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Archive for September, 2010

Ralph Lauren Pink Pony / 100 Bloggers

A few weeks ago, I was beyond honored to be asked to participate in Ralph Lauren’s 100 Bloggers Unite Against Cancer campaign (other participating bloggers include the remarkable women behind Sugarlaws, Refinery29, and Nitrolicious).

This is the 10th anniversary of Pink Pony – Ralph Lauren’s campaign developed to raise awareness and funds in support of the fight against cancer and to assist in the provision of care to medically underserved communities – and in celebration of this milestone, Ralph Lauren is presenting the first Pink Pony Online Global Auction in partnership with luxury charity auction site Charity Buzz. The auction showcases items ranging from a front-row seat in Ralph Lauren’s 2011 fashion show, a meet-and-greet with Seinfeld himself, and a ton of limited-edition products, and runs from today through October 21. 100% of the net proceeds benefit the Pink Pony Fund.

If you’d like to get involved in a non-auction way, you can text PINKPONY to 501501 to automatically donate $10 (wireless charges may apply).

P.S. The photo on our bedroom wall was a gift from photographer Cathrine Westergaard; you can see more photos from that shoot HERE.



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September 30th, 2010 | Play, Style | 2 Comments »

Scarpasa Soiree / Fabulous Flats

Yesterday evening, Francesca and I swung by a party being hosted by Morris-King for Scarpasa, an online shoe retailer specializing in low-heeled and flat footwear (the Bobbsey Twins thing was unintentional). As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been trying to make a move away from my skyscraper platforms ever since my foot surgery in January of ’09 (my heel-wearing ways led to the very painful death of a nerve near the base of my toes), but finding stylish non-stillettos can sometimes present a bit of a challenge.

Scarpasa founder Chris Luhur founded the company with exactly this dilemma in mind: she wanted to offer women a site with a wide variety of adorable shoes from independent designers that wouldn’t leave them worried that their footwear would send them home early from a party (or, as in my case, condemn their significant others to lady-carrying duties).

(I love the above Guest of a Guest shot, and I also love Francesca’s Mulberry purse. Just sayin’.)

Some of my favorite Scarpasa looks:

Biondini Fatima ($165); Rebecca Sanver Loteria ($275)

Zinda Linda ($99 on sale); Miezko Jana ($255).

Above left, I’m with Chris Luhur (how amazing is her dress?!), and above right, I’m with Lauren, who was my high school boyfriend’s best friend’s girlfriend (got that?) and whom I haven’t seen in eleven years. We sort of did the “do I know you? I totally know you…” stare for awhile, and then finally realized that yes, we were each other’s refuge during many a Phish concert to which we were dragged by our respective beaus. Screaming and hugging ensued.

A special offer for RG readers: Use the code PARTY30 at checkout for 30% off your order!

Urban Outfitters tie-back sweater, Alexis Bittar ribbon cuff (product sample provided gratis by manufacturer), vintage clutch, grey slacks custom-made in Phuket ($15!).



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September 30th, 2010 | Play | No Comments »

Chicken Cacciatore / Rich & Rustic

Chicken cacciatore is a great way to start embracing fall’s rich, rustic flavors: it’s filling, easy to prepare, lovely to look at…and costs about $10 for a meal that serves 2 with plenty of leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. (Chicken cacciatore, if you’re interested, is also referred to as “hunter’s stew”; sometimes made with rabbit, the dish is perfect for those who may be spending a few days hunkered down in the woods, with access only to a campfire and a few simple ingredients. It’s also perfect for those of us who eat dinner sitting cozily on the couch in front of ANTM – go, Kayla!)

What you need:

6 chicken thighs, skin-on (you can also use chicken breasts, but they’re a little more expensive and – in my opinion – much less flavorful)

About 1/2 cup of flour

1 green pepper, cut into strips

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup red wine

1 24-oz can diced tomatoes in juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp oregano

Salt & pepper

What you do:

1. Season chicken pieces well with salt & pepper, and dredge in flour.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown chicken (about 5 minutes on each side). Remove from skillet and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, saute the onion and pepper (add a little more olive oil, if needed) until tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the red wine and let simmer until it thickens, or until the smell of alcohol is more or less gone.

5. Add the tomatoes (including juice), garlic, oregano, and a little more salt and pepper, then return the chicken to the pot and stir until the pieces are nicely coated with sauce.

6. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Serve over rice.



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September 30th, 2010 | Best, Eat | 7 Comments »

Cipriani / Bellinis

Wednesday Happy Hour at Cipriani in Grand Central – sister restaurant to the birthplace of the Bellini – with Nadine Jolie. Go HERE to learn how to make these delicious things (by which I mean Bellinis, not Nadine Jolies) yourself.

Grand Central stresses me out (too…many…people), but I still think it’s a pretty incredible/beautiful/awe-inspiring place. It was also, incidentally, one of the locations for the pilot I shot last fall. I strongly suspect that this project will never see the light of day, but will definitely let you know if I ever manage get my hands on a copy…because I also strongly suspect that it’s extremely entertaining. Spoiler: tears (mine) were involved.

P.S. Fun fact: Nadine’s gorgeous lip gloss is from that new MAC Venomous Villains collection (Wicked Ways). Love it.



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September 29th, 2010 | Play | No Comments »

Urban Problem-Solver / Bike Shelf

I’ve heard lots of my bike-riding friends complain about what a pain it can be to keep a bike in the city (there’s no room in the hallway, landlords won’t let you leave it on the landing, and nobody in NYC has any closet space whatsoever), and this Bike Shelf from Knife & Saw solves the problem perfectly…and elegantly. It keeps your bike off the floor, and also makes a handy little space for displaying flowers, books, or knick-knacks.

$300 for Walnut, $270 for ash, and can be customized to fit different bike types/sizes.

P.S. I noticed in the comments section on Knife & Saw that someone wrote in requesting something along these lines for a stroller…love this idea!

Thanks to Anna for the heads-up!



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September 29th, 2010 | Home | No Comments »

Wine Jell-O / Elegance Squared

When it comes to Jell-O, I suppose this is pretty much as refined as it gets…which is to say, not very refined at all. But fun!

To make your own: pour 1/4 cup cold water, 2 packages unflavored gelatin, 1 tbsp lemon zest, and 3 cups of red wine into a pot and simmer until the gelatin dissolves. Pour into wine glasses and let set; top with whipped cream.

Recipe via Cooks.com; Image via Nanoborg.com




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September 29th, 2010 | Eat | 1 Comment »

Fun With Jell-O / Jell-O Is Always Fun

So yesterday I had cause to eat Jell-O for the first time in a long time, and it reminded me: I totally love it. Mostly the slurping-through-the-teeth part.

When I was little, my grandma used to make strawberry Jell-O with banana slices floating in it, and that’s still my go-to classic…but there are lots and lots of interesting twists you can put on the stuff (most of which don’t involve shrimp or cabbage…yikes).

FUN JELL-O PAIRINGS! (Optional alcoholic add-ins for shot purposes are in italics)

Strawberry Jell-O with pineapple chunks (rum)

Watermelon Jell-O with green apple slices (apple schnapps)

Raspberry Jell-O with mango chunks (rum)

Pineapple Jell-O with coconut shavings (rum)

Lime Jell-O with lemon zest and vice versa (vodka)

Cherry Jell-O with halved maraschino cherries (creme de cacao or rum)

Orange Jell-O with blueberries (Jack Daniels)

Another neat little serving idea: fill a hollowed-out fruit with a corresponding (or contrasting) Jell-O flavor, a la my fruit sorbet cups (place them in a muffin tin or slice a little off the bottom to keep the cups level while they chill). Or if you want to go super-’50s, try filling a halved cantaloupe with cubed, strawberry-studded lime jello and a big dollop of whipped cream. Kitschy, yeah…but kinda cool, also.

To take the above preparation one step further, just cut up the chilled fruit into slices (if serving this way, I like the idea of not fully scooping out the fruit, as pictured above). If you’ve added alcohol to the Jell-O, this is an adorable shot preparation (that is, if shots can be called “adorable”), and much chicer than those little white dentist’s-office cups they used to (still do?) pass out at frat parties. If you skip the liquor, it makes a fun snack for kids (or for you!).

Images via VictoriaBelanger, Cooking-Questions, Culinary.net & CrazyDomestic



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September 29th, 2010 | Eat | 4 Comments »

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