Autumn Prep

Intentional double entendre - prep being short for both preparation and preparatory school. As we gear up for the seasonal transition into autumn (or rather, as the weather here has for the most part decided to mimic autumn) warmer layers on top of summer clothes make the shift a bit easier to handle. But mostly I just like the New England prep style; it always reminds me of back to school shopping for obvious reasons. It made me so happy when I was in Maine and Massachusetts recently when I saw the occasional New Englander clad in dockers and polos, looking like they were on their way to the coast/vineyard.

Throw on some bright red lips (I just bought my first, YSL was the one recommended to me at Sephora but I chickened out and bought the $10 version at CVS) and dark nail polish, and you're good to go.

carven short cable sweater, la garconne; field maxidress, madewell; yves saint laurent rouge pur couture no. 1; super glasses ciccio, madewell; the leather transport tote, madewell; ropey soles espadrille sandals, madewell

image via polyvore

Saturday On The Cape

In hindsight, we were completely unprepared for our trip to Provincetown; but then again, how were we to know that it would be pouring rain when we got off the ferry (the forecast for Cape Cod said 'sunny'), and that our intended casual "15-minute" bike excursion to the beach would end up being over 12 miles (we naively ended up doing the entire trail instead of just part of it)?

A fellow ferry passenger informed us while we took shelter under a tent on the wharf that the skies would clear around 2pm, so when the downpour turned to light rain we made a beeline for the town centre in search of food. We found Tiny's, a very small patio restaurant (made even smaller under the cordoned rain tent) with an impressive menu of local foods. The lobster corn chowder was the big winner, as was (for me) the house-made basil and grapefruit soda. 

When the rain clouds dispersed shortly after 2:30 pm out came the sun, and along with it the heat we thought we had left behind in Boston. We rented our bikes on the main street and navigated our way to Herring Cove Beach and then to Race Point Beach. The distance between the two was further than expected (and the terrain hillier than we would have liked), but both the swimming and the scenery were perfect - and made up for the post-return exhaustion we felt when we only just made it back in time to return our bikes at the end of the day.

The ferry from Boston to Provincetown is a bit pricy for a day trip, but it definitely beat not having to contend with traffic on a busy Saturday in July. Also - the 7:30pm fast ferry back to Boston was like a romantic sunset cruise (take-out seafood and lots 'o salt water taffy are highly recommended for the ride home).

Favourite Snacks of the Great Writers

Featured in this week's book section of the NY Times are Wendy MacNaughton's illustrations of the foods that fueled some of the great writers while they wrote. Some of them are pretty zany, and also revealing - I had no idea Byron went to such extremes to stay slim. For me it was always dried mangoes and jasmine tea while I wrote/did school work, although now I'm thinking that Capote's drinking ritual would have been a tad more inspirational.

In Maine

I'm already so nostalgic about our brief sojourn through Maine. It might have everything to do with the 'heat dome' and record highs in Boston (and everywhere else). We really soaked up the coastal breezes though (especially at night - it even got a bit chilly), and so we're going to the Cape tomorrow in hopes of finding some relief (and more seafood). 

morning swim at old orchard beach

beach umbrellas at old orchard beach

the lobster roll at bayley's in scarborough

On the Road

After an unexpected weekend in the country (which included a feast of oysters we plucked from the waters ourselves and swimming in the ocean for the first time this year), now I'm gearing up for a road trip to Boston and all that that entails.

First things first: to avoid eating at truck stops along the highway I'm going to do some serious baking tomorrow and then dash to the market for some car picnic essentials. I'm thinking blueberry muffins, fresh bread for sandwiches, and something sweet like chocolate ginger cookies or these spicy brownies.

At least now that it's July the weather in New England is fairly predictable (hot & humid), but it would be irresponsible not to bring at least a light sweater - and what if it rains? Ideally my suitcase would be as minimal as possible (but it's more like wishful thinking):

left: asos leather watch. anchor earrings, elizabeth and james. madison sunglasses, elizabeth and james. oversize ikat wrap, bird. pleated crepe sleeveless blouse, chloe. vintage navy dots skirt, modcloth. haven wedges, cole haan. rope bucket bag, barneys. 

right: sheilu cotton and silk check scarf, bird. straw fedora, rag and bone. summer sisters by judy blume. university black rope sole classics, tom's. classic tote, w.m.j. mills. navy rope triangle bikini, topshop. 

Coco + James

I've definitely got weddings on my mind. Today I (unsuccessfully) went in search of a dress to wear to one next month, I'm trying on bridesmaid dresses next week for a 2012 wedding, and then this evening I came across this video of Coco Rocha's wedding last year to James Conran. The styling is unbelievable - so chic but not too ostentatious or over-the-top. Who wouldn't love a Chateau destination wedding?

What I'm most into (aside from the Chateau setting) is the dress Coco wore to the rehearsal dinner. The tulle skirt and pearl buttons? Yes, please.

Wearable Scotch

Scotch Naturals Nail Polish

I came across this nail polish line in a salon last week and am so intrigued (and really loving the colours!).  They're a non-toxic, water-based formula and contain only 3 ingredients plus colorants. 

The formula (which is vegan, paraben free, cruelty-free, toxin free, fragrance free, biodegradable, and hypoallergenic) originated as a polish for kids, fittingly called 'Hopscotch', but they've now adapted the line to include a grown-up version: hopScotch. The colours for adults are strikingly vibrant and on-trend: 

scotch naturals nail polish in: hot toddy, leprechaun lynch, stiletto, whisper, ceasefire, flying scotsman

Maison Scotch Collection (from Scotch & Soda) 

This collection from Scotch & Soda has more than a few items that I want to live in come Fall. I love the chunky knit of this sweater and that most of the tailoring leans towards clean lines and mens-wear simplicity.

images via scotch & soda