19
May
We built this (Gilt)City…
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So I got invited to the VIP Preview of Gilt City’s sample sale last night. How did I get this supercool invite, you ask? Because I’m supercool, clearly.

I got there just before 7 and found myself in heaven on 18th Street (if heaven has an open bar and a DJ). Ok, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But it was good. Like I said, there was an open bar and cheese platters and gourmet popcorn, which make anything better.

(How good is the camera on my Blackberry?)

But there was also, obviously, lots of fashion goodies as well. Reem Acra gowns for like $500, hello??? After grabbing a glass of prosecco, I made my way over to the accessories table, where, amid the madness, I grabbed the Lauren clutch by Pour la Victoire in black ($49, originally $195).

Pour la Victoire

Then I started going through the racks of clothing and and came upon a knee length faux wrap dress by… Jessica Simpson. Blast! Isn’t that the worst? When you see something from a distance and think “That’s so cute!” and then you see it up close and realize it’s Jessica Simpson and you’re kind of embarrassed, but still want it? Don’t lie. We’ve all been there.

Jessica Simpson

Then I found black, trench-inspired Tracy Reese dress ($79, originally $295) that is great for work, but can also work for a nice dinner with friends (or a date, perhaps?).

All in all, a nice little Friday night.

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05
May
Mom’s the word
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Mother’s Day is upon us and unless you are a horrible child or you have a horrible mother, you should be thinking of what to get the woman from whose loins you sprung. Here are the things I’m deciding between for my mom (or, in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, mi madre)…

My mom is an interior designer who loves coffee, so I always get her design books for her coffee table. I don’t think she ever reads them, but I keep buying them…

Inspired Styles, Assouline, $65

 

This Louis at Home Regency Robe is SO soft and classic and a perfect gift for mom.

Louis at Home Regency Robe, journelle.com, $170

 

Everyone loves a good meal. Join Savored where you can get 30% off your entire bill at over 1,000 restaurants (you just have to pay $10 for the reservation).

Savored.com

 

Picture frames (filled with pictures of me, obviously) are always a hit with my mom.

Deluxe wall gallery frame, Red Envelope, $99.95

 

My mom and I just saw the movie Chimpanzee and it was just about our favorite thing ever. So until I can afford to buy her an African safari, adopting a chimp will have to do…

Save the Chimps, $150/year to adopt

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21
Apr
Push it to the Max(i)
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Ah, the joys of spring. Birds chirping, sun shining, gentle breezes blowing. Perfect, right? Not exactly. Those gentle breezes may not be so gentle and if you’re wearing a cute spring skirt, chances are pretty good that you’ll be flashing your cute little tushie to everyone on the block. Which is why maxidresses and spring go together perfectly. Wear them with a gorgeous necklace during the day and then just throw on a leather jacket when the sun goes down and you’re good to go. Here are my favorite maxis this spring…

 

Colordot maxidress, madewell.com, $188

 

Kimono-Sleeve Maxidress, jcrew.com, $118

 

H&M, $24.95

 

Edita Pleated Dress, BCBG, $348

 

 

Lexie Essential Knit Maxi Dress, BCBG, $98

 

Self-Tie Maxi Dress, Forever 21, $12.80 <– WHAAA?

“Bari” Maxi Dress by Milly, Nordstrom, $485

 

FP Beach Goddess Dress, Free People, $88

 

And some jewelry to go with them…

 

Vespero Nacklace, Anthropologie, $58

 

 

RJ Graziano Long Stone Necklace, Bloomingdale’s, $45

 

Silver Rope Tacita Necklace, Orly Genger by Jaclyn Mayer, $258

 

Anchor Rope Necklace by Spring Street Design Group, Nordstrom, $38

 

Ben Amun Shooting Star Necklace, Max & Chloe, $495

 

‘Gold Water’ 5-Plate Statement Necklace, Nordstrom, $68

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18
Mar
Journelle’s Spring Cleaning
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It’s always cool to give to charity.  And it’s always cool to get a deal on something you wanted to buy anyway. Another thing that’s cool? Killing two birds with one stone. Journelle’s Spring Cleaning Bra Drive, starting Wednesday, March 21st does just that. How does it work, you ask? First you rifle through your underwear drawer and find the old bras you don’t want anymore. You know they’re in there. Then you bring them to a Journelle store or send them in. After that you get a 20% discount on the next bra you buy there. Plus, Journelle will donate $1 for every bra received.

Where do these old bras and stacks of one dollar bills go? They go to Mozambique.  Thanks to a great organization called Free the Girls, the bras will be given to rescued sex slaves who sell them in the country’s thriving second-hand clothing markets, where bras fetch quite the pretty penny.

New bra for you, new life for a woman in Africa. Good deal.

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05
Mar
Leslie Tessler Trunk Show
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There are lots of things I miss about Buenos Aires.  One is the cafes which are so much better than New York that, quite often, I find myself tripping over my words and struggling to verbalize just how inferior almost every coffee shop on the island of Manhattan seems to be.  Anyway… Another (probably more important) thing I miss is the great people I met while living in B.A., so I couldn’t have been more excited when I got an email from my friend Leslie with an invitation to the New York debut of her new collection of capes!

Leslie always had great taste, so I was sure the collection would be gorgeous, and the lookbook she sent along just confirmed it. The pieces were all chic, classic, fun, and so versatile.

Unfortunately my attempt at arriving fashionably late to the trunk show this past Sunday backfired, and almost everything had sold out. Luckily, I spotted a gorgeous teal cape, perfect for spring and summer, hanging on the rack and immediately whipped out my (parents’) credit card.

(The one I got.)

The pieces are beautifully made and super-luxurious (think Peruvian alpaca, Italian cashmere, and French woven silk). Right now the collection is only available through private sale, so go to LeslieTessler.com or email info@leslietessler.com for more information. Go right now. 1. The capes are awesome. 2. I’m guessing the prices will go way up once more people hear about them. You can thank me later. But I’ll say you’re welcome now.

(Leslie and I.)

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23
Feb
Spring 2012 Makeup
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Technically it’s still the middle of winter. But since it’s been 60 in New York for the past two days, I’m going to pretend that spring is here to stay and make myself up accordingly.

Bronzed Cheeks- Bobbi Brown‘s Shimmer Bricks are perfect for faking a springtime glow and come in colors that flatter everyone.

 

Navy eyes- Universally flattering and less intense than black, navy eyeliner creates the perfect statement look as the weather warms up. Smashbox offers the Jet Set gel-based liner for $22, while elf offers what appears to be the exact same thing for $3.

Bright nails- It’s like that time Miranda Priestly was like “Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking!” Except bright nails in warm weather are awesome, so I wear then despite the fact that they are less than innovative. Essie‘s Olé Caliente is great for spring, and I LOVE OPI‘s entire Spring/Summer 2012 Holland collection.

Coral Lips- How better than to summon warm, tropical weather than by wearing gorgeous coral shades on your lips? For a gorgeous (but expensive) gold-flecked coral hue, try La Prairie Cellular Lip Color in Corail ($55). For something a bit more budget-friendly, N.Y.C. New York Color‘s Lip Sliders Tinted Balm in Sugar Angel is perfect. Alas, it has been discontinued, but you can usually get it at the Dollar Tree for … wait for it… $1!

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12
Feb
Valentine’s Schmalentine’s
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Valentine’s Day. I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s one of the most hated holidays out there. If you’re dating someone maybe it’s not so bad, but you still have to come up with something sweet and romantic and creative, as if you’ve just got ALLLL this free time on your hands. And if you’re NOT dating someone, people are all like, “So what are you doing for Valentine’s Day?” And I’m like, “Nothing, it’s a Tuesday and I’m single,” and they’re like, “So you don’t have a date?” And I’m all, “WHY WOULD I HAVE A DATE ON VALENTINE’S DAY IF I’M NOT DATING ANYONE?” Is there some weird new trend I don’t know about where people willingly choose to go on a first date on a night when 70 million other people will be doing the same thing?

But I digress. And I acknowledge that there must be something good about a holiday where chocolate and wine play such large roles. So I have come up with a list of Valentine’s Day gifts, ideas, what have you, that I think are not so bad.

1. Lingerie

A bit racy, no? My friend and I were discussing when in a relationship it’s OK to give such a gift and we settled upon 6 months.

Once you hit 6 months, this set from Fleur of England is a good one. And if you don’t know how to shop for lingerie, guys, please click here for your step-by-step guide from Journelle.

2. Chocolate

As I mentioned before, chocolate is one of the best things about life and it’s definitely one of the best things about Valentine’s Day. Why not give something from artisanal Brooklyn chocolate factory Mast Brother’s Chocolate?


With flavors like Almonds & Sea Salt, Papua New Guinea, and Sambirano Valley, you can’t go wrong- even if you have no clue how 2/3 of those will taste. Plus, the packaging is divine.

Not dating a chocolate lover? You should probably dump them. But not on Valentine’s Day because that’s a really dick move. So give them something like this…

and break up with them on the 15th.

3. Heart-shaped Hand Snuggie

Just because. I might get one for myself and wear it like mittens. 

Get your very own here!

4. Home made dinner

As I said before, 70 million people will be going to dinner on Valentine’s Day. Just stay home and make something. Nothing crazy. Just start out with Red Fruits From the Garden, perfected by Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz, move on to the 48-hour short rib with braised daikon, pickled carrots and mustard seed from David Chang over at Momofuku and finish up with Mexican Chocolate Pots de Crème. Easy Peezy.


5. If you’re not sure about any of these options, but still want to do something, maybe a card is your best bet. Simple, thoughtful, and tells your significant other how you really feel.

Awww. It doesn’t get much sweeter than that.

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19
Jan
Join(ery) Me
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While wandering through Williamsburg a few weeks ago, my friend and I both spotted an unassuming little store front that neither of us had seen before. As we walked closer we decided that it looked awesome and that we should go inside. It turned out to be the newly-opened boutique, Joinery, which was, in fact, awesome. Not only is the store itself gorgeous and rustic, the pieces in it are so, so unique.

via Racked

There’s an eclectic mix of jewelry, clothing (men’s and women’s), and home goods from around the world.  Owner Angela Silva beautifully curates a collection that includes black diamond bracelets from Tokyo-based E.M. Noir, gorgeous pieces from Canada-based lingerie line Fortnight, and hand-woven textiles from Brazil.

Unfortunately, one of the store’s best features isn’t for sale. Charlie, an adorable shih tzu-poodle mix (shitdoodle?), observed us from his little bed by the register while we browsed.  When he grew tired of us, he took his miniature tennis ball, flung it a few feet in front of himself and then happily began to play catch… with himself. It took all we had not to grab him and run. But then we probably wouldn’t be welcome back at Joinery.  And we definitely didn’t want to risk that.

Joinery- 263 S. 1st St. Williamsburg, NY 11211

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10
Jan
Wu Hoo!!! Jason Wu x Target
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Target is the best. We all know it and we all accept it. And, obviously, one of the things that makes Target so great is the tradition of capsule collections that give mere mortals and the 99% access to great designer fashions. The pieces I have from Thakoon and Proenza Schouler’s Target collections are some of my favorites (and some one the most compliment-inducing). Jason Wu for Target promises to be no different. Taking inspiration from the concept of an American girl in Paris, Wu’s collaboration with Target has allowed him to “create an accessible collection that reflects [his] sophisticated design aesthetic.” And at prices from $20-$60? Lucky us.

The collection goes on sale February 5 (my birthday! what a coincidence!). But I’m guessing you’ll have to claw your way to the front of the line. (Get it? Claw? See the cat?)

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08
Jan
Wrap It Up
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And by “it,” I mean your body. It’s FREEZING out. Thus, to keep my mind off of my numb toes, I have complied a list of robes that will keep you warm and (for the most part), still looking cute-ish.

Eberjey’s Alpine Robe is sinfully soft and super warm without being bulky in the least. It comes in blush and this color, which is apparently called Pebble. $178, Journelle.

Target’s Sherpa Short Robe is simple, snuggly, and just $30.

The Beijing Quilted Robe by Natori is timeless and perfect for lounging around on a Saturday. Now $119, Nordstrom.

In my dreams, it is 70 degrees (not 17) and I am wearing this robe by Julia Restoin-Roitfeld For Kiki de Montparnasse. Actually, it can stay 17. I’d gladly freeze for this piece.

“But what are you actually wearing right now?” you ask. Well, rest your eyes upon this beauty…

Do I look sexy in Kashwere’s Adult Shawl Collared Robe in bubblegum pink? Absolutely not. Am I warm? I am, indeed. $135

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