Olive Garden Dressing Is My Everything Right Now

A recent wine club at my friend Stacie's house revealed something revelatory: Olive Garden now sells its dressing AT THE SUPERMARKET. I've been dousing my salads in it, but the other day, I realized it would also make an awesomely easy and delicious marinade, the way my Dad and I used to marinate chicken in Zesty Italian dressing when I was a kid. I chopped up some herbs from my container garden (booya, extra credit right there), placed the chicken breasts in a bag with just enough dressing to completely cover, and plopped the whole thing in the fridge for about 6 hours.

Sean grilled it and it was delicious! This is definitely one of my sillier posts, but for real, I thought you'd all like to know Olive Garden dressing can be bought at the grocery store. Game changer.

Today I Like ... This Men's Tee

Spotted this while watching my secret favorite TV show, "Hard Knocks," on the body of an Atlanta Falcon at the bowling alley. Immediately wanted one. Sad to see they only sell them for men. Too lazy to order and adapt to work on a lady body (boobs and hips don't work with straight cuts). But let it be known, it's what I want to be wearing while running errands.

Today I Like ... NYX Matte Lip Cream

I have a new true love, and it's an inexpensive drugstore make-up brand! I have spent no less than 4 years sampling the variety of matte lip products on the market. I've had some hits (especially with NARS products), but I've had plenty of misses, too. All I've been trying to do this whole time is get that soft pop of color you see on all the fresh-faced J.Crew models. I read a recommendation of this brand, which I frankly have never paid attention to in my local Target or CVS, and thought I'd give it a shot.

Within days, I owned not one, not two, but FOUR shades of the soft matte lip cream, a wonder product that has the consistency of mousse, vivid color with amazing depth and doesn't actually make my lips dryer than Death Valley. Just to give you a sense, I played model and snapped some pics...please note, this was AFTER a long work day.

This is the bright pink, Addis Ababa

A perfect petal pink, Milan

A bright, orange red, Amsterdam

And finally, a rich, pinker red called San Paulo

So now I basically have a shade to go with every outfit. It's a sickness, this lip cream addiction!

Today I Like ... Silk Scarves

 I had a thing for silk scarves when I was a young girl. I remember tying them in my ponytails, wearing them as kerchiefs, belts, headbands and beyond. I was always a 50's-obsessed kid, so no surprise there. But lately, especially as I've been seeing so many cool designs popping up in the silk scarf world, I've had them stuck on my mind again. I'm bringing 'em back into my repertoire! Let's get some styling inspiration, shall we? There's always the necktie...

 The fancy lady cravat, as modeled by Betty Draper...

 The effortless chic wrap-and-tie shown by Claudia Schiffer...

 the glamorous Hermes sling on the glamorous Grace Kelly...

 The head-and-sunglasses combo immortalized by Jackie Kennedy...

And the knot necklace, worn by Kate Middleton. 

And me, modeling my favorite easy breezy version: the triangle tie back.

Modern Square Scarves

1. I am seriously coveting this $195 turquoise print scarf by Nectar and Light.
2. Get some worldly flair with a tasseled square scarf from Johnny Was for $86.
3. I've had Emerald Grippa's scarves on my wish list for a long time! $150.
4. A cat lady like me can't resist Leah Goren's whimsical Picasso Cats scarf, $96.
5. And if you don't have that much cash to drop on a scarf, Ann Taylor Loft's scarves are affordable and chic at $36.

You can also always scoop some vintage ones up at vintage clothing shops and antique stores! I have a couple I love, including this equestrian one I just scooped up on Saturday (shown above).

Today I Like ... French Beauty

Want to have the allure of a Parisian woman? Apparently it's as easy as having an on-call home masseuse, drinking red wine every day, never wearing foundation and artfully mussing your hair. I was completely intrigued by this article about French beauty, particularly this section:

"But there’s something we find sexy about not being perfect every day and every second.  The amount of foundation sold in France is quite ridiculous compared to what is sold in Asia or America. We’re not great foundation users. Anytime you can actually see the tricks, it looks wrong to us. If you see a woman is wearing foundation, this is wrong to us. This is how we were brought up."

For inspiration, here are some French girls who seem to have the minimal makeup, mussed hair, casual chic thing down pat.

 Audrey Toutou

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Her sister, Lou Doillon

Clemence Poesy

Garance Dore

Lea Seydoux

Melanie Laurent

I'll tell you one thing...I don't think a French woman would ever eat a Wendy's Baconator, so there's that.

Today I Like ... Summer Reading

I've been on one of those glorious stretches of good book after good book and had to share what I've been reading for the past few weeks:

The Goldfinch won the Pulitzer for fiction last year and it's no mistake. I was amazed at how I tore through this 800+ page novel in about two weeks once I got sucked into it. It's perfectly paced, with deftly drawn characters and Tartt has an amazing ability to make you root for extremely flawed people who aren't even acting in their own best interest. Plus, the art history lover in me adored that a Dutch master painting is at the center of all the action.

The Vacationers is a super new release by Emma Straub, one of my favorite breakout authors of the past few years. Her novels are like wonderful beach reads with brains, little soap operas of characters you feel certain you've known or met sometime in your life. I will admit I have a weakness for novels centering on spoiled New Yorkers that alternate perspectives, so this was completely in my wheelhouse. A perfect book for anyone who's ever been on a family vacation.

I've just started reading Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead (last year I read her debut, "Seating Arrangements") and I already have had dreams about the characters! This book delves into the ballet world, in a time period of particular interest to me because it begins following young ballerinas in the late 70s and early 80s...the exact period my mom was a young ballerina. The direction of the main character's life turns on her involvement in the defection of a Russian ballet danseur, a thinly veiled version of Mikhail Baryshnikov. It's really great so far, and reminds me of a great movie starring Baryshnikov himself, "The Turning Point."

So what are you reading these days? What's the best thing you've read this year that you can't get out of your head?

Today I Like ... Beach Style 2014

I've officially had my first beach day and it just left me craving more! I spent years convincing myself I didn't like the beach, primarily because of one bad experience when my entire suit filled with sand and I spent more time cleaning it out than swimming!

A big breakthrough came when we discovered some of the less crowded beaches. That's a gamechanger! That one beach day left me daydreaming about the ultimate beach accessories. Here are some of my favorite things I found while virtual window shopping:

1. A sun hat fit for Audrey Hepburn, $58 at Anthropologie.
2. Could anything be sweeter than a gingham one-piece? $72 at Nordstrom.
3. A super chic cover-up that goes easily from the beach to brunch. $88 at Boden USA.
4. Look like one of Charlie's Angels in these oversize tortoise sunglasses, $23 at ASOS.
5. I love wearing cream blushes in summertime because they look dewy and seem to last even in sweat. This Maybelline Master Glaze is perfect to toss in a purse.
6. It's ridiculous and unnecessary but I'm REALLY coveting this beach radio, $50 at Anthropologie.
7. A beach blanket by Piece & Co. that would look just as good on a couch, $78 at Madewell. (It appears to be sold out...boooo. I also really love these $48 beach blankets from Steven Alan.)
8. The indigo dye look of this Bamboula Ltd. bag is so on trend and timeless at the same time. Pack it full of your beach gear or take it to the farmers' market. $78 at Madewell.

Today I Like ... Artsy Iphone Cases

I'm feeling about ready to replace my current iPhone case and it's AMAZING how you can basically get a phone case of anything you want. Why not get your favorite work of art? My friend Bret has the Egon Schiele case at the top left and it always looks awesome. These are just a sampling of what's out there:

1. Egon Schiele case, $43 at Zazzle.
2. Mark Rothko case, $35 at Society 6.
3. Van Gogh pink roses case, $41 at Zazzle.
4. Erte sketch case, $35 at Society 6.
5. Warhol Marilyn Monroe print case, $25 at Boxy Tech.

I'm pretty obsessed with the Rothko one...but knowing the choices are limitless makes it that much harder to choose! I pinned some more cases here.

Today I Like ... Oh Joy for Target

One of the first blogs I ever read was Oh Joy...I've been reading since she got married, started her own design company, moved to San Diego, moved to L.A. and became a mom! So it's especially fun to see her newest endeavor, a party line at Target! Everything in the collection is cute, but I'm especially in love with these amazingly well made and roomy reusable bags that are $7 each! I bought two and I'm keeping one in each car so I can finally start taking reusable bags seriously. It helps if they're cute!

Today I Like ... Stylish Beach Gear

It's hard to believe it's almost August, and we've only made it to the beach twice! We like to swim, but we're not big on laying out for too long, so our trips are usually only a couple hours long, but every time we go, I get the itch to buy lots of cute beach accessories!

I'm resisting the urge right now, but if you've still got a trip in the works, do me a favor and rock one of these cute items on my behalf! P.S. Now is the perfect time to buy beach stuff...it's just going on sale!

1. I'm dying for one of these gorgeous patterned beach umbrellas by Kerry Cassill, $210.
2. You might be mistaken for Audrey Hepburn in this super-wide brim hat, now $30 at Anthropologie.
3. World Market's super cute beach chairs are now on sale for $15.
4. Snag colorful sunnies like these from Ruche, $15.
5. J.Crew's punk floral suit is now $50.
6. It's not cheap, but Calypso St. Barth's $299 caftan would be perfect for those of you with tropical vacations coming up!
7. The chicest beach towel around, $48 at Serena & Lily. 

Today I Like ... Erica Weiner Lyric Necklace

 A few weeks ago, I came across Erica Weiner's brilliant heartbeats lyric necklaces and was absolutely sure I was going to get the R. Kelly lyric option ("And after the party, it's the hotel lobby") as a sort of tribute to college, but then I saw the Talking Heads option and had to have it. "This Must Be the Place" is one of my all-time favorite songs, and we played it at our wedding and even quoted it in our wedding programs.

The necklace is short at 16 inches, but hits at the perfect spot if you're wearing a collared shirt or scoopneck. I love delicate gold necklaces and I'm always on the hunt for new ones that are unique and interesting.

Today I Like ... Jennifer Nielsen Jewelry

A few weeks ago, Melissa and I hit up the spring Stockley Gardens Art Festival and spent some time admiring the jewelry created by Jennifer Nielsen of Maine. Nielsen uses beautiful stones to create this organic and elegant jewelry and I was the smitten kitten. She said she even creates custom work with stones people find on the beaches; I love that idea! It's all a bit out of my price range, but a girl can dream, right?

Earrings, $330

Gorgeous white granite and diamond pendant, $1,100.

Today I Like ... Pastel Palette

Pastels, when deployed appropriately, can look like heaven; like color with sugar and cream. When used wrong, it conjures memories of Laura Ashley Easter dresses. Lately, they're just feeling so right, like this lovely Dior ad from a few years back.

Or this gorgeous Vanity Fair cover I loved so much...ballet pink and peach and seaglass. Who knew they could look so chic when paired with neutrals?

I've been loving this shell pink nail color from Revlon, and I'm back to wearing Essie's Turquoise and Caicos on my toes. Forget neon; I'm moving on to muted tones. (I say that now, but neon and summer just feel so right!)

Get the Look

1. Sweet lavender bag, $108 at Asos.
2. Yellow studs, $10 here.
3. Perfect green Keds, $40.
4. Patent leather T-straps in perfect ballet pink, $56 at Topshop.
5. Mint green purse, $278 at Kate Spade.
6. Baby blue polish, $8.

Today I Like ... Flowers in Art & Design

I've been pinning up a storm lately and I noticed a common trend last night: flowers, everywhere! I desperately need to get back to painting, and maybe even collaging, and these pieces have me feeling inspired.

 A floral kite, by Fredericks & Mae fit for Mary Poppins.

A beautiful watercolor I want in textile form, by Lourdes Sanchez.

Must find a way to recreate this shot someday! Princess Ira Von Furstenberg, 1955, by Cecil Beaton.

 So inspired by this idea...I don't want to rip it off, per se, but I can picture so many cool home DIY projects similar to Pascuala Lira's floral whitewashed wood piece.

Flowers have been all the rage in graphic design, and I love the kaleidoscopic effect of Lisa Hedge's save the date design.

Today I Like ... Downton Abbey's 1920s Look

Have you been loving the third season of Downton Abbey (trailer included if you somehow don't know what I'm talking about)? I have always loved the 1920s, so from the first episode this year, I was pumped to see the finger waves, the sparkly jewels, the dropped waist, the chiffon and all the pretty satin wedding dresses.

I don't think it's any exaggeration to say the 20s are about to have a major Moment with a capital M in 2013. Between Downton Abbey and the upcoming adaptation of The Great Gatsby, I'm seeing the influence hitting the runways and already trickling down to merchants. If you're feeling the inspiration like me, here are some pieces to bring the jazz age into your closet.

Get the Look

1. Peter Pan collar blouse, $30 at Delia's.
2. Deco embellished top, $79 at Asos.
3. Accordian pleat midi dress, $138 at Anthropologie.
4. Cloche hat, $25 at Nordstrom.
5. Barrette, $78 by Marc by Marc Jacobs.
6. Earrings, $180 by Lulu Frost.
7. Birdcage pump, $70 at DSW. 

Today I Like ... Hitchcock's Women

There are not one, but two, movies out right now about Hitchcock and his starlets. One, on HBO, portrays his svengali-like relationship with star Tippi Hedren. The other documents the making of "Psycho." 

Hitchcock is famous for forcing his idea of beauty and style on his starlets, much like Jimmy Stewart's character in "Vertigo." He loved icy blondes, impeccably turned out with tiny waists and chic, simple silhouettes. I think we can agree, though, he might have been on to something. 

How perfect is this pumpkin ensemble, worn by Eva Marie-Saint in North by Northwest, found on Le Monochromatic.

Or this timeless black-and-white combo on Kim Novak, star of "Vertigo?"

Or the ever-elegant Grace Kelly, wearing red lace in "Dial M for Murder," photo found here.

Get the Look

1. No Hitchcock femme fatale can step out without her strand of pearls. Kate Spade, $128.
2. The perfect black dress to wear when spying on the neighbors. Modcloth, $140.
3. A daring color in a demure cut, Toga dress, $225.
4. Pack a little punch in a simple kitten heel with leopard print, Debenhams, $89.
5. The Hitchcock woman doesn't do casual. An easy day would still call for a tight sweater, like this one from The North Face and...
6. this pencil skirt from J. Crew.
7. Always a lady, the Hitchcock woman packs gloves. Not a speck of dirt would stick to these long leather gloves, $98 from Max Studio.
8. Keep the gloves stashed with a weapon of choice in this Ted Baker bowler bag.
9. And last, but certainly not least, a swipe of lipstick, like this one from Giorgio Armani.