Holiday Table Settings

Thanksgiving is a week away so I decided to find some creative Thanksgiving decorations to inspire.




I live in an apartment, so I won't be doing much entertaining for large gatherings, but I thought that it would be fun to decorate the table with Thanksgiving creations. These ideas came from Martha Stewart and are simple enough for a 24 year old, but also creative enough for a family to do. I like the idea of small holiday decor throughout the house/apartment/condo. For the next week I plan on posting holiday decorations, ideas and recipes.

What Kind of Kitchen are You?

Go to House & Garden: Design for the Well-Lived, and take the Kitchen Quiz. I currently live in an apartment, so you can imagine the shape my kitchen is in. So, I was thinking how great it would be to have my dream kitchen. It takes into account your personality, what you want out of a kitchen (now or in the future), how many people you live with, what you want to kitchen to express, etc. It’s fantastic! I took the quiz and it says that I need, want, deserve, a Classic Kitchen.

What does this mean? “You want a kitchen that makes a statement and makes you feel at home.” I completely agree with this. I want my kitchen to show my guests and family my personality. I want my kitchen to make me feel comfortable while being able to entertain at the same time. These are the three kitchens I would want depending on where I live- downtown condo, suburbs, lake). So, here are some of the pictures that popped up with the “Classic Kitchen”.

Hollywould

Designer to the stars, Holly Dunlap, is joining the throngs of designers who are selling their collections at Target for lower than low prices. Her collection of footwear and handbag lines, Hollywould, are perfect for a night on the town. She also makes a great clothing, however that is not being distributed by Target.

Holly has designed since the age of 17 and has worked among the creme-de-la-creme of designers, such as, Christian Lacroix, Lilly Pulitzer and Manolo Blahnik. The label is named Hollywould because she wanted to collections to be as glamorous as the lifestyles of Hollywood. A star is born!

top: (left to right) black patent peep-toe pumps; Lauren glitter lace pumps- silver; red peep-toe pumps... all $29.99!

bottom: (left to right) black clutch, pink clutch, red clutch... all $19.99!

Turning Point

Last night my life changed rather abruptly, although I can't say that I didn't know that it was coming, but I am still nevertheless thrown off by it. I won't go into the details because who cares about those? But, I will say that it has slightly changed my outlook on my life and in particular my future. Today is an important day for me because its the first day of a new me. I was trying to think of what I could use to visualize how I'm feeling today. So, I thought that some pictures of open windows would be poignant because that's how I feel - like I'm standing in front of an open window. Still in the same place, but now that window is open for me and I have the choice to stay or leave. So, here are some images of windows that I found. I will add some of my own images later.

Palm Beach Baby!

Every winter my family goes to Palm Beach to escape the harsh weather in the Midwest. We have a great time with family before the holidays and travel to Florida in time to celebrate Christmas and the New Year's. It's tradition. We have a great time shopping, going to the beach, the movies and out at night.

So, seeing as how it's almost Thanksgiving, I was thinking that I might need to start putting a little thought into my attire for the upcoming vacation down south. I pulled together some of my favorite designers' Resort 2008 collections to show what my ideal attire for this trip would be. Think martinis and palm trees. Enjoy!

Daytime Attire - going to the beach, shopping, lunching, going to the spa, etc.

Top: Nicole Miller & Michael Kors, Chanel; Bottom: Zac Posen, Valentino, Zac Posen

Nighttime Attire - to go to a movie premiere, a runway show, dinner, a night on the town, on a date, etc.

Top: Oscar de la Renta & Jason Wu, Valentino; Bottom: Yves St. Laurent, Badgley Mischka, Michael Kors

Best Dressed of All Time

The November edition of Harper's Bazaar is listing the "Best Dressed of All Time: Bazaar pays homage to the women who have ALWAYS gotten it right." The list contains both old and new screen starlets, models, royalty, and fashion icons throughout the ages. You can read the entire article in the November edition of Harper's Bazaar, but I thought it would be fun to post a few of the new and old fashion icons for each of the categories that Harper's Bazaar has listed. These are the women who I believe are (or were) at the top of their game.

The Best of the Best

Princess Grace Kelly & Prince Rainier, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Kate Moss

Fashicons: MEMORABLE MUSES and style setters through the years

Diana Vreeland, Charlotte Casiraghi

Eccentrics: Outrageous, Exotic, IdioSyncratic - ONE OF A KIND

Diana Ross, Daphne Guinness

Swans: HIGH SOCIETY beauties with timeless, classic style

Brooke Astor, Aerin Lauder

Street Chic: Edgy, Inventive, of-the-moment FASHION MAVERICKS

Jane Birkin, Ashley Olsen

Hollywood: Glamorous, Showstopping, SCREEN SIRENS

Lauren Bacall, Cate Blanchett

Peer Trainer

If anyone has ever needed a little kick in the butt to get back to the gym, or eating healthier or even less, then I have a great resource for you. I recently visited the Peer Trainer website and found it extremely helpful. It's perfect because they picked up on the Weight Watcher's philosphy that you need the help of others that are going through the same experience as you to help you reach your diet and fitness goals.

The way it works is you log on and you scroll through the "groups" and there are hundreds of them. Join one that suits you like, "20 somethings that need to put down the martinis and pick up the weights" or "We want to be McSkinny! Grey's Anatomy Lovers" or "30 Something Moms with 30 Something To Lose". There's a limit of five people per group and the point is to log on daily and input your daily food intake, exercise and goals. The group members can also chat to each other and offer helpful advice when you're in a rut, diet related or not. It's even more beneficial when you're had a rough week of eating and you notice that your other group members are sticking to their goals and achieving them. It's a great kick in the butt to get back on schedule.

The website also offers great advice for nutrition and fitness questions. If you get the chance, check it out - you might find a group for you- or you can start one yourself! Can anyone say countdown to the wedding day?