Fall Staples, Part 1

These items have been heavily rotated in and out of my closet since the air has turned crisp here in Manhattan.



I've been wanting the Patagonia Women's Down Sweater Vest for so, so long. This was my "YAY you're going to Israel; take this with you" gift from Mom and Dad. I'm told the weather is quite temperamental there in the winter months so this seems like the perfect piece. No shopping bag necessary. I wore this baby outta the store!



I professed my love for the Tory Burch Selma Riding Boot in August, bought them in September (I'm so glad I waited - I saved $150!), and my adoration only grows. I've been wearing these almost every day recently. It's been too cold for ballet flats! (*It now looks like TB is sold out of the brown, but that's the color I got. My friend Dollface has the black and those are great, too!)



The Vineyard Vines Sakonnet Silk Top has been a great transition piece and in my opinion can be worn (appropriately*) almost any day of the year. Can't say that about most clothing items. It looks great with white jeans, blue jeans, and skirts. Most importantly, it's incredibly flattering! (*Navy is the great equalizer of Waspy fashion.)



Plays well with others! I initially tried wearing this J. Crew large resin necklace on its own but quickly realized that it works better as part of trio. I pair it with two other J. Crew necklaces and it's real fun. Big fan of their jewels. It makes a statement, but a quiet, mild mannered one.


What have you been wearing a lot of lately?

Sprucing up the shoebox

Well, my parents decided to take back the vintage Beatles posters above my bed, so I had to do something fun with that wall. I've been collecting prints for awhile now and I'm really happy with the way this came out.



Yikes! Bad lighting. You're gonna have to zoom in on these to get a real feel for how this all looks.


These prints are Rifle Paper Co. - right outta my old stomping grounds of Winter Park, FL! I initially discovered Rifle greeting cards while shopping for Valentines last year, but I discovered these prints recently and fell in love.



I saw this January Jones print featured on both Real Simple and the lovely Vineyard Loveknots and knew I had to have it. If you look closely, you can see a dotted trail from Miami to Dallas to New York! My three favorite cities. A personalized print at a very fair price.



Ahhh. My two very favorite handbags, the Chanel 2.55 (though mine has a silver chain) and the Louis Vuitton Speedy. These are Emma Kisstina - I bought them ages ago and am so excited to finally have them up!



I matted and framed this NIQUEA.D greeting card. "Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air." Emerson. Brilliant and so very me, no?



As promised, here's the wreath on my front door. I tied it up with green ribbon because that was all I had. I need to change it to gold, though. My dad came over and frowned.

There's a wreath on my door and I'm going to Israel

Back in September, I posted about the beginning of my Birthright journey. Shortly after, I did my interview, got all of my ducks in a row, and waited to hear if I'd get to travel to the holy land.

Well... when I was sitting in the Charlotte airport on Sunday, I got the email... I'm going to Israel! I leave December 14. Seven weeks from tomorrow.

Thus far I only have my flight information. I am not-so-patiently waiting to hear more... such as the trip itinerary, a packing list, and whether or not I get to meet my fellow travelers before we depart. The last part is what I'm most antsy about. (I know, you're shocked it's not the packing.) I've heard mumblings from former Birthrighters that a happy hour or some other event is held prior to the trip so that you're not traveling with a bunch of complete strangers. I also heard something about a Facebook group. So that we can all spy on each other before meeting face-to-face? Awesome.

I have to say that while I'm a melting pot of emotion, a lot has changed since the stomachache inducing process of registering. Yes, "nervousness" and "anxiety" are undoubtedly in the mix, but "excitement" and "curiosity" are much higher up on the list. I know that if I didn't do this, I'd regret it for the rest of my life. I am literally getting in under the wire. I am so lucky.

I promise to keep you posted of all the developments in the next two months. You all have been so supportive and it means so much. I cannot believe that ten years later, I am finally going to Israel. It's a dream come true - don't let me tell you otherwise.

P.S. I'll post photos of the wreath tomorrow.

36 hours in God's Country

Saturday, I traveled to the Carolinas (flew into Charlotte, NC and spent the evening in Sparkle City, SC) for my best friend AEG's engagement party. What an enchanting weekend! We just had the best time celebrating the happy couple. My trip began with a Bojangles biscuit and ended with a bowl of mac 'n cheese. I was so thrilled to be there and my only regret is not taking more photos. Why do I ALWAYS do that? I never want to be the annoying girl with the camera, but then I get home and wish I had been. I must find a happy medium.



With the beautiful bride and another one of her bridesmaids. Love these ladies!



WAAAAAH - you can tell I've already had too much wine by this point because I can't open my eyes all the way for the photo. I still j'adore it though!


Met such awesome people this weekend which makes me look even more forward to the wedding! In the meantime though, can't wait to be my best bride's right hand man. What do you say doll - you, me, a stack of bridal magazines and the Drybar soon? ;)

Sigh. I miss the South already. I did make my intentions of meeting a Southern Jewish lad known though, so now I have lots of good people on the lookout!

Pumpkins and pine cones and wreaths, oh my!

This afternoon, my dear friend Blair's Headband and I took a trip to Manhattan's Upper West Side. The main purpose of our jaunt uptown was to check out Michael's, but we were pleasantly surprised to find a mecca of suburbia, right in the middle of our city. Nestled right beside Michael's was T.J.Maxx, Home Goods, and Whole Foods!


Here I am, waiting in line with my goodies. I was so excited to be back in Michael's - it ALWAYS reminds me of living in Texas. (This is probably the one and only time I'll be thankful for my BlackBerry camera and its fuzzy photos - because I wasn't wearing a stitch of makeup so the blur seems to be working in my favor!)

I have been wanting to make a mini wreath for my front door, and this seemed like the perfect resource. I picked up a six inch wreath and a wired glitter garland.



I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. It's beyond simple, which is exactly what I wanted. I can't wait to buy a hook so I can hang it on my front door. I just hope no one steals it!



I also picked up a bag of miniature scented pine cones. They just smelled so darn good. I live for fall scents! I filled a few mason jars (seals off) with them...



...and used the rest (including those adorable tiny pumpkins!) for my cake plate center piece.

I sure have loved getting crafty lately. What DIY projects have you been up to?

Florida Finds

I headed down to the West Coast of Florida this past weekend to visit my (now famous) Nana! Many of you got to enjoy her humor and wit via #nanatweets. That woman is one of a kind and I sure do love her!



We enjoyed a little shopping, our obligatory dinner at Bonefish Grill (pictured above), many a game of Rummikub, and watching the sunset nightly.



I actually managed to be productive and get quite a bit of holiday shopping done while down south. And of course, I found a few goodies for myself! All at great prices, however...




I can't tell you how many times I've almost bought this Jonathan Adler Desk Dock Organizer in Greek Key for the full price of $25.00, so you can imagine my excitement when I found it at T.J.Maxx for just $9.99! It was the only one left so I scooped it up immediately, but there were some other JA goods I adored as well. I had limited room in my suitcase so this is the only item that made it home with me, but I will certainly be checking out the local locations!




I was also thrilled when I spotted these sparkly red tights at the kate spade outlet for just $7! can't wait to pair these with dresses and my plaid Milly coat for a fun holiday look!

My goodness do I love a good bargain! Now, the search for the perfect holiday card continues...

JGIWC travel essentials

I'm sitting in Terminal 5 at JFK, waiting to board my flight to Florida and thinking about my travel essentials, as I've been jet setting more often than usual lately. Wanted to share with you what I can't board without...

My Love Quotes scarf... It's bone colored so it goes with everything. Ideal for travel because it's lightweight but keeps me warm. I'm always freezing on planes. Great investment! (available on Shopbop)

My iPad... So I can read and blog, like right now :)

Magazines... I must, must, MUST have reading material for the times that I am unable to access my IPad. For today's flight I have Glamour, US Weekly, and Yoga Journal.

Gum... My ears don't pop anymore, but chewing on gum kind of calms my nerves. I like fruity flavors... Today it's Trident Vitality Vigorate.

Advil... I get headaches rather frequently.

Makeup bag... Not my main one, but a smaller one with the essentials... Trisha McEvoy palette, mini brushes, pony-o's (MUST), lip gloss, cleansing wipes, and hairspray. You never know who you'll end up sitting next to (or running into!)

Time to board! What can't you travel without? Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Change your resistance, change your body, change your mind... Change anything you want

My spin instructor said this a few days ago and I keep coming back to it. This has been a year of change, most notably for both my body and mind. This is the healthiest and strongest I've ever been - both physically and emotionally.

Lately I've needed (and made) a lot of changes. Sometimes it's something as small as changing the wallpaper on my phone. (You spend, or at least I spend, a lot of time looking at my phone. It should be updated often and display something that makes me smile each time you see it!) Other times, it takes a bit more effort than pushing a few buttons.

I've decided to dine out less so that I could go to Soul Cycle more. The classes are pricey but so rewarding. I'm happy to give up a few restaurant meals for the feeling I get during that last sprint. It is more than worth the trade off.

I've realized that there are certain people who have only had a negative impact on me lately and whom I can no longer have in my life. This wasn't as much a decision as it was a promise to myself - to make a conscious effort not to let those sort of people stick around as long (or at all) next time. And not to take any more crap. I deleted numbers from my phone and went on about my day. Simple as that.

I've discovered that it's much easier for me to get out of bed in the morning (not to mention get up on time) if my home is organized and tidy. If only I had known this in high school. I now pay much more attention to my surroundings and make sure that the shoebox is always in tip top shape. You never know who's going to pop by!

Speaking of the shoebox... sometimes all I need a change of scenery.



The beginnings of a new centerpiece for my dining table (slash desk). Figuring out what else I want to add to it.

What changes have you made or are you making?

A whale of a sample sale

Last weekend, one of my favorite brands, vineyard vines, held a sample sale in Greenwich, CT. On Friday it was invitation only and on Saturday the sale was open to the public. I was lucky to score two tickets to the former.


You may remember that I attended the sale two years ago. The deals were so amazing that I went a little crazy. I was much more careful this year as I've recently downsized, both in terms of living space and wardrobe capacity. I went in knowing about how much I wanted to spend and that I would only buy things I really saw myself wearing for years to come. I ended up with a few really great pieces.




This ruffled oxford goes perfectly with my Tie Gal Skirt and will look great under my Fuller Street V-Neck Sweater. Not to mention this will pair well with navy shorts or jeans.




I had my eye on this dress and matching blazer for months, and I was so thrilled to see these in my size at the sale. I'm glad I waited as this was a great investment for a small price. We all know I love a good match set, and I think this is incredibly chic. I can wear these together for a party or break them up for more casual occasions. Gold strappy heels and pearls will complete the look come spring. The dress straps are removable!




I threw away all but one pair of pajama pants when I moved into the shoebox back in June, planning to get a few new pairs once the weather cooled off. I included these Knit Lazy Pants in the "College Survival Kit" I made for my little sister back in August and have wanted a pair ever since. I was elated to scoop these up in my size and have already worn them.



Thank you to my dear friends at vineyard vines for thinking of me! I'm so glad I was able to attend and am so pleased with all of my finds.

Jewish girl sends Waspy cards

Today I am having a serious Jewish Girl in Wasp's Clothing moment. We're well into October, which means I'm starting to think about the holidays. Currently, I am shopping for cards, which is always a point of contention for me. While I celebrate Hanukkah, most of my friends do not. I always feel a little stuck in the middle. My standard greeting in December is 'Happy Holidays' and I never feel awkward or offended if someone wishes me a Merry Christmas. I see the season in beautiful lights and generous spirits, not menorahs or trees. I don't feel comfortable sending cards specific to either holiday, so I always try to find a happy (holiday) medium.




Two years ago, I made these photo cards Snapfish. These were a bit Christmassy but lights strung on palm trees remind me of growing in Miami, so it felt like a nonsectarian choice to me.




Last year, I sent these Hello Lucky polar bear cards. Love these, but can't send the same thing two years in a row!



This year, I'd like to get a little creative and step outside of the box. I'm thinking of using Etsy as a resource for cards, gifts, and general holiday cheer. Lately, I've felt really inspired to be more crafty and resourceful.

Have you started shopping for cards yet? Do you have similar struggles to me this time of year?

Party Booth

I just saw the Party Booth photos from the wedding and wanted to share a few with you...























The last two are my favorites. This was my first Party Booth experience and I thought it was a ton of fun! What a great idea for a wedding.

P.S. Though these were self taken with a remote control, I want to give major props to the event photographers, Studio 222! If you are in the Central Florida area and looking, I highly recommend!

Cocktail Party for 2

My parents had lots of dinner parties when I was little. I loved mingling with all the guests and playing hostess. When it came time for me to go to bed, I insisted that every single guest come into my bedroom (all one at a time, of course) to bid me good night. Even if I didn't know their name. I'd tell my mom to send in the lady wearing the red high heels. Anything to stay up just a bit later. I never wanted to miss out on any of the fun.

My parents taught me two things about hosting that I try to apply to everything I do. 1) You should always have more food than you need; and 2) Presentation is everything. When I ate breakfast as a child, milk was served in a small pitcher next to my cereal bowl and syrup was served in a small pitcher next to my waffles, rather than the jugs they came from. My mom has a rule that no commercial containers should ever be on the table. This used to annoy me (we ran back and forth to the kitchen ten times for ketchup during family barbecues; one ramekin isn't enough for me, let alone eight of us) but now I see the point. It's something that takes little effort and time but instantly upgrades the setting and elevates the atmosphere.

It's many years later and my quarters are far smaller than that beautiful home on the sunny Coral Gables block, but I still really love to play hostess. As long as I'm living in The Shoebox, however, I can really only entertain one person at a time. So I decided to invite my gal pal BHB over for wine and appetizers to satiate my hunger for party planning.




I wrote this out initially so that I'd know what to buy at the market, but this sparked an idea that perhaps I'd like a mini chalkboard easel to display a menu for future home hosted happy hours.




The spread. I mixed and matched but I think the monograms and the pops of color made it ultimately Teddi.




I converted my personalized cutting board into a makeshift cheese platter. It worked out quite nicely, but I certainly need a new knife. The top cheese was some sort of fig and honey blend and it was really interesting.




My dad got me those gorgeous flowers at a hidden gem of a florist in the East Village. I live for big, beautiful blooms in a very simple vase. I always love a good excuse to use my monogrammed wine chiller.




These monogrammed wine glasses were a Hanukkah gift from AEG!




I surprised BHB with Baked by Melissa cupcakes for dessert!



We sat and ate and gabbed for hours and just had the best time. I have tons of leftovers! Who's coming over next?

Recent Reads

As many of you know, I got a Nook for Hanukkah two years ago. Around the same time last year, I was given an iPad. It felt selfish to keep two eReaders so I gave Perri the Nook and I downloaded Nook for iPad, which I've gotten quite a lot of use out of. I always like to tell people what I'm reading and ask for recommendations in return. Maybe we can start a JGIWC book club?

Here's what I've read recently...




Skinny by Diana Spechler

The author is actually a friend of mine, and I'm just so proud of her. This book is clever and fresh and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.




Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

While I think JCS is a great writer, I have to say that I didn't love this book, and I didn't love her first one, Commencement, either. While I think she developed the characters incredibly well, I find her stories to be very depressing and I left this book feeling a little empty.




Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

This is the final installment of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants set. This book was a tearjerker - I rarely cry while reading, but this did me in. It was tough to read at times but I loved the movies and I think it's always nice to see how something ends.




Being Kendra: Cribs, Cocktails, and Getting my Sexy Back by Kendra Wilkinson

I couldn't not read this. We all know she's my favorite Playboy bunny and while this is far from a literary breakthrough, her honesty is refreshing and I love learning about her life.




Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

If you feel like all of your friends are getting married and all you're getting is left in the dust, please read this book. If you are in your twenties and live in New York City, please read this book. Hell, even the engaged and married gals are going to like this one. It's written with a dry wit and is laugh out loud funny. I couldn't put it down and I'm actually sad it's over!



Currently, I'm reading Blueprints for Building Better Girls by Elissa Schappell and really enjoying it. What have you read lately? Do you have any suggestions for me?

In My Life, I Love You More

This past weekend, I traveled to Orlando for the wedding of one of my dearest friends. I had the esteemed honor of being a bridesmaid. I can't believe it has come and gone; I feel like we talked about it for so long and it always seemed so far away and now, I'm so sad that it's over. It was a beautiful, intimate affair with lots of special details. I just had the best time. Here are some of my favorite photos!




The bride with most of her bridal party at the salon. We went to Kendall & Kendall in Winter Park, which is actually where I used to get my hair done before I moved up North.




The dress was chic, elegant, and understated. And she looked perfect in it.




Bridesmaids in the bathtub! I absolutely adore these ladies. We didn't all know one another prior but it was such a great group and we had a ton of fun. Our dresses are LulaKate.




The ceremony music was centered around the Beatles, which I absolutely loved. The wedding party walked down the aisle to "With a Little Help from my Friends", the bride walked down the aisle to "Here Comes the Sun" and we all exited to "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da". The couple's first dance was to "In My Life".




This was the exact moment I began to cry. What a breathtaking bride!




They were married on a beautiful Florida fall day.




Such a happy couple!




I got to catch up with some sorority sisters that I don't get to see often, which was really lovely.




I loved this Charles Schultz quote framed next to the cake. "All you need is love. But, a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." Among many other things, the bride and I share a serious love for Snoopy!




We had tons of fun with the party booth and I can't wait to see all the photos we took in it. I love this girl so much!




Sadly, the photos of me doing Thriller came out really blurry. Here I am dancing with the bride and the maid of honor. Her wedding is next month, and she's already assured me that her DJ knows to play Thriller! Love that all my girlfriends are making a point to play my song at their weddings. Feels like Kappa formal all over again!



A huge congratulations to S & J! Thank you so much for letting me be part of your big day!

P.S. I got the most amazing airbrush tan at Sun Mist in College Park and I promised the owner I'd recommend her to all my friends. Tell her Teddi sent you!