Standing Out

{ Zooey Deschanel }

I was trying on dresses for an event years ago when I overheard a girl and her mother talking in the dressing room next to mine. The daughter clearly loved the dress she was trying on and felt great in it. But said to her mother that it was too different and she was afraid she wouldn't fit in with the other girls.

The mother laughed and said "Honey, if you want to be bored for the rest of your life, by all means let's choose another dress. But if you want to feel fabulous and stand out like you were meant to, let's charge this baby before your father gets the bill."

I love red carpet fashion and I'm always excited when award season rolls around. But if the Emmy's are any indication unfortunately we're in for a boring year. Everything felt too safe. Hopefully we can throw some spunk in by the next round. Here is a look at some of my favorites. I chose them more than anything because to me, they stood out.

{ January Jones }

{ Leslie Mann }

{ Ginnifer Goodwin }

{ Julie Bowen }

Photos via People.com

It's Friday, Love

{ Fall candles that look perfect on/in the wood stove I don't use, Cider Lane from Bath and Body Works smells fabulous }

Although the weather was warm this week, fall has definitely arrived in the form of leaves in my yard that need to be raked. But I don't mind...too much. This week was absolutely packed, but I am most excited because I got to do an Austen Hill photo shoot! Pics will be coming soon so stay tuned. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend and trying to soak up some rest now. Every year without fail my calendar is relatively clear throughout the fall but then literally books up in a day. That happened this past Wednesday.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. As always, here are some snapshots from the week and things I'm loving right now. Cheers

{ Halloween Party Planning, great ideas here from Martha Stewart Living }

{ A beautiful gift my sister brought back for me from South Korea }

{ Trying my hand at vegan recipes which I think are perfect for fall }

{ Adorable flats I got from Old Navy }

A Little Inspiration

{ Photo via Absolutely Beautiful Things, Tumblr }

I thought we needed a little inspiration today. DVF, by anyone's standards, has a very big life. She's a designer, artist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, mother, and wife. In this quote she lets us in on a little secret. She, like most of us, didn't always know exactly what she wanted to be when she grew up. Even fewer have adhered to their "youthful heroic master plan". That's ok.

What she did know was that she wanted to be a independent, generous, and passionate woman. The rest grew from there. I think we can all learn from that. If we concentrate more on how we do things rather than what we're doing perhaps we can't help but end up where we belong. I know I have.

Here's to a great day - Cheers

Falling for J.Crew

{ Transitioning into Fall}

Over the past few years J.Crew has reinvented itself as a brand leader by flawlessly mixing traditional pieces with bright, modern colors. To highlight the fall collection, Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website GOOP teamed up with the fashion house to bring some of the fabulous looks to life. Check out the full entry on the GOOP site here where you can also find mix-and-match pieces and shop every outfit.

{ The Work Week }

{ The Weekender }

{ Jewel Tones }

{ Prep School }

{ Suiting Up }

All images via @GOOP

Pizza On The Hill

{ Not bad for my first try }

If you haven't ventured up to Church Hill lately then you may not have heard about a great new Italian restaurant called Anthony's on the Hill that opened up a couple months ago. They specialize in pizza and pasta with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and traditional dishes. I've become a frequent visitor and I'm even a little embarrassed to say, seriously considered asking the bolognese sauce if it was seeing anyone.

My roving culinary eye has moved on and I am currently in love with their pizza so I thought who better than Anthony's proprietor, Michael Calogerakis, to share some fabulous pizza tips with Austen Hill readers. His knowledge and enthusiasm for great food is infectious and I thoroughly enjoyed my lesson.

While Anthony's pizza is obviously fabulous and I encourage you to stop by, if you can't get out for the evening, follow Mike's advice and you'll have a hit on your hands.

{ Before opening Anthony's, Mike owned Flour Garden Bakery }

{ Ready for battle }

{ Mike makes his own dough every day - Great  tip: Remember to not over-mix it }

{ No tossing or rolling here, it causes the dough to contract and tighten - press down, press out, then turn the pan }

{ Layering flavors is very important, so always season the dough before you put on any sauce or toppings }

{ Toppings: I opted for pepperoni, sausage {from sausage craft}, and prosciutto }

{ My little baby baked in a 600 degree oven for about 10-12 mins....YUMMY!  If you're cooking at home, be sure to place the pizza directly on the rack for a couple minutes at the end to get that crispy crust }

{ What is pizza without vino? }

{ I had the honor of being the first person to try the Eggplant Parmesan Sub from their new lunch menu } 

Feel Great This Fall

Fall officially began on Saturday! These next few months are my favorite of the entire year because they’re filled with festivals, parties, family and friends, and most of all yummy food that I reassure myself has zero calories.

The dark side of all of this revelry includes flu season, over-scheduling, stress, less sunlight, and lots of traveling. To combat these challenges I try and do a few key things that mean I make it through and get to enjoy myself. I’m also hoping that since I’m writing about this on the blog I will have to follow it myself J!

Fall Planning Tips:

Take Care of Yourself

Buy the book Spent by Dr. Frank Lipman. When I read it about 2 years ago it opened my eyes to a lot of things that I was doing that were robbing me of energy, and therefore overall health. It also encourages living seasonally which makes a huge difference. Your body was not made to digest pineapple in December. Light bulb moment! We need all the energy we can get to make it through the holidays so do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Be Prepared

PLAN AHEAD, PLAN AHEAD, PLAN AHEAD! In September I get together a list of upcoming birthdays, parties, and any other occasion where I might need to have a present {this includes Christmas}.Then I devote a couple of hours and get my shopping out of the way. On-line sites like Etsy and One King’s Lane make this convenient and fun.

Get Moving

Get outside and soak up as much sunlight and fresh air as you can. Hiking and other outdoor activities are great because you can have fun with your friends while also squeezing in some exercise. If you’re not sure where to start, check out Trails.com to find information about your area.

It's Friday, Love

{Beautiful view from The Boathouse at Sunday Park}

The weather has been beautiful this week but I've been pretty busy so I haven't had enough time to properly enjoy it. Hence my weekend goal, to spend as much time outside as possible. Taking advantage of the local walking trails and fall planting are definite possibilities. The local farmers market has been calling my name for sometime as well.

I have some exciting posts for next week that I can't wait to share so stay tuned. Here are, as always, 5 things that I've loved from this week.

Have a great weekend-Cheers

{Baby feet}

{A great bottle of red from Shatter Wines that was as robust and dramatic as its name entails}

{Fall make-up - especially my new long-wear gel eyeliner from Bobbi Brown in Caviar Ink}

{Beautiful roses that have hung in there for over a week}

Everything Old is New Again

{I keep a small antique tray that was my grandmothers on my dresser to hold stray jewelry}

One of my most favorite things to do is hunt for antiques and fall always makes me want to nest and find interesting pieces for the house. Some are antiques and some are off of the assembly line, but somehow they all fit together. I have some beautiful antiques that are from my family and it's always comforting to look at the pieces and think about my connection to them.

As I'm looking for new finds who need a good home, I like to imagine who their prior owners were and hope they would approve of me as a new guardian. A lot of people are afraid of antiques because they see them as old and used. I choose to see them as well-made and broken in. Here are some of my favorite little pieces from around the house. I would love to hear about your favorite spots for shopping as well. Happy hunting!

{A gorgeous antique liquor bottle a friend gave me}

{A cheeky doorstop in the shape of a boot}

Fall Fashion Report - On-Line Resources

{Fashion Blog Pink Peonies}

It's time for a trip down memory lane. Imagine me......at 21......sitting in the cafe at Barnes and Noble.....hunched over a stack of fashion magazines.......combing through the pages so excited about the latest trends and how I was going to re-create them on a student budget.

Cut to today (an un-verified number of years later) and things have changed a bit. I no longer live on a student budget and my study methods have changed with the times. While I still enjoy reading magazines, I find I spend more and more of my time searching for fashion inspiration on-line. If you're finding it challenging to translate the runway to everyday, check out some of my favorite on-line fashion blogs for inspiration.

My Jane Recommends page is still under construction but a full list of my favorite on-line blogs and resources will be live shortly. Until then.....happy shopping!

{Fashion and Lifestyle Blog Cupcakes and Cashmere}

{One of my absolute favorites Sterling Style}

A Block of Color

{When you can't find a canvas big enough to suit your vision, the street will happily oblige}

You can't really go wrong when you mix beautiful weather, art, and music. Saturday we went to the 43rd St. Festival of the Arts benefiting Freedom House, a non-profit organization in Richmond that provides food and other programs for the city's homeless population. Check out opportunities to give and volunteer here.

Richmond's art scene has absolutely exploded over the past few years and the festival is a wonderful way to introduce yourself to local artists and maybe even start a collection of your own. Looking at something that you find beautiful and inspiring every day, in my humble opinion, is money well spent. I found some great new artists to keep my eye on and I'd love to hear any recommendations so drop me a line below.

{Great tunes from some local musicians}

{Art and garden envy}

{Check out the 43rd Street Gallery here}

{Re-purposed jewelry}

{The Middleton effect, fascinators are back}

{My new obsession, Ignatius Hats}

{How cute are these fur balls}

{Yummy food, craft beer, and outdoor seating make Crossroads one of my favorite places to visit}

{They let us sample a few of the beers since there were so many to choose from}

{Perfect way to end the afternoon}