♥ that's amore!

dolce and gabbana's spring 2016 collection was dedicated to all things italy.

"italia is love" glows from above the quintessential red and white striped awnings of the cafe

 from which beautifully dressed models appear, and architectural masterpieces like

the colosseum, the leaning tower of pisa and the statue of david, are sequinned

across intricately woven dresses that celebrate cities like venice, capri, and rome.

decadently dressed models walk with shopping bags and handbags

and stop to take intermittent selfies. i am obsessed!!

images via vogue.com

♥ a walk in the park.

now that my weekend are free, (thank you, bloomies!)

the boys and i have been making an effort to get out early

 and seize the day!

this saturday, we explored the decordova sculpture park, a place i had heard 

so much about (first dates!!, weddings!!) and never visited! at just a 45-minute

drive from boston, the wide and open landscape boasts a number of interactive/

interesting works of art. the museum was closed during our visit, which made tickets 

half price (yes!!) and i must say, even more spectacular than any of the

sculptures, was the brilliant work of mother nature as she

changed into her fall gown. look at those leaves!

♥ #FindTheGirlsOnTheNegatives

while thrift shopping this summer in virginia, wedding photographer, meagan abell, 

happened upon four sets of negatives, stashed in plastic sleeves within a box of 

vintage photographs. she scanned them into her computer and the results were breathtaking!

judging from the dress styles, she believes the pictures were taken around the 1940's/50's,

but is still on the hunt for the subject and the photographer!

what a beautiful mystery!

if you have any leads, email:

heyhihello@meaganabellphotography.com

to spread the word, use the hashtag: 

#FindTheGirlsOnTheNegatives 

♥ a delicious fall soup.

with the weather already getting chilly-what better way to warm up

than with a hot and simmering soup, made with just about every veggie?

i tried a variation on this late summer vegetable minestrone by martha stewart and

i am happy to add it to my repertoire before things start getting really frigid in new england!

ingredients:

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 small onions chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced 

3 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch rounds

2 celery stalks, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces

1 bunch of red swiss chard- leaves torn into 4 cups & stems cut to 1.5 cups

4 medium ripe tomatoes, diced

coarse salts and freshly ground pepper

2 medium zucchini or yellow squashes, diced

1 parmesan rind or 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese plus more for topping

1 can of butter or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

directions:

1) heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. add onions and garlic, stirring occasionally

until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

2) add carrots, celery and chard stems and leaves- stir and cook another 10 minutes

3) add tomatoes and 2 tsp of salt. cook another 5 minutes

4) add zucchini, 5 cups of water, parmesan and beans

5) bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer

6) cook until vegetables are softened, about 25 minutes

7) season with salt and pepper and serve immediately,

topped with parmesan cheese.

8) freeze for up to 3 months :)

* be aware that swiss chard has a very strong, singular flavor- so if you

are not a fan, you may want to swap them for greens with a more subtle flavor,

like baby spinach or kale!

♥ back in black.

it has not even been two months since i started as a visual stylist at bloomingdale's 

and I AM IN LOVE!! when i worked there nine years ago (yes, i'm a  bloomerang!), i despaired over 

the all-black dresscode- thinking of it as a death sentence for my wardrobe- a black cloud 

looming over a closet of rainbow-colored dresses-- but this time around, i have fully embraced

the all black everything-ness that i must wear and have definitely been up to the 

challenge of making my dark on dark uniform as exciting and unique 

looking as one in full color.

thank heavens for bold lipstick, 

bright accessories + an addiction to headpieces!!

here's what i've come up with so far:

 you may have seen these on my instagram already--

 btw, are we friends on there yet????

find me at samantharamage :)

♥ trillfit.

have you heard of trillfit yet?

i am currently kicking myself for not buying tickets to what sounds like

a unique, lively, energizing (not to mention ..SOLD OUT!) 

workout experience- right in boston!

with all of those boutique workout classes offered today from barre method to soul cycle, 

founder heather c. white "wanted to make a really fun experiential workouts that celebrate 

the urban culture- ..something that makes [her] want to work out more.. to create an

 atmosphere where your girls-or your boys-could come, turn up, and get fit" (source)

so she took some of the best elements: a kick-ass choreographer (laurieann gibson)

 a powerful pilates instructor, (meagan fitzgerald) music from dj nick bishop,

 and cool warehouse space and came up with a two hour work-out event that 

will have you shaking a tail feather and dropping it like it's hot until

you actually drop :) and did i mention there are gift bags afterwards?

it sounds too good to be trill. ;)

♥ yes, please.

have you heard about the sephora play monthly subscription box yet??

 i have never been interested in these beauty boxes before, but sephora is a company
i trust to send good samples- and so i have decided i MUST sign up for it!

 they are only testing it out in boston and ohio at the moment- which would
have been perfect for me if i had not procrastinated too long and missed the
boat on ordering it! were you able to sign up?? if so, i am totes jealous.

ps. are people still saying "totes?"