The photos at Garance Doré make me want to be a Parisian ( but that's another posting!).
I especially liked her post on her love of her new Sofia Coppola designed Vuitton bag. I remember getting my first Speedy 40. It was passed down from my mother when she no longer wanted to hold a hand bag. I practically took it & ran. I remember buying that Speedy at the Ave. Montaigne location many years ago. We have a long history together. Ever since then, I've treasured my Vuittons. I don't like anything too fancy, but I love my monograms. There's just something very timeless about them. I love how the leather handles age to a dark brown after years of wear. I probably don't take as good a care of my bags as I should, but that's the beauty of each bag. They still look fabulous after all the abuses of daily living. I also love the fact that each bag has a name and who wouldn't love an Alma or a Spontini? My great plan is to pass them all down to my daughter (if & when I should have one). Otherwise, I might need to be buried in an extra large casket!
Each and every day I have a ritual that I follow.... I must read these blogs in order or else my day just doesn't feel quite right. (I also couldn't resist adding this photo of Laduree macrons... because my ultimate dream would be eating these macrons w. a cup of Café crème each & every day!)
- Apartment Therapy: This is the mega-blog for me. Seriously, I probably don't need to follow too many other design blogs because AT seems to know what is happening in the design world at all times! I also love the ohdeedoh and kitchn sections...and I'm always a fan of the house tours.
- sfgirlbybay: This was the very first blog that I followed religiously...Victoria is incredibly talented and I've always found her photography (and her lovely SF apartment!) to be quite inspiring.
- design*sponge: As KP beautifully stated earlier, I turn to this blog for DIY inspiration and all the lovely peeks into gorgeously decorated homes.
- decor8: Holly Becker's blog is chock-full of design info....she presents a great weekly etsy finds update and I always love to read about what she's up to....currently she's in transition to a new life in Germany.... I can't wait to see how she'll decorate her new place. When she furnished her Hannover apt. I couldn't wait to see what the new great "find" was...... (she blogged about this in Haus Maus).
- Black*Eiffel: I probably don't have to say more...the title just says it all.....I always find something to ooh & ahh about. Right now the Black*Eiffel is off to France so I'm eagerly waiting for lovely updates on all things French!
- Oh Joy!: This blog is pleasing on many levels....I esp love all the posts on graphic design & fonts...
- Poppytalk: Another great blog to find Etsy & other DIY inspirations
- Chez Larsson: Benita Larsson is an organizational whiz...and her sense of style is right on: Clean, simple & just plain beautiful. She's incredibly handy and I've jotted down so many DIY projects that she's inspired me to do myself.... She's also Swedish and has worked for Ikea in the past...so that should be enough to confess my love for all things Chez Larsson!
- A Cup of Jo: This blog is like my first morning cup of coffee.... energizing! Joanna Goddard is adorable. She really brings her blog to life by filling us in on her personal experiences and all the cool happenings in NYC!
- English Muse: My newest (favorite)blog.... and boy am I glad I stumbled onto this one....We seem to share similar tastes and that's what I love about a blog...She also adores Sofia so she has to have good taste, right?
I've loved James Bond since I was a kid. I used to watch all the movies w/ my dad and always looked forward to a new installment coming out during the holidays...I was a bit skeptical when Daniel Craig signed on for the new generation of Bond films, but boy do I love him now!!! He's brought back all the excitement, but added his own edge to classic Bond.
And who could deny the chemistry between him and Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale? ( I love Eva Green! )
Can't wait to see Julie & Julia. I've always adored Julia Child... Maybe one day I can be as ambitious as Julie Powell and recreate the recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This is definitely on my to-do list.
I just can't get enough of this blog dedicated to home design and decoration. It boasts 2 of my favorite qualities when it comes to blogs: 1) it's LOADED with information and pictures and all sorts of other good stuff and 2) it's focuses on realistic, modern ways to make a home just gorgeous. The only flaw...so many good ideas and my house just is not big enough for them all!
The last weekend in July, a friend and I are planning a day trip down to Ithaca, NY. It's about 2 hours southeast of Rochester and is a little treasure of a city. In addition to the gorgeous waterfalls and gorges, it is also home to Cornell University and Ithaca College and the famous vegetarian Moosewood Restaurant. The downtown area is also loaded with all sorts of fantastic little shops (my favorite are the stores specializing in outdoor gear) . It really is one of those places that has something for everyone.
I have spent (well, some might say wasted...but I never would) countless hours on Looklet.com and as far as I am concerned, it's the most fun you could ever have on the computer. You pick a model and dress her, head to toe, from hundreds of choices of items which are all available online. Dangerously addictive so don't plan to accomplish much else once you get going.
Banao is THE Elite Banana. He is a bon vivant...the banana 'about town'. This post is really for my sister and fellow blogger Lapapas, who is the ultimate fan of this hilarious Japanese creation. In keeping with the tradition of kooky cuteness like Hello Kitty and Afro-Ken (the dog with an afro), Banao is a banana who leads a life, far more interesting than anyone I know. He is playboy...a ladies banana, seen on the town in fabulous outfits, with loads of adoring fans following him wherever he goes. When he isn't out and about, he is often relaxing at home with his cat (?!?) sipping brandy or practicing yoga. Lapapas and I have loads of Banao related items that were purchased at a fantastic store in Pittsburgh, PA called Kawaii. It's one stop shopping for all your Banao needs.
I loving following the Sartorialist.
I always swoon over the beautiful images of the most beautifully dressed men & women (and sometimes even children). This one caught my fancy because I have a vision of what I'd like to look like when I'm old (maybe in my 70s?). I want to have a "look". I want to be like Polly Allen Mellen. I think she is one of the coolest women around. She used to be a fashion editor at Allure magazine and I have always admired her taste in clothes & attitude. She is always chic and I love her signature bob. It just suits her. In my dream version of myself, I envision wearing a Chanel jacket (because I believe one shouldn't wear Chanel until they're older),
a nice white jcrew tee, jeans, and my always reliable black flats (preferably Lanvin...since we're just dreaming here!). Let's hope I age well!
I think Katiep's last post was fantastic. I have a thing with lipstick. In my twenties, I used to totally go all out and have a routine on how to put on lipstick: lip liner, lipstick, blot, and maybe one more coat of lipstick. I always figured if you have nice lips, you don't really need much else. I've retired my lip liner simply because I'm too lazy for it now, but I still blot like crazy. A friend use to kid me about my lipstick blotters. I'd leave a trail of lipstick blots all over my apartment, car, and purse. When I die, I think my blots will survive me. I tell my husband that on my death bed, I must have my lipstick on at all times. This makes me feel put together. I don't need much else. I use a tinted moisturizer, lipstick, and brow pencil. That's it. This is my attempt at some sort of makeup perfection and I have a lot of fun doing it! In case you care to know which brand of lipstick is heaven to me: Nars lipstick in Afghan Red (no other red does justice for me).
I have a love/hate relationship with makeup. I love to shop for it...love all the perfect packaging...the colors...the potential it has to give the world a new Katiep. Unfortunately, I really hate wearing it. I don't like applying it and I'm not crazy about the way I look in any of it...from eye shadow to lipstick and everything in between. That said, when I find something I like, it's usually pretty amazing. And amazing is how I would describe Chanel's Powder Blush. I've been using it...and only it for years and I just can't find a better blush. Sadly, they seem to have retired my all time favorite 'Nude' color but the shade called 'Enchanteresse' seems to be a close match.
I'm a sucker for any film that includes a librarian as main subject.....and I'm sure Herb & Dorothy will not disappoint. I'm excited to see a new documentary about Herbert Vogel, a postal clerk, and his librarian wife, Dorothy Vogel....and how they built up one of the most important contemporary art collections in the world.
This weekend I am embarking on a culinary journey to Macaron-land. I am in awe of the little macaron. I love them for their beauty. They look so simple, yet they are (as I've read countless times) incredibly difficult to get "just right". So I am venturing into the unknown and making these little masterpieces.
I'll let you know how they turn out!
I am a big fan of John Derian's and I was super excited when Target featured some of his products last year....but now I am swooning over his lovely collection of trays entitled Book of Cakes.
I think I must be on a strawberry kick! It's available through Bon Appetit magazine. Cocktails, anyone???
