Kiehl's Original Musk

Kitty surprised me this weekend with a bottle of Kiehl's Original Musk. She turned me on to it a couple of years ago... and we snap it up whenever it shows up at a haunt. It's a soft, warm scent that will be a nice change when it starts to get cooler. I'm still into summer here, but I can't help but start thinking of the next wave of sartorial choices... after all, most of the year in Chicago is cool to freezing -- it pays to be prepared.



Get it online at Kiehl's.

Haunting :: JCrew-la-la

Very happy to report this score from a super-secret haunt. These lovely shoes were only $15 per pair. They are suede JCrew pumps (made in Italy) -- and I am so happy to have them for fall.

That muted citrus will pop like crazy with gray pants and a warm red silk blouse (with a wide gray snakeskin belt). I use this color almost as a neutral (see last week's Kate Spade post for a great way to integrate this color). The dove gray pair are a little more "standard" -- but lovely still. With a win like this, you can afford to get both pairs! Can't wait to debut!

Now That's What I'm Talking About.

Now this -- THIS is what I've been talking about! I have been wanting to try 12 Bones in Asheville, NC for a long time, and this week I finally had the opportunity to go. The barbeque was just right -- Eastern NC style (as in little to no vinegar-based sauce), even though we are decidedly in Western NC here. They do have an array of sauces you can add to your pulled pork or pulled chicken (they have ribs, too). Of course, my go-to order item for lunch is the pulled pork sandwich, and this one did not disappoint!

My brother recommends the green beans and corn pudding (which was more "country" than what I usually have in corn pudding -- think paté de campagne vs fois gras -- a little chunkier and "rough"). Add a big glass of sweet tea (those are not my sweetner packets -- I'm anti- fake sweetner), and you have it made!

My personal favorite of the 12 Bones sauces:




And a little taste of Chicago:



Let's face it, our President knows where to get good vittles. The line was out the door the whole time we were there. 12 Bones is only open for lunch!



I promise: Last barbeque post for a while. I've had my fill for now. I seriously need to add a tag on the blog sidebar for this topic -- I had no idea that I thought that this was one of the things that "makes life great". But, there you go.

Love :: New Kate Spade, Silk Blouses and Color

Lord I love this stuff. Not just the blouse, the dress, the coat... but the ways that these ensembles are put together. The pop! The glamour! Oh-la-la!

One of my wardrobe staples is the bold print silk blouse like the cream and black polka dot number shown above. I scour my haunts for vintage versions made in Hong Kong, usually from the 80s. Snip out the shoulder pads, fluff up the details, and you are ready to rock.

Check out the new Kate Spade website here.

Asheville Typography

Cool tiled Arts & Crafts letters on Haywood in Asheville. Like it.

Love :: "I Have My Sources"

Today I had the pleasure of having coffee with my friend E.

I was telling her about At The Meadows and explaining the concepts of "my haunts" (see sidebar if you're not in the know), she told me her mother's solution to the age-old question:

"Where did you get that?"

Her response: "I have my sources." (with a sly smile, I imagine!)


And the fabu cake we enjoyed at the Viennese coffee parlor: