With the recently gloomy weather, the punches of color featured on Kate Spade’s blog, “Weekly Spade” are just what the doctor ordered! Content ranges from food and wedding inspiration, to glimpses of stylish apartments and stationery. Head over to the site now to brighten your day!
Want to do something nice and get 30% off at the Gap? Gap and Goodwill have just joined forces; starting tomorrow, bring your old clothes to any Gap location, and they’ll donate them to Goodwill for you.
On top of that, they’ll hand over a 30% discount off your entire purchase (full-priced items and sale!). The program ends May 29, so you have until then to clean out your closet probably for the sole purpose of filling it back up immediately thereafter. (via Racked)
The Last Hurrah Before the Cleanse!
Last night I started to read “Clean” and, while it makes a ton of sense and is very inspiring, I am pretty certain I will not be able to resist today’s dessert from Downtown Cookie Co. — besides, I’m not officially starting the cleanse until Monday.
The delightful sweets are moist, sweet and super dense — I can eat one and then I’m stuffed! My personal favs include the Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip (*NEW) and the Ginger cookie.
Here’s a little bit about Downtown Cookie Co., a West Village based cookie wonderland that was founded by Dan Guerrera.
“For years I tried to find cookies like my mother baked - soft and heavy cookies where you can really taste the flavors of butter, chocolate, brown sugar and other real ingredients in every bite. I sampled cookies everywhere - bakeries, gourmet food stores and even grocery stores throughout the city, but nothing tasted quite right. I started experimenting in my own little kitchen in the West Village, sharing my cookies with friends and family. They wanted more. And their friends wanted more. So in 2008, I started Downtown Cookie Co.
My cookies are baked from scratch without any preservatives or additives. They contain nuts, gluten and dairy because I use butter, sugar, flour, peanut butter, chocolate and other natural ingredients.”
- Dan Guerrera, Founder
The cookies are available at select Whole Foods locations in NYC, as well as a handful of great coffee houses. For non-Manhattanites, they’ll ship anywhere in the continental USA. Click here for more info on placing an order.
Spring Cleaning!
My book arrived in the mail today! Monday will officially be my first day of “Clean Eating.” I’ll be starting with the Elimination Diet and sticking to it for 7 days before beginning the official Renew Cleanse, a 21-day program. Stay tuned for periodic updates, rants and raves — I’m hoping to come out of this feeling energized and finally pinpoint some of my food sensitivities.
Here’s the bottom line: You can have food (unlike on the Master Cleanse). You can’t have soy, dairy, eggs, gluten and nightshades (among a few other things — like alcohol and coffee). Post-cleanse you re-introduce these food items, one by one, paying careful attention to your body’s reaction.
Here’s what Gwenyth says:
Designed by New York cardiologist and detoxification specialist Dr. Alejandro Junger, this program allowed me to work and exercise regularly, something I cannot do if I am on a liquid-only detox. I followed it to the letter and I can report that it worked wonders. I feel pure and happy and much lighter (I dropped the extra pounds that I had gained during a majorly fun and delicious “relax and enjoy life phase” about a month ago). I also really enjoyed learning about the incredible health benefits of resting your digestive system, etc. This thing is amazing. And don’t forget to ask your doctor if a cleanse is right for you.
More from the Clean Program website:
The elimination diet is a low allergen, whole foods diet that we recommend in preparation for and during 21 Clean detox program. The ED provides you with lots of great nutrients to support the cleansing and healing processes while minimizing your exposure to foods that often trigger food sensitivities and digestive issues. The included foods are a healthy mix of vegetables and fruits, complex carbohydrates, fats, proteins and spices that will be the foundation of the meals and snacks you consume during the 21 days. The exclude list eliminates foods that are known to cause sensitivities, digestive upset, acidification, inflammation or other ill effects in the body.
Read Gwyneth’s full interview with Dr. Alejandro Junger
THIS JUST IN: Iris Apfel is Launching a Line of Jewelry with HSN!
LOVE HER! Check out “Rare Bird” Iris Apfel in Architectural Digest to learn more about this legendary style icon and to see inside her fabulous Manhattan apartment.
Here’s a sneak peak of her Q+A w/ AD:
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST: Some people, and I am not among them, find fashion talk to be foolishness. But you don’t.
IRIS APFEL: Clothes are not frippery. Properly done, they can be an art form. Throughout history clothes represented who you were; they are a great vehicle for explaining who you are. During the Ching dynasty, for example, what you wore and how it was made reflected your status in society. People could literally read your clothes like a book, just by its color and how it was embroidered.
Read more: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architects/interviews/2011/06/iris_apfel_article#ixzz1M4z2IlD3
Feast your eyes on these lovely spring tablescapes — perfect for a Mother’s Day breakfast/brunch!
Sources:Lemons Tablescape, French Inspired, Vintage, Plant Inspired, Traditional Tea, Bubbly, Floral Cluster, Pink Toile
