Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 366

Our Latest Beauty Obsession

Here in the office, we are like kids in a candy shop when great new products come in. Last year Tarte's LipSurgance natural's came out and we went wild trying all the different shades. The following fall we fell head over heels with their matte version (shown below). This month Tarte launched another update; making us swoon all over again.

They added shimmer! The moment these new sheer and shiny LipSurgance Luster lip tints were delivered, these wonder wands became the talk around the office. Our resident fashion assistant loves frisky, the bright pink shade, and our fashion market director has been wearing fever to the fashion shows this week. 

To buy: $24 each, tartecosmetics.com

My personal favorite is adored, the light pink. It's my perfect go-to every day shade in these winter months, because I hate losing color when applying lip balm. These are vitamin C and E infused keeping my lips super soft.

 

Have you tried these? What is your go-to winter lip product?

ACE Camps Inspiration

Stuck in a creative rut? Bored with your surroundings? Looking for an escape? I have a lovely suggestion for you... go camping. Not the roughing it kind where you'll need plenty of OFF repellent. No, camping MY style which means going to a gorgeous part of the world to bask in a beautiful retreat and do nothing but be creative, take photos, mingle with new friends, eat delicious meals, shop 'til you drop and come back ready to do it all over again!

Last October I taught a decorating and blogging workshop for 10 days in Marrakesh for ACE Camps and had a phenomenal time. I loved my students and thought the ACE Camps founder, whom I worked with on the course, to be so genuine and whip smart. Her name is Angela Ritchie and I cannot stress how amazing her workshops are.

She finds the best teachers and works closely with them to pull together a trip that will inspire creativity in all. From the meals to the accommodations, classes to transportation, Angela does it all and she always finds the most beautiful locations to host them. Her most recent workshop was in Mexico and taught at the home of Geninne Zlatkis, an artist and blogger who led a painting and creativity class with 10 women who flew in from all over the world (mostly the U.S.). I loved looking through the photos that I've seen trickling in from the students, in particular those found on Geninne's blog (shown also above) and those on student Anahata's Flickr stream (the lady behind the brand PapayaArt).

If you are looking for new experiences, inspiration, friendship, to learn new skills... check out ACE Camps online and see if there is a class that you'd be interested in taking. Whether it's a decorating class, painting workshop, or shopping adventure - Angela Ritchie's ACE Camps are well, aces!

(images: geninne zlatkis)

Smart or Silly: What Do You Think of the Obol?

Recently, this bowl, which helps you keep your cereal from getting soggy came to our attention. We love the idea, but want to know what you think of the execution.

 

 

Here are some more photos of the Obol "in action."

 

 

 

And last but not least...milk & cookies!

 

 

You can purchase the Obol here for $16. But we'd love to know what you think:

 

What do you think of the Obol?customer surveys

 

 

If you had an Obol, what would you put in it?

 

Pretty Spring Pillows

 

I'm a total sucker for colorful prints, and I instantly fell in love with this new line of hand screened pillows by Erin Flett. Maybe I'm just completely over the cold and dreary winter, but the bright nature inspired patterns have me dreaming of sunny spring days ahead. Each screen is printed onto bark cloth are $79 a piece.

One way that I mix up the décor in my space is by switching out the pillows. But, one thing that I've learned is to opt for just the covers, otherwise I'm left trying to find storage space for all the pillow inserts that I've collected. As I contemplate my spring/summer interior look, I will definitely add a couple of these options to the mix.

What's on your spring decorating must-haves list? 

A Delicious Meatless Chili Recipe

In an effort to be healthier this year, I've been cooking and eating a lot more meatless meals. A recent favorite was our White Bean Chili With Jalapeño Bulgur. Like pretty much all of our recipes, this one was simple to make. The cumin and chili powder gave the chili some great spice (I doubled the cumin because I love it so much), and with all the healthy beans and rich tomatoes, I didn't miss the meat at all.

 

The bulgur wheat was a nice twist—it's not a grain I get to cook with very often, and I'm a fan of its nuttiness and texture. Plus, it's easy to prepare and you can feel good about eating it—it's a whole grain that's high in fiber, iron, and folate and has fewer calories and fat than brown rice. I've been experimenting a lot with different kinds of grains lately, and I'm really enjoying all the different flavors and textures—quinoa (which is actually a seed but acts like a grain), barley, couscous, bulgur…it's nice to get out of that pasta-and-rice rut and make something a little more interesting. In this recipe, the bulgur gets jazzed up with some scallions, lemon juice, and chopped jalapeño (though next time I'll leave the seeds in for more heat). It's a comforting, filling meal that you won't fill guilty about eating. Another recipe to add into the rotation!

The Alarm Clock Blues: Blaming it on "Sleepy Carl"

I was listening to a podcast by comedian named Mike Birbiglia the other day. He's often featured on my beloved This American Life, and his stuff really, really makes me laugh. He's also managed to hilariously articulate something I've been saying in one form or another for a long time but just not as funnily or clearly—about why I find it so hard to get up early in the morning, especially to do something as worthwhile as exercise.

I've long said that it's like some strange, somnolent demon takes over for the get-it-done, reliable person I normally am. For instance, I'll go to bed thinking about how important it is that I get up at a certain time to accomplish something or other (i.e. finishing a writing assignment, getting in a workout, finally putting the laundry away), and in some cases I'll be legitimately excited about the task, or at least confident that I will feel great having completed it.

And then, when the morning comes, I'm no more likely to get up than I am to get a huge tattoo on my forehead or set off on a journey to Jupiter. I feel literally Velcro'd to the bed, and can't even IMAGINE getting up before I absolutely have to. In fact, I'd probably rent out a kidney just for ten extra minutes of sleep.

All this is preamble to shine a light on what Birbiglia says on this topic. He actually has a clear name for the phenomenon and for the 'demon.' You see, It's all the fault of "Sleepy Carl." He says:

"When I go to bed at night, it's like a different human being that enters my body for the night shift. I call my guy Sleepy Carl -- that's my guy. And he's a terrible employee, but he's a great dude. He's always slobbering on my pillow and muttering about Vietnam, but then he'll try to talk me out of waking up with his great plans. He'll be like, 'Why would you go out there when you could stay here and ride on a ferris wheel made of pizza?'"

So from here on out, I'll be battling with "Sleepy Carla." Maybe one of these days I'll win.

Do you ever feel like some other version of yourself takes over at night, thwarting your attempts to stay on schedule in the morning or get up early?

The Best Of NY Fashion Week Day 4-8: Tracy Reese, Chris Benz, Tibi, Milly, TSE & Proenza Schouler

 

NY Fashion Week is coming to a close today (I took in a total of 20 shows...phew) but its leaving us with a bevy of beautiful collections, exciting trends and lust-worthy pieces (see the Proenza Schouler higlhlights below...I NEED that printed dress in the bottom lefthand corner). The second half of the week prevailed as my favorite--for reasons that you can witness in the following pictures. Don't you just die (in the fabulous I-need-these-in-my-closet-immediately sort of way)?

 

Here are some of the stunners. Enjoy!

 

 

TRACY REESE

 

 

CHRIS BENZ

 

 

 

TIBI

 

 

MILLY

 

 

TSE

PROENZA SCHOULER

If you could pick one look from the collections above what would it be?

 

 

Help! My In-Laws Called Me 'Tall'

 
I have always dreamed of being tall. Height gives you presence. Long legs. And that willowy runway silhouette that looks so good in drape-y fabrics. I am jealous of you if you look like this, and I can't imagine trying to make you feel uncomfortable by saying, "Wow, you are so tall! Did you play basketball?" Of course...I'm not your in-law.
 
Weird though it sounds, a 6-foot-tall reader named jackmanl wrote recently to say this is exactly the sort of ribbing she has to put up with all the time from her in-laws (who, by the way, "are on the rather short side," she noted).

She goes to family gatherings, and people routinely sidle up and say: "Why are you wearing heels? You are tall enough already!"

It's getting really annoying, she wrote: "I was just at a family funeral and I was told REPEATEDLY I was tall...as if I had forgotten."

What is going on here? And how can jackmanl put a stop to the comments?

OK, first. When jackmanl's in-laws say these things, there is an underlying message. They are reminding her that her height makes her different from them, that she is "other," that she is not really a part of "their" family. They may not consciously realize they are sending this message, of course. But in the land of in-laws, this is common terrain.

Knowing this, jackmanl has many choices about how to respond. For instance, she can ignore the comments. Or she can enlist her husband, as her emissary, to approach his family to tell them that the comments make her uncomfortable. Or she can try to fight the battle on higher ground, by trying to win over her in-laws and change the way they feel about her.

While she is considering these options, she also can confront the situation directly, in a polite but firm way, the next time someone makes a comment:

Cousin-in-law Mabel: Wow, you are tall. How tall are you, anyway?

Jackmanl: Why, Cousin-in-law Mabel, what an odd question. You've known me for five years. You were at my wedding. Are you telling me this is the first time you've noticed I'm tall?"

 

Have your in-laws ever said things that make you uncomfortable? If so, how did you handle it? 

 

(image courtesy of Real Simple)

Uncluttering In Response To Grief

February has been a roller coast of a month emotionally for me. Most notably, my aunt passed away from brain cancer. She was an amazing woman, someone I was very close to, and each day seems to bring a new feeling -- anger, disbelief, sadness, joy that she was able to be part of my life.



One of the unexpected side effects of this loss is that I have a strong desire to unclutter many areas of my life. I want to clear my calendar, sort through my closet, and clean out all the kitchen cabinets. I want fewer responsibilities that don't matter, to create more room in my life for the responsibilities that do.



Instead of turning my back on these uncluttering desires, I've decided to embrace them. Sorting through your things is an opportunity to evaluate who you are, what is important to you, and what you want to prioritize. Now, more than ever, it seems like a good time to think about these deeper issues and questions about life.



My hope is you're not currently grieving from the loss of a loved one. In fact, I hope you're as far from grief as possible. No matter your emotional state, however, I think clearing the clutter and determining what is important to you is always a good idea. Get rid of the things that don't matter to you to make more room in your life for the things that do. Don't let your stuff determine who you are. Don't wait for something bad to happen to motivate you to unclutter the unimportant things from your life.

How To Keep Jeans from Shrinking in the Wash

While your jeans might stretch out in the waistband, they'll frequently shrink in length when you wash them. Luckily, there's an easy way to help them keep their length while returning the rest of their proportions to normal.

 

 

Once you've washed your jeans (inside out and in cold water to preserve the color), gently stretch them by grabbing hold of the waistband an pulling the legs lengthwise. Then dry them with low to medium heat. That will also help keep them from shrinking.

 

Do you have any laundry conundrums you need help with or brilliant laundry solutions you're dying to tell the world? Share them in the comments!

 

Related:

Laundry Basics

Your Toughest Laundry Questions, Answered

Laundry Room Essentials