Gift Guide: Luxe & Lovely Valentine's Day Gifts

Valentine's Day doesn't have to be a pricey gift-giving occasion, but we understand everyone's price points are different and what maybe an extravagant gift to some is not to others.  We've divided our Valentine's Gift Guides into two categories - Luxe & Lovely and under $25 (which we will be posting on Monday).  We still stand behind our mantra that no matter what the price, gifts should be useful for the person you are giving them to...we should also note that jewelry is always useful - how else would you decorate your neck?

I love love love this Staub pan!  What a great gift for someone who likes to cook.

Staub Heart Cocotte - 1.75 Qt.
$129.99
Image Source: Cooks Warehouse

Luxe sunglasses are a great gift...Valentine's colors but also a reminder that summer is around the corner!

Ray-Ban Ice Pop Sunglasses
$160
Image Source: Neiman Marcus

Tiffany 1837 Square Sunglasses
$480
Image Source: Tiffany & Co.

Here's a cute take on a heart necklace...love the Tiffany blue color.

Elsa Peretti Open Heart Pendant
$695
Image Source: Tiffany & Co.

This leather pouch and ring box are super cute and great for anyone who travels regularly.

Elsa Peretti Leather Pouch
$100
Image Source: Tiffany & Co.

Leather Ring Box
$49 with free monogramming
Image Source: Mark & Graham

Can it get more luxe than cashmere slippers with your monogram?  Grey with pink monogramming would be super cute!

Cashmere Ballet Slippers
$79 with free monogramming
Image Source: Mark & Graham

Here's a few Luxe & Lovely suggestions for your Posh Purpose man.  I love the embossed game set because your man's poker chips can be neatly contained in this attractive box and left out for display.

Alligator Embossed Game Set
$895
Image Source: Neiman Marcus

This Burberry tie is beautiful and suitable for any businessman.

Burberry Check Silk Tie in Damson Red
$150
Image Source: Neiman Marcus

Mr. 3 only wears French cuff shirts and I know that J's dress shirts for his suits are also French cuff.  If your sweetie is similarly like minded, these would be a classic gift he could use everyday!

Secret Message Sterling Silver Cufflinks
$99
Image Source: Mark & Graham

If your man is a collector of cuff links, here is a pretty but manly box that he can use to store his "man jewelry."

Oak Cuff Link Armoire
Ravi Ratan
$250
Image Source: Neiman Marcus

Did we miss anything awesome and Valentine-y?  Let us know in the comments below!  Be sure to check back Monday for our Under $25 picks!

Apartment Decorating: Man Desk

Part of the reason we moved into a larger apartment was so that Mr. 3 could have an at home office.  He is a small business owner, so it's important that he have space to work when he is at home.  I would prefer this space not to be the dining table or the coffee table in the living room, which is where it has been...until now!

We've been working on this room since we moved in, but it has been a long process and the last room in the apartment to get done.  At first, we were keeping all of our unpacked boxes and pictures that needed to be hung in the room.  Once most of that was taken care of, Christmas rolled up and I was keeping a bunch of Christmas stuff in there along with the wedding gifts and other items we had stored at our parents houses and finally retrieved.  We've finally gotten enough of these items taken care of that we can finally start setting up Mr. 3's home office.  Mr. 3 has his grandfather's desk that his dad has been storing for him, but we haven't been able to pick it up when we've gone for a visit.  We weren't sure if the desk would actually fit inside our car to bring it back and since we live 5 hours from his dad, that would be an expensive U-haul trip to return to a different location.  We decided that we would just purchase a 6 ft. folding table from Home Depot so that Mr. 3 could make room for his dual monitors and happily set up for business world domination until we could figure out how to bring the desk back.

When we went this weekend to pick up the table, Mr. 3 got roped into hearing a sales pitch from a Home Depot salesperson on windows, labor rentals, or something of that nature (I didn't feel bad for him though...he wanted the free popcorn that Mr. Home Depot Man was offering up in exchange for listening to him ramble).  Meanwhile, I ran away and perused the front section of Home Depot where they display all their special buys and I came across this instead:

Home Decorators Collection Kelman Writing Desk in Walnut
Image Source: Home Depot

The best part about the desk was the price....$49!!!!!  I couldn't believe it.  It was an attractive desk for about the same price as the folding table we were going to buy.  I liked the desk because I thought it was manly enough for Mr. 3 to enjoy, had shelves that the folding table couldn't provide, and was cheap enough that we could Craigs List it for $30 if we needed to in the future.  Mr. 3 was totally on board with the idea and noted that we could even re-purpose the desk in the future once we have a house (in the distant future)...maybe as a TV stand?

Once we got the desk home (and carried it up two flights of stairs, ugh), we put it together in about an hour using a phillip's head screwdriver and an allen wrench.  This was, by far, the best "assembly required" piece of furniture I've ever put together in all my Ikea purchasing days.  

Parts Kit

The instructions were clear and the pieces were so unbelievably well organized.  All the assembly pieces were clearly marked and neatly organized in clamshell packaging.  There was even a little section for spare parts that had one of each item included in the kit.  When you opened the box, the pieces were organized in order of assembly which matched the instructions perfectly so there was no searching for parts.  The only issue we had was there was one set of holes that would not line up so we were unable to put the screw in; however, it was a middle hole and the rest of the desk was sturdy enough that we didn't feel like we should worry about the desk breaking.

If you are looking for other office pieces, the collection also includes a three-shelf bookcase for $99 and a five-shelf bookcase for $49.  I think the five-shelf bookcase would be great in a living room and looks very Pottery Barn-esque.  These pieces are all available online.  I also spotted one other smaller bookcase in store for $29, but it doesn't look like Home Depot is carrying it online.

We're still working on the room (we still have Christmas stuff to put away) and we are thinking about buying a sleeper sofa so that we can also use the room for guests, so I will keep you updated as we go along.  Until then, here's our inspiration picture for a neat and orderly workspace:

Image Source: Home Depot

But the reality is that I'll be lucky if I don't kill myself trying not to trip over all the "command center" computer cords.  

I was surprised to find furniture for the home office, since I mainly see sinks, tile, and toilets in this section usually.  Anyone else found any good buys or unexpected surprises at Home Depot?

Recipe: Posh Purpose Easy Oven Baked Chicken Wings

Mr. 3 is a huge fan of chicken wings and would eat them 3 times a week if he could.  I tried to figure out a way to make chicken wings at home without frying them, but keeping the skin a bit crispy so we could have them every once in awhile.  Mr. 3's birthday is tomorrow so I made up a batch of my oven baked chicken wings.

First, you'll need to preheat your oven to 425.  Grab a ziplock bag and your favorite spices.  I used a mix of Williams-Sonoma Memphis Rib Rub and organic red pepper flakes from World Market.  I absolutely love the spice mixes that Williams-Sonoma sells, but I wait until they go on super clearance or I make a trip to the Williams-Sonoma outlet.  In this case, I got the Memphis Rib Rub for $2.63, originally $10.50.  I've asked the WS sales lady before about the clearance food at WS and she told me they mark it down the month before the expiration date.  While this might be concerning for some food products, spices generally don't "go bad" they just start to lose some of their potency.  As for the red pepper flakes, I picked those up at World Market because I happened to be walking down the spice aisle when I remembered I was out.  I do like organic spices better...they seem more potent to me, which is very important for spices like cinnamon and red pepper flakes, but probably less important for things like garlic salt or onion powder.  I've used a lot of different combinations like lemon herb, chipotle seasoning, and plain old salt and pepper, so just use what you have on hand and sounds appealing.

I threw the chicken wings in the ziplock bag putting in enough spices to coat the chicken.  I used the same bag, but coated the chicken in two batches so the wings were evenly covered.

The other prep you need to do is what really makes these wings great.  Take a jelly roll pan if you have it (if not, use a cookie sheet with a lip on it) and line it with aluminum foil.  Place a wire rack or cookie cooling rack on top of your pan (I got my jelly roll pan and wire rack from Williams-Sonoma Outlet - try to make sure that your rack fits exactly inside your pan so things aren't sliding about).  Coat the rack with a spritz of Pam cooking spray.  Place your wings on the rack.  I like to use tongs to put the chicken in the ziplock bag and again to arrange them in the pan.  For those of you who hate touching raw meat (that would definitely be Briana y'all), this is an easy trick which also helps keep your hands clean to do other things.

There are two big advantages to using the wire rack which make it worth the purchase.  First, unlike other baked wings, which are just made in a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish, the wings aren't sitting in their own juices or grease which allows the skin to get slightly crispy all the way around...and we all know the skin is the best part!  The second advantage, is that because the wings are raised off the pan, the excess grease drips out and lands on your pan and NOT on your hips!

After you've arranged your wings, put them in the oven for 20 mins.  Take them out, flip them over, and put them back in for another 10-15 mins.  You want them to be  browned and slightly crispy, but not dried out. Here's the finished result (if you look closely, you can see the grease that has landed on the tin foil below).

Don't they look great?  Besides having no added oil (people please, that spritz of Pam hardly counts), this recipe has very easy clean up!  Put your wire rack in the dishwasher and throw the foil away.  Done! Time to enjoy!

If you can't imagine having wings that aren't covered in hot sauce, you can melt one tablespoon of butter (so that it will stick to the wings, olive oil will NOT work) and dump half a cup of hot sauce (I like a mixture of Frank's Red Hot, Tapatio, and Valentina) in the pan.  Put the cooked wings in a bowl, cover with sauce, and toss.  Remove from bowl so that wings do not become soggy from sitting in sauce.  Although we are trying to avoid added fat with this recipe, I think in the case of events like the Super Bowl it's definitely a less fattening option.  Think of it like this: one tablespoon of butter is about 100 calories...evenly spread over 24 wings that's only about 4 additional calories per wing.

What do you think?  Easy and definitely less fattening right?  Mr. 3 loves loves loves his wings this way, so I can definitely say that they have been husband tested and approved.  These are definitely a fun treat while I'm working on beating the winter weight gain (for more on that, see here, here, and here).  Have any fun recipes? Send them our way!

Store Review: JC Penney Home

Over Christmas, I had to run in to JC Penney for a hot sec to make a return.  I hadn't been inside a JC Penney since under grad.  I went to a large school in the mountains of North Carolina, but the shopping selections were tragic.  We had a one story mini-mall that had maybe 20 stores in it?  Needless to say, I only walked in JC Penney if I was looking for cheap t-shirts I could put sorority letters on and home stuff I could paint pen the crap out of for my little.

If you've been following me on Instagram (and you should!), you might have noticed my surprise to find a Sephora pop-up shop inside my JC Penney.  While they don't have nearly the amount of brands available at your regular Sephora, they do have a several of their most popular makeup lines and perfumes (sadly no hair care, body products, or cool gadgety things like this personal teeth whitening device, which Briana is not allowed to purchase because she would never turn it off).

Sephora Pop-Up Shop @ JC Penney

What I was also surprised to find what JC Penney had in their home section - Michael Graves, Martha Stewart, and Jonathon Adler!  JC Penny is also carrying small appliance brands like Cuisinart and KitchenAid, as well as, cookware brands Calphalon and Le Creuset.  I didn't have much time while I was in the store to jot down all the prices (almost everything was on sale), but here are some of my favorite things I spotted (I've put links in where I was able to find them online at JC Penney):

Bella Crock Pot/Michael Graves Toaster/Michael Graves Coffee Pot/Michael Graves Trivet

Martha Stewart Celebrations Paper Products/Gold Foil Glasses/Michael Graves Wine Decanter

Jonathan Adler Happy Chic Measuring Spoons & Jonathan Adler Happy Chic Chloe Studded Tray

I was really surprised to see the cute selection of goods.  The original prices were a bit high, but everything seemed to be on sale, so I bet you hardly ever have to pay full price.  If I were a college student or living by myself for the first time, I would totally be using this as a resource!  Most people are hitting up Ikea or Target and don't seem to know about JC Penney as an option (I certainly didn't!).

I would still use JC Penney as a source for cute hostess gifts (hello pretty giraffe spoons!) and unique entertaining pieces (like that decanter above). I'm also totally in love with those gold glasses and the fun design of the trivet.  The Michael Graves line should also appeal to the men in your life (stainless steel and copper with funky retro/Jetsons style design).  JC Penney's is also selling Martha Stewart Celebration products, so it would be really easy to pick up gift wrap if you are going to the party or paper products if you are hosting the party.

JC Penney also has a monogram shop online if you want sheets and towels monogrammed (JC Penney carries Royal Velvet sheets in 400 and 600TC made from Egyptian, pima, and supima cotton, as well as, turkish cotton towels...which if I remember correctly from my days working for Linens N' Things was a pretty decent brand)!

Verdict: Totally surprised, but sold.

Anyone else checked out JC Penney lately?  What did you think?  If you spot something cute, send it our way!  We love reader photos!

Gifts for Your Man

The men in my life make Christmas shopping difficult. My dad usually ends up with licorice and liquor, and J is a constant (but lovable) frustration when I ask for a wish list. My brothers are no different. Perhaps they are all more content with what they have than I am?

While I was perusing the internet looking for gift ideas, I compiled a list of some cool things to help you out with those difficult guys.

1. The skull shot glass is $9 on Amazon (prime shipping!). I'm sure we all know a guy who would love another shot glass.

2. Uncommon Goods has a retro iPhone alarm dock. For $40 you can hide your charging cord and turn your iPhone into a fun clock display.

3. J loves making empandas but he can't ever close them up right. Empandas are such a man food, too - doughy and full of meat. This $20 empanada fork is perfect for the cooking guy on your list. I looked around Amazon and Williams Sonoma, but could not find an equivalent version.

4. Give this $20 scratch map to your favorite world traveler.

5. For one of his wedding gifts, I gave J a pair of cufflinks similar to the watch movement cufflinks above. I found his on Etsy for around $120. These are $150 and perfect for people who don't have time to sift through the long lists of talented Etsy sellers.

6. I love bookends, and these $65 cannon bookends are a hilariously charming gift for your reader.

7. I gave J Cards Against Humanity last year. The starter pack costs $25 and is Amazon Prime. Each card has a phrase and you combine the cards to create hilarious/bizarre sentences.

8. Both my dad and J are engineers and are also quite handy around the house. This contractor pen costs $22, which may seem overpriced for a pen, but it has a long list of attributes that make it worth the price. My favorite feature is the pair of levels - no more crooked frames!

9. I have never seen anything like this stone drink dispenser before! It is $125 on Uncommon Goods and is just too cool. Pair it with a bottle of his favorite alcohol, or let it stand alone as the best gift he will get this year.

Enjoy this post? Check out our suggestions for elegant hostess gifts or our guide to baby gifts!

Disturbed & Ill: Camo Tuxedos

Mr. 3 and I have been on the tuxedo hunt recently.  After a horrendous experience at Men's Warehouse (more about that in a future post), Mr. 3 put his foot down and said he would not be using Men's Warehouse no matter how much I loved the new line of Vera Wang (I'm not sure he actually knows who that is or would remember the name if you asked him...I'm pretty sure he more said "I'm not wearing anything from that store.")

So, we went over to Jos. A. Bank to check out their tuxedos.  I'll have to fill you in on the full adventure later, but I wanted to drop a quick PSA against this heinous monstrosity:

Why?
Jos. A Bank
$?
(who cares...no one should ever order this)

Despite the cutie model, I almost threw up.   Mr. 3, an avid hunter, of course immediately loved it and even tried to bargain with me (can't we have two vests?).  This is why grooms are not allowed to go shopping without their future wives.  Besides the sheer tackiness of it, I would not want my future spouse coming to our wedding in anything that represents death.*  I'm surprised they didn't top it off with a bit of blaze orange as a pocket square...clearly Jos. A. Bank hasn't passed a hunter safety course.

*Full Disclosure: I eat meat and I wear leather and fur.  I'm also not against hunting; however, I cannot get behind camo as a fashion choice.   Sportswear: Yes.  Church Proceeding: No.

Wedding Suit Decision: Made!

J placed the order for his wedding suit pretty recently, as I mentioned earlier. It is absolutely wonderful to have one less (semi) major thing to think about!

We had a wonderful experience at the Boston Brooks Brothers location - since it was the 20% off Made to Measure special, Brooks Brothers had sent in two specialists who were extremely helpful and friendly. They helped us narrow down our fabric selections to one, make all the ridiculously detailed decisions neither J or I had been aware of, and offered general guidance for his growing adult appropriate wardrobe. And even better, they extended the 20% discount to  go towards a sport coat when J's suit arrives. The discount is only for one or two weekends out of the year, but Brooks Brothers is in for the long game (especially since J cannot buy off the rack). The specialists immediately picked up on J's reluctance to make another large purchase that day and so they told him not to stress and made a note in his file along with their fabric suggestions (taking into account the Southern climate and versatility in all seasons). I am so very excited, because I have been telling him he needs a sport coat for a very long time and the 20% discount will be strong motivation for him to finally take the plunge :)

While my attire is under strictest security, J's is not so I will share. One of the few constant visions of my wedding is grey menswear. It is probably due to the love all good southern girls have for the Confederacy, which makes it even more amusing that my Ohio-raised fiance will be wearing grey. However, I justify this to myself by remembering that his family did not come to the United States until after the War of Northern Aggression. J being his infinitely sweet and cooperative self agreed to buy a grey suit.

herringbone

We chose a thin not quite charcoal grey herringbone lightweight wool. Brooks Brothers allows all kinds of customizations, all of which are free of charge. J chose an extra inner pocket for glasses (he says sun, I say eye - he is being so stubborn about getting new eyeglasses!), a special loop for the tooth of the belt to hold it in place, hand stitching along the outside of the lapels, just to name a few! The suit is also getting a special striped lining in MIT colors. It was not my first choice - despite it coordinating very well with our fabric, I do not like red. However, J really loved it and since it is so rare to see him get excited about clothing I decided to let him have his MIT themed lining. Of course, I made him promise that the lining would not show in any of our wedding pictures unless I give him permission for a specific shot. The specialists at the store kindly (and strongly) suggested to J that he keep his suit buttoned at all times.

The tailor took tons and tons of measurements to achieve the very fitted look we wanted. J estimates at least 30 different measurements, including the length of his thumbs. The tailor also found a way to make non-pleated pants (my choice) feel comfortable for J (his choice). Every time J gets measured, people stare in awe. I suppose a 6'4" man with a 6'10" wingspan is a bit of an oddity :)

Overall, we really enjoyed our Brooks Brothers experience and I 100% recommend it to anyone who wants or needs a custom made suit. Everyone was truly helpful and accommodating and totally not pushy at all. You can ask your local store when the next 20% deal weekend will be - they are very upfront with the information. And the price they give you at the beginning is the overal price, no matter how many custom details you add. In the end you will receive a completely custom made outfit. I am happy to answer any questions! I know things like custom made suits can be intimidating at times, so feel free to ask - or share any of your experiences with menswear for weddings or otherwise!

Grocery Shopping Made Easier

Since I despise cold weather but still in Boston, J tries to limit my outdoor exposure. One way he does this is by going to the grocery store on his way back from work to grab any last minute things we may need for supper. We used to have some communication issues, though. We are both forgetful and use a variety of mediums to discuss the grocery list which can complicate matters - sometimes he will miss a gchat from me or I will send an email with my list of grocery requests but he wont check until it is too late.

To solve all these problems, we use the Grocery IQ app on our phones. We can both add to the list (or multiple lists, since we shop at a few different stores) and our phones update the list automatically. It is so efficient to have one syncing location for my grocery wants! Our lists are also available to view and edit online, and can be emailed/printed out/etc - great functions for those who are without smart phones or prefer hard copies.

We had one minor mistake over the past few weeks while using the app. I added pita bread to the list on my phone and J's phone did not update quickly enough for him to purchase the pita. It was a sad day, but not the end of the world since I wanted the pita for the next day. Other than the sometimes slow syncing, I love this app and definitely recommend it to all who have lovely and amazing grocery shoppers! It is also good for roommates who are unavailable for shopping when you are desperately in need of milk :)

Thrifty Thursday: Not the Cast Iron!

My siblings and I decided to have a party to celebrate my mom's birthday this past weekend. My little sister Tally and I flew down and surprised her Saturday morning. That evening, the siblings plus some cooked supper for Mom. She absolutely loved it and we all had a great time :)

I get back to Boston to discover that J doesn't have much of a social life. He cleaned his apartment and took the opportunity of me being gone to eat a steak (ick). He also decided to run the self clean function on the oven. Unfortunately, cast irons do not hold up to being baked at 500+ degrees for hours. 

Can you tell which one won't give you tentanus?

I'm pretty sure my 12 inch cast iron is ruined beyond repair, so I did some research on replacing it. Of course, I immediately thought of Amazon and William Sonoma, and then included a quick Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Amazon has a 12 inch cast iron for $21, by Lodge Logic which is not a brand I'm familiar with. William Sonoma has a Lodge 12 inch cast iron for $33 - I do not know if the two brands are related, but Amazon seems to think they are. And then at BBB you can get Emeril's 12 inch cast iron for $25. I didn't find a range of prices across the levels of quality, probably because these things are just sealed and seasoned cast iron - there can't be much variation in the cost of manufacturing or materials. You may be able to find one in your local Marshalls if you get lucky, but it looks to me like I will be spending between $20 and $35 to replace my beloved cast iron. Not too bad of a price for something that theoretically lasts forever. My mom's cast iron is over 40 years old - probably because a man in her life never left it in the oven with the self clean cycle on.

Trousseau Tuesday: Men's Suits

J is buying a suit for our wedding because he is abnormally proportioned and can't wear anything rentable. Due to his proportions, this suit must also be made to fit. Good news is that quality suits have long lifespans.

We have visited many suit shops, from discount stores to Neimans, and have pretty much settled on Brooks Brothers. They are having a Made to Fit special during the first weekend in March, where all made to fit suits are 20% off. Brooks Brothers has a ton of different fabric options and cuts. We will be going with a more fitted style - I much prefer this look over the more boxy American styles.  And remember: he crisper the folds, the better!

Look for a lightweight wool if you want an extremely versatile suit. Many people say go for black if you only want one, but I think that is outdated. I would much rather have a navy or charcoal grey suit. These colors are still formal but so much less stuffy.

Trousseau Tuesday: J.Crew & Blue Nile Sales!

If you still have a ton of shopping to do for Christmas, I highly recommend that you check out the sales going on at the J.Crew warehouse.  The daily specials are as follows:

I'm also super excited to see that J.Crew has a new location in Asheville, NC for all of our NC readers!  I love Asheville, so this is just another reason for me to pay a visit!

If you need to throw your man a clue or a hint for a sparkly present (and save him from making a gawdawful purchase, i.e. a tool of any kind or an unfortunate domestic goddess item*), check out this deal from Bloomspot (it's like groupon!) for gifts from Blue Nile, an online jewelry store.  Pay $50 for $100 in jewelry or $250 for $500 in jewelry.  All diamonds are certified and conflict free, metals are sustainably sourced, and each item comes with a lifetime guarantee.  You must order by December 16th for Christmas delivery, but the deal doesn't expire until March 31, 2012 (making it ideal for any men who like to plan ahead for Valentine's Day!).

Tell me....have you found any good deals out there?  If so, share, share, share...I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping (no hate mail please), but I'm always in the market for a personal present at a good price!


*Domestic goddess item: any appliance or product involving cooking or cleaning, i.e. an iron, skillet, blender, steamer, or vacuum

Thrifty Thursday: Consolidating Furniture

I always think about things way before I need to. For example, I am already concerned about furniture for my future married apartment. More specifically, I am concerned about J's bedroom furniture.

His bed..

and the rest

I am in love with this bed

As you can see, his bedroom set is extremely masculine and modern and totally not my style at all. While I have no issue with keeping most of his furniture during our time in Boston (assuming it is brief), I don't see much point in paying to move furniture to another corner of the country (Atlanta, here I come!) if we are just going to get rid of it quickly. And don't tell me the guest room solution! Mother will be giving me my bedroom furniture (bed, two desks, armoir, bedside table) as soon as we relocate closer to Florida. My princess bed and matching pieces will make a lovely guest room and I doubt we will have more than one spare room.

Fortunately, J is slowly coming to terms with replacing his furniture with a bit of help from his mom (can you believe he was adamantly against it at one point?!). She actually warned him not to invest too much in furniture because his future wife would not be interested in keeping it. He ignored her wise advice because he thought he would not be getting married for another 10 years or so (this was pre Briana). Silly J. 

I have been trying to think of ways to salvage his drawer pieces but I am at a loss. I thought about antiquing the wood and then installing fun knobs a la Anthropologie. However, the lines of the furniture are so severe that I am not sure that it will look good once I am done. Tips would be greatly appreciated! 

Advice to single men: don't waste your money on good furniture - your future wife will want to get rid of pretty much all of it.

Munchie Monday: Cast Iron Fried Chicken and Gravy

Hey y'all! I'm terribly sorry for missing the past few Mondays and also for today's article being so late. However, once you try this recipe you won't be able to help forgiving me! By the way, this is definitely better than engagement chicken.

Backstory:
J made me promise not to talk about wedding stuff for the entire month of September (woo hoo! it is October now!) because he needed some time to adjust. I was not very good at following his rule, but I think I did better than he expected. Anyway, after he ate my cast iron fried chicken and gravy he was so blown away that he said I could talk about wedding stuff for two hours. Now the effects don't seem to be too long lasting, he only lasted for about an hour and fifteen minutes of wedding talk before offering to give me another hour the next night as a trade for changing the topic.

Ingredients

• Skinless, boneless chicken - I used thighs
• Some flour
• Black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper
• Cream - I only had heavy cream, so I watered it down a bit, you can also use milk
• Water
• Butter - a few tablespoons
• Olive oil

Chicken Instructions

1. Melt some butter with olive oil (prevents burning) in your large cast iron on the stove while preheating the oven to 375
2. Mix flour, black pepper, salt and cayenne pepper - you want enough to coat all the chicken
3. Dip a piece of chicken in the cream, let the excess drip off and then roll the chicken around in the flour mixture until coated 
4. Repeat step 3 for all chicken bits
5. Make sure your butter is hot and then place the chicken flat into the cast iron
6. Flip chicken bits over when the bottom is a bit darker than golden
7. When chicken is a uniform color all around, place cast iron into the oven
8. Cook until done - this varies with how long you cooked on the stove top

Gravy Instructions

1. When chicken is fully cooked, remove it from oven and let sit for a few minutes
2. Transfer chicken onto a serving dish 
3. Put the cast iron back on the stove top and add some more butter
4. Now add the same mixture of flour, black pepper, salt and cayenne pepper to the hot fat in the cast iron
5. Add enough to dry up all the fat
6. Cook the flour-fat mixture until it no longer tastes like raw flour
7. Combine cream and water and add slowly to the cast iron and cook until it looks like the right consistency for gravy

My mother's ratio for gravy is about 2 tablespoons of fat to 2 tablespoons of flour to 1 cup of liquid. I never remember it and always end up calling her each time I want to make gravy. And yes, I had to call her for this article as well. 

H&M for Men

I recently went shopping with J because I needed work appropriate clothes for fall and I wanted to sneak in a few new shirts for J. He is pretty picky, mostly because he sees nothing wrong with free t-shirts from his time at MIT (i.e. while I was in high school). I don't really care what he wears to work, but I do prefer him in hole-less shirts when we go places together.

When I pick shirts out for him, he either complains about the price (he is currently on a Marshalls kick) or says it looks too girly. However, H&M now has a set of long sleeve shirts that come in non-offensive solid colors. AND these shirts are made out of pima cotton, so very soft and breathable. AND, they are $13 each. J bought a dark grey shirt and a navy one, too. H&M is not always the highest quality, so I am not sure how many times J can wash his shirts before they come apart. I have not had any issues with my H&M clothes so I am optimistic. Now if I could just get him to buy new jeans..

Thrifty Thursday: Tuxedos for Your Posh Purpose Man

For all you ladies out there who love a man in a tux, I've found a great website for purchasing tuxedos for your groom, dads, and wedding party.  Buy4LessTuxedo has a wide selection of different style tuxedos from well known designers such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Hugo Boss.  You can buy just the pants and jacket, but they also carry complete collections (including tie, shirt, cufflinks, etc), shoes, and ties.  If you are feeling especially James Bond 007, they carry dinner jackets as well.  The tuxedos are priced at less than $100 for polyester, but for only $38 more, you can get your man this 100% worsted wool suit which is a much better investment for the money.

Neil Allyn Tuxedo from Buy4LessTuxedo

Orders are processed in 1-4 business days, but shipping is only Monday-Friday.  I highly recommend that you check this place out.  Rather than throwing away money on a rental, your honey could own the tuxedo for future weddings, New Year's Eve parties, or corporate events or resell it at a later date.  Let me know if you find any good deals...Mr. 3 is adamant that we have a tuxedo dress code at our wedding and I seriously haven't given them any thought since my date wore a white tux to prom my junior year of high school.

Engineer's Guide to Wedding Band Metals

J has been researching metal options for his wedding band. Since he is so sweet, he has written up an article based on his research for Posh Purpose. I proofread a bit, but mostly left his words intact meaning this is probably man-friendly. I hope y'all find the info helpful! And remember, this is just a summary of common band metals and their qualities; it is up to you to choose which is best according to your own situation and preferences.

The Engineer's Guide to Wedding Band Metals

In order to choose the metal for your wedding band, you need to determine what characteristics you want in your wedding band. There is no best metal. Everything has trade offs. I'll give a breakdown of each of the more commonly used metals followed by a quick score sheet that gives density, hardness and price.

The density is given as g/cc, and for reference water is 1.0 g/cc. Density is defined as the mass per unit volume, which means how much the ring will weigh for a given size. Some people associate more value with heavier things, other people prefer to not notice that they are wearing the jewelry. You’ll have to try the ring on to know how it actually feels.

Hardness for the purposes of jewelry can be seen as scratch resistance; harder metals do not scratch as easily. However, harder materials are also more brittle. A harder ring won’t scratch, but it’s more likely to chip (and in some cases shatter). Also, harder materials are more difficult to work with, which will often times make the jewelry more expensive. The hardness is given in terms of the Mohs scale, which I’ve only ever seen used on jewelry. Diamond is the hardest material (except, of course, hyperdiamond) with a Mohs hardness of 10.
As with anything, you'll be able to find a wide range of prices, so I'm just going to give a qualitative score. For many of the simple designs, you’ll be able to find much cheaper prices on the internet than in stores. But if the ring you are going to buy represents a considerable amount of money to you, I would recommend going into the store to make sure that you are satisfied with it. For me peace of mind is worth the extra 10-20% I spend.

Gold
Gold is historically the most precious metal, and it's major differentiating factor is its color. However it seems to me that yellow gold is largely out of style right now, (but don't put any weight in my observations) making white gold popular. However white gold is white because it's alloyed usually with nickel, which means that people with certain allergies can't wear it. Gold is a relatively dense, very soft and stable metal which means it's easy to form and scratch but hard to tarnish (chlorine at high temperatures does the trick). When you buy gold, you are told its purity in karats, which is a weird and arbitrary scale that clearly outdates the metric system. It's out of 24 karats, so 10 karat gold is 10 parts gold and 14 parts other things. The lower the purity, the harder the metal is, but also the less gold it contains. I always go for low karats because it's more durable and cheaper and most people can't tell the difference by looking at it, but I also like shopping at Walmart.

24K Gold - Density-19.3, Mohs-2.5, Price-$$

10K Gold - Density-13.9, Mohs-3.0, Price-$$

Platinum
Platinum is popular partially because it's the most expensive metal available. I would say that in general people get it simply because it’s expensive. Platinum is expensive because it is rare and has a lot of industrial applications, but it’s special characteristics make it a very interesting choice. The first thing you’ll notice is that platinum is dense, more dense than depleted uranium. The only naturally occurring elements that are more dense are osmium and iridium. It’s also a pretty tough metal, almost as strong as steel. It doesn’t tarnish, but it gets small surface scratches which make it less shiny. Platinum is not as easy to form as gold, which may somewhat substantiate the fact that platinum jewelry costs so much more than gold jewelry, but I think that it’s most likely just a product of marketing and supply & demand.

Platinum - Density-21.5, Mohs-4.25, Price-$$$

Silver
Silver is not a very common choice for wedding bands. I figure a lot of this is because it tarnishes easily. It also is as soft as gold. However, when it is taken care of, it has the potential to be pretty much the shiniest of all metals. It is significantly lighter and cheaper than the above listed options, but I wouldn’t really recommend it. Choosing a silver wedding band is choosing high maintenance jewelry, and let’s be honest, you’re already adding a wife that you have to pay attention to.

Silver - Density-10.5, Mohs-2.5, Price-$

Palladium
Palladium is an interesting option. It is very similar to platinum (in the same family of metals), but a lot cheaper. It’s also lighter, harder and more abundant. As mentioned earlier, harder metals also means more brittle, which means that even though palladium is harder to scratch than platinum, it’s easier to chip. Palladium is also slightly harder to cast than platinum, which may affect the pricing/availability. I have a feeling though that the main reason that platinum is easier to find than palladium is because jewelry stores want to make more money.

Palladium - Density-12, Mohs-5, Price-$$

Tungsten Carbide
Tungsten carbide is a particularly interesting choice for me as an engineer. Tungsten has a ridiculously high melting point, and is extremely hard. It is hard enough to be used as a cutting tool for hardened steel. Tungsten carbide is harder than most gemstones, with only corundum (sapphire) and diamond being harder. This means that you would have to go out of your way to scratch it (like rubbing it with a diamond file) so it will look brand new years after you buy it. It’s impossible to resize, and you can chip and even shatter it if you aren’t careful. Because of its hardness and high melting point, once it’s damaged or your finger grows, it’s done. If you are the sentimental type who wants to keep the same ring forever then this may not be the choice for you. Compared to the precious metals, a tungsten ring is quite cheap. There is a tungsten alloy which has a very cool blue tint to it, but I believe it’s from the presence of cobalt. I’m sure the state of California thinks this alloy is a carcinogen.

Tungsten - Density-15.8, Mohs-9, Price-$

Titanium
Titanium is an extremely strong and lightweight material. The density of titanium is about ⅕ of the density of platinum. If you want a ring that you can’t feel, titanium may be a good option for you. It’s going to be pretty hard to resize, and it doesn’t have a very jewelry-like appearance. Since it’s on the harder side, it’s more likely to chip, but it’s not so hard that it will resist scratching. It’s not a very shiny material anyways, so any scratching will be less noticeable.

Titanium - Density-4.5, Mohs-6, Price-$

Stainless Steel
If you are seriously considering a stainless steel wedding band, more power to you. However, you should know that most people generally think this metal has a cheap look to it - think cubic zirconia. Stainless steel is not particularly dense when you’re comparing it to precious metals and not particularly shiny or scratch resistant. A stainless steel band is the wifebeater (t-shirt, not abuser) of wedding bands; it does not look classy and does not have good functionality.

Stainless Steel - Density-8.0, Mohs-4.5, Price-$

Posh Purpose for Your Man: Gift Idea

Ok ladies. Briana and I have come to the conclusion that men need our help as much as anyone else with gift giving, clothing, advice, etc. We've decided to start a new feature called "Posh Purpose for Your Man" with ideas to share with your sweetie and provide help to make your wedding planning, gift giving, day-to-day life easier.*

First up, groomsmen gifts. I'm sure most men would prefer to hand their bros a six pack or bottle of Jack, but us girls think that gifts should have meaning, provide remembrances, be reused, and most importantly not be swilled on a Sunday in front of the tube watching Swamp Loggers or football. While lusting over furniture at Pottery Barn this week, I came across this great, affordable, and manly gift.

For $24, your man can get his homies a cigar box and for another $16, he can reward their friendship with a cigar cutter. For $6.50 extra, the cigar cutter can be monogramed with his bosom buddy's initial. Both gifts are silver plated and lightweight. All he has to do is throw in some cigars and he's set! Since you ladies will probably be doing the ordering, you might also be excited to find out that Pottery Barn offers free shipping on these two items. I think that these are great personalized gifts for the wedding party. Make sure to take a picture of all the groomsmen at the end of the night as they will probably all be "bonding" over an adult beverage and cigar...after all men will be men.

What do you think about our new feature? Is Posh Purpose something you share with your man...or just a guilty pleasure?

*Briana and I are not running a relationship advice column - Dear Abby has cornered the market on that one. However, should we provide earth shattering, relationship saving advice we accept gifts of thanks at all times of the year. We especially like Kate Spade, Godiva, and puppies.

Exciting Announcement! Part Deux!

Well dear readers, I have some EXCITING news to dish up and serve out,

J has been a busy man this past week what with organizing a scavenger hunt all over Boston...and a PROPOSAL to the funniest, most charming blogger. That's right ladies (and gentlemen, I know we have some menfolk reading along too), my cousin Briana is engaged! Mr. 3 and I got the news straight from the blogger herself on Saturday while we were shopping for our registry. We set up a skype feed right in front of the bridal registry (much to our consultant's surpise) so I could congratulate the happy couple and sneak a peek Briana's new sparkler. Mr. 3 and I are thrilled to pieces for them and cannot wait until we get together to celebrate! I wish them nothing but the best as they enjoy their engagement and start planning their wedding. Love is definitely in the air...congratulations to you two!

Bread Failure, Pt 2

Dear readers:

Please do not forget to put the spinny part into the bread maker before adding the ingredients and turning it on. Be advised that men may need extra supervision to guarantee edible, homemade bread. 

Otherwise, you run the risk of what you see below.

This is a public service announcement brought to you by Food Adventures with J.

Trousseau Tuesday: J.Crew Clearance Outlet

I've been hearing about the J.Crew Clearance Outlet located in Lynchburg, VA since my friend (shout out to Marie C.!) called me up to gush about the steal she had gotten on some J.Crew shoes, which was about 3 years ago. This place sounds like fantasy island for the preppy at heart. Unlike the J.Crew outlet stores that you see at outlet shopping malls, the J.Crew Clearance Outlet is a stand alone store. J.Crew's factory is located in Lynchburg, so if you order online or through the catalog all of your merchandise is shipped from Lynchburg. Likewise, if you don't like your purchase (gasp! how can this be?), your merchandise is shipped back to Lynchburg for returns. J.Crew either chooses to or is not allowed to resell this merchandise and instead sells the stock at a discounted price in two different Lynchburg stores.

Even though I'm living in Arlington, VA, I don't get down to Lynchburg very often...until this past weekend. Mr. 3 and I were headed back from a long weekend in Charlotte, NC visiting our parents and attending a wedding.* The man loves to do all the driving and I'm happy to let him, but he is always willing to take a little side trip to a nearby attraction (shopping, I've told him is clearly an attraction worth stopping for). Since it was a spur of the moment decision to stop off, I had to do some quick internet stalking to find the address (J.Crew doesn't list the locations on its website). Thanks to an great blog I've recently started reading, I was able to easily locate the addresses (Thanks Small and Chic in Cville!). One location, (25 Millrace Rd. Lynchburg, VA) is located at the distribution center, and the second location (101 Northwynd Circle St. Lynchburg, VA) is a super cute stand alone store, which is where I chose to stop.

I was really impressed with how the store was laid out and the sales associates working at the store. They were so friendly and helpful (they went to the trouble of looking through their back stock and display pieces to find Mr. 3's size)! The store has a Crew Cuts (J.Crew for kids), men's, women's, shoe, accessory, swimsuit, and bridal sections. There are also a few racks of Madewell clothing (a J.Crew company). The outlet also carries a small selection of handbags that are scattered throughout the racks and end caps.

I shopped around for about 45 minutes, looking for myself and doing a little bit of market research for you Posh Purpose readers. I found that the shoes were priced at $50-$70 for shoes that generally run $150-$350. This is a great price point for shoes, most of which are made in Italy (I've heard a rumor that J.Crew shoes are made at the same factory as Gucci!). There is a small cabinet of accessories with necklaces at $40-$70, bracelets at $20-$40, and headbands and other hair accessories at $10-$20.

The women's section is organized by type of apparel (i.e. tanks, t-shirts, pants, etc.) and then by size. Tanks and tees are priced at $15-$20, the nicer sleeveless shirts (perfect for wearing to work) are $30, pants are $40-$70, blazers are $70-$100.

Swimsuits are an especially great bargain! Previously, I paid full price for a pair of bathing suit bottoms at $68 (I know, for shame, but bathing suits are the bane of my existence. So if I find one I like, I snap it up!), but I found the same exact pair in a different color for $15! And yes, I totally bought them!

The men's section leaves a little to be desired, great prices, but not too much selection. The men's casual pants (i.e. khakis and other chinos) are $20, blazers are $120ish, dress pants are $40-$70, tees are $10, shorts are $20-$25, jeans are $25-$30, swim trunks are $20, and shirts are $20-$30. There was a very small selection of ties for $15 and shoes (I didn't catch the price, sorry!).

Overall, the best part about the store was the bridal section. J.Crew only carries its wedding dresses and bridal collection at few stores in the US. As a result, the Clearance Outlet had many wedding dresses, that have been purchased online and then returned, in the store ranging from $120-$220.

In addition, there was a small selection of flower girl dresses and bridemaids dresses. If you are having a small wedding with only a few attendants, this would be a great place to find bridesmaids dresses and at $70 each you can't do better than that (full price they are $200-$350)! If you are having a larger wedding, this is also a great resource for finding a rehearsal dinner dress or some cute dresses for your honeymoon!

So, on my particular shopping expedition, I came away with my swimsuit bottoms for $15 (don't worry I already have a top), a dressy tank top for work at $30, and a pair of pants for Mr. 3. His khaki pants were quite the steal. They were originally priced at $20, but because the fastener was partially missing (and he has a handy girlfriend who can correct this with a quick trip to the sewing store), the sales associate sold them to us for $10!

There are no returns or exchanges, but they do take credit cards. Overall, I would say that the selection is not big enough to warrant the 3.5 hour drive from DC, BUT if you happen to be passing through, it is totally worth the 10 minute drive off of the highway!

* Shout out to Mrs. Carolyn and my wonderful mama for putting us up for the weekend. Love being with y'all! Also, congrats to "little Sara" P. (formerly "little Sara" B.) on her wedding! She made a beautiful bride!