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Sunday, March 30, 2008

Carrie's Apartment: Bandelle Does a Double Take


I previously mentioned the fantastic job Kylie had done when she featured the interiors from Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle on her lovely blog, Bandelle. Well, she's done it again, only this time, she does a double take on Carrie Bradshaw's apartment in the upcoming Sex and the City movie. She poses a very important question (at least in my world): Will Carrie return to her bachelorette apartment? I wondered the same considering all of the Big drama in the movie trailer. I also remember seeing an interview after the series ended in 2004 in which Sarah Jessica Parker explained that all of the sets had been taken down and destroyed. This makes me wonder how closely the new apartments will resemble the original ones. Perhaps they've moved. After all, Miranda's in Brooklyn now! I guess we'll have to wait two more months until we find out. In the mean time, check out Kylie's fabulous post which has also been featured on Design for Mankind.

Image from Bandelle

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Style Icon: Sarah Jessica Parker


This will be the first installment in my new Style Icon series in which I will post about my different style icons, people whose sense of style is inspiring to me.

I've chosen to start with Sarah Jessica Parker because her name is synonymous with style, due largely to the fact that she starred in Sex and the City. I'll be honest with you. Though I find Carrie's complete love of fashion and willingness to take risks (sometimes they paid off, other times, she looked slightly ridiculous), I prefer Sarah Jessica's style over Carrie Bradshaw's.


SJP's style tends to be very casual while living her day to day life. Normally, she is photographed running errands in New York in jeans and a tee, like in the picture below.

I don't find her casual style to be very inspiring, but I always love the choices she makes when she hits the red carpet.

Here, SJP takes the little black dress in a new direction. She wore this sexy Calvin Klein dress to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2001.


Several different looks at different awards shows in 2004.
I absolutely love the grey Chanel Couture gown on the left. The color is divine! She said she chose it because it reminded her of The Empire State Building. You've got to love a girl who loves New York! The green dress is Oscar de la Renta. I'm inclined to say the ivory gown is Valentino, but I'm not positive. Any ideas?

Here she is with Kristin Davis in a fabulous Chanel gown at the 2004 Emmys.


In a perfect pink Chanel confection at the 2003 Emmys


I love this little striped dress she wore to the premiere of Matthew Broderick's Deck the Halls movie.

For more of Sarah Jessica on the red carpet, watch this video:


This Week's Quote


Thursday, March 27, 2008

53 Ways to Make You Feel More Fabulous


I came across this article from Oprah.com today and thought I would pass it along to anyone else who needs a little pick-me-up in order to feel ready for Spring.


Image from We Love Beauty

Sunday, March 23, 2008

All About Me From A-Z


Fabian and Me at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, July 2005

Courtney, of Inside the Loop tagged me earlier this week and I am embarassed to admit that I just realized it today! Oh well, better late than never, right? So, I present to you, everything you ever wanted to know about me but were too afraid to ask (Woody Allen, anyone?)from A to Z.


A - Attached or single? Married to my wonderful hubby, Fabian.

B - Best friend? Fabian, for sure. I am closer to him than anyone else. We're constantly making each other laugh and have so many things in common. Leah, Meredith, and Jennifer are my closest girlfriends. Like Courtney, I also subscribe to the theory that having a few close friends is better than having a ton of false friends or acquaintances.

C - Cake or pie? Both! I don't discriminate. I love chocolate cake and apple pie.


D - Day of choice? Saturday because I usually get to escape the suburbs and go into town!

E - Essential item? My many, many magazine subscriptions. I'm addicted, I tell you! Oh, and the internet. I'm addicted to that, too.


F - Favorite color? I don't really have one, but I love black, grey, Kelly green, turquoise, and red.

G - Gummy bears or worms? Bears

H - Hometown? Houston


I - Favorite indulgence? Vacations. I love to travel more than anything in the world.

J - January or July? I'm not a fan of cold weather, so definitely July. We will celebrate our third wedding anniversary on July 1st!


K - Kids? None yet. Just my 130 students.

L - Life isn't complete without? great food and lots of laughter---> I agree with Courtney's answer. One cannot laugh often enough. As far as great food goes, Fabian and I were just talking about how some people live to eat and others eat to live. You know, there are people, like a colleague of mine, who eat frozen meals everyday, stab their fork into said crap, look at it in disgust and eat it anyway. Then, there are those who love good food...cooking it, eating it, trying new things. We definitely live to eat. And family, it is so important.


M - Marriage date? July 1, 2005

N - Number of brothers and sisters? 1 younger sister


O - Oranges or apples? I like both, but I have a gala apple with my lunch pretty much every day.

P - Phobia and fears? Fire, I'm really afraid of getting burned. I'm also a MAJOR germophobe.


Q - Quote? There are so many! I find them so inspiring. Check out my many "This Week's Quote" posts for specific examples.

R - Reason to smile? Reminiscing about certain memories, babies, my husband, travel, compliments, etc.


S - Season of choice? Summer and Fall, especially the fall. I love the weather we have here in Houston from September to November.

T - Tag three people: Mrs.PlainJane, Scented Glossy Magazines, and Caitlin of Dan and Caitlin


U - Unknown fact about me? Oh man, I don't know. I've studied four languages (I feel like most people know this about me, though.) I'm planning a big change beginning this summer, though I can't fully disclose what it is yet.

V - Vegetable? Zucchini, Squash, Potatoes, Spinach, Asparagus


W - Worst habit? I'm a control freak.

X - X-ray or ultrasound? I've only ever had x-rays at the dentist because I've been fortunate enough to have never broken a bone. I did have an ultrasound last fall before my surgery.
Y - Your favorite food? So many things my mom makes, seafood, roast chicken, basil, tomato, and mozzarella panini, a good croissant, french pastries, I could go on and on!

Z - Zodiac sign? Scorpio

Saturday, March 22, 2008

The Liberty Hotel in Boston

I came across The Liberty Hotel in Boston as I was searching for travel options on Expedia. My husband's birthday is on May 2nd and I'd like to take him away for the weekend of his birthday. We're thinking of going back to San Francisco since we loved it so much the first time we visited (We honeymooned there and in the Wine Country) or we could visit Seattle, Chicago, or Boston for the first time. I'd love any suggestions for any one of these cities if you would be willing to share. I can't quite decide which city to choose!


Anyhow, back to the task at hand. As I was looking at Boston hotel options on Expedia, I came across The Liberty Hotel and was instantly intrigued. This sleek, modern boutique hotel is housed inside of the former Charles Street Jail, which was once home to some of Chicago's most notorious criminals. In 1973, the prisoners revolted due to the poor living conditions and the jail was deemed to be in violation of the inmates' constitutional rights. In 1990, the last prisoners were transferred to the Suffolk County Jail and it closed after nearly 150 years.


It took the current hotel's owners 5 years and $150 million to revamp the old jail into what is now a trendy and luxurious hotel. The Liberty houses a swanky bar and Clink restaurant, which is surrounded by original jail bars and windows. The hotel, which was once home to violent criminals is now home to the likes of Annette Benning, Eva Mendes, Mick Jagger, and Meg Ryan when they visit Boston. When I told my husband about this place, he looked at me like I was nuts. I don't know if we'll ever actually stay at The Liberty as it has to be haunted and I'm a big chicken! One hundred fifty plus years of poor living conditions for angry criminals... that is a sure fire recipe for mean ghosts!


What matters is that at the end of the day, they did an incredible job with this hotel. It is sleek, modern, and unique...everything I love in a hotel. We choose to stay in boutique hotels whenever we can for this reason. I know there are people who can't justify paying for a nice hotel because they spend so little time there, but I am the opposite. To me, a hotel is such a big part of one's travel experience. It really can make your trip that much better or that much worse.


To learn more about The Liberty Hotel, check out this article from USA Today.




The Hotel's Exterior


The ornate railings and catwalks where the prison guards once stood




A rendering of the jail back in 1850




The Reception Desk



The Hotel's Lobby




Clink Restaurant



Original Jail Doors at Clink



I love the chandeliers in the hotel's ballroom.





A view of the hotel (it's on the left behind the trees)



Guest Room



Sitting Area in a Guest Room





Living Area in a Suite



View of Boston from a Balcony



Images from Expedia and The Liberty Hotel

Happy Easter!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter Weekend!


Case Study: Chic Bookcases

I have been collecting random photos of bookcases. After a trip to Barnes and Noble yesterday, I felt inspired to post them. Here are a few of my favorites:


I'm not sure where I got this image (If anyone knows, please let me know so that I can give credit where it's due!), but I love the entire room. I love the tall bookcases and that green fabric is gorgeous!

Amazing Country House in Upstate New York
I love everything about this room! The mouldings, the floor, the contrasting colors... I could go on and on, but my favorite thing about this room is the wonderful wall of built-in bookcases with the gorgeous brass Circa Boston Functional Library Two Arm Wall Lights hanging above them.


Here, we have a decidedly modern take on bookcases from NathanEgan Interiors.





Another modern room, this time from Spain's Nuevo Estilo Magazine





This is from a Manhattan real estate listing. I don't really like the way the room is decorated, but I love the fact that bookcases line the entire hallway.



I think this is adorable! This bookcase belongs to Jihan, the girl who writes Around the World on my Vespa. I love that the quirky objects coexist with her books in such a lovely way.



Bookcases in a casual, yet elegant sitting room from the movie Something's Gotta Give


Sunday, March 16, 2008

New York, I Love You


Following the success of Paris, Je t'aime, several Hollywood heavyweights have begun filming New York, I Love You, a film composed of twelve vignettes about love in the Big Apple. The vignettes will be directed by the likes of The Coen brothers, Alexander Payne, Gus Van Sant, Alfonso Cuaron, Wes Craven, Walter Salles, Tom Tykwer, and Scarlett Johannson and will feature artists such as Natalie Portman, Elijah Wood, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kevin Bacon, Nick Nolte, Gena Rowlands, and Gérard Depardieu. The different vignettes will take place in all five New York boroughs. I really enjoyed Paris, Je t'aime and New York is one of favorite cities in the world so I am really looking forward to seeing this when it comes out!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Stylish Interiors: Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia


Anyone who has read my blog probably knows how much I love Sex and the City, so you can imagine how hesitant I was when Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia first aired. Due to a lack of options because of the writer's strike, I decided to go ahead and give Cashmere Mafia a chance. I watched a few episodes and got bored with the story lines very quickly. Quite frankly, the characters are completely forgettable in my opinion. I can't remember their names and it has only been a few weeks since I stopped watching. The interiors, on the other hand, are a different story. I feel they've actually done a better job on that show with the interiors than Patricia Field did with the wardrobe.




Lipstick Jungle debuted after Cashmere Mafia, but has quickly become a favorite of mine. I feel like the characters have more substance and are more likable (even cheating Nico and her younger man, Kirby) and the interiors on this show are even better in my opinion! I love the spaces the girls live and work in. My favorite space by far is Victory Ford's town house. It is feminine, chic, and quirky, just like she is.




I know there have been a couple of blogs who have posted some of the interiors from Cashmere Mafia, but I have searched and searched for pictures of the Lipstick Jungle interiors without much luck until recently. I came across Bandelle Blog, written by Australian designer, Kylie Sarley, as I was searching for the LJ interiors and found that she had done two fabulous posts featuring Caitlin's apartment from Cashmere Mafia and Victory Ford's townhouse from Lipstick Jungle in which she breaks down all of the elements that the spaces are composed of. I only wish I had come across Bandelle Blog sooner. It is adorable, well written, and features great content.


So, what is your take? Do you like one show more than the other? Do any of the spaces featured on Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle really stand out to you?


Images from: E Online and Bandelle Blog, respectively

NathanEgan Interiors

NathanEgan Interiors, based out of Manhattan, consists of an extremely talented team formed by Wayne Nathan and Carol Egan. I love their eclectic taste and would hire them in a New York minute if I had the New York address and the money to do so. As I browsed through their portfolio, I realized that my favorite rooms were the kitchens. They are beyond gorgeous! White cabinetry, stainless accents, subway tile, vintage style hardware and lighting, ebonized floors...the result is modern and classic all at once.











This Week's Quote


Saturday, March 8, 2008

Carrie + Big For Like Ever

Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Noth are shooting a spread for next month's issue of Vogue with famed photographer, Annie Leibowitz. They are portrayed as their characters, Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big in order to promote the long-awaited Sex and the City Movie which is set to be released on May 30th. The big day can't come soon enough! I feel like the picture above is actually quite representative of Carrie and Big's relationship. Try as he may, Big is never fully comfortable in his relationship with Carrie. Perhaps things will be different in the movie.




Poor SJP took a tumble at the photoshoot.


Photos from: Us Weekly, PopSugar, and Wenn respectively

Reality Bites

I found these pictures while I was perusing Us Weekly's website because the magazine just isn't enough sometimes.

Tim Gunn, Jillian Lewis, Rami Kashu, and Christian Siriano at the Project Runway Finale After Party



Back in Los Angeles, Heidi Klum totes two of her beautiful tots to Brooklyn Beckham's birthday party. Why wasn't I invited?


And from one of my other favorite reality shows, The Hills, I present to you: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (in Las Vegas at LAX nightclub), fame-whores and douchebags to the max. Has Heidi undergone more plastic surgery? From the looks of her face, my guess would be yes. Scented Glossy Magazines, I*Heart*You, what do you think?



Meanwhile, Lauren Conrad and Lo Bosworth partied at Villa in L.A. on Tuesday. I love Lauren's Chanel bag! It seems she has started a nice, little collection.