Search Results for: best of the best

The Draper Report – Mad Men Episode 4 & 5 Recap

by whoorl

Man, these Mad Men recaps are kicking our butts lately. Here’s the deal – with the Downton Abbey recaps, Kristen and I had watched the UK episodes before the US ones aired, giving us time to film at our leisure. (Well, I wouldn’t call it leisure, but you catch my drift…)

Filming directly after Mad Men airs on Sunday nights is kind of a joke, people. It’s just not happening. Crazy kids, preparing for Monday morning work schedules…we just can’t seem to make it work on a weekly basis, BUT we are digging in and doing it for the team. We are COMMITTED to making these stupid videos. Amen.

Long story short, recaps might not be weekly, but we’ll try our best. *fist bump*

Here’s our recap on the past two episodes.

What do you all think about where the plot is heading? Are you loving the storyline? Who else is (stupidly) still in love with Don Draper like me? Did we forget to talk about something really obvious? (Probably.)

Odds and Ends No. 23

by whoorl

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1. Someone PLEASE get me one of those ice cream cones.

2. Everlane silk blouse with band collar. Do it. I promise you’ll love it. (And if silk isn’t your thing, Everlane tees are the bee’s knees. I know – I own, uh, 5. Only $15!)

3. I read about Teux Deux last week via Erin, and I want to make out with it. If you’re a to-do list freak and on your computer/iPhone a lot, you simply must. BEST THING EVAH.

4. Oh, hello, I’ve eaten kale every day this week. Still looking for the perfect salad concoction, but I certainly love it wilted with a touch of olive oil and sea salt. Especially on top of this. Any kale salad favorites?

5. A ginormous list of beauty sources at The Beauty Department.

6. If you live out west, you may have experienced the heaven on earth also known as creamy tomatillo dressing from Cafe Rio. Here’s the dupe. Ridiculously pumped about this situation.

7. You’ve probably seen/read about the Dove Beauty Sketches, but have you seen the male parody? Hilarious.

8. Inspired by Mandana from The Rachel Zoe Project, I cut my hair yesterday. No, I didn’t chop it into a pixie…just added some sorely missed bangs and took about 4-5 inches off the bottom, as I was starting to look a little sister wifey. I have a lot to say about this…coming soon. And speaking of hair, here are a few articles I wrote for P&G Beauty this week. 5 Steps to Perfect Hair Prep.  4 Outdoor-Friendly Hair Styles.

9. At Babble, I wrote about my family’s favorite snack ever, No-Bake Energy Balls. (Hehe, balls.) Also, I’m still really into slathering my face and body with pantry items.

10. Haha, did you see this Jimmy Kimmel piece on Coachella? It is beyond awesome.

11. Christina Hendricks can do no wrong. Also liking Jennifer Lawrence’s new cut. Fresh cuts are everywhere, my friends!

12. Finally, because I was put on this earth to help you rationalize shopping purchases, 25% off everything at J. Crew right now with the code SPRINGBEST. You can thank me later.

Happy weekend to you and you and you!

photo credit (sans graphics): Dash and Bella

I’m Down With Upscale Resale (+ Giveaway!)

by whoorl

w_clothes

Wita has a pretty fab wardrobe, and I say that without being all look-at-me-and-my-awesome-taste because, well, the majority of her closet is filled with hand-me-downs. Yep, adorable hand-me-downs are responsible for about 60% of what Wita wears on a daily basis. In fact, Wita’s wearing at least one hand-me-down in each of the above photos.

I love me some hand-me-downs, but I realize not everyone is in the position to receive them. The next best thing? Resale.

I’ve become more and more interested in resale over the years, mainly because it’s insane how quickly kids grow out of their clothes. From the mouth of Sharon Schneider (CUTE PIXIE ALERT), “I love organic, well-made clothes, but as a mom who tries to avoid conspicuous consumption and who wants to raise my kids to be socially responsible, I have often lamented the cost and waste of baby clothes.”

Sing it, sista. So Sharon and her sister Sandra started Moxie Jean.

Moxie Jean makes it easy for busy moms to buy and sell high quality, like-new kids’ clothes any time. Founded by moms, Moxie Jean takes pride in offering only immaculate clothing that moms will be truly thrilled to receive–and back it up with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Moxie Jean makes it quick and easy to grab everything needed to dress kids from birth to size 8, from play time to Sunday supper and even special occasions like weddings and holidays. Every order includes a free, postage-paid Moxie Jean Mailer Bag to send in the clothes your kids have outgrown and receive credit toward the next size up, or those interested in selling clothes can request a free bag through the website.

I checked it out myself, and first off, can I just say THANK YOU MOXIE JEAN for building a website that is clean and easy to navigate. I’ve seen some real doozies in regards to resale websites – something to the effect of MySpace vomiting on Craigslist. Not good, my friends. This one is so clean and lovely and just, yes. Secondly, good stuff. I’m especially found of the Designer Room. In fact, I found this pretty Isabel Garreton party dress for Wita there.

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Now, someone invite us to a party!

Since this venture is relatively new, the inventory is growing every day, and that’s where you can help out. If you have lovely hand-me-downs, send them to Moxie! You’ll receive your choice of cash, store credit or a donation to patients at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. To get started, request a large pre-paid mailer bag — it’s fast, easy, and it’s completely free. Learn more here.

And because the ladies of Moxie Jean are fabulous, they are offering 25% off and free shipping on purchases over $50, good through May 31, 2013. The code is Whoorl25. Thanks, Moxie Jean!

Also, they are giving away a $50 credit to the website. Go get yourself some cute baby clothes pronto! To enter, see details below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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April Favorites

by whoorl

aprilfavorites

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Joie Liza Blouse – I’m not sure why in the midst of spring shopping, I’m searching for a black silk blouse, but there you go. This one looks gorgeous.

Flamingo Repeat Shift – I adore this color combination, although a shift has never been the best look for me. Attention ladies with long gams, get thee to Anthropologie.

Tarana Maxi Dress – Yet another Anthropologie stunner, this one would be perfect for my Cabo wedding trip in May. (Seriously, whaaaaat I’m I going to wear.)

Layne Dress – Hello, I have maxi dresses on the mind. Need this one. Bad.

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Bonlook Birdie Sunglasses – I mentioned buying these glasses for Wita last week, and oh my word, are they adorable.

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Someone get this girl a blog immediately.

Land’s End Bandeau Bikini – Attention ladies who like to wear bikinis, but must chase their children around the pool/beach/water park. This is the best bikini EVER. It’s totally polka dot chic, but still has good coverage, and has a removable strap if you’re going to be splashing around with the kiddos. (Am I the only person whose little one likes to use my bikini bottoms as a step ladder while holding her in the pool? It’s like she tries to climb up my body using my bikini as her guide. It makes for some interesting views.) I love love love this bathing suit, and purchased it in 2 more colors after wearing the hell out of my first one last summer. (Navy polka dot, yellow polka dot, and this navy floral pattern.)

J Crew Double Tassel Necklace – You all, I’m on the fence about this one, so I am requesting your opinion. I’ve been on the hunt for a gold tassel necklace and thought this was the one until I noticed some glass details around the the top of the tassels that reminds me of rhinestones. Fancy sparkly things are not my bag, but I love the overall shape of the necklace. Yay or nay, folks?

Saltwater Sandals – I’ve mentioned before that Wita pretty much only wears two kinds of shoes, Saltwater sandals and Freshly Picked moccasins. Had to update sizes, so I purchased my favorite gold and fuchsia ones for the summer.

TYR Diamondfit Swimsuit – This is the suit I bought for my upcoming stroke lessons – I like the fit, especially the fact that the leg openings aren’t cut super mega high like the Speedo equivalent. Also, HELLO, competition suits are hella hard to get on and off. Just in case you were wondering.

Madewell Silk Cargo Tank – The perfect breezy, black silk tank for summer. I’m going to pair it with white skinny jeans and (you guessed it) nude leather sandals. Shocker.

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J Crew Embroidered Voile Blouse – This was a lovely blouse, but bottom line, I prefer not to wear tops that are see-through and need a camisole or tank underneath. Back it went.

Vic Italy Cork Heel Sandals – Oh, these were really fabulous, but super narrow. Arrivederci, sandals.

Anything you are absolutely lusting over this month?

Odds and Ends No. 22

by whoorl

wine

1. Well, that’s about the most clever washi tape idea ever.

2. So you know I have a major girl crush on Lisa Eldridge. Well, she’s recently published a bunch of videos on finding your perfect foundation. They are brilliant. Check them out here.

3. Here are a couple of my Style United posts from this month. 4 easy hair cheats when you are in a rush. 3 hairstyles to take you from the plane to dinner.

4. I obviously love ASOS midi dresses, but did you know they sell adorable midi skirts as well? Like this one in navy. Or this striped one. A punchy orange. Even a floral print! (I foresee another review post coming soon….)

That’s a wrap for this week, folks. My oldest and bestest friend is in town, and the laptop is going to hibernate for a bit this weekend. We spent the morning looking through old photos, and the laughter could be heard for blocks. (Man, I had some hairstyles.)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

photo credit: Jentertaining.com

Christening the Le Creuset with Pork Ragu

by whoorl

braised pork ragu

For last year’s birthday, I received a Le Creuset 5 1/2-quart French Oven. Except that it wasn’t an actual French oven, but an image of said oven printed on a small piece of paper and hand-delivered by my kids. I very much appreciated this gesture because we were knee deep in the kitchen renovation at the time, and D knew that I would need to weigh the pros and cons of every. single. color. available. to. me. (So many colors! Go Go Gadget Decision-Maker!)

With the renovation and the move, I honestly forgot about my present-to-be until a few weeks ago when we were traveling to Palm Springs for Easter. We noticed a Le Creuset outlet in Cabazon while driving home, so on the windiest day ever, we armed the kids with Auntie Anne’s pretzels (all little hands need to be preoccupied so they do NOT touch the merchandise), and dropped in for a bit. Well, that Caribbean blue shade was speaking my language, so we pulled the trigger.

Best part? The store was having a Easter holiday promotion, giving you the chance to choose a plastic egg from a bowl containing an additional discount. Since I don’t consider myself the luckiest, I had Wita choose for me, and man, did she deliver. An extra 30% off! I think we ended up paying $160.

She’s a beauty, right?

le creuset caribbean

I decided to christen her with the Braised Pork Ragu with Pappardelle recipe from Dinner: A Love Story.

Um, yeah, it was good. (Even Wito ate it. I’m still blinking my eyes in amazement.)

So, tell me, what else should I be making in this gorgeous piece of cookware?