Good with Style

Love List

A Few of My Favorite Things (Late Summer 2011) Part 1 by goodwithstyle featuring facets jewelry

Nanette Lepore chiffon ruffle skirt, $278
Swedish Hasbeens wooden heels, $230
Les Nereides facets jewelry, $70
Antonias Flowers Antonias Flowers Eau De Toilette, €80
Accessories/ : Beklina

All Wrapped up in Balmain and Chanel

Getting ready for Fall, mixing and matching for the perfect hi-lo look, with flashes of gold and green.

More Morjana by goodwithstyle featuring a wrap cardigan

Wrap cardigan, $69
Balmain double breasted jacket, £767
TopShop long skirt, $56
Eberjey, $35
Black leather shoulder bag, £1,650
RAXCollection hemp necklace, $80
Sprout butterfly jewelry, $37
Real Jewels long earrings, $250
Pack of 6 Eco Country Artificial Pine, Berry & Birds Nest Christmas..., $95
eco tools body butter saved by ali marie(:, $9.99
Theory

How to Dress for a Hurricane

Source: google.com via PCOSChick on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: ffffound.com via Sahar on Pinterest

Source: violetboutique.ca via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: feathersandrags.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: lateafternoon.tumblr.com via Amanda on Pinterest

I Am Slow

When I say that I am slow, I don't mean slow-witted--although you are free to make that determination for yourself. I am just slow...slow to wake up in the morning, slow to fall asleep at night. I was always the last person to fall asleep at slumber parties. I am slow getting ready to leave the house, I am slow leaving a party. Take, for example, last night. I was invited to a "meet and greet" with HGTV "Design Star" and host of "Secrets from a Stylist" Emily Henderson. There was a bevy of lovely, interesting, hilarious, and nice people there, which I think is a really good reflection of Miss Emily H. herself. Many of the guests are bloggers, some were just regular people ;), but everyone was really nice. Including Emily. Which is probably why I was one of the last people to leave. Okay, I was the last person to leave.

Yours slowly,

Emily

Me and My Lands' End Bathing Suit

  Yup. That is a picture of me at the beach in my new Lands' End bathing suit. On my blog. Which is on the Internet. Very daring of me, don't you think? Granted, it's not quite what you'd refer too as an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini...for reasons which I will leave to you to determine. This year, I realized that the suits I had were either too small, or too large. It's an annoying in-between zone. I could open a clothing store with the multiple sizes that are sitting in my closet. I purchased two bathing suit bottoms and three bathing suit tops, which means I can mix and match, which I love. I also love this particular suit--the pattern is really cute, the material comfortable, and it's great for swimming. It may not be itsy-bitsy--but it is polka dot, and pretty chic at that. Do you ever wonder why all of the bathing suits made for women in my market are so hideous? The prints on the average tankini are just bad. You know what I'm talking about. The only thing I'm not so crazy about with this suit is the ruching in the front of the skirt--it's a little too much. Overall, I am completely happy with my suits. I wish more brands would figure out that when a woman wants a little more fabric, that doesn't mean she wants any less style. Good job, Land's End.

XO

Emily

More about Lands' End:

*Lands' End began as a Sailboat equiptment company in 1963 by Pan American Games gold medalist sailors Robert Halperin and Richard Stearns

*The apostrophe was a typo--should have been Land's end--which the owners couldn't afford to change. Back in the days before digital, when type was set, it was set...

*Sears Holding purchased the company in 2002 for $2 billion in cash

*The company is now based in Dodgeville, Wisconsin

* Dodgeville has one of the country's largest state parks

*Dodgeville is a part of the "National Mainstreet Program"

*You can read more about Sears Eco and Ethical Business Policies here

Used Shipping Paletts + Creative Business Ideas

 

Lately, I've noticed a lot of things being made out of shipping paletts...which makes sense. Paletts are made to carry very heavy things, but are usually discarded after whatever they've carried has been delivered. This bed is such a simple, fabulous idea I think I may need to try it. Now, I just need to have something really big and heavy delivered to me ;) Actually, a quick Google search yielded the "Container Exchanger" site. Brilliant. Now for the used paletts...apparently this is a BIG business! Who says American Industry isn't creating ingenuous business ideas every day? Not me.

Northwest Palett

Paletts by IFCO

Millwood Inc

Paletts Unlimited

 *Above image from Pia Jane Bizkirk via Apartment Therapy

How I Learned to Love the Recession

Source: sweetdecor.tumblr.com via Dorothy on Pinterest

 

Big news---we've decided NOT to buy a house. Or even leave the city. We are moving, though, to a deluxe apartment in the sky. Okay, it's not really deluxe, nor is it in the sky. It is a few hundred square feet bigger, has an extra bathroom, and, wait for it....it has a dishwasher. Yes, I have been living without a dishwasher for more than 10 years. I didn't mind until the children came along, and then I became more concerned about bacteria and mold congregating in the impossible to clean kiddie drinkware. But this story isn't about the dishwasher, or even the apartment. It's about something much, much more important. It's about my marriage. Now that we're at the end of it, I feel like I can share the ordeal we went through in the process of house-hunting. There are so many things wrong with the Real Estate industry that I can't even begin to tackle them. What I will say is that if you think planning a wedding is a test of your relationship, get ready for the next step in the process--buying a home. And what is at the root of this discussion, of course, is money. How much, or how little you have to spend becomes the topic du jour when house-hunting, for obvious reasons. The industry wants you to spend as much as you possibly can, to really stretch yourself. Hence, the housing crisis. But isn't it incredible that very little has changed in the approach, even with the legions of houses that have depressed value? Now, I am one of those people who feels really guilty leaving a store without buying something. I have even been known to overspend from time to time. But my husband is the exact opposite. Thankfully. We are a perfect balance--I am the sky, and he is the sturdy ground below. The downside is that I am often trying to get him to jump off the ground a little higher, and he's trying to keep me from floating away. This is essentially what happened during this latest house-hunting extravaganza. And boy oh boy, did we go at it. But at the end, when all the dust settled, we found ourselves sitting on the seesaw, perfectly balanced. For my part, I really saw the whole picture--if we bought the best house on the best street in the best town we could afford, there was going to be a compromise. It was only a matter of what to compromise on and what to hold firm on. We did the smart thing, and did the math for the "easy fixes" we would need, and added that to the purchase price. When the seller wasn't willing to negotiate, we walked. But first we got comfortable with the fact that we live in a really great neighborhood (Hudson (Washington) Heights, NYC) where you really know the people you pass on the street. It is the most affordable, nicest part of Manhattan (in my opinion), filled with diversity and spirit and energy. We found a new apartment in a great building, in which several of our friends already live. Our daughter is going to the same school as last year--which we love. Our son is going to be in another little kids program two days a week. We have again found the balance, and fortified our marriage with understanding, flexibility, and faith. I hope my experience can help you a little bit in these trying times. Just remember--we're all in this together :)

XO

Emily

What I Wore: Sunday At The Beach

 

Hat: San Diego Hat Co. Eco-Friendly Raffia, Made In China

Sun Glasses: Persol, I've had them for at least ten years, Handmade in the original factory in Lauriano, (Turin) Italy.

Bathing Suit: Land's End, Made in Cambodia

Shoes: Jack Rogers, $10, Housing Works NYC

Dress: Three Dots, Made in USA

Water Bottle: Klean Kanteen, Responsibly Made In China

Watch: Michael Kors Chronograph Waterproof Watch, Made in China

Sash/Wrap: Street Vendor, NYC

Bag: Vintage, My Mom

ABC--Always Be Creating

Source: abchao.com via Elle on Pinterest

 

I've long believed that we just don't have enough creativity in our lives. Humans are naturally ingenious, creative, curious. It's why we've survived for so long, after all. I feel so lucky to have a very creative career. As a mother, it was a necessity for me to figure out how to have a career, and be close to my children. But even I sometimes forget the pure joy in sitting down with or without my kids and create. These colorful sticks remind me of just how simple it can be. And look how pretty they are, too. XO Emily