To acknowledge my five month hiatus in posting? That is the question.
I’ll get to an answer soon but for now – denim.
I am seeing a new denim silhouette pop up this summer and am majorly digging it. These jeans are high-waisted and, most notably, wide legged. They have kind of a retro, 1960s vibe with no stretch and a frayed hem or not. I say these guys are the perfect complement to strappy kitten heels and summer tops.
Here are a few of my faves:
I’d say whe have 3-4 more weeks of major winter weather here in Dallas. Part of me wants another sweater or two to get through the rut that is February (save me from the d*mn repetition!) but I’m going to stand strong and hold out for warmer weather / spring shopping.
One of the first things on my spring shopping list is a pair of barely there strappy sandals. The kind I’m seeing are minimalist and oh-so-1990s. These strappy sandals will look just as good with jeans as they will with a midi dress for a spring wedding. The first redo of the 1990s strappy sandal came to us via The Row and, while they’re pretty much perfect, I can’t get past the price tag. Ouch. Luckily I found some less pricey options that I love just as much. Now all I need is a fresh pedi and some sun on my winter self and I’ll be baring all (of my feet that is!) come spring.
A few of my fave strappy sandals and inspiration pics are below.
…I’m back. Did you miss me? Life got in the way for a few weeks – I blinked and BAM, two weeks went by without posting. To be honest I wasn’t feeling like myself and needed R&R after work instead of B&B. Side note: If you’re looking to binge watch a yummy historical series, look no further than Vanity Fair on Netflix. Two words – Tom. Bateman. Look him up.
Speaking of rest and relaxation, though, John Derian’s East Village apartment would be the chicest place to Netflix and chill on a snowy winter night. Featured in the February issue of AD, it’s everything a downtown New York apartment should be. Guys, if this was what my apt in New York looked like back in the day – with every inch decked out in wares from John Derian’s E. Vill shop – I would 1,000% still be living there. Jordan and Ina would be city folk too and the three of us would meander over to Abraço on E 7th for Saturday morning lattes.
I’ve been a fan of John Derian’s shop for years and adore his aesthetic – eclectic, relaxed, and collected not decorated. It’s just what I want my house to feel like.
Enjoy the pics below [all via Architectural Digest].
Did anyone else get a pair of pearl earrings when they were growing up? The pearl earring gift seems like a rite of passage, at least when you grow up in the south. I misplaced my circa 2000 pearl studs somewhere along the way [sorry mom!] but all isn’t lost – pearl earrings, and all pearl jewelry for that matter, are back and BETTER THAN EVER. These aren’t the stuffy solitaires of yore either. The pearl earrings I’m seeing are unusual and fresh, literally fresh using more organic looking freshwater pearls. I love that these earrings look vintage, like you swiped them from your mom’s high school jewelry drawer, but with a modern twist.
Below are a few of my favorite pearl doo-dads. I can’t wait to wear a pair with a striped tee and jeans or, even better, a bikini come summer.
I love the shopping site Matches. Whether I can afford half of what’s sold on there is beside the point. Matches carries so many up-and-coming designers, usually from Europe, that haven’t hit it big yet in the U.S. One line they carry that I haven’t seen elsewhere is HORROR VACUI. To tell you that I am in love with this brand doesn’t even begin to cover it. HORROR VACUI’s tops and dresses, created by German designer Anna Henrichs, check every box for me. Floral? Check. Feminine? Oh yeah. Unusual? Very. Versatile? Absolutely.
HORROR VACUI is a Latin phrase meaning the fear of emptiness. In psychology and art it relates to the human urge to decorate and fill empty spaces with detail. [Note: So me.] HORROR VACUI’s maximalist aesthetic is a sight for sore eyes: exciting colors, floral patterns, and elaborate sewing techniques abound. Henrichs is inspired by historical nightgowns and costume details found in old portrait paintings. A mix of old and new? That’s what Bloomsbury & Battle is all about. I hereby nominate HORROR VACUI for official blog uniform!
My favorite HORROR VACUI pieces are below (some on sale!) along with a pic of the top I snagged for myself.
In years past, the start of a new year either hasn’t registered on my emotional radar (likely due to too much NYE bubbly) or has made me a little sad thinking about time flying by. This year I feel different though. I feel happy and excited for 2019 in a way I can’t explain. True, every year has its ups and downs but the downs in 2018 were, I’m not going to lie, way down there and sometimes it felt like the ups were few and far between. On the bright side, this year I grew in ways I didn’t expect and for that I am grateful.
This pic of Loulou de la Falaise, muse and right hand (wo)man to Yves Saint Laurent, on her wedding day in the seventies sums up my outlook and aspirations for 2019. Here she is confident and content, creative and basking in the joy of being herself. I want my work on this blog (the unexpected baby I created in 2018) to be filled with as much creativity and confidence as Ms. Falaise exudes here. I hope my year, and yours too, is dripping with jewels, tied up in a turban, and downed with a glass of champagne.
‘Tis the season for party after party after party. All this merry making requires some extra pizazz in the wardrobe dept! One style I am loving this holiday season? The tie neck aka pussy-bow blouse. We have Alessandro Michele of Gucci and his grandma glamour (see above pic) to thank for the current pussy-bow resurgence and I dig it.
For starters, you know I love a button down but I am particularly piqued by a button down with a bow. Pussy-bow blouses are v. elegant and can literally be worn with everything. Wear one under a blazer for your office Christmas party… pair one with straight leg jeans (these are the gold standard) and metallic heels for your last girls night of the year…leave one undone and opened low, maybe with a hint of this, for sexy, Kate Moss vibes. Anything goes, for real.
Now the only question is whether to splurge or save. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite pussy-bow blouses below.
I like to add to my collection of art and design books by buying a book every month. I don’t notice the cost when I buy one at a time (1 book = 5 oat milk lattes) plus it helps me to stay on top of the latest and greatest so I know what book to buy next. I just ordered Isabel López-Quesada’s first book – Isabel López-Quesada: At Home – and can’t wait to study every page.
Isabel López-Quesada is a Spanish interior designer based in Madrid who’s worked on projects all over the world. She’s been published in pretty much every design magazine you can think of and is one of Architectural Digest’s prestigious AD100. Her look is all about the juxtaposition of contemporary and traditional with antiques and modern pieces side-by-side. It’s feminine but funky using lots of textures and subtle colors. Her rooms appear airy, light and infinitely livable.
I’ll post more pictures on Instagram once I’ve poured over my copy of Isabel López-Quesada: At Home but for now here are some of my favorite images of Isabel’s work.
Jordan and I spent our first Thanksgiving in Dallas and, while we were sad to be away from our families, it was a really relaxing few days. We ran the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning then spent the rest of the day cooking and eating a feast à deux. One of my favorite parts of the day was setting the table with cherished wedding gifts – china, vintage crystal, and serving pieces from our nearest and dearest.
Hosting a dinner party, even if just for two, is a good way to test if you have the essentials to entertain on a larger scale. After setting my Thanksgiving table I made a little list of some of the things I’m still missing… a silver ladle for gravy, festive water glasses, a punch bowl (so fun for big parties) and a special tablecloth! It’s the tablecloth that really got to me last week. I LOVE the look of printed tablecloths layered with patterned china for an eclectic, collected vibe and the cream linen I used on Thanksgiving just did not cut it. I’m officially on the tablecloth hunt! Here are some of my favorites and how I would pair them with patterned china.
[richard ginori plate, simrane tablecloth]
[mottahedeh plate, simrane tablecloth]
[haviland plate, heather taylor tablecloth]
[royal copenhagen plate, simrane tablecloth]
[royal crown derby plate, heather taylor tablecloth]
[mottahedeh plate, les indiennes tablecloth]
We finally have crisp, cool fall days here in Dallas and I am so relieved – if I had to wear a mi golondrina dress or flat sandals one more time (in OCTOBER!) I was going to scream. I love my summer stuff but it needs a rest! Anyway, am I the only person who looks in their closet when the season changes and thinks “what the hell am I going to wear?!” Somehow I got myself dressed last winter but in what I am not sure. My winter wardrobe’s state of affairs means it’s time for a refresh!
It doesn’t get THAT cold in Dallas (compared to my years living as an icicle in NYC) so yes, coats are great but even in the dead of winter there are days we don’t need them come lunchtime. Because of this, basics like thin sweaters and layering turtlenecks are the work horses of my winter closet. Also, the special somethings are great (more on that here) but you can’t build an outfit on just stand out pieces. You need the basics to add a classic touch to the unicorns in your closet.
Winter layering is an art form but SO CHIC when done well. Here are the basics I’m stocking up on, with tips on how to style them, as the weather turns chilly.
[uniqlo button down]
[uniqlo merino turtleneck]
[j.crew perfect fit turtleneck]
[everlane cashmere v neck]
[wolford turtleneck bodysuit]
[cami nyc lace tank]
[jungmaven tee]
