Top 5 Sites for Online Shopping

It's that time of year, folks! Time to hit the stores. However, I know that lots of you aren't too keen on the crowds of sweaty shoppers, poorly orchestrated parking, and long, long lines (I can't imagine why you're not into that). So if you'd like to save some time (and if time really is money, then I guess you're saving money too), here are my Top 5 favorite sites for online shopping/gift-giving this holiday season.

1. www.OneKingsLane.com - this unique little site has daily sales on everything from home furnishings and luggage tags to planners and kiddie stuff - you just have to enter your email address to join.

2. www.blurb.com - LOVE this site. You can make custom "Blurb books" a.k.a. photo books, cookbooks, wedding albums, baby books, etc. They look so fabulous, there's virtually no way you can screw it up.

3. www.Amazon.com - enough said.

4. www.Etsy.com - this site is home to all things homemade, vintage, crafty, etc. Sounds like it would just be full of macaroni jewelry, but they've actually got amazing things - buy or sell.

5. www.DeanDeluca.com - yummmm. You can order everything from caviar to whoopie pies from this famed fine food store. Who wouldn't want a meat 'n cheese tray delivered to their front door???

Happy shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ok, even if you don't like sweet potatoes (and I don't), there is no way you could resist THESE sweet potatoes.



So I thought I would pass along the recipe, which is from my good friends over at the Food Network.

Ingredients
12 large sweet potatoes
3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted pecan pieces
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash the sweet potatoes, scrubbing them well to remove any dirt. With a fork, prick the sweet potatoes in a couple of spots and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center goes in easily.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and flour together until it's crumbly-looking. Add the cinnamon, salt, pecans, and marshmallows; fold the streusel topping together to combine.

Slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise down the center and push the ends towards the middle so it opens up. Stuff the sweet potatoes generously with the streusel topping and return to the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and brown. Enjoy!

Here's hoping that you and yours have an incredible holiday weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Thankful For...

'Tis the season to reflect on things that we're thankful for - it doesn't take much to make me happy, and likewise, it doesn't take much to make me thankful. So here you go!

1) My family (note, that includes everyone from my daughter to my in-laws, only excluding The Rabbi, Drew's evil cat)
2) Pancakes
3) Freedom
4) My job/s
5) Running water/electricity. I'm just saying, some people don't have it.
6) Pottery Barn
7) Chocolate milk
8) Good health (judging by the rest of my list, I should be really thankful for this one)
9) J.Crew
10) Nicole Miethe
11) The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
12) Nice people. Some people aren't very nice, so I'm especially thankful for those of you that are.
13) Good books
14) Provision - we have been given more than we could ever hope for!

Upon reflection, turns out that I'm thankful for tons of things. What are you thankful for?

Winter Must-Have

What is my must-have winter accessory this year? Tights!



These lovely leading ladies have got it going on, and are proof that tights don't have to look like your grandma's hosiery anymore. You can mix and match fun colors and patterns to completely change the look of your ensemble. I am loving this navy floral pair from Topshop:



Pair them with a cute skirt/shirt combo and you'll be set to go. They're a great, inexpensive way to dress up an outfit while keeping your leggies toasty. Bonus: they make a great stocking stuffer for Sister, Niece, Girlfriend, etc. (Abby, are you reading this? Please note that I enjoy a wide variety of colors and patterns!)

So, this winter, get yourself some tights. It's a very Hepburn thing to do.

Book Divas

Check out the great review of How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World on BookDivas.com!

Ivey Book Signing

Dear Tennessee friends,
Mark your calendars for December 3!!! I will be doing a signing at Ivey on Main in Franklin, TN. If you're unsure about the store/location, check it out! It's that adorable, posh boutique where Everyone who's Anyone shops in downtown Franklin. Bonus: they will be giving away some discounts at the signing, so even if you don't care about me, you care about clothes, right? I knew that would get you. Well come on out, you won't be dissapointed.
Love,
Jordan

Fringe Magazine

How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World is featured in the latest issue of Fringe Magazine! A big thank-you to the lovely and talented Mrs. Brittany Cooper for such an amazing article. Be sure to check it out on page 48!

CMA Recap

It was obviously a huge night for Taylor Swift, so congrats to her first and foremost. Even though she stole my Reem-Acra-red-carpet-fantasy dress, I'll forgive her and acknowledge that she looked fabulous. Congratulations to a true Hepburn!



Next, can we discuss all of Carrie's dresses? I still can't decide if this was a fashionista's dream come true or honest-to-goodness nightmare. I'll leave it up to you to decide. But I think we can at least all agree that the girl looks uhhhhmazing.



Lastly, I'd like to give a shout-out to Faith Hill. She looked fantastic! Moms everywhere are rejoicing at the sight of a 40-something mother of 3 that still looks like that. Kudos!

Everyday Refinement

How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World is featured on the Everyday Refinement blog. Check out the lovely review here !

Grazia!

How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World was featured in the fabulous Australian fashion weekly mag, Grazia. Check it out to catch my interview in New York with the lovely Bec Couche.

What?!

The subject line in my email just read:

Introducing Stella McCartney for BabyGap

What?!? Seriously, people, my husband and I are trying to save money for a house - at this rate, that will never, ever happen. They've got cashmere leggings, skinny zipper jeans, and TUXEDO JACKETS. I can't even handle it. If you need anything from the mall, just let me know - I will be pushing and shoving people out of the way to get to Green Hills BabyGap over my lunch break.



Happy Wednesday!

Normally, I Wouldn't Wear This, But...

Are you familiar with this phrase? Have you ever said it yourself? Overheard someone saying it? If so, read on.

The other day, I was discussing the novelty and blatant grossness that is the holiday of Halloween with two of my co-workers, Lauren and Jonathan (holla!), and Lauren mentioned that she overheard some girls talking about their Halloween costumes and one said, "I'm going to wear this one skirt that I would normally never wear because it's way too short..." Hold the phone! This phrase is a red flag. If you ever have to introduce an item of clothing or justify it's hideous appearance, you probably shouldn't be wearing that item of clothing at all.

So, how do you gauge if an outfit is worthy of leaving the closet? Before you purchase or wear said piece, ask yourself the following questions:

1) Could I comfortably fall down a flight of stairs in this outfit?
2) Would my mom like to see me in this outfit? How about my grandma?
3) Does this outfit contain essential components? i.e. zippers, pant legs, underwear...

If you answered 'no' to any of the above questions, you might need to rethink the ensemble. So, if you normally wouldn't wear it - don't!