Behold! I am a candy maker.

Willy Wonka should give me that Golden Ticket and a job (and let me run around in the huge room with the candy teacups and the chocolate river because SERIOUSLY).

So it all began this evening as I was standing in front of the pantry eating chocolate chips out of the bag and I thought, "This is just sad", so I went about trying to find a more dignified way to get my chocolate fix. After I did some investigating into the pantry and discovered pretzels and pecans, I had a moment of divine inspiration - a.k.a What Would Ina Garten Do? - and I decided to combine the three ingredients to create a salty-sweet snack. Here is the recipe:

*Besides pretzels, chocolate chips, and pecans, you will need two glass bowls, a knife, a spatula, a cookie sheet, and some waxed paper. And a microwave and a refrigerator.

-Chop the pecans and put them in one bowl (you might have to repeat this step a few times).

-Dump half the bag of chocolate chips in one of the bowls and microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring between each nuking period, until chocolate is totally melted. This is Ina's easy way to temper chocolate :)

-Dip half of each pretzel in the chocolate, then dip it again into the chopped pecans.

-Lay the candy (woo hoo!) on the waxed paper on the baking sheet, and refrigerate until solid.

So you're probably like, "Whatever, my grandma could do that with her eyes closed", but I am proud that I came up with this recipe all by myself. Now I am off to spoil my dinner.

Whitesnake=Still Awesome

Aren't they pretty?

While I have yet to decide whether the invention of the Internet is ultimately good or bad for insomnia, it does at the very least give you something to do besides toss and turn for hours. When insomnia strikes for me, I often mosey over to YouTube to watch music videos (since MTV doesn't seem to be into them anymore). Early 90's R&B and 80's Hair Band videos are usually my favorites to watch because they remind me of a simpler time when the biggest things I had to worry about were homework and boys...although none of them resembled the hotties from Whitesnake. Easy to make fun of them now, but go and watch the "Is This Love?" video and see if it doesn't make you wish that you had a sweet pair of giant white pumps and Tawny Kitaen's hair.

Guilty Pleasure: Chasing Liberty

Have you ever had to pretend that you didn't like something that you really, REALLY liked because you were pretty sure that people would make fun of you for liking it? Well, to my delight I have discovered that the older I get, the less I care about what people think, so I'm willing to admit how much I love Chasing Liberty.

For those not familiar with the story, it is about the US President's daughter, Anna, who is tired of being sheltered and stalked by the secret service all the time, and she wants to be allowed to have a little freedom. Her father agrees to this while they are doing a goodwill tour of Europe, but, unbeknownst to Anna, he requests that a young *very cute* undercover agent follow her around and keep her safe while reporting back to him (her secret service code-name is "Liberty", hence the title). Hijinks ensue, the agent falls for the President's daughter and vice-versa, and then the drama occurs when Anna finds out that she has been duped by her father and lied to by the boy she loves.

Is it a rip-off of Roman Holiday? Sure, but Mandy Moore is delightful as Anna, Matthew Goode is adorably sexy as the secret agent, and they travel through Prague, Venice, and Berlin, so you get to see gorgeous European scenery. Best of all? There is a happy ending which involves riding through the streets of London on a Vespa while Puccini's "Nessun Dorma" plays in the background. Sometimes I wish Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck could have had an ending like that.

Somebody Should Get a Prize for This Idea

Okay, how brilliant are these wedding cakes made out of cheese? I think that millions of people have thought, "How kickass would it be to have a wedding cake made of cheese?", but they don't follow through with it because it's weird, or they are afraid of what their guests would say. Personally, I would say, "This is the best wedding ever, bring me more cheese."

Thanks to A CUP OF JO (one of my fave blogs) for finding the site.

Blogs That I Like - Rachel Eats

While checking out my blog roll, I will click on any and all links that look even mildly interesting. Sometimes this is a bad thing (porn hides EVERYWHERE, doesn't it?), but most often it is how I discover some of my favorite new blogs.

Rachel Eats is one of these, and it is gorgeous. An English girl living in Italy, Rachel likes to cook, write, and eat, and I'm so glad that she does all three so very well. Each blog post comes with a recipe and a story, sometimes current and sometimes nostalgic, and she describes the cooking experience so thoroughly that you feel like you are sitting in her kitchen. Her post on the stuffed fried zucchini flowers that accompany the meal at her favorite pizzeria (crispy pizza from a wood-fired oven) has inspired me to try to make my own, and I'm not a big fryer.

The image above is of Spice-Poached Apricots and Creme Fraiche.

Teaberry Gum

Just bought a pack of Clark's Teaberry Gum at the office cafeteria. I haven't seen it available for sale in a while, but I always loved the pretty pink wrappers and retro design. I had a real teaberry once (on an impromptu hike through Cranesville Swamp), and it actually did taste like the gum!

Puppy Perfection

Who loves Martha Stewart?

I LOVE MARTHA STEWART.

Do I think that it is a coincidence that she announces the debut of her pet accessory line for Petsmart mere weeks after I adopt a puppy? I do not. Martha knows everything - she can sense my worshipful little mind from afar, and this is her reward to me for my unwavering devotion for the past two decades. The stuff is really cute, too...I plan to buy as many pet accessories as I can afford in the red/robin's egg colorway.

(I am even a bit envious of the women who got to serve their prison sentences with Martha at Alderson. Imagine how cool it would be to host a dinner party, and when someone complimented you on a dish, you could say, "Oh thanks, I got the recipe from Martha Stewart...when we were in prison together.")

Giving Thanks

This is one of the most clever blogs I've yet to come across (and the internet is huge, y'all). Leah Deitrich's mother always told her to write thank-you notes, so she writes one every day to different things in her life. This would be my note today:

Dear Pink and Black Italian Post-Card Print Skirt,

Little did I know when I purchased you in London six years ago that you would bring compliments my way every time that I wear you. Thanks for making those days a little brighter!

Best, Whitney

Happy Friday

Go have fun with your besties :)

Rompers

If you had asked me last year what one of the big fashion trends for the summer of 2010 would be, I don't know if I would have placed "Rompers" on the list. I'm intrigued by them, though - somebody once said that they had all the positive aspects of a sundress but without the possibility of the skirt getting blown up around your ears in a brisk wind, which could only be a good thing. However, as Ms. Richie and Ms. Simpson will attest to in the pictures above, there is a right way and a wrong way to wear a romper (Jess has fallen prey to the "I will NOT go up a size!" way of thinking here, methinks). Since my figure is much more akin to Jessica's than Nicole's, I'm still not sure if rompers are right for me.

There is only one month of summer left, so I have to decide soon. This is the last summer I can wear a romper if I decide to do so, since it is definitely not a look you can pull off past your twenties.

Stationery

I LOVE stationery (I even have my own calling cards). Letter writing is a dying art, I think, and it really is a shame. There's nothing like getting a friend's letter in the mail...e-mail has become so standard and commonplace that taking the time to write and send a card or letter makes it even more of a thoughtful gesture, especially when it's written on something pretty. The card that is pictured is from Rifle Paper Co., and their designs are just adorable - they even do custom personalized stationery to look like you! More of my faves are here, here, and here.

Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon

Madonna's daughter is 14 now, and she is not only infinitely cooler than I was at 14, she is about a million times cooler than I will ever hope to be. EVERRR. Not like this is a news flash - her mother is Madonna. She looks a lot like her mom did when she was a teen, but her face is longer and she's got dark eyes like her dad, Carlos Leon, who apparently dotes on her and has a great co-parenting relationship with Madge. I love this. I always imagined the conversation between Madonna and Carlos, who was one of her backup dancers, to be like: "Hey C, I'm thinking that I want to have a baby. You're a nice guy, you have great genes, and I really don't need a relationship but you can be in the baby's life as much as you want. Wanna knock me up?" Carlos said yes since, well, who says no to Madonna?

Little Lola has her own fashion collection now, "Material Girl" (it's actually Madonna's tween line inspired by Lourdes), and her own blog to go with it. Lola accompanied Madge to a Jay-Z concert and blogged about it, and I found this part to be completely fascinating:

"My mom was dancing the entire time which is LOL now that I think about it, but in the moment I was just like, ”mom…..no…please no”.

Lourdes was embarassed by Madonna's dancing. AMAZING.

No Spring Chicken

The other night, I was playing with my dog on the football field by the local elementary school. There were a few kids hanging out at the playground next door, two boys and three girls, and I'd place them into the 12-15 year-old age range. One boy in a wife-beater and ball cap shouted something at me, but I ignored it, put the dog's leash back on him, and started for home.

As I was walking up the street, I noticed that the same boy was following me, so I turned when he called out this time.

Boy: "Hey!"
Me: "What?"
Boy: "How old are you?"
Me: (Considered making a sassy comment, but decided that the best way to get rid of him was to tell him the truth.) "Twenty-nine."

The kid actually shrank back in horror, then waved me off and turned towards his friends. I laughed and went on my way, but I was still close enough to hear him yell to the other kids on the playground:

"SHE'S OLD!!!"

Yes. Yes I am. Now get off my lawn.

Chelsea Clinton is Getting Married

The former first daughter is getting married this Saturday to Marc Mevinksy, an investment banker at Goldman Sachs whom she's know since college, at the Astor estate in Rhinebeck, NY. The media is going NUTS over this, and I've got to say I'm kind of annoyed.

Not because I have anything in the world against Chelsea - quite the contrary. I have always really liked her a lot. She and I are almost exactly the same age, and I remember thinking at 12 years old how strange (and awesome and sometimes sucky) it must be for her to live in the White House. I felt so bad for her when people were calling her "ugly" as an adolescent - arguably the WORST time to have to be in the public eye, and so I thrilled at seeing her with her pretty new bob haircut and sleek suit, perched between Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna at fashion week in 2002. She handled her father's presidential sex scandal quietly and with dignity (on the campaign trail for her mother's Presidential run, a reporter had the gall to ask her how she felt about the whole Monica Lewinsky thing, and her reply was, "I don't think that's any of your business."). At a time when Britney and Christina and Jessica (also my age) were gaining fame and fortune by taking off their clothes and/or singing poorly, Chelsea was going to Stanford, then Oxford, then getting a job and enjoying her independent young womanhood - far more of a role model for me than any reality star celebrity.

I guess that's why I'm so bothered by the media coverage. She's lived a normal, albeit pretty exceptional, life since leaving the White House - you can't just let her have this day to herself and her friends and her family without trying to sell it to someone? I guess people just LOVE weddings so much that they want to get in on the action. I have done same thing with royal weddings and some celebrity weddings, but I guess I would just like Chelsea's wedding to roll by with a little online blurb about the details that I could read and think: "How nice, I like Chelsea. I hope that somebody saved her a piece of cake."

OPI Nail Polish

I do my own manicures and pedicures. This means that I end up missing a lot of opportunities for girl-bonding, as salon mani/pedis are a time-honored tradition for bridesmaids and bachelorette parties, but I have yet to find a single salon that does a better job on my toes and fingers than I can do myself. Also, I refuse to spend the extra money since I like to change polish colors a lot.

I've found that home mani/pedis last longer if you use a higher quality polish, and OPI is a long-time favorite of mine. They have such a wide range of colors, and the names are too cute. I prefer flat colors to anything with shimmer. "Dutch Tulips" (pictured) is my go-to year-round choice. I love that it's a red but there is so much pink and orange mixed in that it goes with everything. My most recent color purchase was "You Don't Know Jacques", a dark taupey gray.

For some people...

...their addiction is alcohol. For others, drugs. Some people are kleptos, sex addicts, the list goes on and on.

My addiction is J.Crew.

My birthday is not complete without peeling that little green sticker away from clean white tissue paper to reveal one of their updated classics, be it in the finest wool or lightest hammered silk. Christmas would be decidedly lacking without a new cashmere sweater in one of their lush seasonal hues (or, more likely, black). I cried when moths destroyed two merino sweaters, and I learned early-on that, if I loved something in the J.Crew catalog, I had better buy it now because they only make limited numbers and there are plenty of women out there who are swifter spenders than I am.

J.Crew's clothing lasts forever, rarely goes out of style, is beautifully tailored, and it is one of the few places where I can pull ANYTHING in my size off of the rack and it will not only fit, but become an instant favorite. Roughly 80% of my wardrobe is J.Crew...and I just bought more today.

I'll probably die with this addiction...but I'll die in style.

Image courtesy of J.Crew Aficionada.

Skillz.

I successfully drove to work this morning while wearing these shoes. Bet James Bond couldn't do it. Navigating a wedding in them next month might turn out to be another story...must practice ankle strengthening exercises. Shoes by Nine West.

Orzo Salad

My boyfriend made the BEST orzo salad this past weekend. Sadly, no pictures of it exist (it was eaten way too fast), but my mom loved it so much that she asked me to duplicate it for dinner last night. Orzo, mozarella, grapes, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, dried cherries, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper, and you're in business!

The Best Show on Television

Ooh! Season 4 of AMC's Mad Men premiers this Sunday at 10pm! I just adore this show and all of it's messed up characters...the title of this blog was actually inspired by a quote from Betty Draper in Season 3. My plan is to put on a cocktail dress and mix up some martinis for my own personal viewing party. Some of the highlights from the past 3 seasons are shown on this Periodic Table of Mad Men.

A Coat for Blackberry

I recently purchased a Blackberry Bold, and I totally love it - I don't think that I can go back to a non-smartphone again. To show my love and appreciation for my hardworking little Blackberry, I decided to buy it a fancy new coat. Plaid. How could I resist?

Mulberry "Alexa" Bag

I think that it might have been the last time I turned on MTV for anything besides Teen Mom that I saw Alexa Chung hosting her now-canceled talk show It's On With Alexa Chung. I liked her - she was witty and engaging, and her sense of style is so quirky and cool. Mulberry obviously felt the same way about her, so they designed this bag and named it after her.

WANT. Part structured, part relaxed, a little masculine, a little feminine...I could see myself carrying this bag every day for months. Pictured is the "Alexa" bag in Oak, and Alexa with her namesake (oversized version).

Thibaut Wallpaper and Fabrics

Back when I was actually using my Interior Design degree, some of my favorite fabrics and wallpapers to spec were from Thibaut. Their designs and the saturation of the colors that they use are just gorgeous. This picture shows the Ivana and Jakarta prints from their Shangri-La collection. I could eat that wallpaper.

New Scarf

I have a scarf obsession. It can be traced back to the three months in college when I studied abroad in London and every British girl (and many of the boys) on the High Street had some variation of a scarf draped, knotted, or tied somewhere on her body. They all looked so effortlessly chic. I was doomed.

I just bought this scarf from Madewell. It's cotton with the prettiest paisley print, and it has tassels! Love it.

Who is Salt?

She's Angelina Jolie, of course! Salt was originally written for Tom Cruise, but Hollywood decided that Angie could play the role with little to no changes in the script - pretty much the only actress in Hollywood who could pull it off. I think Angie is awesome, I love spy thrillers, and I can't wait to see the movie.

Someone should tell Britney.

You would think that out of everyone who hounds Britney Spears on a daily basis - her entourage, her family, the friggin' paparazzi - SOMEBODY would be her friend and tell her that her weave needs some serious maintenance.

I just feel bad for the girl now.

So I caved....

After years of resisting and denying the fact that I am a product of the modern age of oversharing every little detail of one’s life, I have decided to give in and start my own blog. It’s not that big of a step, really…I already post way too often on my Facebook page, and I’ve lost interest in it. Plus, the guy who founded Facebook really gets on my nerves. Even his hair is smug.

I spend my lunch hour every day pouring over other people’s blogs (to which I will hopefully be able to post links once I figure out how to do it). Admiring them, learning from them, enjoying them…some are so insightful, stylish, and clever, and others make me laugh until I cry.

I have no such expectations for this little blog of mine.

I have always been curious about the world around me – a hoarder of random facts – and sometimes I see, hear, smell, taste, or feel something that leaves so much of an impression that I want to share it with other people. That is what my blog is about.

Away we go!