Creole Wisdom

thanksgiving report: friday

So, did you survive Thanksgiving? You know it's a lot of family time and that can be so good and sometimes a little bit bad. Aside from people not listening to me and bringing their own serving utensils for their dishes or forgetting half the stuff for their contribution or getting my toe stepped on my Thanksgiving was thisclose to perfect!

Let's be real: so I like to have things just right and planned all my dishes ahead. It's just what you have to do with the smallest kitchen in the midwest. I had my deviled eggs all prepped and put the empty egg halves into the refrigerator overnight. I woke up Thursday morning and half the eggs are frozen. Yes, frozen. I guess that was the clue to turn down the temp :) Don't worry, I salvaged them with steam from my red kettle.

Now, onto the photos and enough about my less-than-perfect Thanksgiving parts.

daily attire: pears + apron•three batches of cornbread dressing ready for the oven•mom's cranberry chutney in my milk glass•my spray painted halves•lion house rolls rising in the oven•place settings•greeting on the chalk board•the perfect plate•view from the couch•my rescued eggs•rolls are done•recipe book is open•dad and a pumpkin•the buffet patterns•cousin Ann + I•mom's dessert tray•Target at 1230am•more centerpieces•teas at the Starbuck's Target•mom+stepdad

It was so delicious and I can't wait to eat leftovers for days on end. Thankfully Maggie agreed to brave the Edina Target at 12am with me. I found these red pants that I can't live without. Haha.

found

These are the treasures I found while visiting Hastings and Red Wing on a little weekend trip I took over Labor Day Weekend with my mom. I've been searching for Santa Mugs for forever. I think they are so sweet, even though some people remarked that they scare them. For now my antique glass bottle collection is complete, so many of these I found for simply $1. After all, they're just glass bottles! These dessert cups are perfect for ice cream or whatever else (er... wine) Then- seriously, had no idea that I could wear clips ons and they wouldn't hurt. I love those little leaves and big pink flowers.

what luck

I went shopping on Saturday. It was so hot. I actually think I got dehydrated. But, one good thing happened. I found this perfect top. I love it.

My guess is that it's from the 60s-70s. It's not cotton, but I'm not sure if it is polyester, either. I took it home because of the perfect shape, detailed smocking and the embroidery. I paid a fair, reasonable price for it at the most lovely new boutique.

Oh, and thirty-forty years ago I was a large.

this past weekend, in stillwater

I went here:

Then came home with this little striped* number:

Rose Mille is a delectable boutique full of pretty, vintage craft supplies and fine clothing. Every time I go to Stillwater I have to stop by. They are the kind of shop you might think of when planning a decorating project, or contemplating what Heaven might be like.

They don't permit photography inside, but the outside window gives you an idea:

Sometimes I wish I lived in Stillwater simply for the photo ops and shopping, but then I am grateful because I would inevitably spend too much money.

*Yes I know the whole sordid tale about horizontal stripes. I love them and do not care. As you can see, I have hips right out of the 1950s. So what!? Probably will not have to have a c-section someday. I think you have to break certain fashion rules because a few (like this one) are stupid.

these would do

seychelles pumps

I'm not a shoe person.

I'm a bag person. In fact, I'm a bag lady. Give me a messenger bag or a tote over rows of heels any day.

But these shoes. I love them. They are just perfect.

They'd do nicely for a wedding day, I think.

No, that's not an announcement :)

But seriously, aren't they perfect?

how to survive winter in minnesota

winter must have collage created in polyvore

My friend Emily Kate sparked this (hopefully) un-timely blog post. I know that some of my readers are fellow Minnesotans and well, maybe some of you are contemplating a move here.

Perhaps you've heard some scary stories. There are certainly out-of-towner doubts about survival in the north star state.

But, this is a nice place to live. I repeat, this is a nice place to live.

These essentials make it bearable, even pleasant. Nothing is free, and several of the above items are not cheap, but good winter gear is an investment. Staying warm and safe when there's a blizzard or the high for the day is 8 degrees is no small matter.

Let's get down to business:

•Sorel boots. I would never wear anything else. This particular pair is just darling.

•Peacoat. I own this understated and simple pea coat from Macy's. It's going to get you from October through April.

•Ugg boots. These are my pair, too. I don't care what you say about uggs: they are ugly, sorority girls wear them (why is that a bad thing?) Uggs keep your feet warm. I don't really recommend them for long distances of walking (believe me, I tried), but they are great for wearing indoors or bopping around doing mundane errands. Invest in them. The imitations are just that, imitations. I slipped my feet into my first pair of Uggs in 2004 and have loved them since.

•So Low yoga pants. I don't think you need to be picky about the brand, but I love these ones. I have them in black and they have lasted through two arctic winters now. The key to correctly wearing yoga pants? No panty lines. I don't care how you achieve it, but do it.

•Fleece zip up. Here's another where brand isn't a big deal. This is what will keep you comfortable when the wind chill is out of control.

•Long parka. This is the single piece that will make all the difference. I used to wear a standard length coat and then purchased a longer one. My mood and outlook on life was considerably increased. There's magic in those extra inches.

•Striped top. Again, brand doesn't matter. I do love Target's stretch tops, they are in the pj section. Shade also makes some lovely options.

•Mittens. These will keep your hands warmer than gloves. Purchase the ones that you can flip up for easy phone access. I purchased similar mittens at Hoigaard's.

•Knee length socks. These are pretty self explanatory.

Other cold weather readers, or those who know, feel free to weigh in :)

pride comes before the fall

When I was in High School I loved fashion. So much that I used to tear out pages from Vogue and pin them up inside my locker.

During my junior and senior year I was a member and even president of St. Mary's Academy's fashion club. Can you believe it? I honestly cannot.

Well, you know what they say, pride comes before the fall.

I never read Vogue anymore (I should!) and am known to wear a silly amount of fleece. But, I think there's middle ground here. When you go out in public I still believe you should be presentable. I know I'm trying and working at it. We all have limited budgets and nothing to wear. I hate the mornings sometimes because of the choices. When I give myself more time and am patient I make better decisions.

Last Friday was one of those days:

sweater: Betsy Johnson via mom dress: target bag: you know :)

I take photos of my outfits from time to time because it interests me; I like texture and I think it keeps me accountable. Our society is too casual anyway. Money and shape are not excuses and I refuse to waste my days attired in mediocrity.

happy (early) birthday to me, from anthro

So my real birthday is not until Monday, but I got my first present yesterday after dinner at Salut with Katherine: this adorable hair clip from Anthro. I'm not a huge Anthro shopper: I think a lot of their clothing is overly over priced and the quality often does not match up with the cost, but I really like a lot of their accessories and home items. They sent me a birthday coupon for 15% off and this little beauty was already in the sale bin.

new shoes

When I was in second grade I thought my red chucks made me run faster. Well, I don't think these gray beauties will do any extraordinary magic, but I really like them and my black flats finally have a break. Found here. I feel halfway emo, which I was not in high school (believe me) and halfway West Side Story a la Jets.

the daily wear

I love the idea of writing and documenting my everyday wardrobe. Think about it: what is your daily uniform? Your favorite pair of shoes? I remember my all time lover of my senior year of high school: the J.Crew flat. I was kind of obsessed and wrote an entire lj entry about it- remember lj? Tehehe.

But, Elise inspired me to do this, and you can track my progress here. Not sure what this will become, but I love that I'm doing it. It makes me dress a little better, take more pride in myself, which I need to do even though I don't go to an office everyday.

Image stats:

dress: Target

shrug: Michael Stars

flats: Rocket Dog

necklace: Patina

And for the record I absolutely hate my knees and am just going to bite the bullet and let the world see em'