Let’s start with the good…

Janeeeeeeeeeeeee Foundaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (Oprah voice)

Jane Fonda in Jack Gussio

Jane Fonda is 74 and knocked it out of the park. I can’t even find a photo of her from the actual red carpet because this old broad couldn’t be bothered to stand next to the dumpy modern day starlets and have her picture taken. But when she took the stage to present I knew she was the night’s winner. She looked hot, age appropriate and a little daring. A triumvirate that no other woman in Hollywood even came close to that night.

Runners Up

Nicole Richie in Julien MacDonald, Salma Hayek in Gucci, Nicole Kidman in Versace and Viola Davis in Pucci.

The fact that Nicole Richie made my list should be an indication of the slim pickins available at the Golden Globes. That being said my favorites all skewed slightly robotic and I am not just talking about Nicole Kidman’s face. I am a sucker for sequins, bodycon and a stud here and there, especially at the Golden Globes which are supposed to be the “fun” Oscars. Viola Davis did not fit in with this trend but I just thought she looked smashing…great color, INSANE body and her hair and accessories really made the look complete.

Great Night for Plus-Sized Gals

Very few women are the size of a toothpick and that can make dressing for an awards show extremely difficult, especially since most designers are clamoring for the most skeletal woman on the red carpet. That being said I thought that the more voluptuous women were some of the best dressed.

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji, Melissa McCarthy in Badgley Mischka and Amber Riley in Badgley Mischka

And now for the bad…

2012 Mila Kunis: 2002 Gwyneth Paltrow Wants Her Dress Back

Last year Mila Kunis was on every best dressed list and this year she is wearing an ABS version of Gwyneth‘s biggest mistake. Fashion cycle, you are a cruel mistress.

Auditioning for Little House on the Prairie Remake

Amanda Peet in Marc Jacobs and Jessica Biel in Elie Saab

Sigh…Amanda Peet you are really cute and I wish you were my celebrity doppelganger…so why are you wearing this tutu gone rogue?

Jessica Biel…someone needs to have an intervention with you, seriously. You supposedly just got engaged to Justin Timberlake and this is what you are wearing?!?! This shmata?!?! Whoever told you that you looked good before you walked out the door should 100% be fired because your outfit was a nightmare.

I really hope people bring it for the Oscars this year or else I might have to stop caring about this pointless pageantry altogether. In case you are wondering where I developed my fashion rage, below are a few choice comments from my mom during our 3+ hour long gchat during the Globes.

Ann Spector’s Greatest Hits

Mommy: Madonna aka Miss Kabbala was wearing a cross the size of the Chrysler Bldg

Niffy: Are you still crushing on viggo mortensen?
Mommy: Yes, good memory

Mommy: Why is he groping her?  Why didn’t he shave wth a new razor?

Mommy: Is his wife also a midget?

Mommy: Helen Scorcese could have gotten her hair done…

2011 was cute, furry and a little gamey. This year it is all about the dragon; a fire-breathing, ass kicking, but hopefully not scaley, dragon.

Last year my resolutions were ok – blog, travel, feel proud of myself, blah blah blah. While I achieved many of these goals, I unfortunately failed to even attempt my most basic resolution which was to learn how to poach an egg. Its ok though, poached eggs were so the year of the rabbit, for the year of the dragon my resolutions are:

• Workout twice a week (ha, yea right…except I already went to Pilates and just signed up for a non-refundable boot camp so breathe my fire!!!)
• Do not buy any clothing for the first 3 months of the year
• Eat more oysters, sushi, and vegetarian dishes
• Travel, travel, travel. Fingers crossed for a big trip to Greece and Turkey, or to Spain.
• Update this blog once a week at least. Last year I had a few gaps but definitely an improvement from 2010 (the year of the tiger)

So if you see me in 2012, hopefully I will be wearing the same clothes as last year, looking fit, and slurping down an oyster on the Aegean sea.

Happy New Year!

For Your Sister Who Is Very Beautiful, Smart and Funny

For the smart, funny and beautiful sister I recommend getting her something that you want so that you can borrow and or steal it at a future date. If you are like me and inventoried your sister’s entire wardrobe, then you know the pieces she is missing and the holidays are the perfect time to fill those holes. This year I filled the “everyday day to night black bag” hole.

On sale at Barneys, click to buy

Alternative to the black bag is a Clarisonic (which I got her last year) and she got me this year. See – buy things you want for others and they may come back to you!

Clarisonic Mia in Jaguar, click to purchase

For the Parents Who Have Everything

Shopping for my parents is hard – they always say they don’t want or need anything. Even the most obscure gift, like the oyster shucking knife I was going to buy my dad, is shot down because he already has two. This predicament makes gift giving especially challenging so this year I decided to give them the gift of memories in the form of a holiday calendar filled with old family photos.

Wall calendar from Pinhole Press, click to purchase

Alternative to the old photos calendar is matching pajamas for everyone in my family which I have done in years past. It seems dopey but its actually really fun to sit around all wearing the same outfit, its like a cult!

Pajamas from J.Crew for the whole family, click to purchase

For The Boyfriend Who JUST Signed Up For Gilt Groupe

There comes a point in every girlfriend’s life when she asks herself, “am I willing to date someone who wears mesh shorts in public or am I going to have to buy him some pants?” For me that question came four years ago and now I am dating a consistently fashionable guy. Since I have created this monster, feeding the beast is important in order to consistently reach new sartorially heights. A sporty yet stylish jacket is the perfect gift that harkens back to those mesh short days without actually reverting to them.

Arc'teryx Jacket, click to purchase

Alternative to the spiffy jacket is a re-imagined movie poster of one of his favorite films in an updated style.

Topgun movie poster from Moxie Creative, click to purchase

For The Best Friend That Continues To Abuse The Blue Mercury Samples Policy

Best friends are easy to shop for because you just get them what you want since you are so much alike and bff forevaaaaaaaaa! But seriously there are so many eligible best friend gifts its hard to pin them all down. Below are a smattering of choices for the special gal in your life.

Lip scrub and balm from Blue Mercury, click to purchase

Pom pom beanie that coordinates with her hair color from Calypso, click to purchase

Cuisinart immersion blender for winter soups, click to purchase

For Everyone Else on Your List

Don’t know what to get your landlord/mailman/professor? This apple. Trust me. It is delicious, impressive, inexpensive and all around incredible.  One year (ok every year) I have ordered myself one and its my favorite holiday tradition.

Giant caramel apple from Williams Sonoma, click to purchase

Hope everyone has a very happy holiday season and enjoy all your gifts both material and immaterial!

Layered bling

Death stare bling

Federer Bling

This sort of  jewelry stick-to-itiveness seems like a rut, but who am I to challenge Anna on her style? (Please don’t euthanize me Ms. Wintour!) As someone who doesn’t have a strong jewelry gene it does seem like a good idea to just reach for the same few baubles every day and remove the guess work from accessorizing. Oh first world problems…

A quick search leads me to believe these necklaces are either Cartier or H. Stern, code for woefully out of my price range. However, I did find a few interpretations that I think would look fit the bill and make Anna proud.

A jcrew version that comes in multiple colors, click to purchase

Support crafty entrepreneurs with these etsy necklaces, click to purchase

Go for broke with Tom Binns, click to purchase

These necklaces would make an excellent holiday gift but PLEASE no one rush out to get one for me. The Tom Binns necklace is already en route…

The finished bird. Notice the photo behind me where I am doing the same hand on hip 20 years earlier (and on a dude ranch)

This year we are prepared to do it all again with some valuable lessons learned from last year’s inaugural effort. Below, a list of dos and don’ts to get you through cooking your Thanksgiving meal:

Thanksgiving Dos:

• Do pick out all your recipes ahead of time and create a schedule based on oven time and temperature
• Do prepare a cohesive shopping list for your dad so that everything is purchased in advance
• Do brine your turkey
• Do have one blow up fight with your sister early on in the cooking
• Do delegate dessert to others so that you are not completely overwhelmed

Thanksgiving Don’ts:

• Don’t listen to your sister when she says your 20lb turkey is done after 3 hours of cooking
• Don’t lug your ice cream maker from DC to Philadelphia on Amtrak – just buy some Haagen Daaz and call it a day
• Don’t forget the wine
• Don’t make “an extra mac and cheese just in case”
• Don’t you dare think you ever have enough herb butter

This year we are going with a smaller bird, but we will definitely be using the same recipe from Tom Colicchio. It was super juicy and fairly simple once my sister pointed out that I had confused the breast side from the back of the bird (oops!)

Buttering and stuffing your bird may require an extra pair of hands

Make sure you give constant attention to your bird

Monitor temperature

Let your turkey rest a bit before carving

In addition to the turkey, we will also be serving:

• Cornbread stuffing with sausage, apples and mushrooms
• Roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta
• String beans with almonds
• Dad’s famous whipped maples sweet potatoes
• Mom’s cranberry orange relish

I can’t wait for this gluttonous feast and I am grateful that I get to spend another year with my family and friends who I love very much.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A horse at Stoney Creek Farm

I was looking for a great bed and breakfast nearby to go with my boyfriend, but so many places looked like they were decorated by Laura Ashley’s grandmother. Seriously, what is with matching cabbage rose printed wallpaper, drapes and bedding – is this a prerequisite for opening a B&B?

Stoney Creek Farm is the antithesis of chabby chic – it was modern and rustic. The proprietors are a brother and sister duo who are super helpful, make great breakfasts (caramelized banana french toast – yum!) but otherwise stayed out of our hair and let us enjoy our weekend.

During our stay we went to Antietam National Battlefield, the site bloodiest one day battle in American history, and also hiked in Cactoctin Mountain Park.

One of many memorials at Antietam

Burnside's Bridge where the Confederacy and Union armies clashed

Nearby cornfield

We had great weather the whole weekend and it was wonderful to escape the city, peep some changing leaves and get outside. The entire experience has me thinking that I might need to go country a little more often.

My pumpkin, with the aid of a stencil and a patient friend helping me along the way

Others were more talented than I, but my natural competitive spirit was dulled by the abundance of cider and gingersnaps provided by our lovely hostess. All in all it was a great way to spend a crisp Fall Sunday and recover from the spooky storm that struck the night before.

A few of the other pumpkins created

The pumpkin carving crew

Happy Halloween!

Click the boots for more info

As a tall and big-footed woman (do I sound sexy?) footwear has always stymied me. In heels I am a giant and even in the cutest flats I can look like Sasquatch. However boots have somehow transcended these issues and are my favorite shoe to shod myself in. Luckily after years of cultivation my boot wardrobe is full – I have knee highs, to the knee, shorties and booties – but I rounded up a few potential booties for my sister and I thought others might enjoy as well.

One person I know who will hate these shoes is my friend Lea, who is always chiding me for loving a chunky heel. Lea I can’t help it, they are more comfortable! Hopefully you can look past the chunk and see these shoes for what they are – overpriced, mildly comfortable, and perfect for fall. See below on where to purchase.

Roasted asparagus from last night's dinner

Not everyone can make it each week, but the act of sitting down during a hectic schedule and eating a meal with your friends is really wonderful. Over these past two years I have had homemade enchiladas, roast chicken, meat and potatoes, Vietnamese pho and soft shell crabs to name just a few of the memorable meals I have devoured. Each week, one person cooks the entire meal and everyone else comes over and gobbles it up.

Last night I made chicken marsala, polenta, roasted asparagus and an apple galete for dessert. I had checked the weather before planning my meal and knew it was going to be cold and rainy so I wanted something comforting.

Cooking down mushrooms and onions for chicken marsala

Chicken marsala with polenta and fresh parsley

An extremely "rustic" apple galete

Supper club used to be only 3 people but the group has since ballooned to 8 people on any given night. Cooking for that many people can be hectic, especially on a week night. I have tried to fine tune my supper club skills to a science so that when it is my turn to cook it doesn’t involve into kitchen chaos. Invariably I forget something, but here are a few of my tips for cooking a big meal for a large group:

• Check the kitchn, epicurious, milk and mode, smitten kitchen or food network for an inspiring recipe
• Shop for the food the day before (two days is even better)
• Do prep work the day before and make things ahead including dessert.
• On the day of try to cook things at the same temperature or at the same time
• Use disposable plates (eek I know, not very green, but much easier to clean up)
• Wine will make any meal better

The best part is obviously sharing a meal with friends, but homemade whipped cream also helps.

Delish!

Unfortunately most times I am cooking for Supper Club I do not have time whip out my iPhone and snap photos, so the evidence of my previous meals is all in my belly. However here are a bunch of recipes from meals past that I really enjoyed.

• Short ribs with tagliatelle 
• Mexican tortilla soup
• Greek lamb burgers
• Fish en papillote 
• Pork banh mi
• Mushroom ravioli (used my pasta recipe)
• Crispy fish sandwiches
• Fried chicken
• Beurre blanc scallops
• Oven ribs
  

Hopefully you make a meal for a few buddies soon!

]]> http://spiffyniffy.com/2011/10/20/supper-club/feed/ 0 niffyspector asparagus sweatin marsala big galete galete http://spiffyniffy.com/2011/10/13/falling-for-terrain/ http://spiffyniffy.com/2011/10/13/falling-for-terrain/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:15:06 +0000 niffyspector http://spiffyniffy.com/?p=1119 ]]> Finally its autumnal enough to post these pictures. I took them during a family trip to Terrain at Styer’s, a charming garden and home store with a restaurant right outside of Philadelphia.

I suggested we go there for brunch for my mom’s birthday and was sooo pleased with myself that I had introduced the entire Spector brood to this adorable needle in a haystack. Until I realized the entire enterprise was owned and operated by Anthropologie!

The taste of the most amazing blueberry pancakes I had at brunch is still bitter in my mouth from this corporate ruse. I should have known the place was too well curated for a mere mom and pop shop.

Eventually I got off my high horse and succumbed to this Anthropologie branded bliss. The place was oozing fall and my sister and I gleefully perused the homewares and garden supplies for over an hour after our brunch. (Do I need mums? I need mums. Ill take one in every color!) It was like being in a Nancy Meyers movie for the afternoon.

My sister spent $200 on velvet pumpkins for her “autumnal tablescape.” Seriously, that’s how you talk when you are at Terrain, its unavoidable. Stop by for brunch and some shopping, you won’t be disappointed:

Terrain at Styer’s
914 Baltimore Pike
Glen Mills, PA 19342

610-459-2400