Fashion Friday: Congrats to Seth Aaron

 “Hard work and love for what you do pays off” 

Seth Aaron Henderson

Wow, what a great Project Runway finale!  Seth Aaron pulled off a big win with a fun, yet sophisticated collection.  Although his designs don’t really fit my style, he has been one of my favorites this season.  What I enjoy about him is his amazing creativity and consistency in the voice of his work.  And…he is a NICE guy!  Fashion is a tough business and his warm and vivacious personality really stands out.

I can’t really say the same about Emilio.  No doubt that guy is talented, but I wouldn’t buy a stitch of clothing from someone that arrogant.  For a fella as close to his mom as he seems, she could've done a better job teaching him a little about  being humble.  

Mila was cool and will be successful, but not a showstopper.  Her work with the final collection was clearly amped up by stylists, because it looked far more interesting than most of her work throughout the season. 

The judges were spot on with this one.  Seth Aaron made an impeccable collection of whimsical yet sophisticated clothes,  that in my opinion were reminiscent of Moschino Cheap and Chic, and were ripe for editorial.

I’m not sure I’d ever wear anything of his, but I will sure appreciate its divine craftsmanship. 

Seth Aaron’s collection was graphic and bold with just enough vibrant color and was inspired by 1940s German and Soviet military.  It sounds interesting and it WAS interesting.  I can’t wait to see more of what he has to offer. 

 

Is it time for the next season of Project Runway yet?  I’m ready!

J. Crew’s Golden Girl: Jenna Lyons

 

Over the last year, I have fallen in love with J. Crew and it’s all because of this woman. 

Jenna Lyons, the creative director of the company has become an icon in the fashion world – a place where only independent designers were given street cred in the past.  As J. Crew’s fashion visionary, she has been at the helm of changing the company’s “dated preppy” look to a stylish mix of masculine and feminine, with layers of vintage inspired jewelry that captivates people at every turn of the catalog.  She’s become the face of the brand with her monthly report “Jenna’s Picks,” a popular link on the company’s web site.

Interestingly, her success and that of the company, can be attributed to her personal style.  At a critical time for the business, when Jenna was working as a designer for the company, the new CEO noticed what she was wearing – high heels and cargo pants.  He asked her why she wasn’t designing that?  Soon, the combination of hard and soft with personal unexpected touches and high and low end products became the foundation of the new J. Crew -   and everyone from Hollywood to the White House has taken notice. 

J. Crew has become the destination brand for women who insist on designer style, but crave more conservative prices.  It is both aspirational and attainable, and the quality and creativity of the product is unmatched for its price-point.  While most retailers are struggling, J. Crew is thriving for all of these reasons.  

How does she do it?  Each season, Jenna is responsible for coming up with a design story.  One recent season, she started with the idea of three women -- opera singer Maria Callas, actress Lauren Hutton and '60s-era socialite Slim Keith -- and imagined what it would be like if they shared one closet.  The collection was an unexpected mix of pieces: a blush-colored tiered lace top worn with sporty rolled-up jeans, a grey feather skirt with a long navy boyfriend cardigan, grey wool houndstooth shorts with a ladylike coat with a jeweled collar.  This example speaks volumes about her creativity and her ability to make clothes that women want to buy.   And, they are buying them - J . Crew’s bottom line is proof of that.  What a great retail success story.

Following are just a few of my favorites from the Spring 2010 season.  Now if I could only find the J. Crew credit card my husband has hidden from me!

 

 

Happy Birthday, Dear

 

Wishing a very Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband, Jay.  I’m a lucky girl to have such a kind, funny, strong, supportive and loving husband who is a tremendous source of strength for not only me, but for our family and friends.  He makes me proud everyday. 

Project Runway – Fashion and Technology

 

It may come as no surprise, but I love Project Runway.  Each season seems to get better and better.  This year I’ve been inspired by the show’s incorporation of technology with fashion design.  I’m not that hip to technology, so I guess I’m especially amazed at the advances that are available these days.  Vivienne Tam was the guest judge this week and she introduced the designers challenge to create their own textile with the HP Touchsmart PC.   These nifty little machines actually allow you to use the screen as a canvas, using anything from your fingers to an actual paintbrush!   I wasn’t amazed by the fabrics that the designers created, but I was completely inspired by the process. 

Earlier this season, the show provided designers with the HP Touchsmart Notebooks to use for sketching their designs.  I think I’ll always be an old fashioned girl that likes a hand-drawn sketch, but you can’t deny that these products provide a world of opportunity to designers that an ordinary sketch can’t.   

This episode made me want to run out and buy this machine (and the notebook for that matter).  My husband talked sense into me today…but you never know if I might bring one of them home with me someday.

My Vintage Family Cookbook

I’ve wanted to put together a family cookbook for years, but finally got the inspiration I needed when Basic Grey introduced the “Nook and Pantry” collection a few months back.  The line has the wonderful vintage feel of grandma’s kitchen and I thought it was perfect to display all of my favorite and cherished family dishes.  It’s amazing how recipes have the ability to evoke special memories of important people in your life or a special time.  That’s what makes this project so meaningful.  I will enjoy adding to it through the years.  Following are a few of the pages from my book….enjoy and feel free to try the recipes.  I can guarantee they are all delicious.

The album cover – The illustration caption reads “I only have a kitchen because it came with the house.”  Fits me to a tee.  I’m not much of a cook myself, which makes me adore these recipes that much more.   

The inside cover and opening page of the appetizer section.

I’m claiming this as my recipe because I changed one ingredient..otherwise I had nothing to do with it.

I cannot get enough of my mother-in-law’s Country Beans.  I love them so much, I ask her to take them on the road whenever she’s asked to bring a dish to pass.  Yum!! 

Every once in a while, Jay gets a cooking bug in him and this is one of his favorites to make.  I enjoy watching him play “chef” and take pride in his tasty bruschetta.

Opening page of the soup section

A staple around our house.  Tastes great with Doritos.  

 Main Dish section.  The window actually opens.  Cute.

Absolutely the BEST meal ever made.  It’s been our birthday dinner for most of our life – although my mom has tortured me for the last few years by not making it.  She would say that I’ve tortured her by forcing her make it all these years….it’s a pain in the butt.   This recipe is so good….hot or cold, so be sure to make enough for leftovers! 

This is the easiest meal to make and great to bring along as a dish to pass.  It has an addicting flavor and something I need to have at least once a month.  You know if a recipe includes crushed Ritz crackers and butter it MUST be good!

I have several Spaghetti recipes that are all a little different.  My mom’s is my favorite, but I haven’t added that one to the book yet.  This one is Nana’s which has a little sweetness to it.              Very good.

The opening of the dessert section.  The apron is adorable.  I also like how the ribbon treatment turned out…..I gathered it with a ripple effect which adds a nice texture.

 My Nana used to make these little “leftover” treats for us every time she made a pie and had extra crust to work with.  Delicious! 

This is my Birthday cake (Wendie’s too) that I’ve had every year of my life (at least as far back as I can remember).  There is nothing else like it in the world and the frosting is absolutely addicting.  My mom sure had a winner with this one. 

This cake is light, fruity and delicious!  It’s easy too.

This is a Betty Crocker recipe that I’ve adopted.  I’m not much of a cook, but I do like to bake (once a year or so) and this is my specialty.  It’s an interesting and tasty twist on pie.

 A recipe found in the Detroit Free Press….cute little fall treat.

A Scrapbooker is Born

Avery shows off her new scrapbook

 

My niece Avery stayed with us this weekend while her brother traveled to Flint with Mom for a hockey tournament.  I took her with me to scrapbook league yesterday, her first time scrapbooking.  League can be a long day, so I was crossing my fingers that she wouldn’t get bored.  She LOVED it!  I had a feeling I had a scrapbooker on my hands when we arrived at Scrappy Chic – she got out of the car and took a picture of the store! 

By the end of the day, Avery completed 16 pages to my 2.  My friends all know that I’m not the speediest at my craft, but when Avery pointed it out to my friend she got quite a kick out of it.  I walked away from the table for a moment and Avery said to Chris, “Aunt Beckie’s really slow, but I still really like her.”  Phew!

We had a really great day together and I loved watching her select her photos, write her name, draw pictures and play with stickers.  We bought a scrapbook for her to keep all of her new pages in and she spent the entire night (and morning) looking through it.  She was so proud to show Uncle Jay and Mom too.  My favorite page of hers is the first one here, which includes a drawing of her family – Mom, Dad, Avery and her brother Jack.  There is something so eternally precious about a child's portrait of her family.

I’m looking forward to bringing my new scrapbook buddy with me again sometime.    

Notice all the hearts drawn around the family…..

shows how much this girl is loved.

Woops…I think we have a duplicate picture here, Aves.

She laughs every time she sees Uncle Jay’s silly face in this page. 

What a clown.

 

She asked me to help her spell Disney World so she could write

where she was here.

The picture of mom and dad is a little off in timing with the Christmas pics, but she LOVES this picture and points it out every time we look at the book.  I thought the animals were a funny addition too. 

One of her favorite pages…..she wanted this cheetah paper more

than anything we bought that day.

Beckie Needs a New Bag

These days, my busy job has me moving a lot – meetings at different locations, working on-site at my clients office and doing a lot of work from home.  I’m actually really enjoying the variety, but my back doesn’t share my enthusiasm.  Problem is – you know me – any ordinary black leather laptop bag won’t do.  I’m looking for a functional, professional looking bag that is also stylish.  The last word in that sentence poses the real challenge.  I called out to friends for suggestions of where to find this elusive bag.  Thanks to their great suggestions and a lot of internet research, I’ve found a few bags that I really like.  Now I need help choosing.  Each bag has a unique style and personality and I love them all.  Please take a look at my selections below and let me know your favorite:

#1:  McKlein USA Glen Ellyn Laptop Brief: I love the ladylike shape of this bag, especially in winter white.  It’s charming and professional.  It’s a versatile piece that features a removable wheel and handle system, so the bag can be carried over the shoulder as well.  It features an organizer section for media gadgets, a front zipper pocket for miscellaneous items, a removable laptop sleeve and a retractable handle.  My challenge with this bag is that I love it most in white, which isn’t really practical for Michigan weather (it comes in black, which is pretty but not quite the same as this one).  Also, not sure it has a lot of room to hold a laptop AND tons of files. 

 

 

#2:  Clark & Mayfield Quimby Rolling Laptop Tote:  This bag has a perfect combination of stylish quilted fabric and a beautiful blue shade (my favorite color).  It has a professional feel, but is fun and less conservative than most business bags.  It has a nylon body and rubber coating on the bottom, so it should stand the test of time with wear and tear and easy clean ups.  The interior features a handy large fan-fold section to keep files and papers organized and pockets in the front and back add extra storage.

#3A:  Mellow World Lotus Rolling Laptop Bag in Brown:  Some might say this looks like a granny bag….but I think it has a lovely vintage style.   The tapestry fabric is different than anything else on the market.  The unique design features a large open compartment inside with one zipper pocket.   The handle stores in the zipper compartment when not in use.   While researching this bag online, I was a little disappointed with the lack of photos of the inside, so I have concerns about how much room really is inside, although its described as large and open.  As much as I love this bag, I wonder if it might be more appropriate as a handbag (the company does carry them)?   Below is the bag in a different color, which I also like.  If you choose this bag, let me know which color you like best.    

#3B:  Mellow World Lotus Rolling Laptop Bag in Beige