All That Glitters is GOLD

I'm a woman who is always looking to add a little sparkle to my life, so today I'm going to talk about gold and sequins.  Don't judge me.

Dr. Susan Lisman is a friend of my mother's who spends half her year working as an Anesthesiologist in a Boston hospital, and the other half staying at her second home in Hawaii.  I know.  I hate her too.  She must have needed a way to pass the time between those spectacular Hawaiian sunsets, because she took up jewelry making as a hobby.  Her creations are one-of-a-kind, and customized for each customer.  I have no idea where she finds the incredible beads and clasps she uses, but they are truly breathtaking and have a level of detail I haven't seen anywhere else.  I was lucky enough to nag one of her designs to wear on my wedding day, and now whenever I feel I need a bit of extra sparkle.

This bracelet ran around $125.  I guarantee you, any of Dr. Lisman's creations look 1000% pricier than they actually are.  A well-kept little secret, Dr. Lisman doesn't even have a website of her own to refer you to.  Should you be able to track her down, she may just find the time to create YOUR perfect piece!


A stunning piece of jewelry needs equally stunning clothing to wear it with, which brings me to my quest for the perfect gold dress.


Thanks alot, Aidan Mattox for giving me another dress to lust after.  But...but...just LOOK at it! 

I have had it in my head that I need a gold dress for quite some time but (1) just couldn't find one I fell in love with and (2) didn't always have an event in mind I would actually want to wear one to.  It IS gold sequins we're talking about here.  You can't just wear those anywhere ;).

THIS is a dress you find and create events to wear for.  The fabric is stunning and unique - the perfect shade of gold sprinkled with sequins that are very tastefully done - not gaudy or blindingly shiny.  I love the draping and cut, and the skirt isn't too short.  What's not to love?  It's brilliant.  Gold sequin dresses have certainly been done many times before by many different designers, but I hereby nominate this one for the most perfect version...EVER.

Now when the hell could I wear it?  Valentines Day dinner, perhaps?

* spyed at:  New York Dolls of Mount Kisco - Mount Kisco, NY

Currently Coveting: Tory Burch Resort Collection

Tory Burch has some pretty amazing pieces in her Spring / Resort 2012 collection.  Full of vibrant prints and color, these pieces make me want to drop everything and go on vacation.  The best part about the collection, though, is that you don't HAVE to go on vacation to wear them.  Many items are just versitile enough to make them work for the office once the weather gets warm again.

This colorful confection is next on my list.  I am loving the floral print and it's a cinch to dress up with wedges and a cardigan for work or down with flip flops.



For elegant style poolside, I am also in love with Tory's collection of caftans.  Obviously these aren't going to make the cut for work, but they work as a beach cover up or as an adorable outfit when paired with leggings, shorts, or even a short skirt.

                                                                                                             

And finally...

Every once in a while, there comes a piece that is so special, you can justify putting down some extra cash just to get your hands on it.  Usually I stalk the Tory Burch website and wait until her new arrivals are marked down before I buy anything.  I run the risk of something I like being sold out before it goes on sale, but I take my chances.

This beauty was different.  I saw it, it was love at first sight, I grabbed it immediately.  Soft 100% silk in constrasting eye-catching hues of red and blue topped off with a timeless chain link design.  It's a beautiful, modern twist in a flattering cut, too!  Work appropriate and also very easy to throw in a suitcase.  I'll be chomping at the bits over the next few months for my first chance to wear it!

RecipeSolutions: Pastaless Eggplant Parm for Two

Hello!  I'm back!  Nope, I'm not sick of the blog already - just very busy!  Ivan and I have been all over the place, including spending this past weekend in the Pocanos with 7 of our friends.  We all pitched in to rent a four-bedroom house, drinking and skiing ensued, and good times were had by all.  On our way home, we made a pit stop in New York to visit Ivan's family since we didn't have a chance to see them for Christmas.  We exchanged some belated gifts, lamented at the fact we didn't have Monday off (we took Friday off instead) so we couldn't just spend the night, and made our way home from there.  By the time we got home and unpacked the car, I was WAY too tired to think about cooking dinner.  We don't generally like fast food and everything else was closed late on a Sunday night so we did our best with what we could find around the house. 

Following a massive grocery shopping trip, I am back to my usual self this week who insists on cooking a decent meal every night.  I am always looking for nutritious yet flavorful recipes that are also easy to throw together on a week night after work (aren't we all?) 

Today I am going to post a recipe that is a favorite of ours (and is on the menu for tonight!)  It's a different take on eggplant parmesean that defeats the stereotype of a mushy, goopy casserole.  In fact, the recipe skips the "bake in a casserole dish" completely.  When the eggplant is golden brown, you simply assemble it on a plate along with the sauce.  Additionally, because the eggplant is actually crispy and substantial, the recipe is filling and satisfying without the extra carb load of pasta.  The result is a dish so good I'd be remiss not to share the wealth.  Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesean for Two



Serves 2
    1     medium eggplant (about 1 pound)
    ¼    cup all-purpose flour
    1     large egg
    ½    cup panko bread crumbs
    ¾    cup grated Parmesan cheese
          Salt and pepper
    ½    cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
    4     garlic cloves, minced
    ¼    teaspoon red pepper flakes
    1     (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
    ¼    cup chopped fresh basil
    ½    cup shredded provolone cheese

1. BREAD EGGPLANT. Cut two ¾-inch planks lengthwise from center of eggplant, halve each plank crosswise, and cut remaining eggplant into ½-inch dice. Place flour in shallow dish. Beat egg in second shallow dish. Combine bread crumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in third shallow dish. One at a time, coat eggplant slices lightly with flour, dip them in egg, and dredge in bread-crumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Transfer to wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and let sit 5 minutes (or refrigerate up to 1 hour).

2. COOK EGGPLANT. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat ½ cup oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook -eggplant slices until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to wire rack set inside baking sheet and bake until eggplant is tender and deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. MAKE SAUCE. Meanwhile, pour off oil and wipe out skillet with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped eggplant and ¼ -teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining oil, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 -seconds. Add tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until eggplant is tender and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper; cover and keep warm.

4. ASSEMBLE. Combine remaining Parmesan and provolone in medium bowl. Top browned eggplant slices with cheese mixture and bake until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Transfer half of sauce to platter and top with eggplant slices. Spoon remaining sauce over eggplant. Serve.


Cutting Eggplant Down to Size
One eggplant yields over a dozen rounds, which require serial batches of tedious breading and frying. We figured out a less laborious way for feeding two.

1. Using a serrated knife, slice off one side of eggplant (reserve) and cut two ¾-inch planks from the center.

2. Cut planks in half crosswise so they’ll neatly fit into the pan for frying in a single batch.

3. Chop reserved side pieces into strips, then into ½-inch cubes, and set aside for building the tomato pan sauce.

Fashion for Furry Friends =)

As promised, this post is all about my French Bull Dog, Isabel, "Izzy."  We got her at the beginning of September and she is the love of my life (besides my husband, of course!)  

Since her fur is very short, she gets cold very easily when out in the elements.  This is fine with me because it means she gets a little wardrobe full of sweaters of her own =).  Don't get me wrong, I am not one who would go spend hundreds of dollars on a doggy wardrobe for her, but with my little girl in mind, I'm brought back to one of my favorite designers...


One reason I really like Tory Burch is that she is constantly asking her customers their opinions on styles, accessories, etc, her brand should be carrying...and then actually LISTENS to them!  Proof?  In one of her latest surveys, her customers expressed an overwhelming interest in some accessories for their pets.  Soon afterwards, an adorable line of pet products appeared on her website:

At $95.00 a piece, these items are just a little too steep for me to splurge on but I'm stalking the website hoping they'll go on sale soon!  

Parade of Sweater Dresses!

I've found that a lot of women either love or hate sweater dresses.  I am on the "LOVE" side.  I find them warm for winter, work appropriate, comfortable and functional.   As it is, I am more of a dresses and skirts girl rather than pants just because I think they work better for my figure.  So for cooler fall/winter weather, sweater dresses paired with tights and boots or leggings is a smooth transition for me.  This past year (goodbye 2011!), Banana Republic had a great collection of sweater dresses in their winter line.


I'm loving this inspiration look with over-the-knee socks and boots rather than tights or leggings.  The marino wool is airy and soft and left me feeling chic and cozy all day.

This sweater dress is warm and SO comfortable when paired with some leggings.  The stripes of sparkle at the bottom of the dress also added interest and made it very festive for the holiday season.  

This dress was a great find for weekends.  It's adorable for walking around the city or lunch with friends.  

And finally, this dress is one of my favorites.  It is a soft, luxurious fine marino wool blend  that isn't too heavy to make you look bulkier than you are.  This is a main point for me when searching for a good sweater dress - I don't need any extra padding on top of my curves =).

The best part?  All four dresses were purchased on sale for a total of less than $250.00.  I almost never buy things full price at Banana - they seem to offer their 30% off promotions every other day and things go on sale very quickly there.  Many stores right now are aggressively discounting their merchandise well past the holidays and straight into the new year to stay afloat during tough economic times.   This means great deals in favor of patient bargain hunters.  They are all still available on the website RIGHT NOW!  Happy Shopping!

Declining Quality - This is Bananas =(

Since we didn't make it to Boston yesterday, Ivan and I went into the City today instead with Izzy our French Bull Dog (I'll be writing a post especially for her tomorrow!).  After getting a good walk in with her around Boston Garden and the Common, we headed over to Newbury Street for some window shopping.


For all you pet owners and lovers out there, a little known secret about Newbury Street is that most stores will allow dogs inside!  So we checked out Banana Republic with Izzy in tow.


The spring collection is out both in stores and online and while the styles, cuts and prints are great, I go back to my previous post where I mentioned a decline in quality across many brands.  Banana was no exception.  Instead of their silk or cotton blends, I found many otherwise adorable pieces like this ($79.50):

and this (both the skirt ($110.00) and top ($79.50):

that were sadly made of 100% polyester.  Such a disappointment!  Thank God I had a couple BR reward coupons to cash in or these prices would have definitely been too steep just for polyester.  

Two winners from the new spring line I actually would pay full price for are this ($130.00 - linen and rayon):

and this (($150.00 - 95% wool, 5% spandex):

As for the rest of the stuff....BR, I still love you.  I will just wait for them to go on sale (it never takes long for BR to change their lineup over anyway!)

Currently Coveting - Tory Burch Abigail Blouse

I had been eyeing this blouse on the Tory Burch website but was undecided whether it was too frumpy looking.

I also wasn't quite sure how to wear it.  I didn't like the fitted look as pictured on the website.  Then all of a sudden two things happened that won me over and made my decision for me.  First, Tory Burch tweeted a pic of celeb Abby Cornish wearing the sweater which provided some inspiration.

Since Tory Burch products often run big, I knew I could easily wear this sweater more loosely as pictured here with baggier pants and some Uggs or even a longer sweatshirt skirt and some boots for weekends.


Then, like magic, the price of the sweater went down from $350.00 to a sale price of $131.50 (Tory must have known I was on the fence!) which was much easier to swallow.  The sweater is 100% cashmere with silk paneling in the front which to me made it well worth a little extra money.  I'll be stalking the UPS man until this thing arrives and will be sure to get lots of use of it.

Restaurant Review - Beacon Grille

Hubby and I rang in the New Year last night at the Beacon Grille in Woburn, MA.  Located less than a half hour from our house, it was on our list of local places to try.  Turns out we were smart to wait - it was the perfect place for our New Year's celebration!


We had a 8pm reservation but showed up a bit early at 7:30 for a chance to check out the bar.  The place had a decent wine list and drink menu, and prices were pretty much what you'd expect, if not slightly less (Ivan paid $5.50 for his beer, I paid $8.00 for my limoncello.)

After meeting up with our friends, we were seated for our meal in the main dining room.  

Two things really struck me right away about this place:  (1) even though it was a busy night everywhere for eating out and reservations, the atmosphere remained relaxed and efficient.  (2) there is a glass wall allowing a full view into the kitchen where all the food was being prepared (you can see it in the picture above).  I LOVE a place where I can see right into where they are cooking my food!


Check out the Phantom Gourmet review for the Beacon Grille:

After seeing this review, we decided to take their advice and order the onion rings for an appetizer.  It did not disappoint!  Ivan ordered the French Onion Soup as well, which came warm, cheesy and well seasoned.  For our main courses, Ivan ended up with the


New Zealand Lamb Rack Roasted lamb rack crusted with Provençal herbs, Dijon mustard, and breadcrumbs. Served with roasted fingerling potatoes and sautéed spinach


While I opted for the

Duo of Stuffed Shrimp Three lobster stuffed shrimp, three crab stuffed shrimp, creamy lobster sauce, with mashed potatoes and butternut squash.

I can't speak for the lamb rack as I don't eat red meat, but Ivan was impressed and tells me it was tender, cooked exactly as he ordered (medium rare), and that the dijon mustard added a great extra kick.


As for my meal, I was pleasantly surprised to receive six GIGANTIC shrimp on my plate with generous portions of lump crab and lobster meat without a lot of the carb-filled stuffing; finished with a delicious lobster sauce.  I did opt to substitute my butternut squash for some asparagus as I thought the squash and mashed potatoes on the same plate would be too much "mushy" food.  The waitress was friendly and very accommodating. 


For desert, I got a special "New Years" creation which was not on their regular menu.  Light and airy lemon cream cake served in a wine class with lemon cream, house-made whipped cream, and fresh berries was the perfect light option to round out the meal.


Everyone had plenty of leftovers to take home which I will be happily digging into later tonight while watching the Twilight Zone marathon on SyFy (a New Year's tradition!)


May everyone have a wonderful year ahead full of health and happiness!  xoxo