Ramshackle Glam (Tumblr)

I have an etiquette question for you. My cousin is getting married, and sent out an RSVP card with the wedding invitations. There is a spot for my name, and a blank beside the statement “persons will attend.” But there isn’t anything to check whether I will or will not attend. I can’t make it to the wedding, so do I just put 0 for the number of people attending, or write something about regrets off to the side? Help!

Katie

A. Hey Katie!

I can understand your confusion - that’s some pretty awkward phrasing. I’ve received a couple of invites with RSVP cards like that and have been similarly perplexed, but what I’ve done in this situation is write “0” or “Regrets” in the blank space and then added a brief message alongside saying that I’m sorry that I won’t be able to be there and thanking the couple for inviting me to the wedding.

For those of you who may be hosting an event requiring RSVP cards, there’s really no “right” way to phrase one - you can be as formal or informal as you like - but my favorite format is this:

M__________

( ) Accepts

( ) Declines with Regret

I also like the idea of pre-filling in the name and including “and guest” (if a guest is permitted), to avoid confusion.

x

J

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…and I’m starting to get things moving on the Ramshackle Glam Gift Guide.

Additions will be made pretty much daily, so don’t forget to check in every so often for updated picks for the holiday season (you can also scroll back through the posts to check out my selections from 2009 and 2010, and of course you can just go ahead and follow the account if you’re on Tumblr). Above, one of my favorite recent discoveries: Crown Thorne necklaces.

Keep an eye out in the coming months for more 30 Etsy Finds Under $30 posts, as well, and if you know of any amazing finds (especially local/boutique brands) that absolutely must must must be included, please send them my way!

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A few months before I graduated from college, I decided once and for all that what I was doing when graduation day rolled around was moving out to Los Angeles to be an actress. And since I would most certainly be needing a car out there, I decided to buy a white Chrysler LeBaron convertible from my aunt, and to spend two weeks in June driving it cross-country with my dad. Our plan: to head south down the Blue Ridge Parkway to New Orleans before cutting up through Texas towards Santa Fe and the Grand Canyon, and then make a pit stop in Vegas before rolling into my new home state.

(The shots, by the way, are blurry because they’re screenshots from a video I made of the trip afterwards.)

Those remain two of the best weeks of my entire life: just me and dad and a whole lot of road. Driving with the top down and talking about all sorts of stuff, but mostly nothing at all. Drinking tequila-oyster shooters standing up at a bar in New Orleans. Wandering through galleries in Santa Fe. Discovering grits at a diner in West Virginia. Watching bands at Slo Bar in Nashville. Stopping for beef jerky at three in the morning somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Even having the car break down on a long, empty stretch of New Mexico highway…all of it: it was the very best that life gets.

And the BBQ. Man.

Our best BBQ experience happened when we were lost, which is, in my experience, when all best experiences tend to take place. We were somewhere in Texas, hunting around for a restaurant that had been recommended to us as having the best pulled pork around, and ended up on a dusty road winding through a dried-out field that was most certainly not in our Fodor’s Guide. But we kept going, and eventually we happened upon a little roadside structure that was part-house, part-gas station, and part-restaurant, and went inside to find happy-looking people crowded around checkered tablecloths, and red plastic trays piled with meat and tall stacks of white sliced bread on paper plates.

I added mayo, because I like it. But I didn’t have to.

This is my version of that meal (click links for recipes).

SLOW-COOKED PULLED PORK ON WHITE BREAD (with mayo)

HOMEMADE BAKED BEANS (or just use Bush’s from the can if you’re short on time; that’s good, too)

Love you very much, Dad. Let’s do it again sometime.

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This weekend was about:

…rose-colored glasses…

…lots and lots of us (three) time…

…floral pastels (H&M silk bed jacket) mixed in with autumn rust (Raven Denim cords)…

…and sparkle fingers all over the place.

But isn’t that nail polish sort of amazing? I usually don’t like polishes with big hunks of glittery stuff in them because a) I’m not 16, and b) they tend to go on unevenly and look sloppy…but Deborah Lippmann Candy Shop is the best possible incarnation of glitter polish. The lacquer itself is a gorgeous soft pink, and two coats deposit the glitter in a beautifully haphazard way (more “beautifully haphazard” than “uneven and sloppy”, I think, to the fact that glitter is in assorted sizes, colors, and shapes).

You know who else loved the polish? My FedEx delivery dude. When I signed off on a package yesterday he stopped me to tell me what beautiful nails I had. Really.

One note: the stuff chips quickly. It’s three days since application, and granted, I’m a disaster when it comes to taking care of my nails, but still: they’re very chipped already. Fortunately, the soft pink/glitter combo means that you can’t really tell.

For holiday gift-giving, I love the ‘Get This Party Started’ gift set ($42) pictured above, which includes Candy Shop, as well as Happy Birthday (straight-up glitter) and Forget You (glitter with a black base - ooh).

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A rundown of some absolute must-haves: any one of these items will instantly perk up a look, and they’re perennially stylish…making them perfect places to splurge a bit.

Red Handbag: More interesting than your standard black, red also goes with everything, and…it’s red. Which is fantastic. (Go for gold accents for bonus points). I wear my red purse constantly, and it makes even a loose t-shirt and jeans look instantly fashionable.

Pearl Earrings: Paired with a matching necklace they’re classic Good Girl…but mixed in with a slightly more rambunctious outfit and piled-on, mismatched jewelry on your neck and wrists, they’re unexpected and chic. I’ll do the former on occasion (above), but I’m obviously slightly more disposed towards the latter.

And good news, if you’re in the market for some pearls of your own: Mikimoto Pearls is hosting a Mikimoto Moments contest on Facebook where you can enter to win your own pearl strand and earrings.

Rugged(ish) Ankle Boots: The only time of year when you can’t wear these is in the dead heat of summer. They look gorgeous in the winter with a chunky sweater and denim, in the fall with patterned tights and a skirt, and in the spring with bare legs and sailor-style shorts.

And they’re everywhere right now: go for a lace-up pair with a chunky heel and some rugged detailing (but not too much…the point is to look like you’re maybe open to the idea of camping, not like you’re actually planning on embarking upon a woodland adventure right that very moment).

Oversized Sunglasses: Some people say it’s pretentious to wear sunglasses when it’s not summer. I say shush, mama has bags under her eyes and needs to find a way to look presentable and still get her brunchtime Bloody Mary. And while trends come and go, when it comes to an investment pair I like the idea of going for a classic shape with a little bit of a twist. For example, an oversized style with a tiny bit of a cat’s eye like the pair pictured above, or a Wayfarer shape with interesting detailing, in tortoiseshell or burgundy rather than black.

For some perfect takes on classics-with-a-twist, keep an eye out for GANT’s Spring 2012 offerings (launching in February) - I’m a huge fan of the line, and the stuff they have coming out is seriously awesome.

Perfect Nude Lipstick: When you find the one that works for you, buy a zillion, because the perfect pink-brown looks right for virtually any occasion, and will never fall out of fashion. Wear it out at night with a smoky eye (click here for a navy-and-gold eye tutorial), or during the day with just a swipe of mascara for a finished (but not fussy) look.

Well-made Pea Coat: I say “well-made” because if you pick up the right one you’ll wear it to work, to cocktails, and even over formal evening dresses…and there’s nothing sloppier-looking than a cheaply-made pea coat that has lost its shape. This has little to do with price - I had a gorgeous Trovata pea coat that quickly started looking lumpy all over the place, but because of the price tag I held onto it for years after it should have gone into the donate pile.

A good way to figure out if the pea coat you’re considering is good quality: check the lining. It should be free of lumps, bumps, and uneven stitching. Also, polyester blends are cheaper, but they may not last as well, so if you’re looking for a good investment piece go for wool or cashmere.

For more winter coat ideas, click here.

Unique Perfume: Women fall into two camps when it comes to perfume: those who have a signature scent, and those who play around with various things depending on the season and their mood. I have a handful of fragrances that I keep in rotation (although I always defect to Bond No. 9 Nuits de Noho, pictured above), but I literally never leave the house without a spritz (well, except for lately: I don’t want my perfume to bother the baby, so I’ve been sticking to lavender water spritzed in non-baby-touching spots like my back and legs these past couple of weeks).

For more on classic purchases, check out Wardrobe Basics: Finding Your Style.

Full product info after the jump.

From top:

Handbag: Alexandra Satine Rio Limon handbag

Pearls: Pearl earrings c/o Mikimoto

Ankle Boots: Geox Trish ankle boots; Steven by Steve Madden brown ankle boots; DKNY Mary ankle boots; See by Chloe tasseled ankle boots

Sunglasses: Guess; GANT Spring 2012

Nude Lipstick:  Vincent Longo Fleur de Flirt; Shiseido Perfect Rouge; Cle de Peau 129 (a fortune, but an absolutely gorgeous shade if you’re looking to spoil yourself a bit).

Pea Coat: Burberry Oversized Lapel Coat; Sonia by Sonia Rykiel Pea Coat; Ted Baker Double-Breasted Pea Coat

Perfume: Bond No. 9 Nuits de Noho

Original Article

I’m going to just say it: the Ergo (pictured above with infant insert) is the best thing that has ever happened to urban motherhood.

Thank you to everyone who recommended it back in my crying-in-Babies-R-Us days!

Original Article

I went to a preview of the Albertus Swanepoel for Target collection at Conde Nast a few weeks ago, and while I’m biased, because there are few things I love more than a good hat, I think it’s pretty cute. Especially the price - nothing’s over twenty bucks. And I’ll be wearing a fluffy, semi-ridiculous-but-mostly-amazing hat from the collection (this one) in next week’s three-look post, so keep an eye out.

Of the selection above, I obviously like the leopard one best. Which is your favorite?

(Image via WhatIWore)

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