Sunday Style

This is one of my favorite ensembles captured by the Sartorialist. I decided to go a little cozier with today's look in light of the fact that the northeast is hardly out of the icebox. Stay cozy!

Brrrr

Ok I am positive I've written about this before, so bear with me. I LOVE the Tom and Jerry episode where Jerry freezes the kitchen so he can ice skate. It's brilliant. And using the colored jello as the disco skating light? Amazing.
Tonight, while watching the news recap, they showed that incredible frozen warehouse in Chicago that caught fire early this morning. Those poor firefighters out there freezing to douse the fire. But I have to say the pictures are amazing. It reminded me of my favorite Tom and Jerry episode. Sorry to all of you living in that ice covered reality right now...maybe you should make a colored jello mold.

Sunday Style

Her style is amazing! Happy Sunday and cheers to the coming caftan season.
Replace her standard with a yellow lab and we have arrived.

Punk Inspired

My style preferences run the gamut (I had to look up how to spell that word, btw).  I range from admiring excessive grande dame style sparklers to uber prep gear punctuated by plaid and stripes (ooh it makes me happy just typing about it!) all the way over to the far dark side of asymmetrical avant garde slash anything born out of ripped punk street style courtesy of London's late seventies and NYC's gorgeous eighties.  Whew!  That was a mind full.  I love it all. 
In early high school I dabbled in punkisms.  I never went too far - the private all-girls school I attended would not have allowed too extreme of a movement.  My mother wasn't a fan either.  My Salvation Army inspirations were met with a lot of nonplussed-ness and comments about how "cute" I looked in "clothes that fit me" and "colors".
The thing is, traditional "preppy" style and "punk" are close cousins.  You really cannot have one without the other.  I was "expressing myself" by listening to college radio punk rock, attending concerts, dying my hair red (I discovered the other day my mother blocked this memory out), and wearing super rebellious concert t-shirts. Ooooh.  By the time I could drive I was coming out of it and into pink, plaid, and full on prep.  I was still rocking out to some Agent Orange while driving my 1982 Saab to the Flats (Cleveland) to check out whomever was playing at Peabody's Down Under*.
*How did I get in?  Were they "all ages" shows? 
I am rambling.  The bottom line is that this photo of Johnny Rotten (below) reminds me of that familial relationship between preppy and punk.  I like it all...

Johnny Rotten in London. That hole ridden shetland sweater is something truly inspired.  In the budding days of punk these folks had to be truly creative.  Their only designer was whatever concoctions darling Vivienne Westwood
was cooking up at "Let It Rock" on the King's Road.

Another British champion.  A look from Burberry's FW 2013 Collection.
 I would LOVE this fox clutch. 
Do you see the studs and fox so closely knit? 
Fox hunting meets brit punk movement circa 2013.
Loving all of it.

True that.  Let's keep it mixed up.  Until next time...

Girls Premiere Trumps GG Awards

It's true that I've been worried for a whole now on how I would be watching the "Girls" premiere tonight on HBO. Thanks to some birdies in Boston that problem is solved.
It was solved just in time for me to indulge in a review of season one. Some of the very uncomfortable moments (RT) did not really need to be relived, the first time around was harsh enough watching while holding a boudoir pillow over half of my face. But the triumphant moments (Dancing On My Own) and hilarious moments ("Is it the scarf?") were worth enduring those bitter reminders of awkward years past. At least I hope those years are past...
What's in your baggage?

The Origin of my Obsession with Wunderkammer

Being someone who is considerably influenced by her surrounding aestethics, I am constantly reflecting (and overanalyzing) about design and who may have been the person to open my eyes to concepts, ideas, patterns... There is no doubt that my mother and grandmother had an intense influence on my life as the number one and two tastemakers.  Even the constant chatter between the two of them on types of wood in antiques osmosed its way into my mental encyclopedia. 
There is one very colorful character who also appeared consistently in my life, my childhood physician, Dr. Koelliker.  I had an epiphany the other day that this man single handedly influenced my comforting love of the Wunderkammer (Cabinet of Curiosities). 
Dr. Koelliker was a piece of work, and that is an understatement.  He was a wonderful doctor - a true intuitive physician.  I don't think I had a throat culture until college because Dr. Koelliker could diagnose strep throat simply by observing my appearance (this is a slight exaggeration).  I knew he was nutty in the best kind of way, even when I was five. 
His office was decorated like an antique apothecary.  The man's true passion was antiques.  I think he kept his practice going for the mere chance to converse with (or buy from) some of the best dealers in Northeastern Ohio.  There were shelves of bottles, specimen, books, labeled drawers, and feathers. Rugs, leather, nail heads and trunks furnished the waiting room...you can see where I am going with this. 
A Character attracts other Characters (my family being some of them, and my family being antique dealers...).  I remember one visit when Dr. Koelliker ran very behind in his schedule (there were so many wonderful things to look at every time I didn't really mind waiting for what seemed like two hours in kid-time) brokered some kind of deal for a trunk or a rug while hanging out of the open window of his waiting room with a man in the parking lot. I cannot make these things up. 
Dr. Koelliker's office nurse, Angie, was incredible, too.  She was the perfect yin to his yang.  They both hustled around the office in white, rolled quickly on the small leather stools in examination rooms, and were quick in their deliberations.  The best part for me, as a child, was that they bickered constantly.  Angie wore a white nurse's dress and those huge orthopaedic looking wedge lace-ups topped off with the most incredible late Seventies glasses.  And she had a blond Bob haircut. Well that's how I remember her at least.  She also slung responses to Dr. Koelliker's nips and gnats that made me a little afraid of her, and also led me to believe nurses were in charge of doctors. 
Dr. Koelliker was a genius.  He wasn't a peditrician, he was our family doctor.  We were lucky enough to be invited to his "barn" where so many antique treasures lived.  He gave me a teddy bear from the barn, and my mom talked antiques with him.  I wish I could have access to that barn now.  At the time I think he was making space for one of his kids to move into the barn, but I am not sure.  That memory is about thirty years old now.
Here's a thanks to Dr. Koelliker for exposing me to another level of an education on taste, style, antiques, curiosities, and breaking new developments in flavored penicillians in hte early 80s.  When I find myself loving shelves filled with odd bits of this and that, and cabinets of drawers, I will think of that waiting room where I spent hours of my life unknowingly absorbing his style. 

excellent display at The Paris Market - where I had the epiphany about Dr. Koelliker's stylistic influence on my life.

The Paris Market, Savannah

More of The Paris Market...

And finally...The Paris Market...

Savannah

I am lucky enough to live a short distance from gorgeous Savannah, Georgia. I don't get there nearly enough; I suppose the fact that a bridge and a state line separates me from downtown is a mental throwback to my isolation on Aquidneck Island. Nevertheless I need to remind myself to venture (easily) down the way for heaps of inspiration that waxes and wanes from the late 17th century to mod thinking art students. The mix is magical, and makes for excellent boutique shopping adventures (as well as architecture appreciation that is unavoidable!).

Number Four Eleven on Whitaker Street - gorgeous store carrying chic interiors and luxe linens (just my bag!)

Incredible Plum glass chandelier at Paris Market on Broughton Street

Lovely display at Paris Market - a FAVORITE store of mine. I am always curious what gorgeous displays they have dreamt up

Macabre/religious display at Paris Market

Blue and White and other deliciousness at One Fish Two Fish on Whitaker - LOVE this store too! Check out the Annex across the street for chic clothing picks (Elizabeth McKay) and the CIRCA outlet in the adjacent garage. Worth a trip.

Lovely vignette at One Fish Two Fish

Jones Street from Whitaker - Savannah is so incredibly beautiful nearly everywhere you look.  When you start looking even closer it gets more and more incredible - !!!

Feathery tablescape at Paris Market

Chic shop d. luxe on Whitaker - herein lies the entire collection of 24 scents of the incredible Savannah Squares Canlde collection.  On Whitaker.  This store is also GORGEOUS inside.  Say hi to Sally for me (woof!).

Wishing I was a bit more Neutral...

I have these grandiose ideas about an all-neutral decor in my next home. I dream. The fact is that I adore color and graphic patterns that instinctively push me toward chinoiserie, Chippendale, and anything pink. It's not a horrific dilemma, really. Maybe I can discipline myself into one neutral room next time. Or I need more than one house...
See below for my latest neutral inspiration. It's all texture and layers and delicious creams, whites, and dried grass colors. Chic.

entree! love the hide rug and statuary...

succulents make everything juicier (pardon the puns)

A collective *sigh* for the bleached tortoise shell plus leopard print please?

ceiling!

Now if I really had self control I would have the nerve to show off open shelves.  The fact of the matter is that I am a schitzo when it comes to dishes (LOVE!) and I cannot commit to white or clear or chic transparent.  So my shelves would look like a bad day at Goodwill.  Congrats to the well-edited person who can handle such increidble chic-ery (new word, you heard it here first).

In an ideal world where my yellow labrador does not shed, or if she does, she sheds clear colored fur.

The table is the star - and who knew that the giant pendant wouldn't steal the spotlight? (haha, get it?)

Winter (in Newport)

Most people head south for some reprieve...not me. Alas, I was lucky enough to spend some holi-days in Boston and Newport. I packed the warmest gear I could unearth but I was still inappropriately dressed for the weather (as per usual) even though I was desperately hoping for snow!

Here are some frigid highlights from my adventures. As always, the absolute warmest gratitude to my friends who are truly an extension of my family. Xoxo

Bannister's Wharf (view of The Black Pearl) moments after the snow
started to stick!

Cocktail napkin, pre-Dark-n-Stormy...

The frozen courtyard fountain at the Pelham Court Hotel - arguably
one of the most perfect, comfortable, and wonderful places to stay in Newport.

Yep. Delicious. And thank you to B&W! Cheers to 2013!
Note the color...it competes with Barritt's for Best Orangey Color.

Darling GSB-R in her New Years Eve glory, post-Midnight.
Her vintage velvet paisley hostess skirt is incredible, and always
wearing gold like a goddess. Excellent look.