What happens when your husband takes your wish list literally? You end up owning these incredibly fun shoes.

A few weeks before my last birthday, I posted this entry about my desire to say F you to boring work pumps and flats and to welcome a completely impractical, decadent pair of shoes into my closet. The post was a quick one that was drafted as I drank my morning smoothie and scrolled through Net-a-Porter’s new arrivals. While I do often buy many of the items I post about in the “wish list” series, I had no intention of ever acquiring these shoes. Calf hair glitter pumps? Who actually buys them?

So you can imagine my pure shock when I opened the Miu Miu box containing these sparkly works of art on my birthday. My first response was “You didn’t seriously buy these, did you?” which Joe answered with “Yes. Didn’t you really want them?” Ah, men. Their lives are so simple.

Of course I “wanted” these shoes, but would I really spend this much money on them? Probably not. And for better or for worse, Team HCG shares money. After a few days of me chattering nonstop about the pros and cons of keeping these shoes, Joe convinced me that life was too short to send them back. Reason #6,785 why Joe is the world’s greatest husband.

The Mius Mius made a few appearances over the winter, and, as expected, they looked amazing. They aren’t exactly in my weekly rotation, but they are an unexpected jewel in my less than stunning shoe collection (HCG’s recent bag addiction has caused the shoe situation to lag).

Lesson learned: Be more careful about what you wish for. Or, right before your birthday, wish for a lot of awesome expensive stuff on your blog and there’s a decent chance your husband will buy some of it.

Image via – wait for it – Instagram

HCG has recently discovered a gem at Gap: this ridiculously soft, relaxed oxford shirt. I bought the blue version during the Gap friends and family winter sale (40% off) and promptly wore it at least seven times in the following month. I loved it so much, I quickly scurried back to Gap and paid full price for the pink color (though that hasn’t made its public debut yet). In addition to blue, pink and standard white, this oxford comes in a rainbow of other spring shades (or just orange and yellow).

The styling potential for this bad boy is endless! I’ve worn this oxford shirt to work tucked into a navy skirt with navy tights, lots of gold accessories and gold sequined flats and on the weekend with jeans and boots layered under a blazer. A few Sundays ago I wore it solo with jeans (pictured here) and threw on my favorite but highly flammable H&M faux fur vest. Yes, I did set this vest on fire once while cooking. No, I didn’t think it was strange to wear a huge faux fur vest near open flames and boiling water. I was cold.

Here’s a close up of that look via my Instagram (I know, I’m obsessed. Who isn’t?). This Zara sequined clutch is also a closet staple.
A note on sizing: I wanted a relaxed fit, so I purchased this shirt in a small. It’s tailored enough to look put together but chill enough to convey the whole laid back button down shirt thing. You know that’s a fine line to walk.

I am giddy with excitement to wear this shirt in warmer weather. My next planned ensembles include knotting this skirt over a maxi skirt and pairing it with printed shorts. The only con: because of the crazy soft material, this shirt does wrinkle rather easily (especially in the arms). But we’re not exactly trying to be Brooks Brothers here, so calm down girlfriend. Just RELAX, HCG.

The perfect oxford shirt, $49.95 at Gap

Sprin-kle (noun): A celebration for a woman pregnant with her second child. Typically smaller in scale than a traditional first baby shower. Involves delicious food, lively conversation and small gifts for the second time mother-to-be.

As soon as my friend HAF told me she was pregnant with her second baby, I pounced and asked her if MR and I could host her sprinkle. We used to use the term “sprinkle” jokingly, but like all things that are joked about too much, “sprinkle” has become part of our normal venacular.

I love hosting sprinkles. They are more low key than full blown baby showers and give the mother a chance to relax and spend time with her close friends in an intimate setting before her second baby arrives. MR and I co-hosted HAF’s recent sprinkle at MR’s lovely home on Philadelphia’s Main Line, and we were especially proud of the finished product. Did we almost kill ourselves preparing? Maybe. Does MR secretly wear scrunchies at home? Yes. Below are some more fun details about HAF’s kick ass sprinkle.

HAF’s Awesome Sprinkle
The Scene: MR and I made significant efforts in creating the sprinkle tablescape, pictured above from my Instagram. MR suggested a floral scheme centering on purple and blue hydrangeas, and the rest of the table was built around those colors. MR wisely kept the linens simple with a white tablecloth, navy runner, and navy napkins.  Classic and elegant white dinnerware polished off the base of a beautiful tablescape. Small floral arrangements worked better with the style of the event than something large. Four evenly placed mint julep vases (from Ikea – these are fantastic) each contained one hydrangea, and tall glass and crystal candle holders were scattered between the flowers.

If the table looks like it took a lot of work, it should. MR and I rearranged, tested out and debated the tablescape for about an hour before the party, and we would’ve spent more time if we had it. Like the lighting at all good parties, we kept the lighting at HAF’s sprinkle low and soft. Everyone looks prettier in low lighting. Plus, I needed to get my hair colored and I didn’t want people creeping on me.

The Menu: We welcomed guests with glasses of prosecco for the non-pregnant women and sparkling cider or water for the ladies carrying children in their bellies. While relaxing with our drinks, we sampled a selection of enticing cheeses and snacked on Christa’s tomato and goat cheese tarts (via Barefoot Contessa). Those tarts were very tasty, but, according to Christa, Contessa’s allotted prep time isn’t exactly accurate. You’ve been warned.

The party transitioned to the dining room where we feasted on MR’s famous pear salad (first debuted to astounding success at HCG’s 2011 New Year’s Eve dinner), a fancy-sounding and delicious pasta (via Bon Appetit), and HCG’s old standby of Parmesan Roasted Asparagus. For dessert, we enjoyed HAF’s favorite box brownies (Betty Crocker – the best), individual creme brulees (via Alton Brown) and a tiny Carvel ice cream cake to celebrate MR’s birthday the following day. Three lessons learned: (1) a mini blow torch can be a challenging method for browning the tops of individual creme brulees, (2) Williams-Sonoma sells vanilla sugar (it’s expensive), and (3) melted ice cream cake is still SO GOOD. That damn cookie crunchy layer gets me every time!

The Favors: While favors aren’t a requirement for a successful sprinkle, they generally impress people, and Team HCG is all about sending people home impressed. We treated HAF’s sprinkle guests each to a Lush Mrs. Whippy strawberries and cream bath bomb (extravagant, we know). Wrapped in deep purple and navy tissue and tied with a purple ribbon, the favors were placed a top each place setting for a festive touch.

The Music: Yours truly was in charge of the playlist, and I boasted on Twitter about how I compiled a set with only one male artist (Jay-Z of course. I refuse to involve myself in any musical endeavor that does not involve Jay-Z). If there ever was a place for an all-girl playlist, a sprinkle is it. When I started the music, MR pointed out that Coldplay is definitely a guy band. Point taken, MR. HAF’s sprinkle playlist included tons of Beyonce and old school Janet, with some Florence and Katy Perry thrown in for good measure.

The Entertainment: While there is generally plenty of conversation to keep a sprinkle lively (we are women, after all), we decided to include a game of Celebrity: Pregnancy/Baby Edition to keep thing fresh. For this version of everyone’s favorite party game, all of the celebrity names submitted into the bowl were required to be either pregnant celebrities, celebrity children or someone of any notoriety who ever parented or was a child. This new spin on Celebrity worked relatively well, but our second round of regular Celebrity was much more fun. We split into teams of pregnant chicks vs. non-pregnant chicks, and surprisingly, the pregnant chicks held their own and won the regular round. They did mistakenly guess “Uncle Buck” a few times, though.

Have you ever attended or hosted a sprinkle? Was it as awesome as HAF’s sprinkle?*

*Editor’s note: If you have attended another sprinkle hosted by HCG and it was not awesome, please refrain from commenting.

Check out these adorable owl measuring cups from West Elm. I picked them up a few nights ago, and I’ve been smiling at them ever since. These little guys come in a few awesome colors, and I chose light blue because I am not skilled at taking big risks (just ask CF about my struggles at the paint your own pottery place yesterday. It was so stressful).  I can’t wait to bake with these measuring cups or use them while cooking to sort out chopped vegetables or other pre-measured ingredients. One my favorite features of these stone measuring cups: the super cute set of four nests together for easy storage. They’re like a little owl family that lives in your kitchen cabinets. Sometimes little things like owl measuring cups give life an added boost.

I tweeted this same Instagram shot of the measuring cups when I got home the other night, and the photo was too fun not to share on HCG. If you haven’t noticed, I did recently get an iPhone, and it has completely lived up to all the hype. Instagram is by far my favorite part of owning an iPhone. Right now I’m just thinking of what I can Instagram today.

A special shout out to all the HCG Chi Omega readers who will hopefully appreciate the “hoots” reference in this title (even though it may seem like an obvious owl reference) and the owl theme in general. Happy Easter to all!

P.S. Boners to Dana Minucci from Katy Swain.

Owl measuring cups, $19 at West Elm

HCG tip: Watch Shit Girls Say daily if you want to have a great day. We prefer not to interact with people who haven’t seen this video.

The Twitter feed is another fountain of joy.

You’re welcome.

Spring has allegedly arrived, and HCG is on the hunt for a versatile tweed or light bouclé jacket that will take us from brunch to baby showers to being awesome wherever we feel like it (notice I struggled with keeping up the “b” theme in that sentence).

J. Crew has delivered in this quest just as it answered my prayers a few months ago by ending my search for the perfect leopard pumps (which I wore to Lucky FABB). J. Crew’s terrazo tweed jacket checks all the boxes in HCG’s spring jacket prerequisites: (1) structured tailoring, (2) charming yet polished details, and (3) not completely exorbitant price. And even better: it’s navy! This tweed number is formal without being fussy and will work with everything from jeans Friday (woot woot!) to pencil skirt Monday. I imagine this jacket will feel great while I sport my new wireless headset in my office (which, by the way, is incredible. Just ask CF how well she can hear me when she calls me every day on her way home from school).

And, lastly, there’s a generous dose of chocolate jimmies on top of this ice cream sundae of a jacket: the sleeve length is prime for a heavy serving of bracelets. My new favorite J. Crew pave link bracelet will look fabulous with this baby.

If anyone is looking for an Easter present for HCG, this jacket would look great in my Easter basket right next to my personalized chocolate egg (thanks, Mom). Jesus is almost risen! HALLELUJAH!

Terrazo Tweed Jacket, $278 at J. Crew

Behold, the March book club selection! Hilary (HAF) hosted our March meeting and chose The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings, best known to the modern world as the Hawaiian movie starring George Clooney for which he recently received an Academy Award nomination. As much as I hate when a book is re-released with the stupid movie cover, I didn’t mind this one too much. Women of all ages love Clooney. Especially my mom.

A synopsis of the book via GoodReads:

Matthew King was once considered one of the most fortunate men in Hawaii. His missionary ancestors were financially and culturally progressive–one even married a Hawaiian princess, making Matt a royal descendant and one of the state’s largest landowners.

Now his luck has changed. His two daughters are out of control: Ten-year-old Scottie is a smart-ass with a desperate need for attention, and seventeen-year-old Alex, a former model, is a recovering drug addict. Matt’s charismatic, thrill-seeking, high-maintenance wife, Joanie, lies in a coma after a boat-racing accident and will soon be taken off life support.

Before honoring Joanie’s living will, Matt must gather her friends and family to say their final goodbyes, a difficult situation made worse by the sudden discovery that there is one person who hasn’t been told: the man with whom Joanie had been having an affair, quite possibly the one man she ever truly loved. Forced to examine what he owes not only to the living but to the dead, Matt takes to the road with his daughters to find his wife’s lover, a memorable journey that leads to both painful revelations and unforeseen humor and growth.

Book club gave The Descendants two thumbs up. The premise of the book is hardly commonplace: while a guy’s wife is dying of traumatic brain injuries suffered in a boating accident, he learns from his recovering drug addict 17-year-old daughter that his wife was having an affair and planned to divorce him. It reminds me of most Nicholas Sparks novels.

At the outset, the King daughters seem pretty messed up. The 10-year-old, Scottie, engages in some nasty text message bullying and uses phrases that were meaner than many things I’d ever heard (this should scare any woman with young girls). The 17-year-old, Alex, seems more experienced than most 27-year-olds. From what you learn about the girls’ mother Joanie (who, it should be noted, had no chance of defending herself), it’s clear why the daughters are so attention starved. But what’s admirable about The Descendants is the evolution of Matt King, a former absentee father and husband, who realizes his chance to change his family for the better despite the terrible circumstances. I can’t remember the last time I’ve read a book that felt so honest – many times to the point of discomfort – and funny.

If you’ve ever been to Hawaii, you’ll enjoy The Descendants with a special perspective. HCG is a huge fan of the Aloha State, and I welcome any opportunity to experience Hawaii even if it does involve a broken marriage, damaged children and a terminal medical condition. The scenery helps to balance out the dark subject matter.

HAF’s March meeting was, like all meetings hosted by HAF, laid back, relaxed and wonderfully enjoyable. We dined on baked ziti and recounted how HAF, MR and I nearly died while exhausting ourselves running an American Girl doll charity fashion show. I won’t go into it, but highlights include a nearly third trimester pregnant HAF going 12 hours without water, MR orchestrating an intense doll hair salon, and me being physically assaulted by a parent. The secret life of HCG.

More book club baby congrats are in order: members Karen and Christa are both pregnant with their first children, and they are due within two weeks of each other! As I’ve said before, there is no better place to learn everything you do and don’t want to know about pregnancy and childbirth than book club.

Watch out: HCG is hosting book club in April, and Joe is hard at work on necessary improvements required to open our home to the exclusive book club membership. It’s going to be awesome.

LUCK – An NYC Wedding Proposal from Aria Melody DJ on Vimeo.

There are certain times in life when you discover something and immediately need to obsessively share it with as many people as you can. This is one of those times.

John Sinclair, a family friend, created this incredible video proposal for his girlfriend, and it is AMAZING. I know people overuse that term, but this truly is one of the most touching, genuine and beautifully created things I have ever encountered. I guarantee you will love it.

An obvious warning: HCG is far from a crier, and my eyes welled up every single time I viewed this video. If you intend to watch this at work and have the luxury of an office door, close it before you hit play (this means you Ski).

Many thanks to John for allowing me to share this, and best of luck to John and Sandra on their upcoming wedding!

Cape lovers rejoice! HCG first spotted this Zara cape dress on a fashion site over a year ago. Unbelievably, I never imagined wearing a cape dress, but as soon as I saw it I knew my life would never be complete without one. I fruitlessly searched for it in Zara stores – those were the old days before Zara US online shopping – and resigned to never owning a black cape dress.

More than a year later and just a few weeks before Ash Wednesday, the dress has risen from the dead. I’m proud to report that HCG didn’t miss out this time. The second I saw it online, I dropped the pack of M&Ms I was eating and hightailed it up to my local Zara store. I didn’t even bother to minimize the window on my computer. When I rushed through the door of Zara, out of breath and anxious, there it was, freshly unpacked and perfectly positioned under a halo of fluorescent store light.

Sometimes life does you a solid.

Cape Dress, $59 at Zara

2012 book club is off to a spectacular start. Kim hosted our January meeting and selected The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, a novel written from the perspective of Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway’s first wife. Even though the book jacket – and the term “Hemingway’s first wife” – makes it clear that the Hemingways’ marriage doesn’t last, I was still so heartbroken when the relationship finally crashed and burned. Then again, I’m always disappointed when Leonardo DiCaprio dies at the end of Titanic. JAAACK!

A (slightly edited) synopsis of TPW from GoodReads:

A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.

The Paris Wife was a hit with book club. Set mostly in 1920s Paris, the novel quickly lures the reader into the blinding love story of Hemingway and Hadley. You find yourself immediately on Team Hadley, and, even though you know Ernest is a complete asshole who doesn’t appreciate Hadley, you understand why she loves him so much. Together they have a baby, spend an impressive amount of time skiing in Austria without their baby, travel repeatedly to Spain to see the annual bullfights and get drunk with Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald so many times I lost count. Sounds awesome, right? WRONG. I won’t spoil the story like the book jacket does, but I will tell you that this story does not have a happy ending. I will also tell you that Ernest is a cheater.

Much like how Curtis Sittenfeld’s combination of intense research and imagination painted a convincing portrait of Laura Bush in American Wife (a 2010 HCG Summer Book Guide pick), McLain’s intimate rendering of Hadley makes you wonder just how much of what McLain wrote was true. Like any good sleuth, HCG did some digging (translation: Googling and reading the epilogue). To confidently write in Hadley’s voice, McLain pored over the Hemingways’ personal correspondence to each other and read countless Hemingway biographies. That’s enough diligence for us.

MR is hosting our February meeting, so expect big things. Girlfriend just cut her hair in a sassy new bob with fresh side swept bangs. Who knows what she’ll throw down at book club this month.