So this is where we talk about "cost per wear."

Manolo Blahnik "BB" in green suede. Gorgeous, comfortable, incredibly rich color, classic. 

I have been contemplating these shoes for about a week and a half. Will I wear them at least ten times? That's the breakdown that puts these into the have or have not category. Granny would kill me, but they are insanely gorgeous and look amazing. What to do.

I wore a skirt and a shirt.

So I didn't wear the $12,000 Dolce & Gabbana. Hannah and Christina ferretted out this 20 year old Oscar de la Renta ball skirt from the WAY back of my closet. The top was a red sequin tank by the same. Shoes not so old - Prada peep toe pumps, but that's a different story! The skirt is very, very long. Even in four inch heels it hits the ground. I wore the crinalin that I've had since I got married. It lifted the skirt just enough to keep if out of the "tripping hazard" category. I was stepped on from time to time, but not too bad. This was a very dressy combo, but it was a lot of fun to wear.

I vow to make something for next year. It'll be pink.

Wouldn't this be great for the Ecoball?

This Dolce & Gabanna lace & tomato print dress is stunning. It's the perfect marriage of elegance and whimsy. It's hard to find things that are sophisticated AND fun.

I've been looking around for something to wear to Baltimore Green Works Ecoball next Friday. It's a tough event to suit up for if you don't have a plan. This dress caught my eye - that is until I caught the price tag. It's by Dolce & Gabbana and is yours for a mere $11,900 at Neiman Marcus. Yipes.

Pastina, pastina, little tiny pastina.

Delicious pastina. Since I was a little one, it's been my favorite breakfast. Literally the "tiny pasta," it's the smallest of all the pasta types. It's $1.69 a box for Barilla Pastina at Mars. That's the cheapest place in town to get this delicious treat. Bonus - poach an egg in in the same pan right before it's done. Perfection. I always forget the proportions, so I keep them on the jar w/the instructions attached.

Vintage Shoe Company - Covington's

I work for a landscaper. I'm in the field irregularly, but walking around the shop and the yard can be muddy and messy. I needed something to wear for work that was stylish and sturdy - something I could dress up or dress down. My new boots needed to be fearless. I spent an inordinate amount of time looking for these. Most boots I found were clunky and clumsy. I wasn't looking for a pair of Wellie's. I was looking for landscaper heels. Eventually I stumbled upon these boots at Joanna Gray in Stevenson, MD, a little shop that used to be located in the Village at Cross Keys. (They've since transferred ownership, moved to a bright new space, and have a great variety of shoes, boots, etc.)My Covington's are made by Vintage Shoe Company, a 125 year old brand that is handmade in Martinsburg, PA. They're like a jodphur with a cuban heel. They're tight on your foot without being sloppy. Best of all, they have padded innersoles and feel like they're custom made for you. The Covington comes in brown and black. I bought them both, but returned the black. It was a good choice. The epilogue? Insanely wearable. At $285 I wouldn't buy them if they weren't going to be well used and loved. For me? My cost per wear is down to about $2.85. Well worth every penny.

iContinue

Maybe it's a little sad and predictable, but iPhone, iPad, iMac, or Macbook...

iM never without.

I'm an Apple junkie. I became truly computer literate on an Apple II and a Quadra. I've never understood the joys of the PC and market domination. The crackberry was truly inferior (I had BB/iPhone simultaneously for a few years - no comparison.)

I really wanted to have this as one of my things, but they wanted me to choose only one. It was interesting to me only as a grouping. Everybody likes there phone, so to pick one was ever so dull. I didn't choose, and chose instead to delete.

Some favorite things...

I got an email from Hilary Geisbert, Style Editor, from Baltimore Magazine. She asked me to participate (why I'm not sure) in "My Stuff," a feature of someone and their ten favorite things. It's a little more difficult than you may think, keeping your list down to ten. At least it was for me anyway. So, since I outgrew my quota, I decided to list the extra things here. I've started with one of the basics - water.

Still or sparkling? Never still. I really wish I were a bigger fan of the standard tap, but I’m not. I can manage it at the gym, but that's about it. The eight glasses a day rule is impossible for me. Eight Perrier's, much more doable. Also, the empties make the best dog toys. Lester loves the bottle caps, Jake loves the bottles.