This & That: No. 26

A book, a movie, chic accessories, simple luxuries to indulge in during your next bath and more . . .

~Books

~A Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling

If you were a fan of J.K. Rowling’s much beloved series Harry Potter, you might want to take a look at her first book written for adults titled The Casual Vacancy. With more than 500 pages, it appears to be full of conflict, unexpected surprises and suspense in a small town in England. Scheduled to be released this Thursday – September 27th, pre-order now.

~Movie

~W.E.

I am one of those people who will make a list of movies I want to see when I see a review or hearing a friend rave about a particular picture and often not actually see the movie until much later; however, rest assured, I do end up seeing it as I am always looking for a film worth sitting down and enjoying for the allotted 90 minutes. Such turned out to be the case with the movie W.E. directed by Madonna that was released nearly a year ago. W.E., standing for Wallis and Edward, the two controversial, but much adored couple that involved a twice divorcee and King Edward VIII who abdicated the throne for his new wife is creatively filmed and quite intriguing. While rated “R” due to two domestic violence scenes that parallel the historical and contemporary characters, I highly recommend it if you are at all curious and intrigued by historical romances.

~Beauty

~Origin’s A Perfect World Intensely Hydrating Body Cream

One of the simple luxuries that I love to indulge in after a bubble bath is to treat my skin to Origin’s A Perfect World lotion. It is like caviar for the skin – rich, decadent and necessary as we enter into fall and then on into winter when our skin will be begging for moisture. Originally discovered as Oprah’s Favorite Things years ago, ever since I have always been a fan.

~Shopping

~Mae Striped Sweater

Lovers of nautical fashions rejoice! Mae’s striped sweater of gray, navy and winter white is a wonderfully cozy sweater to add to a classic wardrobe. Paired with jeans when you want to snuggle up by the fire with a glass of rich hot chocolate and homemade whip cream, you will be certain to relax in style.

~Oliver Peoples Wacks optical frames

A fan of Jenna Lyons and Katie Couric’s black frames, I have had my eye (no pun intended) on Oliver Peoples Wack designs for quite some time. Available in black, blue havana, cocobolo and black/dark turtoise, these frames will give your eyes a rest upon taking out your contacts after a long day staring at the computer screen and be certain to look fabulous.

~Recipes

~79 Healthy Weeknight Dinners from Food Network

September is in full throttle and schedules have ramped up; however, that doesn’t mean we should skimp on the quality of meals we sit down for during the week. Food Network has gathered together a slideshow of 79 healthy simple weeknight dinners, a handful of which are sure to interest your tastebuds to help you put together a weekly menu. I have my eye on the chicken-zucchini alfredo and French three onion soup.