Best Fall Recipe: Banana Pumpkin Smoothie

My friend Anna once recommended eating canned pumpkin for a semi-sweet, low-calorie snack. I took it a step further with this amazingly yummy, nutritious and--best of all--filling smoothie. Some context: This summer I bought a hand blender and since then, I've been crazy for the smoothies.

• Ingredients: 1/3 to a 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin (The more pumpkin you use, the more intense the flavor. I use a 1/2 cup.)
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup soy milk
• Trader Joe's pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Just blend together and enjoy!

I'm Back!

Well, sort of. It so happens that freelancing may be even more consuming than being on staff at a publication, so I probably won't be blogging here very much. HOWEVER, I will be offering analysis on fashion and retail news at The Fashion Beat. Be sure to follow me there! xoLauren

Weekend Wear for the Young and Modern

In high school, in college, even in the first couple years of work, women have a distinctly different wardrobe for weekdays and weekends. Weekday looks are cute and calm; the weekend is when you show off your newest, freshest duds, whether at a friend's house party or indie night at the local club. That new vintage dress, pastel silk blouse or zany-colored tights are most impressive when you're out and about, not stuck at a desk.

By our mid-20s, we're likely to be more confident in our position in the workplace, which means we start to show off our personality a bit more through dress. That also means wearing your favorite weekend looks on the weekdays. For instance, I wear dresses and skirts to work regularly, often paired with red, purple or pink tights, sky-high platforms and frilly blouses. Other days I'm more subdued in jeans, a button down and Keds, loafers or pumps. It's nice to get great use out of the clothes I've invested in.

But here's the thing: Now that I wear all my star pieces to the office, I'm kind of at a loss for what to wear on the weekends. By Saturday, I'm sick of wearing tights and frankly, even nice jeans. I'd like to spend those 48 hours in sweats. And while I do indeed where sweats often, I'm often looking for something a bit more. Because let's face it: The reason why we consider certain clothes special is because they make us feel special. Thus, I'd like to find some unique, comfortable weekend wear, meaning clothes that I wouldn't want to flaunt at work but enjoy wearing on my days off.

If I Was 14...

I would save my pennies for this funny little dress.

What I Want/What I'm Wearing This Spring

I won't be shopping much this spring. It has very little to do with the economy. I simply have the basics that I've lacked in the past: Proenza Schouler black pumps. Shift dresses from WhyRed and Steven Alan. Blazers from Helmut Lang and YSL. (Of course, these items were all purchased for a fraction of the original price.) However, there are always a few items on my wish list.

What I Want:

• red, navy and highlighter yellow deep v-necks from American Apparel
• some sort of Lego hair clip or belt
• some new white sneakers--maybe from Superga
• BOY suspender strap skirt
• boyfriend shirt in blue from Steven alan
• new navy Keds (mine are stinky)
• some classic flats
• cotton power dress from Preen's diffusion line
• And maybe this pioneer skirt from Acne. Maybe.

What I'll Definitely Be Wearing:

• my Rachel Comey oxfords with Uniqlo jeans
• Tashkent wedges with high-waisted Michael Kors shorts
• Marc by Marc Jacobs black organza cocktail dress
• black bass tassel loafers
• my grey YSL oversized blazer from the '90s
• my doc martens
• lots of fluorescent accents, like scrunchies!
• more grey than I should be able to get away with
• Pierre Hardy for Gap army green wedges!

What are you looking forward to pulling out of the closet this spring? Send me your thoughts!

Is London Where It's At?

I didn't post anything about New York Fashion Week this year because, frankly, it didn't prove very exciting. The most exciting part, in fact, was meeting my favorite personal style blogger, Susie Bubble. She was just as sweet and cool in person as she is on her wicked blog. Anyways, it's not that I didn't enjoy the shows. I thought that most were lovely. I'd wear lots from Narciso, Jeremy Laing, heck, even Michael Kors, but other than a choice few--Marc Jacobs, Sophie Theallet come to mind--there was nothing new, different or exciting about what I saw. I think a lot of it has to do with the recession: I'd say it's worse in New York than any other fashion capital, and designers are feeling the pressure.

What did look great, however, were the clothes at London's itsy bitsy, four-day fashion week. I adored Henry Holland's Pantone-inspired suits and Giles Deacon's insane yet ladylike take on dresses. But Christopher Kane was the true star. In the past, Kane's collections have been excellent--we must thank him for the reviving Herve Leger-like bandage dresses back in 2006--but not my style. That surely wasn't the case this time around. He mixed sheer organza with lots of grey and black plaid, playing on the importance of masculinity in women's clothing right now without forgetting that we want: to channel 1980s style without looking like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. (Okay, I kind of want to look like her, but I feel as though most girls don't. They want to look a bit more modern.) Anyways, here in New York, we like to think Alexander Wang has a hold on the cool, downtown girl's wardrobe. But Wang's looks are too literal in my opinion, especially as of late. Give me the quirky, off-trend style of London instead.

Kiss My Acne, Lanvin!

I'm experiencing a bit of writer's block so I decided to take it out on this blog. Sorry, guys!

Okay, so I spent some of my time this evening cruising the new, well-designed Lanvin Hearts Acne line, a collaboration between Lanvin's fabulous designer Alber Elbaz and Swedish denim label Acne. I adore every single piece in this small collection, and if I had copious amounts of cash, I would no doubt be spending it on this stuff. Right now, I'm all about the late '50s, early '60s pegged leg jeans and circle skirt looks that are done so well in this capsule.

However, I am not (that) crazy, nor will I be able to crack open that (non-existent) trust fund anytime soon. Therefore I cannot justify spending $570 on a pair of 5-pocket stunners, even if they do look terribly cute cuffed right above the ankle. (And look at those pussy bows! And the over-sized shirt dress! It's all so, well, me! Sigh.)

You might wonder why these pieces are so expensive. Well, there's only one reason, and it's not a reason most labels can get away with: Elbaz. Anything created by the Lanvin designer is so (presumably) highly-coveted, those behind the collaboration believe that fans will be willing to pay an added premium for this already ultra-premium denim. Whether they really are--especially in a recession--is another question.

As for me, I'm looking forward to Acne's Summer '09 sample sale.