Kage Handbags

I no longer live in Gramercy, but when I did, the tiny shop on Irving Place called Kage was right around the corner. Kristin Holstein, known as K.G., sits in the back of this tiny shop and can tell you everything there is to know about these handbag gems- because she designs them! She recently came out with her "Beach" collection and it's already getting me excited for a weekend in the Hamptons away from the hot city. Shop here.

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Image from bippity boppity boo- very cool blog I just stumbled upon!

Zebra Stripe

I've been meaning to post about striped stairs for some time now, but I couldn't seem to find a collection of images that embodied what I really love about them. They can be brought to life in so many different ways- either by being the main attraction in the foyer or picking up colour and bringing to life a smaller part of the room.

I'd love to do this in my home. I especially love leaving the unfinished wood showing through the white paint in the image second from the top. Any thoughts on doing this in your own home?

Object of Desire: Milly Dress

Running through Saks Fifth Avenue recently, I found this great Milly dress in their Spring 2010 line. It's printed canvas with a halter style top and high collar. I love two things about it- it's navy blue and white, and it's backless. Shop here at shopbop.

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“The power of a glance has been so much abused in love stories that it has come to be disbelieved in. Few people dare now to say that two beings have fallen in love because they have looked at each other. Yet it is in this way that love begins, and in this way only.”

-Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

*image via bippity boppity boo

Etsy: Be Still

I love these pillows from Be Still's shop on Etsy. The styles are so simple yet the patterns are still very chic. These could easily dress up any living room, especially at how reasonably priced they are! Shop here.

Liberty of London for Target

Liberty of London for Target, starts March 14 online. Shop here.

Object of Desire: Golden Piggy Bank

I love going home to Connecticut to shop in Westport's interior design boutiques. Only second to Dovecote is Fig Linens, right next door, which has amazing bedding and home accessories. I've been eyeing this golden piggy bank for a couple of months now and think I need to have it. It has a much "golder" appearance in person. On my previous post on SHELTER's home, I pointed out her golden deer and it reminded me that I need to pick this up!

Sidenote: the description is cute- "cast from a pig that died of natural causes, this bank holds up to $10,000 in dollar bills."

Hermes Spring 2010 Advertising

As usual, the newest Hermes advertising campaign has me smitten. A couple of years ago it was the pink and orange-themed adventure through India (I still have a cut-out of this on my desk at work) and now these beautifully photographed (and peaceful) images for Spring. If you haven't already noticed them throughout the pages of Vogue and BAZAAR, click on the images below to enlarge!

ps- Look closely at the scarf image in the lower right corner. I love the nod to "The Princess and the Pea"!

Inside SHELTER's Home

Fellow blogger SHELTER gives us a sneak peak into her home, specifically her living and dining rooms that were just finished. While her style is a little too feminine for my liking (a lot of pink!), I love how every inch of these rooms were covered off and no details were forgotten. Perhaps it's because she just had a baby girl!

I love the gold accent of the deer on top of the books in front of the bay window- I'm always looking for pieces like that. She reminds me that I need a mood board of my own. Oh, and be sure to check out her ideas for a baby boy's room- too adorable.

Valentine's Day

Why not embrace February 14th with some pretty in pink loot? My newly manicured nails are in Essie's "Pop Art Pink", above, also shown along with J.Crew scarf, kate spade change purse and Charbonnet et Walker pink champagne truffles. Happy Valentine's Day!

MoroccanOil

After a recent haircut (5 inches were taken off!) my stylist used MoroccanOil on my hair. I never like them to put anything in my hair, but this stuff was like magic- the smoothest and shiniest hair I've had in a long time. Not to mention it smells like heaven. Shop here!

New York Fashion Week: Streaming Live

Some exciting news on the New York Fashion Week front, now some of the highest profile shows can be viewed streaming live online. Alexander Wang and Rodarte will be on Nick Knight's popular website SHOWtudio and Marc Jacobs will be on his own site. Grab a glass on wine and enjoy! These shows are guaranteed to be great.

Alexander Wang - February 13th at 5pm EST, SHOWstudio

Rodarte - February 16th at 12pm EST, SHOWstudio

Marc Jacobs - February 15th at 8pm EST, Marc Jacobs site

Objects of Desire: Brown Leather

After taking a peek through Lonny Mag yesterday, this is definitely their largest issue yet- at 219 pages! They have some great editorial stories and I found both of the pieces above. I know spring is coming and it's probably not the time to buy riding boots and more brown leather, but this canvas variation from Land's End Canvas seem to be pretty functional.

I also love this bridle leather bracelet- 1/2" wide with a brass post closure. I love that the brass plate can be personalized with three initials or a full name. Shop here for the boots and here for the cuff!

Paris Shopper Tote

This "Paris Shopper" tote bag seems like the perfect carry-all for the spring and summer. It's a collapsible tote, as shown folded and zipped, with re-purposed leather finishing and removable pompoms. Shop here!

New York Fashion Week: Mood Boards

Below, mood boards from some of this week's fashion shows. From Style.

“My fall 2010 collection is inspired by Irving Penn, by both his work and personal style. I applied the grainy textures of his photo negatives to intricately woven and printed fabrics and paired them with a slouchy menswear silhouette he often favored.” —Jason Wu


“A fusion of extremes.” —Max Azria, BCBG


“I turned my attention to the pauses in life. I’m working with a blank, restorative palette. It’s like a blank page . . . look at it one way, it’s empty. Look at it another way, and it’s full of possibility.” —Erin Wasson, RCVA


“For FW10, our collection revolves around the elements reveal, conceal, wrap, gap, clean, and texture.” —Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, Preen


“We started out by looking at photographs of early-twentieth-century British explorers, specifically the conquest of Mount Everest in the twenties, so the fall collection references England in all its colonial glory, in contrast with the people of the Himalayas. This is translated in the collection with ikat-printed silks, shearling, superfine wools, and boucle fabrics.” —Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, Rag & Bone


“Fall 2010 started when we secluded ourselves in a house in Woodstock one long weekend. We researched the work of Sheila Hicks and female artists of the seventies craft movement. The collection is what the Vena Cava woman wears to the cabin upstate: pieces that read more minimal, American, seventies-tinged, and somewhat classic, but with singular Vena Cava detailing and a moody rainy-day palette.” —Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock, Vena Cava


“This collection, my first, was inspired by all the beautiful girls I know or wish I knew, like Lauren Bacall. These women exude a modern elegance, wearing exquisitely tailored clothes with a certain twist and edge—not unlike themselves. My goal is to design pieces that combine creativity and fun.”—Wes Gordon

Total Wit Eyewear

If I ever need glasses (knock on wood), I would want to wear something like these. What can I say, I have a love for tortoise! Shop here.