Fall Fashion Favorites 2011

Fall fashion month is officially over. To catch up on some personal favorites that graced the runway this season please keep reading.

Akris: With all my favorite colors... browns, taupes, rusts, greys, and black Akris has managed to make a collection that makes you want Fall to come early. And that's saying a lot!

 Check out more Akris here.

Alexis Mabille: Flirty and feminine looks that would make their way perfectly into my wardrobe. Paisleys and plaids meet with bright piping and bold colored buttons to make a gypsy gal feel comfortable in the business world.

See more Alexis Mabille here.

Kenzo: More plaids! Here they are used in long flowing gowns and skirts paired with layers of lovely fabric. Texturized with velvets and mixed with florals this collection is gorgeous!

Check out more Kenzo here.

Haider Ackermann: Leather, fur, and sequins... oh yeah! If you can look past the hair on the models to the beauty and draped structure that is Ackermann's latest collection, you will find true art. Not sure how comfortable this line would be to wear... but I would sure try. LOVE! Just don't look at the hair tragedy that tops this wonderful collection.

 For more Haider Ackermann go here.

Isabel Marant: With Native American flair... featuring embroidery, fringe, fur and leather, Isabel Marant has made a very strong collection. for me it reminds me of my love for the deserts of Southern California. I'd love to rock all of these looks!

Check out More Isabel Marant here.

Sacai: Lace and mesh fabrics in olives, browns and reds makes for a utilitarian look in Sacai's Fall 2011 collection. Drawing the eye to small details that truly complete each look. Think glam outdoors.

And last but not least- Carven: Carven has proven itself to be an amazing fashion house over the years. And they do not dissapoint this season either. However, these pictures are a little dark... so you'd better bet I'm ready for the full set to be up on their own website. 

Check out more here.

Hope you enjoyed my picks for Fall 2011 as much as I enjoyed them.

The Weirdest Beers You Might Actually Want to Drink

The Weirdest Beers You Might Actually Want to Drink

Um, roadkill beer? Really?

The ultimate home brewer: Obama brewing for St.Patrick’s White House bash

The ultimate home brewer: Obama brewing for St.Patrick’s White House bash

And check out the Obama food blog here. Cheers!

30 Fabulous Shoes for Spring

30 Fabulous Shoes for Spring

Craft Food: From NYC to Oakland

I've long been a fan of hand crafted goods... with etsy.com being a bookmark in every browser I've ever used. I love that people in my age group are trying to keep old school crafts alive. We have to, of course before all crafts die out. We can't let our grandparents be the last of the true pioneers.

So we forge on into the known and unknown to find better ways of making things... and in smaller more specialized batches we have succeeded. With the old adage of "less is more" 20 and 30 somethings throughout the good old USA are forging a path for greatness that would make our fore-fathers proud.

Whether it be wooden i-pod cases, home-made scarfs, or craft beers and ice-cream we have made sure that the technology of today does not make the arts of the past obsolete. Cheers to my lovely generation!

I'll start off by mentioning a few of my latest finds from a small town named Brooklyn(ha).

For chocolate lovers... or maybe even those, like myself who aren't really fans, check out Mast Brothers Chocolate. Rick and Michael have made a hobby into a day job. Making amazing chocolate such as these:

Grand Cru: This dark chocolate is crafted using beans exclusively farmed and harvested for Mast Brothers. From under the forest canopies in Patanemo, Venezuela, this prized cacao reigns supreme. Look for buttery notes of cinnamon and spice. Simply elegant (81% cacao). 

Fleur de Sel: The original salted chocolate, this has become a New York classic. Our sea salt is hand harvested by the Guerande paludiers in the traditional method. This finishing salt melts in your mouth whilst putting a magnifying glass over the already complex berry forward cacao.


They even make a chocolate with Serrano Peppers! Check out their site here. Oh, and did I mention they are both quite adorable?

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And for craft beer geeks who like to pair their chocolate with great beer there is Brooklyn Brewery.

Brooklyn Brewery offers many brews ranging from Pilsner to Stout and everything in between. Some of my favorites are their Black Chocolate Stout and the Cuve De Cardoz. Delicious! Check out the rest of their offerings here.

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And to keep up with my own new obsession... BEER FLOATS!!! I offer up the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. 

I apologize for always mentioning ice cream and beer in the same blog post... but what can I say? When I find something good I become a little bit of a fanatic. The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory offers cups and cones of all of your old time favorites like Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee, and Butter Pecan. Oh and don't forget the epic view. Check out their site here.

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And if you thought that chocolate, beer and ice cream weren't enough... check out this new recipe posted on the Oakland, CA based Drake's Brewery site.

Hopocalypse Shake n’ Bake Hop Fried Chicken

 Oh, and don't forget that, like wine, beer in a recipe means the same beer should be in your glass. So grab a pint of Drake's Hopocalypse IIPA and start cooking.

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Happy Thursday!!!

Top Food and Fashion News for March 1st

First and foremost I must say that the firing of John Gallliano from Dior is by far the most news worthy story of the day. And as most of us probably feel, we wish it were just that... a tall tale, a scary story, a fairy-tale gone awry. But alas this news is true!

Read the rest of the story here: WWD

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And if that doesn't drive most fashionistas to drink, these two stories might....

Vintage America: A new wine column is popping up on Eater.com, featuring Talia Baiocchi, author of the Decanted column on EaterNY. Each week she will be taking a look at winemaking in the US from coast to coast to uncover the people, events, and trends that have made America's Wine culture one of the most dynamic. Wine-o's everywhere unite!

And one my favorite news worthy items: Ommegang Brewery will be releasing a New Limited Edition Gnomegang! Ommegang was bought by Brasserie d'Achouffe(creators of La Chouffe and other delectable brews) in the Summer of 2010. Gnomegang is set to be released in the second quarter of 2011, so keep your mouths watering and your goblet's ready. Read more here: BeerAdvocate.com. And be sure to check in here for updates on its release.

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And last but not least... this peaked my interest. After all the above news I began to think, what could complete this day in news, hmm....

Homemade Ice Cream Beer Floats, anyone????!!!

The San Francisco based ice cream shop Humphrey Slocombe is producing a cookbook: The Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream Book will be the collaborative effort of Slocombe owners Jake Godby, Sean Vahey and Chronicle writer Paolo Lucchesi. Look out for these delicious pages to arrive in bookstores by the end of the year. Epic Christmas present? Read more here: sfweekly.com

And for those of you not in the know check out all the flavors currently on the menu at San Francisco's Humphrey Slocombe.

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Happy March 1st! Hope I gave you some wonderful things to think about... other than paying rent!