farpitzed favorites.

prettymaps [dc/baltimore] by aaron straup cope.

i'm really loving these maps made art by aaron straup cope. there is certainly an almost crystalline beauty in where and how we live, don't you think?

the closet process.

1. commit yourself to the idea of a clean closet. wade through the junk on your floor. imagine not bruising your shins on the plastic bins housing dry-cleaning and castaway, shredded cardigans. dream of a cotton rainbow of properly hung dresses and sweaters.

 

2. take three hours to yourself. add a bottle of wine if you so desire. i prefer black iced tea and a good album [the maccabeats voices from the heights is fabulous, as it's neither too angry nor too chipper to induce sartorial mood swings. they're also a pretty fabulous group. check them out. the bach cello concertos are a good back-up.].

 

3. take everything OUT of your closet.

 

4. stare at the empty hangers. smile.

 

5. sort through the closet exiles one item at a time. ask yourself - really ask yourself - if it deserves a place in your curated closet shop. can you match it with at least [MINIMUM] three other items in your closet? one of the better pieces of decluttering advice from the queen of minimalism is to pick one or two neutral colors. i've chosen black and rich camel. therefore, every shoe i buy goes with everything in my closet. no need for navy or brown coordinating items!

 

6. if you're undecided, set the offending item in a specially marked box. if you pull it out to use it within two weeks, then keep it. otherwise, at the end of two weeks, add the undecided items to your donation pile.

 

a note on donations: only donate usable items. it's offensive, wasteful, and poor form to donate tattered rags or lacy delicates. come now, ladies.

 

8. perform this ritual twice a year, at least.

 

a note on rules: to keep clutter to a minimum, i've found that the "one in, one out" rule is really useful. once you've solidified the spine of your wardrobe, start trimming the fat. just purchased a fabulous inkblot tee? out goes another rarely worn blouse.

 

this is my project for the weekend. it looms large on the horizon. oddly, though, i'm looking forward to it. you'll find that as you familiarize yourself with what's in your closet, your shopping habits will change, too. i find i'm much, MUCH more selective about what i bring home.

 

and that, in turn, makes the need for closet culling much less pressing.

 

off you go! let no rag go unexamined, for the unexamined wardrobe is not worth keeping.

citrus sweaters.

citrus sweaters. by thegelt.

1. sweater by yves saint laurent.
2. angora sweater by acne ry.
3. sweater tunic by 3.1 phillip lim.

on lacy things.

every woman should be able to attest to the power of lacy things.

i am not, at least not here, talking about the romantic power of lacy things - although that power is certainly considerable.

no, here i speak of the confidence-boosting power of lacy things - of dressing in turquoise or purple delicates that just make you happy and comfortable in your own skin. you know, the sort of garments that make you want to dance wildly around in your kitchen with your dog looking on in aristocratic amusement.

these mythical brassieres do exist - no unicorns here. they are worth seeking.

first: i suggest starting with a proper fitting. most department stores and specialty stores offer fittings for free.

men cannot understand this, the idea that something as ubiquitous as an undergarment might require a measuring tape and a mirror. truth: a brassiere is the most complicated piece of clothing that a woman ought to own. think about it - wires and hooks and lace and elastic, and those are just the basic materials. a brassiere is therefore most deserving of attention and detail. get. measured. if you lose five pounds [or more] or gain five pounds [or more], get measured again. most women are wearing the wrong size. this is a devastating problem. it impacts everything from posture to confidence to the way in which your clothes [t.shirts to dresses] fit.

i will say it again: GET. MEASURED.

second: if you're strapped for cash, purchase the nude brassiere, because it does "go" with everything. but if you can afford to, explore an alternative color palette. i prefer bright pinks and blues and blacks and indigos, myself. i have only one skin-colored brassiere, and i rarely reach for it. color wins every time.

third: try to find a cup with a french seam. they are not, contrary to popular belief, uncomfortable. they provide additional coverage and support, even in a low-cut style. seek and ye shall find.

fourth: always hang your delicates to dry. never commit the crime of tossing them into the unrelenting heat of your dryer. worst case scenario, you will melt the hooks. best case scenario, you are slowly breaking down the shape of your brassiere and the elastic in the band, so you'll have to replace them sooner.

fifth: replace your delicates every six months.

love your lacy things. they will love you back.

a man of valor.

eishes chayil is a poem sung in traditional jewish households on friday nights. it's a song lauding a wife's valor and strengths.

i love it when my husband sings eishes chayil - it's the sweetest part of my week. however, i don't necessarily think that it's fair that he sings to me each week and i get to bask in his voice without responding. truthfully, there's no written equivalent of eishes chayil for husbands.

i think there should be.

here's my modest attempt, inspired by my mensch. now if only i could sit down and translate it into hebrew...

a man of valor - who can find? his value is far beyond gold.
his wife's heart grows from his, and she shall lack no fortune.
he does her good and no evil, all the days of his life.

he seeks soil and iron, and works with his hands willingly.
he is like the spice caravans, bringing sweetness from afar.
he arises while the sky is ink, and feeds his household and strangers.

his children sing his glories, and his wife writes in joy.
many men have won honor, but he has surpassed them all.
muscles wither and skin creases, but a man who reflects g-d shall be praised.

his family is the fruit of his hands, the tree of his life
rooted in torah and love.

crispy baked okra

preheat oven to about 375 degrees.

 

take as much okra as you'd like - i'm a southern lady, so i could eat okra by the pound - and slice each okra lengthwise. THIS IS THE KEY. if you slice lengthwise, the okra has less surface area from which to extrude that gumminess that so many people hate.

 

throw all of the okra into a bowl.

 

coat with olive oil, salt + pepper to taste.

 

toss the okra onto a baking sheet and then toss baking sheet into the oven. 

 

 

 

 

the okra will start making faint whistling noises as it bakes. i like my okra a bit brown, so personal preference determines when you pluck it from the heat.

 

voila! crispy baked okra. all the taste of fried okra, all the fiber of okra, none of the crispy, fatty batter!