Fall 2010 Must Haves

Fall is here. It’s official. Leaves are falling, the air is getting cold and crisp, pumpkins are everywhere… mmm, fall. I’m tempted to say it’s my favorite season. How can you not love the readily available pumpkin spice lattes, cranberry scones, hearty stews? And in addition to the great weather and great food, I absolutely love fall fashion. Fashion and hot, hot weather don’t generally go hand in hand – the need to beat the heat often takes priority over any layering or stylish accessories. And the winter is a great time for sparkly party dresses, but so much of our time is spent bundled in heavy winter coats. That brings us to fall – the season of sweaters, scarves, boots, hats. Cold enough for creative layering, not so cold that our creative styling remains hidden by our practical coats. So with that, I’d like to name my 2010 Fall Must-Haves.

A classic trench coat. It’s timeless, endlessly stylish, and goes with anything. Plus, when worn with the collar turned up, with a little red lipstick and sky high pumps, it makes you feel like you’re a heroine in a classic detective movie. Belt it and button it, and you’ve got a chic dress. Invest in a good one – you’ll have it forever.

Boots. I love boots – unfortunately, boot makers and I don’t always get along. My Viking calves do not always fit into the beautiful, buttery soft leather and I am often relegated to “booties.” But I am not a quitter! I try and I try, and I even have one go-to pair of brown boots that I can’t live without.

A scarf. I love scarves – skinny ones, chunky ones, silky ones. Floral print, geometric, bold, subdued… I love them all. And as you may know, fall is the season of neutrals. Don’t let yourself get lost in this sea of neutrals, and add a pop of color to any outfit with a great scarf. It will elevate any basic black long-sleeve shirt and jeans. Throw on the aforementioned trench and boots, and you are one stylish lady!


Most of us have jean styles that we live in. Personally, I’m a fan of skinny jeans and hippie-esque flared jeans. Not for everybody, I know. But regardless of your body type, skinny jeans can work! I’m absolutely convinced of this fact. And they’re so autumn appropriate – you can tuck them into boots (there’s those great boots again!), wear them slouchy with some fun wedge booties, throw on a great big chunky sweater over the top and some flats. The styling options are endless.

Perhaps these aren't the most practical, but they sure are fun!

If you’re a dress girl like I am, tights are an I-can’t- live-without-them-item. And I love tights. I admit to being a little afraid of patterned tights – I’m worried about them stretching out in weird places – but I take them for a spin nonetheless. I absolutely love a girly, slightly summery dress worn with dark tights and dark accessories. It instantly stretches the life of those summer dresses, while giving you an “I took and aced Fashion 101” cool girl look and attitude.

I have heard/read/watched that this season is all about the leopard print. But you know what? Leopard print is, in a way, a timeless accessory. It’s a constant cool girl touch to any outfit. If leopard print isn’t your thing, try any other animal print. It’s always fun, stylish, and a little sassy. This season, I’m partial to my animal print scarves (yes, leopard included). I’d love a great leopard print clutch, but my wallet doesn’t allow for that. Go ahead. Give the animal print trend a go. You might be pleasantly surprised. As my mom always says anytime she has any animal print on, “Ooooh. I feel like a wild lady.” Go wild.

Finally. My last fashion must-have of Fall 2010 is a red lipstick that matches you perfectly. Red lipstick looks good on EVERYBODY – not the same shade of lipstick, of course, but there is definitely a great red lipstick that looks good on you. The funny thing about red lips is that they seem to always be in style but you almost never see anybody wearing them in real life. I admit, red lipstick is a little irritating – you have to reapply constantly, worry about getting it on your teeth, regularly check for bleeding. But you know what? It’s worth it. I love the inner vixen it brings out in me.

And there you have it. The great thing about all these pieces is that they can all be worn together for one very stylish outfit. 

Great Vintage Find!

I dream of have heard that it's possible to find a great vintage designer piece with a tiny price tag. I've scoured little shops in New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, Portland... and I've found some great things, but I have never found one with such a tiny price tag. But lo and behold! I went into an antique store in little Salem, Oregon yesterday. My eye saw a cute little black saddle bag, and I thought "Eh, must be a cheapy. Why else would it be here?" But the $15 price tag kept me interested, and I had to admit that it did seem to be a well-made bag of genuine quality leather. I had a $20 in my wallet, pulled it, and decided to purchase it. I did, after all, need, yes need a saddlebag, after seeing this picture:


among other pictures of the rich and famous (and gorgeous!) women with cute, cool saddlebags. As I may or may not have mentioned, I am a Trendoid. I love the classic style of the bag, the way it adds an "I'm cool and don't need your approval" attitude, the leather finish, and its easy breezy carryall functionality.

Turns out, I got myself a great little bag! I admit to liking it immediately, but I (hate to) admit that I absolutely loved the bag when I found out it was from luxury brand from Australia called Oroton. I found it on Ebay for $200 and a new one retails for over $500!

Cute, right? It's cuter in person, and yes, it does need a little shoe polish to buff out some of those scratches. But still!

Have you ever gotten a really great vintage find? Any favorite vintage or antique shops? Share!

Yes, I am a Trendoid

I’m the first to admit it. I am a trendoid. Beauty trends, fashion trends, jewelry trends… I love them all. Every time I look at the People’s style section of “Would You Wear This Trend?”  a little part of me always usually says “Yeah, I could rock that.” When Glamour beauty editors inform me that “plum lips were all over the fall runways”, it takes everything in me to not run to the nearest drug store and purchase a plum lipstick ASAP. Yes, dear friends. My name is Rachal, and I am a trendoid.

The thing is, this is actually a recent realization for me. I asked my friend recently, “Why didn’t you tell me that I’m a trendoid?” She looked at me with a sideways glanced, laughed (actually, guffawed a little), and said, “Well, Rachal. I assumed you knew.” And although I can mark my childhood years by what outfit I was rocking (most notably, around 5^th grade I simultaneously was into the Spice Girls and grunge, resulting in permed hair with bright pink bows, baggy jeans, flannel shirts, all tied together with some platform sneakers), I had never considered myself a trend devotee. When I was about 14, my dad told me “You don’t really have style if you only follow 'what's in.'” Funnily enough, that stuck with me and for the first 2 years of college I was determined to NOT FOLLOW TRENDS. I tried, really really tried, to develop my “personal style” and avoid whatever fashion craze was sweeping America. And while I think that my “personal style” is evolving, I must admit to myself (and to my dad) that I. Love. Trends.

Yes, I’ve made fashion mistakes along the way. Yes, I will continue to make them. I’ve looked back at outfits, and the only excuse I have is “Well, it was in style at the time…” But in the name of fashion, I will continue to test out trend after horrible trend. And when I fall, I will pick myself up again, put on my stilettos, and walk out the door in plum lipstick and harem pants. Why you ask? Because I’m young, I’m fabulous, I’m fun, and dammit, because I can. This is my pledge.

While my budget can’t afford the peep toe oxford wedge bootie shoe trend I’m dying to rock,

I can paint my nails in homage to Skittles, a la Kelis: 

I'm a trendoid, and I don't care who knows. 

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash

Yum! As much as I would love to have a 6-month summer, I can't deny that I look forward to the beginning of fall. The air is crisp and clean (usually - around here, it's muggy right now!), the leaves change colors, it's cold enough to wear a sweater but warm enough to be comfortable. Ah, fall. Along with that beautiful weather comes the fall harvest - squash, pumpkins, potatoes. And I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of autumn food. I absolutely love squash, and last night I decided to try and make it for myself. I settled on spaghetti squash because (1) it's still pretty warm around here and it's not too heavy and (2) it was on sale at the grocery store.



What You'll Need:
1 spaghetti squash
2 grilled chicken breasts, cut into strips or decided (whichever preferable)

half sweet onion, diced

about 10 garlic cloves, minced

kalamata olives, halved
artichoke hearts, bite size
half sweet onion, diced
about 10 garlic cloves, minced
1 large tomato, diced
3/4 cup pesto (more or less, taste dependent)
feta cheese crumbles


I decided to cook the squash the lazy way - in the microwave! It takes about 15 minutes, rotated every 3-4 minutes. Make sure to pierce the squash with a sharp knife to avoid explosion.

When the squash is done cooking, cut in half length wise. Scrap out the seeds. When you've scraped out the seeds, take a fork and "scrape" the flesh - it will break into noodles, like so:



In a large non-stick sauté pan, sauté the onion and garlic in a generous amount of olive oil. When the garlic and onion are browned, add the spaghetti squash "noodles" to the pan. Stir, making sure the squash gets tossed with the olive oil. Add the artichoke hearts and kalamata olives. Next, add the pesto, mix thoroughly, to get everything covered. Add the tomatoes and the chicken - you're done!

Put on a plate, top with feta cheese, and enjoy! It's surprisingly tasty and a healthy substitute for noodles. You won't even miss the noodles. Yum!

Tastes better than it looks, I promise! 

To Life: Vanessa's Wedding Surprise

There is nothing better than a good love story. Wouldn't you agree? I hate to admit it, but sometimes I purposely make myself cry in romantic movies because then I enjoy the movie more! Speaking of things that bring tears to my eyes, this video totally does. I love that the groom and father-of-the-bride are willing to make fools of themselves for the sake of the beautiful (and happy!) bride. Watch the whole video - it gets better as it goes along! 

Didn't you love it? I can only hope for something half as romantic, sweet, and fun as this when it's my turn! 

Guilty Pleasures

As a law student, I sometimes get the sneaking suspicion that I should be "above" certain things in life. Alas, I am not. And never will be. And that's how I like it.

Things that should be considered "guilty pleasures" but are, in fact, just regular ones.



Glamour Magazine



Gossip Girl


Burger King Chicken Sandwich


Bonne Bell Lip Lites



People Magazine


Booty Music!

What are your guilty pleasures? Do you want to admit to them? Share!

Fettuccine Alfredo

I had been craving some Fettuccine Alfredo, but I knew the stuff in the jar just wouldn't cut it. I decided to make my own sauce, using cream cheese! I tossed it with mushrooms, broccoli, and grilled chicken. Yum! 

Alfredo Sauce Recipe: 

Minced garlic (to taste) 

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup olive oil 

8 oz. low-fat cream cheese

2 cups milk 

1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese

Sauté the garlic in the butter in a medium saucepan on medium heat. When butter melts, add the olive oil. Stir with whisk. Add the cream cheese, melt completely until there are no lumps. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add the Parmesan cheese. Continue stirring until reached desired consistency. Note that it will get thicker as it cooks. If it gets too thick, add some milk. 

Here's the results!