Domo Arigatou Gozaimasu

My husband and I have a wonderful gentleman as our neighbor. A few years ago his wife passed away and ever since he's become part of our Thanksgiving family. He is a former Captain in the Navy and his presence over the past few years always adds a little extra warmth and depth to our Thanksgiving celebrations. Today I arrived home to find this package on our doorstep.

 A treasure from while he and his wife lived in Japan...

 Each one is individually and delicately wrapped...

Within the box is a set of five beautiful hand painted chopstick rests. I love that that they are still in their original box and that our sweet neighbor haa saved several sets of chopsticks with them for all of these years. I am so touched by this thoughtful gift, it is always so special to have him join us for Thanksgiving and I will always think of him and his lovely wife whenever I use them. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xo, 

A Hawaiian Dee Lite!

Hawaii has always been a very special place for my family and I. Since before I was able to walk the Hawaiian Islands have been like second home. Some of my fondest childhood memories are with my Gran and Gramps on Oahu, particularly with my Grampsie eating Guava cake! 

A light whipped cream frosting and Guava jelly top this delicate and delicious cake, and it's PINK!

My Grampsie passed away from pancreatic cancer five years ago, from the time he was diagnosed to the day he passed away it was only six short weeks. The one thing I tried to get him before he died was Guava cake from the Dee Lite Bakery on Oahu. I told them I would pay them anything, send a courier etc, but they refused to help. I'm a very determined person and rarely do I encounter a task that I am unable to accomplish. This remains one of my greatest defeats. I have not had this delicious cake in over five years! This week a dear friend came from Hawaii to visit and she hand carried a Guava cake from Dee Lite Bakery and SURPRISED me! Just short of getting engaged this has been one of the best surprises of my entire life!

This cake is SO SO light and fluffy, made with Guava puree it is truly my FAVORITE cake & I'm not a cake person at ALL! 

Bitter sweet none the less because while the cake is every bit as sinfully delicious as I remember it to be it was also the first time I enjoyed this delectable treat without my sweet Grampsie by my side. I literally cried while I cut the first piece. I've slowly been eating my way through the entire cake and now only a single piece remains. I know it is silly and won't change that my Grampsie is no longer with me but there is a part of me that feels guilty about eating the last piece without him. :( 

The Style Files : Stripes & A Pop of Color

It's been a while since I have posted an outfit of the day, and also since I have posted. Today I attempted to capture my outfit as I put it together and there it on. Things have been and will be CRAZY in my life in the coming weeks so I will attempt to post whenever I am able to. :)

The Basics

Any cute outfit begins with the basics; a dress, a top, slacks, a skirt, shorts etc. In this case my basics were black leggings and one of my favorite striped sweaters. 

I added my Persimmon colored cashmere scarf for a pop of color and to accent my stripes. There's something about stripes and bright colors that I just love! 

To top it all off I wore my Burberry raincoat. I bought this jacket a few months ago and it has become a wardrobe staple. It's a great length, not too long - not too short,  & it  can easily be dressed up or down. I The quilted pattern, over sized pockets & toggle closures are details I adore.  

Accessories

I consider shoes to be accessories as the ways in which they are able to transform and or compliment an outfit are nearly limitless.  Color, shape, style & texture are just a few of the assets shoes contribute to an ensemble. 

While our weather has been sunny and warm for the last few days today it became cold and rainy and so I brought out my quilted boots. These are great because not only do they contribute a little texture to any outfit but they comfy,  cute & warm. 

I've been in more of a boho chic mood as of late and so I layered my favorite watch & bracelets. My sister recently gave me the pink Kate Spade bracelet, not only do I love it but it also goes really well with my green beads :) 

I tend to change handbags pretty frequently and a few days ago I pulled out my Celine bag, I've been using it ever since. 

Inspiration II

Capturing what inspires me is something I do without even thinking. My love for photography, design and style become one and I find myself snapping pictures of things I love wherever I go. I've also begun saving images that speak to me when others share them as well. Here are some favorites as of late...

Beautiful roses and delicate flowers

 shared by @MindyWeiss via Twitter

A warm latte on a cold winter morning, while enjoying a quiet Sunday morning 

Silhouettes - life seems to stand still and memories are forever captured

Sunset at the beach - spiritually simple beauty

So Me!

One of my best friends sent this to me. 

She said it reminded her of me :-) 

I love little things like this that make me smile!

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

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!  

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 :) 

Home for the Holidays II

I love the holiday season! This year holds many firsts for my husband and I. While we have been married for over a year, our first year of marriage was a whirlwind of traveling that didn't seem to end until a few weeks ago. Crazy and insane I know, but it made for a great first year! 

This year will be the first in our new home, our first Christmas tree together, our first time putting holiday lights up on our house, well you get the idea, many firsts. The day after Thanksgiving we put up our holiday lights and decorated our tree. I just love how our house feels!

Our Tree

My husband's mom brought over all of his childhood ornaments and together my husband and I went through them. He shared his special memories of each one before we put them on the tree together. 

The Stockings

I have not yet managed to get our stockings embroidered. That is on my to do list for this week. I am going to put our names on one side and our nicknames for one another on the reverse side. I think this is a really cute way to make them both traditional and uniquely special. 

The Hanukkah decorations have not gone up yet, but they will be coming shortly. I have been keeping my eyes peeled for anything really wonderful but I have yet to encounter much. I did find an absolutely beautiful candle sculpture that I plan on using for a menorah. Stay tuned for more holiday decorations!

I know I will always remember and cherish this holiday season with special fondness.

Beginning Our Traditions

Rituals and traditions enrich our lives and make them unique and special. This year will be our first year in our new home and the day after Thanksgiving my husband introduced me to a new tradition, one that I know I will cherish for many years to come. 

From this year forward, every day following Thanksgiving we will go out together and choose a special ornament for each other. My husband's only instruction was to look for something that reminded me of him as he would do the same and choose something special for me. What we chose may surprise you!

When I saw this ornament I knew that I had found the one for my sweet boy, a green tractor. There's a country song about a big green tractor that sparked his love for these objects. Ever since then, whenever I see one I think of him. This summer while in Italy we found a model of a vintage green tractor and it now sits in our living room. I knew this ornament would conjure up many wonderful memories and when my husband saw it I knew I had made the right choice! 

A Big Green Tractor for my Boy

As for what my husband saw that made him think of me...he could not have chosen a sweeter or more meaningful ornament. He chose a black London taxi cab, fashioned after the old style London cabs. You may be thinking this seems like an incredibly odd choice for me, but let me explain. My grandfather was my entire world and he passed away a little less than five years ago. Patrick and I met shortly after  and therefore they were never able to meet one another. Patrick has always known how special my Grampsie was and how much he meant to me and he has always made a concerted effort to include him and honor his presence in our lives together. 

My Grampsie brought an old London Cab over from London years ago. Our family still has it and it has long been a goal of mine to restore it and bring it back to its original glory. Having recently visited London my sweet boy explained that when he saw this it made him think of me and Grampsie. 

My London Cab

I feel truly blessed to have such an incredibly thoughtful husband and I look forward to beginning many other wonderful traditions of our very own :) 

Thanks and Giving

Thanksgiving is almost here and as I prepare to celebrate with my family I am reminded of how fortunate I am. One of the things I am most thankful for is my health. I became sick when I was 18 and I continue to struggle with health issues. There are good days and better days, never bad days. I believe we choose to see things and live either positively or negatively, and I choose to see and live the good. 

In the spirit of giving thanks, one cause that I have always admired and supported is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Their holiday Thanks and Giving campaign is a great way to give back this holiday season. Any store bearing this logo will make a donation to St. Jude's for selected products. Whenever possible I try to purchase these products. 

Yesterday evening I purchased these wonderful candles at Pottery Barn. They smell delicious and come in pretty mercury glass votives.  I use small candles in our kitchen and these will look great in front of the pictures I have on the counter. 

These candles are excellent gifts for the holiday's. I love being able to give gifts that have a deeper significance.  Every donation makes a difference and helps to spread awareness. 

Out in 10...

One of my best friends and I were able to connect for an impromptu dinner tonight! Only catch, I had just finished a long day and had taken a shower and thrown on some sweats. I didn't have time to spend hours getting ready so here is what I put together to get myself out the door in about 10 minutes...

Jewelry
I tend keep my jewelry either simple or I like to wear multiple pieces and layered them. Tonight I was in the mood to stack some of my favorites.

Michael Kors watch, tennis bracelet that was a wedding gift from my parents, David Yurman cuff bracelet, green beads, gold link bracelet with my initial from my sister.

All together

Handbag

Burberry Large Tote

Shoes

Black Suede Booties

(I changed the coloring so the details could be seen better, they are a deep black)

The Outfit

Black leggings, a black poncho top and a persimmon cashmere wrap
No makeup, just blow dried my hair and ran out the door!

A Celebration of Bubbly!

Today is National Champagne day! I had no idea such a day existed but I began receiving some tweets about it and did a bit of research. It is only the second official year of this holiday but I think a day to celebrate Champagne is brilliant!

My favorite champagne is Vueve Clicquot. I love their bubbly, but I have been falling head over heels for their fun collectibles for the past few years. Here are a few of the ones I have been able to get my hands on. 

While in London I found these insanely adorable mini fridges! The combination of the vintage refrigerator design and my favorite beverage made these a must have. 

This trademark yellow bottle jacket was something that I had had my eye on for quite some time but I was having a very hard time finding. This summer while in Italy we encountered a wonderful couple who enjoyed a few bottles of Vueve daily and he always carried them in this. He gave me a couple of ideas as to where to look for one and on our way out of the country I happened to find one in the duty free shop. 

A few months ago while shopping at Costco, a great place to stock up on Vueve, they had the Rosé version with the special edition Sakura jacket. This jacket has the Sakura, Japanese cheery blossom trees, on it and was designed by Ateliers LZC of Paris. 

This caryall is my next Vueve conquest. Its design reminds me of my Louis Vuitton Speedy bags. If only Louis and Vueve Cliquot would partner talk about a match made in heaven!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

There are a few simple things in life that bring me great pleasure and always make me smile...

Ink and Paper

The simplicity of writing in black ink on ivory paper. There is something so romantic and wonderful about the ebony of ink when it meet the pure ivory of heavy paper. I have always believed strongly in writing proper Thank You notes and I think perhaps my obsession has fueled this love.

Pink Nails

There is something about looking down at either my hands or feet and seeing bright pink nails that always makes me smile. It is such a simple thing and yet it bring me great joy. This is my favorite shade of neon pink and I was able to find it at a local beauty supply store last summer. 

Animal Prints

A little bit of leopard, cheetah or a striking zebra print can go a long way. There is something about the wild side of these prints that I absolutely love. I often pair them with black and then a pop a bright color either on my nails or an accessory. I simply find it impossible to have a bad day when with hot pink nails and little of animal love! My Louis Vuitton leopard scarf is the perfect pairing of two of my favorite things, leopard and bright pink!

The Sound of the Wind

There has always been something magical and healing about the sound and feeling of the wind, especially as it swirls through the leaves of trees or blades of grass. Regardless of where I may be or what may be going on in my life the sound of the wind somehow always manages to bring me peace. This element has always been a spiritually connected me to mother earth. There is a hike not far from where we live and the wind is nearly always present. The wind in combination with the beauty of this space hold a sacred place in my heart. 

L.O.V.E.

For as long as I can remember I have had a love affair with the word and concept of "love." When I was much younger we had to write a research paper on a single word and of all of the words in the world I chose love. This small four letter word can be so incredibly powerful and has the potential to bring such joy and passion to life. Love is something I carry with me wherever I go, it is always with me. In fact I began this blog as a way of sharing many of the things I love in life. These are a few things that I love and that bring great joy to my life!