dream a little dream of shoes

i'm sitting, waiting for the arrival of my nieces and nephew, and their parents for a quick NY visit.  when asked what they would like to do this time 'round, the one answer i got was "shopping" from the budding fashionista.  (who, most likely in 4 years will be attending FIT.  and yes that makes me extraordinarily happy).   she likes Bloomingdales.  she likes Bendels as well, but Bloomies is a bit more realistic, given the scope of babysitting money and allowance.

so of course as i am thinking of our trip there tomorrow - my mind wanders to the shoe department.  and somehow, perhaps because of the recent bag post, my mind lands on Pour la Victoire.  even mentally, i shop in specific designer benders.  not sure why, i just do.  my eyes and fingers follow my mind,  and we all visit the Pour la Victoire site together.  and what to my wandering eyes should appear?  the cutest of shoes i have seen all this year!  we'll see if willpower is on my side or not when we get there tomorrow...

close enough!

it's almost the 12 days of Christmas right? and it's the first day of Hanukkah so - it's holiday time. officially!

i was out shopping today in the mecca - the small radius of space that includes Barney's, Bergdorf's and Bendels. remarkably it was not so crowded that i felt the need to pull out my invisible uzi gun. i was shopping for a client, not for myself i might add. but i was reminded of the insane lure of holiday shopping. they just make it so EASY. starting on the main floors of the shops, there are tables of goodies and delights, for relatively small prices, that make you think "so and so would LOVE that". even if you haven't spoken to so and so for a year. these people, they're good. they lure you in. but you know what? it's a good lure. because what isn't nice about giving a nice little bit or bob to someone you care about - even if it was Bergdorf's that gave you the idea?

share the love this holiday. in whatever form. this little Dogeared necklace made me happy with the idea you give someone 100 wishes. we could all use a little wish now and then...

not a christmas miracle, but still pretty adorable

this little holiday set of nail varnishes tickles my fancy. partially because i am more than slightly obsessed with NARS cosmetics. they just kill it every time. gorgeous color, high pigmentation, and amazing quality. loves it. and the other part -- i am a sucker for little sets of things. they just make me happy for some reason. put a few things together and call them a set and i get all tickly inside. i'm diggin on all the colors in here too - there is a lot to be said for that, because there's usually one dud in the bunch - but this just looks like an all around fiesta of happy. not surprisingly, they're selling it at Bendels. which, not surprisingly, is where i shall head to do some holiday shopping. (already have some cute little things picked out for the nieces!!) odd bird that i may be - i find the holiday shopping infinitely more fun than the holiday... ah well, another story for another day...

ok, i give in...

i tried so hard not to - but i guess i have to admit that summer is in fact winding down... to comfort my sad summer soul, i seek solace in sweaters. pictures of them - dear GOD not the real thing. not until i MUST... but the pictures are ok.

for some reason i am a bit obsessed with grey sweaters. i honestly don't have any clue why or from whence it came. but it's there my dears, it's there. i seem to spend a large part of my search for warmth in the color grey... i scored a DOOZER of one last year, when Bendels (i know, i can't stop!) had the major yahoo of all sweater sales. every year, i get at least one sweater there for 80% off. it makes me tingle. so - last years sweater... big giant chunky irish fisherman cable knit cardigan - with big wooden buttons in gorgeous grey cashmere. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. it is the most wonderful thing.

and not that i would ever put it in a secondary place in my heart.... but i just happened to see this little number here... and i just can't help but think that maybe it might need a home... you know, like a puppy that wants me to be its mom... right?

and not to go all sweater nuts or anything - but MAN do they have some perfect perfect perfect sweaters and cardigans at JCrew right now. it's a bit of the holy grail for basics - and what is more basic than a cute cardigan? that you can then completely UN basic by belting it over leggings, adding boots and putting on chunks and layers of bracelets or necklaces?

ok, maybe fall's not so bad...

spectacular spectacular!

one might say that Vogue is sort of the mecca of the fashion mags. there a gazillion of them out there, there are the few that are really good, and there is Vogue. it's like the super cool big sister of your best friend in high school, who answered all your questions, about everything... and she's pretty too. and what you want to be when you get there. that is Vogue.

so, the fact that a certain friend,of mine named Juniper Rose, with a certain amazing jewelry line called Falconiere, has her stuff on the pages of Vogue... that my friends, in a word, AMAZING. ok more than one word, SUPER FANTASTIC. seriously? amazingtastic. check out the 2nd model from the left - she is bedecked in the gorgeousness.

her pieces were picked up by Henri Bendel. so GO. try on...maybe buy, who knows? the stuff is drop dead amazing -- makes other pieces in its arena look like 2 dollar crap. i am blown away if you hadn't noticed. i will be wearing this magical stuff. and i will be posting more detailed pictures soon - i just wanted to get this good news out into the wwworld. (see what i did there?)

underthings....

summer is about comfort and staying as cool as poss in the NYC humidity. (well, it's actually all about the beach - but life happens and i can't be on the beach 24/7 so this post is about reality)

over the last 2 years i became obsessed with dresses. it's one piece of clothing. it looks nice, and it's super comfy. i went on a rampage, and now have a happy little collection from which to choose when i get dressed every day. one glitch in the system is what might need to go UNDER said dresses... there are a couple that are a teeny bit sheer in bright sunlight. not ok. i have no desire to show my butt to the streets of NY. i don't feel they deserve it.

armed with the challenge, i went on the hunt for the perfect slip. it felt kind of glamorous to tell you the truth. very 1940's languid movie star. i perused every website and every lingerie section possible. i tried about a billion slips on. the creme de la creme has turned out to be Commando slips. you can buy them online, but they also do sell them at Saks, Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. the one annoying thing is that they are a bit expensive - but they are worth it. i bought a mini full slip and a half slip, and i wear them CONSTANTLY. i don't know what the fabric is, but it never static-sticks to anything, and each piece has teeny little weights in the bottom, so it doesn't ride up like so many other fabrics do. the dress extravaganza of my summers now feels complete.

that's about all i have to say about that....

Patricia Wexler, i think i love you

i am, i have been told by most all of my closest friends, a "product junkie". aka "product whore", although i prefer the first. it's true. i LOVE beauty products. goos and gels and creams, for the body, the hair, and especially the face. i am on the quest to make my skin look perfect. i am fully aware that they airbrush the living daylights out of magazine photos, but i look at the faces of the ladies in there... jennifer aniston, halle berry, all of them... and i want that skin. i want to glow and look soft and pretty!

alas, as i am not a highly paid celebrity, i do my own research and facial work. and i think i may be onto the holy grail. i was having a bad day last week, and decided to go walk 5th avenue to look at pretty things and clear my head. i walked into Henri Bendel and was about to go upstairs when i saw a Patricia Wexler display. i stopped for a second and Sabrina came over and asked me if i wanted to check out any products. "ok!" i said and plopped my ass down in her chair. she scrubbed me, put on magic pink goo, lotioned me up, and i swear to high holy heaven - my skin looked AMAZING. i was glowy, like the ladies whose skin i covet.

i bought the scrub and the goo and the lotion. and i LOVE it. love love love. if you live in NY go to Bendels and ask for Sabrina. i love her too. if you don't live in NY order this stuff online. there are a ton of products and i'm sure they are all great - but the MMPi.20™ Skin Regenerating Serum - aka the pink goo is like magic potion. i may possibly try to swim in the huge vat of it...

this is 5 hours after Sabrina did me up. pardon the quality of the photo - i was just rather over excited by the whole day...