Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Here is what I threw together for this evening. I wish you all a wonderful beginning to 2012, may this be a year of much love, happiness and joy!

I found this very cute French Connection dress on sale at Nordstrom's the other day and I thought it was perfect for this evening. 

I love the back as it has the most adorable black bows! It makes this rather simple dress a bit more interesting, especially since this is a detail that you only see from the back. 

I paired my dress with my Valentino ruffles and bow coat, happily used my new Louis de Paule and I was out the door for an evening of fun!

Happy New Year, 

Lady Elizabeth Grace

Inside My Bag - Part II

Most of my handbags are larger and so it can be tempting to fill them with all kinds of wonderful things! While this has its advantages I generally try to pair down what I carry with me on a daily basis. Aside from my larger Louis pouch and the essentials within it, my cosmetics pouch is really the only other accessory that is most often with me. 

Unlike my wallet, I tend to change cosmetic pouches often. I usually select one based upon what I need, where I am going and what I am wearing. Here are a few of my favorite essentials...

Mac Blot Powder

Love this! Simply an essential. 

Chanel Lip Color

I think Chanel has an excellent line of lip colors both in lip sticks as well in lip glosses. Sunnies and a bright lip can make any day a great day and so I am never without these. 

Band-Aid  Friction Block

A lifesaver! Some of my favorite VERY expensive shoes can require a bit of breaking in. I would not make it without this little gem!

E.O. Hand Gel

I'm a bit of a germaphobe, and I LOVE the lavender scent. This anti-bacterial hand gel makes it easy to keep my hands clean on the go and it smells like heaven. 

Maybelline Line Stiletto

For the longest time I swore by Chanel's liquid liner, until I somehow stumbled upon this. For the past year or so I have been using it and I love it. It's easy to apply, has great staying power and is a heck of a lot less expensive. 

Perfume

The same amazing friend that gave me Louis Paule (my vintage Louis Vuitton from a few posts back) gave me this incredible little bottle of scented oil. It smells like Gardenias and Plumerias and reminds me of my Grampsie and Hawaii. 

Inside My Bag - Part I

I find it interesting and love to see what other people carry in their purses. I thought I would share with you what's in mine, or at least the essentials I am never without...

My Louis Pouch

Truly meant to be a cosmetic pouch, I use this large Louis Vuitton pouch to hold my wallet, checkbook, lip gloss etc...this pouch is really the heart and soul of my purse. 

Tiffany Leather Envelopes

I originally received the large Tiffany blue envelope as party favor at a Tiffany event and for years it sat in a desk drawer. About five years ago I began using it to keep my receipts organized. It's slim profile makes it the perfect accessory. 

I also have the smaller version of this in red and black and I use these adorable envelopes to hold business cards and gift cards. Their patent leather makes them durable and their bright colors make them easy to find. 

My Wallet

I use a small Louis Vuitton sip pouch for my wallet. I found it while on a trip to Hawaii and I have been using it ever since. I don't change wallets often and I like to be able to carry car keys, my phone and my wallet in one hand, so suits my needs quite nicely. 

Keys

My Grampsie always carried his keys in this simple black leather holder. When he passed away I carried with with me everywhere until it was stolen with my purse. Of everything I lost, I was most devastated over this. My sweet husband found this one which is exactly like Grampsie's and bought it for me. Grampsie always used to keep $20 inside for emergencies and my husband always makes sure I do to...just in case. 

Sunnies

Aside from handbags my second largest personal collection would have to be sunglasses. I usually carry at least two pairs with me. Chanel and Oliver Peoples are among my favorites. 

iPad

I am never without it. 

Vintage Love!

Today I was truly left speechless! One of my very good friends whom I absolutely love and adore surprised me and gave me one of her vintage Louis Vuitton handbags. To say that I am over the moon is an understatement. I have not had the opportunity to find out the exact vintage of my bag but I know that it is called the Louis Vuitton Epi Sac D'Paule, and I am guessing that it is from the 1970's based upon stories I have heard. 

I just love how when closed the bag takes on a more structured shape and when open it becomes a fabulous bucket bag!

Inside is a "little Louis" pouch! I use a very similar pouch for my wallet now and I am so excited to use this one as well.

The inside is lined in a beautiful olive green suede. These pictures do not do it justice but it is a gorgeous shade of green. 

The embossed logo set against the incredible texture of the Epi leather. 

My dear friend truly enriches my life. Her life has been and remains an incredible journey and I will forever be grateful to her for bestowing upon me this treasure. I am honored to be able to include it in my personal archives and I will forever think of her whenever I use it. 

Dolls

One of my favorite books of all time is the campy 1960's novel Valley of the Dolls. I absolutely adore it! Dolls, in case you aren't familiar, refer to the uppers and downers the ladies of this novel imbibed in. To say they popped dolls like candy would be a gross understatement. From staying slender to knocking themselves out to get a little rest, dolls always seemed the appropriate and perfect answer.

Naturally when I saw Jonathan Adler's "Dolls" pottery as part of his Vices Collection I knew it was something that had to become part of my collection. I received this gem as a Hanukkah gift and it makes me smile every time I lay eyes on it! 

 Jonathan Adler will forever be my irreverent style hero. His sense of humor and designs captivate and entertain me. The description for this item reads, "Beyond denial, stash your stuff in style."

Tradition and Style : My take on the menorah

Happy Hanukkah! Aside from the traditions, festive food, fun parties and being surrounded by friends and family, one of my favorite elements of Hanukkah is the menorah and lighting the candles.

While menorahs come in all sorts of designs from very simple to incredibly ornate, the majority seem to be rather simple and plain. In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm not one who tends to follow others. I relish in discovering beautiful and significant objects, especially those that offer a unique twist on the traditional. As I grow older, traditions become even more important and are something that I honor in my life. 

One of my very traditional but favorite menorahs

I've always liked the symbolism of trees and their metaphorical comparisons to family. Their roots establish them and keep them firmly grounded, their limbs are sturdy and provide shelter from the elements, the bark of their trunk protects them and their delicate leaves provide them energy and nourishment. 

 The latest edition to my collection, not technically a menorah but it will do :) 

I found this candle sculpture at one of my favorite local stores, and while it was not intended to be a menorah it has the perfect number of paces for candles. As it is only the first night its true beauty is not really shinning though :) I purchased this a while ago and I have been saving it for especially for Hanukkah. I can't wait to see how pretty it will be when all of its candles are lit!  

Party Frog!

Today I had the pleasure of enjoying a great girls lunch with my mom and one of our dearest friends. Mimi is one of the most thoughtful people I know and always manages to find the cutest gifts. Today before our lunch she gave me this... 

Meet my party frog!

She is all dressed up complete with a pretty pink tutu, fuzzy white gloves, a sparkly tiara and red high heels! 

I just love this little frog! 

All Wrapped Up!

This year I decided that I would wrap all holiday gifts using the same wrapping. I chose to do this for a few reasons. One, I think keeping things simple is often times more beautiful. Two, I prefer monochromatic color themes when decorating, and I consider wrapping packages a form of decorating. Three, I thought it would look pretty under the tree if all of the packages looked alike. Here's how it all turned out. 

I used simple recycled brown paper as wrapping and accented it with bright white ribbon that has silver stripes. I found adorable sparkly stars as gift tags at Target that add texture and the perfect finishing touch. 

A cute little package :) 

A Warm Winter Meal

Last night I hosted a girls night to watch Pan Am. It was a casual evening at home, a great bottle of wine, fabulous company and a simple meal. I don't consider myself to be very skilled in the kitchen but this was a relatively quick, easy and delicious meal. 

I combined two types of handmade ravioli from Whole Foods, winter squash and sage in sage pasta and goat cheese, pear and arugula. I boiled them and then finished them off in a pan with a dash of olive oil and some blanched asparagus. I topped them with fresh Parmesan cheese, dried cranberries, arugula and toasted pine nuts. Yummy!

Home for the Holidays II

I love the holiday season! This year holds many firsts for my husband and I. While we have been married for over a year, our first year of marriage was a whirlwind of traveling that didn't seem to end until a few weeks ago. Crazy and insane I know, but it made for a great first year! 

This year will be the first in our new home, our first Christmas tree together, our first time putting holiday lights up on our house, well you get the idea, many firsts. The day after Thanksgiving we put up our holiday lights and decorated our tree. I just love how our house feels!

Our Tree

My husband's mom brought over all of his childhood ornaments and together my husband and I went through them. He shared his special memories of each one before we put them on the tree together. 

The Stockings

I have not yet managed to get our stockings embroidered. That is on my to do list for this week. I am going to put our names on one side and our nicknames for one another on the reverse side. I think this is a really cute way to make them both traditional and uniquely special. 

The Hanukkah decorations have not gone up yet, but they will be coming shortly. I have been keeping my eyes peeled for anything really wonderful but I have yet to encounter much. I did find an absolutely beautiful candle sculpture that I plan on using for a menorah. Stay tuned for more holiday decorations!

I know I will always remember and cherish this holiday season with special fondness.

Beginning Our Traditions

Rituals and traditions enrich our lives and make them unique and special. This year will be our first year in our new home and the day after Thanksgiving my husband introduced me to a new tradition, one that I know I will cherish for many years to come. 

From this year forward, every day following Thanksgiving we will go out together and choose a special ornament for each other. My husband's only instruction was to look for something that reminded me of him as he would do the same and choose something special for me. What we chose may surprise you!

When I saw this ornament I knew that I had found the one for my sweet boy, a green tractor. There's a country song about a big green tractor that sparked his love for these objects. Ever since then, whenever I see one I think of him. This summer while in Italy we found a model of a vintage green tractor and it now sits in our living room. I knew this ornament would conjure up many wonderful memories and when my husband saw it I knew I had made the right choice! 

A Big Green Tractor for my Boy

As for what my husband saw that made him think of me...he could not have chosen a sweeter or more meaningful ornament. He chose a black London taxi cab, fashioned after the old style London cabs. You may be thinking this seems like an incredibly odd choice for me, but let me explain. My grandfather was my entire world and he passed away a little less than five years ago. Patrick and I met shortly after  and therefore they were never able to meet one another. Patrick has always known how special my Grampsie was and how much he meant to me and he has always made a concerted effort to include him and honor his presence in our lives together. 

My Grampsie brought an old London Cab over from London years ago. Our family still has it and it has long been a goal of mine to restore it and bring it back to its original glory. Having recently visited London my sweet boy explained that when he saw this it made him think of me and Grampsie. 

My London Cab

I feel truly blessed to have such an incredibly thoughtful husband and I look forward to beginning many other wonderful traditions of our very own :) 

Thanksgiving Inspiration!

I am far more confident in my ability to accessorize an outfit than I am in my ability to cook, let alone a turkey for the holidays. A friend shared this with me and I believe I've found my culinary guru! Mary Risley is both hilarious and inspiring. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh... and Good Luck with the Turkey!

A Table for the Ladies

Tomorrow evening I'm hosting a girls night at our house! It's going to be a casual evening with the girls but I wanted to do something fun for the table. I love candlelight, sparkles, and let's not forget bows so here is how I combined some of my favorite things...

The Table Theme

 Napkins folded into bows accented with sparkly napkin rings,

 mercury glass votives,  

pine cones for a seasonal touch, 

set against a plaid metallic linen. 

 Place Settings

Metallic plaid linen napkin, 

large white square plate,

simple silverware

The Table

Candlelight, bows, sparkles

 Little Touches

I love these mercury glass votives, these are from Pottery Barn but many retailers are now carrying them. Also, I used one my favorite silver bowls to display a gathering of pine cones from one of our trips to Lake Tahoe. I like the juxtaposition of the pine cones dark colors and rough texture to the delicate features of the rest of the table. I like to create contrast and depth and I think this is a great way to achieve both. 

Thanks and Giving

Thanksgiving is almost here and as I prepare to celebrate with my family I am reminded of how fortunate I am. One of the things I am most thankful for is my health. I became sick when I was 18 and I continue to struggle with health issues. There are good days and better days, never bad days. I believe we choose to see things and live either positively or negatively, and I choose to see and live the good. 

In the spirit of giving thanks, one cause that I have always admired and supported is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Their holiday Thanks and Giving campaign is a great way to give back this holiday season. Any store bearing this logo will make a donation to St. Jude's for selected products. Whenever possible I try to purchase these products. 

Yesterday evening I purchased these wonderful candles at Pottery Barn. They smell delicious and come in pretty mercury glass votives.  I use small candles in our kitchen and these will look great in front of the pictures I have on the counter. 

These candles are excellent gifts for the holiday's. I love being able to give gifts that have a deeper significance.  Every donation makes a difference and helps to spread awareness. 

Forever and Always, Part II

I love pictures. 

I love pictures that capture moments in time.

I love pictures that capture moments in time, forever suspending memories never to be forgotten. Memories and minutes to be cherished forever and always...

Here are a few of my most treasured images

A Fairytale

 My Dad and I

My Heroes

My momma and my Gran

My Grampsie's medals were woven into my bouquet and I carried him down the aisle with me

My love

Husband and Wife

I will always cherish and remember this moment

Forever and Always

I love pictures. 

I love pictures that capture moments in time.

I love pictures that capture moments in time, forever suspending memories never to be forgotten. Memories and minutes to be cherished forever and always...

Here are a few of my most treasured images

The Wonder Years

I've clearly loved fashion from a very early age and grasped the importance of accessorizing. Check out that purse and those shades.

One of my most sacred pictures. My Grampsie and me. He remains the quite gentle voice guiding my life and not a day goes by that I don't wish for a few more minutes of his unconditional love and grace. 

 Clowning Around! My sister and I in our handmade clown costumes for Halloween. 

My Grampsie was a pilot and from early on I loved anything having to do with flight. Gran and Gramps found NASA astronaut suits and we rocked them! 

Out in 10...

One of my best friends and I were able to connect for an impromptu dinner tonight! Only catch, I had just finished a long day and had taken a shower and thrown on some sweats. I didn't have time to spend hours getting ready so here is what I put together to get myself out the door in about 10 minutes...

Jewelry
I tend keep my jewelry either simple or I like to wear multiple pieces and layered them. Tonight I was in the mood to stack some of my favorites.

Michael Kors watch, tennis bracelet that was a wedding gift from my parents, David Yurman cuff bracelet, green beads, gold link bracelet with my initial from my sister.

All together

Handbag

Burberry Large Tote

Shoes

Black Suede Booties

(I changed the coloring so the details could be seen better, they are a deep black)

The Outfit

Black leggings, a black poncho top and a persimmon cashmere wrap
No makeup, just blow dried my hair and ran out the door!

Happy Halloween!

Here is a sweet Halloween treat! 

 Candy Corn Cocktail

1 part vodka

2 parts cranberry juice

1 part lemonade

a handful of candy corn

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween! 

A Celebration of Bubbly!

Today is National Champagne day! I had no idea such a day existed but I began receiving some tweets about it and did a bit of research. It is only the second official year of this holiday but I think a day to celebrate Champagne is brilliant!

My favorite champagne is Vueve Clicquot. I love their bubbly, but I have been falling head over heels for their fun collectibles for the past few years. Here are a few of the ones I have been able to get my hands on. 

While in London I found these insanely adorable mini fridges! The combination of the vintage refrigerator design and my favorite beverage made these a must have. 

This trademark yellow bottle jacket was something that I had had my eye on for quite some time but I was having a very hard time finding. This summer while in Italy we encountered a wonderful couple who enjoyed a few bottles of Vueve daily and he always carried them in this. He gave me a couple of ideas as to where to look for one and on our way out of the country I happened to find one in the duty free shop. 

A few months ago while shopping at Costco, a great place to stock up on Vueve, they had the Rosé version with the special edition Sakura jacket. This jacket has the Sakura, Japanese cheery blossom trees, on it and was designed by Ateliers LZC of Paris. 

This caryall is my next Vueve conquest. Its design reminds me of my Louis Vuitton Speedy bags. If only Louis and Vueve Cliquot would partner talk about a match made in heaven!