Mainecation

Off to a rustic week in Maine...Frye Island style. Would you jump off this cliff?

Vegan Friendly

 If you are vegan or just an animal lover it has probably crossed your mind that it is impossible to find beautiful, fashionable faux leather handbags. My sister, who has been vegan for several years, presented me with this problem. What are the options other than tacky looking materials and cloth? Real Simple magazine featured a Deux Lux faux leather clutch in the July 2010 issue. The material looks like soft, supple tumbled leather...I can't believe my eyes. The icing on the cake is that all their bags have a yummy satin lining, which, let's be honest is what really wins a gal over. It's like a treat each time you open your bag. The bags come in a variety of styles and luscious colors. All are very reasonably priced. Deux Lux is at http://www.shop2lux.com/.

Orange You Loving Marchesa?

Marchesa 2011 Resort Collection

Photograph courtesy of http://www.style.com/

Currently Listening to...

40 Day Dream by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Valentino: The Last Emperor

 Valentino is my favorite designer and I cannot walk down Newbury Street without stopping to drool over the window displays. I believe Valentino is the most strongly feminine designer ever.

Valentino: The Last Emperor is a documentary style film that peeks into the world of fashion designer Valentino Garavani and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti (who might be the most handsome, living man on earth). It gives a brief history behind the fashion house, Valentino's success, genius, but most of all it is a love story. It shows Valentino's love affair with giving all women what they want..."to be beautiful". All the while Giancarlo raises the bar of what it is to be a loyal, loving, and lasting life partner. The heart wrenching irony is that the footage is captured during Valentino's exit from the fashion house he made great. This movie gives a tiny glimpse into their lavish world and may even leave you in tears in the final scenes. It certainly did me.

Below is a taste of his final show (Spring 2008 Couture) before leaving the house. Breathtaking! 

'Tis the Season

Well, the Liz Taylor photo is a perfect segue to discuss one-piece swimsuits. After years of trying to find the perfect bikini, I always return to my trusty navy one-piece. Since I am a New England beach goer, a one-piece feels more appropriate..., however, there is a time and place for everything, right? When traveling it's easier to throw on a one-piece with bottoms and a cardigan or button up blouse. It carries you through the day with layers and the swimsuit can actually turn into a sexy top for night time. You certainly can't do that with a bikini! So if you tend to gradually work your way into less fabric over the summer, (until you are  topless on the beaches of Malaga!) here are a few fabulous one-piece suits you can start the season in.* Off to another lovely beach weekend! Enjoy yours wherever you are.

Tried and True (La Blanca) - This black suit would look great on every body type.

Classic (Burberry) - Think Marilyn in Some Like it Hot.

Sexy Bohemian (J Crew) - This is soooo Farrah Fawcett.

Flirty and Fun (Ella Moss) - Unexpected cut yet the nautical stripe keeps it classic.

Chic and Sophisticated (Gottex) - This color and the shoulder are gorgeous.

Glamorous (Michael Kors) - The hardware and color make this totally glam.

High Fashion (Missoni) - Beautiful cut and modern color combination.

 *All suits are Neiman Marcus except the J. Crew.

The Art of Passion

"It's no use pretending that you are an ordinary woman. Quite clearly, like this pen, you are not. I don't mean , for a second, that you are in any way comparable with a pen. And yet you are, like this divine pen you are heavy and light at the same time...How to watch the puritanical face relax into slow lust? How to watch that watch catch its breath, and, for a speck of a speck of a millionth of a second, become the animal that all men seek for in their women? And since we're talking of pens and you, how to watch the ink splurge out of the pen...reaching out from the inner depth of the divine body..."
-Richard Burton in a hand written letter to his wife, Elizabeth Taylor, thanking her for the Christmas gift of a fountain pen, and using the pen as an elaborate metaphor to praise her.
(A Love too Big to Last, Vanity Fair, July 2010)

What happened to the way we write? Or for that matter, the way we communicate? A social phenomenon has occurred during our lifetime. It will fascinate our children that we actually remember a time when people were not text messaging on mobile phones. And although this new technology has allowed most of the universe to stay connected in a revolutionary way, if we are not careful something will be lost. I can't imagine our great-grandchildren reading our emails will be quite as special as reading hand written love letters.

2011 Resort Collections

Strong themes are emerging from the 2011 Resort Collections-- hats, nautical stripes and lots of black + white. Jason Wu, Oscar de la Renta, and Chanel all had some form of a Boater hat. Extremely French looking. Here are some of my favorites from the runways so far...

Chanel

 Jason Wu 

 Michael Kors 

Oscar de la Renta

And I must include a few reference points for the Boater hats we're seeing. This is from an 1897 John Singer Sargent portrait painting, Mr. and Mrs. I.N. Phelps Stokes...

1876 Renoir, Le Moulin de la Galette 

On the Street

No one in New York City seems to mind when Bill Cunningham takes their picture on the street. That's because the 81 year old is the photojournalist behind The NY Time's Style section series "On the Street". Picture your grandfather with a little bit of Mister Rogers' innocence and curiosity.  Now imagine him roaming the streets of New York on a bycicle and chronicling his thoughts on what people are wearing. Throw in the old New England accent. Brilliant.

This is just a sample of his work and you can be sure that I will post clips of his again in the future...Forgive me for not posting something more recent (this clip is from Paris Fashion Week), but I thought this was a good introduction to him. There is something so pure, joyful and honest about his take on even the most outlandish fashions...as if he has an appreciation for it all. He makes me giggle...and very giddy. You'll see what I mean.

Follow the link:
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/10/23/fashion/1247465342623/on-the-street-a-story-with-legs.html

Another more recent clip from Spring in NYC:
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/05/07/style/1247467801399/on-the-street-flowery-millinery.html

Man of Milano

Random man on his bike and smoking a cigar in Milan.
Courtesy of The Sartorialist.

Pasta Please!

Pasta lovers rejoice! This recipe by Giada de Laurentiis is a yummy way to mix up your weekly pasta night. It's unexpectedly fresh and spicy. How much do you love Giada and her gorgeous daughter, Jade?!

Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, whole
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes. While the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegetables. Roast until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables. Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve.

Te Quiero Barcelona

Yo quiero Barcelona. Barcelona is my favorite city on earth. I love that it is Pais Basque, I love Gaudi, and I love the deep blue sea. Parque Guell changed my life. Something about Gaudi's work is irreverent and falic, creepy and haunting. Still his colorful tiles and curved lines won me over. Your heart stops when you peer over the edge of the park to the Mediterranean.  

Summer Song

(Picture location is Wellfleet, Cape Cod at Cahoon Hollow beach and the infamous Beachcomber.)

Perfect playlist while laying in the sand, eyes closed, warm breeze, and smelling sea and suntan lotion...and a little people watching. Or maybe you just want to pretend all of this!

1. Off the Wall Dub, Koop Island Blues
2. Relator, Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johnasson
3. The Summer Wind, Madeleine Peyroux
4. O Bonde do Dom, Marisa Monte
5. Entre dos Aguas, Paco de Lucia (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
6. Stir it Up, Bob Marley
7. Le temps perdu, Carla Bruni
8. Mansard Roof , Vampire Weekend
9. Brazil, Django Reinhardt
10. Empire State of Mind, Jay Z
11. Summertime , Sam Cooke
12. C'est si bon, Eartha Kitt
13. Only the Ocean, Jack Johnson

London Love

When this feature article came out in the March 2010 Vogue I literally gasped. I have revisited the glossy pictures in my magazine several nights before bed hoping to dream of living in this London house. It may be a bit too busy for me, but I cannot resist how cozy country-modern it is. Descriptive words that are not usually combined. The best decorated rooms should look like you gathered your belongings over a lifetime and they just happen to look fabulous together. I hate when decorating looks too contrived. Christopher and Suzanne Sharp must have designed these rooms with that in mind. The colors, patterns and combinations of both are gutsy and sharp. And unlike a lot of truly fabulous decorating, this actually seems attainable on a less than "Vogue" budget.

-I have always loved being surrounded by books and bookshelves. LOVE. Those shelves are packed to brim with them! Not to mention the coffee table is completely covered.

-The way the chopped wood is just stacked in the dining room next to the fire place makes it so rustic.

-In a moment of weakness (or craziness) I purchased rather large bullhorns from an antique store in Shirley, MA. So I guess the antlers over the desk in the study somehow make me feel sane and justified.

Either way, I love looking at these rooms. They are interesting and thought provoking.

UpStairs on the Square

UpStairs on the Sqaure is a whimsical, girly restaurant in Cambridge at Harvard Square. This place is like a little girl's wildest dreams transformed into a restaurant. They have dinner, bar, and afternoon tea menus. A small dining room overlooking the square is perfect for a baby or wedding shower. And can you imagine if your favorite Auntie took you here for tea? Oh joy!