Choices

Already looking forward to Friday.

Taken at Hotel Clarendon bar, Quebec City. Oct 2009.

Mind your Beeswax!

A few peeps have requested some shots of my Beeswax babies after some use. I haven't given them heavy use yet, but they have gotten some decent wear on the streets of NYC, Montreal, Quebec City and Hoboken. Not to mention my backyard in NJ.

Hope these give you some idea. I'll keep you up to date with the progression. They remain my favorite desert boots.

Up here, ain't no J Crew!

I'm spending some time up in Montreal/Quebec City again. So beautiful here in the fall.

Mickey Drexler and co. are yet to put a J Crew shop up this way, so I have no chance to obsess about what's lurking in the stores that would look better in my closet.

This has given me the chance to enjoy some the loot I have accumulated this fall:





Great to finally enjoy some of the purchases.

And looking forward to the future...

Grandfather knows best

I was lucky enough to know both my grandfathers very well. One was an immigrant from Italy, and one was born in the US to a recently immigrated family from Italy. I've taken much of their lives and incorporated it into my own. Much of what I find myself longing for these days seems to lead right back to them.

Grandfather #1

1. Tie on the weekends, no matter what the occasion. So what he worked construction during the week.

2. Tie clip

3. Chunky Cardigans

4. Straw hat in the summer, wool fedora in the winter. Always tilted to the side.

5. A small, sharp pocket knife. It's been said that a Calabrese Italian man doesn't leave the house without his pocket knife.


Grandfather #2

1. Dark "dungaress".

2. Green army fatigues/cargos. A carryover from his WWII days.

3. Sweater vests

4. A bottle of Chivas Regal for Christmas.

5. A big knife. Another carryover from his WWII days.

Neither of my grandfathers ever sat down with me to have a discussion on men's stylings or the like. Its a wonder what I picked up just by being with them.

Busted!

So the Wifey is not a J. Crew fan like I am. She kinda pays attention to my addiction, but not fully.

Last night she said to me, "You know, I was looking through the latest J. Crew catalog and on every page I either said to myself, you have that, or you would wear that, or you have something just like that."

D'oh !

I've been busted....Think fast.....

Now of course she sees the J. Crew packages dropped off by the UPS man, and my kids do know the driver by name now, but does she really know.....

Me: "Welllll, uhhhhhh, thats cuz J Crew is pretty constant in their stylings. So something I bought 3 years ago still looks new. J Crew just tweaks the colors and stylings a bit. That's the beauty of their classic clothes."

I almost convinced myself.

Oct 12th Mystery

"Daddy, what's inside your hair?" - M2

Uhhhhhhhhhh, you want some ice cream??? - Me

October Treats

I like what Patrick Robinson has been putting out for the GAP this year. Yeah, I know, its a mall brand, but if your budget is limited due to a mortgage, 2 car payments, 4 mouths to feed, and all the rest of that wonderful list, I think its a pretty solid choice for casual, as long as its done right.

Take for example, this khaki chambray shirt.


J Crew has done up some real tasty chambray this year with their blue and grey shirts, but something about this khaki chambray from Gap makes it my favorite right now. I actually like the fit of this one better than my J Crew chambrays. Really nice feel to the material and good attention to workwear details. A great deal, with last week's 30% off event.

I also picked up these Authentic fit Grey jeans. Already being a fan of the Authentic fit, I thought adding grey denim to my mix would be a nice touch.

I'm always afraid that grey denim is going to look too....I dont know.....WalMart-ish, or bland while trying to be hip...I don't know. But these actually have the perfect shade that I think I can pull off. Selvedge denim as well.

A co-worker of mine was doing a J Crew order last week, and asked if I was game. Now, how could I say no? Had my eye on this one for a while and decided to pull the trigger.

I've been loving this grey marled look from J Crew this year. I've bought it the Jaspe tee, a graphic tee, and now this fleece top. It's a good mid-weight piece, with a great casual feel. Basic, done right by J Crew. Fit could be a bit slimmer, but I'll keep it.

Honeycrisp

I've been writing about my love for Fall since the end of July. Now that we've come to harvest time, one of the best parts of the season has arrived: Honeycrisp apples.

I'm originally from a part of NY State well-known for its apples and I never heard of or tasted Honeycrisp apples until 2004. Check this out, courtesy of Honeycrisp.org:

Honeycrisp fruit is characterized by an exceptionally crisp and juicy texture. Its flesh is cream colored and coarse. The flavor is sub-acid and ranges from mild and well-balanced to strongly aromatic, depending on the degree of maturity. It has consistently ranked as one of the highest quality apples in the University of Minnesota sensory evaluations.



What does all that mean? To me, it means its the best tasting apple I've ever eaten.

Migliorelli Farm, a farm in Tivoli, NY sets up a stand in lower Manhattan every Tues/Thurs in the Fall to sell their produce. Their Honeycrisp apples are a real treat. Picked some up today.

Check them out instead of the Mister Softee truck if you are in town.

Thanks Mickey!

I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued to get a small box in the mail this weekend from J. Crew that said on the outside "Just for You".

When I opened it, here is what I found.



I've been wanting pick up one of their sterling silver tie clips, but I've balked at the price. Guess my wait was worth it. What a great, thoughtful and practical gift!

There was a nice card inside from Mickey about a J Crew VIP number, and me being a "very best customer".

Well, Thank You Mickey. Damn nice of ya. I do appreciate it.

True Classics

Since the news broke of Sade's new album (hopefully in 2009) I have slipped back into my Sade obsession mode. Thank God for YouTube, eh?

Sade's albums can sit on a shelf for years, and always sound fresh, current and relevant when you slide back into them. True classics.

Is there anything more soulful, jazzy and sultry all combined than "Is it a Crime?". For me, NO.



Love the shots of the old 42nd street and 8th Ave in Manhattan in this video.