Shoe Sale!

Ladies, take a deep breath. Barneys is having a sale. My top picks are below...

YSL was $870 NOW $519

Lanvin was $945 NOW $569

Christian Louboutin was $995 NOW $599

Christian Louboutin was $885 NOW $529

Dior- Goddess Shoes

Oscar winning French actress Marion Cotillard was onhand at the Bike in Style challenge in New York City this week wearing Dior. It wasn't the understated beige suit that turned heads, her shoes however did. She was wearing The fertility goddess shoes designed by John Galliano for the Christian Dior spring/summer 2009 'Tribal Chic' collection.

It's no surprise she wore Dior. She's recently been named the new face of Dior and stars as a femme fatale in The Lady Noire Affair, the six-minute film directed by Oliver Dahan that I posted here.

(source: Luxist)

Jewelry Designer- Lydia Courteille

As promised, each day I am going to feature another portion of Lydia Courteille's 9 Planets Collection. The third of which is today. Enjoy...

13th Sign

Evolution vs. Creation

I love this. I mean, who doesn't love a good fart joke right? My apologies to Kansas.

Gratuitous Misbehaving

I was going to feature another one of the felines today but right now they're being so bad they don't really deserve it. I came home to stuffed knocked over. One has a scratched nose and someone flung 'something' outside the litterbox. WTF?

Where was I? Buying their rations.

Ingrates.

So Pretty

Yves Saint Laurent Enamel Ring avaliable at net-a-porter

Listening To- Santogold, Julian Casablancas, N.E.R.D

Santogold, Julian Casablancas, N.E.R.D produced by Pharrell- My Drive Thru

Jewelry Designer- Lydia Courteille

As promised, each day I am going to feature another portion of Lydia Courteille's 9 Planets Collection. The second of which is today. Enjoy...

Bestiary

Artist, Illustrator: Garance Dore'

Illustrator, blogger Garance Dore'

"I opened my blog in June 2006. I am an illustrator and was a bit frustrated by the work orders and in particular the lack of contact with readers. I wanted to do something more free, more spontaneous. I started by publishing some drawings and and quickly added short texts"

Garance's blog is in French but if you click on the 'En' located at the top right of her header it will give you the English translation.

Gratuitous Cuteness- Lou

I promise, I'm not to making this a cat blog but they all wanted their own moment in the spotlight so just indulge me this week o.k.?

This is Lou. She is a litter-mate to both Sofia and Paw-Paw. She's an elusive creature. She's very twitchy and jumpy and never stays still long enough to get a clear shot of. I just happened to catch her napping in the sun spot that's cast onto the bed. She was either too tired to run or she just didn't want to lose the spot to someone else as sun spots are HIGHLY coveted napping locations.

So what's the secret to Lou's cute? She's the kissy-face cat. She comes and gets you and keeps running in the office until you follow her. When you sit down at the desk she jumps up on top of it and will press her face and head against yours so you can give her kisses. She gets totally gooey eyed when you do this and just melts into a little puddle of kitten love. The whole time you're giving her kisses on her face and head she does this cooing purr. She just closes her eyes, leans against you and relishes it. It's really is beyond adorable (at least here mom and dad think so).

Need It, Want It, Gotta Have It

Chloe Fall '09

Jewelry Designer- Lydia Courteille

Lydia Courteille, is a gemologist first and foremost, an antique dealer and a creator. Her pieces combine the most precious and atypical gems with a true love of all things original and unique.

Her inspiration is Gothic romance and forest landscapes - as well as her continual search for the world's most beautiful antique pieces from all over the world. Some of her most special pieces date from the 16th Century.

I myself am completely taken with her 9 Planets Collection. I'm going to feature one portion of this collection each day. The first of which is below. Enjoy.

Vanities

Not only are Lydia's jewels absolutely exquisite but the accompanying artwork by Natalie Shau is evocative and perfectly compliment the jewels. You know how I love those illustrators!

Gratuitous Cuteness- Sophia

What divas! Ever since the others found out that Paw-Paw got some face time on the inter-webs they are all asking for equal billing.

So today we feature Paw-Paw's sister Sophia. Sophia is posing in the same window that he spotted the cardinal from. She however doesn't have time to look for birds. She's much to busy enjoying the breeze, thinking of salmon pate and giving good face.

Loving...

Marcelo Lucini Collection available at Couture Lab

Gratuitous Cuteness- Paw-Paw

Paw-Paw?

What are you looking at out there?

Ohhhhhh...gotcha.

Clear Vinyl- Yea or Nay?

When you look at these do you think hot summer accessory or something a Macy's Associate is required to use at work?

Clear vinyl tote by Mulberry features some cute illustrations by artist Julie Verhoeven

Tattoo Tote from Coach

(source: Luxist)

The Apthorp

How's this for some exquisite real estate porn?

When built in 1908 it was the largest residential building in the world. Today it is being modernized (don't fret they're restoring the historic details but adding state-of-the-art appliances and central air conditioning) into 163 luxurious homes, ranging in size from one to four bedrooms and 1,500 to 6,000 square feet; the first 22 homes are currently on sale with prices starting at $2 million.

The elegance of New York’s Gilded Age is reflected in the baseboards, chair rails, picture moldings, cornices, fireplace mantels, built-in cabinetry and niches. In drawing rooms, libraries, dining rooms and bedrooms stone and plaster moldings.


You can view a PDF of the original Apthorp Brochure from 1908 here. One hundred years later this is the new brochure.

One of my best friends live around the corner of this iconic neo-renaissance building and every time I walk by I get a little weak in the knees. Every now and again you'll see the grandiose iron gates part to allow a chauffeured car with blackened windowed in to circle around the driveway of the 12,000 sq ft. courtyard. You're left standing on the sidewalk with the rest of the commoners wishing it were you in that car and could get a chance to view the landmark beauty that is guarded by those giant gates.

Now's our chance, let's take a look inside with LXTV's Open House NYC:

Listening To- Noisettes (again)

Noisette- Don't Upset The Rhythm

I'm a little obsessed with this at the moment (lucky you). For real, how fierce is she?

No Title Neccesary

(Source: Don't Be A Hero)

Listening To- Noisettes

I'm loving this album so much. It's not available here in the U.S. until June 21st. But if you go to Noisettes MySpace page you can preview it. It's totally killer.

Enjoy.








Noisettes- Never Forget You

Beauty of Nature

Some pictures I took in the garden today...

dogwood tree

A pale pink peony about to burst open

elephant ears

Do you know the name of this vining plant? I'm trying to find out.

Bright pink peonies in full bloom (I wish you could smell how intoxicating they are)

and best of all...

Mummy

Mummy is Lou, Sofia and Paw-Paw's (see right) mum. She occasionally stops by for a visit and some grub. While too feral to domesticate she's a lovely lady and we just adore her visits .

Summer Rituals

"In 1909, clotheslines were as much a part of the defining look of the city as the front stoop. The sails of linens and laundry stretching across historical photographs impart a strange nautical aspect to the buildings, as if they rested not on the street but on the sea."

Then

"As the temperature goes up, so does the quantity and the variety of items fluttering in the air across New York, where clotheslines hung outside apartment buildings, a hallmark of tenement life a century ago, have stubbornly defied the elements, the ages, the landlord and the fluff ‘n’ fold.

This year, it seems, immigration, environmentalism and the penny-pinching of recession have combined to make the lines a more familiar sight in both lower-income and gentrifying neighborhoods, as well as in suburbs, where sheets and towels blowing in a breeze are a sign that summer has arrived."

Read the complete article in The New York Times.

Now

So Pretty

Kenneth Jay Lane's gold-tone stone-embellished pendant avaliable at net-a-porter

What a Twit!

Congratulations are in order. Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou welcomed a photo op, sorry, I meant to say baby boy into the world yesterday morning. It seems that not even going into labor can keep this attention starved celebutard from tweeting.

Tweeted Simmons, "It's time!! No turning back! At hospital in labor right now!!," followed shortly after by, "Having contractions now! Ooo- wee! It's like WHOA! Love & Light, KLS."

Gawd Kimora. Way to keep your child's birth a sacred and special moment shared between yourself and Djimon. You forgot to tweet the name of the baby, or is that too private?!?

BTW...that sign off, Love & Light. Seriously, gimme a break already.

Update: Kimora has a Kenzo. Kimora Lee Simmons (above) and Djimon Hounsou gave their baby boy the very fashionable name Kenzo Lee Hounsou, inspired no doubt by retired Japanese fashion icon Kenzo Takada. Kenzo, born here Saturday, weighed in at 8 pounds, and was 20 inches long. "He's a little prince," said a friend. This is Kimora's third child -- she has two daughters, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee, with her ex-husband, Russell Simmons.

(source: Page six)