Links of the Week

This week I've been reading...

Why the right is wrong about marrying young

Ten best dressed TV Characters

Winklevoss twins are Bitcoin moguls

Grand homes on the DC market

New York City

Some readers may be aware that I've just returned from a short vacation to New York City. Five days of fun in the Big Apple was just what I needed!

I went with one of my closest friends who has never visited the United States before, and who was quite possibly feeling like a kid at Christmas when he stepped off the plane. It was fun to watch his facial expressions as the taxi made its journey into the city, and I'm quite sure he looked like I did when I went to NYC for the first time aged eleven.

We stayed at the amazing Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue, the pillar of luxury hotels in the city. It was my first time at the WA, and I would definitely stay there again. The luxury surroundings, sense of history and comfortable room really made our trip extra special. The location is excellent, and simply perfect for seeing the sights and shopping at all your favorite stores.

As it was my friend's first trip to the city, we indulged in many of the tourist attractions. On our first night we headed to the Top of the Rock which was fantastic. Considerably cheaper than the Empire State Building, I would very much recommend heading to the TOTR in the evening. We got to the top just as dusk was turning into night, resulting in some spectacular shaded skyline views. This was really one of the highlights. We visited the Empire State Building on our last night in the city, and despite being a scaredy-cat when it comes to heights, I felt calm and composed. Pay the extra $17 to head to the 102nd Floor, and beat the inevitable queues of tourists.

We also walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and visited Wall Street (for my accountant friend he was like a kid in a candy store!) Perhaps the most poignant part of the visit was paying our respects at the 9/11 Memorial. As someone who visited the World Trade Center before that awful day, I was glad to return to the sacred ground to see the two memorial pools. The visit was peaceful, the only sound the calming echoes of water from the fountains.

We also lunched at Serendipity (essential!) and I indulged in an awful lot of shopping (hello sales at J Crew, Kate Spade and Ann Taylor!)

The best way, as always, to see the city is to walk. Yes your feet may be wrecked by the end of your visit, but you will have had the whole NYC experience (and let's face it, who enjoys being stuck on the Subway?!)

Author's Own

To check out my photos from my visit click here.

Closet Organization tips from VanchicDC

Google

I'm delighted to feature a guest post from Kim of VanchicDC! Keep on reading for her top closet organization tips!


Having an organized closet is something all of us ladies desire, but getting to that OCD-sweet-spot is laborous.  I am a professional organizer and Youtube Guru under Big Frame Network.  Literally all day long I preach the topic of how to organize a closet fashion-forward. Watching my Youtube videos, you'll get a sense of the everyday basic babysteps needed to orchestrate a simpler home, develop second nature maintenance routines and create hub systems.  No busy gal can master becoming a stepford wife overnight.  It's arduous to break messy and unordered lifestyle and home habits.  My goal is catering to the busy, fashionable and budget concious girl.  Here are my top tips to achieve a glam & larger looking closet.

1. Every item in a closet must have a home.  If you pick up different outfits to try on in the morning, all the stuff you dont end up wearing needs to go back on the hanger.

2. Each material item needs a belonging zone. Categorize it by type.  All shirts go in the shirt section, every sock sits in the sock drawer, all purses lie in the purse region, jeans with the jeans...etc  When this gets jumbled, your closet looks cluttered, cheap and smaller.

3. The fastest way to look like you know what youre doing when it comes to your home fashion identity: Color coordinate! (If you have patterns that dont have a specific color, pick the dominating color you see in the pattern.) Color coordinating is a great way to see what you have and what staple items you're missing. For some reason I have no green tops but I have 30 black blouses.  I can clearly see that I should probably change my shopping habits and start gravitating towards more nature-friendly colors!

4. PLEASE throw away all your mismatching hangers.  Buy hangers that are 100% completely the same brand and color.  Just do it. I promise you'll thank me. It's really helpful to see all your clothes hanging at the same level height.  It creates a linear focus to the architecture of a small space like a closet.

5. Think glamorous...chuck all the plastic bins, fake wood particle board shelving, boxes, over the door hangers and dorm-room crap.  Think pretty: flowers, chandelier, fabric stool, valet hooks, hidden lighted shelving, coordinate all the door/drawer knobs, lean a framed floor mirror against a wall, drapes, armoire, nail a mini curio to the wall etc...

6. Stay away from overpriced organizational tools! (Shedding wicker baskets, ugly sharpied labels, plastic under the bed storage, fabric hanging shelves, space savers, drawer carts, hanging jewelry rolls) All they do is make you more unorganized...and let's face it, they are ugly. I never see my high end cliental with these gimmicky items in the house.

7. Sort out and purge all the clothing rejects. Clothes you never wear, or that are worn down, too tight or just plain ugly! The are taking up prime real estate home space!

8. Shop smarter! Honor your bank account and hard earned money. Cut the urge to splurge. Just because you shop less doesnt make you less hip or fashionable.

9. Take my organization quiz to see how organized you are and if you are spending too much money on thoughtless accumulation junk that is filling up your house.

10. A simpler home with space and proper decor staging is chic, polished and will make a room look bigger.

Would it take you more than an hour to tidy up your belongings?  How many times a week do you misplace or lose things?  Are you shopping and spending close-to or more money in a month than what you make?  Is there more than one room in your house that has stacks of papers? Are you holding onto family heirlooms or gifts out of guilt and fear to purge it?  Do you have mismatched or lost socks every time you do laundry?  If you feel you are unorganized, my youtube channel can get your life on track. My goal is to inspire you to make your living space simplified and glamorous so you can efficiently get out the door quicker in the morning and feel good about your valuables.

You can get in touch with Kim by emailing vanchic@vanchic.com and follow her on Twitter, and watch her videos on Youtube.

Kim of VanchicDC

Discovering DC: Crystal City/Pentagon City

This week's Discovering DC finds itself in the Crystal City/Pentagon City area with Kamola of 99 Boxes of Shoes!


What's your history with CC/PC and DC?
I started working in Crystal City a little over 5 years ago and would love to live here one day (it would shorten my commute for sure!). In such a compact area there are more than 15 hotels where you can explore the modern lobbies, a huge diversity for dining, cute little shops, and easy access to the Mount Vernon trail for running/biking/walking!

Discovering CC/PC- what are your favourite places to shop/eat/go with friends/people watch?
Breakfast at Bozzelli's - the most perfect salt-and-peppered egg and cheese on croissant I've ever had!
Lunch at Clark Street Grill - is a must for their philly cheese steak special.
Happy Hour at Jaleo - After work, my co-workers and I love grabbing a glass (or two) of sangria and tons of $4 tapas - the manchego and tomato paste bread and the chicken fritters are my favorites!
Dinner at The Afghan Restaurant - while most people in this area love the Kabob Palace, my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant in the area is this one. They serve their kabob skewers on top of traditional naan (bread) and it gets soaked in the meat juice - I can't eat that bread dry anymore!
Shopping at Gossip on 23rd - A cute little shop off of Route 1, they have trendy well-made clothing at pretty affordable prices.

Perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon in CC/PC?
I would start the day off at Gravelly Point, watching the planes take off and land at DCA airport. It's right by the water and it's a great location to see some DC monuments from afar. You could bring a picnic with some sandwiches from Jimmy John's or head over there for lunch afterwards. Once you are done enjoying the outdoor beauty of the area, I would head over to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City and hit up the stores! It's got all the brands we know and love and there is a Nordstrom Rack & Marshall's right across the street. Get all your must-haves in one trip and spend the rest of your day in style.

99 Boxes of Shoes

For more posts in the Discovering DC archive click here.

Hillary Clinton at Women in the World

I was on an aeroplane when Hillary Clinton delivered her remarks at Women in the World, so happily catching up with her speech this afternoon!

For a full text of her remarks click here. 

Stripe Life

As I find myself veering more and more towards striped tees, I ask myself, what other stripes are out there?

Stripe gauze cardigan; J Crew

Grande pouchette; Claire Vivier

Striped silverscreen dress; Kate Spade

Nora Stripe Ballet Flats; J Crew

Harrison Stripe iPhone Case; Kate Spade

Metallic trim ballet flats; J Crew

Elbow Sleeve Tee; J Crew

Up by Jawbone

Jawbone

I recently purchased the Up device by Jawbone after reading really fantastic reviews by some of my fellow bloggers.

The device tracks how many steps you are taking per day, records your sleep patterns and encourages you to note down what you eat and drink as part of the assessment to make healthy changes to your lifestyle. The device also allows you to set daily goals for activity and sleep, as well as alarms to wake you up gently and to encourage you to get moving after periods of inactivity.

Data is easily broken down and trackable over days, weeks or months, and daily tips are really useful in making small, subtle changes that can make big positive results.

The Up app is free to download to your iPhone or Android, and you sync the bracelet by plugging it into the headphones socket of your device. The bracelet comes in several different colours, and I opted for the classic black. It is wise to use the wrist measurement guide online before you purchase, and even though I have a super tiny wrist, I needed the medium size band.

The band really does encourage you to move more, and even though I am quite an active person, I have been taking their tips on board, for example, moving around whilst taking telephone calls, and taking time for a short walk during lunchtime.

For more info on the Up device click here. 

Links of the Week

This week I've been reading...

Obama outlines human brain-mapping initiative

Why women should stop trying to do it all

125 women of impact

Will Clinton's agenda survive?

Discovering DC: Tyson's Corner

This week's Discovering DC has landed in Tyson's Corner with Rena from Relinquish Yourself!

What's your history with Tyson's Corner and DC?
I moved to the DC area 27 years ago, when my father was stationed at the Pentagon. I attended middle and high school in the Virginia suburbs and received my B.A. In Anthropology and Astronomy at the University of Virginia. When I graduated, I lived in Tyson's Corner for years and worked in Leesburg for Boeing at a Satellite Operations Center. I also attended George Mason University to work on my M.S. In Cellular Telecommunications. Now, I work in Virginia for the government running finances and contracts for a multimillion dollar government office. My mother, father and sister and her husband still live here. A few of my friends own businesses related to artistry and fashion, such as Carine Krawiec from Carine's Bridal Atelier in Georgetown, Lara Stuckey from Fluffy Thoughts Cakes in McLean and Nour Kazoun from MadeupArt.

Discovering Tyson's Corner- what are your favourite places to shop/eat/go with friends/people watch?
Tyson's Corner Mall is about 3 miles from my house in Falls Church. I like to take my child to the food court to play. My husband and I also like to eat at La Sandia and hang out for beers at Gordon Biersch. We often visit Barnes and Noble to get ideas on how to decorate our house and read books to our daughter. In addition, there is the Mosaic District in Merrifield, which is about 2 miles from my house. We like to watch movies at Angelika, eat ice cream at the Gelatto shop, sample chocolates at Artisan Confections, browse makeup and skincare at Bellacara, hang out in Chipotle and shop in Mom's Organic Market or Target. Also close to our house is the WO&D and we like to take walks down to Robeks on Broad Street for a shake or ride or bikes to the Saturday Farmers Market in Falls Church proper. Occasionally, when the weather permits, we grab the West Falls Church metro ( a mile away) to go into DC and visit the museums or some event going on at the Mall.

Perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Tyson's Corner?
We actually like to grab a late bite to eat at the Mosaic District and walk around to look at the new stores going up. Also, we like to drive around and look at the new metro (silver line) or we take my child to the various playgrounds within walking distance of our house. To us, it's about relaxing amid the hustle and bustle of the Tyson's area.

You can follow Rena on Twitter here. For more posts in the Discovering DC series click here. 

Sweet Lemon Magazine

SLM

I've recently started contributing to Sweet Lemon Magazine's Zesty Digest on a number of topics.

The Zesty Digest features contributions from bloggers across the US and further afield on everything from fashion to advice and lots in between!

My posts are published every Wednesday, so make sure you check them out here! 

Spring Jewellery Favourites from J Crew

Oodles of jewels in many sizes, shapes and colours provide a shoppers paradise at J Crew! Their new spring jewellery collection available in store and online is pretty much perfect and I am finding myself coveting more than a few pieces.

So what are my favourites?

I'm pretty sure this wild side wide bangle wouldn't leave my wrist!

I'd team this crystal sparkle necklace with a LBD for some evening shine!

This color mix statement necklace would be perfect for adding that pop of color to a white shirt! 

This classic pave link bracelet provides just the amount of glamour for day and night! 

J Crew

Caroline Kennedy to be named Ambassador to Japan

Caroline Kennedy is expected to be named Ambassador for Japan, it was reported yesterday. Her support for President Obama during his 2008 campaign was seen as crucial, and Kennedy has been widely talked about as a candidate for the important diplomatic post. For more info, click here.

The Audience

I had the hottest tickets in town on Saturday night as I went to a performance of The Audience, starring Dame Helen Mirren at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End.

I had thankfully booked tickets for myself and a friend way back in January, and thank goodness I did as tickets for the play are booked up right until the end of its run later this year! The theatre was packed, the atmosphere excited and we had excellent seats in the second row.

The Audience was everything I expected it to be- and more. From the moment Mirren appeared on stage the entire theatre was captivated. It was like watching the real monarch on stage, and more often than not, I had to pinch myself to remember that we weren't actually sitting in one of the rooms at Buckingham Palace or Balmoral listening to the private conversation between Queen and Prime Minister. Mirren captured the voice, the walk and the mannerisms of the monarch perfectly.

I was so impressed with the play's set design and costumes. Mirren changes her appearance on-stage with the help of three assistants. We see her move from current day Queen to the young Monarch and back again all in the blink of an eye. One of my favourite scenes was when the Queen is being photographed by Cecil Beaton in full regalia as the nervous Anthony Eden waits outside. My other favourite 'conversations' are the ones between the Queen and Margaret Thatcher (Haydn Gwynne), Gordon Brown (Nathaniel Parker) and Harold Wilson (Richard McCabe.) Perhaps the most fantastic scenes are the conversations between the Queen and her younger self. Nell Williams who played the young Princess Elizabeth on Saturday's performance was brilliant, and it was so touching to watch these scenes play out on stage.

Tickets for The Audience are sold out until the end of its run on 15th June, but the Gielgud Theatre releases ten tickets a day on the door. You also may strike lucky with some return tickets. Your best bet for seeing this magnificent play is when it is screen by NT Live in cinemas on 13th June. Check your local listings for more details.

The Audience is one of the most magnificent plays that I have seen, with every moment more captivating than the last. Mirren is at the top of her game. Her performance was entertaining, serious and stunning, and I feel so lucky to have seen her perform one of her now iconic roles live on stage.

For more information about The Audience click here. 

@lauraemilyd

Links of the Week

This week I've been reading...

Let's Lean In 

Women in the World 2013 Summit Agenda 

Boston's Mayor won't seek re-election

FLOTUS to talk youth violence in Chicago

Keds for Kate Spade

I love Keds and Kate Spade, and my dream has come true with both brands teaming up!

These fantastic Keds sneakers come in Kate Spade approved patterns, and are perfect for spring, summer- and fall!

Will you opt for gingham or spots?

Kate Spade

To shop the collection click here.

Discovering DC: Lexington Park, MD

For this week's Discovering DC we're in Lexington Park, MD with Val of The Daily Distraction. 


What’s your history with Lexington Park and DC?
I fell in love with DC the first time I visited as a high school senior on our big senior trip.  Not long after, my dad moved to Virginia and I’ve been visiting and dreaming of moving here ever since.  Last November, my husband, our pug, our corgi, and I made the 5 day drive from California to move to Southern Maryland and we love it!  Our hope is to eventually move closer to DC, possibly settling in Alexandria, but for now, we’re enjoying our small town and cannot wait for Spring to come so farmer’s markets start back up (we’re from the desert…fresh flowers and produce excites us to no end).

Discovering Lexington Park – what are your favorite places to shop/eat/go with friends/people watch?  
For being such a small town, Lexington Park, MD has some great food!  Especially sea food (duh) which we definitely didn’t get to enjoy when we lived in the desert in CA.  Our favorite restaurants in our area are The Blue Wind Gourmet, CD Cafe, and The Lotus Kitchen featuring Kim’s Key Lime Pies.  We get into DC as often as we can and our favorite meals there so far have been at Oyamel (you can’t go wrong with any of Jose Andres’ restaurants really) and Central.  We just picked up The Washingtonian 100 Very Best Restaurants and we can’t wait to try them all!

Perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Lexington Park?  
The CD Café and The Lotus Kitchen mentioned above are both on Solomons Island over the bridge from where we live.  Solomons has quickly become our favorite place to spend a Sunday afternoon; walking on the pier, stopping into the shops, and checking out all the beautiful homes and boats.  Recently we spent a Sunday sitting in The Lotus Kitchen’s screened in porch, drinking a whole bottle of wine while we enjoyed their delicious appetizers, and stared out at the water.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

Val of Daily Distraction

You can follow Val on Twitter here. For more posts in the Discovering DC archive click here. 

Kate Spade Saturday

The invitation email landed in my inbox yesterday, and I'm glad to say I am suitably impressed!

With free shipping and free returns to all 50 states, Kate Spade Saturday is quite possibly one of the most exciting and innovative ways to shop online.

New products are released each Saturday, and you can earn points for free items just by signing up for regular emails. So what are some of my top picks?

Modern Trench

Snap Hoody in French Terry

Slip Neck Ponte Top

Circle Around Earrings

Days of the Week Pencils

For more info on Kate Spade Saturday and to sign up, click here.

Family Life Exhibition at The Kennedy's Museum, Berlin

JFK Library

Make sure you check out the 'Family Life' exhibition being held from March 26- June 9 at the Kennedy Museum, Berlin.

Over sixty photographs, rare photo series from magazines and private film recordings form part of this special exhibition.

For more information on the exhibition click here. 

New Arrivals at J Crew

I always smile when a J Crew new arrivals email pops into my inbox. Here's what I am currently digging...

Stripe silk popover

Schoolboy blazer in crosshatch linen

Iridescent earrings

Lace stripe dress

Embroidered scout chino

Seville stripe espadrilles

Origami dress in wool crepe

Ribbon necklace

Mostly Women Doing Digital (#mwdd13)

I had the great pleasure of taking part in the Mostly Women Doing Digital event held at Indycube, Swansea yesterday.

Whilst I was a little nervous about my public speaking, it was fantastic to talk about Political Style, and hopefully inspire other bloggers who are thinking about blogging or need confidence with their writing.

It was fantastic to meet the other speakers including Juliet Fay, Esther Negle, Jess Hughes, Sangeet Bhullar and Helen Reynolds and listen to their experiences about digital media and social networking.

Eleanor Beer

Thanks to Eleanor Beer for this great graphic summary of my talk! Inspiring stuff!

And of course, a big thank you to Pippa and Chris for all their hard work and kind words.