Cvillestyle poll–long gloves: hot or not?

Channeling Audrey Hepburn from the classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I recently spotted several 3/4 length (or crop) sleeve jackets at Daydreams (yes, they’re going out of business, so hurry in!) such as this one from BB Dakota.

Read more

Dorothy’s Journey to Oz

As 2009 rolls around, we’re bound to take a moment to be introspective; to make some resolutions; to take a look at our life and where we are headed in the new year. I’ve been reading a book called Sacred Contracts by Caroline Myss. In it, she analyzes The Wizard of Oz in a way that just really resonated with me. It’s a little bit long, but interesting, and I hope you enjoy it too:

p. 136:

In this well-known story, Dorothy has to seek out aspects of herself that she didn’t know she had, including courage and intelligence well beyond those of the young orphan who left her Auntie Em back in Kansas. Seen as the archetypal adventure, The Wizard of Oz presents the challenges of survival that we all face on our own Yellow Brick Roads.

…Dorothy is, like so many heroes of fairy tales and folk stories, literally the Orphan Child…. As the story opens, a cyclone is approaching, representing the chaos that is the classic precursor to transformation…. [She] runs back into the house with her beloved dog, Toto… [As the cyclone lifts the house into the air, she] bangs her head on the headboard, losing consciousness. In symbolic, archetypal terms, a house represents the whole of the self, from the subconscious in the basement to the superego in the attic. The whole of Dorothy’s life is lifted off in the chaos and begins to spin, to be symbolically reconstituted. Having to undertake the Hero’s Journey, she has awakened her charism, the special grace that will see her through her ordeal of growth. Read more

Holiday Traditions

The holidays are always chock full of traditions and customs, whether regional, cultural or familial. There’s a certain sense of nostalgia triggered by those little things, like the smell of gingerbread cookies, the first snowfall, the sound of sleigh bells, or watching It’s a Wonderful Life.

In my family, we always had a gingerbread cookie-decorating contest in the weeks leading up to Christmas, with late-arriving relatives as the non-biased judges. One year, after one cookie took over 2 hours (and tweezers) to decorate, we enacted the “no longer than 20 minutes per cookie” rule.

Read more

Music to my Ears

With Christmas songs playing on the radio since Halloween of this year, by now, I’m sure we’re all sick of them. And of course, I should probably be a little more politically correct and say “holiday music” but let’s face it — when was the last time you heard “Dreydl, dreydl, dreydl” on the radio?

I was recently given the task of creating a holiday cd, but I wasn’t interested in the typically cheesy, upbeat songs that tend to give me a headache (it couldn’t possibly be the egg nog). And being that I am tone deaf and therefore HATE caroling, I wasn’t interested in the dramatic sing-along types either. I wanted it to be hip, if that was possible. I wanted to find songs that people didn’t actually mind hearing in the background of a holiday party. Read more

Holiday Tips (the $$$ kind)

Even in normal ecomonic conditions, end-of-the-year gratuities tend to make my palms sweaty. Instead of feeling good about my sincere gesture, I get caught up in, “Did I give enough?” “Did I give too much?” “Are they offended that I gave them cash?” “What if someone else gave 5x as much as I did?” But this year, it’s clear that wallets are stretched. What to do? Read more

Fashion Faux Pas: Static Cling

Don’t get caught with unsightly static cling this winter. Not to get all Albert Einstein on you, but here’s a brief but simple background as to why it happens: when two different materials come in contact with one another, an exchange of electrons leaves one item more positively charged and the other more negative. Since unlike charges attract, the two materials stick to one another, known as static cling. Read more

The Grass is Always Greener

Tennis whites, while maybe a thing of the past, will always evoke a certain kind of style, as will grass tennis courts. It’s that country club connotation, as in, “I’m going to the club to frolick with Dabney and Percy.” (Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.) Read more

The Power of Pomegranate

 

Pomegranate: (n) a several-celled reddish berry that is about the size of an orange with a thick leathery skin and many seeds with pulpy crimson arils of tart flavor [Merriam Webster].

I am embarrassed to admit I had never heard of nor seen a pomegranate before going to college, where my Californian roommate introduced me to the decidedly-juicy (and good for you) fruit. Pomegranates are anti-oxidant rich, which can aid in the prevention of cancer and heart disease. They are high in Vitamin C and potassium, a good source of fiber, and low in calories. I even read they help fight plaque, so eat up!

Not only are pomegranates healthy, but the festive and exotic seeds are perfect for the upcoming holidays. They add color, texture, and flavor, so be in style at your next dinner party and make something memorable, like Pomegranate Guacamole, Dandalion salad with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and roasted delicata squash, or Pan-fried pork chops with pomegranate and fennel salsa. Drop them in your kir royale or drink of choice for added flair. Here are some potent drink recipes using Pama liquor.  Read more

C’villeStyle on the road…ChicagoStyle

Fresh from the windy city, my cheeks are still rosy. But I think it has more to do with the inspiration imbued from all the great shops and restaurants discovered while there, rather than the wind chill. Nestled in the well-known Lincoln Park neighborhood is a street called Armitage. Between just four short blocks (from Bissel to Halstead), it’s a shopping jackpot! I was there on business but managed to sneak in a few of these highlights along the way:

Start at Art Effect (934 W. Armitage) which touts itself as a “modern day general store.” Offering a healthy dose of home goods such as plates, mugs, trays, cutting boards, and candles to accessories and gifts like books, pillows, jewelry, clothes, stationery, and more. You really feel like a kid in a candy store here. Read more

A Novel Idea

 

With Thanksgiving around the corner, you might be headed “home” to family (be it yours or someone else’s).  Reward the chef or hostess (who is probably going to slave for hours making the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, vegetables, pies, etc.) with a personalized carving board from Novel. A single monogram in the middle turns an ordinary and practical gift into a special one.  It takes 5-7 business days, so to be safe, order by November 14^th if you’re getting out of dodge on Wednesday the 26th!

Read more

Next Page »