* J. Crew Fall 2010 *

I have always loved J. Crew, but it wasn't until the past few years that I have thought of them as anything more than conservative basics. They have recently brought the power of preppy to a new level, and their 2010 fall collection is yet another example of their innovative styling.

Packed with layers upon layers, mixtures of textures, and feminine details with menswear, this fall collection is to die for. Now if only I could afford half of the stuff they sell. For now, I can simply marvel.

(images from style.com)

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* Red Pepper Sauce *

I made this red pepper sauce to go on haddock. It would also go well on chicken, but I liked the flavoring with a light fish.

I started out with some oil in a hot pan and sauteed chopped red peppers. I added basil, corn, and some spices: salt, pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes, oregano. Then I added a little balsamic vinegar for some extra flavoring. It should be a thick consistency. I poured it over the cooked fish and added some red pepper cutouts for garnish.

Pretty easy and pretty delicious. Takes about 20 minutes altogether. You can also add some chopped walnuts for an extra crunch.

A-

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* Little Visitors *

At two different times today, 9am and 5pm, two little baby deer were outside our house nibbling away at the edge of our lawn. They were so cute! I just wanted to share some pictures of them.

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* Handmade Bags and Lessons Learned *

I have been spending a lot of my time teaching myself patience through sewing. The patience thing is difficult, but the sewing is fun, and the final product always makes me happy.

I have been developing prototypes of different bags. This most recent bag came out pretty well for a prototype. It is certainly not perfect, but at least I know how to make the next one even better.

In our society, instant gratification is the norm. Spending the many hours to learn how to make a bag, rather than just running over to Target to pick up a brand new one, is hard for me.

Although I understand the benefit of handmade, I am struggling with the time involved and am constantly making mistakes. If nothing else, this has been a great lesson to learn in patience and problem-solving.

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* Design by Inspiration *

My mom has been obsessed with the colors purple and light green together, and has purposefully placed these colors around the house with her flowers.

Today I decided I would use her love of these colors together to inspire a quick logo project. I based the logo off both the colors of the flowers and the flowers themselves. The font I used is called District Thin, which I found on smashingmagazine.com.

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* To Travel or Not to Travel *

I've always had plans to travel more in my life. I've done some already, going to China and Thailand after college graduation, and before that to Germany, Prague and Austria. Plus, I have done some traveling around the US, but not much.

I thought for sure that by now, I would have either gone on a trip, or gotten a job. As I was recently denied a job that I was perfect for, and would have been perfect for me, I can't help but wonder if my destination isn't an office right now. Perhaps I need to crack open these books I bought months ago and actually buy a plane ticket. Perhaps some time away will help open my mind to understanding what my next steps in life are. Perhaps I need to just stop talking about it and actually do it.

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