Archive for July, 2008

gifts for guys…summer edition

Friday, July 25th, 2008
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A skinny black tie to make it through wedding season…

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Fun shirts for work (add a monogram to personalize it)…
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Anything cashmere (JCREW cardigan shown above)…

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Cute preppy shoes for the weekend…

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Cute board shorts are always great too. It’s the kind of thing that a guy would never get for themselves, but chances are they are in dire need of a non-ugly pair. A nice print or stripe can make your summer beach and poolside adventures much more pleasurable. And, you can find a board short that’s friendly to any budget (and if you typically don’t shop for your guy, the sizing is pretty easy to figure out as they often run in letter sizes). The above are from Barney’s Co-Op, but you can even get super cute ones at Target. On the same note, a nice pair of flip-flops or sandals can also be a great gift.

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Belts, black or brown…

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A murse (man purse), shown above by John Varvatos. I suggest this bag for very committed relationships only (given the price tag). Diesel also makes nice man bags, and if you have time to scour ebay or fleamarkets old leather mail bags are great too.

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Here’s another man bag from JCREW, that I couldn’t help but add to the list. It’s a bit more rugged looking, if your man is more on the casual side.

And finally, if you’ve only got $20 bucks to spend, look on Zagats for the most over the top bar in town (rooftop garden preferred) and get yourself and your man a ridiculous cocktail. If you’re in Philly, try Apothecary Lounge.

Wedding Season…what to give? part 1

Sunday, July 20th, 2008
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Here’s an idea if the couple loves to cook.  These grilling pans are beautiful objects and look like so much fun.  I’ve never seen anything like them before, but apparently they are inspired by the chefs of Spain’s Basque country and are made for cooking shrimp,sliced veggies, and all those other things that always fall through the grill rack.

This weeks Netflix…

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

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I’m deeply in love with Flight of the Conchords, their awkward dialog is amazing.

For the boys…cutoffs

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
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I loved the NY Times article regarding men’s cutoffs.  We just made Leo a pair last weekend by shortening a old pair of Built by Wendy Jeans.  The Times suggests:”Cut just the seams and lightly score the fabric with the blade, first in front, then in back; carefully, firmly, tear along these lines. The resulting frayed edge should…come out perfectly after a wash. But be warned: without subtle stitching above the fray, the shorts will unravel with each wash”.  I’ll have to try that next time…

Along come belts…

Monday, July 14th, 2008
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Belts are becoming ever so important now that we are back to showing our waistbands again.  I love the delicate beading on this Rachel Comey belt, available at Creatures of Comfort or locally at Vagabond Boutique.

Slim skirts…

Sunday, July 13th, 2008
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The dress cycle is over and everyone is moving towards separates.  Which finally brings skirts and pants back into play.  I especially love all the slip skirts that are starting to pop up.  This one is from my favorite (topshop), but there are many similar styles at Forever21 and Urban Outfitters.

Fall footwear…

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008
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I am fully aware that it’s still summer, but I’m already bored with flipflops and sandals (and all the maintenance of pedicures). I’m looking forward to some fall footwear.  I love the cracked finish of these Marc by Marc Jacobs boots.

Blogs to drive to….

Tuesday, July 8th, 2008

Leo and I just returned from a mini vacation in Providence, RI. The 5 hour drive can be excruciating, but thanks to the iphone and reading these two blogs aloud the drive went by much faster. The first and my new favorite is thecelebrityperfumery.com, which my dear friend Elspeth has started. It’s a hysterical concept, basically she does amazing drawings of celebrities and then jots down what a perfume would smell like if it were an actual representation of said celebrity. And, then there is always the super self-deprecating, stuffwhitepeoplelike.com.