I LONG FOR SALT AIR IN MY HAIR

Oh yes I do, yes I do.
How 'bout you?

Art & Words by Katie Daisy.  

For more of her charming work visit The Wheatfield on Etsy.

Discovered on Lovely As A Dream

MAGIC WAND, anyone?

March, advises Frederic Fekkai in his book A Year of Style,  is the time to "clarify your look and re-create yourself."  Clarify and re-create, indeed.  While I'd love to have the sunny glow and carefree swagger of this model from his book, right now I'm feeling more like the old crone from the Wizard of Oz, with sallow winter skin verging on green, hair frazzled from indoor heat and feet not fit for public appearance.  Yes, I need a makeover from head to toe to get me into Spring shape.  Alas, there's no fairy godmother waving her magic wand over me, so I'm going to have to do it myself.  An at-home facial is definitely in order, so I'll slather on Guinot's Masque Essentiel Nutri-Confort, my long-time quick fix for some "instant radiance" (and no, Guinot's not paying me to promote this).  Next I may try some of Mr. Fekkai's other advice, and replace my morning coffee with hot lemon water for a week.  Not exactly sure what that does, but saturating myself in Vitamin C certainly couldn't hurt.  Other than that, I'm in need of suggestions. 

Dear readers, please tell me:  How do you shake off winter and revive yourself for Spring?

SIGNS OF SPRING

Buds and birds have come to my city tree this week, a tantalizing sign of Spring.

Birds and Fruit by Michael Gallagher 

DASHING OFF & DANCING ON

Just one more post before we all dash off to dance or dream our way into 2011.

Hoping it holds wonderful surprises and magical moments for all of us.

Happy New Year's Eve.

Image by Kareem Illiya from my new book obsession, 

100 Years of Fashion Illustration by Cally Blackman.

GIVE A GIFT TO THE ARTS ... and enjoy a dazzling delight

What could be more delightful than a gift that combines togetherness, awe, entertainment, laughter and amazement?  And can be arranged with just a few clicks on your keyboard?  That's why tickets to a show, play or performance ranks as one of my favorite gifts to give, receive--and enjoy myself!  It always fits, can never be duplicated and lasts in your memory forever.  Plus it supports an entire world of dancers, actors, craftsmen, choreographers and local venues.  (Exactly the spirit of our mall-free, hassle-free, pour a glass of bubbly and enjoy the season gift guide.)

With a bit of advance planning--or last minute luck--you could arrange to see a classic such as The Nutcracker during the holiday season (as of this morning the Pennsylvania Ballet still has some tickets available).  But you could also choose from the entire year of performances, giving you something dazzling to look forward to in 2011.

Whether it's enjoying a dazzling performance yourself, volunteering your time, donating money or giving tickets as a gift--what arts organizations do you love to see and support? Please share your favorite, with a brief description & link, in the Comments section here and on the Style Maniac Facebook Page.

Pennsylvania Ballet Company Member Meredith Reffner in George Balanchine's Nutcracker photographed by Alexander Iziliaev.  With thanks to my friend Janis Goodman, an avid patron of  the Pennsylvania Ballet's performances, operations and fundraising efforts.  For more on how to support the Ballet visit www.paballet.org

GIVE A GIFT OF ART ... with a 20% discount for Style Maniac readers

Last month I had the most civilized shopping experience at an art gallery around the corner from my home.  While sipping wine and noshing on Swedish meatballs, I chatted with the four artists hosting the show and then discovered some lovely small paintings (at very lovely prices) just perfect for some lovely people on my gift list.

An original piece that no one else owns ... the pleasure of an afternoon socializing surrounded by pretty things ... supporting a local business instead of a chain store ... and of course, supporting the artists themselves--all without spending a mint:  those are exactly the elements I had in mind when creating Style Maniac's  mall-free, hassle-free, pour a glass of bubbly and enjoy the season Gift Guide.

So, how does this help you with your gift giving? First, I encourage you to seek out galleries, shows, exhibits in your own town.  Look for smaller pieces, emerging artists and student works for budget-friendly options.  No worrying about whether the gift will get to you in time--you can take it right off the wall!

Second, enjoy your own virtual gallery party from the comfort of your couch. I've arranged with Denise Fike, a wonderful artist and friend, to offer a special holiday discount just for Style Maniac readers.  Browse through the Denise Fike Etsy Shop and then take 20% off any item until the end of this month.  She offers fashion plates, paintings textured with vintage wallpapers and new collage cards.  The 5" by 7" cards, based on Denise's paintings with vintage velvet papers hand-applied, are made to order, shipped the next day and an absolute steal at 10 bucks.  Frame them and you have a work of art for less than lunch at the mall!

GIVE THE GIFT OF ART:

Enjoy 20% off any item in Denise Fike's Etsy Shop from now through December 31, 2010. 

Use code "stylemaniac."

Eve fashion collage and painting courtesy Denise Fike.

HOLIDAY COLOR RECIPE: Peacock Blue & Burnished Gold

Inspired by a lush sofa, soft antique brass and the sequin dresses in this month's masthead, here's a recipe for a fresh twist on a holiday color scheme:  

Take one part deep velvety blue ornaments and accents.  Warm up with three parts burnished gold gift wrap, china and tree. Add plumes of peacocks.  Festoon with sparkly ornaments and trim in amethyst and emerald, if you like. Meanwhile, mix a Bombay Gin martini as Elvis croons "Blue Christmas" on the stereo.  Stir it all up.  Savor a relaxed and lovely night of holiday decorating.

Photos, from top:  {1} "London Revival" townhouse designed by Steven Volpe, as seen in Elle Decor. {2} Blue Ornament on Gold Tree by Etolane via Flickr.  {3} Gold gift wrapped by Carolyne Roehm as seen in Veranda Magazine.  {4} Peacock Tree via Christmas Central. {5} Marc Blackwell New York Florentine Gold China photographed by Doreen Creede.  {6} Peacock Ornament via the blog Sullivan & Murphy.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS {part 1}

The first of my Christmas wishes:  Lipstick that doesn't come off on my teeth.  After all, if we can send a man to the moon, we should be able to formulate such a cosmetic for those of us less fastidious than the glamorous girl above, who probably never once had such a problem.


Vogue image via Found In Mom's Basement

DESIGN REFUGE

Style Maniac has joined Design Refuge, an international directory and meeting place for decorating and lifestyle bloggers.  Check out www.design-refuge.com  for a dazzling array of design delights.  WARNING:  Highly addictive.

Also, a warm welcome to the many new readers who have stopped by lately.  Thank you for visiting and joining our conversations on books, fashion, decorating, entertaining, music, life, laughter ... and living with style every day. To make sure you don't miss a word, I invite you to Follow Style Maniac via Google Friend Connect (Blogger follow) or subscribe via email or RSS. (Links to all in the sidebar.)

Here's what one regular reader had to say about last month's post "BEFORE & AFTER: Vintage Furniture Rescued & Revived."  

 "Oh me oh my...my 2 favorites...before and afters and reusing!! Awesome post!" ~ Danielle@FreshQuince 

Danielle writes often about vintage furniture and fashion finds on her own blog.  Check it out at Fresh Quince

WHO's THE BOSS?

Addison Graves, age 4, is a genius.

Kate Harper Designs Kid Quotes card from Style Maniac's archives.  Discovered at Target.

WHAT WOULD KATE SPADE WEAR IN NEW YORK?

Given how much a website can convey a brand's personality, it's amazing how dull and downright unattractive many online shopping experiences can be.  Not so Kate Spade.com, a site so charming and fun I check it even when I'm not in the market for pretty baubles (my only peeve: music, which I don't care to have blaring at me from any site).  It just so happens that Kate & Co. also traveled to cities and shores this season. Here's her wardrobe suggestions for a New York City weekend (check back for tropical attire).
Images via katespade.com

SPRING GIFT GUIDE: Father's Day

Father's Day may officially be part of spring, but after this weekend we'll all be thinking of summer.  Here's a fun recipe for a hot-weather gift to get your dad next month:  Mix one pair Reef "BYOB" flip flops with several colorful huggies with built-in cap opener.  Sprinkle in a mismatched six-pack of old favorites (Corona) and new discoveries (Lawnmower from Dogfish Head ).  Combine all inside a Soft Side Cooler by Horizon. Now Pop's set for the beach, the boat or the backyard.

Image via The Drunken Tailgate

SPRING GIFT GUIDE: Mother's Day

Part One of Style Maniac's Spring Gift Guide: a suggestion just in time for mother's day.  Check back every Friday this month and discover great gift ideas for grads, dads, brides and birthdays.

For mothers, for daughters, for any woman you love--Jaime Morrison Curtis' new book Prudent Advice: Lessons for My Baby Daughter (A Life List for Every Woman) based on her profound and touching blog. Particularly perfect as a last minute gift find since the book is on pre-order.  So print out the cover image above, place it in a pretty frame, add a massive bouquet of white tulips* and tell your mom she'll be one of the first to get this new treasure that, as one reviewer noted, "eschews the obvious and embraces instead the importance of qualities like curiosity, wonder, adventurousness, and empathy."

*If you live close to your mom, you don't need to rely on a florist for a beautiful bouquet.  High-end grocery stores like Whole Foods have surprisingly good selections. Just remember to buy a lot of the same color flowers --for tulips at least three dozen--so the arrangement is luxuriously abundant.  And please, no filler greens!  (For tips on how to keep flowers fresh longer see this coming Monday's post.)

MERCI, GRETCHEN RUBIN, & BONJOUR

Thank you, Gretchen Rubin, for mentioning Style Maniac on The Happiness Project this week--and for bringing so many new visitors to this blog.  And welcome, new subscribers, followers and fans.  We have a great group of smart, stylish and fun readers here and we look forward to having you all join the conversations about books, music, fashion, art, decor, entertaining, style icons, maniac finds, music, life, laughter ... and living every day with style.  Enjoy! 

Image via Thornwillow Press

BLOGS I LOVE: Beach Vintage

On days when I long to escape to a beautiful beach (okay, so pretty much every day) I head over to Beach Vintage where Simone Georgette lives out my fantasy of life surrounded by sand, surf and stylish vintage finds.  Not only is her own waterfront home filled with originality and warmth, but she regularly jaunts off to stunning Australian beaches where she often stays with equally fabulous friends.  Pictured here, friend Jody's chic cottage at Stradbroke Island. I just love that juxtaposition of bold contemporary art mixed with freshly recovered antiques. In a crazy twists of the blogosphere, Jody's upholstery came from Black & Spiro, a store owned by recently featured Anna of Absolutely Beautiful Things.  Seems maybe I need to take a trip to Australia for some shopping, sun and blogging!

Images by Simone Georgette, courtesy Beach Vintage: {Summer Days Drifting Away} 

MOVIE MAKEOVER: Sex & The City

 

Sex & The City: The Movie | Carrie's Apartment AFTER 

Carrie's Apartment BEFORE

Carrie's Apartment BEFORE

Carrie's Apartment AFTER

Tomorrow night's Academy Awards has me thinking about movie makeovers.  In the decorating division, the transformation of Carrie Bradshaw's studio apartment ranks amongst my favorites. In Sex & The City, the TV series, Carrie's drab living space took a back seat to the fashions.  In Sex & The City: The Movie, locations and decor move center stage, beginning with the search for the perfect Manhattan residence that serves as catalyst for the entire plot and concluding with this apartment makeover marking a return to personal happiness ... and then to happily ever after.  At least at the end of Movie 1.  Who knows what fate awaits Carrie & Co. in Movie 2, coming this May.

CREDITS: Sex & The City: The Movie production design by Jeremy Conway.  Set decoration by Lydia Marks.  Before photos via Honeybee. After photos by Craig Blankenhorn  for New Line Cinema via Casa Sugar.

MAD ABOUT THOSE CLOTHES

While the plot of AMC's Mad Men can be frustratingly slow, the clothes and set design never fail to keep me enthralled. Plus I love how costume designer Janie Bryant celebrates and shows off the very different figures of the actresses in the show--particularly Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway (above). Mme. Dariaux and Mrs. Gatto would approve.

Photo by Carin Baer via amctv.com.

BAUBLES, BUTTONS & BEADS

 

In eight decades of sewing, my grandmother amassed thousands of bolts of fabric, miles of thread and cartons of buttons and beads. Although I cannot sew a stitch, I kept a small stash after Lydia passed away. Often I use her simpler ribbons and laces to wrap gifts. Some treasures I won't part with though--like those above. They're just too beautiful and too saturated with memories to give up.

Photo by Doreen Creede

PEARLS OF WISDOM

Genevieve Antoine Dariaux, the longtime directrice of Nina Ricci, wrote A Guide to Elegance in the early 1960s, when a more rigid and refined style of dress reigned. Although I don't share her penchant for pearl necklaces, I do agree with her affection for the LBD, along with many of her other timeless--and frank--pearls of wardrobe wisdom. Such as:

Know Your Body Type
Not every style looks good on every body. Figure out what works for you and forget the rest.

Shop Alone
Mme. Dariaux has some interesting reasons why you should never shop with girlfriends (or anyone else). I've always just found it more relaxing and fruitful to shop at my own pace (fast) and time (never on Saturday), in a store with a good return policy and a staff that gets the sizes you need and then leaves you alone.

Beware of Bargains
It's easy to be lured in by markdowns. But the true value of a garment is not the price but how often you wear it, how long it lasts and how good it makes you feel--qualities you don't always find in sale racks or outlet stores.

READ: A Guide to Elegance by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux

WAVES

THE BEACH: Westhampton Beach, NY
My husband's favorite beach, to which all ocean waves are compared. I find it amazing that such blue water and untrampled miles of dunes exist only 60 miles from New York City.

THE BOOK: Heat by Bill Buford
As I sweltered in Manhattan during a trade show last week I thought of this book, the account of a New Yorker writer who takes a year off to apprentice with Mario Batali. Entertaining, elucidating (sometimes too much so); and who knows, out in the Hamptons you might actually run into Mario himself.

Photos by Doreen Creede