What. A. Night.

I’ve actually had trouble writing up this post, because this was seriously one of the craziest nights of my life — it was pretty incredible to have all of the stars of my favorite television shows in one room! As a little taste, I made this video to take you guys along while I was getting ready and at the awards:

It’s a little bit of a hodge-podge because I was sometimes too distracted by the show to remember to pull out my video camera — and once we got to the afterparty, the video camera was basically the last thing I was thinking about. It was replaced with ohmygod there’s Tina Fey or ohmygod there’s Elizabeth Moss or OHMYGOD THE SMOKE MONSTER.

Yeah, see, there was a lot on my mind, okay?

Also, Ricky Gervais was particularly hilarious, because at some point about two and a half hours into the awards, I was getting hungry and Chad wanted a beer — but no.  Neither one.  No food, no booze.  No wonder people get cranky when the show goes over three hours!

I was tweeting photos throughout the night, but I’m not sure they capture how amazing it was to tell Michael C. Hall, face to face, that I’d bought Showtime just so I could watch the most recent season of Dexter.  What a night!

The best part, though, came when we were standing in the limo line leaving the afterparty.  Our limo came before Terry O’Quinn’s (John Locke/the Smoke Monster from Lost), and my sweet and thoughtful father-in-law offered him a ride!  He declined (which is good, because it might have been an awkward car ride, with us trying to grill him about the Others and the four-toed statute and all sorts of unanswered Lost mysteries that he’s probably sick of hearing about by now).

But ZOMG. That’s the type of night it was. A night where it wouldn’t feel totally bizarre to ask the Smoke Monster if he needed a ride home.

The whole night, I’d turn around and there was Ed O’Neill or Jane Lynch — people who I feel like I already know because I spend hours with them every week (probably too many hours, but let’s not nitpick, okay?).  As much as I love movies, going to the Emmys was probably more exciting for me than going to the Oscars* — these are the shows that make me laugh or cry, week after week, and it was just so amazing to be able to say to their faces how much of a huge, starstruck fan I am.

* (Although, eek, if someone out there wants to invite me to the Oscars, I’d be down, okay? Let’s just make that clear.)

I’ve created a full album of my photos on the Sugarlaws Facebook page, but I’ve also included some highlights below! But seriously — it’s raised a very important question.  If this is what Chad decided on for our first year anniversary, how on earth will he raise the bar next year?

Max Azria dress, Jimmy Choo clutch, BCBG bracelet, gifted pumps from T.J. Maxx.

The stage during the intro

Me with Ed O’Neill of Modern Family

Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer of True Blood

Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter of Dexter

Me with Jane Krakowski of 30 Rock

Me with Joel McHale of Community and The Soup

Pre-Show Red Carpet

Me with my adorable husband

Me with Elizabeth Moss of Mad Men

Me with Judah Friedlander of 30 Rock

George Clooney accepting his award

Me and my mother in law with Terry O’Quinn of Lost

Me with Eric Stonestreet of Modern Family

When I was approached by Vogue to help promote Fashion’s Night Out, you can bet that my head spun a little bit.  Anna Wintour reads Sugarlaws flashed through my mind for a second, before more rational thoughts like Anna Wintour’s assistant reads Sugarlaws replaced it.

And I’m not sure exactly who it is that reads Sugarlaws (just in case, though, HI ANNA!), but I’m so honored to be one of only five blogs they reached out to! And when Vogue comes calling, you snap to pretty quickly.

So, here’s the deal. Fashion’s Night Out is coming up this Friday, September 10th! Fashion’s Night out is an amazing world-wide event where stores are throwing parties, serving cocktails, and generally just planning really incredible and varied events!

I took the photos in this post in my Fashion’s Night Out tee shirt from last year, and I can’t wait for this year’s! I’ve posted some of the parties I’m excited about below (all free and open to the public), but you can learn more about the stores that are hosting events here! See you all there?

And in case you’re not in a participating city, don’t worry — Vogue has organized an incredible sweepstakes for a $50,000 shopping spree! The sweepstakes ends September 17th, and you can enter by clicking here! And if you win, there’s a pair of nude Miu Miu platforms that I’d like you to pick up for me, k?

While I’m finishing up my post on the Emmy Awards, check out interviews of me on Purple Lab and Corridor40!

Fashion’s Night Out t-shirt, gifted Tory Burch jeans, Ann Taylor necklace and bracelet, Lulu Frost bracelet, Rachel Rachel Roy heels.

BCBGMAXAZRIA
120 Wooster Street New York, NY 10012
BCBGMAXAZRIA will stay open late in celebration of Fashion’s Night Out. From 8-10 P.M., guests can enjoy complimentary champagne while BCBGMAXAZRIA stylists help them shop the new Fall 2010 collection. The first 50 guests in attendance will receive a Runway Survival Kit, featuring BCBGMAXAZRIA accessories and beauty essentials. Attendees can also enter for the chance to win a handbag from the current Fall collection.

Elizabeth and James
632 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014
Elizabeth and James Pop Up Stop opens it’s doors FNO. Event Details Pending.

Kate Spade New York
454 Broome Street New York, NY 10013
Join Tim Gunn, chief creative officer of Liz Claiborne inc and co-host of project runway, and deborah lloyd, creative director of kate spade new york, for a window styling contest at the kate spade Broome street flagship. Contestants will create displays inspired by tim gunn’s newest book, Gunn’s Golden Rules: life’s little lessons for making it work and the designs will be judged by tim and Deborah. Pick up a copy of Gunn’s golden rules and have it autographed while sipping a gin and tonic. Head home with a limited-edition cosmetics case, available exclusively for fashion’s night out.

Molton Brown
128 Spring Street New York, NY 10012
In celebration of its sexy and sophisticated new collection for fall, paradisiac pink pepperpod, Molton Brown has teamed up with lingerie brand Hanky Panky to offer complementary customized pink thongs with any Molton Brown purchase at its Soho emporium. Guests will be invited to sip pink champagne and sample decadent chocolate truffles while stocking up on Molton Brown favorites and personalizing their new delicates with crystal designs.

NARS Cosmetics at 3.1 phillip lim
115 Mercer Street New York, NY 10012
Customers will receive the new NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in the 3.1 phillip lim store gift bag. NARS National Makeup Artist, Francelle, will be using Pure Matte Lipstick when she creates the makeup look for Gretta Rochelle (the lead singer of the band ”Gold Mask”). The band will be performing at the 3.1 phillip lim store. NARS Pure Matte Lipstick launches September 1st exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Nicole Miller
77 Greene Street New York, NY 10012
Celebrated runway designer Nicole Miller will be co-hosting a Party with Singer/Model Cassie in the store from 6:30-9pm. A night of fun shopping plus; an apperance by Nicole Miller, open bar for those 21+, autographs, dancing to music by DJ TygerLilly, contest and personal style consultations by Nicole.

Piperlime
93 Mercer Street New York, NY 10012
Piperlime takes New York! Our first pop-up store is opening in SoHo Thursday, September 9th. Swing on by to shop our favorite fall trends, Rachel Zoe’s picks and exclusive styles you won’t find anywhere else. Join us for Fashion’s Night Out on Friday, September 10th from 6pm-11pm. Take photos and get autographs from the cast of Project Runway, and get styling advice from Rachel Zoe! Plus get a special treat from us with any purchase, while supplies last.

rag & bone
119 Mercer Street New York, NY 10012
rag & bone is teaming up with fellow Mercer Street retailer 3.1 Phillip Lim to co-host a street party featuring delicious food (think burgers, fries and shakes) and a live DJ. Inside the store, designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville will be on hand to help SoHo shoppers style their Fall looks. Special guests include Revlon’s Global Artistic Director Gucci Westman who will perform mini-makeovers, and one of Revlon’s Global Brand Ambassadors (who will it be??). Look forward to seeing you there! peace and love, rag & bone

Ralph Lauren
379 West Broadway New York, NY 10012
Join Andre Leon Talley downtown at Ralph Lauren Soho for champagne, shopping and a stylish performance by Grammy nominated singer Janelle Monae. Monae’s 360 degree concert from the oversized loft windows will have guests dancing in the street to her soulful musical musings in honor of Fashion’s Night Out.

Robert Lee Morris
400 West Broadway New York, NY 10012
Designer appearance and official launch of the Fall 2010 Robert Lee Morris collection! Be the first to shop the collection, with Robert on-hand to sign all purchases. Also check out our DIY bracelet station, where you can design your own customized concho bracelet!

Sephora
555 Broadway New York, NY 10012
Harajuku Lovers is giving you an exclusive sneak peek at their newest fragrance collection, Wicked Style. Harajuku Lovers is taking to the streets in a branded fragrance truck looking for some wicked style fun. Follow @harajukulover_g on Twitter to find out where the truck will be throughout the day to grab samples and great giveaways. The first 100 people who purchase the special Harajuku Lovers Fashion’s Night Out fragrance set at Sephora Soho will receive a wristband, which will ensure getting your Wicked Style fragrance signed by Gwen Stefani herself. Enter to win tickets to the L.A.M.B. fashion show during New York Fashion Week. Get pampered with Harajuku-inspired makeovers from T3 and MAKE UP FOR EVER.

Tibi
120 Wooster Street New York, NY 10012
Tibi party 6pm – 10pm. Tibi-tini’s, lite bites and DJ. Designer Amy Smilovic will be on hand for styling tips. Additional details pending.

Vivienne Tam
40 Mercer Street New York , NY 10012
Customers will be able to strut down and pose on a mini catwalk in one of Vivienne’s designs and will be given a model comp card on the spot. They will also enjoy complimentary manicures from Incoco and Vivienne Tam custom cocktails concocted by our sponsor, Star vodka, and blended with T Salon organic tea. Chances to win great prizes like a spa treatment at Mandarin Oriental, Vivienne Tam/Monster headphones, and two tickets to Vivienne’s Spring 2011 Fashion Show at Lincoln Center! Our event will be the first opportunity for customers to purchase VT Monster Butterfly Earbuds.

When I first started this blog, I used to clip recipes out of cooking magazines all the time. They were everywhere — stacks of magazines with dog-eared pages, gathered in piles on my nightstand and in random drawers, random crumpled clippings that somehow made their way into every suitcase and handbag I owned.

They finally made their way into one giant stack, as pictured below, which I promptly threw into a folder and, um, never looked at again. As this blog has grown, I’ve become more comfortable experimenting with my ideas for flavor combinations and building new recipes off of my prior experiments, rather than looking for inspiration from cookbooks and magazines.

So it was time for me to get rid of my magazine cutout folder. But in looking through them, there were a few that really stuck out in my mind, and I thought it might be fun to share them with you guys! Some of these are creative, some are easy and delicious-sounding, and some of them just look like something I might have come up with myself. Three years and dozens of cooking magazines later, here are nine recipes I haven’t made yet (but would love to try!):

Chilled Tomato-Tarragon Soup with Croutons (Bon Appetit, June 2008)

Fig, Prosciutto, and Gorgonzola Salad (Cooking Light, June 2007)

Crab, Corn, and Tomato Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing (Cooking Light, June 2008)

Bruschetta with Fava Beans, Greens, and Blood Oranges (Bon Appetit, March 2009)

Baked Penne with Farmhouse Cheddar and Leeks (Bon Appetit, March 2009)

Creamiest Chocolate Pudding (Cooking Light, December 2007)

Caramel Layer Cake (Cooking Light, June 2007)

Caramel Popcorn (Cooking Light, December 2007)

Cucumber Gimlets (Bon Appetit, July 2006)

I took these photos at our hotel in Los Angeles this week, and I just love how they turned out. The hotel had this very chic, very serene rooftop pool that seemed perfect for this flowy sea-colored dress. Not to mention my new Rebecca Minkoff bag that I mentioned in the last post!

I know, I know. All you guys want to hear about is the Emmy Awards. But we’re still in California where my internet access is somewhat limited, and I can’t edit the video I took until I’m back home! So next week, I promise, it’s coming.

What I think was particularly funny about this hotel pool, though, is that I thought that I’d revisit it as I was shooting a video introduction for my Emmys post, and when I went back the following afternoon, the entire pool was *packed* with screaming, splashing children. Now, I love kids — but let’s just say it had lost some of its chic, serene appeal.

So I’m happy I snapped these pictures when I did, because to me, they do have a very jet-set feel. And I shot some cute photos on the actual beach during the second half of our trip, so look for a little bit of California in my very NYC-centric blog over the next few weeks.

Gypsy dress, gifted Rebecca Minkoff MAC clutch, Prada sandals, Robert Lee Morris ring, Ann Taylor necklace and bracelet.

Right before I left for LA for the Emmys, I was lucky enough to be invited to an awesome event hosted by Rebecca Minkoff! She had about a dozen bloggers over to her showroom to drink tea and champagne and take a look at the upcoming Spring line of her beautiful handbags! I’m a longtime fan of her bags (literally, every girl I know has at least one in her closet) so I was super excited to attend!

And this was so much fun — check out Minkette to see more photos and links to all the attendees! These are some of my favorite bloggers and the event was just gorgeous — every single detail was beautifully executed. And it doesn’t hurt when your walls are lined with stunning handbags and shoes!

But most exciting of all, I got to meet Rebecca herself! She was absolutely lovely — totally gorgeous and so down to earth and nice. I was a little intimidated when we started talking, but she was so cool that I got over it in about half a second. I didn’t get a photo of her and I together, but we’re in the background of one of the event photographer’s photos (see the photo with the dorky purple arrow below, oh yes I did).

I’ve been looking for a great fall bag, and Rebecca let each blogger pick one of her designs to take home! So look for my stunning new tan MAC clutch in future posts! (Actually, I took some photos with it by the pool in our hotel in LA today — I can’t wait to post them!)

On me: Rebecca Taylor dress seen here, Ann Taylor necklace and bracelet.

So, kale chips are one of those ridiculously healthy, nutty crunchy, snack-food-for-the-quinoa-and-bulgar-set recipes that I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like. Truth be told, I’m not really much into bitter greens, but these seemed so easy and healthy that I had to give them a try.

And. Um. Ok, maybe I just do not belong in the quinoa and bulgar set. In fact, I think this pretty much proves that theory. I try to be as healthy as the next girl, but am I really going to replace my beloved pretzels and baked Doritos for these? Unlikely.

This is probably a good time to mention that a few months ago, I attempted a *very* expensive three-day juice diet, and do you know how long I lasted on it? Less than eight hours. Do you know how much weight I lost? Not a single ounce. Sigh.

Part of me debated whether or not to post this recipe, but in the end, I thought it was an interesting idea that others could probably enjoy more than me. Each “chip” basically tasted like olive oil and garlic, which was actually pretty good. So if you’re curious about kale chips too, I think you should try this recipe and decide for yourself!

Last but not least, the winner of the Stonyfield Farm Oikos giveaway is comment #24, Rachel!  I’ll be emailing for your address this weekend!

Kale Chips Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch kale
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fleur de sel
1 tsp garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Line a nonstick cookie sheet with tin foil.

Remove the kale stems and tear the leaves into pieces. Wash and dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt, rubbing the leaves to coat evenly. Place the kale in an even layer on the pan and bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, about 15 minutes. Serve.

So, I am mildly obsessed with this outfit.

I’m trying to pinpoint exactly what I love so much about it, and I think it’s this: this whole look is a lot more “cool” than what I’d usually wear, but at the same time, I felt totally comfortable in it. When I pick out what to wear, I’m usually pretty reserved — I tend to go for classic shapes, cuts and patterns, and if I want to make them a little more interesting, I use accessories. But for this, I paired fun accessories with this even more fun romper — and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out! Unique Vintage loaned me a number of dresses to create outfits around, so look for more of these to come!

I’m not much of a vintage shopper, but I’m always so impressed with the incredibly unique outfits people put together. My “vintage” items tend to come from my mother’s closet rather than from cool, trendy thrift stores, and I’m pretty sure my mother doesn’t own a purple romper. So I like the idea of getting something that feels a little vintage-y, but still comes in modern sizes and cuts.

I had a tough time deciding whether to post this week on my dress for the Emmys, but I’m going to leave it as a surprise for now! I absolutely can’t wait.

Floral ruffle one-shoulder romper borrowed from Unique Vintage, Forever 21 necklace, BCBG belt, Sisley clogs, Charlie My Love fringe bag, Olia bracelet.

Photos by Kristen.

When I was approached by Stonyfield Farm to try the new caramel and chocolate flavors of their Oikos organic greek yogurt, it sounded like a great plan. I’ve used greek yogurt in a number of recipes (especially ice cream!), but it also makes a delicious, healthy snack. And I loved the new flavors — totally delicious and guilt-free, the perfect mix of sweet and good for you!

And even better, Stonyfield Farm has put together an amazing prize pack for you guys! So, here’s the deal. One lucky winner gets a chocolate- and organic-themed gift pack from Stonyfield Farm that includes coupons for Oikos yogurt and Green & Black chocolate, organic Chocolate chapstick, organic cocoa soap, an Oikos spatula, and more!

You can win in two ways:

1) Leave a comment below, and mention something about Stonyfield Oikos yogurt!

2) Twitter about this giveaway! Send a tweet that includes @Sugarlaws and a link to http://www.sugarlaws.com/giveaway-oikos and you’ll get a second entry!

I’ll announce the winner, chosen randomly, on Friday — entries close Thursday at midnight EST!

US shipping addresses only. Learn more about Oikos and organic farming here!

Before posting this giveaway, I received coupons for two four-packs of Oikos yogurt!

As you all know, last week I went up to Boston to visit the headquarters of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, which was a really interesting trip!  I totally remember buying cheap Polo shirts for my high school boyfriend at Marshalls, but I can’t say that I’ve been back much since then!   So when I was invited to learn about off-price shopping, I was definitely intrigued.

And I will say, this trip made me pretty excited about T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.   When one of our TJX liasons showed up for the day and proudly announced that she’d bought her Alice and Olivia dress at T.J. Maxx for a hundred dollars, my ears perked up, um, a lot.   We spent the morning learning about how off-price retailers do their buying — unlike traditional department stores, they buy year-round, so if merchandise gets returned to a designer, they can pick it up at a big discount.   Combine that with buying in bulk for stores across the country and a business model that depends on high turnover rates, and you just might find them selling a Prada bag for $1200 off the retail price.   No, I’m not that kidding — in fact, I saw that myself!

I thought it might be fun to take you guys along via video, so click below for a taste of what we saw!

I wound up finding an asymmetric Helmut Lang shirt for under $50, which I wouldn’t have believed was possible if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.   I also got the supercute clutch in the photos below for $19.99, and a pair of round-toe platform Guess pumps that you would never guess were $39.99.   Not bad — now I can’t wait to check out their stores in NYC!

I’ve included some more photos below, from shopping at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls to dinner with all the bloggers, to the incredibly photogenic (especially for a former prison) Liberty Hotel!

Our accommodations and travel were paid for by TJX, and each blogger received a $100 gift card to shop at the stores during this event.

I went up to Boston last week for a fall preview at T.J. Maxx and Marshall’s headquarters, which was really a lot of fun. Fortunately, the weather in Boston seemed to cooperate perfectly — it was just cool enough that I felt like I could break out this shirt, which I’d meant to save for early fall.

I sometimes feel like you’re not a true fashion blogger until you’ve done the quintessential horizontal-striped-shirt post, so here’s mine! I knew it was going to be a long day of meetings, shopping and travel, so I wanted something stylish and comfortable, and this definitely did the trick.

I’ll post more on the event later in the week, but a big thanks to everyone at Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, Rocket XL and Oglivy for making this event so much fun for the bloggers who attended! The completely adorable Jessica from What I Wore took these photos — only at an event like this could I find someone to wake up at 6:45 am with me to take outfit photos! Fashion blogger minds clearly think alike, which is pretty awesome.

More soon!

BCBG top, J. Crew necklace, Theory shorts, Alexis Bittar cuff, Marc Jacobs bag, Christian Louboutin pumps.

Our accommodations and travel were paid for by TJX, and each blogger received a $100 gift card to shop at the stores during this event.