Scarf Love, Part Deux

Now I am thinking of the silk scarf.  It is, afterall, 75 degrees here this week.  In the morning I can get away with wrapping a gauzy number around my neck, but by early afternoon it feels like a self-induced sauna.  I know, to have such problems.  I am working on embracing this temperate challenge to open my mind to different forms of expression (in fashion).

Welcome Back, Silk Scarf.

I found some lovely images online.  Some realistic, some not so much unless you are Iris Apfel or en route to a Comme des Garcons show.  Embrace the accessory.  Always.  Happy Scarfing*.

*if you're in a latitude where you are still wrapping the cashmere kind, don't worry your silk days are as close to popping up as those daffodils...

Courtesy of the folks at Kate Spade.  Good reminders and how-to imagery.  I love pictures!

The dreamiest way to wear a silk scarf.  And the dreamiest way to nap. 
Hermes (of course).

This is a real statement.  Made in a statement-kind-of-place (note the plethora of cabs).

Love the ikat.  Again, statement look (note the buildings = NYC).  I admire it but I would look like I used a scarf instead of a towel that morning...and forgot.  Don't be afraid to try new things...but know your limits. 

If you are afraid to embrace your inner silk scarf wearer, there's always the option to frame! Gorgeous!  Wall of Hermes.  Love.

Bonne nuit mon ami! 

Happy New Year!

Today in celebration of the Chinese New Year I will be donning one (or two...or all three?) of my Kenneth Jay Lane Dragon bracelets!  Aren't they gorgeous?  Even the fangs are hand-painted with white enamel.  Can you get over it? 

It's the year of the water dragon, and there's no more appropriate welcome in SoCal than with unusual downpours in the desert today!  

A Statement on The Winter Fashion Rut

I am in a fashion rut*.  When this happens I need to remind myself to seek out the help of those streetwise fashionistas being photographed around the globe.  It's true my current professional lifestyle does not require such eloquent dressing, but I can still make a statement with one giant necklace.  It's unavoidable to the eye and in my experience immediately lifts the spirits (while hopefully not weighing you down, some are so heavy!). 

Enjoy the necklace inspiration below.  Remember (to myself and others) that the corresponding outfit need not be complicated; a simple grey t-shirt and white jeans will do*.

(*I am in a late-Spring-like climate and yet it is January and natives all around me seem to be wearing winter gear. But it's 73 and sunny outside. Oh the difficult dilemmas I have to sort out, I know.)

Petite for a statement piece, but packs extra punch in with highlighter yellow - a favorite color of mine that I love to treat as a neutral.



Gorgeous. Piece. Of. Jewelry.



Love the bold look over demure and classic crisp white blouse.

The Queen of Fine Jewelry wears a classic torsade of gems with a simple sweater. That's how to do it ladies!

Yabusame porcelian horse necklace from Anthropologie.

Adia Kibur neon green and rhinestone multi-strand necklace from Shopbop, $174.

losselliani mussed up strands with deer horn detail (love me some antlers) available at Shopbop, $674.

Happy Birthday to Dixie

My beloved yellow Dixie dog!  (wearing grass skirt and leis of course)

Hooked on a New Print

I have always admired fishing flies - bold colors! texture! creativity! 

Throughout my life I have pondered collecting them while examining my grandfather's fishing hat or flipping through the Fall Orvis catalog.  At flea markets they are gorgeous and beckoning (now I know why the fish bite), if only they weren't sharp to the touch and otherwise useless in my daily life.  Until now!

 

Vibrant! Beckoning print of larger than life flies!

Silk printed pants, the softer side of fishing flies.
Genius.

Going Big in 2012 at the Urban Barn in Southern CA

Happy New Year!

I am opening 2012 with a wonderful and inspiring gem located in Escondido, California (a 30-minute jaunt from San Diego proper and approx. two hours from LA - worth the drive folks!).

Welcome to the Urban Barn - a co-op of thirty "booth" style spaces of incredible vintage accessories and furniture - reworked and original - as well as new items of clothing, accessories, gifts, and more.  Not only will your creative juices flow but you will be inspired by the layers of incredible pieces available in price points from $2 to $600+.  Have a look below, as my mother says "a picture is worth 1000 words"...but I cannot refrain from adding some words of my own...

Urban Barn located at 155 W. Crest St, Escondido, California

Genius and gorgeous - a large chandelier in this vintage birdcage.
Enormous warehouse doors open this indoor-outdoor showroom to larger-than-life displays.  This store makes Anthropogie look amateur.  Incredible.

A "booth" space with a Shabby Chic/French/Vintage look - furniture and glitter and antique mixing bowls! 

Dying. For. This.  A Happy Birthday tiara.  It's vintage.  I LOVE.  A mere $48.

Gorgeous display of German glass glitter.  Shakers ranging from $6-20.  This is the good glitter people.  You know the stuff that makes disco balls look dull.

Entrance to the outdoor space - incredible cement garden finds as well as plenty of vintage furniture. 

Shell cake.  Whomever has this space is seriously gifted with shells, and has incredible amounts of patience.  This shell cake is stunning.  A gorgeous gift for the seaside bride or bridal store. 
Note the dress form covered in a shell bathing costume behind. 

I am a sucker for vintage iron lawn furniture.  I grew up with it (and complained about it since it was not "new" and
cushy or neon in the 80s) but now I have a real appreciation for these pieces.  They are used beautifully at the Parker in Palm Springs and look incredible around a croquet lawn.  Hello!  This settee above is perfection. 

Trust me this vintage shopping adventure is worth the trip if you find yourself floating around SoCal.  I have already been there twice in 24 hours buying an incredible marble cheese cloche for $8 and a stunning black and white marble cafe table with an iron base for a steal. 

Run, don't walk.