Celebrity Spotting

I know I haven't posted in weeks, but with the end of the year chaos and school work taking up all my time, I've barely even had time for myself let alone time to blog!

Finally, after a busy week of group project meetings and other boring appointments, I went with a few girls on my floor and my one other friend to meet Jill Zarin at Borders in Fairfield. Jill, Gloria and Lisa were all there to promote theie new book, Secrets of a Jewish Mother. I must admit, even though I'm not Jewish myself, I can't wait to read it. It seems hilarious and Gloria really had some wonderful advice to give to the audience about careers, relationships and following your dreams. Of course I was in the front row, and even went up to ask a question. I was literally 2 feet from Jill!

Of course when she walked in, I heard her before I actually spotted her. She was wearing a fabulous blue/green one shoulder dress that had a slight ruffle. I was SHOCKED to see how skinny she was in person, (the camera really must add 10 pounds). When I went up to meet her and take the above picture with her she had been eating a cookie and turned to me to ask, "do I have anything on my face?!?" She was EVERYTHING I thought she would be. Goes to show you that she really isn't acting on Real Housewives after all!

Vive en France

This summer is all about being effortlessly elegant. Ruffles, lace, floral, sorbet colors and neutral tones are all flocking the runways for this upcoming season. One of the things I loved most about the pieces I picked to put together a Parisienne theme was that despite the unique beauty of each piece, they could all be mixed and matched to create different outfits. Each piece makes its own individual statement, but can still be paired with at least one item from below to put together a truly classic outfit.

I thought this was very chic and would look lovely paired with dark jeans and a big bow headband or a large, floppy black hat

I admired the knitting in this sweater and thought it would be the perfect thing to throw on over the dress below for those breezy summer nights when your eating dinner outside.

This bag may just be my new favorite evening bag. While the bow, (which you can't see too well in the picture), is simple, it adds a perfect finishing touch to the bag. This can also be worn year around if paired with the proper outfit.

This lady-like floral theme is elegant, but not stuffy. I also thought the detail in the center of the dress added an interesting touch.

Another classic basket bag that I talked about the other day. The black and white weave with the gold chain channeled a Chanel bag to me.

This is the jacket that I pictured to go with the above bag. The subtle ruffles compliment the basket weave in the bag above.

As soon as I saw this shirt, I pictured pearls, big curls in my hair and a a structured bottom to separate the look from the loose feel of the top.

These shorts are structured and looked pulled together. I thought they would look cute with flats or pumps. The shirt above it with the roses, and the straw bag below would also make a lovely outfit together if paired with these shorts.

This bag is one of my favorites out of the mix. The neutral tones of the ribbons leave this bag open to be paired with almost any outfit. Its wonderful shape and perfect size also leave it open to be used as a day or casual evening bag.

(I decided not to put the pieces in any particular order, as I didn't want to create specific "looks" but rather allow you to see how the pieces can be worn together or separately.)

Bold and Juicy

What better way to show how much you love your iphone than have big lips on the back giving it a kiss. When I first saw this fabulous case, I thought it seemed very Andy Warhol. Clearly from the iconic lips and bold colors, you can see it's Diane Von Furstenberg. The new case is only $20 and is said to fit not only iphones, but itouches as well. Hmm, I'm wondering if DVF will be making an ipad case anytime soon? A girl can hope.

Season of Straw

Maybe it's just this oddly hot weather, (87 degrees in April...who's complaining), or maybe it's the fact that I'm just dying to think about anything other than how busy these last few weeks of school are going to be, but all I want to do is find the perfect summer straw bag like the ones above.

If you don't already own a straw bag for summer, I highly suggest investing in one (maybe the ones above). They seem to be popular every summer season every year. I would however, suggest in not spending the money on a top quality straw bag if you are rough on your bags, or plan on using it everyday. Perhaps opt for a clutch, instead of a big bag, as that might be a better pick instead of worrying about a large hand bag that will eventually wear down and fray.

My choices of straw bags for today came from (in order from the top), Lilly Pulitzer, Tory Burch, and Michael Kors. I adore all three and think each one bring a different feel and interest to a potential look or sun dress that it could be paired with.

One Day Without...Shoes?

Anything that combines philanthropy and fashion statement in one is definitely grabbing my attention. TOMS shoes, which have become increasingly popular over this past year, is really on a mission to send a message about their company. For those of you who aren't already familiar with the line, TOMS donates one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair that is purchased.

On April 8, TOMS is sponsoring "One Day Without Shoes." It's asking people to go barefoot for a whole day (or even a few minutes), to show what it would be like for a child in need who can't afford a pair of shoes.

Get your TOMS just in time for summer. Personally, I think they're perfect beach shoes, and they have a great price tag to match the cause!

Codes Galore

Easter may have passed a few days ago, but I'm about to bring you something that no-bunny could fit in a basket. From now until 4/12/10, all J.Crew orders of $150+ will receive free shipping. The promo code is B67M1Z. Special thanks to J. Crew Aficionada for the tip!

Use it wisely and happy shopping!

Design-Her Gals

Before I left for college in August, my mom told me about this adorable website called "designhergals.com" ...of course anything with a name that cute has to be something I'm going to love. I felt like I was a little girl again dressing up dolls and picking out the avatar that would be perfect for me. (Note my Lily Pulitzer bedding in the background-so Spring!)

My mom surprised me one day with this above mug wearing the exact outfit I wore to see Wicked with Daniel a few weeks before I left for school . Even though that picture of the mug is awful and really doesn't do it justice, (you can thank my lovely dorm room lighting for that), the resemblance between the two makes me smile every time. She's even complete with a little Blackberry (back before I switched to the iphone), pearl bracelets, and matching Chanel bag!

Designhergals.com also does adorable t-shirts, stationary, and other fabulous gift ideas as well. Plus, designing a little avatar is definitely an excuse to play dress up all over again.

This is the picture my mom used to copy my designhergal from. Leave it to her to have it so spot on!

Closet Surprises

Behold elegance. Behold beauty. Behold vintage. Behold....a bag I bought when I was 12? Actually, I'm not making this up. Even at 12 I had an eye for all things that had simple beauty. I actually picked this out in an antique store way back when, and its been sitting in my closet for years. (I thought the colors of the marble in my bathroom complimented the pearl tones in the bag-what a beautiful color scheme, right?!)

Yesterday for Easter I panicked 10 minutes before we left for dinner as I realized that I had left most of my little clutches at school. I didn't know what I could use to throw a lipgloss and phone in at the last minute. I quickly scanned my closet and was shocked when I laid eyes on the bag realizing that it had been sitting in the dark for all of these years.

It's so simple, yet the bead work on it is incredible when you see it up close. It added a subtle finishing touch to my Rebecca Taylor dress I wore yesterday and made me feel so 1920's flapper.

Moral of this story....rummage through your closet once in a while, you never know what's hiding in there

Art as Fashion, Fashion as Art

Art as Fashion....sounds overused and cheesy, right? But I'm wondering, could it be possible for something to be almost too beautiful to wear. Or vis-versa, could it be that some art should actually be interpreted as fashion. If your confused by what I'm talking about, looking at an Hermes scarf will quickly clear things up for you. It is really my mom who (like she has with most things), turned my awareness to the classic beauty and elegance of an Hermes scarf. They are the instant way to add a who new dimension to a simple outfit and surely catch more than a few envious eyes.

La Femmes aux Semelles de Vent meaning "a woman with winds for her soles" is from the 2009 "Year of Travel"collection. What fascinates me that most about this scarf is the detail and complexity of the pattern. What I love most is that the piece tells a story and uses each, (what looks like a layer) part of it's design to make you fall in love with it. The scarf comes in a variety of other beautiful colorways as well, (my mom has it in 2 other colorways!), but when I saw the scarf at Mitchell's in Westport, CT I knew it was the one.

From the Hermes scarf booklet: Like the rugs and clothing of these regions [Central Asia and the Far East], the carre is bordered with fur bands, here printed on the silk, and embroidered braids, mixing ethnic, geometric or floral patterns, interspersed with pieces of gold-work, charms, and earrings of silver, coral and turquoise.

Although I adore all of my Hermes scarves, this one simply strikes me each and every time that I look at it. I have been thinking about perhaps framing it for my room, but then I think to myself the question I began this post with...is this piece to beautiful to be worn, or too beautiful to simply hang on a wall?

Light It Up Blue

In light of April being autism awareness month, the Autism Speaks foundation has designated blue as the color of choice to wear to show support for the cause. Last night, my mom and I went to a fabulous restaurant in my town called Uproot which is just one of many places recognizing "Light It Up Blue."

"Light It Up Blue" is a program that was set up through Autism speaks in order to raise awareness about the 3rd annual United Nations World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. The program, which was started back in 2007 will surely be catching eyes everywhere in the Manhattan area now, because the Empire State Building will be lit up in blue to honor the cause for the entire month of April.

My mom and I thought we too would show our support for Light It Up Blue, and incorporate some blue into our dinner outfits. I chose a wonderful blue, black and white strapless floral dress with black pumps, while my mom opted for a purple, white, blue and black Ralph Lauren wrap dress. (Note her gorgeous Charles Krypell cuff which I wrote about in February).

My mom paired her wrap dress with black patent leather Ferragamo varina flats, and a rare plum colored Chanel East-West bag to accent the hints of purple in her dress. I left most of my smaller bags at school, so I decided to take my damier Louis Vuitton carryall, and adjusted the straps to give it a more structured look.

We ended our evening with full bellies filled with arctic char and cucumber, smoked salmon with pear and caviar, pecan crusted pork loin, walnut whiskey ice cream and earl grey macarons. Food, fashion and all for a good cause....what more could a girl ask for?