R-O-C-K In the USA

Sissies-

While perusing Vogue.com I came across Balmain 2012 Resort collection and fell in love with the their interpretation of Rocker Glam. Here are the looks that I love, they are edgy but still have just the right amount of femininity mixed in....



Love the sequin jacket!




Glitter tuxedo pant! Elvis would be so proud ;)




I really love the color Mint right now and here it softens the glam look


Now I just need a place to wear all of these fun looks. Vegas anyone?

love, from SF :)

Cute Idea...

Sissies-

As you both know, I am not one for organization. HOWEVER, I think these chalkboard jars are a pretty great idea! Kathleen, I can totally see you doing this! All you need is a canning jar and chalkboard paint (found at local home goods store).

image and idea via Wit & Whistle

Side note: This jar reminds me that I have been saying Acai wrong this whole time! It is actually pronounced 'Ah-Sigh-EE'! Dang... 

love from SF!

A Poet You Should Know

Sisters,

Last Monday I forced you to read an article, this week I am begging you to spare a few minutes to watch Joshua Bennett perform his poetry at President Barack Obama's Evening of Poetry and Music at the White House (that is a really long event name...wooh).  He is a crazy talented poet with some serious credentials.  Joshua has recited his original poetry at events such as the Sundance Film Festival, the NAACP Image Awards and The Kennedy Center's "American Playlist".

He is also a very dapper dresser.  He is currently studying in London and whoisbobbparris snapped this photograph of him.  Not too bad, huh?  Also, In her post about Joshua she references Street Etiquette,  which you should wander to sometime soon. 

Happy Monday!

I'm Blue

Dear Sissies-

I should really say 'Dear Christina' because my post today is all about how jealous I am of Kathleen's time in Greece. She gets to relax on a sunny island of blue and white beauty, while I am stuck in a foggy 55 degrees. So last night I took some time to look at images of Santorini and imagine myself frolicking by the sea.

My imaginary frolicking looked a little something like this...

xoxo,

freezing in san francisco

A Woman's Place

Sisters,

A friend tipped me off to an article in the New Yorker about Sheryl Sandberg, the current COO of Facebook and former VPof Global Online Sales and Operations at Google.

The article is a must read and a great a conversation starter.  Sandberg has had an extroadinarily successful career and this article addresses her influential presence in the male dominated Silicon Valley.  I walked away from the article:

Wrestling with her statements about motherhood: 
She struggled with her own work-life balance, and developed a sense that too many women at Google and elsewhere were dropping out of the workforce after becoming mothers, in part because they had not pushed to get a job they loved before they began having children. In her six years at Google, she had hired scores of male and female executives, but, she says, “the men were getting ahead. The men were banging down the door for new assignments, promotions, the next thing to do, the next thing that stretches them. And the women—not all, most—you talked them into it. ‘Don’t you want to do this?’ ”   And later in the article: She said, “The No. 1 impediment to women succeeding in the workforce is now in the home. . . . Most people assume that women are responsible for households and child care. Most couples operate that way—not all. That fundamental assumption holds women back.” The second impediment is guilt, she said. “I feel guilty working because of my kids. I do. I feel guilty. In my TED talk, I’m talking to myself, too. I’m not just talking to other people. I have faced every one of those things myself.”
 
Reflecting on "success and likability":
Sandberg says she eventually realized that women, unlike men, encountered tradeoffs between success and likability. The women had internalized self-doubt as a form of self-defense: people don’t like women who boast about their achievements. The solution, she began to think, lay with the women. She blamed them more for their insecurities than she blamed men for their insensitivity or their sexism.


Thinking about selflessness among women:When Summers travelled by limousine or airplane, Sandberg gave up her seat next to him to make sure that other officials and staffers got time with the boss. “A key part of what Sheryl does in her life is helping people advance, to be seen and to be heard,” David Fischer


Don't let a case of the mondays keep you from this article...take time to read it sisters!

A Women's Place, by Ken Auletta in the New Yorker
TEDS Talk, December 2010







 

"Head" Over Heals...

Sissies-

For a while now I couldn't decide whether or not I liked all the head planters that I have been seeing around. I found it slightly creepy to have plants growing out of a ceramic head. But alas, they have grown on me. Here are some of my favorites:

via Floral Art LA

via pinterest

via glitter guide

Or I could opt for the cheaper (and more patriotic) version: Chia Head???

{no offense Mr. President, but it is not quite as chic}

xoxo,
the green thumb in SF

Summertime Pie

Ok Sisters - LOOK AT THIS PIE!  I wish I could take credit for this beautiful creation, but we all know better.  This is yet another perfect pie at the hands of To Kiss the Cook.  While Bob and I were in Maine (more to come on this topic later) I attempted my very first pie with the help of Amy.  It went well, but I called my dear friend, and pie extrodenaire, for a proper pie lesson.  I chose strawberry rhubarb because it seems to be a summer favorite and strawberries were on sale.  I do not regret my choice!

PIE FILLING 
1.5 containers (16 oz) of strawberries
3 stalks of rhubarb cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of clove
Juice from 1/4 of an orange
A pinch of salt

PIE CRUST AND BAKING INSTRUCTIONS

Check out the most recent pie post at TKTC for full instructions! 

Lessons Learned:

1. Making your own pie crust is simpler than I had expected and the end result is totally worth it.
2. Many pie recipes call for more sugar than is needed.  Enjoy nature's sweetness and cut the sugar in half or so. 
3. Practice makes perfect and even the "failed" attempts taste pretty good.
4. A cute apron makes baking so much better.  Here is the adorable TKTC in her cute apron showing off her impressively large bag of brown sugar.

 

  Happy Baking!

Fashion Crossing

Sissies-

Remember my post of the Elle cover that I loved? Well when I saw this Tommy Ton photo, I felt like it was as if that cover came to life (and found a few new fashion moguls to hang out with):

I certainly am glad that I was not crossing the street at the same time as these ladies... definitely not a self esteem booster. {I was obviously in Paris for Couture week ;) so there was a good chance that our paths could have crossed}

Hats off to Summer!

Girls!

With the summer quickly progressing I sadly have to say I haven’t made it to the pool or beach as much as I would like, but every time I have gone I can not get over the amount of adorable big floppy hats that I see. As you all know I have never been one to shy away from the sun but whether you are protecting your face from the elements or just going for a daytime chic look, nothing tops off your summer wardrobe better than one of these great hats. All shapes and sizes will do, but I have to say I have my eye on Blake Lively's entire look, including the wine bottle popping out of her purse.  Great look for a summer picnic!

XOXO from the Chi,

Matty

Good Bless America & Great Food

Oh what a GLORIOUS holiday weekend it was...so sad to see it come and go.  There is nothing better than getting together with good friends and family to celebrate what many of us consider to be the greatest holiday.  Over the 4th of July festivities one of my favorite events was going to a rooftop party at my friend Josh's beautiful apartment.  Living in Chicago there are many things to love but this view on a private rooftop pretty much sums it up.

Katie, Amie, and I could not stop gushing about this delicious grilled corn and tomato dip that I just had to share with you all.

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ears corn, grilled in the husk, kernels removed
• 1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla), halved and thinly sliced
• 1 pint Sweet 100 tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Combine the vinegar, basil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Can be made 2 hours in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.

Combine the corn kernels, onion and tomato in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat, season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Top with crumbled blue cheese and garnish with basil sprigs just before serving. Salad can be made 1 day in advance and served cold or at room temperature.

***Also if you are not a big blue cheese fan, which I am not…Feta is a great alternative. Serve with chips as a dip or a side garnish at your next BBQ***

XoXo from the Windy City,
Your Cousin Matty