Gettin My Hair Did

Following a disastrous run-in last summer with a razor-wielding hipster posing as a hairstylist, I have have shied away from salons.  As in, I have had 1 haircut in the last 15 months.  Things are getting a little desperate up there.  All of the damage from the hipster hair has grown out and I almost back to a length I like.  I am not really looking for anything drastic but this mop needs SOMEthing!!  As of now, I think my hair has been up in some form of ponytail or messy bun for going on 4 months.

I have made an appointment at a new salon on Saturday and am planning to give minimal directions other than "not short" and "make me pretty".

I hope it turns out something like one of these (found via GQ)

Reading is FUNdamental

Since reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao last summer, I have been in a total book slump.  There have been some pleasant distractions along the way like The Help and The Blind Side.  Actually The Blind Side was more than a pleasant distraction that book was awesome and I read it almost entirely in a single sitting.  But nothing that I really LOVED like Oscar Wao.  I have tried reading classics (A Farewell to Arms) and fluff (Spin) with really no success.  I have just been hoping and waiting for a book that I look forward to reading.  Where you don't want to read too much at a time because you want to make sure there will be some leftover for later.  So, I have turned to Oprah.  Her latest book club book is rumored to be Freedom by Jonathan Franzen.  Now, I (like the recently named author) am not always a fan of Oprah's selections.  I have read several and have usaully found them well written but also overwrought and melodramatic, not always my cup of tea.  In fact, The Corrections, Franzen's other book club pick, fell into this category a bit.  The characters were really well written but the whole thing (and it was long) was a bit of a drag.  That said, I cared enough to finish it.

So onto Freedom.  I shall keep you posted!

Suits for Seaside: Update

J.Crew rarely let's me down, but this latest adventure in swimwear was a complete bust.  I am nowhere near ready to seek comfort in the arms of another retailer, but it may be awhile before I can fully trust J. again.

The boy shorts were offensive and manage to create a most unflattering roll-over effect at the stomach as well as the dreaded sausage-link look at the thighs.  The photo of the itsy bitsy bottoms failed to show the inch of flesh that would protrude from the side when worn.  I am CERTAIN they photoshopped that unsightly bulge off of that model.

The order was not a total failure, however.  I did get a great cantaloupe colored cashemere cardigan as well as this little number for my little sister to wear on our upcoming NYC adventure to see the Lion King.

It will be paired with leggings and  converse all-stars.  I will have to be sure to hold her hand tightly as I am certain, that looking this cute multiple people will try to kidnap her.

So Long Summer

I love so many things about summer: beaches, sun, cold beer, tomatoes.  But this summer has been ROUGH.  The hottest ever in Philadelphia and I didn't get out of the city nearly enough.  I am definitely ready to be done with sweaty walks to work and the smell of sour garbage (month long stretches of 90+ weather do no favors for the city's scent. ick).  Today, finally, the temperature is below 80 and there is a strong and amazingly cool breeze.  I am so eager for this weather change that I walked Rafa in leggings, a button-down, and cable-knit sweater.  It was very autumnal-chic but perhaps a bit much (made for a pretty warm walk).  I have also started poking around for back-to-school time clothes.  Took a look over at Old Navy for some things that might actually have a shot at making their way into my closet.  A head to toe Old navy outfit is tough to pull off if you are not a middle schooler but a few pieces - particularly accessories - are awesome.

I want these:

Suits for Seaside

J.Crew is my go to for all things wearable.  From casual to professional I love the look and aesthetic of their clothes.  With a rewards card burning a whole in my wallet (I knew J.Crew loved me as much as I love them) and free shipping I turned to J.Crew.com for a much needed new swimsuit.  I realized recently, much to my chagrin, that my current J.Crew suit was unfortunately a little threadbare in the booty area...not so good.

I wanted to do a little mix and match action but was working with some time constraints (upcoming trip to the beach) and budget constraints (trying to stick to the final sale which was 30% off).  In the end here is what I ended up with:

I love the top.

Giving these little boy shorts a try. Unfortunately, they only had them in a size smaller than I normally wear.  Even in my regular size I think there is a real possibility of sausage legs so we will see...they might get sent back.

Now these they had in my size.  They are called the "itsy bow bikini".  I think the bow is sized just right but am concerned the bottoms overall will be too "itsy".  Oh well, they were under $7.  I can deal with it.

Welcome

Welcome to this little site soon to be filled with images of my dream life (well actually just of my materialistic acquisitions in that dream life - world peace is very difficult to photograph).  I have been writing another blog sporadically for a  couple of years.  The problem was, the blog was essentially funny stories about things in my life and I can tell you that it was a rude awakening to discover that my life was just not reliably interesting!

With that, I have started this blog where I will only be providing commentary rather than source material.  So, let's get started!