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}

Amanda Seyfried for Interview Magazine

Love this. 

Wise Words

 

The best thing to hold onto in life is each other. – Audrey Hepburn

{Elle Italia November 2010 via Dust Jacket Attic}

Travel in Style with T. Anthony

 

Vuitton who? Anyone who is really in the know when it comes to luxury luggage forgoes the tacky all-over monogram for a subtler, more refined one. Just a short walk down 57th street will bring you to the Park Avenue store, where you can get everything from handbags to duffles to dop kits. It’s one of my personal favorite places to get gifts for nearly anyone, at nearly any price point.

Points in history: Theodore Anthony first created custom bags for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, siren red luggage for Marilyn Monroe, and blue bags for Jackie O. I personally love it for its clean lines and silhouettes, both perfection for men and women.

 

 

$595

$125

 

$550

 

$120

$225

$375

shop online at t.anthony.com

Oscar de la Renta, in pictures (of shoes)

 

Jamie, of From Me to You (and of my fabulous header images), shot these inside Oscar de la Renta’s offices during Fashion Week. I die for the shoes, the lighting, the colors, the everything!

 

The Most Beautiful

“I fell off my pink cloud with a thud.” – the irreplaceable Elizabeth Taylor

Roast One, Propose Two

A while ago, back in my career as a fashion magazine super assistant, the Editor in Chief passed along this recipe to a girl in my department who was in a serious relationship, to encourage a proposal in the Glamour magazine (not where I worked) tradition. Apparently this chicken has been responsible for several engagements. Do I believe it? Not sure. But I know that I would totally mess this up and it would be a disaster. Someone out there try it!

Engagement Chicken

1 whole chicken (approx. 3 lb.)
2 medium lemons
Fresh lemon juice (1/2 cup)
Kosher or sea salt
Ground black pepper

Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Wash chicken inside and out with cold water, remove the giblets, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander until it reaches room temp (about 15 minutes). Pat dry with paper towels. Pour lemon juice all over the chicken (inside and outside). Season with salt and pepper. Prick the whole lemons three times with a fork and place deep inside the cavity. (Tip: If lemons are hard, roll on countertop with your palm to get juices flowing.) Place the bird breast-side down on a rack in a roasting pan, lower heat to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn it breast-side up (use wooden spoons!); return it to oven for 35 minutes more. Test for doneness—a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh should read 180 degrees, or juices should run clear when chicken is pricked with a fork. Continue baking if necessary. Let chicken cool for a few minutes before carving. Serve with juices.

{recipe and photo courtesy of Glamour magazine via Grub Street NY}

Three Islands, One Estate, $268 Million.

 

Off the Amalfi Coast, one of my favorite places in the world, is a set of islands with a spectacular villa estate. A heliopad is available, for your convenience, of course.

{images via WSJ}

View Van Cleef & Arpels

Good news! I’m taking some time off for myself to write, to live, to see things – and that means much more content for Where The Style Things Are.

Yesterday afternoon, in the wonderfully warm weather, I wandered up to the Cooper Hewitt Museum on 91st and 5th Ave to see the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit, showing now through June 5th. My obsession with and knowledge of Van Cleef pretty much stops at the infamous Alhambra pieces, so I was curious to learn more about the storied jewelers.  All I can say is wow. The jewels just kept on coming and coming – I was expecting maybe 50 pieces total, but it got up into the hundreds. Touching on Innovations, Transformations, Nature Inspiration, Exoticism, Fashion, and Personalities, the exhibit was truly one of the most spectacular things I’ve seen.

Below, some of my favorite pieces:

 

 

 

The extremely innovative Zipper necklace, which can actually be zipped up and worn as a bracelet. This came about as a suggestion from the Duchess of Windor, 1938.

 

 

One of my favorite French words, this is a minaudière, or tiny clutch-like purse. Originally, there were nécessaires to hold compacts and lipstick, but the evolved to hold cigarettes,card case, and comb. Some even had beautiful clocks built into the outside lacquered bit. I would die to have one of these!

 

 

 

A beautiful example of le mystere setting, where each piece of gem is shaped to be dropped into a frame and the setting is hidden. To find stones of all the same brilliance and then cut them down to fit the settings is a rare, laborious process which makes the end results that much more remarkable.

 

 

 

Le mystere setting, with especially rare emeralds.

 

 

 

Part of the Exoticism capsule, this gorgeous peacock box was made for the Shah of Iran. The room with the Exoticism pieces was my favorite – the lapis lazuli, coral, black onyx, jade, pink tourmaline, and topaz – just stunning.

 

 

A trompe l’oeil compact disguised to look like an envelope – perfect for the girl on the go in the 20’s.

 

 

Elizabeth Taylor’s mystere setting sapphire earrings from the 80’s.

 

 

At the end of the exhibit they saved the best for last – H.S.H Princess Grace of Monaco’s jewels. Her engagement set, complete with earrings, necklace, bracelet, and a ring with the largest pearl I’ve ever seen, was on display, as well as this tiara, which Princess Grace wore to Princess Caroline’s wedding in 1978.

{images via The Cooper Hewitt Museum}