FRIDAY FANCIES

Hello all my fave fashionistas, today is another post on things I fancy

Thanks to Liz at the Ft. Wayne Ann Taylor Loft for sharing some exciting news with me about the store/company.  I used to hesitate to order from them because of the high shipping costs.  Well...its a new world in Loft Land.  You can order from the store and receive free shipping.  So...out of your size?  Out of your most flattering color?  Dying to own that "on line only" item that will complete your closet and your life?????  No longer a problem.  Go into any Loft, place your order and receive FREE SHIPPING (isn't that music to our ears??).  Free shipping means more to spend on shopping.

Speaking of Ann Taylor Loft, I just ordered this comfy maxi dress.  Its light, airy, in a pretty navy, wide enough straps to cover undergarments and right now on sale for 50% off:

Did you know that Three Oaks MI has their own theater festival?  Neither did I ... until Thursday when I saw that John Mahoney was in a play at the Vickers Theater.  So sad, it was already sold out and believe me I tried EVERYTHING to get a ticket.  Here is a link to their other summer productions:

http://www.threeoaksfestival.com


Could I ever do one Friday Fancies without including Anthropologie?  I am guessing not.  I was in the store in Chicago, saw this platter and the love affair began...have been dreaming of it on my kitchen counter, sitting upright in one of those cute little spoon plate holders Anthropologie sells...I think seeing this message every morning as I begin my day could change EVERYTHING...see how good I am at rationalizing purchases?  Its not mine yet, but it will be...when it goes on sale.  I love it so much I even made the image below the biggest one on this post

I love pink, I love New Orleans and I really love pretty dishes...Thank you Anthropologie:

Well, I love these enough I am going to make their image large too so can see just how beautiful they are...I want all of them...every single plate, bowl, platter, pitcher, etc etc.

I will say bye for now...cannot think of a better way to end my post than with the pretties above.

LINK LOVE

Today's links are a mixture, no one theme.  I hope you enjoy them:


Do you ponder the difference between Cava, Prosecco and Champagne?  If not, you should.  Nothing is more delightful on a warm summer evening than a sparkling refreshment in a pretty flute:

http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/champagne-vs-prosecco-vs-cava/


Do you also ponder the difference between being a caring and loving parent vs a helicopter parent?  I believe parents who coach every team their child is on, attend every practice, volunteer in the classroom daily, etc etc are not raising their children to become mature and independent which in the end is what we all should want for our adult children:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-lythcotthaims/helicopter-parenting-is-a-trap_b_7586656.html


Preston Davis, a woman who has worked in the fashion world for quite a while, shares her shopping rules.  While many of are not buying Valentino shoes, I think the same rules apply whether its a designer item or a  TJMaxx find:

http://keepitchic.com/2015/06/11/shopping-rules/


I really enjoyed this article.  To me "polished" means some thought has been put into your wardrobe. I believe it reflects confidence, good taste and a general love of fashion:

http://www.wardrobeoxygen.com/2007/12/how-does-one-get-the-polished-look.html

LINK LOVE

I took a brief break for a fun little excursion to visit a very dear friend in Charleston.   What a fabulous city, definitely  a FANCY FAVORITE...hmmm we may have a new category here on the blog.  Anyway, its now back to the business of blogging and here are some interesting articles online in the past few weeks:

My love affair with Anthropologie continues and this made me laugh out loud:
http://suburbanturmoil.com/the-anthropologie-catalog-americas-only-legal-hallucinogen/2014/04/24/

As I told you in a recent post I began reading My Paris Dream and promised to report back.  I am  enjoying the book and  recommend it.  The link below is to an interview with the book's author, Kate Betts:

http://thechicagochic.com/summer-read-my-paris-dream/

My female friends are very important to me and I enjoyed reading other women's thoughts on friendship:
http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/04/25-famous-women-on-female-friendship.html

Signs of a genuine friendship:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/04/qualities-of-real-friends_n_5709821.html?ir=Healthy%20Living&utm_campaign=090414&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-healthy-living&utm_content=Title


I leave you today with this thought:

FRIDAY FANCIES

I will soon be traveling to Charleston to visit a dear friend.  Our plans include touring southern homes, shopping, laughing and drinking wine...not necessarily in that order:

Will you please buy this and wear it for both of us?  You know of my admiration and love for anything and everything tulle:

Already reserved this at the local library; thinking its similar to the Bravo channel but in book form:

http://nypost.com/2015/05/24/inside-the-bizarre-life-of-an-upper-east-side-housewife/



Speaking of some of my fave television shows such as Meet the Press, 60 Minutes and pretty much everything on Bravo, this is my current viewing obsession, SOUTHERN CHARM:

BUCKET LIST

Happy Memorial Day.  I hope all  of us are keeping in mind the thanks we owe to the brave men and women who have served our country.

I happened to speak with my wonderful neighbor and friend, Mary, this afternoon.  Shared with her a fun experience last weekend at a panel and book launching by one of my favorite authors, Jen Lancaster.  Jen (as her good friends, such as myself, like to call her) asked each attendee to write on a piece of paper one item on their bucket list.  I have MANY MANY MANY on my list; visit Paris, visit Italy, visit Maine,  stay at a beach side cottage for a week with cute restaurants/shopping nearby and lots of time to read and drink pretty cocktails under an umbrella, start a Bravo night with friends who are also serious about their television watching habits, etc etc etc.  After briefly scanning this long list it was difficult to pick just one and commit to it.  However I choose to write  "Have wine with Jen Lancaster" because 1.  It could happen that exact day  2.  I wanted her to know what a fan I was (my 2 BFFs who were with me...used the phrase "stalker" but...not at all the case in my mind) .  Guess what???  My card was picked,.  Jen filled up my glass with wine and we toasted...it was amazing and fun and something I will always remember.


This brings me to a conclusion I recently recognized about Bucket Lists.  We  have items we can actually MAKE HAPPEN as well as items we can dream about that COULD happen.  It is important to write all of your dreams down and be honest with yourself about which category each one falls into.  Obviously I want to spend a week in Lake Forest hanging out with Jen and her husband Fletch but really don't have much control over that invitation coming my way, but its still on my list.   Wine with Jen at an event, DONE!!!  Learning to drive to Chicago alone and being able to spend time doing what I want to do, DONE!   Starting a book club with good friends, DONE, still going strong 14 years plus.  I still haven't been abroad but who knows, it could happen.  It may depend on how important that goal is to me and how willing I am to work towards it/save money and be creative in ways to get there.

I would love to hear about your bucket list items; those you have made happen and those you are working towards. Please share in the comment section below.

FRIDAY FANCIES

Happy Memorial Day weekend.  Finally the sun has come out and I am looking forward to lots of time out on the deck.

I went to see this documentary earlier in the week and highly recommend:
http://www.diorandimovie.com

While we are dabbling in the land of France, just started this book:
http://www.amazon.com/My-Paris-Dream-Education-Seduction/dp/0679644423
I will report back if its worth your time to read.

.

While in Chicago last week, my husband and I had a fabulous dinner at Le Colonial and I tasted a delicious martini, below is the recipe, ENJOY:

HOW TO MAKE A FRENCH MARTINI

15ml Chambord liqueur

50ml Finlandia® vodka

60ml fresh pineapple juice

Raspberry or a lemon twist to garnish

Handful of ice

Pour the Chambord, vodka and pineapple juice in a shaker.
Add ice and shake like a tambourine. Strain into martini glass.
Top with a raspberry. Or a lemon twist.
As you like.

What are you weekend plans?  Please share in the comment section below:

FANCY NANCY IS BLOGGING AGAIN......

Hello all, its been a long time since my last post.  I needed to take a break away for awhile to be re-energized and full of new ideas to share with all of you.  I hope you will read the blog, comment, ask questions and share helpful information you have with all of us.

I recently read a blog post from Angie's blog  http://youlookfab.com about maxi skirts and dresses.  They continue to be a strong fashion statement year after year, season after season.  Last spring I slipped on my solid black maxi skirt and top and for some reason thought I looked like a monk...in looks only trust me on this...I am definitely not holy enough to compare myself in any other way.  So..back to the topic at hand (I may tend to ramble a bit, if you haven't noticed....).  In this post Angie explains that solid columns of long skirts and dresses give the appearance of a uni-leg...that they need to have a dip or a slit or anything that would break up this solid color mass.  Ahhh.....that is it...that is why something felt off but I couldn't articulate what "that" was.  After you read the article and view the photos, please share your thoughts on this VERY IMPORTANT topic in the comments section  at the end of this post  http://youlookfab.com/2015/05/14/prevent-maxi-skirt-uni-leg-with-front-side-slits/

What are some other big summer trends this season?  I am seeing denim and chambray EVERYWHERE...dresses, skirts, rompers, jackets, shirts, pretty much every article of clothing and/or accessory.  Do you know the difference between chambray and denim?  Well, thank goodness for google and the ability to cut/paste this easy explanation of the two:

While chambray and denim  are often confused for one another, they’re not exactly the same fabric. A chambray is a plain weave fabric woven with a colored yarn in the warp and a white yarn in the weft. Like chambray, denim is made with a colored yarn in the warp and white in the weft, but is woven in a twill construction. The chambray’s warp and weft threads will alternate one over the other, while denim’s warp thread will go over two threads in the weft before going under one. Typically, you will notice a lighter color to the underside of a denim fabric, whereas the underside of chambray will appear much more similar to its face side. 

Other fashion items still going strong in the summer of 2015 are Birkenstocks, Gladiator shoes, midi skirts, handkerchief hems on both skirts and dresses and hair that is left loose and wavy.

Its good to be back.  I love discussing fashion, books, food and restaurants, movies, blogs (I may have a few I read..ahem...well more than a few what but do numbers really mean in the end??? ) and look forward to sharing all with you.

I leave you with this fancy thought: