Double Take: Van Cleef Alhambra

While I wait for my Van Cleef dreams to come true, these are a great substitute...only $24!

Buy here at Mint Julep

Imperial No. 9

Check out the new Mondrian Soho Hotel - and the new restaurant, Imperial No.9, serving sustainable and inventive food in a gorgeous atmosphere. While I've heard the food is less than great, I still can't wait to go on a girl date here and sit beneath those chandeliers! I bet they have good drinks. Anyone been?

{photos via New York Mag}

Furniture with a Soul

A few weeks ago I made bf go on a furniture tour with me, in search of a couple of stores I had seen on Apartment Therapy that claimed to be good for "cheap" furniture. I've found in my experiences that "cheap" furniture generally means IKEA, and while I still have the IKEA pieces I bought 5 years ago, sometimes a girl just needs a little bit more substance, you know? One of the places listed was Nadeau, whose tagline is "Furniture with a Soul." I'm not quite sure what that means, but I saw price tags and liked what I saw. It was like a less obvious Pier 1, a place that both bf and I could actually find pieces we liked, he being of the wood, wood, wood, and more wood camp and me liking distressed or painted furniture. Below, some of the offerings they have at their Manhattan store. Not in Manhattan? No worries, my friend! They have locations all over the country - in Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, Minneapolis, Chicago, Nashville, Miami, Savannah, and more. We walked away empty-handed, considering neither of us really needed anything, but when I do need substantial pieces in the future, I know right where to go! 

 $269

$435

$328

$297

$257

$224

Boys will be boys...

no matter who those boys are. 

Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and friend, 1968

photo by Lawrence Schiller

{via A Conversation on Cool}

Bracelets for Elephants

I've always had a thing for elephants, and I don't exactly know why. All my awesome goodies from iomoi feature Ling the elephant; I have lots of vintage belts with elephants on them. Grey is one of my favorite neutrals and I have been obsessed with British-ruled India and riding elephants and all that goes along with them. I don't need to reiterate my love for this elephant side table, and I even "adopted" an elephant for my sister for Christmas! So, in a crazy twist of fate, when I came across this elephant-inspired jewelry, I was floored to know that it benefitted the same Wildlife Trust where my sister's pet elephant resides! (Side note: we get monthly updates on how our little elephant is doing. So cute. She's kind of a punk.) 20% of the sales go to funding for the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, Kenya. Best part? Elephants are symbols of good luck! Who wouldn't want to have this adorable piece of good luck on their wrist or neck?

Sterling Silver Bracelet or necklace, $40

18K Gold Bracelet or necklace, $45

available in several colors of waxed cotton cords

Who is the woman behind these inspired designs? That would be one Vanessa Amalia Raptopolous of Vanessa Amalia jewelry. She focuses on designs that have significant meaning for the wearer, whether you are a believer in horseshoes, fleur-de-lis, hamsas, or four-leaf clovers. 

Have a weird good luck symbol of your own? You can even ask Vanessa to help you design a custom charm. My dilemma is now figuring out which cord and which elephant to pick!

kisses xx

Some pretty, inspirational, and pretty inspirational things to share

Enjoy some favorite places and people from around l’internets!

 

I love the way the fireplace is highlighted. 

{via apartment therapy}

I am not a horse person, but I feel like this marries masculine and feminine fairly well.

{via apartment therapy}

What a lucky, lucky little girl!

{via isuwanee}

  

Jessica Stam’s apartment – chic!

{via vogue}

Pink is not my signature color, but it works so well here I might make it!

{via country living}

I love beds like this, enclosed even more by the beautiful wallpaper.

{via Chinoiserie Chic}

Wouldn’t mind taking a bath here.

{via House of Turquoise}

I want to be at this party.

{source unknown – can anyone help me identify?}

Simplicity at its best.

{Toni Frissell source unknown}

My favorite outfit on any woman at any age looks amazing here.

{Rossella Jardini via Garance Dore}

 

I am obsessed with this editorial shot.

{via Marie Claire Australia Feb 2011}

And…I am so not into poofy dresses and not sure I’m into lace, but how amazingly gorgeous is this dress, this girl?? IL. That’s “In Love.”

{via this is glamorous}

High Society Hijinks

No, its’ not the name of a Dominick Dunne book – just the only words I could find to describe the classic film, “High Society,” starring the incomparable Grace Kelly with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.

In all honesty, this was my first official Grace Kelly movie – I know, I know, pathetic! But I’ve always been an Audrey type of girl. (Ok, more of a Holly Golightly kind of girl.) But Grace can act! She has some comedic chops for sure.

High Society, for those of you as much in the dark as I was, is a 1956 remake of The Philadelphia Story, starring Katharine Hepburn. A cold, bratty woman named Tracy Lord is getting married for the 2nd time and her 1st husband keeps interfering the day before the wedding. To add to the hijinks (ahh, see, I got it in), a magazine is blackmailing young Tracy’s family with une scandale featuring her philandering father. They force her to participate in a story about her lavish wedding, and one thing leads to another and everything gets messed up and then worked out again in the end. Sigh, movies from the 50’s.

Of note in the movie, besides Grace: the fashion! Her swimsuit and cover-up around the pool is absolute and utter perfection. I audibly gasped when she came on screen – I was transfixed on how functional and fun yet classic the clothing was. 

{image via imdb}