet. But, mark my words, we will be seeing more of this style and details in the coming months and I for one couldn't be happier.