Lust List: J.Crew

It's been a while since my last Lust List, but I decided to start doing more posts about some of my other favorite, non-furniture stores. And what better place to start than J.Crew?

I really have a love-hate relationship with the Crew. It started way back in the late 90s, when I was a high school freshman in need of a new look. I was obsessed with the catalogs and usually devoted my Christmas list to their sweaters. (I still have some of those same ones today.)

The quality is impeccable, but unfortunately, the prices have continued to climb over the years. Now I try to catch what I want on sale because I just can't justify spending $75 on a pair of pants when they will likely go on sale in a few weeks.

At any rate, here are some of my top picks of their latest offerings.

Stripes Galore

Remember this post? I guess there's just something about white with silvery stripes.

And that cool chair? Well, I bought it. I was strolling about my local West Elm a few days ago, and they had a floor sample at half off. It was perfect. And it was mine. This spot is probably not where the chair will ultimately reside, but I wanted to show it off a bit. Plus, a few people have requested a new apartment shot.



And I found these snazzy pencils at Michael's (the craft store). Random, I know. There were eight in a package for $1. Stoked. Now, if only those sheets would go on sale.

A Big Finish

As hundreds of (shudder) runners were leaving Nashville on Saturday after running the Music City Marathon, I was rolling over in bed. Just kidding. I was awake, but then I made brownies.

I can't share the recipe. No, sir. No way. It's from my pal Holly, and it's top-secret. Don't even ask. I'll pretend like I didn't hear you.

Here are a couple shots of some of the ingredients, although I can't say exactly what kind or how much.

Oh. I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. Isn't that dumb? I was just too excited and had to have one right away. They're seriously, realistically stellar. And I feel like I can say that because it's through no skill of my own. Maybe next time I'll slow down long enough to take a quick pic before I savor that chocolate flavor.

Thanks, Hol. I miss yaz.

Mini-Rant

Did anyone else waste a good 90 minutes (or 60 minutes, DVR style) on SNL this weekend? I hope not. It was abysmal.

It started out so well, Ryan Phillippe aside, with a smattering of newer characters making an appearance. The Target Lady. DeAndre "What Up With That" Cole. But then it took a downturn with Andy Samburg. He's just not funny to me.

Guess why Ryan P. was the host. Just guess. He's in the new movie out soon called MacGruber. This is (was?) a semi-funny 90-second skit that should in no way or form have been turned into a feature length film. Reese gets an Oscar, and Ryan takes this role? What's up with THAT?

Then we have "musical" guest Ke$ha. That's right. There's a dollar sign in her name. Is she a rapper? No...although she probably fancies herself one. And her name is not pronounced "Kee-sha." No. It's similar to ketchup. I had a link to a YouTube clip, but why waste the bandwidth?

Note to Kesha: The world already has one Lady Gaga. Give it up. And quit going mini-cougar on that shaggy Justin Bieber kid.

What is the deal with SNL? Back in the day, it used to be consistently funny. Then, with recent seasons, there are high points. (See also: Taylor Swift and Paul Rudd.) Then it's just terrible for weeks at a time. I say bring on the Betty White episode on May 8.

And to add insult to pop culture injury, I was in Sephora the other day, and I overheard a customer asking what the best-selling perfume is. The reply: This month it's Kim Kardashian. I definitely rolled my eyes at that one. People will buy anything for any reason. Or sometimes no reason at all.

Rant over.

Crewcuts

I don't have kids, but J.Crew feels the need to keep me in the loop on their textile offerings for the little ones. Their e-mails are always so cool-looking that I never opted out.

This morning I got a picture of a neat bespectacled kid. Isn't this fun?

A True Food Fight

Have you seen this show yet? It's The Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver, and he's come to America to change the way we eat and think about food.

It sounds gimmicky, I know, but it's really good. He went to Huntington, Virginia, which is (by some reports) the least healthy city in the US. So far (over about four episodes) he's tangled with a hard-nosed local radio jockey, fought with down-home lunch ladies (hint: they don't like that term), and headed up a flash mob of cookin' fools. It's a lot of fun, but it's also frustrating (pizza is healthier than roasted chicken and vegetables, according to public school regulations) and inspirational (an overweight teenager who only had three years to live has decided to change her lifestyle).

Jamie's not crazy. He doesn't propose super-expensive or extensive ingredients or cooking techniques. He simply suggests cooking--not reheating, not buying fast food, not devouring packages of processed food. It makes sense, and he has a way of making it look really easy.

The only downside to this show is that it comes on Friday nights at 9/8 Central. This is not usually a problem for me, but I don't think it's found the audience it deserves. I recommend setting a DVR session or visiting abc.com.

Confusion Never Stops...

...closing walls and ticking clocks.

Do you ever just feel like there's not enough time in the day? It seems like as soon as I cross the threshold and eat a bite for dinner, it's already past my imaginary bedtime. Then I find myself trolling e-tailers for new computers, new TVs, artwork, sheet sets. I don't even need most of that stuff. But we've already discussed needs vs. wants, I think.

I hope you're having a good April so far. Maybe in the next few days I will get some more fun posts together. Thanks for checking in with me. I really do appreciate it.

What Brown Did For Me

A few weeks ago I saw this awesome-looking book being terribly overpriced in Williams Sonoma. The pictures were enticing, but the amount on the sticker gave me that sinking feeling. But lo. The publisher's emblem on the spine? Delicious specs from Chronicle Books.

Are you familiar? You should be. It's a great publisher that sells all sorts of books and cool gift/stationery items to all sorts of stores and websites, but their own site is so much cheaper. Plus, if you sign up for their updates, you get seasonal sale notices. To wit, 30% off everything plus free shipping.

Yes, please. I'm so glad the first quarter is over. My order was delivered tonight.

A Decent Drama? On NBC?

I know. It's been quite the shake-up over at NBC, what with Jay and Conan playing a little (unnecessary) game of musical comfy chairs. ER was leaving, but then Southland gave a glimmer of hope for a decent drama. But nope. It was deemed too gritty. (See local listings for TNT.)

It was looking bleak for the Peacock (except for that Thursday night line-up that is once again relevant) until they began airing Parenthood. I love it and endorse it.

The cast: Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Craig T. Nelson, and several others that you've seen but probably don't remember where.

The plot: The Braverman crew is made up of two sons, two daughters, their children and significant others, and the wise and funny grandparents. They're trying to navigate the modern world while keeping their family ties close. It's dramatic (fidelity, learning disabilities, broken homes) but also funny (old boyfriends, teenagers in love, desperate parents).

Sound familiar? Maybe so. It's based on the 1989 Steve Martin movie by the same name, but several things are different this time around. (That movie is also quite good, all things considered.) The show airs on NBC on Tuesdays at 9 CST.

More Nouveau Prep

Remember my earlier post about this sudden resurgence of prep-aration? Here is Lands' End's take. It's a new line called Canvas, and it's pretty basic but also reasonably priced. Again, it's the classics but with a more modern fit, which I think is a great concept.

What do you think?

JK, JK...

Ok, so it's April Fool's Day. That must be the explanation for how it's, well, April already. Or how my beloved winter seemed to vanish overnight. Or how I can try so hard at work and still feel completely defeated. Ha. Ha.

Monthends are usually a little crazy where I work, but this time around has been especially heinous. Instead of a list this month, how about a friendly reminder? Please be good lil' consumers and users of products. If you're dealing with someone in a customer service-type situation, whether it's in person or over the phone, remember that they're people, too. That's not to say that all of us customer service folks are friendly. If they're rude from the outset, that's another story. But you know what I mean. :)

Have a good April.