Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Sunday, August 21, 2011

August Playlist

Music for those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer...

1. Learning to Love Again by Mat Kearney
2. Beautiful girl by INXS
3. California Soul (Diplo/Mad Decent Remix) by Marlena Shaw & Diplo
4. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells
5. Fire & Water by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
6. Fire in Your New Shoes (feat. Dragonette) by Kaskade
7. Good Old Fashioned Nightmare by Matt & Kim
8. Dance Yrself Clean by LCD Soundsystem
9. Are you Gonna Kiss Me or Not by Thompson Square
10. Colder Weather by Zac Brown Band
11. Always Spring by I'm From Barcelona
12. Scar That Never Heals by Jeremy Fisher
13. Crown on the Ground by Sleigh Bells
1.5 Airplanes by Local Natives
16. Mystery Achievements by The Pretenders
17. Jealous Again by The Black Crows
18. Cheers (Drink to That) by Rihanna
19. Mr. Hurricane by Beast
20. Any Other World by Mika
21. The Unknown by Athlete
22. The Sound of Sunshine by Michael Franti & Spearhead
23. High School Lover by Oregon Bike Trails
24. Double Trouble by Jack and White


Saturday, June 18, 2011

To Fans of the Sisterhood...




If you haven't already heard the fifth Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book has arrived.  I read it in one sitting, and cried the whole time.  Read it, it's heartbreaking in the most beautiful way.

And to those that have not read the whole series, start from the beginning, take your time.  It is a story of love and friendship, something to be cherished and eternal. 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Book Review

Now that life has calmed down a little I've had time to read again (finallyyy) just read two books (well I'm still reading one of them) that have have been/are going to be turned into movies thus sparking the popular dinnertime conversation of what's better-the book or the movie? And all of you negative nancys out there who think that there isn't a movie that is better than the book-FALSE I say and give you the example of The Princess Bride.

Anyway that is besides the point.  I just read The Romantics by Galt Niederhoffer. Oh. My. Goodness. It was one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read.  The depth she brings to her characters is astounding.  Her descriptions are breathtaking.  I felt like I was there and not just simply reading the book.  It gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling that I get when I'm reading a book at the right time in my life, like I was meant to read it then, to learn the lessons the book is trying to teach, to absorb its wisdom.

The Romantics is basically The Big Chill (well, the non-80s version) and it takes place at a wedding, not a funeral.  A group of privileged besties from Yale reunite for a wedding between two of their own...where the maid of honor is in love with the groom.  These twenty-somethings are all struggling to discover their place in the world and realizing that life isn't turning out the way that they've always pictured it.  Its a reminder that coming-of-age novels aren't just about teenagers, because lets face it, we're all struggling.

The only complaint I have about the book is the tone in some places.  Galt Niederhoffer seems to judge the character's backgrounds.  She writes about the frivolities of knowing the unwritten cocktail party conversation rules, the summers growing up of sailing lessons, tennis lessons, golf lessons, and the basic WASP upbringing.  She writes as though she is an outsider who always wanted to fit in and didn't so she takes it out on her characters, like they were people that she once knew, but really grew up as one (she went to Chapin, Milton and then Harvard).  I just thought it strange.

The movie, if you didn't see it, do.  It has an all-star cast of Katie Holmes, Josh Duhamel, Anna Paquin, Malin Akerman, Adam Brody, Dianna Agron, Jeremy Strong, Rebecca Lawrence, Candice Bergen and Elijah Wood.  Galt Niederhoffer wrote the screenplay so it is very similar to the book, though I wouldn't say it's better.



So I finished The Romantics yesterday and am already 250 pages into One Day by David Nicholls.  I just can't put it down!  It has been sitting on my book shelf gathering dust for a year.  I got it as part of a New York Times promotion one Friday on the Hampton Jitney (bag full of free books-I picked a good day to take the Jitney!) I'm SO glad I finally picked it up.

One Day follows the lives of Emma and Dexter, two friends who met at college on July 15, 1988 and each chapter a  snippet of both of their lives, exactly a year later (July 15, 1989, July 15, 1990, July 15, 1991 etc.)  It's a fresh story of friendship, loss, life lessons and a tortured love that could rival Romeo and Juliet or Anne Elliot and Fredrick Wentworth.  I still have about 200 pages left so I can't give you my final thoughts on the book but so far I am blown away.

The movie version comes out later this summer with Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess and Patricia Clarkson.  Like The Romantics, the author also wrote the screenplay so I'm expecting it to be good!  Here is the trailer:



Nick Hornby called One Day "The perfect beach read for people who are normally repelled by the very idea of beach reads".  He is absolutely right.

Reading anything good? Let me know!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

June Already? Time For Some New Tunes!

Sorry its been two(!) weeks since I last updated. Wow times flies? Anyway, here is some driving with the windows down summah time music

1. Buzzin' by Shwayze (again I know...)
2. You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse
3. Hair by Lady Gaga
4. Hello by Martin Sloveig & Dragonette
5. Little Too Much by Natasha Bedingfield
6. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall by Coldplay
7. Good Life by OneRepublic
8. Barefoot Blue Jean Night by Jake Owen
9. Summer GIrl by Leighton Meester (don't judge me...)
10. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People
11. Paper Doll by Fleetwood Mac
12. Fool in the Rain by Led Zeppelin
13. Give Me Everything by Pitbull (feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer)
14. Hold On by Wilson Phillips
15. White Houses by Vanessa Carleton
16. Anna Sun by Walk the Moon

Saturday, May 14, 2011

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things....


















(just because I love them and it's spring!)

Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed--okayyy I admit, I liked it.  Actually I loved it.  My friend/movie buddy J-Money always makes fun of me because he says I love every movie (so NOT true by the way, has anyone seen The Mirror Has Two Faces? No? Don't.)  Something Borrowed was a great chick flick.  You're fooling yourself if you think you're going to walk into the theater expecting it to be some work of cinematic genius.  What you see is what you get-with quite a lot of laughs along the way.  My friend KKM made me read the book last summer (it's one of her favs) and I didn't love it, I definitely liked the movie a lot better, and that is due, in most part to John Krasinski.   I love him has Jim Halpert, he was great in It's Complicated, but oh my goodness was he fabulous in Something Borrowed.  His sense of cometic timing made the movie, I don't think I've laughed that hard at a movie in theaters since It's Complicated (well maybe No Strings Attached)

In the interest of full disclosure, I pretty much adore any movie that takes place in the city or the hamptons, so since Something Borrowed took place in both it was a jackpot and it mighttt have clouded my judgment.  I was so homesick when I was watching the movie-I was just dying to teleport to Shake Shack or to my sandy hamptons beaches.  I literally have a section of new york movies on my bookcase that I watch when I get homesick and when it comes out on dvd Something Borrowed will be added to that collection.

I rate it as a B+, see it at your own risk.  I thought it was fresh, cute, and full of laughs.

Have you seen it yet? Let me know what you thought!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

April/May Playlist

Here is the playlist I've been listening to! Enjoy!

1. Buzzin' by Shwayze
2. Storm Warning by Hunter Hayes
3. Piano Song by Meiko
4. Wires by Matt & Kim
5. Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis
6. Lights by Ellie Goulding
7. Young Blood by The Naked and Famous
8. Homebird by Foy Vance
9. I'll Be Waiting by Adele
10. Free Me by Joss Stone
11. Old Alabama (feat. Alabama) by Brad Paisley
12. Songs Like This by Carrie Underwood
13. Say you Will by Fleetwood Mac
14. Raspberry Beret by Prince & The Revolution
15. Heart Like Mine by Miranda Lambert
16. Crash Years by The New Pornographers
17. 32 Flavors by Alana Davis
18. Walcott by Vampire Weekend
19. Ruby Tuesday by The Rolling Stones
20. Hello by Martin Solveig & Dragonette

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Fabulousness

Desperately wishing that my life was this fabulous don't you? (and the awesome song in the background is  called Vacation by the Canvas Kites)

Monday, May 2, 2011

Calypso for Target

Yesterday morning I jumped out of bed and made it to my Target just as they opened to get first dibs on the new Calypso collection for Target.  While nothing will replace the real Calypso (of which I am a HUGE fan) their line for Target is not a bad alternative.  I found a few cute pieces that I'm ready to rock when the weather gets a little better!  This is what I got:













Thursday, April 28, 2011

I'm Back!

Hey gang,

So I know I've been M.I.A for a while, it feels like it's been forever! But life has been crazy and I just didn't have enough hours in the day (or brain cells) to devote to A Prep in the City.  Please forgive me-I'm back I PROMISE!  And just in time for....


THE ROYAL WEDDING!!!

Okay now who is excited? I'm so excited it's a little embarrassing but I've decided to let my freak flag fly!  After I finish this blog post I'm going to zip up to my aunts house for a girlie sleepover with ECM and DRM.  We're going to watch Rob Lowe on Oprah (she DVR'd it for me...he's soooo dreamy) have a fabulous dinner, and then I'm going to make blueberry muffins to eat during the wedding :)


Confession time (again) I bought Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook My Father's Daughter and I'm SO glad that I did.  I haven't been able to try that many recipes since my life has been a little on the crazy side lately, but I did make her vegan blueberry muffins last week, they were super delicious and just as easy and fast as making muffins out of a box.  I'm sure you're all thinking how can vegan blueberry muffins be that good? Well Gwyneth rocked 'em.  I promise if you make them, you will NEVER know they are vegan they taste just like regular delicious blueberry muffins and are a lot healthier!

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy milk (it works with regular milk too-they just won't be vegan)
1/2 cup real Vermont maple syrup
1/4 cup light agave nectar
1 cup white spelt flour
1 cup whole spelt flour (I couldn't find white spelt flour so I just used 2 cups of whole)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 and line a 12-cup muffin tin with papers.  Mix we ingredients together stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the blueberries.  Divide among the muffin cups.  Bake until the toothpick comes out clean and they are golden brown (about 25-30 min)

So that's going to be our royal wedding breakfast that we are going to eat in bed, while drinking mimosas in our glammed up pajamas.

What are your royal wedding plans?

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

south beach here I come!

A prep is heading to South Beach Sunday.  After the past two weeks, I'm ready for a few days of fun, sun and relaxation with the Mother (and maybe a little shopping...I'm thinking Bal Harbor :) ).  Picked up a new Milly bikini at Saks on my way home from work, downloaded some trashy chick-lit on my nook, cleaned my Ray-Bans, and bought a cute caftan at H&M.  I'm working on a tanning playlist as I mentally start packing and thought I would share.  Got any songs that I need to add? Or know of places in South Beach that I just have to go? Let me know!

1. Born This Way by Lady Gaga
2. What the Hell by Avril Lavigne
3. Rolling in the Deep by Adele
4. Cuddle Fuddle by Passion Pit
5. New Lipstick by The Kissaway Trail
6. Indestructible by Robyn
7. S&M by Rihanna
8. Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money
9. M79 by Vampire Weekend
10. 1901 by Phoenix
11. Dark Fantasy by Kanye West
12. Uncharted by Sara Bareilles
13. I Love Pop Music by Ben Lee
14. Bad by U2
15. Forever Young by Youth Group
16. What Becomes of the Brokenhearted by Jimmy Ruffin

Full report when I get back!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

matchbook mag issue 2!

Just started reading but already had to share the first page!

The Matchbook Girl...
Is faux pearls and real charm
Considers picnicking an outdoor sport
Lives for the thrill of a handwritten note
Sings in the shower and in the rain
Tweets with abandon
Pledged her heart to Mr. Darcy
Always tips the doorman
Stops for lucky pennies

LOVE IT! can't wait to read the rest in the morning :) night!

Monday, February 28, 2011

best dressed

Last nights Oscars. Oh boy. I don't think Anne Hathaway and James Franco were as bad as people are saying, but they weren't good, though I will admit there were a few laugh-out-loud moments (I still think Hugh Jackman was the best Oscar host I've ever seen!).  But what excellent about last night (aside from the King's Speech winning best picture) was the fashion!  I thought the red carpet seemed to be lacking in major A-List stars, but the ones who were there definitely dressed to impress.  These are my faves:

Anne Hathaway in Valentino 

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy

Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab

Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang

Who do you think were last night's best dressed??

Saturday, February 26, 2011

THANK YOU!!!


Just got my 1,000 hit on A Prep In The City.  Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my blog.  I've had a blast working on it the past few months!  Please continue to enjoy, comment and share with friends! xo, M

movies, movies, movies!

Because of the Oscars this Sunday(!!!!!!) I have movies on the mind.  These are the ones I'm most looking forward to seeing once they're in theaters.   What are you dying to see?











Wednesday, February 16, 2011

february playlist

Here is my February playlist (a work in progress) of the music I'm lovin' these days.  Hope you discover (or rediscover) a song or two that will put a smile on your face

1. You Look Good In My Shirt by Keith Urban
2. Walcott by Vampire Weekend
3. Mississippi's Crying by Margaret Durante
4. Dancing On My Own by Robyn
5. Opposite of Adults by Chiddy Bang
6. Brutal Hearts by Bedouin Soundclash
7. We Can't Be Friends by Lorene Scafaria
8. Testament to Youth in Verse by The New Pornographers
9. Young Blood by The Naked and Famous
10. More by Usher
11. Kiss With A Fist by Florence + The Machine
12. Coming Home by Diddy-Dirty Money & Skylar Grey
13. Marathon by Tennis
14. Tonight (I'm F**kin' You) by Enrique Iglesias
15. The Cave by Mumford & Sons
16. New Lipstick by The Kissaway Trail
17. Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
18. Lose Control by Back Ted N-Ted
19. Great DJ by The Ting Tings
20. (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To by Weezer

Sunday, February 13, 2011

valentines day.


Dr. Harrison Copeland: What's there to hate? 
Julia Fitzpatrick: Nothing, if you're a handsome, divorced doctor, but for the rest of us single women, it's kind of a giant cosmic bitchslap. It's like the universe saying, look, remember when you were fourteen and you had cystic acne and braces and you played the saxophone in the marching band and no one would invite you to the winter formal? Well nothing's changed


Amen.  Hope you all survive another valentines day. Let me know what you're plans are...I'm eating heart shaped pizza with my roommates (but really we wish we had a fabulous piñata like Jessica Biel)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

monograms galore

A few weeks ago I got super cute monogram decals for my computer and crackberry (I got them for my whole fam too!) I ordered mine through Cambridge Street Papers they only take 7-10 business days and are a great price.  Totally the perfect gift (for a friend or for yourself).  I got mine in green (as you can see by the picture, obviously) but they come in a bunch of colors and different monogram styles.




Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Matchbook

Matchbook is a new monthly online magazine that just launched this year.  It looks fabulous! I loved their first issue and cannot wait for more.   Adored their description of the 'matchbook girl'.  Promise me you'll go take a look, I know you'll love it



THE matchbook girl...
VIEWS THE WORLD THROUGH ROSE COLORED GLASSES • LOVES TO THROW DINNER PARTIES, BUT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BURN THE ROAST • VALUES ECCENTRICITY OVER CONVENTION • IS THE FIRST TO LAUGH AT HER OWN BAD JOKES • KNOWS THE CHA-CHA, THE CHARLESTON, AND THE TANGO • PAINTS HER NAILS BRIGHT CORAL WHEN SHE'S FEELING BLUE • IS INFINITELY CURIOUS • COULD HAPPILY LIVE OFF OF RED VELVET CAKE • PENS HAND WRITTEN NOTES TO HER GRANDMOTHER • HAS A SIGNATURE SHADE OF LIPSTICK • SECRETLY THINKS SHE MAY BE BABE PALEY REINCARNATED • RECEIVED AN iPAD FOR HER BIRTHDAY, BUT WILL NEVER GIVE UP HER LIBRARY CARD • HAS A BUCKET LIST A MILE LONG AND DREAMS A DIME A DOZEN • IS SMART, BUT NEVER A SHOW-OFF • LISTENS TO THE DAY'S FORECAST, BUT TRUSTS HER OWN INTUITION • NEVER SAYS NO TO A SUNDAY MATINEE AT THE THEATER • IS QUICK TO BLUSH, BUT NEVER SHORT OF A WITTY REPLY • HAS A SKIP IN HER STEP AND A TWINKLE IN HER EYE •ALWAYS SHARES HER LAST PIECE OF GUM

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

happiness :)

oh Kate Spade. how I love you.

I'm sure I'm the ten millionth person in the blogosphere to blog about this but I couldn't resist sharing it with you.  This three minute video just totally turned my frown upside down (not an easy accomplishment after the day I've been having!)

Enjoy.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Kennedys

This photograph was taken 50 years ago today





In honor of the day (see previous JFK post) I thought I would create my own tribute to an incredible former First Family.  Both President Kennedy and Jackie iconicized  the prep lifestyle









JFK

Thought Google's way of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of JFK was pretty neat.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

bah-nanas

Milly's Valentina Combo Dress is my new favorite dress for spring. i die.




Get yours here 

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sunday Funday


Having friends over for a champagne and dessert party tonight to watch the red carpet and Golden Globes. Tomorrow is a holiday so no one has to worry about getting up early for work!

Get your printable Golden Globes ballot and pass them out to your guests when they arrive and then you can see who's predictions were right!

Also, make your own best dressed ballot for the red carpet, put categories like best light colored dress, best bold color dress, best jewelry, best long dress, best short dress, best hair, best makeup, worst dressed, best old-holloywood looking, overall best dressed etc.  Put a line next to each category and give them pens to fill in the blanks during the red carpet, then after you can all compare notes and come up with who the party thinks is the best dressed! See if the critics agree with you!

I'll be posting my favs tomorrow

Live Colorfully

For those of you who know me (or just follow me on twitter) it is no secret that I'm OBSESSED with Kate Spade. Over the years I've seen them go from just a cute boxy handbag designer to becoming a lifestyle brand.

What I adore about Kate Spade (besides the super cute clothes and accessories) is that they portray's today's woman as a cross between a fifty's housewife and an intelligent, preppy, independent, artistic, stylish girl of today.  I love how the idea is to live each day with purpose, with grace, with effervescence, and with color.

Their advertisements bring their concept to life...and they have a fabulous playlist to go with

Here are some of my favorite ads (I had a hard time picking just a few!)