J'adore Gap's New European Collection

The Gap recently launched its Limited Edition European Collection, an online exclusive featuring a variety of styles with an international flair. Apparently both Chloe designer Phoebe Philo, as well as French Vogue’s fashion director Maria-Amelie Sauve, have collaborated with Gap Europe’s design team on this fall’s collection. The limited edition collection features some excellent pieces that may leave you singing, "j''adore, j'adore" and wondering, after all these years, is Gap finally back? My only complaint is that it's only available online. What is that? I totally need to be able to try clothes on.

Fall Reading List

1. You Shall Know Our Velocity!, by Dave Eggers
2. Then We Came To The End, by Joshua Ferris
3. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
4. Life In The Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
5. A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khalid Housseini
6. Wisconsin Death Trip, by Michael Lesy

Pumpkin on Pumpkin: The Quintessential Fall Breakfast

While I’m still praying for an Indian summer, there’s no use in avoiding the inevitable. Fall is very much here, all around us, and it seems as though the season dropped down upon the Midwest quicker this year than I can ever remember.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love fall. It might just be my favorite season. As you will come to find during the next few months, I am truly obsessed with all things fall—pumpkin patches, apple orchards, back-to-school shopping, and haunted houses. But my pessimistic side realizes that I will be chilled to the bone for the next eight months. And that, although fall is breathtakingly beautiful, it gives way to a solid freeze, and thus hibernation of life, for what seems like an eternity.

But really, this post is a celebration of fall. And all things fall—one of the most important of which is definitely the pumpkin bagel with pumpkin shmear (seriously, why do they insist on calling it “shmear”?) from Einstein Brother’s Bagels. Today I was elated to find the excitingly seasonal pumpkin bagel sitting proudly among the other always-available boring choices like plain, cinnamon raisin, and wild blueberry. It seriously lit up and sung out to me. And I was, of course, more than happy to take a break from my usual strawberry on honey whole wheat. And so, this morning, I had my very first pumpkin bagel with pumpkin shmear, and it was sublime.

Did you ever notice how, come the very first sign of fall, there are so many pumpkin treats available at food retailers like Einstein’s and Starbuck’s? Take the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbuck’s, for instance. Their marketing ploys totally lure me in, and my sentimentality for the season leaves me feeling that by simply sipping on one of these tasty treats, I’m celebrating fall in the very way it should be celebrated. I suppose it’s the commercialization of fall. But really, I have no problem with this.

Some of the very best pumpkin treats, however, are actually homemade. My absolute favorite fall treat is for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, a recipe I'm planning to share with you in the coming weeks. But I detest pumpkin pie. I suppose my love for pumpkins only goes so far.

A More Than Adequate Hybrid

I’m always searching for the perfect pair of sunglasses—big and stylish, but not too Paris Hilton-ish, and sporty—but not like I’m getting on my bike to do a century ride. More of an everyday pair of sunglasses that serve both functions. A combination of both sporty and posh spice, if you will.

For most of the summer, I’ve been wearing a pair of sunglasses that I found at Ann Taylor. In Vegas, I might add. Very Jackie O. They serve their purpose, and I always thought they looked pretty good, too. However, some of my friends and family have called them Paris Hilton-ish—who I despise—and now I cannot get that mental imagery out of my head. I still wear them, of course, but I'm simply just not as thrilled with them as I once was. And really, I need to be thrilled.

This is why I was so excited to see a new pair of sunglasses recently that seemed to me the perfect crossbreed. I first saw Karen’s sister, Kate, sporting the Smith Audrey Sunglasses during our long week at Green Lake. Immediately, I knew I had to have them. They're a little more Audrey, a little less Paris. According to Backcountry.com, they “give you that classic Breakfast at Tiffany's look, but with optics technology that'll make your eyes say, ‘ahhh.’ We guarantee Ms. Hepburn didn't have this kind of visual clarity back in the '60s.” Well obviously that sold me, and I ordered them as a birthday present for myself. And as Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale) says in my favorite movie (Serendipity), “I usually appreciate my own thoughtfulness.” Ahhh.

I very much love my new shades and sport them all the time. I decided to order the glasses in the melon stripe with the brown lenses. They run at about $80. This is a little expensive for sunglasses, I realize, but I like to think of it as an investment in my retinas. From what I understand, protecting the retinas is very important, indeed.

On A Private Beach In Michigan

I was extremely lucky to have tickets to last night’s sold-out Wilco concert at Overture Hall. The last time I saw Wilco perform was in Ann Arbor, when I was in graduate school at UM in 2005. That show was fantastic, so I knew I was in for another treat this time around.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, Wilco is a six-piece Chicago-based alternative rock band that features Jeff Tweedy as its lead singer and guitarist. This fall’s tour is part of the release of their sixth studio album, "Sky Blue Sky."

Last night’s show was no disappointment. The music was phenomenal and I was just blown away by the quality of acoustics at Overture Hall. Many of the songs were from the new album, but they also played several classics from my two favorite albums—“Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” and “A Ghost Is Born.” The audience was obviously very much into the music, and the band came back out for two encores. The last song, one of my favorites, was Spiders (Kidsmoke) and featured an amazing jam session. The two Wilco shows are among the very best I’ve ever seen. It’s like I can feel the music throughout my entire body. And listening to six exceptionally talented musicians play together as if they were born to do so, and just the harmony that results from that, is really a transcendent experience.

From the Bottom of My Heart

I am still in awe from all of the love and support that each one of you has shown me in the days leading up to this year’s Ironman triathlon. Words cannot express my gratitude. For once, I feel blogless. I’ve spent all day trying to figure out what to post, and all I really want to say is thank you. There is just no way to properly thank each one of you for your support and to tell you how much it meant to me. Whether you were out on the course, or simply sending me e-mails or text messages, it meant the world to me and I will never forget your thoughtfulness. I have never felt so loved.

Most of all, thank you to my best friend, Karen. For being there for me always. I think all of you know that without her, I wouldn’t have made it to the starting line, much less the finish line (especially when I’m always being attacked by killer tea kettles). Next year, we’ll be out there racing together. I can’t wait.

Pictures from Ironman Wisconsin 2007

106th Ironman Out of the Water, Up the Helix

Big Hill, Bigger Smile, Huge Heart

Kristin's Crew: Beth, Jackie, Anne, and Karen

Mile 2 of 26.2

Tears of Joy at the Finish

Kristin and Karen

Post-Ironman Laughs

Royce and Kristin