Since I was a teenager, one of my monthly must-reads has been Shape magazine. There’s nothing like it for motivating met to get my butt off the couch and onto the treadmill. So when the folks at Shape offered a special sneak peek of their annual Shape of Beauty awards–hitting news stands this week!–I just had to share it with my gals here at EAD Living!

Almost 5,000 readers, beauty pros, and Shape editors cast their votes for their favorite beauty ...]]>

Since I was a teenager, one of my monthly must-reads has been Shape magazine. There’s nothing like it for motivating met to get my butt off the couch and onto the treadmill. So when the folks at Shape offered a special sneak peek of their annual Shape of Beauty awards–hitting news stands this week!–I just had to share it with my gals here at EAD Living!

Almost 5,000 readers, beauty pros, and Shape editors cast their votes for their favorite beauty products released from May ’08 to May ’09. The list is jam-packed with little gems that have been a hit with me too this year. Neutrogena’s new Pink Grapefruit Cleanser is a fab pick-me-up after a long day at the office, and Aveda’s Dry Remedy line has not only made my hair shinier and healthier, it’s also saved me money by increasing the length of time I can go between haircuts.

But even better are the products that have caught my eye but that I’ve been hesitant to spend on, for fear that they might be duds. Could Pantene’s Nature Fusion collection really be better than regular Pantene? Apparently so! And can Origins’ Totally Pure Deodorant convince me that there’s hope for natural deodorants after all? According to Shape’s experts and readers, it will!

This is just an eensy weensy taste of the 2009 Shape of Beauty Awards–I don’t want to spoil the whole thing for you! But tell me: what are your best beauty discoveries of the past year?

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 1 comment · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Beauty

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Can you believe that August is already upon us? The shock of this realization put me in a grumpy mood at first, but then I decided to savour what’s left of the summer by poring over the August back issues of all the magazines I’ve saved over the years. It was the perfect cure for my mid-summer blues, and a great reminder that hey, it’s not fall yet!

Summer’s best blooms are still filling my neighbourhood’s gardens with color, and a ...]]>

Can you believe that August is already upon us? The shock of this realization put me in a grumpy mood at first, but then I decided to savour what’s left of the summer by poring over the August back issues of all the magazines I’ve saved over the years. It was the perfect cure for my mid-summer blues, and a great reminder that hey, it’s not fall yet!

Summer’s best blooms are still filling my neighbourhood’s gardens with color, and a recent trip to the dahlia garden in Golden Gate Park convinced me to add a new flower to my list of favourites.

I’m still in summertime mode in the kitchen, too: turning on the oven as little as possible, and instead relying on the bounty of fresh picks delivered weekly in my CSA box. So much juicy corn and sweet watermelon to be eaten! A dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

I’ve not found much time to read this summer–I recently went from being part-time to full-time at my job–but now that things are settling in I’d like to tackle something meaty before September hits. Any recommendations?

Another still-to-do? Summer entertaining! I don’t have a charming garden in which to host guests, but picnic in the park is a must. Or at the very least, a small gathering of like-minded gals to watch the finale of So You Think You Can Dance (this summer’s highlight for me!) Who’s in?

Check out lots more August pics at my personal blog! And tell me: how are you hanging on to these last days of summer?

Image credits: 1, 2. Martha Stewart Living, August 2007 3. Martha Stewart Living, August 2005 4. Martha Stewart Living, August 2008 5. Domino, August 2008 6. House and Garden, August 2007

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 1 comment · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Decor

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Design and vintage guru Stan Williams recently released a book called The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details, and it is a must read! I’ve already shared some of my favourite images at my personal blog, but I wanted to give everyone here at EAD a special sneak peek too.

No matter what your style and your aesthetic, this book will appeal to you. It showcases everything from whimsical eclectic ...]]>

Design and vintage guru Stan Williams recently released a book called The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details, and it is a must read! I’ve already shared some of my favourite images at my personal blog, but I wanted to give everyone here at EAD a special sneak peek too.

No matter what your style and your aesthetic, this book will appeal to you. It showcases everything from whimsical eclectic spaces to sleek, modern interiors.

I especially adore the mix of sensibilities in the above image. A little bit shabby organic, a little bit retro, with an uber-traditional chinoiserie thrown in the mix. Divine!

And it’s not just interiors: the book has an entire chapter devoted to ‘Escapes’, with plenty of vacation-inspired eye candy. As well, a section on entertaining offers tons of tips and tricks for incorporating vintage touches into every gathering.

Can’t you envision the below table setting at a bridal shower or wedding? The mix of formal and casual strikes just the right note–and it would be such an easy, budget friendly DIY arrangement!

I can’t recommend this book highly enough; buy it here, and be sure to check out the author’s fun blog as well!

All images courtesy of The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details, by Stan Williams. Published by Clarkson Potter, May 2009.

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 3 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Decor

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Confession time: My bedroom is the last hold-out of ugly in my house. In every other room I have managed at least to begin painting and decorating, but the bedroom is a bland repository of hand-me-down sheets and freebie furniture. This haphazard mishmash is at least partly due to the fact that I can’t decide what I like! So bear with me as I think bedroom thoughts out loud. For example, I do love gauzy fabric in place of a ...]]>

Confession time: My bedroom is the last hold-out of ugly in my house. In every other room I have managed at least to begin painting and decorating, but the bedroom is a bland repository of hand-me-down sheets and freebie furniture. This haphazard mishmash is at least partly due to the fact that I can’t decide what I like! So bear with me as I think bedroom thoughts out loud. For example, I do love gauzy fabric in place of a headboard–so breezy and cost-effective too!

A nice example of a seating area in a bedroom. I feel as though this arrangement could be done even if you didn’t have much space. But is it worth it to have seating in the bedroom? Does anyone ever actually sit there?

My all-time favourite sheets! This is the Draper Stripe from DwellStudio. I love grey, I love stripes, and I love how versatile these are; you could mix in any other color or pattern and it would work! But $300 for sheets? Yikes!

The simple ‘un-styled’ sensibility of this space has terrific appeal. It’s coherent without being matchy-matchy, soothing and relaxing like a bedroom should be. Plus some great texture on the bed and on the floor!

I’m completely on the fence when it comes to headboards. For example, this one is stunning. But there are so many lovely ones out there–wood, wrought iron, upholstered–and headboards are not cheap. Not an easy choice for someone who has a hard time deciding which cereal to eat in the morning!

Finally, what to do about the walls? I have been captivated by this image from Domino since the issue was first published. The deep, dramatic paint job turns the room into a cozy cocoon. Yet it works only because the floor, the mantel, and all the other details have joined to create a perfect storm of balance and beauty. Would dark walls suit my beige carpeted bedroom? I just don’t know!

Tell me: Do you have bedroom issues? (No, not those kind of bedroom issues, silly!)

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 3 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Decor

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The holiday weekend is so close I can almost taste it! One of my favourite things about having an extra day off is whipping up something special for breakfast after a late sleep-in. And these muffins are just the ticket! They’re so light and fluffy, not dense like many muffin recipes I’ve come across. Yet they really satsify–just one is enough to keep you going strong ’til that picnic lunch in the park. But go ahead and have two just ...]]>

The holiday weekend is so close I can almost taste it! One of my favourite things about having an extra day off is whipping up something special for breakfast after a late sleep-in. And these muffins are just the ticket! They’re so light and fluffy, not dense like many muffin recipes I’ve come across. Yet they really satsify–just one is enough to keep you going strong ’til that picnic lunch in the park. But go ahead and have two just for the heck of it. I won’t tell!

Conceivably you could use this recipe as the basis for any combination of mix-in’s. Peaches and pecans would be nice, and chocolate chips would be divine! I could even see playing around with a blend of 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal. You have complete freedom–and isn’t that what a long weekend is all about?

Long Weekend Blueberry Muffins
1 c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1 large egg
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used melted butter instead)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. plain lowfat yogurt or sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
cinnamon sugar for dusting (just mix one part cinnamon with one part white sugar)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line or grease 6 muffin cups.
-In medium bowl, combine flour sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and whisk to combine thoroughly.
-Toss blueberries in dry ingredients, coating completely to keep them from bleeding juice into the batter.
-In large bowl, combine egg, oil, vanilla, yogurt, milk and whisk to combine thoroughly.
-Fold dry ingredients into wet and stir until just combined (will be lumpy and thick.)
-Using ice cream scoop to spoon, divide batter evenly amongst muffin cups.
-Generously sprinkle tops of muffins with cinnamon sugar.
-Place in oven and bake until toothpick inserted in center of muffin is removed clean, about 12-15 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let cool in tins for 2 minutes.
-Let cool completely on wire rack or devour immediately!

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 1 comment · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Uncategorized

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{Amanda Pratt}

You don’t have to be a desert dweller to feel the effects of summer on your beauty routine! When the mercury rises, it takes all my strength not to crank up the A/C, collapse on the couch, and stay there ’til Labor Day. But I’ve found a few products that make me feel less like an extremely wilted flower and more like…well…a partially wilted flower.

My current fave facial sunscreen is Chanel’s new UV Essentiel. It’s totally invisible and doesn’t ...]]>

{Amanda Pratt}

You don’t have to be a desert dweller to feel the effects of summer on your beauty routine! When the mercury rises, it takes all my strength not to crank up the A/C, collapse on the couch, and stay there ’til Labor Day. But I’ve found a few products that make me feel less like an extremely wilted flower and more like…well…a partially wilted flower.

My current fave facial sunscreen is Chanel’s new UV Essentiel. It’s totally invisible and doesn’t make me break out (knock on wood). Solar Recover is a terrific hippy-dippy product that I use as a body moisturizer and a post-sun spritz. It’s cool and refreshing, with ingredients like seaweed extract to soothe and tone. My go-to self-tanner is Neutrogena’s MicroMist (no orange streaks!) and for showers I keep a bar of coconut-scented Skin Trip soap on hand. It’s like a trip to the beach in bar form!

My hair is long, straight, and super fine, so in lieu of conditioning every day I use Aveda’s Damage Control spray to help detangle and smooth, and Terax Life Drops provide a bit of weightless shine. When I go to the beach or the pool, I coat my hair with coconut oil then pull it back in a bun for all-day protection. A colorful headband keeps the look stylish and out of my eyes.

Summer make-up can be especially tricky–I hate feeling like my face is an oilslick by the end of the day. Stick with sheer gel formulas like Bobbi Brown’s fun new glosses (you’ll look like you just ate a popsicle!) and Stila’s Sun Gel bronzer. Laura Mercier’s Oil-Free Primer feels lovely going on, and it prevents the greasies. And what good is wearing sandals all summer if you can’t rock some neon polish on your toenails?

Tell me: What are your summer beauty secrets?

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 2 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Beauty

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Yesterday at the gym I saw a woman wearing Crocs and cargo pants on the treadmill. I am slightly more, um, traditional when it comes to workout apparel–though perhaps no less passionate than my Crocs-loving friend. So I thought I’d share some of my essentials!

Countless hours logged on the elliptical and in the spinning studio have me hooked on Lululemon Athletica. I’ve been wearing their stuff for about eight years, and I have pieces that old that still look as ...]]>
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Yesterday at the gym I saw a woman wearing Crocs and cargo pants on the treadmill. I am slightly more, um, traditional when it comes to workout apparel–though perhaps no less passionate than my Crocs-loving friend. So I thought I’d share some of my essentials!

Countless hours logged on the elliptical and in the spinning studio have me hooked on Lululemon Athletica. I’ve been wearing their stuff for about eight years, and I have pieces that old that still look as good as new. The built-in bras in the tank tops support even my bountiful lady parts, and the pants never ride up or chafe. Plus they look so stylish that I can dash into the grocery store after the gym without garnering disapproving looks.

I’m just as loyal about my shoes, too; I only wear Asics Gel-Kayano, and I happily replace them with the same model every year. I usually just toss it all into a canvas tote when I’m on the go, but wouldn’t this Stella McCartney for LeSportsac bag be a chic alternative to my grubby Whole Foods sack?

I keep a Sigg bottle handy so I don’t have to buy a plastic bottle of water. On days when I can’t make it to the gym, I adore DVD’s from Jari Love and David Kirsch–they whipped me into shape for my wedding last summer! I stay motivated by thinking about how good that post-workout shower will feel, and I reward my effort with a light leave-in conditioner, a yummy smelling shower gel, and a rich body lotion.

Tell me: What are your workout essentials? And speaking of workouts, is this video a total throwback for anyone other than me?

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 9 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Fashion, Fitness

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I am always on the lookout for quick, easy dessert recipes that are fancy enough to serve for company, yet indulgent enough to enjoy while locked in a closet where you don’t have to share with anyone. And this recipe is a winner–these are the moistest, fudgiest chocolate cakes you will ever taste! They come together in an instant, are brilliant by themselves or with a scoop of ice cream, and will win rave reviews from anyone strong enough to ...]]>

I am always on the lookout for quick, easy dessert recipes that are fancy enough to serve for company, yet indulgent enough to enjoy while locked in a closet where you don’t have to share with anyone. And this recipe is a winner–these are the moistest, fudgiest chocolate cakes you will ever taste! They come together in an instant, are brilliant by themselves or with a scoop of ice cream, and will win rave reviews from anyone strong enough to pry them from your chocolate-loving hands!

Flourless Chocolate Gateaux
Recipe courtesy of Donna Hay

6 oz. (1 1/2 sticks) butter
8 oz. good quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups almond meal (just whiz almonds in a food processor until they have the consistency of coarse flour)
1 cup cocoa powder
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 280 degrees and spritz a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Melt butter, chocolate and sugar over low heat in a saucepan on the stove. Place almond meal and cocoa powder in a bowl them whisk in the butter mixture. Add eggs gradually, whisking until well combined. Spoon into muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes or until firm. Allow them to cool a bit before removing from the tin, then enjoy warm or at room temperature. Yum!

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 4 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Cooking and Food, Recipes

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I have a confession to make: although I love jewelry, I don’t wear a lot of it because frankly I don’t know where to begin! There are so many gorgeous pieces out there, and I’m terrible at making decisions. So I asked uber-talented jewelry designer Jessica Constable of Jess L.C. what the ‘must have’ pieces are for any accessories wardrobe. Here are her ingenious picks, along with my fave fit-the-bill pieces!

1: The “Trench coat” of jewelry: A great gold or ...]]>

I have a confession to make: although I love jewelry, I don’t wear a lot of it because frankly I don’t know where to begin! There are so many gorgeous pieces out there, and I’m terrible at making decisions. So I asked uber-talented jewelry designer Jessica Constable of Jess L.C. what the ‘must have’ pieces are for any accessories wardrobe. Here are her ingenious picks, along with my fave fit-the-bill pieces!

1: The “Trench coat” of jewelry: A great gold or silver bracelet- I like them chunky and substantial- it is the perfect substitute for a watch. (Above: Addison Bracelet from Jess LC)

2: The “Patent Leather Stilletto” of jewelry: A great diamond or cocktail ring- Only wear rings that are real gold or fine silver with genuine stones. Rings get the most wear and tear and will look the cheapest if not made well. Vintage rings are my personal favorite- I wear a simple small band of diamonds on one hand and my Great-Grandmothers wedding band on the other almost everyday. (Above: Kenneth Jay Lane Shell Ring)

3: The “Boot Cut Jean” of jewelry: A basic gold or silver necklace with a small pendant- this is the necklace that goes from day to night and adds a subtle shine even to a t-shirt and jeans for a baseball game or a swimsuit at the beach. (Above: Astor Street Necklace from Jess LC)

4: The “Wrap dress” of jewelry: A standout pair of earrings- Large, nice earrings are perfect for tricky necklines where a necklace could be too much. Always wear large earrings (over 1″ long) by themselves with no necklace (a bracelet or cocktail ring is fine)! So many people make this mistake and end up taking an otherwise elegant piece of jewelry and making it look cheap and cluttered. As Coco Chanel said: always take one piece of jewelry off before leaving this house. Less is always more. (Above: Elm Street Feather Earrings from Jess LC)

5: The “Signature handbag” of jewelry: A pair of diamond studs- Again, sticking with real metals and real stones is always best for investment pieces and basics. I wear my small diamond studs on my ears in my second hole and leave the first one for earrings that coordinate with specific outfits. (Above: Studs from Tiffany and Co…the ultimate indulgence!)

Thanks Jess for these terrific tips! Readers, tell me: what’s your jewelry M.O.? Are you a total pro or a scaredy cat like me? What are your go-to pieces?

Top Image Credit: Roland Bello

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 6 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Uncategorized

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Hi EAD readers! I’m so thrilled to be contributing here. When I started my blog The City Sage about a year ago, I was living in Brooklyn and working at an advertising agency. Since then I’ve moved to San Francisco, married my sweetie–who I’ve known since we were fourteen!–launched into that great void known as ‘freelancing’ and adopted two sweet kittens named Sophie and James Bond.

My blog focuses mainly on my two great loves: interiors and fashion. And that’s mostly ...]]>

Hi EAD readers! I’m so thrilled to be contributing here. When I started my blog The City Sage about a year ago, I was living in Brooklyn and working at an advertising agency. Since then I’ve moved to San Francisco, married my sweetie–who I’ve known since we were fourteen!–launched into that great void known as ‘freelancing’ and adopted two sweet kittens named Sophie and James Bond.

My blog focuses mainly on my two great loves: interiors and fashion. And that’s mostly what I’ll write about here too. But I’m also looking forward to having an outlet for some of my other passions, including crafting, reading, baking and fitness…those last two are kind of mutually dependent, if you know what I mean ;)

I look forward to seeing you all again soon! xo Anne

© Elizabeth Anne Designs, 2009 · Permalink · 7 comments · StumbleUpon It!
Posted in: Life, Pets

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