Beachy Keen

Saltwater-spritzed hair isn't the only fashion/beauty vehicle that will transport you to the beach in a magical instant. There's neon thread necklaces, fruity popsicles, and canvas slide sneakers to achieve that heavenly state-of-mind even better. Think Spicoli gone glamorous. I can smell the ocean now!

Clockwise from the top: Mara Hoffman Chieftan Bikini; Revival Mega Necklace by Assoud Monseur; Vans Era Sneakers; chip chop! Muscle Tank; Chanel Nail Polish in Mimosa (photo via fashion-favor.blogspot); Trader Joe's Fruit Frenzy Bars (photo via spookyvegan.com); Wildfox Friday Night Shorts.

J.Crew Fall Accessories

K, kids...can you believe J.Crew's fall 2011 accessories? I almost fell off my chair when I saw those leopard loafers knowing they would be pricey, but not break-the-bank expensive.

I mean I'm excited for spring and summer, but fall has got me pretty amped knowing this hottie-gone-prepster trend is still climaxing! Whoa!

See shots of the full collection here.

All photo from nymag.com

Grocery Store Bliss: New Belvedere Bloody Mary

I don't know about you, but sometimes my friends and I find as much solace in grocery shopping as we do in shoe shopping. Maybe it's the fact that I'm on the brink of 30 and turning into a pantry whore? Maybe it's because I simply love food as much as I love fashion? Or, maybe it's because wine and spirits always make it onto my list? 

There's something about bringing home a new addition to the liquor cabinet--say a pricey but delicious whiskey to slake that midnight Manhattan craving. But there is always a chance of bringing home a spirit so fine that it can become dangerously intoxicating, especially if concocted with the right ingredients. 

Enter Belvedere Bloody Mary. The new flavored vodka is sealed with a hint of those authentic, classic horseradish/tomato/peppery flavors. This month Nylon chose the bottle for its "Drink of the Month" and included a recipe, which looks like a must-try for spring! 

(photo via greensbeverages.com)

Belvedere Bloody Mary Martini 

(published by Nylon) 

60 ml Belvedere Bloody Mary

6 cherry tomatoes 

Dash of lemon juice

(optional Tobasco to taste) 

1. Muddle tomatoes with lemon juice. 

2. Add Belvedere Bloody Mary and shake with ice cubes. 

3. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. 

4. Garnish with a lemon twist. 

Slick Shoes

(photo via hypebeast.com)

Behold: supermodels channeling Elvis!

These photos of Gisele for V Magazine, Carolyn Murphy for I-D magazine, and Jessica Stam for W magazine make me want to get all dressed up and hit the streets of Vegas to pretend I'm "The King" too. Here's to hair gel, leather, and "setting our souls on fire."

(Photos via Popdisorder.blogspot) 

(photos via Fashion Gone Rogue)

Home on the Range

Daria Werbowy
(photo via fashionsing.com) 

Spring's awakening has me pining for some outdoor picnics and a little B-B-Q. Therefore, I'd like to share some finds in the way of clothing, accessories, and pantry staples (including my favorite supermarket barbecue sauce I've been eating since I knew what  a sparerib was) that get me all riled up and ready for some pie eating, ring tossing, and hickory smoked fun. Enjoy!

Clockwise from the top: Gayle's BBQ Sauce; Stone Cold Fox Cowboy Clutch (Photo via Bag Snob); Leopold Brothers Georgie Peach Whiskey at Cask; Vintage Lee Denim Jacket from Free People; Golden Goose Star Cowboy Boots (photo via thisnext.com); Leather Chain Bracelet at Fossil. 

90's Nostalgia

Photo via flavorwire.com

What am I? A prisoner of my own youth? A person who likes to wear musky patchouli perfume because it reminds her of her best friend growing up and the hours they spent together, reading fashion magazines while listening to Portishead and wearing flannel on a lazy Saturday afternoon? I don't know what or who I am really...I just know that something begins to flutters inside when I see a barrette in someone's hair or watch the Craft on a cold night before falling asleep. 

Sorry for being so poetic, but this is where my head's at today. Where's yours?

Photo via abercrombieandfitchmodels.blogspot

Photo via listal.com

Photo via flickr

Photo via fashiongrunge.com

photo via couturecarrie.blogspot

photo via thecitrusreport.com

Jammie Jam

As one of my best friends and I meandered through the H&M store in quaint Georgetown this past weekend, she succinctly asked, "Valerie, what are these silk pajama pants all about?" I smiled and said, "well, according to The Man Repeller, innerwear worn as outerwear is so hot right now." She just smiled and continued to browse. I smiled too, as the pants, which are slightly less baggy than bedtime flannels, appealed to me the moment I met them. I love when fashion is comfortable.

We had this conversation after two hours of sleep on a red eye from the West Coast and a triple latte from Dean & Deluca, so it's a miracle I remember the words that made me feel so expert-like. Every new, far-fetched trend deserves to "have a moment." Therefore, I am bestowing pajama pants (or as designer Karen Walker calls them, boat pants) with their moment.

Here's a visual explanation of how to wear them. Guys, pay attention, too; pajama pants are the best way to express your mack daddy/Hugh Hefner side.

Proenza Schouler Fall 2011 RTW
(photo via nymag.com)

Haider Ackerman Resort 2011
(photo via nymag.com)

Karen Walker Spring 2011 RTW
(photo via nymag.com)

Erdem fall 2011
(photo via nymag.com)

Lanvin via Mr. Porter

Design Preservationist Tim Campbell

Richard Neutra's Singleton House located in Bel Air
(Photo by Andrew Bush)

If you haven't peeked at my Haute Living blog contributions yet, I'd like to introduce you to my exclusive interview piece with Tim Campbell, an iconic, Los Angeles-based designer/architectural preservationist. 


Responsible for the exterior revamp of Vidal Sassoon's Richard Neutra Singleton House and Diane Keaton's breathtaking Beverly Hills Spanish compound (pictured below), Campbell prides himself on bringing the city's most renowned properties back to life--in an organic manner, that is. Instead of tearing homes down and transforming them into unrecognizable, spineless mansions, he lightly sedates them, bringing back their original beauty with natural, up-to-date touches. 


According to Campbell, The City of Angels acts as the most conducive environment for his work: "There's an ethereal quality to Los Angeles that I've not felt in other cities. For me, it's the proximity of the urban environment to the inherent inhospitable nature of the desert, coupled with the unbridled determination to transform our desert environment into a livable place." 


Even though Keaton's home is my all-time favorite, I do enjoy peering inside his Silver Lake home (also pictured below), as it reflects that warm, California-cool, modern approach so many are trying to take right now. I know I am; I bought antlers off of Etsy last month. My husband thinks I'm crazy. I think I'm chic.

Keaton's Former Home (as seen in Architectural Digest in 2008) 

Tim Campbell's Silverlake Home (as see on Remodelista) 

On the Runway...

Nope, sorry kids, haven't made it there yet--I'm referring to the LAX runway. As I've stated before, I do hope to make it to an actual runway one of these days (to report from, not to model on for any of you out there who think I'm borderline delusional). 

I'm in fact headed out to the East Coast tonight and because it's only a quick trip to celebrate a friend's wedding, my husband and I are traveling light, meaning: carry-ons only! I'm not even toying with the notion of losing my luggage; I've spent countless hours of outfit planning.

Therefore, I'm announcing my staple beauty and clothing products; ones that fit very well into a teeny-tiny suitcase. Included in the whittled-down list: my Fiorentini and Baker biker boots (I never travel without them), Chanel's 'Blue Satin' nail polish because I just didn't have the time, a paperback version of Water for Elephants because the movie's coming out real soon and R.P. is starring in it...duh, and Paige Premium Denim's Glam Rock Jean Leggings, which fit like BUTTAH.

Clockwise from the top: Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Wand (photo via thebestofeverythingforyou.blogspot.com); Chanel Blue Satin Nail Polish (photo via caprici.net); Paige Premium Denim's Glam Rock leggings in 'Royal' (photo via revolveclothing.com); TRESemmé travel-size TRES Spray Super Hold Hair Spray (photo via Amazon.com); Water for Elephants (photo via Goodreads.com); Fiorentini and Baker boots (photo via Stylehive). 

Totally Chic

(Photo via leablum.com) 

OK, I'm sorry, but does anyone see a resemblance between Cindy Mancini's white fringe cocktail get-up above and the Isabel Marant fall 2011 looks below? Totally fringe, totally 80's, and totally chic (not geek).

For any of you a bit lost right about now, I'm referring to the 1987 romantic comedy, Can't Buy Me Love, starring McDreamy as Ronald Miller--a relentless high school puppy dog lusting after the star cheerleader. The film's tagline, "He went from totally geek to totally chic," is almost as amazing as the Southwestern-inspired outfits seen throughout the film...notice the belt to the left.

You can't buy me love indeed, but you can buy me some new suede boots!

(All photos from nymag.com)

Nobody leaves without singin' the blues...

If you recall, the aforementioned line comes from one of the very best childhood comedy-thrillers of all time, Adventures in Baby Sitting. I just had to slip it in because today's post is all about the blues...well, not precisely.

It's about a new craze over this amazing hue of electric blue, which has been spotted on many a fall 2011 runway. Whatever the shade is called and though it varies slightly, it's hot, hot, hot!

And today, I'm also being super duper kind because the bag I'm leading with is a recent purchase of mine, a German, imported jewel plucked from way down deep in the treasure chest, which not many people know about yet. So, let's try and keep it under wraps, eh? I just bought it in black for everyday use, but am seriously considering going back for it in blue too.

The satchel looks like Mulberry and Hermès copulated in a cheap one-night stand. "Cheap?" you ask. Ready for this: it's $279 at Nordstrom.

The Bag 

Behold! The Liebeskind Mia satchel in blue. 
(Photo via shopthetrend.com)

The Couture and How to Wear It 

Clockwise from top: Zac Posen, Acne, Diane Von Furstenberg, Thakoon, 
Rag & Bone, and Rachel Roy
(Photos from nymag.com) 

Blake Lively filming G.G. in slacks and a Pucci Blazer....DIEEEE!!!
(Photo via gossiptrends.yolasite.com)

Litchfield Style

Annie Kelly and Tim Street Porter in their Litchfield home

I'm a city girl through and through, but sometimes I (and many of us) yearn for the remoteness of the country. Well, here we go...

Widely-known photographer Tim Street-Porter and his wife, designer/author, Annie Kelly, have channeled their mutual adoration for their cozy, antique-laden Connecticut home into yet another a book. The two collaborate quite often, feeding the design world delicious doses of inspiration. But this time, it's all about  quaint, isolated dwellings with rich histories that only the surrounding woods have survived long enough to witness.

An architectural keepsake salvaged from 1740, the home (pictured below)--along with many others nearby--is featured in Litchfield Style: Classic Country Houses of Conneticut, which hits shelves this April. The highly-anticipated Rizzoli work showcases a well-captured collage of relaxation, rusticity, and good old American charm, focusing on quarters and gardens that remind us just how captivating certain parts of New England still are.

In addition to a fine collection of words and photos, Kelly guides us through the simple pleasures of Litchfield via a directory of stores, restaurants, and educational fancies.

Pre-order it here.

(All photos from nymag.com)