Dear Florida Gators, I Love You. xoxo.

The Florida Gators get their own post today, because yesterday they knocked off the top-ranked Alabama Crimson to win both the SEC Championship and a berth to the BCS Championship game. The Gators really made my night last night -- I was a little disappointed after social plans that I had been looking forward to suddenly came crashing down. By 7:00 pm or so, when it became clear that Florida was going to hand Nick Saban and his team their first defeat of the season, I had totally forgotten about the aforementioned social plans and instead become absolutely thrilled about the Gators impending victory and the realization that Percy Harvin is a good looking guy -- I hadn't realized!

Tons of exciting college football developments are on tap...tonight the official BCS bowl series match-ups will be announced, and next week, this year's Heisman trophy winner will be announced (Tim Tebow certainly made an excellent case for a repeat performance last night...).

I'm Back

It's been one month and 3 days since I last posted to my blog. Truth be told, November ended up being an incredibly eventful month -- eventful in a good way. First, I finally received my results from that big, scary exam that stole my summer and led me to re-evaluate my personal life and my priorities (which, as it turned out, also ended up being a good thing). And I passed! I really wasn't sure that I did, and when I learned that I had passed, well, I was as happy as I've ever been.

Second, I turned 27 in November, and it wasn't as bad as I thought. I still don't feel like an adult, which is just fine by me. I don't plan to feel like an adult until I absolutely have to, and that time has yet to come.

Third, Thanksgiving was at my house this year! That's right, my mother, father, and brother descended upon my Manhattan apartment for Thanksgiving weekend. I prepared dinner (that's right, I cooked -- maybe I am an adult?) while my parents and brother helped me execute some of the decorating ideas I had put on hold while awaiting the results of that scary exam -- the walls in my living room were drenched with a milky "greige" paint (Ralph Lauren's "Forde Abbey" in eggshell -- a color that I picked out with the assistance of Domino magazine), and the Crate & Barrel "true media console" that I ordered nearly two months ago was finally assembled. And while my apartment is far from finished, it looks much better than it did before, and I finally feel like I'm in a place where I can take my time looking for inspiration and pulling the whole look together.

November was not such a hot month for the economy, and I feel so incredibly fortunate to have a job and to know where my next paycheck/meal/necessity is coming from -- it seems that the news on the economy gets worse and worse every day. On an entirely trivial note, it's been really interesting to see how the economic crisis has been affecting the "how to" coverage of fashion and design blogs and magazines -- how to find holiday gifts for under $25 (0r $50, or $100), how to build a new wardrobe with the clothes you already have in your closet, how to throw a holiday party for 8 for under $100. I think that I'm going to start stockpiling this information -- doing more for less is a great skill to have, both in good times and in bad...

The Best Birthday Gift I Have Ever Received

Barack Obama became the President-elect about 25 minutes ago. In about 15 minutes from now, I'll begin celebrating my 27th birthday. Thank you, Barack Obama, and thank you to the 45 million + Americans who voted for him. Happy birthday to me. And to the whole country.

Joe the Plumber Is Neither a Joe nor a Plumber. Plus Other Random Musings.

I've been trying to keep my blog a politics-free zone. Not because I'm not into politics -- I'm actually obsessed with politics -- but because life is stressful as it is, and I try to keep my blog full of happy things like college football rivalries and pretty dresses and beautiful home furnishings. But I'm just bursting at the seams about this: Joe the Plumber, the "average American" who was invoked at Wednesday's presidential debate no fewer than 20 times, is not a Joe. And he's not a plumber. He's some guy named Samuel who works for a plumbing company in Ohio. He does not have, and never has had, a plumbing license. Click here for the story (and for a little British flair).

Seriously? Is this is what we've come to? This has been the craziest election I've ever seen. I can't wait for November 4th. Please vote.

On an entirely different note, I ordered this media console today. And yesterday, I ordered these curtains for my bedroom and this pillow (the one with the circles) for the couch in my living room. Slowly but surely, my apartment is coming together. My goal is to have it in a fully functional state for the holiday season. Speaking of the holidays, I'm so excited for Thanksgiving weekend. My parents and brother are coming up from Florida to shop, relax, and help me assemble the aforementioned media console (a power drill is required!).

P.S. Florida had a bye this week, and all the Top 4 teams won. Well, the Texas-Missouri game isn't over yet, but it looks pretty bad for Missouri. The Longhorns are up 35-3 at the half. So barring disaster, Texas can is gonna stay in the number one spot this week.

Good News Is Never Late

Of course, the Gators won on Saturday. I mean, they really won. The final score was 51 - 21. LSU just didn't look like itself.

The Gators have a bye this weekend; they'll face Kentucky next week. I feel really good about the team this year. My beloved Gators seem to have recovered quite well from that tragic loss to Ole Miss (30-31). They've moved up to #5 in the AP Top 25. Not that that means anything...not for another few months, anyway.

In other news, I'm really excited to indulge in some creative hobbies again. Between adjusting to a new job and furnishing my new apartment (speaking of which, how wonderful is it that the Brocade Home website is open for business once again? --just in time for me to pick up a few pieces for my apartment!), I haven't had much time for creativity recently. But I'm ready to branch out -- I can't wait to work on some new jewelry pieces and to teach my myself to knit (this will be my 3rd attempt). I'm also thinking of taking a letterpress printing class. So many options! I can't wait to start.

Goodness All Around

I'm blogging from my couch (more on the couch below) as I watch the Florida-LSU game. Florida is ahead 10-0 with six minutes left in the 1st quarter. I'm feeling good about this one. Other things that I'm feeling good about at the moment:

1. Korres Natural Skincare products. I had been eyeing these at Sephora for the past year. On Thursday evening, when my face began to show the effects of pulling late nights and weekends at work, I decided to stop by Sephora to pick up a new under eye cream. Instead, I picked up a Korres Wild Rose starter set, which included an Evening Primrose Eye Cream. All of the products in the kit are lovely...rich, but not greasy, and ever so slightly fragrant.

2. Hand sanitizer. Not for its sanitizing capabilities, but for its ability to remove an ink stain from my brand new, cream colored microfiber couch. Yes, I made the mistake of taking notes (about my student loan repayment schedule, no less) with a bright blue pen while sitting on my new couch. Yes, I panicked and googled "removing ink stains from microfiber." Yes, my search yielded the hand sanitizer trick (dab a little on the stain; blot, don't rub, until ink disappears). And yes, it worked!

3. The Domino Book of Decorating (and Amazon.com, for delivering my pre-order copy in 2 days). Thank you, Domino editors, for putting together this book at the perfect time. I have just embarked on decorating my new apartment, and this book is full of really great tips. Plus, once I finally decide on a coffee table, I can keep this book on it!

Okay, back to the game. Florida is now ahead 17-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Oh No!

The Gators lost to Ole Miss today. The final score was 31-30. I'm too sad to blog about this now, so I'll post more on the game later. My cable went out this afternoon, so I was actually out shopping for housewares for my new apartment while the game was on. My dad delivered the bad news to me over the phone. In retrospect, I'm glad my cable went out. Watching that game would have been so depressing.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Last night was an incredible night for college football fans like me. I actually almost missed the USC-Oregon State game--I was too busy watching the final season premiere of ER. (As an aside, the 35 minutes that I spent watching ER were a total waste. What happened to that show? ER used to be the most amazing hour of dramatic television. Today, it stinks. The acting doesn't seem authentic anymore.) Anyway, I managed to get my act together in time to catch the top-ranked USC Trojans fall to Oregon State! An unranked Oregon State. I was, and still am, so excited about Oregon State's win that my memory of the second half of the game remains fuzzy. As I recall, it went something like this: USC was down 21-0 at the begining of the third quarter. Then they scored one touchdown. 21-7. Then they scored another. 21-14. Then they stopped scoring. Then, late in the 4th quarter, Oregon State scored a touchdown. 28-14. At that point, Pete Carroll's face fell. The game was over, and he knew it. Then the game ended for real. Oregon State's coach teared up. Mark Sanchez threw his helmet (I think it was his helmet?). Then I went to bed with a huge smile on my face. Go Beavers!

Some Things Changed. Some Things Stayed the Same.

I'm back! Here's what changed:

1. I moved! (Back to NYC, which is where I've lived for five years now. So I didn't really "move." But I did travel from Florida, where I vacationed with my family for several weeks, to Manhattan, where I moved into a brand new apartment, started a brand new job, and started a brand new chapter in my life. )

2. I started furnishing said brand new apartment. This particularly exciting because now I can put all that design blog browsing (and my subscription to Domino Magazine) to good use. And as much as I would love for my apartment to be instantly beautiful and worthy of being featured on a design blog or in a design magazine, I quickly realized that transforming my apartment into a home is going to be an evolutionary process...but more on that later.

Here's what didn't change:

1. Florida football remains amazing. The Gators handed Tennessee a sound defeat in Knoxville on Friday (Final score: 30-6. Tennessee scored those 6 points in the 4th quarter. Florida scored 17 points in the 1st quarter). Florida is now 3-0, and remains at the #4 position in the AP Top 25. Of the 25 top teams, 18 of them remain undefeated (including BYU, Boise State, and TCU). It's going to be an interesting season.

Family Photos

I love looking at family photos. Over the past several days, I've been sorting through my parents' old photo albums, searching for photos to copy in black and white and to hang on the walls of my new apartment. The photo above is one of my absolute favorites. It was taken at my paternal grandparents' home outside of Charleston, South Carolina in 1982. From left to right: my maternal great-grandmother, my maternal grandmother, my paternal grandmother, and my great aunt. The happy lady in the back is my mom. And that's me in her lap (in the very fashionable pink ensemble).

Oh, and the Blog Received a Makeover

About 2 weeks ago, the name of this blog changed. And I neglected to discuss the change! I know; I can hardly believe it myself. I was so excited to get the new site up and running that once I did, I didn't explain my little blog's face lift. So here's the official announcement: The blog formerly known as The Fashion Obsessed Sports Fan is now Stilettos on the Gridiron. The entire blog, including archived posts, have moved to, well, exactly where you are right now. Why the change? Because my Florida stay-cation afforded me a lot of time to think about my blog-in-progress, and I decided that Stilettos on the Gridiron is a little more intriguing. I love intrigue. But...while the blog's name has changed, its mission has not. The blog is still dedicated to celebrating a girl's right to love college football, Manolo Blahnik sample sales, BCS Championship Game parties, glossy design magazines, and anything else her heart desires.

End Notes on NFL Action:

1. Tom Brady's definitely out. In an email to his teammates, he assured them that "everything will be okay" (or something to that effect...).
2. Oakland didn't score during its opening game against the Denver Broncos. Not at all. Not even a field goal. Ooops.

Mike + Mike, Plus Mike and Monday Night Football?

Mike and Mike of ESPN's Mike & Mike in the Morning are calling the Monday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders (Yep; I'm watching another NFL game. I'm still not sure how that happened.) Oh, and Mike Ditka is there, too. A small confession before I continue: I've listened to Mike & Mike in the Morning maybe once, so I don't really know that much about them. What I do know is that Mike & Mike and Monday Night Football on ESPN make for very strange bedfellows. It's hard to follow their banter and the game at the same time. Plus, I'm distracted by their radio voices. Is this an experiment, or will Mike and Mike be doing this on a regular basis? I should look into that. (For what it's worth, Mike & Mike's commentary isn't bad. It's just different...I'm pretty sure I just caught a Forrest Gump reference.)

Back to Reality. Plus, NFL: The Soap Opera

The past few weeks have been great--I've been relaxing with my family in Florida and enjoying the sunshine and the slow pace that the central Florida coastal town that I call home has to offer. But, my job awaits, and on Wednesday I'll be returning to New York to get settled before work begins next Monday. Thankfully, my parents and my brother will be coming up to New York this weekend to help me get settled in my new apartment. I spent most of the morning confirming travel reservations and move-in dates and shipping items to my new apartment (including the fabulous new quilt and LeCreuset tea kettle that I found at unbelievable bargain prices at Tuesday Morning over the weekend). I still have some more errands to run and much more packing to do, but I wanted to take a break from all of that to talk about the NFL. That's right, professional football. College football is the game that gets me going; professional football usually doesn't pique my interest unless something other than the game itself is going on (case in point: Kim Kardashian cheering on Reggie Bush at the Saints game yesterday). But yesterday's quarterback drama has captured my attention. What drama, you ask?

1. Oh my goodness, Tom Brady might be out for the season? That's not good. I'm not even a Patriots fan, and I still think that the whole Tom Brady/Bridget Moynihan thing was just terrible. (Don't get me wrong, Gisele seems lovely, and if Tom and Bridget's relationship wasn't working out, there was no sense in continuing it, I guess. But Bridget was pregnant!). Even so, there's still something about Tom Brady that I find likeable. And, if he's out with a season-ending knee injury, well that's really too bad. Get better soon, Tom!

2. Okay, I still think that Brett Favre is a bit of a whiner after that whole faux-retirement thing. (Sorry Brett, you also seem like a great guy, and I remember being left with a very favorable impression of your wife after seeing her with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America.) But he sure did deliver for the Jets yesterday (194 yards, 2 touchdowns). The man has gray hair and he turns 39 next month! I can't be mad at you, Brett.

College Football Rankings: Week 2

Fresh rankings were just released. For the complete list of how the top-performing teams will enter the third week of play, click here. Or, read below for highlights:

1. USC (The bye week didn't cost the Trojans their number one spot. I guess that makes sense?)

2. Georgia (A win over Georgia Southern was enough for the Bulldogs to hold onto the #2 spot.)

4. Florida (The Gators moved up one spot after last weekend's win over Miami.)

14. East Carolina (Wow! Congratulations to the Pirates for a well-deserved entry into the Top 25.)

19. South Florida (A win in a close game against UCF resulted in a 2-spot slip for the Bulls.)

25. West Virginia (The Mountaineers managed to snag the final spot after a loss to East Carolina.)

Life Is Precious

On Sunday, the NY Times ran this story about Stephanie Nielson, a wife, mother, and blogger who was very badly injured in an airplane accident last month. Her husband was also badly injured, and the pilot lost his life in the accident. The outpouring of support from those who read her blog has been tremendous. My thoughts and prayers are with Stephanie and her family.

College Football Bonanza

Week 2 of the college football season has wrapped! Shame on me--I was conspicuously absent from my blog during the opening week of play--with the Conventions (I watched both the Democrats and the Republicans--I'm a political junkie), the nail-biting hurricane watches, and my determination to start furnishing my brand new Manhattan apartment from the comfort of my own laptop (complicated by the fact that both my laptop and I have spent the past several weeks in Florida), I wasn't able to post as often as I wanted. But enough of the excuses. Here goes!

College Football Round-up

1. East Carolina has emerged as the Cinderella story of the early weeks of college play. East Carolina was not supposed to be 2-0 after facing Virginia Tech during week one and West Virginia during week two. Forget what the team was supposed to do...East Carolina beat both teams. How exciting! Thank you, East Carolina, for making this season interesting so soon.

2. This weekend was a great one for football fans from the state of Florida. First, my beloved Florida Gators beat a young, upstart Miami team, 26-3. The Hurricanes are re-building their program, and I'm confident and hopeful that in the future, the 'Canes will be a formidable opponent. But for now, I'm just relieved that Tim Tebow and the Gators won last night's game. (The Gators and the Hurricanes don't meet again until the 2013 season. ) And second, Saturday night's game between South Florida and Central Florida was much closer than many fans predicted. UCF wasn't supposed to stand a chance against USF, but the Golden Knights rallied from 14 points behind to force the game into overtime...only to make a handful of mistakes that afforded USF their second win of the season. For UCF fans, it was a heartbreaking loss, but for a program that is less than 10 years old, UCF is doing just fine.

In other college football news, after beating Virginia, 52-7, the USC Trojans held the top spot at the beginning of week two. The top spot belonged to the Georgia Bulldogs at the beginning of the season, but apparently a 45-21 win over Georgia Southern to open the season wasn't enough to keep Georgia there. The Trojans had a bye week this week, and the Bulldogs beat Central Michigan 56-17 on Saturday, so it'll be interesting to see what happens at the top of the AP Top 25 this week.

Part Four: Recipes for Game Day (The food's almost as important as the game. Almost.)

Buffalo Wings

Ingredients:

• 1 package of frozen chicken "wingettes" or "drumettes"
• 1 bottle of buffalo wing sauce (I like Ken's Steakhouse's buffalo wing sauce & marinade)
• 4 tbsps of barbecue sauce
• A spicy seasoning blend (I like McCormick Grill Mates Spicy Montreal Steak blend (it's delicious on chicken, too!) and McCormick's Grill Mates Mesquite Seasoning)
  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Divide the chicken pieces into 4 medium-sized ziploc bags. Drop about 1/4 of the bottle of buffalo wing sauce and 1 tbsp of barbecue sauce in each bag. Close bags tightly, then shake each vigorously to coat chicken pieces. Place bags in refrigerator for about 5 minutes while you line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Line the chicken pieces in a single layer in the pan. Season with spicy seasoning blend before placing in oven. Cook for 45 minutes, turning the chicken over after 20 minutes and again when 5 minutes of cooking time remain. Serve with blue cheese dressing!

Guacamole (I find that people have strong reactions to avocado. I happen to love it. And it's really good for you.)

I found this great recipe at allrecipes.com:

Ingredients:

• 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately. (Don't forget the tortilla chips!)

The Game Day Cocktail: Frizzante Mojito

This recipe comes courtesy of the Martha Stewart Show and Allen Katz, Sirius Satellite Radio host (click here for more details on this and the other cocktails that Martha & Co. recommend for game day). I'm partial to mojitos...follow this recipe for a great one:

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh mint leaves
• 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 ounce Simple Syrup
• 1 1/2 ounces rum, preferably Cruzan
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 ounces Champagne or Prosecco, chilled

In a pint or mixing glass, muddle together mint, lime juice, and simple syrup to release mint oils. Add rum and bitters; shake over ice. Strain into a cocktail glass or coupe; top with Champagne.

Part Three: What to Wear (Fashionable fans must dress the part!)

You've familiarized yourself with the basics of college football and you know what teams to watch for this season. Now it's time to look the part. Luckily, long gone are the days when athletic gear and team merchandise were synonymous with shapeless sweatshirts and plastic beer mugs. Take a look at these great finds for fashionable fans (left to right, from top left) :

(1) A perfect Florida Gators hoodie. Perfect because the slim cut and lightweight material make it figure-flattering (read: not bulky!), while the fleece lining makes it warm and cozy. Plus, it's affordable at $39.95. (2) I love the washed and worn look of this Michigan baseball cap. Perfect for catching a game in person on a Saturday afternoon. (3) This USC tee speaks for itself. (4) Don't underestimate these earrings! In a near-perfect collision of sports and fashion, these are NCAA logo Oregon Ducks earrings. (5) Fashion-forward Longhorns fans, rejoice! The script on this Texas tee adds just the right amount of flare. (6) Who says you have to drink beer at your game day party? LSU fans can sip wine in style with these stemless glasses.

Part Two: The Teams to Watch in 2008

AP Top 25 Teams (as of August 24, 2008)

The Top 10:

1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. USC
4. Oklahoma
5. Florida (Go Gators! Yes, I'm still a die-hard Florida Gators fan.)
6. Missouri
7. LSU
8. West Virginia
9. Clemson
10. Auburn

The Rest of the Top 25:
11. Texas
12. Texas Tech
13. Wisconsin
14. Kansas
15. Arizona State
16. Brigham Young
17. Virginia Tech
18. Tennessee
19. South Florida
20. Illinois
21. Oregon
22. Penn State
23. Wake Forest
24. Alabama
25. Pittsburgh

In short, these are the 25 teams that the AP expects to have the best seasons in 2008. This year marks the first that the Georgia Bulldogs occupy the top spot in the preseason polls. Preseason rankings are based on several factors, including how well the team performed last season and how many players from last season are returning, the number of new recruits a team has acquired and the prospects of those recruits, and the strength of the coaching staff. In other words, the rankings are completely subjective. The rankings will change every week throughout the college football season, as teams win or lose games. Keeping up with the movement in the rankings from week to week (and disagreeing with the rankings when the experts get them wrong) is part of what makes the college football season so fun. ESPN's college football home page will help you keep up with the action from now until the championship game.

Part One: The Rules of the Game (Just enough to get by...)

You only need to be familiar with a few basics to enjoy a college football game. The best way to understand the nuances of the game is to sit back and watch a few games. But watching a football game without understanding anything that's going on can be really frustrating. Here are a few basics. And I do mean basics. I think it's fairly obvious that these explanations are not at all exhaustive, and they're not all that technical, either. They're really intended for brand new fans of the game. For more thorough (and technical) explanations of how a college football game is played, be sure to check out the Internet resources that I've listed below.

1. Q: Okay, I'm ready to watch a game. How long is this gonna take?
A: The game itself is comprised of four 15 minute quarters. After two quarters, the players take a break (halftime); the remaining two quarters are played after halftime. Don't be fooled by the game clock, though. Including time outs, commercial breaks, and deliberations among officials following a play, watching a game will easily take between 2 1/2 and 3 hours. (Don't worry. They will be some of the best 2 1/2 to 3 hours of your life!)

2. Q: What's the object of this game?
A: It's quite simple. For each team, the object of the game is to get the football in the opposing team's end zone. The end zones are set 100 yards apart, at opposite ends of the football field. Through a series of running and passing plays, the team on offense moves the ball toward the opposing team's end zone. Under normal circumstances, the team on offense will get four chances (called downs) to score a touchdown by getting the ball to the end zone.

3. Q: What's up with the score?
A: A touchdown is worth 6 points. After a team scores a touchdown, it is given an opportunity to earn bonus points! Kicking the ball in between the goal posts after a touchdown is worth 1 point, while running the ball into the end zone is worth 2 points. If a team gets to its 4th down and realizes that its chances of scoring a touchdown on 4th down are slim to none, then it can send out a kicker to attempt to kick the ball in between the goal posts for 3 points.


4. Q: Why are the officials throwing things at the players?
A: Throughout the game, the officials are keeping their eyes peeled for players who break the rules. When an official spots a rule violation, he throws a flag onto the field, and the game is stopped while the officials announce the violation and the penalty. Common violations include delay of game, pass interference, and holding.

That should be enough to prevent brand new fans from getting dizzy while watching their first game. But there's much, much more to college football. Check out these great resources:

Introduction to American College Football Rules
New Rules for the 2008 College Season
Wikipedia's Overview of College Football

Girl's Guide: Table of Contents

The inaugural Fashion Obsessed Sports Fan Girl's Guide, A Girl's Guide to the 2008 College Football Season, is on its way. The Guide will be presented in four posts, each of which will cover a different topic (see the table of contents below). I hope that Girl's Guides will become a regular feature of this blog; as such, comments and suggestions are very welcome!

A Girl's Guide to the 2008 College Football Season

Part I: The Rules of the Game (just enough to get by)

Part II: The Teams to Beat in 2008 (if the 2007 season is any indication, take this list with a grain of salt)

Part III: What to Wear (fashionable fans must dress the part!)

Part IV: Recipes for Game Day (the food's almost as important as the game. almost.)

Coming Soon: A Girl's Guide to the 2008 College Football Season

This year's college football season begins on August 28, and what better way to kick off the start of the new season than with a new Fashion Obsessed Sports Fan feature? A shiny new feature, A Girl's Guide to the College Football Season, will be posted to the blog early next week. Highlights will include a basic review of the rules (it's never too late to become a college football fan!), a preview of the best teams this season, ideas for fashionable ways to show support for your favorite team (note: all sports team logo hoodies were not created equal) and recipe ideas for the BCS Championship Game party that fashionable fans will undoubtedly want to host after keeping up with the game for an entire season. (FYI: The championship game will be held on January 8, 2009 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Mark your calendars now!)

Favorite Finds (Now with Illustrations!)

This is the first illustrated installment of "Favorite Finds." I'm still working out some kinks (i.e. I think the images above may be a little too small), but I was eager to get this post up. Here are a few things that recently caught my eye (left to right, from top left):

(1) J. Crew's Frankie bag in cherry guava. Yum. $395. (2) Savon de Marseille's 500 mL liquid hand soap in orange flower. So pretty on a bathroom counter. $14. (3) Bodum's clear bistro mugs hold coffee and tea in style. $12.95 each. (4) Philosophy's high-foaming facial cleanser, Purity. I acquired this as a "free" gift after spending enough money at Sephora to accumulate a gazillion points on my frequent shopper card. And it was worth it. This cleanser smells and works great. $34.50. (5) Think Geek's File Folders with Attitude. The orange folder holds "useless documents to provide appearance of importance at meetings." $7.99 for six.(6) Anthropologie's Three-Two-One drop earrings. The multifaceted quartz and jade stones remind of the window displays in the bead shops that line 6th Avenue in Manhattan's Garment District. $98.

More Apartment Decorating

image source: La-Z-Boy Furniture (la-z-boy.com)
After a week of recurring nightmares about a white sofa and a glass of red wine, I've decided to consider an equally neutral, but darker color for my new sofa--a color that will not only allow me to change the look of my living room fairly easily with a new set of throw pillows, but that will also put up a good fight against a wayward glass of wine (I'm not even a big wine drinker, but I do plan to hone my dinner party hosting skills in my new apartment. And every good dinner party requires a great wine. Right?) After doing a little research, (thanks to Apartment Therapy, Consumer Reports, and HGTV), my heart is set on chocolate brown. And while I'm still looking, I really like the La-Z-Boy offering above. I'm imagining that this will look great with throw pillows in just the perfect shade of blue--a color combination I've been in love with ever since the Sex and the City set designers livened up Carrie's bedroom with beautiful, subtle shades of brown and blue.

Apartment Decorating 101

image source: rentaldecorating.com
September will mark the beginning of a very exciting new chapter for me. For the first time in my adult life, I will not be living in a studio apartment! In Manhattan, this is quite the luxury. I'm so excited to decorate my new 1 bedroom apartment, and I've been scouring websites and design magazines for ideas. I absolutely love the serene, clean look of the living room pictured above, and I've decided to use it as the inspiration for my own living room. The light colors make me a little nervous (I'm imagining an incident involving a glass of red wine and that white couch), so I may modify the color scheme a little bit. But this is a great start!

Re-Launching Ruby Perrin Design

I've managed to snag a little free time before beginning work in about a month, and I've decided to use it to (a) devote a little more time to my blog, and (b) devote a little more time to a hobby I first picked up several years ago...

Ruby Perrin* Design.

I started designing jewelry about five years ago, not long after I graduated from college and moved to New York to begin a finance job. My first apartment was in the Garment District, and it didn't take me long to discover that the Garment District was home to what seemed like an endless number of stores that sold semi-precious stones in richly hued shades, glass beads adorned with intricate etchings, freshwater pearls, and ornate silver and gold findings. My finance job soon began financing my new hobby. I continued to build my collection of beads and findings, and I enrolled in a jewelry design class at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

After nearly a three-year long hiatus (thanks in part to a graduate school program), I've decided that it's been far too long since I've designed a new piece of jewelry. Armed with a new set of materials and a new state of mind, I'm ready to design again. And, in addition to being a home for the fashion and sports fare that I've grown to love, I also envision this blog as a "creative space" in which I can post photos of pieces I'm working on, explore new design techniques, and share what I learn along the way. I can't wait!

*my paternal grandmother's first name + my maternal grandmother's last name = ruby perrin

The Fan Returns...Again!

Wow. Almost three months have passed since I last posted about my obsessions with fashion, sports, and all (okay, most) things in between. Truth be told, I spent most of the summer preparing for what I expected to be a really difficult exam. And it was difficult. But I gave it my all, and I've decided that instead of worrying about how I did on the exam (easier said than done), I'm going to indulge in my fashion, sports, and design obsessions once again. Well, that and watch NBC's 1,300+ hours of Olympics coverage. Speaking of which, how amazing was the U.S. team in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay? What an incredible swim from the American men. The last time I cheered at the television so loudly was when Boise State defeated Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. (And as a bonus, this time around I didn't injure myself while cheering. I still have a scar on my shin to remind me that while jumping for joy over Boise State's victory, I collided with a coffee table in my parents' living room. Ouch.)

You Couldn't Make This Stuff Up

LeBron James's mother got in on the NBA playoff action on Monday night. That's right, his mother. Apparently, she did not like the way that the Celtics' Paul Pierce fouled her son during the second quarter of the game, and she let Pierce know it. When Pierce and James stumbled out of bounds after the foul, they had the misfortune of landing near (on?) Gloria James. She appeared to be upset with Pierce for the foul, and started pointing her finger and yelling in his direction. And LeBron James wasn't having it. Using language that James himself admits he probably shouldn't have used, he basically told her to be quiet and sit down. Kevin Garnett looked absolutely stunned as he attempted to assist by comforting (restraining?) Ms. James. (For the record, this isn't the first time that Ms. James has been in the news. In January 2006, after being charged with a DUI, she apparently destroyed police property and had to be restrained. More on that here. Oh my!)

Thanks in large part to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, this NBA post-season has been quite entertaining. First, it was Jay-Z and Soulja Boy. Now this. And while the whole rap battle thing was just that, entertaining, this story is also sad. Here's hoping that something like this doesn't happen again.

PS-The Cavaliers and the Celtics are all tied up at 2 games a piece now. So are the Lakers and the Jazz. That's right, the Lakers lost another playoff game. The next game in the series is tonight. Go Jazz! (And apologies to my dad, the biggest Lakers fan I know.)

The Lakers Lost! (And So Did the Cavaliers)

Just when I decide to pay attention to see how long the Lakers can keep up their post-season winning streak, they lose to the Jazz (final score: 104-99). I can't believe it! Of course, the Lakers' season is far from over, but still.

In other news, the Cavaliers have now lost 2 games to the Celtics. Game 3 is on Saturday in Cleveland. I think it's time for the Cavaliers to call Jay-Z. What rhymes with Boston?

Etc.

Confession: I've been studying for grad school exams (1 down, 1 to go), and thus I've been obsessing over them more than anything else this past week. But everyone needs a break every now and then. So, here goes!

1. As I've mentioned before, I love it when two seemingly different ideas/concepts/hobbies (e.g. fashion & sports (of course!), fashion & politics, politics & sports) collide. And so does the NY Times. In the Fashion & Style section of today's paper, the Times ran this fun article about the intensified coverage of the presidential candidates in magazines and websites best known for their entertainment and celebrity gossip coverage (you know the ones--People, US Weekly, TMZ.com). Very interesting! Apparently, John McCain celebrated his 71st (oh my goodness) birthday at a fancy Beverly Hills restaurant. See the footage for yourself at TMZ.com.

In other collision news, Tom Brady + Gisele Bundchen + Met Gala = Fashion & Sports at Their Finest.

2. The Rogan collection for Target hits stores on May 18. A preview of the collection, which features lots of modern cuts and organic cotton, is available here, courtesy of fabsugar.com. I'm hoping to find something in the collection that I can add to my treasure trove of "cute and really reasonably priced clothes I found when I went to Target for toothpaste and paper towels only."

3. The NBA Playoffs: I can't remember exactly when I completely lost track of everything that's been going on during the NBA post-season, but I'm pretty sure that it happened around the time that Jay-Z and Soulja Boy entered the fray during the Cavaliers-Wizards series. Unbelievable. Anyway, it seems that the Cavs play a second game against Boston tonight after losing the first game to the Celtics (final score: 76-72). And the Lakers, led by newly crowned MVP Kobe Bryant, have yet to lose a playoff game. I wonder if they can keep it up. Hmmm...keeping track of a winning streak could get interesting...

Favorite Finds

Several months ago, I blogged about some of my favorite fashion finds (at the time, the list included American Apparel tri-blend t-shirts, Tony Lama cowboy boots and a $5 black pashmina). Now, I'm back with a new list. This time, not every find is a "fashion" find in the strictest sense, but each find is fabulous nonetheless.

1. Marnie Rocks is a jewelry and accessories company that was launched several years ago by Houston-based independent designer and mother of four Marnie Greenwood. I've been following this company for at least the past four years, and it's amazing to see how much it's grown. The company is known for its beautifully crafted, one-of-a-kind jewelry, and in recent years, Marnie Rocks has begun to offer candles, stationery, and bedding. A few weeks ago, the company was featured on one of my favorite television shows, The View. Marnie Rocks!

2. Pacifica Moroccan Chamomile Apple Blossom Soy Candles smell absolutely amazing--something like a bright spring day, a steaming pot of chamomile tea and a flower-filled garden. Usually, I grow tired of scents pretty quickly, but this one never gets old! Plus, the packaging is so pretty. As a bonus, the candles are soy-based, so they burn cleanly.

3. Craft, Inc. is a "how-to" book written by Meg Mateo Ilasco. It's full of great tips and inspiration for aspiring crafters, designers, and entrepreneurs. It's also full of "inside information" about successful independent designers (including how they started their businesses and where to buy their products).

4. Real Simple magazine has quickly become one of my favorite subscriptions (and I subscribe to a lot of magazines). I love that it makes enjoying the little (and medium) things in life--finding the perfect facial cleanser at the drugstore, putting together a spring wardrobe, redecorating a bedroom--simple. Every month, Real Simple gives me a fun, new goal that doesn't stress me out. This month it's learning how to cook more than the 3 meals that I have mastered in my 26 years ( a goal inspired by the article, "11 Fast Weeknight Dinner Ideas").

Update: Lakers-Nuggets & NFL Draft

The Nuggets didn't fare any better in Denver last night. The Lakers won pretty decisively,102-84. The Nuggets are now down 0-3. According to Carmelo Anthony, he and his teammates simply "quit" in the middle of the game. And according to the LA Lakers fans gathered at Denver's Pepsi Center on Saturday night, Kobe Bryant is the obvious choice for MVP (by the fourth quarter, they had abandoned watching the game in favor of chanting "MVP" in Bryant's direction). The next game is tomorrow night, also in Denver. As if it matters...

In NFL draft news, as someone who calls Central Florida home, I was very happy to see that Kevin Smith, a running back out of the University of Central Florida, was chosen first in the third round by the Detroit Lions. The university's football program has really come a long way in the past few years, and this is such an exciting development for the school. Go Knights!

For complete coverage of NBA playoff action and the NFL draft, click here and here.

Live-Blogging the NFL Draft

The NFL draft is such an interesting event. It's as if the minds behind the Miss America pageant, a reality show competition (Celebrity Apprentice? Survivor?), the BCS Selection Show and the Superbowl came together to produce the ultimate entertainment experience. And now I'm adding to the mayhem by (selectively) live-blogging as the top ten first round picks are chosen--selectively because I was momentarily sidetracked by a sudden urge to clean out my closet, and I missed the first four picks...

So I turned to ESPN's live coverage of the draft just in time to see the Kansas City Chiefs make Glenn Dorsey (Go LSU Tigers!--gotta love the SEC) the #5 pick in the first round. He and his family look so happy.

NY Jets fans appear to be quite thrilled about this whole thing. The Jets use their #6 pick to select Vernon Gholston out of Ohio State. Jets fans are so happy they can hardly stand it.

Apparently the Patriots traded their #7 pick with the New Orleans Saints, who in turn select Sedrick Ellis out of USC. Ellis does not appear to be in the building at the moment. I'm sure he's ecstatic, wherever he is.

The Gators make an appearance in the NFL draft! I'm as excited as a Jets fan right now. The Baltimore Ravens traded their #8 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who select Derrick Harvey, a defensive end out of Florida. ESPN's commentators have mixed feelings about this choice...I can't believe they're talking smack!

The Cincinnati Bengals hold onto their #9 pick and choose Keith Rivers out of USC. He's at home in California, sitting on a couch with his family and tons of friends. He receives the good news on his cell phone, just ahead of Commissioner Goodell's announcement.

#10: Rounding out the top ten is...Jerod Mayo, a linebacker out of Tennessee. He is selected by the New England Patriots. He doesn't appear to be in the building (or sitting at home on a couch) either. But the commentators have lots of nice things to say about him. That's good, because I'm pretty sure that the crowd gathered at Rockefeller Center is booing the Patriots.

Here's the top 10:
1. Jake Long, Michigan (Miami Dolphins)
2. Chris Long, Virginia (St. Louis Rams)
3. Matt Ryan, Boston College (Atlanta Falcons)
4. Darren McFadden, Arkansas (Oakland Raiders)
5. Glenn Dorsey, LSU (Kansas City Chiefs)
6. Vernon Gholston, Ohio State (NY Jets)
7. Sedrick Ellis, USC (New Orleans Saints)
8. Derrick Harvey, Florida (Jacksonville Jaguars)
9. Keith Rivers, USC (Cincinnati Bengals)
10. Jerod Mayo, Tennessee (New England Patriots)

That was fun! Back to my closet...

Exciting Details, Part I

So in the last post, I promised that warmer weather and the conclusion of the college basketball season would bring an "intensification" of my love of fashion, art and design. And I am happy to report that warmer weather and the conclusion of the college basketball season have not disappointed! The first bit of exciting news is that through trial and error, and with a lot of luck, I managed to teach myself enough about Adobe Photoshop to design a new banner for my little blog (see above). This is actually quite exciting, because I am not technologically savvy at all (although I desperately want to be, and I have promised myself that I will keep learning).

The next bit of exciting news is that a trip to the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene last Sunday inspired me to revisit jewelry design, a hobby that I fell in love with several summers ago. Some have commented that the Brooklyn Flea (which was launched on April 6) does not showcase enough traditional flea market merchandise and instead showcases too many handcrafted pieces (see this New York Times article). I respectfully disagree. I am a huge fan of independent designers and the designs that they pour their hearts and souls into... and I love that at the Brooklyn Flea, these new, fresh designs can share space with old, worn treasures.

And finally, on an entirely unrelated note, I managed to catch an NBA playoff game last night. Things don't look so good for the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers, lead by Kobe Bryant and his 49 points (wow), put a hurting on them in LA last night. The Lakers now lead the series 2-0. Maybe the Nuggets will have better luck at home. Or maybe they won't. In any event, game #3 is in Denver on Saturday.

(Last Sunday's trip to Fort Greene also inspired me to snap a few pictures. Here's one of my favorites, taken at an intersection not too far away from the flea market.)

A Prescription for the Seasonal Sports Fan

This is old, old, old news: Kansas outplayed Memphis in overtime on Monday night to win this year's NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, 75-68. I didn't note this earlier, and my negligence has led me to this realization: I'm going to be a little quiet on the sports front until college football starts up again in the fall. My heart belongs to college football first and college basketball second (my relative lack of interest in this year's Tournament was a fluke). My interest in sports therefore wanes in the late spring/summer months. I probably won't catch many professional basketball games until the playoffs, and even then, I'll only watch the "must win" games in each series. I'll watch even fewer professional baseball games. I might catch the World Series, depending on what else is on at the time...

What will I do when my sports obsession temporarily abandons me? Turn to the next best thing, of course. I've realized that historically, my love of everything fashion, art, and design intensifies during the summer months. I enrolled in a jewelry design course at New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology a few summers ago. During another summer, I took up knitting. And now that the weather seems to be warming up (finally!), it's time for me to begin planning the next phase of my art/fashion/design obsession. Exciting details to follow.

Socially Conscious Fashion

The Anya Hindmarch "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" tote created quite a stir when it was launched in the U.S. last June. "Going green" had never been so fashionable. More recently, Lauren Bush teamed up with the UN World Food Programme to design the "FEED" tote bag, a sturdy, reversible cotton and burlap bag that sells for $59.95, an amount that will feed one child for an entire school year in a region in which children are suffering from malnutrition and starvation. (Purchase one on amazon.com here.)

Since about 1993, I have been the proud owner of one of the original socially conscious totes, a simple cotton bag adorned with a Mark Twain quote* that I purchased at The Body Shop in England for exactly one British pound. At the time, it was a major purchase: I was 11 and I'm pretty sure that I used my "own money" to buy it. A few weeks ago, I was in Florida visiting my family and I found the tote in a box of miscellaneous items that my dad was going to donate to Goodwill. After rescuing it and giving it a good wash, the tote is now featured prominently in my handbag rotation, where it belongs.

* "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first."

TIME Magazine's Design Roundup

This may be old news, but I just discovered that TIME Magazine has released its "Design 100" list, which includes the "people and ideas behind today's most influential design." I stumbled upon the list while visiting design*sponge, one of my favorite blogs and a TIME Magazine design honoree in the "websites" category. It's a fun list. Here are some of the highlights:

(1) The Tides, a South Beach hotel, made the list. I guess that my brother has good taste after all, or at least taste that would pass muster at TIME magazine (he recommended the hotel when I was planning a trip to Miami in January). TIME noted that the "diva of Ocean Drive" will only get better after designer Kelly Wearstler completes an overhaul of the interior. (Click here for the hotel's official website.)

(2) Several design websites made the list. In addition to design*sponge, which was recognized for its "city guides, guest blogs by interior stylists and sneak peeks into cool apartments and lofts across the country," several other websites, which I can't wait to explore, made the list. Those undiscovered sites include Green Home Guide, which offers advice on how to "go green" in each room of your house, Better Living Through Design, which offers a smorgasbord of design tips, and Fab Prefab, which makes prefabricated homes seem cool and modern. I'm especially excited about Fab Prefab...my opinion of prefab homes changed completely after I watched an episode of TLC's "My First House," during which a very young, newlywed couple purchased a HUGE prefab home on over an acre of land in North Carolina for under $100,000.

(3) I love Kiehl's products, and I was thrilled to see that Kiehl's was featured in the "More [Design] Stories" category. (And as a Kiehl's groupie, I am apparently in good company--according to TIME, Brad Pitt and Oprah Winfrey are Kiehl's fans, and Jackie Kennedy frequently requested that the products be delivered to her apartment at the Carlyle Hotel.) As the piece points out, the packaging is no-fuss (that's the "design" angle). In my opinion, the packaging can afford to be no-fuss because the products speak for themselves. Some anecdotal evidence: First, I keep a bottle of Creme de Corps, the lovely, magically light and rich all-over body creme on my nightstand and use it virtually every night. Second, the Kiehl's coriander fragrance smells like an herb garden and has universal appeal; I know men and women who count it among their favorites. And finally, when my mother tried to replenish her supply of Kiehl's Original Musk Oil only to discover that it was on backorder everywhere, she had me call the Kiehl's flagship store directly and place her name on a pre-order list so that she could stock up on the fragrance as soon as it became available again. Seriously. (Click here for the Kiehl's online store.)

For TIME Magazine's complete "Design 100" list, click here.

Confessions of a Fair Weather Fan

This time last year, I was totally obsessed with March Madness. This year, not so much. My beloved Florida Gators didn't even make it to the Tournament this year, which explains my dejection before the competition even got under way. Belmont piqued my interest when it almost knocked Duke out in the first round, and Stephen (that's STEFF-in) Curry and his Davidson teammates kept me interested until last Sunday, when Davidson fell to Kansas. And now, in anticlimactic fashion, all four #1 seeds are headed to San Antonio for the Final Four. According to my dad, this is a good thing, because it means that the individuals who were tasked with sizing up the teams and setting up the brackets did a good job. I, on the other hand, think that this is a rather boring way for what is supposed to be the most exciting month in sports to end...

Obama on "The View"

Barack Obama was the marquee guest on one of my favorite television shows on Friday. He was both serious (discussing the Reverend Wright issue and Iraq) and light-hearted (joking that Brad Pitt received the "good-looking" genes from their shared gene pool--according to the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the two are distant cousins) while chatting with the women of "The View."

For an in-depth analysis of the non-verbal communication among Obama and the co-hosts, see this NY Times article. Juicy highlights include a discussion of the way that Barack Obama "patted Joy Behar's arm" and "whispered so intimately in Barbara Walters's ear." (As an aside, my Tivo and I were able to confirm that both of these things happened, but the gestures were so subtle and happened so fast that I probably wouldn't have noticed them had I not been primed by the article before I watched the episode...)

The Fan Is Back

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the first post after a two-month hiatus. So much has happened in the past two months--the presidential campaign continues to play out like a soap opera, March Madness brackets will be announced this Sunday, Jovovich-Hawk's affordable line has arrived at Target...I had no idea where to start, and this alone had discouraged me from diving into the blogosphere again. Everything changed when I stumbled upon this sports and fashion news: LeBron James became just the third man (behind George Clooney and Richard Gere) to grace the cover of Vogue Magazine--yes, that Vogue Magazine. Whether the editors at Vogue intended it or not, the cover has proven controversial, as some have questioned whether the depiction of James perpetuates racial stereotypes. (For more on the cover controversy, click here).

Yesterday I Spoke Too Soon

Defying all the polls and the pundits, Hillary Clinton won the New Hampshire Democratic primary yesterday with 39% of the votes, compared to Barack Obama's 36%. Among Republicans, John McCain emerged as the victor, just as many polls and pundits had predicted.

And now, a side note: The media's coverage of the primary process can be a little confusing, if not misleading. The early contests are important, sure, and a win in Iowa or New Hampshire can give a candidate the public opinion boost that s/he needs to win later contests. But what the candidates are really competing for is delegates to their party's National Convention. This primary season a Democrat needs 2,209 delegates to win the party's nomination, while a Republican needs 1,259 delegates. After his first place finish in Iowa and his second place finish in New Hampshire, Barack Obama has collected 25 delegates; after Hillary Clinton's third place finish in Iowa and first place finish in New Hampshire, she has collected 24 delegates. And after finishing second in Iowa and third in New Hampshire, John Edwards has collected 18 delegates. This competition is far from over, but prior to the New Hampshire primary, the media outlets had viewers thinking that Hillary Clinton's campaign was over. And today, after the New Hampshire primary, the media outlets maintain that Barack Obama's campaign needs to regroup. The media's tone seems just a little extreme.

Don't get me wrong, I'll continue to tune in to the non-stop coverage just as much as the next political junkie. This is just a friendly reminder to myself (and to similarly obsessed viewers). Beware!

The First Week of 2008 Has Been an Eventful One

The first week of 2008, in brief:

1. Monday night's BCS National Championship Game wasn't exactly a nail-biter. The game began and ended similarly to last year's match-up between Ohio State and Florida. Ohio State surged ahead in the beginning of the first quarter, only to be crushed by LSU during the rest of the game-- the same way that Ohio State was crushed by Florida last year. It was a predictable end to an unpredictable season.

2. The Business section of Sunday's New York Times included a feature on Burt's Bees (the eco-friendly cosmetics company that went green before it was cool to do so) that rivals US Weekly's cover stories. The man and woman behind Burt's Bees, Burt Shavitz and his one-time lover, turned Burt's beehives, which were nestled near the Maine turkey coop that Burt called home, into a multi-million dollar company that left Burt's lover rich and Burt himself with a few more dollars than he started with and a slightly larger turkey coop. Click here for the full article (it's absolutely scintillating).

3. On the political front, last Thursday Iowa decided that Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee would be the early victors in this year's presidential primary season. The New Hampshire primary is today, and early indications place Obama in first place among the Democrats and either John McCain or Mitt Romney ahead among the Republican candidates. It's unclear what happened to Hillary Clinton's campaign--she went from being the "inevitable" choice to battling John Edwards for second place in the early Democratic contests. What is clear is that the Obama campaign is taking the nation by storm. Voters are embracing Obama's message of hope and change, and Obama's fellow candidates--Democrats and Republican's alike--appear to be attempting to incorporate elements of Obama's message of change into their own campaigns. (MSNBC's unbelievably extensive coverage of the primary season can be found here. )

Happy New Year, and There's Always Next Year...

So the Florida Gators began the new year on a disappointing note. Despite an honest effort from Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow and star receiver Percy Harvin, the Gators lost to the Michigan Wolverines, 41-35, in the Capital One Bowl. Two things made the Gators' loss easier to swallow. First, it was nice to see Lloyd Carr end his 28-year coaching career at Michigan with a bowl victory. Second, my dad was pulling for Michigan, and he was thrilled (and shocked) to see the Wolverines win.

In honor of my New Year's resolution to be more optimistic, I have decided not to dwell on this loss and instead to look ahead to the Gators' 2008 season. With Tebow and Harvin returning, the Gators will be tough to beat.