Fall Cool

This is a great autumn nail color. It's Essie Merino Cool, a dusty gray purple that they released in their fall collection several years ago. I love the neutral, moody base. The cream formula is perfect and make it almost a one-coater.

Pictured here with my American Apparel scarf in Sir Robert William Flannel Plaid.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

American-Made Friday Links

Hope you're all enjoying this fall weather.

Here are eight articles and videos that you should read or watch if you haven't already:

Rockin' the Laundry

Clean, white diaper!  This diaper is over a year old and has NO stains!

Today's post is written by my baby sister, Liz. Seems like it wasn't too long ago that I was changing her diaper and, yet, now here she's become the expert on diapering babies. She's a working mom who is passionate about breastfeeding and other natural parenting methods. She resides in the Palouse region of Washington State with her fella and two sons, affectionately nicknamed D-Boy and Squish.

I started cloth diapering when my oldest son was about 7 months old. Most people start well before that, but I was young and naïve and believed that if I used disposable diapers, I wouldn’t have to deal with poop. After a few months of parenting (and a few hundred diaper changes), I saw how foolish I had been and was was more open to the idea of cloth diapering. Then the adventure of washing diapers began.

Syracuse Ironmen

Speaking of hometowns, I was thrilled to find out that Borough Furnace, makers of these fine cast iron skillets, are from my hometown of Syracuse. There has been a lot of buzz about them in the blogosphere and the media and for good reason.

Hometown Tees

New York Hometown Tee

If you love New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, or Boston, this understated design from the made-in-America men's brand, Hank, might be just the thing to show your hometown pride.

American-Made Tabletop

These handcrafted items are from Catherine's Table, featuring American-made items for your table and kitchen. They carry the work of artisans and craftspeople from all over the U.S. Here are just a few beautiful things:

Spotted at the Pilates Studio

Vita Vibe Ballet Barre

We've been using these barres in Pilates and I just recently realized that they're made in the USA!

P.S. See more in the Spotted... photo series.

Weekend Laid Back

 

This past weekend was very relaxing. I spent most of it catching up on some much needed sleep and laying low. The weather is finally hinting at fall, I got some errands done, and I had a chance to wear some Made-in-the-USA things (old and new).

Spotted in the Subway Station

"Designed by you; assembled in the USA."

I saw this subway ad while I was on my way to dinner the other night. Made me smile.

Update -- Some more versions of this Moto X subway ad:

The Ball Jar

These pint-sized Mason jars in vintage style blue are so cool. (And if you are like me, your inner 13-year-old self will be giggling at the thought of blue Ball jars.)

Back to School!

It's that time of the year: back-to-school season. Over a million NYC public school students start classes today. A happy time for some and a dreaded time for others. Either way, it's been the signal for stocking up on school supplies and new clothes. I decided to get some American-made things for my three-and-a-half-year-old nephew who is in preschool. With some help from his mom (my sister) and my husband, I think I've got quite the back-to-school care package for him.

American-Made Friday Links

First, a thanks to Mrs. American Made for featuring one of my head-to-toe looks on her blog. This is just one example of how my fellow bloggers have been a huge support to me.

Lots of news lately about things American made, especially the NYC fashion industry (most likely spurred on by NYFW).

Here are a dozen articles and videos that you should read and/or watch if you haven't done so already:

An American LED Bulb?

Last week, I posted about GE's collaboration with Walmart for an American-made energy-efficient light bulb. It sparked quite a bit of heated discussion on Facebook (and rightly so). Reader Chris Bell commented that an LED bulb assembled in the USA is already on the market. When asked if he would write a review for me, he graciously agreed.

Common place today is worrying about electric bills. I personally hate sending money to the power company when it could be staying in my wallet, almost as much as I hate wasting anything period. So, I began a quest. What would be a good energy efficient light bulb to use as a replacement for all the incandescent bulbs in my house? Well, the government and every store seems to be pushing the compact florescent. You know, the squiggly little bulbs that have all but seemingly replaced any incandescent on the store shelf. Well, if you read the label on the box, as well as the EPA's site, you'll learn they contain mercury, as well as the label "Made in China."

Emerson Fry, Fall 2013

 

Emerson Fry has successfully created a clothing line filled with stylish classics and covetable pieces. Season after season, she manages to offer chic items that are simple and familiar and, yet, always have women (and fashion editors) drooling. The key: making elegant, modern, but wearable items that can seamlessly fit into a woman's existing wardrobe. This fall, her line is filled with raglan sleeves, both skinny and slouchy fits, easy colors, tailored pieces, and luxurious materials. As usual, Emerson nails it with the styling. Here are some fall/winter style tips to take away from these looks:

Top Posts for August

Hope everyone is having a happy and restful Labor Day. Please don't forget to celebrate American workers by checking out some of the many wonderful things that are made right here in the U.S.A. (I picked up a few things this weekend. On sale.)

As for August, it was my best month yet. It's been great getting to interact more with my readers on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Thank you all for the complimentary comments, feedback, tweets, and emails. A special thanks to those who have been helping to support this blog, especially to my guest bloggers: Eric Gold, Josh Miller, and my husband. You guys rock.

The top five posts for August 2013 are: