Notes From My Vanity: Storm Survival Edition

Let me begin by saying- WHOA- I am one lucky, lucky, LUCKY girl. While Sandy did devastating things to the East Coast, our house somehow came out unscathed. Unlike 87% of our town, we didn't lose power, and the one major tree that fell in our yard didn't damage a thing. When we finally ventured out of our neighborhood, I could not get over what I saw- trees leaning on houses, roads obstructed by down power lines, beachfront houses- houses I have admired every time I drove by them for 30 years- soaked from the inside out. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this disaster- and please know that I do not for one second take for granted that I can sit up in my office and write a post about something as frivolous as the beauty and fashion favorites that I relied on this past week.  

Storm survival at our house consisted of some of my most favorite things ever- cozy clothes, lots of wine, low-maintenance makeup (if any) and- hope you are sitting down reading this as you may fall over otherwise- COOKING! Yes, I tried to hone my cooking skills while stuck inside for days on end.  

Here are the specifics-

Vince Luxury Cowl Sweater:  Plush and soft, this put every other oversized winter weather sweater I have to shame for 2 main reasons- it isn't even the slightest bit itchy, and the asymmetrical bottom hem is subtle- so the style stays classic but it covers my butt in leggings so I don't scare the kids. I wore it for 4 days straight. Judge all you want- I felt great about it.

Jouer Matte Moisture Tint: Yes, I love glowing skin as much- if not more so- than the next girl- but this matte formula from Jouer is the perfect toned-down way to fake flawless skin without looking like I tried. Because being the one to put on a full face of makeup to run to the gas station during a major disaster is not really the reputation I am going for out here. But being the worn-out looking mom trying frantically to figure out which side of the car her tank is on isn't it either. 

Sultra Bombshell Curling Iron: Written about it before, will surely write about it again- but when I know there is no workout in sight and therefore no need to wash my hair, spending 7 minutes transforming my air-dried frizzy mess of a mane into soft waves with this puppy is time very well spent. It allows me to look in the mirror without tearing up a bit.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt: Yep, I baked. From SCRATCH. Can you believe? I took a cooking class last week at Aux Delices (if you are in Fairfield County, I HIGHLY recommend checking it out) and this was the dessert I learned. I have always been a fast learner- my trick is to practice anything new as soon as possible post-lesson. In which case, even if I didn't have an interest in inhaling a fistful of cookie dough, it was clearly  important that I hunker down and make some cookies. If you want the recipe, shoot me an email- happy to share. (Look at me, sharing recipes. Who am I again?)

DAVIDsTEA: I could go on and on and ON about my DAVIDsTEA obsession- I drink about 8 cups a day. I mean- wouldn't you if you had flavors like Birthday Cake, Red Velvet, Lime Gelato and Salted Caramel at your disposal? Do yourself a favor and order a ton off their website immediately- winter storms seem to be inevitable this year, so you may as well be prepared. 

Henry's Drive Pillar Box Red Wine: Last Friday I spent the day filming a web series pilot I am working on with PowerwomenTV, and one stop on our shoot was to Bottlerocket Wine & Spirits- one of my favorites from NYC that recently opened up here in Westport.  When I asked the owner, Tom, who is one of the nicest guys I have ever interviewed, what wine he recommended after an especially long day, he led me right to this delicious full-bodied red. It's alcohol content is on the higher side for a wine (score!) and, in his words- "it is like a big warm hug from a friend." 6 days and 4 bottles later, I have to agree. (NOTE: The wine is not pictured above because, well, we drank it all. And got rid of the evidence.)