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Archive for January, 2012

Five Hat Hairstyles

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January 31st, 2012 | Beauty, Video | 6 Comments »

New RG Facebook Page

Morning!

Awhile back, I made the mistake of opening up a zillion Facebook pages spread out all over the place, and it got completely confusing and impossible to maintain. So: I’ve decided to consolidate them into just one.

This one. 

I’m working on making it prettier and more streamlined, so if you have a moment pop by to say hi!

 



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January 31st, 2012 | Lifestyle | No Comments »

Engagement Photo Attire

Q. Hi Jordan,

I was hoping to get your opinion on outfit selection for engagement photos. I’m hoping to put together two outfits – one dressy, one more casual. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you in advance, and thanks for your lovely blog!

Molly

A. Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

Engagement photos aren’t something that every couple will choose to do, but they’re a nice thing to have for several reasons: 1) Auto-Christmas card, if you’re the type who sends them out, 2) You can test-run your wedding photographer (many will even include the engagement photos as part of the package), 3) You’ll have a frame-able professional photo of the two of you that doesn’t involve super-formal (i.e. wedding) attire…and may thus look much more “you.” So that’s nice.

I think it’s a good idea to have both casual and dressy outfit choices, but the most important thing, in my opinion, is to look like yourself. If you’re simply not the pearl earrings-wearing type, don’t feel like you have to stick on a pair just because you’re trying to get your photo into the Times and you think that’s the way to go. But do shoot for a more “classic” version of your style – you want these photos to be timeless, not trendy.

Some tips:

- Go for necklines that frame your face, like a boatneck top. Try to avoid turtlenecks – Tyra speaks the truth when she says that neck elongation makes for a lovely photo.

- Style your hair away from your face to avoid shadows.

- Skip the patterns; solid colors work better in photos than polka-dots.

- Bright colors can look pretty and “pop” depending on the background, but I like the idea of warm neutrals for a park or city setting, especially around this time of year; they just look relaxed, cozy, and natural.

- Avoid white, red, and black (white and red tend to be too bright for the camera, while black absorbs too much light).

- Avoid shiny fabrics, which reflect light back into the camera.

- Keep your jewelry simple; the goal is to draw attention to your happy face, not to distract from it.

Product info after the jump. 

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January 31st, 2012 | Style | 6 Comments »

Like Brandon Walsh’s Girlfriend

Remember how I told you I met Jason Priestley once? And sort of lost my mind?

Well, on Sunday I dressed up like his girlfriend from the 90210 days. (The first one, kids. It was television perfection.)

I mean…kinda, right?

I feel like this is the sort of outfit that would be worn by the new girl who just started working as a photographer at the school paper, and who makes Andrea super-jealous when she’s given the assignment of taking Brandon’s picture for an editorial and he asks her to go to the Peach Pit with him that night and they end up making out, except they don’t go too far because Brenda catches them. And then they date for a few weeks, until Brandon discovers that the New Girl’s family is hiding from a terrible tragedy in their past that ultimately forces them to move to Alaska or Indonesia, and Brandon swears he’ll always love her, and they have lots of teary kisses and then she drives off into the sunset in her flowery dress and cardigan.

Which is all to say, this is more than a little bit ’90s, don’t you think?

I like it.

I’m pretty excited to wear that dress solo with sandals once it starts warming up around these parts.

Winter, go ‘way. Brandon Walsh’s girlfriend says so.

On me: Forever 21 cardigan, dress c/o dee&ray, H&M tights, Aldo Roder shoes, Juicy Couture sunglasses, Kenneth Cole camera bag, necklace c/o Chloe & Isabel, Sasha Rhett watch.



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January 30th, 2012 | Style | 2 Comments »

Weekend Snapshots

First, this is important:

Have you ever heard of a Peanut-Avocado roll? Last Wednesday, my friend Anna and I ordered one at Wasabi Lobby just because it sounded weird and we couldn’t imagine what it’d be like, and what it’s like is, yep, weird…and also unbelievable-delicious.

So I got it again on Friday night. You need to try it.

On Saturday morning we took a bunch of shots featuring some very pretty things that I’ll be posting here ASAP…

…and then I ran all over town in neon and black.

Sunday we spent taking a trip up the Hudson to look at homes. Yes, another. The process is a long one. But really, it can go ahead and take as long as it likes – day trips are pretty much our favorite things, and for this one my Mom volunteered to watch the baby so we didn’t have to wrangle the stroller onto a train, and so it doubled as our first more-than-a-movie-or-dinner date in months.

(And besides: any time I go through Grand Central, I get to stop into Li-lac Chocolates.

See how there’s no more mint patties left? That’s my fault.)

Up in Tarrytown we decided to have lunch in a restaurant that keeps getting recommended to us, a Greek place called Lefteris Gyro. I’m not sure where all those recommendations are coming from, because it was basically a diner, but the fact that I don’t get out a ton lately has had the opposite effect that you’d think it would, and I’m now Zero Picky about where I eat. If sitting down, wine, and a meal that lasts as long as I want it to are on the menu, that’s fine dining, right there. So I liked it. So did Kendrick, as you can see.

Oh my goodness, could I ever be happy up there.

I’d never get off of the swing.



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January 30th, 2012 | Love | 2 Comments »

Banana Cream Pie Oatmeal

Awhile back, when I was getting in an Fall kind of mood, I made Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal. It was so good, I made it every day for a couple of weeks. And then the baby came along, and I sort of forgot about my new favorite dish and started eating things like cold Pop Tarts for breakfast, because that’s what I had time for.

But now Indy’s established a little bit of a routine, and that routine involves an hour-long nap around 9AM. Usually I use the time to ping-pong around the house like a lunatic, simultaneously making the bed, showering, straightening up, doing what I can to make the poor dogs feel attended to, and maybe, just maybe, getting some work done…

…but some days the house looks OK, the dogs seem like they’re more or less handling things, and I have nothing on the burner that can’t wait a few more minutes.

And on Friday morning, all those things were true, and another thing that was true was that I was craving Banana Cream Pie.

And so I decided to have some – sort of – for breakfast.

BANANA CREAM PIE OATMEAL

What you need:

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup quick-cook rolled oats

Dash of salt

1 banana, pureed

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 packet brown sugar

Handful of chopped walnuts

2 tbsp whipped cream

What you do:

In a bowl, combine pureed (or well-mashed) banana, cinnamon, and sugar.

Bring the milk and water to a boil, and then add the oats and salt and cook gently about 2 minutes, or according to package instructions.

Mix the banana puree and walnuts into the oats, and top with a couple of big spoonfuls of whipped cream.

You can also serve it in a mug, like this. That’s pretty. (Or as pretty as oatmeal gets, anyway.)



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January 30th, 2012 | Eat | No Comments »

How-To: Wear Hats! (Because You Should)

Q. Hi, Jordan!

I love hats. I would wear a hat every day if I could, but I have a problem: I can’t figure out how to wear them. Any advice?

- Steph

A. Oh, I used to be so not into hats. I didn’t think they looked good on me, and besides, every time I wore one I was just so aware of the thing, and felt like everyone else was, too. “Oh, that girl? You mean the one IN THE HAT?” Sort of like that.

This is me on the way to the airport at five in the morning last March (this trip), literally in the process of discovering that Hats Are Fun. I had bought a straw fedora in a moment of wild, reckless abandon (I know: so wild! so reckless!), and then when I was packing realized that the trouble with the thing was that there was nowhere for it to go save for on my head. So I was sort of forced into wearing it with a completely ridiculous outfit, and discovered that I quite like the drama of odd hat/clothing pairings.

Anyway, in the months since, I have wholeheartedly embraced this new world of accessories, and think you should give it a shot, too.

When it comes to hat-wearing, I generally stick to three basic categories:

1. SNAZZY

(This is one of my favorite outfits in my closet. I think it’s mostly the snazzy hat’s fault.)

The key to this look is choosing a hat with gorgeous details, like a beautiful ribbon around the brim, a great shape, or something a bit over-the-top like a plume or crystal accent. The rest of the outfit can be as simple or as mixed-up as you like, but it should all have the feel of being fairly done. This is not a hat to wear with your sloppy sweats.

As a finishing touch, add sunglasses (totally unnecessary; so fun) and give your hair a bit of a style – at the very least, rub product through the ends or spend a few seconds with a curling iron. If you want to get crazy with it, pull your hair into a side bun underneath your ear. That’d be pretty.

2. COMPLETELY BIZARRE

Big, furry hats – or any others that fall into the “Completely Bizarre” category – are a look you have to commit to.

It’s a new one for me, the HELLO, I AM WEARING A RIDICULOUS HAT look. But I like it.

With a hat like this, I’d keep the rest of the outfit pared-down in terms of color and pattern, and stick to minimal accessories. While in the above shot I’m wearing the hat with purple velvet lounge pants, which are sorta over-the-top themselves, the look works because the clothing is all fairly streamlined and has a simple, clean shape to it. Plus, an off-the-shoulder sweater keeps the focus right where it should be: on your face (and the thing sitting above it).

3. SEASONAL

Winter

Summer

This, of course, is the easiest category, and an excellent way to get in a hat-wearing state of mind if you’re wary of the idea. Winter picks are obvious – big, chunky knits, pom-poms, things like that – but it’s a little bit more of a leap to grab a hat when it’s steamy out. But you should; it’s a great solution for hiding less-than-lovely summer locks and keeping away those terrible UV rays. And besides, it’s an easy way to give style and polish to an otherwise verging-on-boring outfit like a tee and shorts.

While we’re on the topic, want to see my Hat Party Trick? Here you go.

Click images for additional outfit info; hat product info after the jump.

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January 27th, 2012 | Style | 3 Comments »

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