A New Groove

Only have time for a quick post today!  This the playlist I'll be rocking on my ipod while running errands and doing some shopping around the city :) I've been lovin' this one lately-hope you do too! 

Enjoy!

1. Never Forget You by Noisettes

2. Just Like Heaven by The Cure

3. Take Back the City by Snow Patrol

4. Valerie by Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse

5. Best Days of Your Life by Kellie Pickler

6. Movie Star by Roisin Murphy

7. It Happens by Sugarland

8. Staying in Love by Raphael Saadiq

9. Just Say Yes by Snow Patrol

10. Shine by Laura Izibor

11. Shark in the Water by V.V. Brown

12. Everyday by Sausalito Foxtrot

13. Waiting for the Monster to Drown by Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

14. Real Girl by Mutya Buena

15. Send Me on My Way by Rusted Root

16. Gotta Work by Amerie

17. Number One by John Legend

18. Switch by Jazmine Sullivan

19. One Tribe by Black Eyed Peas

20. Half of my Heart by John Mayer 

21. Young Money by Vita Chambers

22. Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order

23. Beautiful Girl by INXS

24. Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon

Happy Tuesday

Oh Tuesday, the best day of the work week.  First you get new music on iTunes, David Brooks' biweekly opinion column in the New York Times and New York Magazine's Gossip Girl Recap.  Their recap of the "greatest show of our time" makes me so happy each and every Tuesday so if you haven't yet discovered the magic, thought I would share it with you.  It changed my life (and my Tuesday's)...and be sure to check out the Glee recap tomorrow! 

Warning: if you're at work, read it in a place where no one will mind you laughing out loud. 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Chri...Okay Well Really It's Not, I Just Wish It Was

If I ruled the universe (or just invented the calendar) I would make the Christmas season last for six months of the year, and make the other six months the 4th of July.  In my mind, once you're too old to trick-or-treat, Halloween is a nuisance, and on Thanksgiving all I can think about is how starting at midnight I can publicly listen to Christmas music (and not just on my headphones, which I normally start doing in September).  So it's perfectly normal in my little world that I've already scoped out the Christmas card market.  In case you plan early like I do, here are a few of my favorites:

Central Park Skating

I LOVE the play on Hopper's Nighthawks:

Santa/Reindeers

MoMa's Christmas Taxi

Sleigh Bells Ring

NYC Christmas Shopping

 And for the eco friendly among us,

Green Holiday Shopping

So Kate's Paperie obviously has some delicious options.  KKM, MMB, MHM, SLF, SMB, ARP, ECM, BEO, ALS, and the roomies will be getting one of those from me in the mail during the official Holiday season, but mum's the word on which one! If you're looking to do a photo card Shufferfly (I made my Grandparent's christmas card for them on there this year, and ordered them yesterday! so cute so and so easy) and Snapfish have some fabulous choices this year.  But when I got to Boatman Geller, I died.


I'm so glad my Mother takes care of the family photo christmas cards, because there is no way I can pick, how can you not adore all of the toile, plaid, monograms, and polka dots?!  I'm sure I'm having the same feeling as parents do when asked which of their children they like better.

Basketweave Brown

Bristol Tile Pine

Cameron Navy

Polka Dot Cherry

Even picking those to share with you guys was torture.  Don't forget to order your return address labels too! They all have such cute options! I just got some from Shutterfly a few weeks ago and I've been looking for any excuse to mail things.


And for those closeted Christmas music listeners among you, this is the playlist I'm secretly (or , err, well, now I guess not so secretly) listening to.  It's called mix for magua volume cinq (the christmas edition).  It was an exam pick-me-up for my fried MMB last year and it's still my all-time favorite Christmas mix:
1. (There's No Place Like) Home For the Holidays by Barry Manilow
2. Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys
3. White Christmas by Bing Crosby
4. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee
5. My Only Wish by Britney Spears
6. Sleigh Ride by Ella Fitzgerald
7. Step Into Christmas by Elton John
8. Santa Clause by Harry Connick, Jr.
9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra
10. Ho Ho Ho and A Bottle of Rhum by Jimmy Buffett
11. Santa Baby by Kylie Minogue 
12. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey
13. The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
14. Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney 
15. Christmas Wrapping by Waitresses
16. Last Christmas by Wham! 
17. Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley
18. Frosty the Snowman by The Jackson 5

Okay, hope that was enough of a dose of Christmas to get you through the five weeks until Black Friday!

Am I 55 Yet?

As some of you know I've been spending some time in South Carolina these days, and what feels like my new home away from home, is in my opinion, prep nirvana.  Sun City retirement community is this magical Agrestic-like place that makes the old feel young, and the young wish they were old enough to live there.   What drew me in hook, line and sinker were the plethora of golf carts cruising around (in their own golf cart lane!) I love golf carts like Derek Shepherd loves ferry boats-so the fact that when I turn 55 I can move here and spend all day zooming around in one makes me positively giddy. 


But it's not just the golf carts that makes this place better than the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port.  Let me give you the grand tour...as you enter and drive along the main road (along side the golf cart lane of course) you pass the first set tennis courts on the left, followed by the club house that is, among other things, home to an indoor pool and a gym that would make Equinox look dingy.  Just beyond the club house, you'll find the outdoor pool,  another set of tennis courts and bocce ball courts.  Yes I said bocce ball, and yes I meant for courts to be plural.   Bocce ball is up there with family favorite summer pastimes like croquet, badminton, horseshoes and cornhole, but it so often gets overlooked which I consider to be a travesty.   Okay moving on, from there you'll pass the lake, not quite big enough for sailing (I guess you can't always get absolutely everything you want) but it's definitely large enough that one could spend a peaceful afternoon out on a rowboat a la Bridget Jones.  Next comes the golf course.  Slow down and admire the lush green fairways, impressive ruff and glistening white sandtraps.  I can just picture myself tee-ing off in my polo and monogramed golf glove like this one from Club Contessa: 

Maybe I can get a fake id saying I was born in 1955? If it works my bags are packed and my monogramed golf cart decal is on order! See you there! Bocce ball at 4?

Also from Club Contessa

One of My New Favorite Things

Summer, unarguably a prepster's favorite time of year (Lilly, Seersucker and Jack's oh my!) While I love me my white jeans and Roller Rabbit tunics just as much as the next prep, by August I'm ready for Barbour coat weather.  There is nothing like the feel of the strong, sturdy but smooth wax in that perfect shade of hunter green or the sound the zipper makes-not the high pitched ziipppp of a Patagonia or North Face fleece, but the chunky, rustic, heavy sound unique to the classic Barbour.  It just makes me want to stand around tailgating with red Solo cups, tartan wool blankets, and my favorite Ray Bans with only the best people.  Whiskey sour anyone?


Okay I'm not indenting this to sound like an Ode to my Barbour coat, but you are beginning to understand the level of my affection.  So you can just imagine how overjoyed I was when I stumbled upon this on JCrew's website:

Barbour Coat Vest/Liner

I mean JCrew has been selling Barbour coats for years, but now Barbour accessories?!?! How fabulous.   I'm picturing the perfect fall outfit for a Sunday stroll through Georgetown:

Barbour jacket

Skinnies

Le Chameau boots

Keep and eye out for me kicking through the leaves while walking down M Street

A Prep in the City

Over the years I've read so many blogs like these (and have enjoyed them immensely) but never found one that I thought captured my lifestyle.  So I thought maybe others would enjoy a blog about a modern day working girl in her early 20's living in the city and trying to balance that life with my old world prep upbringing.


 My name's McNeir, I grew up just outside of New York City, graduated from boarding school in Pennsylvania, attended college in Baltimore/DC (transfer student, not something I would recommend...) and have now settled in DC.  I'm lucky to have a great family, fabulous friends and job(s) I love.   I have an adorable guinea pig (a little unconventional, I know) named Eleanor-Ellie for short-she my solution to wanting a pet but not quite ready for a commitment as significant as a dog. 

 With my parents, Missy and John

With my little brother, Johnny 

I'm a lover of many different things: fashion, politics, cupcakes, christmas, summers in the Q, books, Central Park, football (Hail to the Redskins), sailing, traveling, and gourmet food to name a few.  I'm going to try and share a little bit of everything with you, all through my prep lens. 


Stay tuned!