Top Gear Series 16

This BBC show is my favorite. My family has been watching it on BBC America since it first came on the air. Here is a trailer for the new season, Series 16:



Series 16 starts on BBC America on February 7 here in the States. It will air at 9 pm EST. Afterwards, Top Gear will be showing a new special "Top Gear: USA Road Trip Special". This special included filming in Asheville, NC up the Blue Ridge Parkway. It includes them racing at Virginia International Raceway ("VIR") near my boarding school Chatham Hall - and continuing to race up to New York City. I cannot wait!

If you cannot wait to see the special that includes places in my neck of the woods, please check out this YouTube that magically has not been pulled in over a month since the special originally aired:

Anne Taintor love

I really love Anne Taintor's humorous vintage products. She cracks me up to no end. And while I am a Yale fan, she IS a Harvard grad. Props to her! Here are some of my most recent finds on Google Image:


"I dreamed my whole house was clean..."



"Why do dishes when you can do daiquiris?"



"Make your own damn dinner."



"Honey, you couldn't handle half of me."



"I'm so happy it's happy hour."


And the funniest one I found - not for the faint of heart:


"...and best of all is the matching thong."

Aren't they hilarious? Looooooove them! Meanwhile, I am working on a great entry on a very well-known fallen woman in the C'ville area... woohoo!

All images property of Anne Taintor

Brands

Do you have a go-to inexpensive brand?

How did you discover this brand?

Relatively-speaking, is your go-to brand inexpensive to the person next to you?

I often think about how I could save money if I bought less-expensive things, however, I cannot count on two hands the number of times a friend has gone to hell and back for buying something at Forever 21 or Urban Outfitters and it literally fell apart after three wear-and-washes.

For me, my go-to inexpensive brands are pretty classic, and I hope most of you agree that their sales are really fantastic when it comes to stocking up on basics:









When I have a fashion emergency, these three stores: GAP, Talbots and J.Crew, are the ones I rush into to remedy my problem. What do I go to these stores for, you may ask? I go to each for very specific things, and if I have any luck maybe I can find something unexpected there as well.

At GAP, I find myself picking out everyday basics - tanks & t-shirts for layering, a basic pair of jeans that don't necessarily need to fit well but work if I left town without a pair and accessories. The tanks & t-shirts there have a good thickness and are great when in-between seasons. I normally go for fun, classic colors by Jockey that I get at my local Belk - but GAP is often the next best thing and occasionally cheaper or easier to get to.

At Talbots, I find myself picking out that last-minute emergency dress, the skirt for a job interview because mine had something spilled on it (and I don't have time to wash out the one I am wearing) or a simple jacket for a date when I hadn't planned on a date (or hadn't planned on the temperature dropping).

At J.Crew, I pick out a quick cardigan, a dress or hair accessories. I normally am able to use my student discount (don't get rid of your ID cards for a reason, ladies!!) and get an extra 15% off of what is already on sale. I don't think I have ever bought ballet flats from J.Crew at full price, ever, because for the same amount I could get a higher-tier brand new at Nordies. Just something I learned from shopping and working in retail over the years.

So ladies, where do you get your basics at? Do you have a go-to emergency store you stop in when you need a quick outfit alteration?

(Piggy bank image a Stock photo from Getty Images)

Stylish Blogger Award

Here are the rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award

Thank you so much to Pink Tulips for giving me the Stylish Blogger Award!
I will now try to come up with some schnazzy things to say.

1. I wear the same size shoe and same size in clothing as my Mom, so we frequently trade things off which is always a blast... especially with some of her vintage items!

2. I have not had my hair cut, in a legitimate way, since 2004. It is VERY long now.

3. I live in Goochland County, Virginia and longingly drive past a lovely, old plantation home everyday. I squint my eyes and try to think of how it would look if M and I lived there.

4. I grew up in Lexington, Virginia, and this upbringing has made me a bit of a snot when it comes to good food, wine and a high appreciation for fine things.

5. I look more like my Grandmama than anyone else in my family.

6. I daily struggle with being a 25-year-old college senior in an undergrad-only college of 1200 students. Everyone knows I am "old" (can't they just say "older" and be nice about it?!)!

7. I have taken over M and my DVR. Shows currently being recorded: Extra Virgin, Southland, The Martha Stewart Show, Grey's Anatomy, the 12am showing up Sportscenter, Conan, The Dish, Soup, How I Met Your Mother, Damages, Greek. No, he doesn't mind. No, I am not totally positive on that last comment.

Fifteen Recently Discovered Bloggers (wow, that is a LOT of bloggers... I couldn't list that many!!!) I have lots of friends, but I have not discovered THAT many recently, here are a handful of recent additions, however!

1. 2frugalfoodies - Boarding school classmate and her hubby making amazingly good food

2. Jamie's J.D. - A Twitter friend whose blog provides me with regular laughs

3. Natalie at Tripping in Heels

4. My cousin's GF, Xiaolu at 6 Bittersweets, makes me drool on a daily basis with her delish-looking meals.

5. A very awesome family friend, Dixie Gypsy, on her adventures in Australia!

6. Amanda and Nick. I always like to get ideas from other people's weddings!

7. Sara in Le Petit Village. Sometimes she does a French word of the day with j'adore!

8. You may follow her on Twitter as SBCVandy, her blog is now titled "My Crooked Life." but I really enjoy her keeping me in the loop about her health! So important!

Feel free to spread the LOVE around, y'all!

XO

My Golden Globes 2011 Faves

Hey y'all! Did anyone watch the Golden Globes last weekend? I did briefly, but mostly on mute. I just looked up every now and then to check out what the celebs were wearing. That's all I really care about anyway! The fashion!

Here are my outfit faves:



She always can wear whatever she wants. And look amazing. I wish this wasn't SO covered up, but she made it work anyway. The back was nice, too. Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace



As usual, looking sweet and beautiful! Carrie Underwood in Badgley Mischka



She is like a liquid Oscar statue with this dress. The shoulders were fabulous and I thought the sequins were great! Anne Hathaway in Giorgio Armani Prive



Claire Danes was in Calvin Klein, and as usual, it draped beautifully on her. While on my TV at home it looked almost orange, in print you can tell it was a gorgeous pinky-peach color!



Loved the princess look of Olivia Wilde's gown, except WTF with gold shoes? BIG mistake, glad she only showed them off once on the red carpet because it looked horrid with the dress! Olivia Wilde in Marchesa



Piper Perabo looked glamorous and classic for a black tie event in her black gown from Oscar de la Renta. Love love love it!



My #1 favorite of the night was Catherine Zeta-Jones in Monique L'Huillier. The color has always looked stunning on her, and with her much-healthier in recovery husband by her side, she was beaming!

(Photos from TMZ.com and VanityFair.com)

OMG

So I am totally swamped at my internship, and with work, so I will hope to do a DECENT, quality, not lame post soon! I love you all for being such amazing commenters lately. It has been a blast for me to read some of the funny stuff you guys say!

XOXO
W

Brands I Love: Lilly Pulitzer

Greetings from another edition of Brands I Love! Previously I have talked to you guys about my love of Vera Bradley and Kate Spade. Now, the classic love of Lilly Pulitzer.

The love affair started very early in my family. My Grandmama and my aunt Mellie wore Lilly's shifts when they first came out on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. My family lived in Coral Gables, Florida then, so of course they understood the function of the dresses!

Here are some of my favorite pieces by her over the years...:


This long shift with a butterfly print was something I found on a vintage site. Love the two slits for legs - very Chinois in style so likely a late 60s cut. Cute!



The Sherman linen dress in Turquoise Alligator Alley is so fresh and clean-looking!



The Starfruit Climbing Up the Ladder shift is too presh!



The Worth Shift in this pattern, cannot remember the name, so someone please help me remember it! ha!

Brands I Love: Kate Spade

Last week I told you all about my love affair with the function and comfort of Vera Bradley.

Another brand I have worn for years and always loved is Kate Spade. My first piece came from my aunt and was from the Kate Spade Texas collection at Neiman Marcus (natch, it is denim). I occasionally still use it but only if I am looking for a urban-ish small purse when going out.

Other pieces I have found in the recent past that I love...:


The Stevie Nyack in orange. Yes, it is a baby bag... no, I don't totally care as the color is very cheerful and Hermes-esque!


The Eliza (short) in Atlantic Blue. I fell in love with this bag one day while at the Towson Nordstrom. Le sigh...


The Isabeli in Goldenrod. Isn't that a great bag? I love textures like ostrich. Perfect for going out, and I have a lot of Lilly P that would go with it!

Another thing of Kate Spade's that I reliably love are her shoes - check these babies out!


The Gillian in purple satin. What a gorgeous, sexy evening shoe, right? I would put this with something really plain and simple just to kick it up a notch!



I have a lot of simple work clothes in greys. They look great with my skin tone and I like them for court and generic office work. However, they are perfect to wear out to dinner as well. These shoes, the Chase in grey flannel, would be ideal for the cooler seasons!

I often get my KS items from Nordstrom, as there is no Neiman's nearby. However, the Zappos couture is a very nicely done website, so that is worth looking at as well!


Do you have any favorite Kate Spade pieces?

XO

Vera Bradley

I love the overly patterned, cotton washing-machine-friendly goodness that is Vera Bradley.

While my passion has certainly waned a bit since my Freshman year of college in 2003, or even when I was in boarding school before that... I still like the comfy goodness that is Vera Bradley when I go grocery shopping or am bumming around Charlottesville. The purses are great when you don't want to be handed yet another plastic bag, just stick something in a Vera Bradley!

Here are some of my current favorites:

The Frannie, in Very Berry Paisley:


The Side-By-Side Tote in Make Me Blush:


The Weekender in Symphony in Hue: (I have the laptop case in this pattern)


The Gabby in Imperial Toile:


The Metropolitan in Blue Rhapsody:



Now, I am not one of those Vera Bradley people who collects things in a certain pattern, but I'd love to know what products you all have by this brand! Or do you think it is too juvenile for you?

Do I want to be a Litigator?

Do I want to be a litigator? I was asked this question on Friday by my boss at my internship. She is a fantastic attorney, with a family life and is from a similar background as me (same congressional district, grew up on a farm in rural VA). She went to a small liberal arts college, and went to a great law school. Not a top 15, not a major player with BigLaw, but a great law school nonetheless. I honestly didn't know how to answer her question. I have not had a lot of opportunities to really figure it all out. I know where I don't want to work. I don't want to work in BigLaw, and I don't want to work for the Federal Government. I do want to work in Environmental Law, and I don't want to do Policy and having to be an ass-kisser and push policy in DC. I want to work where I am currently interning, or someplace similar to it. And I do ideally want to stay in Virginia, at least for the next five years. I don't really have a choice in that matter, anyway.

But I do not have experience, or a lot of it anyway, of speaking in public. I used to perform in public, when I still sang, but that isn't the same thing. I used to act, but I really don't find that to be the same either. You are given a script then, and when you are practicing law you have to be quick with words or you lose the attention of the jury, judges, whomever you are speaking to. I think those qualities are important.

"There's very little difference in the way great men and great women lawyers conduct themselves in the courtroom, U.S. District Judge Norma L. Shapiro told a group of about 500 women at the ABA's Women in Law Leadership Academy in Philadelphia Thursday afternoon.

But there are some things women could do better, the three judges on the panel agreed.

"Women in general lack the confidence that men seem to have in the courtroom," said Shapiro, who sits on the federal court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

And that's a problem. If the attorney doesn't have confidence in herself, neither will the judge or jury, she said. The trick is to exude confidence -- something Shapiro and the other panelists agreed was difficult to do without first some successes under their belt.

So what to do if a lawyer is new to the courtroom and doesn't have the confidence in her skills?

"You pretend. You fake it," Shapiro said, adding that being prepared helps."

Taken from: http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202457596418
Title: Judges Provide Tips for Female Litigators
Author: Gina Passarella
Publication: The Legal Intelligencer
Publisher: ALM Media, Inc.
Date: May 4, 2010
Copyright © 2010, ALM Properties, Inc

I've always been able to "fake it til I make it". I have always done that pretty well. But what we are talking about here is still faking some kind of confidance. I was born with a pretty decent attitude about myself, but not a great ability in hiding my fears. I have a circulatory issue that makes my voice shake and limbs tremble, a lot. I have a splotchy skin on my chest and neck problem that shows up pretty well when I have a problem with someone, whether when I am angry/upset/hurt. Obviously, in a court room I would be covered up pretty well, but it isn't like I can go to court in a turtleneck.

Over the next several months, a year, really, while I prepare for taking the LSAT after graduating... I will eventually need to figure out what I want to do. And maybe it will be me as a "litigatrix".

Kennedy's Miniseries Pull

What a bummer!

The Kennedy's Miniseries on the History Channel has been pulled from their schedule. I know it caused some controversy on some things, but still, what hasn't in terms of perspective, interpretation and freedom of expression? Especially in film. Isn't that why it isn't just interviews and photos/old video clips... that kind of documentary?

What a stupid thing to blow up in terms of media coverage, magazine covers, etc. and then abruptly pull for "historical fiction." Um, half of the people portrayed are dead, so I am not sure how they check their sources on things like JFK's sex life outside of his marriage anyway! Besides, they have to figure out what happened the day JFK was shot in terms of Jackie's perspective in some way, so why not go for a well-cast dramatization mini-series? If the cast didn't approve of lines or find them unethical, they can request changes, and sometimes those requests are actually considered.



Shame. It seems well done. Maybe it will be like The Reagans and be picked up by Showtime, or possibly even HBO. It is dumb that the History Channel will show crap about ghosts and aliens, and not this show.

Favorite Women: Katharine Hepburn

Growing up, one of my favorite women was Katharine Hepburn.



This is probably because my Grandmama looked a lot like her growing up.

And as I got older a beau compared me to her at one point, calling me "Hepburn-esque," likely one of the best compliments I will ever earn in my lifetime.



Some of my favorite quotes by Ms. Hepburn:

"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything."



"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."



"We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers - you can blame anyone but never blame yourself. It's never your fault. But it's always your fault, because if you wanted to change, you're the one who has got to change. It's as simple as that, isn't it?"



"It would be a terrific innovation if you could get your mind to stretch a little further than the next wisecrack."



"Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don't do that by sitting around wondering about yourself."



Those of you who follow my Twitter or know me personally know that I have had a rough week. This quote by her has always made me feel better:

"Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you have got not to forget to laugh."

(Photos from Getty Images archive)

Wedding Day Jewelry

Because my ring looks like this:



And side view:



And I love pearls...

M told me, in a perfect world, he would love to give me a set of jewelry that would incorporate my new sapphire engagement ring and my love of pearls. As my current set of pearls are mounted on gold, I would love to add a set with platinum or silver as it's mounting material to incorporate my platinum ring. He said maybe he will be able to surprise me with a piece, which I would be thrilled to add onto over the years.

The Elements of Life: Ocean Collection:



Mikimoto writes of their collection saying:

Mikimoto's Elements of Life collection illustrates the company's ongoing initiative to incorporate colour into their jewellery collections. Water, Fire, Earth and Air are the four key elements of life forming harmony in the universe and unity among all living things. The use of coloured gemstones is a natural progression for Mikimoto. The broad range of coloured sapphires contrasts beautifully with cultured pearls.

The first collection to be launched in the UK is Ocean from Elements of Life, which is inspired, by the element of Water. Water represents purity and is known as the sustainer of life. The ocean, the oyster's natural habitat and the birthplace of pearls reflects shades of blue which is interpreted by Mikimoto using graduated shades of blue sapphires adding sparkle to white cultured pearl jewellery designs. Ocean from Elements of Life features necklaces, earrings and rings set with Akoya or White South Sea pearls complemented by graduated shades of blue sapphires.

Has anyone seen this collection before? It is by Mikimoto and is sold in the Virginia area by both Fink's Jewelers and Schwarzchild.

There is a drop necklace:


A stud necklace:


Drop earrings:


And bracelet:


There are many other pieces, but these are my favorites! What do you think?