Weekend.

Lost on Friday with Nate and Melissa. The show has recaptured some of its early quality, with the cabin, the black smoke, and a tightening-up of plot lines. Things are muddled with time changes and mysterious characters, and there are still too many plotlines to cover everything in any one episode, but at least I can recall week-to-week what's going on.

Saturday -- Gym, Costco, long walk with Buster to campus (was as big a fan of the Quad as any sun-bathing sophomore), dinner, The Wire. The first season was striking, but in hindsight a good reiteration of familiar social dynamics. The second is more complex, more original, more gritty. It's really exciting and unsettling to see blue collar culture and organized crime contrasted with inner-city drug trade. A group of primarily white cops chasing primarily black dealers does not make one think in the same was as this mix of Greeks, eastern europeans, and african americans. And one irish american played by a brit, or maybe Australian. I forget.

Today, crepes and thick-creamed coffee at the Rusty Pelican. Along with breakfast cocktails (mimosas), they're pushing the concept of breakfast appetizers -- who needs a cinnamon roll while they wait for french toast?

Then, what I secretly want to do 90% of the time (when not baking cookies): Nordstrom Rack. I was in an unparalleled mood for trying on out-of-season designer clothing, and felt incomparably lucky to wander in just after 10 am and see that the store was unusually neat an tidy. This is what retail looks like before the shoppers arrive. I dove in and started disheveling things.

I small rack of Missoni scarves drew me over at least twice, but though I'm sure it would have been a decent investment, I couldn't part with $50+ for a square of silk. Shoes were iffy -- many so-so summer styles, but instead I left with my first pair of Chuck Taylor's. (A girl at work recently bought her first pair, too, and Friday we shared ambivalence at a style so over-done in high school, and yet so inevitable.)

And then, after standing in the slow slow lines once, I saw one lonely pair of very attractive Marc Jacobs' sunglasses on a sad rack of very unattractive styles (who's really shocked that that weird plastic unibrow style didn't sell well?). Tried on and looked very exciting, and was in line as soon as I saw the price was half normal Rack discount. Unfortunately got the same register girl the second time around -- she didn't seem so surprised to see me again, though.

Much traipsing around downtown, and found a good denim skirt at Urban. Not cheap. But it felt very right when I tried it on.

Weekend of things to wear and eat.

For being three days long, the weekend's been uneventful -- brunch, shopping, baking, movies, and knitting class tonight. But, for uneventful, it's been successful.

Yesterday I found the most fantastic, pefectly-fitted, black eyelet shirtdress, along with an almost-as-exciting Marc Jacobs skirt. After much debate, I went with the dress and -- like an cash-register miracle -- it rang up at half off the already 75%-off price. I took it home and wandered around in it for a while before making dinner.

I've never noticed Kay Unger's clothes before (maker of the shirtdress), but I recognize the name from Tim Gunn or Vogue or somesuch name-dropping fashion media. Looking through the copious lady-like skirts and dresses on her site, I may be a fan (though I'll need more miracles to afford much else).

I love that the clothes are almost entirely dresses -- I wish I owned more, because they required very little matching or planning, and it's easier to spend money on something when you know that's your entire outfit -- no $80 jeans required in addition.

A number of pieces are unappealing, I think because there's a lot of color and print. But many of the more simple dresses are fun without being childish -- in a marathon of juvenile shift and baby-doll dresses, it's nice to see grown-up clothes with waists and everything. The cuts all look very flattering (though anything feels flattering when I can order a size 2).

I also did some cosmetics testing yesterday while downtown. I wanted a new perfume, something very delicious for spring, and was having trouble deciding between replacing my almost-empty D&G Sicily from Berlin and buying something new. Although reviews were mixed on Covet, as they seems to be on every scent, I was barely able to tear my nose off my sleeve when I tried the scent the first time. I tried it again yesterday, and confirmed Spring would be a good time to wear something warm, fun, and edible -- woodsy, sweet Covet it is, and not soapy Sicily.

Also tried Diorkiss glosses after reading many a favorable MakeupAlly review. Awful. Love a Dior Ultra Gloss, but these are too scented (Spicy Guava came off before I could even look in the mirror), too glittery (Fruit Splash left a residue of gritty rainbow speckles worse than a kindergarten craft project), and unimpressive in all other regards - - lack of color, lack of selection, distractingly thick texture, inconvenient packaging. Nevermind, not for me.
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This morning, I made the most fantastic blueberry coffee cake ever. It's really very amazing. I would have it again for dinner if we didn't already have plans.

Living in the future

It's August and 80˚ but I'm feeling a bit Autumnal. Could we get a few grey rainy days please? I'd like to wear boots.

Last weekend, the Nordstrom Rack basement hosted a war between me and an olive green Marc Jacobs coat. Heavy cotton, lots of big buttons, deep pockets for storing iPod, phone, candy canes while christmas tree shopping -- it was a decidedly cold-weather coat. Unfortunately my pockets were not so deep, and the battle was decided when a slim emerald green wool coat joined the fray , armed with a much lighter pricetag.

If I told you this was my second long, solid-color wool coat to purchase this summer, would you hold it against me? But the other's kind of a slouchy-drapey cranberry piece from Brooks Brothers. Not at all the same. I went home and wore them around the air-conditioned house with sandals.