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!