Jordan Reid's Blog, page 225

Tutorial: Make Your Manicure Last

The only problem with a French manicure like this pale beige and navy one (my new favorite combo): it’s labor-intensive enough that I’d really like it to stay put in perfect(ish) condition for at least a few days without even a hint of chipping.

But making your manicure last is possible, so long as you avoid the major offenders (like washing dirty dishes without wearing gloves) and follow a few simple guidelines during the application process.

- Skip the pre-polish soak, which can dry out nails...

Last-Minute Gift Idea: Custom Gourmet Baskets

I LOVE this. For a last-minute holiday gift, for a hostess gift, for a just-because gift…for anything. And for fun – because it is so much fun, both to put together and (presumably) to receive.

Bed Bath & Beyond has a new (or at least new-to-me; I’ve never seen it before) feature where you can browse an extensive wall of miniature gourmet products, and then put together your own customized gift basket.

Rather than pick up all the supplies separately (ugggh, and expensive), I went for the gift-b...

Well, This Should Be Easy

They all look exactly. the. same.

I do not understand how people make these decisions.

Here’s what our bathroom looks like now:

It’s pretty, but I’m not nuts about it; peachy-beige isn’t my favorite color in the world, and the whole thing is a little too vanilla for me. We had to rip out part of the wallpaper because of a leak from the shower, so I figure rather than hunt down the original pattern, I’d replace it with something more my speed.

I happen to have two rolls of Graham & Brown Novella w...

Weekend Snapshots: Beds & Baking Edition

Alright, this is the first thing we have to talk about.

I’ve documented my insomnia issues extensively here, and I’m hoping this little development will make a significant impact, mostly because the not-sleeping thing is compounded by the fact that if Kendrick accidentally wakes me up at some point in the night by virtue of merely existing in close proximity to me: there we go, I’m watching the sun rise.

I have wanted a king-size bed FOR. EVER. And despite the fact that our bedroom is the size...

Easy Holiday Hairstyles (And A Giveaway)

My default look during the holiday season: relaxed waves. Mostly because they look pretty as is, but can also be easily transformed into a ton of different looks…so I can switch up my hairstyle from event to event without spending a ton of time fussing around in front of the mirror.

Here’s the starting look, which I think is perfect for anything from a cocktail party to a dinner with friends to Christmas Eve.

For a day of shopping or drinks with friends, the waves can easily be transformed into...

Easy Holiday Hairstyles

My default look during the holiday season: relaxed waves. Mostly because they look pretty as is, but can also be easily transformed into a ton of different looks…so I can switch up my hairstyle from event to event without spending a ton of time fussing around in front of the mirror.

Here’s the starting look, which I think is perfect for anything from a cocktail party to a dinner with friends to Christmas Eve.

For a day of shopping or drinks with friends, the waves can easily be transformed into...

Ugly Christmas Sweaters (That Are Actually Cute), Part II

Alright, you have exactly 11 days left to find your very own Ugly Christmas Sweater to wear on Christmas morning.

I haven’t gotten my own yet; still debating. (Guess which one is my favorite? I bet you can.)

Work It Out

Q. Jordan,

How do you handle childcare for your son and working from home? I am expecting my first child, and own my own business. I have a home office but spend about 15-20 hours a week out and about meeting clients. Also, when I’m working from home, I actually need to work, of course.

I’m feeling like I will need full-time childcare in order to get everything done but also feel like there should be some benefit to owning my own business/working from home that I could get away with less. I’d l...

How-To: Wear Leopard & Stripes

Last night I went into the city for a dinner meeting, and all my favorite prints came with me (that’s a NYDJ shirt, a Juicy Couture skirt, and the INC vest I was raving about on Tuesday).

Leopard and stripes = totally not as weird a combo as you’d think.

The keys:

1) Keep all the other colors in your outfit neutral (to me, red is a neutral, but you may not agree; if you prefer, keep all your extras in the brown/black/grey spectrum);

2) Try adding a solid item to break up the prints (for example,...

Beginning To Feel A Lot Like

Last weekend, we put on hats and scarves and headed over to Nyack in search of Christmas ornaments, because we only have a couple of weeks to go and I wanted to jump-start our family into a holiday kind of mood. We bought sparkly owls and ferocious lions, and then went home and hung them on our tree, and it was lovely. Not Christmas, exactly, not yet…but almost.

The thing is, these past few years I’ve had trouble getting into the Christmas spirit. Of course the magic you feel when you’re a kid...