The recipe for the best senior formal a girl could ask for

1. The Southern gents, two of which who were buy arranging cheese and crackers on a silver platter when I walked in. Hilarious. They even brought the big umbrellas for the rainy Birmingham night without any prompting. (Their mothers would be oh-so proud, or maybe the credit should be bestowed upon the gfs?)

2. A white tent with lights....mandatory.

3. Dancing the night away with my best friends dressed in our finest, of course, to classics such as Prince's "Purple Rain."

One Word: KILLER.

So in my search for some cardigans with a little sparkle for the quickly approaching holiday season, I stumbled upon this little number from Banana Republic.

Oh how I wish Chi O could have a Christmas Cocktail party this year.

Downloadin and Socialitin

I am looking forward to two things today:

1. A brand spankin new John Mayer is released today. Perfect timing because I just listened to my last free rhapsody session. "Half of my Heart" with T Swift on the Battle Studios album will be added to every single playlist on my ipod.

2. MyScoop's Soiree of the Year, the 2009 My Favorite Things at Gus Mayer that I will be helping with. See details below.

A journalist's anthem

The magazine industry is a scary, scary business right now. Speculation has been mounting for years with the ever-increasing Internet presence in our lives that one day there will cease to be a need for these glossy little slices of heaven.

That will never be true for me. Seventeen and Teen Vogue were permanent fixtures on my bedside table from age 12-16 and those publications only whetted my appetite for the escape and inspiration that magazines had brought to me for years. Now I routinely can be found in Barnes & Noble scouring the magazine stands for InStyle, Lucky, Vogue, and Elle to get my monthly fashion cues.

As if I am not already influxed with Southern culture from my internship in the Homes and Garden department at Southern Living, I also get my "Soul of the New South" fix with my bi-monthly issues of Garden & Gun.

As I inch closer and closer to finally, maybe, hopefully, fingers-crossed, having my very own space--(whether it's an apartment, condominium, or a house...just not a dorm room), my fingers have been itching to start pulling paint chips, fabric swatches, and some dusty forgotten furniture under our house to make a space of my very own. I find myself truly enjoying and appreciating the home decor magazines, because I finally am seeing their relevance in my own life. Well, it seems to be too little, too late, because it is these magazines that have been hit the hardest by the recession.

Domino, Metropolitan Home, Southern Accents, Vogue Living, Cottage Living, Country Home, House and Garden are all the victims of the the current economic downturn. So, my options will be much more limited in my quest for inspiration for interior decoration when my turn comes. I better be taking as many notes at Southern Living before my internship ends.

The saddest part about the downfall of all these lovely, exquisitely produced magazines that have folded is that they were not dissolved due to a lack of readership or supportive fans, but due to a lack of advertisers.

This is how I know magazines will survive in the long run. No computer screen can ever replace the content feeling I get while opening up the mailbox to discover the newest, shiniest issue of Southern Living or of InStyle.

So, here's to you, magazines of the past.

You have given us the determination to fight even harder for magazines' future. Journalists will not ever give up.

While most days at work, I am inundated by beautiful and inspiring images of home décor at its best, today everywhere I look SL’s November issue with the most divine-looking slice of pumpkin pie on the cover is there to taunt me.

I still have to wait yet another week-and-a-half for my favorite Thursday of the year.

I have been so excited about taste-testing this recipe, that I informed my mother back in October that I will be in charge of the dessert (or one of them) for Thanksgiving.

She conceded very willingly…one less item she is responsible for cooking.

“Mom, you are still on sweet potato casserole duty, though. No one even comes close to perfectly melting the marshmallow toppings like you.”

photo from WWD.com

This blonde chick's wardrobe closely resembles my work ensembles during this time of year. I opened my closet early this morning with bleary eyes hoping to be inspired with some dashes of color, yet to my dismay a large section of my closet is comprised of black. 

And, yes, I do color-code my closet. Please refrain from passing judgement.

The oversized floral bag in this picture, along with the perfect shade of ruby red nails, takes this oh-so-prim and proper outfit to the next level adding a jolt of life on a mild and dreary November monday morning.

My weakness in the form of a few pleats

Photo from Jcrew.com

I will forever and always be a sucker for a good ruffle.

A sweet tooth with a purpose

One of my best friends recently experienced a revelation. After completely dedicating 3.5 years of her life to a rigorous nursing school, she has decided that all she really wants to do is open up a bakery.

I immediately thought of her when I read my GOOP (Gwenyth Paltrow's blog) weekly email about three completely sugar-obsessed girls who love to bake sweets. These girls' passion stemmed from an extreme case of a sweet tooth and has grown into various weekends of marathon baking. After these baking frenzies would subside, there would be an enormous amount of treats left....

Hence, begun their Treat Street....in it's most basic sense, a lemonade stand...of sweets.

So, to my sweet friend with dreams to one day open your own sweets shop, here is some inspiration.