How Harper's Bazaar and Chloe's fashion director can improve your food day

There are certain magazine features I always enjoy. I’ve written about Us Weekly’s “What’s inyour bag”? but also make sure to read Bazaar’s “My List” where a designer or fashion VIP lists what happens in a typical day. Different from the gum and mints in US Weekly’s purse feature, these days discussed in Bazaar are super snooty. There’s always a little something international “calls with the Paris team” or “preparing for fashion week in” (insert amazing city). For about 30 seconds I feel boring and inferior in comparison (we all compare) but I push through this and read on. I focus on the meals or non-meals  mentioned. I think I'd rather know mundane details about someone's day than something scandalous.

The most recent “List” featured Clare Waight Keller. I had never heard of Clare (fashion director at Chloe) before reading about her 24 hours. So Clare, she has been known to step on her dog when she first wakes up. Before you feel badly for the dog rest assured he gets blowouts. I’m not sure why I wanted to know more but I did. We must not assume children in Paris eat better, Clare's children (twins “and a little one called Harrison”) have “pain au chocolat or a baguette with Nutella, or they might go for a peanut butter sandwich or cereal”. Back to Clare, her exercise includes walking her son (the one called Harrison) to school and “playing tennis in the woods on Saturdays.” She plays tennis in the woods “come rain, snow or anything” not sure if that makes her sound committed or silly (tennis in the snow?).

Clare doesn’t check email until 8am (no email in the kitchen) and follows fashion people “and a few surfers” on Instagram. Sure, I get the fashion/surfing connection…

I learn that they’re “launching” new fragrances at Chloe; I contemplate whether “launch” is a word I now hate but then I see something I really like love about Clare.

this circle is tough to read, happy to discover printed normally in the link/online

1:00 P.M. We're in France, so lunch is at one o'clock on the dot. Everybody vanishes and you cannot get a hold of anyone. Sometimes I eat with friends at a restaurant called Market, with colleagues in the office, or at my desk. I have something light, local, and organic—mostly salad.

Did you hear that? Everybody vanishes for lunch. They aren’t at their desk eating sad desk lunches or skipping THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY, they are having lunch or maybe “dunch” as I call it in Little Book of Thin (although a light, salad is not exactly dunch or the ideal lunch).

So, this week (regardless of the impending blizzard) focus on lunch. A solid lunch really sets you up for the rest of the day. As for the rest of Clare’s day? Even the most amazing blowout wouldn’t make it ok for you to step on me.

Why do you think we (I’m including you, I can’t be the only one) like reading about people’s day? Do you make lunch a priority? Do you read or watch anything that makes you feel your life is boring because you aren’t launching anything?

How are those white jeans fitting?

I thought the can’t wear white before Memorial Day or after Labor Day rule didn’t hold anymore. Sure there may be a few people who got this memo but not many according to Instagram. As I scrolled through my account this weekend, there were swarms of ladies in their stark white jeans. I didn’t wear white jeans this weekend but since it has been some time since I donned my pallid pants, I pulled them off my closet shelves to try them on.

I own three pair of white jeans. I put on the first. I’m sure many women like their jeans snug or form fitting but I’m not one of them. At a store where I shop at they joke that I like everything a size too big. I would say most people like things a size too small. I can guarantee the first pair I slipped (or pulled on with some effort) was the result of boutique peer pressure and I’m pretty sure I have never worn them out. In this Goldilocks of white jeans story the next pair was baggie and probably not the most flattering. And that third pair? It was the best of the three. Nothing needs to be sucked in and yet they would be suitable for going out to dinner.

To tell you the truth I get more excited about a summery dress than something I wear all year round in another color.  But white is de rigueur in summer  (which makes me like it less) so I did a little digging. While many fashion experts claim white doesn’t necessarily make you look heavier, I have multiple sources saying it’s less forgiving. There are a lot of theories about no white after Labor Day/only in summer ranging from white looks better when you are a little tan, white is difficult to keep clean and so with furnaces and fireplaces didn’t make sense. Who knows? All I know is chances are many of you pulled out and pulled on those white jeans this weekend, how’d it go?

Do you own white jeans? Do you use them to see how you feel body-wise? Are white jeans the new skinny jeans? Do you wear white pants all year round?

Truffle Popcorn, Football and the Ghastly Golden Globes

When we woke up yesterday it was 1 degree out here in Vermont. I did what any reasonable parent would do and sent my kids out to ski anyway. They had lots of layers and hand warmers. As selfish as I am, the guilt got the better of me and after I logged six miles on the “dreadmill” (not my term but so good) with no TV to distract me, turns out it was too cold for the satellite to work, they came home. We also had houseguests up and we prepared for a day with lots of cooking, fire tending, football and the Golden Globes.

For football snacks, I made a big bowl of popcorn with truffle salt (recipe below) that dwindled quickly. I also tweaked Ina Garten’s Baked Fontina and served it with endive and celery to “lighten” it. We held our breath as the Giants played the Packers and eased our nerves with a bottle of organic Syrah and Peak Organic pale ale. We all cheered as the Giants took the lead and continued to extend it. It was such a good reminder that reputation doesn’t always matter and that if you come ready to play, anyone can win. The Giants did convincingly.

Before baking, image it melted and browned....ahhhh

While awards were handed out at the Golden Globes, there weren’t a lot of winning looks as far as our jury of nine, kids and adults, concluded. There is so much that’s said about weight and dieting but at the end of the day it isn’t size that matters. I don’t know if it’s a trend but the bed head hair made many stars look unkempt. There was also this prostitute-like makeup look with very dark eyeliner and bright lips that in high definition looked a little scary (the previously primped Clare Danes comes to mind). Then there’s the issue of age appropriate. I am no longer 20 and should not dress or ask my dermatologist to make me look as though I am. We age and with that there has to be acceptance and some wardrobe considerations. My friend’s husband woke up this morning saying he had nightmares about Jessica Lange’s backless dress.  Maybe she didn’t expect to win and have to stand up but she did, not good.  There were highlights, Octavia Spencer from the Help looked lovely in lilac, Natalie Portman elegant as always and Sophia Vergara showed you can tone it down when necessary. She was pretty and polished.

Flattering, appropriate and that color? Amazing

This says star, also says stunning

So while we all spend tons of energy getting in shape, at the end of the day a hairbrush and a good tailor may be just as important. Oh and I am sending Angelina my cast iron pan with baked fontina.

Truffle Popcorn

Heat 1.5 Tbs coconut oil (or other oil) and ¼ cup organic popcorn covered over medium to medium high heat for 3 ½ minutes. Give the pot a shake a few times to avoid burning or sticking. Transfer to a bowl large enough to toss. Add 1 tsp. additional coconut oil or butter and ¼ tsp truffle salt or more to taste. Makes 8 to 10 cups. 

How was your Sunday? What are some of your favorite cold weather munchies? Did you watch the Globes? Any catty comments? What do you think about people with unlimited "help" looking scary?