Dehydration Station

Walking around this morning, I realized (this realization happens annually in spite of my living in Washington for 8 years) how much the cold weather takes a toll on my lips and skin. Throw in medication that makes me very thirsty and my need for relief reaches a whole new level.

Here are my favorite lip balms:

Dehydration Station by emkroth featuring a lip treatment

Kiehl s kiehl s
nordstrom.com

Lip treatment
drugstore.com

Eo
walgreens.com




And hand cream (it doesn't sting at all and feels so, so good.)

I try to drink filtered water like nobody's business. When it gets to be too tasteless, I add lemon. Any kind of fruit infused water is also great--for me, sometimes water needs to be a little more "interesting" for me to drink the amount that I need. Here is a link to a great website for "flavored waters" that you can make yourself: http://www.theyummylife.com/Flavored_Water. You can really use any fruit you like, and it's nice to change things up. 

On a completely random note, I am definitely counting down to the Rue La La Lilly Pulitzer sale. It's always fun to see what they have! 

The Troopa Challenge

The store where I most recently worked sells Steve Madden Troopa Boots. Most interestingly to me, women often responded to these boots in one of two ways. First, they'd be happy that the store had their size because they'd been looking for them forever and they absolutely had to have them. The next was...confusion. How were they supposed to be worn? How could combat boots be feminine, pretty, and fashionable? The easiest thing to do would be to summon one of our managers, who styled her Troopa boots pretty much every day. If she wasn't there, we would have someone try them on and she would have an "aha" moment, realizing that even if she wasn't going to buy them that day, it would be much easier to incorporate that style of shoe into her wardrobe than she would have originally thought.
I always say that I am better at dressing other people than I am myself. Because I am so familiar with my body, I get myself into a routine. This is what happened to me with flats: I have been wearing a long sleeved black T-shirt, skinny jeans, and flats as a "safe outfit" since I was a sophomore in college. I AM ABOUT TO BE 27 YEARS OLD. I think it's time for a change!
I would never want to get rid of certain preppy elements I love, like a bright infinity scarf or classic pearls. However, the Troopa Boots and a patterned shirt are a little bit more of a reach for me. Rounded off with reliable Old Navy skinny jeans (really, I love them. And I am so happy that the jean that fits me best is under $40) and a terrific statement ring, this is an outfit I would actually feel cool in and, best of all, actually wear.
I think one of the most fun resolutions someone can make is going outside his or her style comfort zone (like when the Dude got skinny jeans and they looked awesome on him.) It often yields the very best results.
Here's to more fruitful style challenges in the upcoming year!

The Troopa Challenge by emkroth featuring freshwater pearl stud earrings

Billabong woven shirt
tillys.com

Old Navy skinny leg jeans
oldnavy.gap.com

Steve madden boots
zappos.com

Stephen webster jewelry
bergdorfgoodman.com

Effy Collection freshwater pearl stud earrings
lordandtaylor.com

Abercrombie fitch
abercrombie.com

Metallic Love: Target + Neiman Marcus

I was meandering around Target several days ago (I had a grocery list, so I had to shake things up a bit) and I noticed that several items I'd been stalking since the Target + Neiman Marcus collection were released were on sale. Like, very much on sale.

I broke down and finally got one of the Marc Jacobs leather pouches. It was $20.99 (marked down from $69.99) and I've used it every day so far. It will be great for organizing during travel, too.

I didn't get these double old fashioned glasses ($14.99, marked down from $49.99)  because we have limited space in our apartment and we just didn't need them. However, I think they look really cool and would fun to work with as accents for home or for the dinner table. Because they have an edgier design, I love to see them on a table filled with a really fluffy flower like peonies or tea roses. They would also look great filled with an unscented candle. 

Incorporating metallic details is a great way to punch up a style or home design idea, and I have a feeling I'll be working with them a lot in the upcoming year. I can't wait to find some more metallic items at great prices! 

Gimme That Mug! (Cath Kidston Edition)

When I lived in my sorority house my junior year of college, I decided that my bedding would basically consist of different floral patterns thrown together. It would be my version of shabby chic! Because I am me, I also had approximately eight million blankets.
I recall one of my sorority sisters was slightly repulsed by my decorating scheme (her design aesthetic was more minimalist.) However, I happily remained surrounded by what multiple people deemed "the florals."
I first saw Cath Kidston mugs at the (very sadly) no-longer-existent Georgetown Barnes and Noble several years ago. I took two home because they made me happy. I was drinking my coffee out of one of them this morning and it really was the nicest thing.
Now that Dude and I live together, our apartment has floral/colorful accents mixed with more subdued pieces. This may be a somewhat generous/intentionally broad description; our apartment has lots of IKEA pieces from our college days mixed with some "grown-up" stuff. I don't know how much longer we'll be living here, but I will lovingly describe it as eclectic.
Going back to the beginning of this post, I guess the part of me that adores floral patterns is still  alive and well. Some people may not enjoy them as much as I do (my fiance is still perplexed that I like mixing mugs and plates in different patterns) but a riotous collection of florals will always make me smile. Call it shabby chic, "old lady", whatever...all I know is that as long as the florals make me smile, especially in small pieces like mugs, they'll be sticking around.
P.S. You can find these and other mugs at http://www.cathkidstonusa.com/searchadv.aspx?SearchTerm=mug.
P.P.S. I think a mug stuffed with the recipient's favorite candy and a gift card to one of her favorite places would be a terrific gift!

Gimme That Mug! (2) by emkroth on Polyvore

Cath Kidston - Strawberry Crush Mug
$8.15 - cathkidston.co.uk

Cath Kidston
cathkidstonusa.com

Cath Kidston
cathkidstonusa.com

Cath Kidston
cathkidstonusa.com

Cath Kidston
cathkidstonusa.com

Gimme That Mug!

This cold weather is definitely not something that I'm naturally inclined to enjoy. The cozy, snuggly part featuring tea and relaxing, however, is one of my favorite things.
Here are some of my favorite mugs that I've come across recently. Hopefully I'll get to the new Jonathan Adler store in Georgetown soon so I can see these cool zebra mugs and lots of other goodies in person!
The title of this post is also inspired by the dude, who has extremely pinch-able cheeks. If we ever move to South Florida, I do believe the middle aged ladies will be flocking not only because of his incredible politeness (he ALWAYS opens doors for women) but because he just has THAT FACE.
To soothe anyone who may be reading this from those aggressive capital letters, in my next post I'll discuss some more (ceramic) mugs that are not as trendy but are still some of my favorites.

Gimme That Mug! (1) by emkroth on Polyvore

Jonathan Adler carnaby zebra mug
jonathanadler.com

Jonathan Adler carnaby zebra mug
jonathanadler.com

Jonathan Adler carnaby zebra mug
jonathanadler.com

Jonathan Adler carnaby zebra mug
jonathanadler.com

Ayaka Mug
anthropologie.com

Cheese Plate for Dummies

When the dude and I visited Vegas for Thanksgiving, I realized that I had nothing to bring to his grandma and great-aunt's house for the actual meal. We weren't staying with them, so I thought it would be nice to bring some food.

We were staying in a condo with a refrigerator, so we grabbed a couple of different kinds of cheese and some circular wheat crackers at Target the day before Thanksgiving. We refrigerated the cheese and brought it and the crackers over for the meal the next day. Dude's grandma and great aunt gave me a small serving tray to work with, so I just did my thing and got the platter together (got the platter together actually means cut my finger and proceeded.)

A significant segment of the guests were from Wisconsin, and the platter went over great (it was especially popular during the football game.)

This is the exact cheese I used, with the exception of the white cheddar (I used a different brand, probably because it was the first block of white cheddar that I saw.) The exact crackers I used are shown below, too.

Finally, if I hadn't been in Vegas, I might have purchased a platter for myself. This one from Target is clean, simple, and very well-priced.

Now that I am meandering into the adult world, it's comforting to know that I can throw something together pretty quickly and have it be nice and something that people actually like to eat. I must give credit to my mom, who is always quick to offer me and the dude cheese and crackers when we collapse upon our arrival at her apartment in West Palm Beach. It is a really sweet and welcoming gesture and I'm glad I'll be able to share it with friends and family in the future!

(Dreaming of) Nantucket in January

This winter, I have been re-reading a bunch of books by Elin Hilderbrand. They are all set in Nantucket (where I have never been) and served as a great escape for me, especially during the craziness of December. Here are some of the ones I really enjoy. 

After reading them, I decided that I really want to visit Nantucket in the next year or so. Realistically, I have to start putting aside money now if that's going to happen. However, between Hilderbrand's descriptions and pictures like this one, I feel pretty certain that a trip there will be worth some preemptive penny-pinching. 

(Picture from Nantucket Preservation Trust website, http://www.nantucketpreservation.org/events/walking-tour)

In the meantime, I think I'll treat myself to some Chilean peonies from Whole Foods to brighten up my apartment. They may not be climbing down the roof of my apartment building, but they definitely bring some cheer to cold winter days! 

(Picture from The English Garden, http://www.englishgardenraleigh.com/clear-vase-peonies-in-pink-p-3250.html)