Question

So.....how do you clean a white leather bag? I have found that some of my dark colored tops are rubbing off on my new bag! I think my navy J. Crew cardigan is the culprit. This simply will not do! Is there a home remedy for my poor bag, or should I get it professionally cleaned? How can I prevent this from happening in the future? Help!

Wedding Dresses!

Kelly at Kelly's Korner recently asked her readers to share either their wedding dresses or their dream wedding dresses. Now, I am a single lady so I have not actually purchased a wedding dress yet but I have thought about it.....a lot. In fact, I have a whole folder dedicated to wedding planning. Doesn't every twenty-something girl? Anyway, here are my top wedding dresses. Stay tuned for flower arrangements....









Well? Which one should I wear when I marry the man of my dreams? :)

Capitol Hill Beauty Contest

Anyone who has worked on or near Capitol Hill knows about The Hill's annual '50 Most Beautiful' list. I wait with bated breath each summer to see who has made the cut. I find it entertaining for two reasons: 1) I like to look at attractive people, particularly men and 2) I like to judge their choices. In years past, the recipients have been so-so. Mostly, the women are attractive and the men are a huge disappointment. Another reason why it's hard to be a single girl in DC. :(

While the 2009 list has not yet been released, they have provided a teaser - eight staffers who have volunteered themselves for a Readers Choice contest. Readers get to vote for the two most 'attractive' people and then those two will be added to the list. So, go ahead and vote! I will of course post as soon as the full list is published!

I want, I need......

.....one of these bags.




I have a white handbag that I've been using this summer but it was meant to be a temporary bag (it was cheap and is now beginning to fall apart). I love, love, love the Coach bag (the first one) but the J. Crew one is cheaper and currently an additional 20% off. What do you think? Do I invest in the Coach bag or settle for the J. Crew? I'm torn..... BTW - I would remove the long strap from the J. Crew bag - I don't enjoy that look.

Weekend Wrap-Up + eBay!

Well, I had quite a weekend! The highlight was another belated birthday celebration on Friday night. Yes, I like to spread my birthday out for as long as I can. A negative of having a summer birthday is that people tend to be on vacation on your special day. However, when they get back into town, you can force them to celebrate with you for the umpteenth time. :) So, one of my BFFs got me the most fabulous gifts and I just had to share.



First, she made me the most delicious cupcake cake! Pink frosting and presented on the plate I got her for her birthday! Love it!

Second, the great cupcake pan from Williams Sonoma was my gift! I have been lusting after it for some time and am very excited to now have one of my own. Also, please note that the gift was presented in a pink toile bag - does it get any better?

Now, for some eBay business. I have some items I am getting ready to list and thought I would give my readers the option of buying them before I list them.


I love, love, love these shoes! Sadly, they are a bit too small for me. I have worn them twice and they are in near perfect condition. They are size 9.5 and far more sturdy than the regular Revas. They retailed for $225. I am selling them for $150.


This is a CK Bradley tote I bought several years ago and only carried a handful of times. It is in excellent condition and would make a great travel or school bag. It retailed for $95. I am selling it for $25.


A Coach hobo bag I carried a handful of times - in great condition! It is kind of a satin material and makes a great going-out bag. I purchased it for $138, I am selling it for $50.

I also have a pink Longchamp bag I am looking to sell but it is a little on the dirty side - it was very well-loved. :) Anyone have any suggestions on how to clean it?

Email me if you are interested in any of these items! I am listing them tomorrow! bdority@gmail.com

Ok, I swear this is the last time.....

....I'm going to post about Jon & Kate.


BUT, have you seen the news about Jon and his new girlfriend?! Ugh. I have to say - I was feeling very Team Jon but I am really irritated by this new development. First of all, his new GF is ten years younger than he is. Secondly, she is the daughter of the plastic surgeon who performed Kate's tummy tuck. Lastly, he does not need to be off parading around France with his new girlfriend when he has eight children at home who are going through what I am sure is a very difficult time. This explains so much about his indifference to Kate - he already had someone else - someone much younger - waiting in the wings for him! I am now convinced he is having a serious life crisis - realizing that he missed his wild 20's and trying to make up for it in his 30's. He has the sports car, the young girlfriend, I've even heard he's shopping for an apartment in NYC! I am sorry that he feels he missed out on his 20's but now is not the time to try to relive it - not when you have EIGHT children! This makes me so mad! Grrrr.....

Stay tuned for some lovely designer eBay items listed by yours truly! I will be giving my loyal readers the opportunity to purchase some fab items before they go up for sale. Items including.....Tory Burch, Coach, Longchamp, etc.

Preppy Style Icon #1

I am beginning a new series of posts here at DC Prep - a nod to preppy style icons. My first honoree is one of my favorite actresses, Reese Witherspoon. I think she always looks impeccable - very ladylike and put-together. She also happens to be filming a movie right here in DC! Here is a pic of Reese and Jake on M Street in Georgetown. I am hoping to run into her while she's here! Running into Jake wouldn't be too bad either....


Here are some of my favorite of Reese's looks. Which ones are your favorites?

Birthday Recap

Hi! Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes - it really brightened my day!

The highlight of my birthday was another trip to the country club where my Mom and I and my BFF and her Mom sat on the porch in rocking chairs and drank wine, and then went on to have a fabulous meal overlooking the golf course. The weather was wonderful - very rare for DC in July. No humidity?! It was a birthday miracle!

My BFF Sarah got me beautiful earrings from Banana Republic and her sweet (3-month old) baby Kenzie made me cupcakes. She is very advanced for her age. :)

Here are some pics from my special night and a picture of a very preppy baby....




And the cutest mini prep in DC.....

Happy Birthday to Me!

I have some fun activities planned and will update you all tomorrow! Have a great day!

4th of July

I hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July! I certainly did! My BFF is in town (she lives in London) with her new baby so her family and my family went to the country club for a night of red, white & blue, fattening food, and fireworks. Because of the location of the country club, we were able to see the club's fantastic fireworks display AND the national fireworks in downtown DC. Shame on me for not taking a picture for you to see! Here is a picture of me, my BFF, and her sweet baby, Kenzie. Isn't she precious?


Here is my favorite part of the club - the ladies powder room wallpaper. It is bright pink and green toile! I need this for my bathroom....

Lovely!

I recently received the Lovely Blog Award from two lovely lady bloggers, A Boston Belle and One Day at a Time. Thanks - I love awards! :)

The Rules:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her link.

2. Pass the award to 5 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.

I pass this award on to the following....

The Preppy Apron - Someone already beat me to it and gave her the Lovely Award but I don't care! Her blog is new to me and I love it!

Bitsy and Olive - Such a cute blog! Check it out! She also tagged me....see below for ten things about me!

Shore Aesthetic - This lady has great taste and is a fellow DC girl!

Daydream Believer - Another native DC girl, she is very new to the blogging world but also adorable! Love her latest book recommendations!

Pink Makes the World Go Round - I couldn't agree more with the name of her blog! She has an adorable blog and I totally relate to her eBay obsession....

Now, I was tagged by Bitsy & Olive to list ten random things about me. Here it goes...

1. As much as I love chocolate, my favorite desserts are those with fruit - cobblers, strawberry shortcake, tarts, etc. Yum!

2. I love movies about the mafia. I know, I know - it's not very prep of me but one of my favorite movies of all time is The Godfather. I also love, love, love The Sopranos.

3. When I get a manicure, I always ask for Essie Mademoiselle. It is the perfect shade of pale pink!

4. I'm not going to say that I love doing laundry, but I do really enjoy it. There's nothing like the smell of fresh laundry or the sound of the washing machine/dryer running for me.... it's very comforting to me.

5. A place that I have never been but am dying to go is Italy. I would love to eat and drink my way through the whole country. Someday....

6. I secretly wish I could be a floral designer or cake decorator.

7. I have a big family - 1 full brother, 3 half sisters, and 4 step brothers! Holidays are never boring!

8. My favorite flowers are hydrangeas, peonies, and orchids.

9. I cannot stand when people refer to themselves as "classy". If you're really classy, you don't need to say it.

10. There are three celebrities who people have said I resemble: Carrie Underwood, Madonna, and Trisha Yearwood. I am choosing to believe I look most like Carrie - we could really be sisters. ;)

Summer Reading....

A murder mystery set amongst the high society of DC? Yes, please! I saw this book featured on The Today Show this morning and I think it will be the perfect addition to my summer reading list. If you're interested, below is the description from People magazine.... I will be picking my copy up before my next vacation!


When the latest victim of the "Beltway Basher" is found in the woods of Montrose Park, Reven Lynch's favorite jogging spot, her crime-loving antenna goes up. The murder makes Reven and her best friend, Violet Bolton, reconsider their running route—but that's not the only change in Reven's routine. Her chic Georgetown neighborhood isn't accustomed to brutal slayings, and when the smooth, enigmatic Detective Gunner shows up in her antique shop, asking pointed questions, Reven's left wondering how close to home the killings are.

Gunner is convinced the murderer is a society bigshot hiding in plain sight. But he is out of his element in the rarefied world of embassy dinners and symphony balls, and Reven is perfectly positioned to feed him the inside information he needs. She throws herself into her role as the detective's "ersatz Mata Hari," only to discover that the prominent skirt-chasing businessman for whom she's fallen tops Gunner's shortlist of suspects. And that's not the half of it: a philanthropic bombshell named Cynthia Rinehart has taken the city by storm, and Violet's steady marriage is suddenly encountering some major turbulence. . . .

During the course of the investigation, the social world will unravel, an old friendship will be put to the test, scandalous secrets will be unleashed, and Reven will discover that nothing old or new, in high culture or low life, is what it appears. A riveting tale of murder, money, and high society, set in the glamorous, politics-fueled world of the nation's capital, Mortal Friends delivers another "killer read".