Gone Style: Good Wear Days (Week Five)

Hello there. How are you. Me? I'm tired. Verrrrrry tired. But I'm also very EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE this week's Minnetonka boot winner c/o Langstons and talk next week's fashion prize! (Hint: it's sparkly!)

So! Without further noise, congratulations to random.org chosen Good Wear Days commenter #1 Marianne! (which has NEVER happened EVER and kind of stunned me when it came up. I mean... when does #1 come up? Today it did, folks. Today it did!) who rocked the HELL out of this sassy little number and will be handsomely rewarded with a pair of 'tonks for running wild in fields of awesome. Go, lady! And thank you, as always, to everyone who participated these past few days! Loved your looks!

This week's Good Wears involved sequins and gold lamé. Also, lamé is the opposite of lame. Am I right? Anyway. Fancy a messy bun and some buttons?

dress: Anthropologie sale rack circa 2006

(It wasn't in my size but I bought it anyway and had it altered)

turtleneck/blouse: Anthropologie (I know, I know. I like Anthropologie)

tights: no clue

boots: nicole

(which I'll be giving away as soon as they have my beige + black version in stock. Stay tuned!)

truth: this is my favorite outfit right now and I don't care who knows it.

jumpsuit: vintage wardrobe piece via sidewalk sale

necklace: gift from my mom

shoes: Gucci (purchased from consignment shop)

clutch: c/o Ellington via this giveaway

red lipstick: "delilah" from Stila

sweater (remixed, here): Beulah

Pants: Fluxus

Scarf: Nordstrom

Boots: same thrifted pair I wear every week

In Vegas I decided to channel my inner Alice in Wonderland.

(If Alice in Wonderland wandered into a discotech on the moon.)

Coat: vintage Carolina Herrera circa 80's (borrowed from my friend, Dani)

Pants: Also Dani's (she wore them here + purchased them in Copenhagen)

black tank: Target

Boots: Nine West, circa 2002

lipstick, once again "Delilah" by Stila.

Annnnnd back to a more casual day look:

hat: Barneys Outlet

cigarette cords: Genetic Denim

striped top: Zara

(have same top in black stripes, worn here.)

Boots: Jeffrey Campbell

button (on hat) was a gift from my sister

necklaces = kid's initial necklace by Julia Failey & "Marine Layer" necklace by Moonshined Designs which is (dunt dunt duuuuuunt!) this week's giveaway!

This necklace (more pics below and here) is not only gorgeous but also happens to have superpowers. Behold the following, taken from "Marine Layer" description:

Labradorite- “temple of the stars”- protection during growth and intense transitions. Perseverance through tough times. Optimism. Intuition. Understanding self and destiny.

Ruby- “the stone of nobility”- wise choices and decisions. Used for protection in the breastplates of high priests, and also used to strengthen the heart.

Moonstone-”traveler’s stone”- hoping, wishing, balancing. Brings good luck to travelers.

So. You see? This necklace is more than a "thing" - it has spiritual significance and healing, guiding powers for those both lost and found (oh but aren't we all!). It's a lucky charm of sorts and one that pairs beautifully with any and all ensembles.

For this week's "Good Wear Days" you have TWO weeks to participate (going to be skipping next week's Gone Style post in lieu of Thanksgiving) which means winner to be announced December 2nd, instead of November 25th. This ALSO means you have two weeks (fourteen total looks) to feature/link in the comments below.

In the meantime, a great big hug and thank you to Cate at Moonshined for your beautiful jewelry and generosity. (Browse more from Moonshined designs, here and/or become a fan on facebook.)

And another several dozen hugs to all of you who have participated these last five weeks and also for those that have not. I look very much forward to scoping your next batch of wears, specifically your festive holiday ensembs.

P.S. WWW came to visit last week. This is what she wore.

blouse: gift (from me)

jeans: Ann Taylor Loft

boots: from Millers Outpost 20 years ago.

hair: fabulous

Total GILF, this one.

Speaking of which...

Style Blog of the Week:

Advanced Style

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Eat Well: Countdown to Thanksgiving = Potatoes + Cranberries + Stuffed Peppers

ED: The following post was written by my mom, WWW. Thanks, mom!

When I was little, my mother had a yearly nightmare about waking up on Thanksgiving morning with the turkey still in the freezer. She grew used to these nightmares and affectionately called them her “turkey dreams.” I have a recurring nightmare that in a moment of horrific epiphany on the day of the final exam I remember that I am enrolled in an advanced calculus class, but I have never had a “turkey dream”—that is, until last night. In my nightmare, I forgot to cook the sweet potatoes, the mashed potatoes, the stuffing, and the desserts. And when I opened up the oven to look at my heritage turkey, it was beautifully browned all over but was a whopping four inches big, kind of like a turkey you would put into an Easy Bake Oven. To make things worse, 10 people I hadn’t invited showed up for dinner, all dressed in red, demanding turkey. I woke up from this nightmare in a cold sweat and couldn’t go back to sleep for two hours. All I kept thinking was I better start making lists and planning the logistics of the meal so I don’t forget to do anything.

Making sure that everything is done at the same time is the hardest part of planning a feast, especially when you only have one oven. I am making quinoa stuffed peppers for my vegetarian main dish and they need to be cooked in the oven at the last minute as does the sweet potatoes. I can put them in the oven together as long as the pans aren’t too big, after I take out the turkey. That means, the rest of my menu must be either made outside the oven or cooked ahead. This is why I need to write everything down, check my list twice, and orchestrate the event as if I were a wedding planner.

I usually make myself a timetable when I have a big party so on the day of the event I don’t have to think or say during dessert, “Oh my gosh! I forgot to serve the asparagus!!” I am also going to make several of my dishes ahead and freeze them, such as the butternut squash soup and today’s featured recipe, quinoa stuffed peppers.

Last year I made these for the non-meat eaters in the family and all of the carnivores were fighting over the leftovers. They freeze really well—I made them for Rebecca’s family when Fable was born and they could defrost the peppers as needed (it’s one of Rebecca’s favorite recipes of mine!). Freeze them after you stuff them, and then defrost, drizzle with the oil, and cook as directed. This recipe feeds eight if you have other things at the meal. I can serve the vegetarians a whole pepper and then cut the rest in half so that the other family members can eat some, too. I got this amazing recipe from Deborah Madison’s "Vegetarian Suppers” which is a WONDERFUL cookbook and I highly recommend it for many delectable and easy recipes. Omit the feta and these peppers are vegan.

Deborah Madison’s Peppers

(stuffed with quinoa, corn, and feta cheese)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well several times

3 T olive oil

1 bunch scallions, including 2 inches of the greens, thinly sliced into rounds

2 jalapeno chiles, finely diced, seeded (or for a less spicy alternative, Anaheims)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups, more or less, fresh or frozen corn kernels (from 3 ears of corn)

½ pound spinach leaves

½ cup chopped cilantro

¼ lb feta cheese, cut into small cubes

4 yellow, orange, or red bell peppers

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add ½ teaspoon salt, then quinoa. Give it a stir, cover, and simmer over low until the grains are tender, about 15 minutes.

Warm half of the oil in a wide skillet. Add the scallions and chiles, cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, corn and spinach, along with 2 tablespoons of water.

fresh corn off the cob + peppers, onions & cumin

When the spinach is wilted, add the cilantro, quinoa, and feta. Toss everything together, taste for salt, and season with pepper.

Slice the peppers in half lengthwise without removing the tops or stems, then cut out the membranes and seeds.

Simmer them in salted water until tender to the touch of a knife but not overly soft, 4 to 5 minutes, and remove.

Fill them with the quinoa and set them in a large baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 400. Drizzle the rest of the oil over the peppers and bake the peppers until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes, then switch the heat to broil and brown the tops. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

…

It’s pretty traditional for our family to have either green beans or asparagus served simply with butter (in the case of the beans, with toasted almonds on top). I am going to serve asparagus. I wanted to roast them, my favorite method of cooking vegetables, but the oven is going to be very busy with the sweet potatoes and the peppers, so I will steam the asparagus and serve with melted butter with a little lemon added in. I just bought a new book, “Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes” by Harold McGee. I heard him talk about asparagus on NPR and that is why I bought the book! I was taught to break off the tough ends of the asparagus, which wastes a good portion of the vegetable. I also thought you should buy thinner asparagus, but McGee says: “chose THICK spears for the highest proportion of tender flesh to fibrous sheath and cut off fibrous bottoms before cooking, or peel the bottom half deeply. Snapping is not a reliable way of separating fibrous from tender portions, and wastes a significant amount.” And, he says further, “slice these trimmed bottoms into thin rounds and add to stir fries or to soup at the last minute.” I have always tossed them into the compost pile! Yikes!!

I love homemade cranberries. They are so easy to make and add such a great flavor to the dinner. I always make orange cranberries but two weeks ago, Alison commented on my post and sent me this recipe. It is DELICIOUS and so I am going to share it with all of you. Thank you, Alison!

Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce

1 ½ cups sugar


2 oranges

½ tsp FRESH grated ginger 


4 cups fresh cranberries

½ cups toasted pecans (optional)

Grate the ginger and one orange peel, put in a pot with the sugar. Add the juice from the oranges and simmer over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and cook until they all pop - about 5 minutes. Let them cool and then you can add the pecans. (It's good without the pecans, too.)

I think I will make some mashed potatoes (I like to make horseradish mashed potatoes—here’s a recipe for those who prefer them to sweet. And to round off the meal, homemade corn bread, easily prepared in the morning before the turkey goes into the oven.

Here is a re-cap of my Thanksgiving menu:

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Heritage turkey

Cornflake stuffing (cooked in the crock-pot)

Mushroom gravy

Pecan topped sweet potatoes

Horseradish mashed potatoes

Quinoa stuffed peppers

Steamed asparagus with lemon butter

Orange/Ginger Cranberries

Cornbread

I’d love to hear what you're planning on serving for Thanksgiving!

Love,

WWW

74/100

Years ago, I fell hard for a street performing marionette puppeteer who set up shop at Sunset Junction atop a crate beside an old boom box blasting Edith Piaf. It only lasted a week or so - my peculiar obsession with all things James, (I think that was his name. He looked like a James, anyway) but even still, I think of him occasionally. Him with his dirty La Boheme(ian) suspenders and stale whiskey stench. His slender-wheeled bicycle, soul sole-peeling shoes.

He was able to make his puppets smoke, kiss, dance, die and at the end of the show, we'd clap and throw dollars into his hat and he'd grimace, turn his back toward us and moments later, return, with a new show, a new dance, smoke, death... I was riveted. And completely turned on.

So there you go. Something I've never publicly admitted. I'm totally into marionettes and those who pull their strings.

"I will never be dirt free."

Sing it.

74. Dirty Night Clowns by: Chris Garneau

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