The perfect pants to showcase your toned tush…

Recently I have been working out more and more.

Before, I never gave much thought to my gym attire mostly because I hated going to the gym so much and would rather spend the money on an amazing pair of shoes.

But, my workout clothes were embarrassing – think an oversized man’s Fruit of the Loom T-shirt and some really ratty yoga pants.

Since going to the gym is something I can’t not do anymore – I knew I had to invest.  But I was NOT prepared to throw down the kind of cash that Lululemon demands.  Thank goodness for Zella!  These clothes are amazing – they fit so well, are machine washable and are totally flattering.  At about 2/3 the cost of Lululemon!

You can only find them at Nordstom (or Nordstrom.com) – but they are worth a trip in just to check out.

Zella is amazing

Zella swim t shirt
$32 - nordstrom.com

Zella activewear
$62 - nordstrom.com

Zella drawstring pants
$66 - nordstrom.com

The two polishes I could wear every day!

I’ll admit – some might think I am in a nail polish rut.

I don’t think so!  I think I finally locked two down that are just about perfect for me!

Previously, when choosing a soft pink for my fingers, I always went with a true pink, something with a fair amount of pigment.  The other day, I randomly grabbed a bottle of East Hampton Cottage by Essie.  It is very pale, almost a white and has a tiny bit of iridencense.  Not something I would normally ever wear!  But I love it so much, it is all I have worn for two weeks!

I also grabbed a bottle of Essie’s Fifth Avenue (I must have been in a New York State of Mind…).  I am not a HUGE red person, I usually go for a coral or pink on my toes.  And when I did choose reds, I gravitated towards blue-reds, like OPI’s I’m Not Really a Waitress.

I was choosing the wrong shade!  This is an orange-red, slightly tomato-y.  And it looks amazing!

If you are a bit on the pale side, I totally recommend both (although I bet they look fab with a tan too)!

Fifth Avenue and East Hampton Cottage

Nina Garcia’s The One Hundred: Capes

This item of The One Hundred is why I wanted to start doing this series.

A cape?  Seriously?  Who wears those? (other than Blair Waldorf who totally looks amazing in them and to whom I devote this post as Gossip Girl returns tonight! Yay!)

So I decided to find a cape I might actually buy – which was hard because a lot of the cute ones are totally expensive!

But I think I did it.  And I actually want to buy this now!  Would you wear a cape?

Everyday Cape look

Vince Camuto wool cape coat
$100 - vincecamuto.com

Wellington rubber boots
£80 - topshop.com

Brown handbag
$300 - topshop.com

Michael Kors stainless steel watch
£180 - net-a-porter.com

Hoop earrings
$20 - macys.com

Kate Spade fragrance
$80 - katespade.com

Essie nailpolish
$8 - zappos.com

Mad Men cocktail hour – Original Dry Martini

I had so much fun posting about a throw-back cocktail last week for Mad Men that I thought I would try it again!

Let’s make this a thing, shall we?  Mad Men Cocktail Hour!

On tap this week… or should I say “in the mix” this week… is an Original Dry Martini.

There are two ways I like my martinis: original dry and basic with three olives, both always with gin.  Gin stands up to vermouth a little better than vodka in my opinion.

The true origins of a martini are not known although theories and claims abound!  In his phenomenal book, Imbibe!, David Wondrich devotes an entire appendix to the different theories (I absolutely recommend buying this book, worth every penny)!  But we do know that the Dry Martini came about around the turn of the 20th century and really is a different drink than the martini most people think of.

{source Saveur.com, photo credit André Baranowski}

Nina Garcia’s The One Hundred: Camel Coat

Building an outer wear wardrobe is just as important as building the rest of your wardrobe.

Wearing a fleece with your cocktail dress is not cute.

Adding a camel coat to your outer wear options gives you an instantly chic go-to.  Paired with white, ivory or black, a camel coat looks incredibly polished but not rigid.  Like a gorgeous, snuggly Birkin bag for you whole body (maybe that is a stretch).

They are super warm and a quality option can be expensive.  But they never go out of style and can last decades.  A camel coat is the definition of an investment piece.

Camel Coats

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