What's new?

New bowties.  Just a quick kitchen snapshot, but visit our website for more information: exhibitbties.com.

Things are settling down at work, allowing me to spend some time on ties and a few walks in the sun with friends.  Yes, sun!  It's been a gorgeous month here, making up for all the rain through the first half of the summer, but it means that I've kind of been in a holding pattern fashion-wise.  I'm just not really excited about fall clothes yet, and I haven't been seeing much around the web that inspires me, but I'm sure I'll come around.

Ymre Stiekema in Vogue Japan

I just read a great book about Marie Antoinette called Abundance, by Sena Jeter Naslund, so seeing this editorial inspired by the infamous lady and set at Versailles caught my attention.  The book has wonderful descriptions of the palace and the gardens, which made me feel like it's time for a trip!  I like the modern take on opulence here; maybe this is how the wealthy and eccentric are dressing, complete with towering coifs; all the better for admiring yourself in the hall of mirrors!

hand-me-downs

I'm not sure why this picture is so washed out - blame it on the changing seasons?  It's still sunny and bright, but it's cool in the morning and there has been a crisp breeze.  Oh well, it's perfect timing for wearing this cute jacket that my friend handed down to me.  The silk top underneath is from her too; gotta love it when friends clean out their closets!

Great Escapes

It takes a pretty important website to get added to my bookmark bar.  There are only a very few things on there, and two of them are cake recipes.  That said, I added a new one tonight: Weekend Cabin.  It features an amazing collection of getaways, and I must be in need of a vacation because I ran out my computer battery fantasizing about running away with my husband for a weekend (or three) at almost all of these lovelies.  From stone cottages in France, to sand floors in Portugal, to a tree-house in Whistler, to sleek Scandinavian models, to Airstreams in Big Sur, from ultra-cool to totally rustic, I'm going to dream about hide-away holiday tonight.

Actually, although I'm cherishing these last sunny days of summer, I'm also secretly counting down to Thanksgiving, and our own little weekend cabin holiday at my parents house.  Every time we visit, I'm convinced that it's my favourite time of year, but there's something pretty great about October.  Picking mushrooms, pressing apple juice, going on spawning-salmon-spying walks - my co-worker teases me that it sounds like Little House on the Prairie to her!

browless wonders

Imagine my surprise when it came to my attention that the combination of dark lips and barely-there brows are the big make-up trend for fall!  Now, most ladies are not about to go bleaching their eye brows just to emulate the runway looks at Gucci, YSL, Rochas etc., but for once my super pale brows will come in handy.  And I do have a nice dark berry lipstick, though I've been wary of using it since I learned how toxic it is, but I might do a little bit of experimentation to see how it looks in real life.