When I’m fussing around the house on a cold day but want to feel a little less schlubby than usual, I pair solid-color bottoms like these (ooh, love) with a loose, preferably off-the-shoulder sweater like the Miss Sixty version pictured above. Actually, one of my favorite sweaters to wear this way is the (very old) DKNY version I wore on Thanksgiving morning.

Some other off-the-shoulder sweaters I like: this one and this one.

And just because we’re talking about off-the-shoulder-ness (my favorite look), please check out this incredible Banana Republic cowl-neck mini, which I found on my internet travels this morning. 

Come winter, I spent 100% of my indoors time wearing various enormous sweaters and pajama pants (I know, sexy, right?). It’s a habit I picked up in junior high - in the colder months, I used to come home from school and immediately throw on the first pajama set I could find. Some habits die hard (although I’m now a little embarrassed to be caught in matching PJs at 4PM, so I steer towards separates).

Anyway, I don’t know where all of my pajamas bottoms have gone (perhaps into the same black hole as every single right sock belonging to Kendrick?), but all I have left are a paint-stained pair from Abercrombie & Fitch that I bought in 2001 and not-so-smartly wore while repainting my vanity chair. So. Let’s source some perfect pajama pants! 

I honestly think the best places to find PJs are the most obvious ones - I don’t want to spend more than $30 on something like this, and don’t like wearing the fitted bottoms made by pricier companies - if I’m in PJs, I want to barely know that I’m dressed.

Abercrombie & Fitch (the ones pictured above are called the Jaden…the Jane style is also cute)

On the bed in the guest cabin at Eddie & Sharyn’s place were Nick & Nora Flamingos on Ice sheets, and sleeping in them reminded me just how much I love this company. Like everyone else, I had their Cloud 9 sheet set on my college dorm room bed…and I’m thinking of returning to the look one of these days.

I’ve been wearing Nick & Nora pajamas since I was about fourteen. They don’t hold up all that well (the buttons tend to fall off), but when they’re this cute and affordable ($19.99 at Target), who cares? There are billions of adorable patterns to choose from: I like the classic Cloud 9 the best, but Starry Night and Blue Fishing Ducks run a close second…and, for the bride-to-be or newlywed, Love and Marriage.

My new cookbook: the 6-inch thick Encyclopedia of Cooking in 24 Volumes. I LOVE vintage cookbooks, and this one has beautiful, full-color illustrations showing ’50s-style presentation techniques. Published by the Culinary Arts Institute, it contains more than 7,000 recipes and is helpfully divided into 24 sections:

500 Snacks - Bright Ideas for Entertaining
500 Delicious Dishes from Leftovers
250 Classic Cake Recipes
250 Ways to Prepare Poultry and Game Birds
250 Superb Pies and Pastries
250 Delicious Soup Recipes
500 Delicious Salad Recipes
250 Ways to Prepare Meat
250 Fish and Sea Food Recipes
300 Ways to serve Eggs
250 Ways to Serve Fresh Vegetables
250 Delectable Dessert Recipes
250 Ways of Serving Potatoes
500 Tasty Sandwich Recipes
250 Ways to make Candy
250 Luscious Refrigerator Desserts
The Cookie Book
300 Healthful Dairy Dishes
250 Breads, Biscuits, and Rolls
250 Sauces, Gravies, and Dressings
Meals for Two cookbook
Body Building Dishes for Children
2000 Useful Facts About Food
Menus for Every Day of the Year

On my last evening in Florida, Sharyn gave me three incredible gifts: this ’70s beaded knitting bag, a vintage crystal Oscar de la Renta wineglass, and a 1950s cookbook. 

I usually tote my knitting around in an old shopping bag, so this is a fabulous change for me. Want one of your own? Try one of these sites:

Fabulousyarn.com (very vintage-y looking)

Tombihn.com (more modern design)

OK, just one more picture of Sharyn and Eddie’s beautiful house in Florida.

This is the master bath. I desperately covet a copper bathtub (or…any bathtub into which I can fit). Are you lucky enough to have one? Here are some tips for caring for it:

1. Apply a coat of wax about once a month, to lock in the color.

2. Wipe it dry with a soft cloth (one that won’t scratch the metal) after bathing.