Karl Lagerfeld for Macy's

Did you know that Karl Lagerfeld did a collection for Macy's? I didn't know about it until I read the September issue of Elle magazine and some of the looks were featured there.  It comes out today and it's got some great pieces, though a little pricier than I can afford.

My favorite piece is this adorable tweed dress... it just screams sophistication and class.

At $129, I doubt I will be buying it anytime soon but for the lady who has the means, it's a great piece that will stand the test of time.

I'm also loving this sheer blouse

It's $89, which isn't bad and it's a great look for fall.

Loving the new 70's look for fall? This dress would be great to bring the 70's back.

At $119, you would be one groovy chick!

To check out the rest of his collection, head on over to the Karl Lagerfeld for Impulse site at Macy's and snag your favorite look.

Book Review: Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.

Title: Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.
Author: Sam Wasson
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Book: Paperback, 288 pages
Buy: Amazon.com

Synopsis:
                   Audrey Hepburn is an icon like no other, yet the image many of us have of Hepburn—dainty, immaculate—is anything but true to life. Here, for the first time, Sam Wasson presents the woman behind the little black dress that rocked the nation in 1961. With a colorful cast of characters including Truman Capote, Edith Head, Givenchy, “Moon River” composer Henry Mancini, and, of course, Hepburn herself, Wasson immerses us in the America of the early sixties before Woodstock and birth control, when a not-so-virginal girl by the name of Holly Golightly raised eyebrows across the country, changing fashion, film, and sex for good.

Review:
                  The first time I saw Breakfast at Tiffany's, I fell in love with Holly Golightly and her amazing wardrobe. Audrey Hepburn turned in a wonderful performance, but I had no idea the differences between the movie and the novel until I read Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. If you've ever wanted to know how a movie goes from novel, to screenplay, to cast, to production and the resulting reviews and reception, this is the type of book for you. It starts off with how Truman Capote turned influences in his real life into Holly and you get whisked off on a journey into the movies creation and release.

                   This book is full of almost gossip-worthy tidbits about the making of the movie, everything from how Truman Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly to Henry Mancini writing "Moon River" with Audrey's octave in mind, and it almost not making it into the movie. Mickey Rooney's portrayal of her Asian upstairs neighbor offended plenty and almost got cut out. Also, black dresses weren't even a popular fashion item until Audrey wore that Givenchy LBD and started a black dress revolution that is still alive today.

                   In the Capote novella, Holly Golightly is small town girl turned NYC socialite who sleeps around and has a gay friend named Paul. Thinking the storyline was too racy for 60's movie audiences, they adapted Holly to be more of a tricky, independent woman and her friend Paul into being a straight neighbor with a sugar mama. They also changed the ending to be more romantic in keeping with the theme of their movie.
 
                  I thought this was a great book and it gave me such an insight into how a movie is made and all the drama that goes into it. The fact that it's about one of the greatest movies of all time really makes it special. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves films, fashion, or Audrey Hepburn. I give this book 4 stars.


Disclaimer: I  received a copy of the book from the publisher in order to create this review. The opinions expressed are of my own. Thank you to Trish at TLC Book Tours.  

Much Needed Shopping

Last Friday was a much anticipated pay day, and I had a few items to pick up during a shopping trip on Saturday.

The first stop was Sephora... I needed a new concealer and their Perfecting Cover Concealer seemed like it would do the job of hiding those awful, dark under-eye circle. I also snagged a free mascara sample that I am wearing now (I don't remember the brand) :)

My next stop was to Barnes & Noble to pick up "Sister" by Rosamund Lupton, which is the next book is one of my book clubs. So far it's tragic but intriguing.

I went to Victoria's Secret and snagged a free Incredible hiphugger panty thanks to the coupons they send out. The Incredible panty is very soft and stretchy, so it's nice to get one for free.

I also went to MAC to check out their new Mac Me Over collection and I snagged a new lipstick called Oh, Oh, Oh, which is a sheer, gold pink color that looks great.

Finally, I ended my day at Lush with a $25 gift card, thanks to a sweet hubby, and nabbed some awesome must haves.

Stepping Stone foot scrub

 Big Blue bath bomb

 Sex Bomb bath bomb

 Geophyzz bath bomb

Dorothy bubble bar

All in all, it was a successful shopping trip :)

How was your weekend?

Before Ever After Book Giveaway Winner!

Sorry it has taken me so long to announce the winner, work has been crazy busy and I'm sure some of you can relate!

The lucky winner of a copy of "Before Ever After" by Samantha Sotto is.....

Mimi @ What Mimi Writes!

Congrats Mimi! I'll be emailing you today to get your information. Thanks to everyone that entered!

Football is almost here!

We have 9 days to our first game against Notre Dame.

This is what we like to call a "Rent-a-win", where a great, historic team chooses an up and coming team to beat the crap out of the first week of the season. Don't get me wrong, anytime the underdog wins these games, it looks great, but the majority of fans thinks this one will be a win for Notre Dame.

Hubby and I wish we could go to Notre Dame and watch the game in person, as I hear it's a beautiful campus and stadium, but sadly it's a little pricey to travel and stay, so we'll be at a friend's housewarming party for the game.

Anyone else excited for the start of college football?

The Help

Earlier this year, I wrote about reading The Help for one of my book clubs and what an eye-opening book it was.

On Friday night, I went to see the movie with my grandmother, who also read the book and enjoyed it.

 

 I thought the movie was great and just about as close to the book as it should have been. They obviously left parts out, but I don't think they were crucial parts, and they were usually mentioned.

Did you see this? What did you think?

Interview with Samantha Sotto, Author of "Before Ever After"

Followers, you are in for a very special treat! While reading and writing the book review for "Before Ever After", I became internet friends with the author, Samantha Sotto. She is young, cute, spunky, and loves a great adventure. After loving the book, I asked her if I could interview her to find out what her inspiration was for this fantastic book, and she agreed!

SH: First off, I have to say how much I loved your book. I felt like I was going on a European adventure. I read that the book was inspired by your own travels, is that true?

 

SS: Thank you so much, Amanda! I'm thrilled you enjoyed the book :)

Before Ever After was inspired by my travelling adventures around Europe. I lived and studied in the Netherlands while I was in college, but it was my backpacking trip in my early twenties that served as a springboard for the tour the characters take in the book. My characters have it a lot easier, though - I fed them  well and put a roof over their head. I couldn't bring myself to make them live off stale baguettes and sleep on bridges. They owe me BIG TIME.

 

SH: What was your favorite place to visit that you may or may not have featured in the book?

 

SS: I ADORE Venice. It's the perfect place to get utterly lost - which is wonderful if your sense of direction is as bad as mine.  You can wander around aimlessly and be perfectly content. In fact, I think getting lost is probably the best way to experience Venice. Every alley, bridge and corner whispers stories the history books left out.

 

SH: How did you get the idea to incorporate characters such as Shelley and Max into your story?

 

SS: Max introduced himself to me while I was stuck in traffic. He came complete - quirks and all. I instantly knew five things about him: he had a penchant for not dying, he was not a vampire, he believed he could get through anything if he had a chicken, he ran an offbeat European tour, and he had a "widow" named Shelley. I developed Shelley by writing the eulogy she gave for Max. The eulogy doesn't appear in the book, but it really helped me flesh out what kind of wife a man like Max might have. Her flaws had to complement his strengths and vice versa. Another requirement was that she was not allergic to eggs.

SH: Some authors try to add a fantasy aspect into their novel, but it never really works. In your book, it works very well with the story. Why do you think that is?

 

SS: Thank you! As a reader, my favorite kind of fantasy is the kind that's woven into everyday life - the kind that makes me look around and wonder "what if?"  That's the goal I had for Before Ever After. I wanted to create something magical enough to stretch your imagination, but not too far that it would snap.

SH: What was your favorite part of writing this book?

 

SS: You mean apart from writing"The End?" ;-) At the risk of sounding like the biggest nerd, I will admit that I actually enjoyed doing the research for the book A LOT. I didn't  outline the story. Instead, I checked Google maps after every chapter, figured out what country the tour was headed to next and then researched about the historical period that was coming up. This made me feel like I was going on the journey along with my characters. I discovered things at the same time they did. I now have a black belt in Google-fu. I recently bought a purse to match it.

SH: I know you have been busy traveling and focusing on your recent book launch. How has this whole experience been for you?

 

SS: It's all very surreal. I go to sleep at night half expecting to wake up the next day and realize that this was all just a dream.

SH: Amazingly, this is your first novel. What kind of advice would you give someone trying to write a book?

 

SS: Butt. In. Chair :) Coffee is optional, chocolate is not.

SH: Finally, I have to ask... is there second novel in the works?

 

SS: Yes! I hope to finish it in the next couple of months - chicken fingers and all appropriate appendages crossed.

 

SH: Thank you Samantha for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions about your amazing book. Please check out her first novel, "Before Ever After: A Novel", available at all bookstores and online. 

 

SS: Thanks for having me over, Amanda! I had a blast :) 

Don't forget, I am giving away one free copy of her book, "Before Ever After", so head on over to my book review post and enter to win this amazing novel!

Target Saves The Day

If you are a Floridian, you know that this past weekend was tax-free weekend! A wonderful weekend to buy clothes and supplies without that pesky tax, and I took full advantage. Last Friday night, I headed to my local mall to find myself a late-season bikini and some clothes. All the bikinis left were awful and everything I tried on fit weird. Doesn't it always feel like when you set money to actually buy something, nothing works out? I had almost given up hope when I remembered... there is a Super Target right down the street!

(my hand-drawn attempt to show Target as my beacon of hope on a dark night)

So, I headed to bathing suits and was pleasantly surprised at the selection they still had given it was August. I found myself a cute, James Bond-esque suit and some great shirts to hold me off in this hot weather.

By the way, I don't know if your local Marshalls has re-designed themselves, but the quality of clothes is really starting to go downhill. Thankfully, their shoes are still amazing and I scored an awesome deal on some camel peep-toes :)

Have you scored any awesome shopping deals lately?

Book Review and Giveaway: Before Ever After

Title: Before Ever After
Author: Samantha Sotto
Publisher: Crown
Book: Hardcover, 304 pages
Buy: Amazon.com

Synopsis:
                  Shelley Gallus’ happy ending abruptly ended three years ago when her husband Max died. She has settled into life as a widow, braving Sunday mornings alone with a cup of Jasmine tea and a poor imitation of Max’s famous baked eggs and cheese, until her fragile recovery is shattered one morning when the doorbell rings. On her doorstep she finds handsome young Paolo, who bears not only an uncanny resemblance to her late husband but some unbelievable news: Max is alive!
                  Shelley would be overjoyed by the words she has been longing for if not for two small details. First, Max was blown to bits by a Madrid subway bomb. And second, Paolo claims to be her 32-year-old husband’s 32-year-old grandson. Still, the single spark of hope that she could be reunited with the love of her life is all Shelley needs to launch her across the globe with Paolo in search of Max.
                  During their journey, Shelley is preoccupied with memories of “The Slight Detour,” the budget European tour package where she met and fell in love with her tour guide husband. Reality descends as Shelley begins to realize that Max’s vivid stories of bloody Parisian rebellions, medieval Austrian monasteries, and doomed Venetian cities may not have been stories at all.
                  Shelley had always believed her marriage was the stuff of fairy tales. But when fantasy collides hard with reality, and she and Paolo come closer to discovering the truth about Max, Shelley faces an agonizing leap of faith before she can have her happily ever after.

Review: 
                The first thing that attracted me to this book was the charming cover; it was inviting me to take a peek inside and get lost in the adventure, which I did. The book starts off with the loss of Shelley's husband Max, a rather bold beginning to an otherwise enchanting story. You feel for her loss and are sitting right beside her as she is holding on to the memories.

                As their trip begins, you are taken back to when Shelley first met Max on their European tour and the beautiful and unique places they visited as they slowly fell in love. The detail given about these places made me want to stop every time and look them up, so I could see the sights they were seeing. Even the way his baked eggs and cheese were described throughout the book made me want to crack open the refrigerator and attempt the dish.

               I don't want to give away too much, as there are many twists and turns that the reader doesn't expect, but I will say that the "fantasy" aspect of the novel fits well with the story, and the ending is one of hope and interpretation. I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in this European adventure and accompanying Shelley on the trip of her life. This is a great book to read at the beach, at home when it's raining, or on a plane to a fantastic destination. I give this book 5 stars.

Want to read the book? I am giving away one free copy of Before Ever After for one of my lucky readers to win, courtesy of Crown Publishing. All you have to do is comment below and one lucky reader will be picked on August 22nd. This giveaway is open to US and Canada readers only. Good luck!

Check back this week when I interview the author, Samantha Sotto, about her inspiration, her adventures, and any future books.
              
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in order to create this review. The opinions expressed are of my own. Thank you to Lisa at TLC Book Tours. 

Book Review: Adam & Eve

Title: Adam & Eve
Author: Sena Jeter Naslund
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Book: Paperback, 384 pages
Buy: Amazon.com

Synopsis:  
              By decoding light from space, Lucy Bergmann’s astrophysicist husband discovers the existence of extraterrestrial life; their friend, anthropologist Pierre Saad, unearths from the sands of Egypt an ancient alternative version of the Book of Genesis. To religious fanatics, these discoveries have the power to rock the foundations of their faith. Entrusted to deliver this revolutionary news to both the scientific and religious communities, Lucy becomes the target of Perpetuity, a secret society. When her small plane crashes, Lucy finds herself in a place called Eden with an American soldier named Adam, whose quest for both spiritual and carnal knowledge has driven him to madness.

              Set against the searing debate between evolutionists and creationists, Adam & Eve is a thriller, a romance, an adventure, an idyll—a tour de force from Sena Jeter Naslund, one of the most imaginative and inspired writers of our time.

Review: 
             This was definitely a unique book. It was a lot of things into one; thriller, mystery, historical fiction, sci-fi. It was interesting to learn of Lucy's husband's discoveries into space and that she held the key to all of his findings around her neck. It also makes complete sense that there were religious zealots that deemed his discovery, and also the discovery of an "alternate Genesis", to be damaging and traitorous to their religions. The religious "mafia" group, Perpetuity, is made up of a Jew, Christian, and Muslim, who in regular terms don't have much in common with their religion. What they can agree on is that these findings need to be found and destroyed.

             When Lucy lands in "Eden", where an American soldier named Adam has already been living, you get the fantasy aspect of an alternate destination located in Mesopotamia. This Eden has everything you could think of; an unlimited supply of animals and foliage to live off of and survive. Adam seems to be in a religious daze, thinking that his being brought there meant that he was truly the original Adam, come to Eden to find his Eve and start again. He believes Lucy to be Eve, but she constantly reminds him of her name and wonders what kind of mental state he's in. They are naked and surviving off the fruits of the lands and it's pretty slow until another guy parachutes in and disrupts their biblical re-enactment.

              You get the sense that there is a lot of things the book isn't telling you. The new guy in Eden is part of a major war going on outside the magical place, but you don't learn anything about it. By the end of the book, I was left wanting for some other kind of ending than the one given. I felt many parts of the book were forced or did not have the connecting thread to make it a really continuous story. While I did enjoy the historical aspect and the possibility of space discovery, the way the characters interacted and behaved left me disappointed. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in order to create this review. The opinions expressed are of my own. Thank you to Trish at TLC Book Tours.

Birchbox Review: August 2011

Yesterday was an exciting day in the Scientific Housewife household... I got my Birchbox! It brought sunshine to an otherwise rainy day.

When I opened up my box and saw my goodies, I already liked this box compared to last month's. Everything in this box will be used, and with excitement! My box contains:

• June Jacobs Papaya Purifying Enzyme Masque: I love masques and I was excited to see one in this box. I tried it last night and it was very interesting. A little goes a long way and it stays soft on your face, not drying up like other ones. Once 10 minutes was up and I washed it off, my face felt super soft and looked great. The price for a full size is a little steep but I am definitely going to enjoy this sample.
• Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel:  Considering the fact that it's raining and 90 degrees here in Florida, this sample couldn't come soon enough. I decided to try it on my hair this morning before I went to work. It does a great job of allowing my naturally wavy hair to dry with some great body, but it just can't tame my frizz. I might try to use more next time, but so far, I am still searching.
• Shaveworks The Cool Fix: One problem I suffer from is razor bumps/burn. I recently switched to a fancy expensive razor hoping it would fix the problem, but so far it only helps a little. This gel seems like it could be my dream come true, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. I will let you know if this is a keeper!
• Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer: I've heard nothing but amazing things about this primer and I was pumped to be able to try it myself. I put it on this morning before my foundation and time will tell if it does the job. So far, I liked how it felt on my skin and that it was matte finish, which probably enhances it's hold ability.
• Twistband Hair Tie: Like everyone else that got a Birchbox, this extra was a tad of a let down. It would be one thing if it were a revolutionary hairband that did something others haven't done before, but it's an elastic hairband that has a knot at the end and is not even connected. I'm not crazy about it and probably won't wear it out anywhere but some people might like the knot. 

Anyone try these products before? What do you think?

(Sorry for the crappy pics, my camera battery died so I had to use the 'ol Iphone.)

Weekend Updates

As I am swamped at work today, I would love to hear how everyone's weekend was. Mine was pretty low key and only consisted of lots of reading and watching TV.

By the way, I totally recommend Bossypants. It was hilarious!

So spill it... how was your weekend?

Friday Hotness

Earlier this year, I wrote a post about Henry Cavill, one of the hottest actors out there, getting the role of Superman in the movie Man of Steel. Well, they just started filming this month and most people thought we would have to wait forever to see the first look of him in the suit. Turns out, we didn't have to wait long at all.

Doesn't he look amazing?? If you'd like a larger picture to see him in all his glory, you can find one here. I'm starting to get really excited for this movie, but it doesn't even come out until June 2013. So, for now, I'll just have to keep this pic close by ;)

Celebrity Sighting!

First of all, my husband is amazing! He called me after work yesterday and told me to get dressed up because he was taking me out on a date and wasn't telling me where we were going. So, I put on a dress and we headed out to what I assumed was dinner. Turns out, he took us to one of our favorite restaurants, The Refinery. As we walked in, another surprise awaited us...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was eating at the restaurant!! He was casual and at the front table with a couple of friends. I quietly told the hubs that JGL was right behind him, and he nonchalantly turned around and said "Huh, that's crazy." We sat at a table about 20 feet from his and I had the view of his table. I constantly looked over there but tried not to look obvious, as his friends were facing in my direction and JGL had is back to us.

The first thing that popped into my head was "What is he doing here?" Tampa isn't really a celebrity hotspot (except around Super Bowl time) and this restaurant is tiny but very highly rated. It's also located in the hipster area of Tampa, which brought me back to a 500 Days of Summer moment. I assumed he was in Pittsburgh filming The Dark Knight Rises but he could have easily jetted here to visit friends and jetted back.

I'm sorry to say, I didn't snag a picture as it would have been extremely obvious, nor did I approach him as I know he just wanted to enjoy his dinner. It was really cool to see him in such a small place and he looked really cute!

After our brush with celebrity, the hubby took me on the second surprise of our date... the movies.

We went and saw Crazy Stupid Love, and I thought it was going to be one of those predictable romantic comedies, but it was actually really good. Ryan Gosling looks AMAZING in this movie and it was really funny.

Have you seen this movie yet?

Busy Busy

Sorry for the sporadic posts, I've been super busy at work preparing for my boss' 2 week vacation and my interim management position. Other than working, I've been reading and doing mostly boring stuff, so you're not missing out on much.

I've also been watching a lot of movies. Last night, I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey

What a visually amazing film! There is a lot of music and less dialogue, but the story more or less makes sense. Can you imagine if 2001 was really like this? It would have been crazy!

My hubby and I went and saw Captain America on Friday night and this was my favorite part:

Why else do women go and see superhero movies?? :)