Dehydrated Peaches

Josie Girl 3 Comments

Earlier this week, we went peach picking (one of my favorite pastimes in Oregon….  fun, beautiful, and super inexpensive. WIN WIN all around). In 20 minutes, we gathered 35 pounds of delicious and perfect peaches. As much as I love peaches, that is a WHOLE lot of peaches to eat….especially since they go bad very quickly. So within minutes, I made two crisps (a little bit of oatmeal, a little bit of butter, a little bit of sugar and VOILA).  But there was still 30 plus pounds left….so we decided to dehydrate them and they are oh so good.

 

Me and my partner in crime. She weighs just slightly more than the peaches.

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Leopard Print Midi Skirt

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I am a sucker for anything leopard print. I have always loved anything leopard but when it recently became on trend, I couldn’t help but buy anything and everything leopard. Over the past several years, I have collected a rather large assortment of leopard items. So when I read the article in the NYTimes about the Leopard Print Midi Skirt being a must have, and since it was the ONE item that I didn’t own in leopard, I knew that I had to join the trend (in this case, yes a follower). It arrived earlier this week and I am IN LOVE. LOVE oh so much. And by the way, I scoured the internet searching for the perfect leopard midi skirt, and ended up on the first one the NY Times recommended. I LOVE IT.

 

It is silk, comfortable, easy to wear.

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Whitagram App

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There are a lot of filters and apps to make photographs better, whether it is to have for your own personal photo collection or to post on social media. Currently, I have seen a lot of people using “Whitagram” which leaves a very artsy and clean white frame around photographs. I recently downloaded the app and used it on some pictures.  I love the look. Download it on the app store on your iphone and use it on any photo in your library. PLEASE NOTE: It is hard to really tell what the end result looks like with the pictures here — as the blog post is a white background and the frames around the photos are white, it is hard to really picture what I am talking about. But trust me, it looks good and chic.

 

SUPER easy to use.

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Cilantro Jalapeno Vegan Pesto

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The other day, my mom made the most incredible pesto — the typical basil, pine nut, parmesan combination. It was so delicious, I found excuses to eat it (chip, carrot, spoon, you name it). But because everyone KNOWS how to make pesto, I decided to find a more creative (and cost effective) vegan pesto. Instead of pine nuts and parmesan, hellloooo cashews. Instead of basil, welcome cilantro and jalapeno. It is green, healthy, and has just a minor kick to it (next time, I want to add more jalapeno). Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

 

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Que Water Bottle

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Goodbye plastic bottles (be gone!), hello collapsible water bottle! Who knew that a single tiny little bottle could bring so much joy? This lightweight bottle is perfect for traveling or everyday. You just smoooosh it and it is half the original size. No more lugging around heavy glass bottles or bulky bottles. This is the perfect solution for everyday on the move. Que bottles.

 

BIG — fill it up with water!

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Root Beer Float

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OK, this might be the stupidest and most obvious post ever (or genius, depending on who you ask), but I recently became reacquainted with root beer floats, and I CANNOT GET ENOUGH. Seriously, two ingredients lead to the most refreshing and delicious snack slash dinner. It truly tastes like heaven, especially if you use high quality ice cream and root beer.

 

TWO — just two — ingredients!

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La Ligne Meredith Top

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A lover of tank tops (and anything summer), I was thrilled when I came across this fun, easy, flirty top by La Ligne. The top is a ruched bodice (I love the ruched look — my wedding dress top was all ruched lace) and easy to pair with any high waisted pants, shorts, or skirts. I also love the subtle floral pattern and the girliness of it. I tend to not wear tight tops, and although this top is tight, it doesn’t feel revealing.

 

The shape is really simple — literally just a rectangle. But the ruching is what makes it hard to recreate….

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Natori Feathers Thong

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I have been vocal about my love of the Natori Feathers Bra and the Natori Feathers Girl Briefs. They are HANDS DOWN the best thing you will ever buy and I can’t say it enough. Trust me. The bra. The girl briefs. They are literally the ONLY BRA AND UNDIES I WEAR. And read this article from earlier this month in Glamour magazine about the cult following of Natori feathers. So, recently, when wearing certain pants, I decided I needed to wear a thong to not have VPL (visible panty lines). But I don’t like thongs. Hate them. But, sometimes fashion is more important than comfort, so I went online to the Natori website and bought a slew of thongs to try out. And sure enough, which was my favorite?? — the Feathers Thong. And I didn’t hate it. Not as comfortable as the Girl Briefs, but looked better with my outfit, and was certainly the best thong I have ever worn. So do me a favor… if you need a thong to wear, then get yourself a Feathers Thong.

 

The front. Pair with the Feathers bra and you have a great set.

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Sunset Hues

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I returned to Eugene last night from Sonoma where we spent four days lounging and relaxing at our annual get together with three other families from Stanford. It is one of my absolute favorite weekends of the year and is guaranteed fun. We have been doing this get-together for the past five years and plan on always doing it (Thanks, Kimmers!). We eat, drink, run, hike, bike, cook, play tennis, swim, rollerskate, talk, make smores, and just enjoy each other’s company (and all of our kids). None of us live in the same city as each other (LA, SF, NYC, and Denver…) so it is fun to always know that we will get together every summer. This year, I was inspired to have a theme at our adult dinner out of the house (the rest of the time we cook at the house). For the longest time, I have wanted to have a get together where everyone wore sunset hues. I KNOW, sounds so weird, but I once saw that Mandy Moore (who I love so very much) did it, and I knew I just had to do it at some point. AND man, it was SO much fun. I know, getting dressed in colors is fun?!?!? YEP, it really is. It was *so* fun.

 

Sunset hues (minus Paul in the blue shirt — but he says that the sky is blue when the sun sets….)

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Capitol Fizz

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My hometown of Eugene, Oregon is in the center of the Willamette Valley — the new hot spot for wineries and breweries (less of a hot spot for aperol spritzes, sadly). I enjoy going to the wineries on bikes (which I do at least once every summer — it is super fun and also a hard workout) as well as discovering new wines. So when I was in the my favorite grocery store (thank you, Oregon, for selling wine in the grocery store!), I discovered a single serving of sparkling rose wine from the area — it was like discovering a treasure under a rainbow — everything I like in one bottle — single serving! pink! Sparkling! and from the Willamette Valley!

 

This little bottle of sunshine is Captol Fizz by Illahe.

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Bonton Girls Heart Swimsuit

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I have a thing for fancy little kid’s bathing suits….I think it is because my kids wear swimsuits all summer long, so investing in a cute suit is worth it if you break it down by cost per wear. As a result, when I came across this swimsuit in Paris from Bonton, I knew that I had to get it. Right now, you can find this suit (on sale) here and here.

 

I love the ruffles, the look, the colors, the hearts.

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Summer 2019 Running Playlist

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Yes, I run a lot, but it is during the Summer months that I do my hardest training and running. My light schedule, the perfect Oregon weather, and upcoming Fall marathon makes these months the perfect time to run hard. Here is my summer 2019 running playlist:

 

Running in Oregon is ideal: beautiful non humid weather and incredible views on every twist and turn. Yesterday, on my long run, I had the privilege of running along the Willamette River….

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Currently Loving July 2019

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Here we are, (mid) JULY! And here is what I am currently loving this month! And please share with me what you are loving — I love hearing what books, articles, songs, sweatshirts, anything and everything that you are loving oh so much.

 

1. Avett Brothers song “No Hard Feelings“

 

Good song — makes me want to cry. But super musical and beautiful.

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Turkey Jerky Sticks

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Readers of the blog know that I love gourmet grocery stores. It so happens that I go to the grocery most days while in Eugene. The local grocery store is my dream come true and I could literally spend hours patrolling the aisles to see what’s new and what they have to offer. Last week while jetlagged and bleary from our France travels, I went searching for good, high-protein snacks. I have always liked beef jerky, but never loved it. So when I found these three different brands of turkey sticks, I knew it was going to be a good snack summer. These three are my top favorite and I hope they have them in the NYC stores (and if not, thank you world wide web, not sure I know what to do without you!)…..

 

Top 3

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Paris June 2019 Highlights

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Bonjour! My apologies for the slow posts these past two weeks — it was quite difficult to get on the internet to do any posts especially because I had a major computer issue a…..turns out, all is okay with my computer but the head of the charger died — who knew that that was a thing? In any case, I am now back in the USA *with* a working computer, so back to normal post schedules. I wanted to first share with you all some of the pictures and highlights of my time in Paris with the kids — we did go to the South of France for an amazing trip as well, and I will post those later. In the meantime, enjoy these photos!

 

In the Tuileries, one of our favorite activities is the trampoline park. It is an old school little hut with a man that got to know us because we went so often. Everyday when we would get there he would say hello and when we would leave, he would say “See you tomorrow.”

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Chicago IRCE / RetailX

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Guest Post Alert:  The Josie Girl is in France with the kids.  Her computer died en route from Paris to the South of France (tough life), so I agreed (was told) to come up with some content.  I was in Chicago for a (possibly interesting?) work trip this week.  So bear with me and enjoy!

Dinner Tuesday at Soho House Chicago, hosted by ShoppingGives, a new platform that promotes corporate social responsibility (CSR) among retailers. They asked  me to record a podcast on how Natori thinks about CSR.  It sounded like a cool initiative, so I agreed to do it.  A fun dinner at a cool spot.

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Pari Roller

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Greetings from France!  I came with the kids and have loved every minute I have in this beautiful country. I love the light, food, fashion, language, art and culture. And now, I have my favorite event to add to the list: Pari Roller. Pari Roller is a weekly event in Paris full of roller skaters and roller bladers along specified routes in the city. Every Friday, all year long, starting at 9:30 pm, skaters have the opportunity to skate on closed down roads for 40 kilometers. Since roller skating has become a new passion and hobby, I was excited to try it out and be a part of this unique and special celebration. At the last minute, I convinced my friend Jean from NYC to come with me for a portion of the trip *IF* she roller skated with me that night. Always positive and enthusiastic, she said she had not been on skates for 35 years but was confident in her ability and thought it sounded fun. Jean is an incredibly upbeat, fashionable and creative friend, so it was no surprise that she picked out an outfit that corresponded with her skates.

 

Jean flew to Paris with her complete outfit (on the right). I thought it would be a great idea to match her, so the DAY OF, I went to Zara and lo and behold, found the silver pants. It was like I won the lottery I was so excited.

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All About Color With Lucie Ayres

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Over the past several years, friend Lucie Ayres has guest posted here. Not only do I love it (writer’s block solution and busy schedule!) but I also love Lucie. She is full of pizazz, style, and is a super talented interior designer. To see her previous posts, go here and here. Today, she is presenting ALL ABOUT COLOR. Which I love, because if you know me, I am ALLLLLLL about color. Take it away, Lucie and THANK YOU!

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It’s SPRING  (officially Summer, but hey, early summer) – a colorful time of year, one that inspires the ol’ spring cleaning, and also the busiest time for many interior designers.  It’s that REFRESH MY SPACE moment. Sure, you can clean up, and add some new throw pillows into the mix (new pillows are NEVER a bad idea) but if you REALLY want to update a space  – it’s all about thinking about your walls… particularly the paint color. That much might be obvious, but what’s not obvious is the type of paint you buy.

 

Paint samples by DRIKOLOR

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O.A.R. at Pier 17

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This winter, I posted on Pier 17 after I took the kids skating there with their friends.  I loved the new waterfront space, and was wondering how it was going to be used when the weather warmed up.  The answer?  Concerts!   Perfect.   And what makes Pier 17 even more prefect?  O.A.R.!  Readers of the blog know that Ken and I have a history with the band (Ken’s favorite), which goes back to when Ken won the chance to do a live sound check with them at a silent auction.  They were amazing and Ken has stayed in touch with them.  He is basically a groupie on the side.  Enjoy the pics from their concert last week!

Pier 17 is just off South Street Seaport extending into the East River.  The roof and views are amazing.

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Painted Leather Jacket: Scarlett Cussell

Josie Girl 4 Comments

And what do you know — summer is now upon us. It has been an insanely busy week with school ending and all the packing and planning and HOW DID TIME FLY feelings. So much to do, so little time. So instead of focusing on everything that needs to get done between now and Sunday when we depart NYC for the whole summer, here is my new favorite addition to my wardrobe! A leather jacket — and not just any leather jacket — a PAINTED leather jacket with so much symbolism and personal touches that it makes me cry out of happiness.

 

My jacket.

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Bar Pisellino

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On a beautiful summery day last weekend, we went with friends-that-are-family to Bar Pisellino, a bar that I had read about and was so excited to try out. If you know me, I have been obsessed with Aperol Spritzes for the past 12 months, and Bar Pisellino not only serves them, but has them on TAP. YUP — Aperol ON DRAFT.

 

Nothing better than summer nights in Manhattan….especially with epic and gorgeous skies as documented by @ken.natori

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