First day of Fall...

First day of fall...I'm so excited, this is my favorite time of year. Because accessories are my passion, I feel that this time of year warrants wearing great accessories. The amazing coats and blazers that make any dull outfit look put together. The ease and wear ability of a great boot with a skinny jean. These looks are so easily put together with not a lot of time or money. And of course the amazing handbag that always stands out as the prized jewel.

If you're looking for an investment piece this season, I would say go for a great coat. Take into account where you live before you run out to burberry and buy an expensive mistake. Californian's will wear something completely different than a New Yorker, but both coasts will look just as chic as the other with the right blend.

Don't be afraid to go vintage. But really take the time to find the right vintage. I don't think you can ever go wrong with Chanel. Yes it's pricey, but well worth it. That's a piece you can pass down through the generations. Have fun shopping! xoxo

House Beautiful!

House beautiful displayed their kitchen of the year at Rockefeller Center Monday night. And what an amazing kitchen it is! This kitchen is just perfect for cooking, entertaining or even that late night conversation with your husband over a small carton of Ben and Jerry's. Makes me want to tear my kitchen out and start over.

I love the mix of modern with traditional. The deep grey counter tops are flawless. And the stainless steel oven and burners are to die for. They've hidden the refrigerators with panels, and although it looks amazing, I also love the exposed stainless. The last detail I love is the all white dinnerware. Very clean and classy. (BTW my favorite dinnerware is WS Aplico...Amazing!)

Hope you enjoy the kitchen as much as I do...xoxo

People in Vogue

In my last blog I was blabbing about how I love to read about all the different people and events Vogue magazine showcases. Well, they're releasing a new book all about the great parties, places and people vogue deems worthy. I'm really excited about this. Not only will it make a great new coffee table book, but they've condensed, what I consider, one of the best parts of Vogue Magazine. The only bummer is we'll have to wait till November! xoxo

The September Issue

I can't wait till September! The much talked about documentary, featuring Anna Wintour, and what it takes to put together the september issue of Vogue magazine is being released.

Vogue magazine is one of those iconic , untouchable, american gems. My favorite part of the magazine is how they take different people, from socialites to models, from designers to editors, and show how they live. Not only literally showcasing them in their homes, but also how they dress and put things together. It's always fun to see how other people travel and what they find necessary. What they can't live without.

Although we have to wait till September, I'm sure it'll be worth it...xoxo

YSL again!

YSL is coming out with a great new bag (roady bag). It's from the Fall 09 collection. Hasn't hit the stores yet, but once it does good luck in trying to find it. Simple with just enough edge to demand attention. The leather is buttery soft and it's surely to get better and better with each passing season. I think it's going to retail for about $1995. Which yes it is an investment, but an investment meant to last. Good luck in getting one. xoxo

Ahh New York!

Love, Love, Love Olivia Palermo's New York Tribeca apartment....The floor to ceiling windows is a must when living in the city. All that natural light in a small space will make it worth living in a 500 sq ft box. But besides the size of the apartment this space is perfection. The Hermes orange tray gives just enough color and funk to her simple, neutral color palate.

Keep in mind when decorating your personal space, most of us don't live in a 5000 sq ft home, so keep from over buying and stuffing your place with everything you see. I know that there is a lot of great things to buy, but use some control. Sit down and really think about the vibe you want your space to say. Take a look at the style of your house, but more importantly your personal style and lifestyle. Your home should be a reflection of you not a mish mosh of someone elses style.

Neutral walls is a good place to start. Add your key pieces next, then finish it off with accessories that reflect you (books, frames, candles etc). Take your time when decorating. Go out on missions to find things you really LOVE. I know for myself when I see something that my first instinct is "I have to have it" it usually is right. Even if it's a little expensive. That may mean you can't buy anything else for the month, but that's okay. Trust me when I tell you you'll be happier with one great piece vs a house filled with IKEA. Nothing wrong with IKEA, but you know what I mean. Have fun!

Transforming

Have you ever just been so ready for change that you can literally feeling it coming out of your pores? Well, that's where I am. I feel like my life is constantly evolving but sometimes at a pace or pattern I don't have control over. For the past 10 years I feel liked i've lived 3 times over.

Growing up my dream was to work and thrive in the arts. I started dancing at the age of 6 and knew early on I wanted to be on broadway. I pursued that dream till I was about 21. I enjoyed every step of the way...training, dancing and working with other creative people, pursing our passion to exhausting lengths.

When I hit 21 I wanted something more. Of course staying in the arts was a must, but in a different aspect. I started taking acting classes, got my self an agent and starting auditioning. First with commercials, then it progressed to episodic television, pilots and film. I loved it! Everyday was something different. A new casting agent, a new actor I had to work with. My days were never the same and I felt alive pursuing my passion. But, as we all know an actors life is an unpredictable one and in more cases than not...a poor ($) one.

So what were my options, quit go to school and get a "real" job, or waitress, work nights audition during the day and keep pushing forward. To be totally honest, I really didn't like either of these choices. There was no way I was going to quit and I didn't want to waitress. The first customer that looked at me cockeyed would of been wearing his filet. So I set out to use the one thing that I knew how to...my body. No not in that way people, in a trained, ballet based type of way.

At that time I had heard of this "new" type of training that the general population was just getting a hold of, what was it you ask...Pilates. Of course being a dancer I knew what this was all about, so I went and got my certification and opened up my own studio. This was perfect, I would make my own hours, audition when I was called and make double or even triple the money a waitress was making. It was perfect!

The years passed, my studio grew and I was still doing what my heart and soul desired. But I was about to hit a crossroad. At about the 10 year mark I had to make a decision. I always told myself if I hadn't made it as a successful, constantly working actress by the time I was 30 I would re-evaluate. After 30, to me, pursing acting is a little desperate. I did some soul searching and decided to stop acting. I had an amazing husband, an incredibly successful business and I was okay with that. So I thought...

As I started waking up day after day doing the same thing I started going stir crazy. Although I loved my business, it wasn't something that was fulfilling my passion to be creative. Remember this studio was my waitressing job. As great as it was, it wasn't doing it for me.

So my soul searching began...I have to say it's been difficult. What was I going to do for the rest of my life? What was going to drive me and fulfill me like dancing and acting had? What could I be so passionate about that I could eat, sleep and dream about? Although I haven't made any life changing decisions this is where this blog comes in.

My love for style, fashion, design, architecture and writing can all have an outlet here. As this blog evolves so will I. I can find my voice and my place in the world. I'm just going to do what makes me happy. Write about what I like and what I find interesting and hopefully in the process find myself, my passion and my success again.

Accessories

As spring is approaching and we're starting to see warmer days, our layers of clothing starting peeling away.  And underneath all the cashmere we've been wearing all winter long we start to see again our necks and collar bones.  We've already  looked at buying new maxi dresses and cute jumpsuits, but what do we do about accessories?  

Spring and summer is all about laid back, fun times.  So we want our accessories to reflect that.  Although the simple gold necklaces have been done for quite some time now, I do believe that they are here to stay.  So go ahead and pull them back out.  If you're looking for some key pieces to purchase, there are a few that I'm really loving.

• 31"-34"' single strand of pearls...(very Carrie Bradshaw) these can be worn funky with a cute tank top, or double them up and where them with a t-shirt and jeans. 
  
• Hermes Chein Collier bracelet...I'm in love with this bracelet, it's pricey but CLASSIC.  Worn by itself with a strapless maxi dress is the way to go.
• And last but not least, a great ring.  Something on the chunky side, worn on the index or middle finger.

The main thing to remember is to have fun with it.  Summer is all about being confident, enjoying your friends and family, and don't forget...looking cute!  Have fun!

Totes vs. Clutch

How many of us carry a bag that we can basically fit into?  I'm guilty!  With that said, I love big totes.  I like to be able to carry everything from a bottle of water  to my son's thomas the train toy.  But it gets daunting.  My shoulder is permanently leaning to the left.  It seems like the bigger the bag, the more we find to stuff into it.  The other day my hair stylist said to me "I love your luggage".  At that moment I realized this has become ridiculous.

Well, i'm loving clutches right now.  They aren't exactly practical, but if you're going to lunch with the girls or out to dinner with the boy, it gets the job done without looking like a bag lady.  No matter how great the bag is, an overstuffed trash bag is never cute.

We only need a few essentials when going out:

• The lipstick we put on at the beginning of the evening so that we can re-touch after our meal
• Our house keys...(Never cute to jump the open window)
• A credit card, license and a little bit of cash (in case you have to take a cab home)
• Gum or breath mints 
• And last but not least, our cell phone 
  

As tempting as it is to take everything but the kitchen sink, carrying only the essentials to lunch or on a night out is completely liberating.  We'll be able to see you, not just the balloon attached to your hip.

Make-up 09 (Lips)

Like the rest of the face, the lips are pretty and soft.  There are two ways you could go this spring to complete your look.  The first look is a berry stained lip.  Almost like you've eaten a cherry juice pop.  If you go this route add a hint of shine.  We don't want to see you coming from a mile away, so use the shine sparenly.  The lips should look healthy and moisturized.  Not like rudolph's nose!  Add a drop of shine to your middle finger, then pat along the lips.  You'll look amazing.

The second option is a neutral lip.  The color can go from a very soft pink neutral, to a beige neutral.  Both are really pretty, but it depends on your skin color.  Again you want to add a little shine.  Especially with the neutral lip.  Sometimes the neutral lip looks chalky and goth like.  Not pretty.  Adding the moisture gives you softness.

The brand I like for the stain is NARS lip stain.  NARS also makes a good lip gloss in a jar.  For the neutral lip I like Kevin Aucoin,  Tajanberry.  It's a grayish Pink (pretty not pastey).  Also MAC Viva Glam V.  It's a very soft pink.  You can use any type of shine on these colors as long as the shine is clear or a beige color.  I like MAC pure gloss in Wildly Lush.

Now you girls are ready for the spring.  Own your look and add your style!

Finding the perfect jean!

I don't know about you guys, but I'm always trying to find the perfect jean.  What's the perfect jean,  you ask...it's that one pair of pants that make us look like Giselle.  Well not really, but you know what I mean!  It's the never ending, daunting task of finding the perfect fabric, with the perfect wash, with the perfect cut.  Every time we buy a new pair of jeans, we think we've found the one.  But inevitably after a wear or two we're right back  where we started from, looking for the perfect pair.

Well girls I've found a pair that I think you'll like.  They've been on the market a little while now, but I've just recently tried them out.  They're made by the original designers of 7 jeans.  And we all remember how great our first generation 7's were.  They are....Rich and Skinny jeans.  The top 2 styles I like are the "sleek" jean, and the "super skinny" jean.  Both sound scary, but trust me girls, the fit is amazing and very flattering.  

You see many different celebrities wearing these jeans.  From Blake Lively, to Hillary Duff, to Jessica Alba.  All these girls have different body types, and they all look great in them.  I know what you're thinking, "they already have perfect bodies"...Well maybe so maybe no, either way go out and try a pair on and see what you think.  Hopefully you'll love them as much as I do.  Until the next obsession!

Make-up 09 (Face)

Okay girls...So we've covered  the eyes.  Let's move down to the face.  Spring is all about the fresh face.  And we all know how I feel about that...I LOVE IT!  I think that there's nothing prettier than a fresh faced woman.  But again, there are things that we need to do to achieve this look.

Prepping your face is really important.  Starting with a clean, well moisturized face is key.  And please don't forget to exfoliate.  There's nothing less attractive than crusty old skin.  Pick a moisturizer that doesn't leave you shinny.  This can be difficult because most of us produce oil.  So in that case pick a sun block that can double as a moisturizer.  I really like neutrogena products.  They are totally inexpensive and their products do the job beautifully.  Once we're done prepping, we can start to apply.

If you tend to have blotchy skin try a tinted moisturizer.  This will even out your color and give you a clean canvas.  I really like a water canvas made by Vincent Longo.  It's a water based product that does not make you look like you had a fight with the flour.  They make a primer as well as color for the cheek bones.  I recommend putting the primer on first (with a foundation brush), then the color.  This will give you a dewy, youthful glow to your skin.  Keep the color fresh.  In the tones of pinks and berries.  Like we just came in from the outdoors.  

Apply the color to the apples of the cheeks.  (Where are the apples?  Smile, it's the bulging skin on the outside of your nose)  Make sure you use a gentle hand.  You don't want to look like you've been hit with a baseball and that's why you came in from the outdoors!  Remember girls it's about seeing a youthful glow, not a face full of cake.

Make-up 09 (eyes)

All the spring make-up trends are starting to surface in our mags.  But girls, use caution.  Even though the colors and techniques are more flattering than not, if we follow what they advise, we might end up looking like a street walker.  So let's try to find what works for us.  

We've already covered the full brow.  With that as our starting point, lets move down to the eyes.  Many make-up artists are showing false eyelashes.  I know they look great in pictures, but let's be realistic.  I don't think any of us have the time or patience to sit in front of the mirror with what looks like a dead spider in one hand, and a bottle of glue in the other.  Finding a good mascara can solve this problem.  I tend to like wands that are fuller rather than skinny.  You want your lashes to look full and fan like.  I think that the thinner the wand, the more your eyelashes stick together.  

My favorite mascara's are:

• Diorshow by Christian Dior (the wand is huge)
• Chanel Exceptionnel (it has intense volume and curl, and my personal fave)
• YSl Volume Effet Faux Cils (also comes in different colors depending on your eye color)
• and last but not least, the trusted Lancome Hypnose
  

Once you're done with the mascara, I suggest highlighting your brow bone.  This not only will define your eyebrow, but it will make your eyes pop.  Hands down the best highlighter belongs to Anastasia.  She's made a highlighter that is easy to use and looks amazing.  

My favorite colors are:

• Eyelights Matte Apricot
• Eyelights Chiffon Shimmer

Remember to consider your eye and hair color when choosing your highlighter.  You want light to reflect off the eyebrow.  You don't want to see color.  Be sassy, be classy!

Spring Awakening

Even though we're in the dead of winter, it's time to start thinking of what's ahead.  Longer days, warmer nights and outdoor bbq's with friends and family.  Can't you smell that spring is in the air?  Well not really, but we can start thinking about what we need for the season ahead.  Last year the maxi dress made a huge impact.  The laid back, polished look was really appealing and many different body types look great in the relaxed style.  

I think spring will bring on more of the same.  But with a little twist.  Last september I started seeing really cute jersey jump suits.  They're just as laid back and polished as the maxi dress, but a little more updated.  Don't worry... you can still get away with wearing the long, column dress.  But if you're looking to add a new updated piece, the jump suit is the way to go.

Pair up the suit with flip flops for during the day, and a cute heel for at night.  Keeping your hair and make-up simple and relaxed will complete this casual, but super cute look.  Have fun and enjoy the outdoors.

Classic beauty

Okay girls...I'm obsessing about clean, fresh face beauty.  There's something appealing about clean, make-up free skin, nude lips and mildly disheveled hair.  But lets face it, as low maintenence as this look looks, it takes just as much effort as the polished uptown girl (Tinsley Mortimer).   The secret to achieving this look is taking the time to groom yourself regularly with consistent appointments.  I wish I could tell you, you can jump out of bed and go, but in doing that, you might just be running out the door with a rats nest on top of your head.

The 5 most important appointments are...

• Hair:  Find a  hairdresser you can trust.  Wether it's keeping your hair long with layers or short and sassy, up keep is really important (Chris McMillan Salon, Neil George Salon and The Andy LeCompte salon are my personal faves)
  
• Eyebrows:  Keep them groomed and well shaped
• Skin:  Find a good dermatologist that will prescribe a retnoid and getting rid of brown spots is a must
• Teeth: Keep yourself current with your cleaning appointments, and try bleach if you tend to be on the yellow side
• Last but not least, make an appointment with a make-up artist.  Work with different colors to achieve that natural flush in the cheeks and lips
  

Just remember to be consistent.  Try not to let to much time lapse in between all your appointments.  Good luck and enjoy your gorgeous self.

Eyebrows

Okay girls, put down your tweezers, 2009 is all about the fuller brow. Fuller brows will give you a youthful look and frame your eyes and face. I know it's tempting to keep tweezing. It seems like the more we stare at ourselves in the mirror, the more our eyes cross and we keep tweezing. 

Keep them full, but shaped. Going to a professional first would be my recommendation, and maybe there after once every 2 months. You'll have to keep them clean in between, but just pluck the stragglers. Don't touch the shape. 

I highly recommend the Anastasia salon in Beverly Hills. Although Anastasia is booked till March, try Alex. Every girl has been personally trained by Anastasia, so really you can't go wrong with any of them. But alex is who I go to when Anastasia is away. Good luck!!

Happy New Year!

Out with the old, in with the new...2008 was a hard year for most people. So our cash flow might be running on low for a little while. It's time to re-evaluate what's important and what really makes us happy on the inside. Once we like ourselves and are happy (i mean really happy) not superficially happy, everything else is icing. That's enough philosophizing! 

Start making a list on where you would like your style to go. Are you more the put-together-head-to-toe girl, or are you the less high maintenance but doesn't-give-up-on-individual-style-girl. Neither one is better than the other, but your approaches to buying and figuring out where you want to go is different. When you're looking through the pages of Vogue, InStyle or even US magazine, start ripping out looks and celebrities you are drawn to. Even though those clothes and accessories are a little more than maybe you would like to spend, you can start collecting key pieces and start building your closet wardrobe. 

I always get the question, "how do I know what's a key piece"? A key piece is something that can always pull a look together. Like a great coat (vintage or new), a multi strand pearl necklace, an amazing pair of shoes or handbag. Accessories are the easiest pieces to keep "key." It's because fashion changes quickly, that if you try to keep up with it you'll probably hit bankruptcy pretty quickly. Keep silhouettes simple but with a pop of trendy. If you're dressing trendy head to toe, you'll be disappointed the next month. Fashion will have already moved on. If you keep it too simple, sometimes you may look dowdy or boring. So it's finding the balance within the two. 

Just look inside and don't be afraid to pull it out of you. Take you're time in finding who you are. My dad always says, "figure out who you are and dress accordingly".