dinner | Preppy Runner - Theodora Blanchfield

Remember how I said I was going off the carbs this week in preparation for my ball tomorrow?

Yeah, well…

Operation Leave No Carb Behind started with whole wheat pasta with chicken and vegetables for lunch yesterday.

And continued at Frankies Sputino 17 Clinton Street (yes, apparently that’s the whole name.) I’d had plans last night to drop in for a networking happy hour kinda thing and then have a quiet night at home with Bailey, but when my friend Shelley texted me that she was in town from L.A., I immediately canceled all plans to hang out with her. She is absolutely one of my favorite people in the world, and she now lives 3,000 miles away from me. Like Laney said, always suck it up–you never know what will happen if you don’t go out.

I mean, I would have missed out on this antipasto.

This arugula and mozzarella salad. (It tasted way better than it looks, promise.)

These shredded Brussels sprouts. (When did I become obsessed with Brussels?)

The world’s darkest dish of bolognese. (Shelley and I split this, the salad and the B. sprouts.)

And a super-fun night with one of my favorite people in the world. Laughing about college memories. Finishing each others’ sentences with the crazy stories of our misspent youth.

(Yes, that is a styrofoam head.)

So, yes, I broke my own rules. Dairy, refined carbs, alcohol. But I had fun, and I’m still going to look pretty damn good in that dress tomorrow, refined carbs be damned.

Unrelated question–what should I do with my hair???

This is what I did last year (it’s just sort of a fancy half-up), and I liked it, but I think my hair’s too long for that now. I want to do something more exciting than a blow-out, because my hair’s naturally straight anyway. My hair doesn’t hold a curl well, and I don’t like how my face looks with all of my hair up.

Any ideas?

Edited to add: the dress is strapless again, and pretty plain, save for some ruching on the chest. I’ll be wearing the same necklace I was in this pic.

Heading out to NJ last night was part to celebrate my parents’ anniversary and part to celebrate my birthday just one more time. (Their insistence, not mine. I didn’t mind, however.)

We usually go to a few tried and true restaurants, but last night we tried a new place a few towns over, in Wayne, called Aldo’s.

My dad and I, per usual, started with the mozzarella carrozza. It’s kind of our benchmark of a good Italian restaurant. If they’re good at this, then they’re probably good at everything else.

Well, the mozzarella carrozza wasn’t so good. My mom’s stuffed artichoke was okay, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Knowing I had a big day of eating coming up today, I decided to go for as light an entree as possible. I got the orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage. Everything else was fairly traditional Italian–heavy on the sauce, breading and cheese.