Me and my hoodies

Most nights I love sleeping as the little spoon in a good cuddle. But some nights, (I would say once a week on average, although that average goes up during the winter months) all I want to do is come home, cook dinner, change into some comfy duds and catch up on America’s Next Top Model, The Hills, Gossip Girl, and Project Runway. My boyfriend (otherwise known as the big spoon) and I have coined a term for nights like these, we call them separate nights. I have my lazy night of good food and bad TV and he...I’m not really sure what he does on his separate night, but I think he enjoys it. When I feel a separate night coming on, he doesn’t protest all that much and sometimes he even suggests one. Looking forward to a separate night has been known to get me through a stressful day at work, get me up on a grey, depressing Monday and get me home without over-indulging at happy hour. These nights have become so precious to me that I have begun to blame them for the lack of forward movement in my relationship. I’m hesitant to move in with my boyfriend because the next step is marriage and then children and then the death of separate nights. I sometimes seriously think the solution is to keep my apartment forever, and never rent it out, so at least the possibility of a separate night exists. Or, as my sister points out, I could be like Helen Bonham Carter who, although married to Tim Burton, kept one half of the house to herself. Realistically, I know I need to just savor my separate nights now and then learn to give them up, or before I know it, I’ll end up with a calendar filled with separate nights and not a big spoon in sight.

My favorite hoodies to wear on separate nights:
1. Cloth by Easel (pink one): This is so soft it feels like a second skin. I love the ruching at the sleeves.

2. Diesel (black one): This sweatshirt is not only really comfortable but it has great details, like the exposed seams and emblem at the lower right corner. It makes me feel tough when I wear it.

3. French Connection (yellow one): The short sleeves come in handy when my building's heat is on too high. Not being able to control the heat can be a bummer.

4. Gap (brown one): This one is so long I can wear it just with leggings, or with no pants at all, which is the ultimate fatty outfit.

5. ? (grey one): This sweatshirt appeared in my life one day with no label, it’s origin unknown. I have asked all of my friends and relatives and no one will claim it. Is it yours? It's a mystery, but I'm glad it found me.

My favorite separate night treat:
A steaming mug of LA Burdick hot chocolate topped with Tiny Trapeze all natural marshmallow creme. The marshmallow creme is actually the best thing I have discovered at Whole Foods yet this year. It’s made without “junkie stuff” so it’s like Fluff that’s not bad for you. How perfect is that?!

Favorites

My new favorite line in a song:

"I'd rather be the one who loves, than to be loved, and never even know"
Song: Snow is Gone
Artist: Josh Ritter
Album: Hello Starling

My new favorite goods from Boston designers:


T-shirts by Etcetera Media. Kelly Smith and Chris Grimley are the team behind these super soft tees. I love the unique color combinations, the unexpected graphics and the shape. They aren't boxy, or too tight and they hit at just the right spot on jeans so you feel sexy without showing off skin. Go to www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5079340 and scroll down to see tees for sale. Or go to Etcetera Media's website at www.etceteramedia.com to learn more about the designers and see the other fabulous goods for sale. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the duo will be at the next South End Open Studios (I think it will be sometime around the holidays) where I first fell in love with their tees inside the studio at 46 Waltham St. #305.

The bag is by M. Flynn, the company headed by sisters Megan and Moira Flynn. Go to www.mflynnjewelry.com to shop other bags and see the fabulous jewelry designed by the sisters. Here are the reasons I love this bag.

1. The color goes with everything and yet is striking enough to get compliments from strangers on the street. People literally stop me weekly to ask where I got my bag. I love being able to say that it is from a Boston designer. I feel very in-the-know.

2. The Argentinean leather is really soft and yet durable. My bag one time was the target for a nasty sea gull and his present came off without leaving its mark on the leather. Ha ha!

3. The bag on a daily basis is stuffed with my bulging wallet (filled with receipts, business cards, credit cards and very little money) my journal, a book and/or magazine, my keys, 8 lipsticks, 3 pens, my digital camera and a ton of change and it never looks or feels too heavy.

At least the outfit was cute

After two years I was forced to end the relationship. He was starting to take me for granted. I could tell the minute he stopped listening to what I said I wanted. He thought he knew me so well, but when I told him I wanted baby bangs and he refused to give them to me, I knew I had to find a new hairdresser.

Only when it seemed that every single hair on my head had a split end, did I make an appointment at a new salon. I didn’t get recommendations from friends, I didn’t do any research, nope, I fell for an ad campaign that promised rock and roll hair. In my vulnerable and desperate state I felt sure this was a place that would give me the bangs I had always wanted.

The day of the appointment arrived and I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I opened the doors to a stylish loft. The ceilings were high and industrial with exposed pipes, the walls were brick and floor to ceiling windows provided soft, natural lighting. My heart was really won when the receptionist appeared carrying a glass of red wine for me. I smiled and relaxed into my chair, positive I had found a new salon that would take care of me and always make me feel beautiful.

And then the stylist arrived wearing camouflage pants, a black tank top and a black bandana. His voice was gruff, and he was so high-strung and enthusiastic I thought he must be on cocaine. I scanned the salon to see if anyone else seemed concerned with his erratic behavior. That's when I noticed that I was the only one left in the salon! Turns out making an appointment for eight o'clock is a really bad idea. It was getting dark, no one was there and my cracked-out stylist was refilling my wine.

He began snipping away. Long strands of hair were falling on the floor and before I knew it, I had the baby bangs I had always wanted and...a mullet. But it wasn't a hipster's ironic mullet, but a lesbian soccer mom mullet. I stared at my reflection absolutely horrified and wanted more than anything to run into my ex-stylist's conservative arms. He would never take me back looking like this! And with baby bangs!

I was obviously the only one feeling regret, shame, anger, depression and the need for a hat. The mullet-maker was jumping around my chair exclaiming how amazing my new “shag” was and how incredible I looked and how, (and this is when I knew for sure that he was on drugs), he wanted to take pictures of me for his new ad campaign. In a stunned and wine-induced stupor, I just nodded my head that yes I would be in the photo shoot. Yes, I would give him my cell phone. Yes, I would like a ride home.

It was only after I was sitting shotgun in his enormous SUV with shiny rims and hip hop blaring that I finally came to my senses. What in the world was I doing in the car of a stranger so strange that he had just decimated my poor hair and was proud of himself?! In the middle of the road, no where near my apartment, I told him to pull over, that I lived nearby. The car had not even come to a complete stop before my feet hit the pavement walking fast away from my now newest ex-stylist. Needless to say, I did not show up for the photo shoot, but I sure did change my cell phone number.

Luckily the outfit I was wearing could make any haircut disaster feel cute. My Paper Denim and Cloth jeans were paired with this halter top from Brooklyn Industries. The mullet did do one thing right and helped to show off my earrings made by a jeweler in Park Slope. She sometimes sets her table up outside the Park Slop Food Coop. You can't miss her. She is a beautiful black women with a gorgeous head of long dreads that she piles on top of her head.

I'm jealous

Emily, 23
Assistant to the Director of Programming, The Joyce Theater
Dress: Vintage
Bag: Jill Serra
Sunglasses: Old school Vaurnet
Earrings: Park Slope street vendor

The bag that witnessed the broken two drink rule

The two drink rule was created out of vanity. I was trying to get rid of my impending muffin top, there was no regard for my liver's feelings. But I didn't want my social life to to take off with the muffin top, so I decided that I would still go to the bars, but only have two (doctor recommended) alcoholic drinks a night. Once those were enjoyed, I would secretly switch to tonic water and lime. The secrecy is necessary, not because I feel silly about my rule, but because no one wants to hang out with a smug sober who drinks responsibly and doesn't over-indulge. For the past couple of weeks everything was going according to plan, everybody continued to enjoy my company, (except for my muffin top that was shrinking now that I won't feed it) and I had even made a new friend out of my liver.

However, this Angela Adams bag witnessed my fall from grace last Friday night when my two drink rule was broken during a ladies' night. My friend paired the turquoise and brown cloth clutch with a brown summer dress like this one from Velvet Torch, a gold bangle bracelet and gold sandals.