Glorious Shoes

Switching gears a little, let's talk about shoes.  I loves high heels.  I have been wearing high heels since I was a freshman in high school (back then it was 2 inch kitten heels) but now I rock the big girl shoes.  Some recent purchases that I absolutely love and recommend:

YSL Tribute Sandals

These beauties are 5 1/2 inches high, but they have a 1 1/2 inch platform so it feels like a 4 inch heel.  I promise you, they are comfortable!! And so incredibly sexy.  I have them in two colors.

First: A nude, vanilla color that make your legs look a mile long.  These shoes in the nude color work with just about anything and look especially hot with a DVF wrap dress. The shape and height make them very sexy, but the color tones them down for everyday use. 

Second: my second pair are grey patent leather (I could not find a stock photo, so here they are on me).

I wore the grey ones out to dinner a lot over the summer.  Once I got over that initial fear of the height, I was always super comfortable in them.  I think they have a disco 70's feel to them (in a good, Bianca Jagger kind of way).

YSL tribute sandals will automatically lift your seat and give your thighs an incredible shape.  Good for hot dates, dancing for your boyfriend, brunch with the girls and shopping in high end department stores (those BG sales clerks ALWAYS look at your shoes).  Fun, fun, fun!!

A note on sizing: I find YSL shoes do not run as small as other designer shoes. So while I am normally a size 9, in YSL I am a 9.5 (but in Jimmy Choo or Manolo Blahnik I am a 10). 

Cole Haan Violet Air 90 

I also have these Cole Haan Violet Air 90 Pumps in red patent leather:

These pumps have Nike Air technology in the sole making them incredibly comfortable - despite the 3 3/4 inches high heel.  Cole Haan frequently has sales and I scored these beauties for over 50% off the retail price. Yes!  The red patent leather looks amazing paired with denim and with camel colored pencil skirts.  They don't show a lot of toe cleavage, just a little glimpse, which I like.  Too much toe cleavage looks kinda porny to me.  These shoes comes in lots of colors and leathers and I highly recommend them for comfort, style and quality.

I think these shoes run true to size - my usual size 9 fit perfectly! 

Frye

On the other side of the spectrum are these amazing boots from The Frye Company:  the Amelia boot in cognac:

These are truly the most comfortable pair of boots I have ever worn.  They look great with everything - dresses, skirts and jeans.  They have a beautiful patina and the leather is incredibly high quality.  Love them!!  I once paired these with an orange pencil skirt, beige sweater and a tan leather skinny belt on a bloated, yucky day when I had no motivation to dress up. And yet I still looked presentable.

The shaft of the boot is very generous - making them easy to wear with skinny jeans, even for a full calf girl like me.

This post is all about jumping back into blogging, which I miss. My photography is severely limited, but what the hey! Let's do this. Take two. 

Jenny from the Block

Veranda magazine recently featured Jennifer Lopez's home on its pages.  I have to say, I was a bit surprised by the house.  It is a beautiful home, but I somehow expected her house to be a bit trendier, more glamorous.  That said, I do love the blues and grays used throughout:

 

I absolutely adore this staircase coupled with the lunette sofa.  I love the curves in this space - so feminine and elegant.

The living room is very elegant and soft, but a touch - cold?  Perhaps it's just the effect of staging the room to photograph it, but it lacks warmth in my view.

I love this dining nook!  I love the round table and white upholstered chairs.  I want that light fixture - it's so simple, elegant and brings old world charm to the space.  How awesome are those blue cabinets.  Love this room!

I don't know a lot about kitchens, but aesthetically speaking - this kitchen is perfect in my eyes. I love the black stove and the blue cabinets!

The one thing I found very J-Lo in the house was this:  

A pink gown set in the corner of a guest bedroom.  Swoon!!  So girly and chic.

Sexy Time

I am happy with the living room in my apartment, but my bedroom is not quite there yet.  The problem originates with the fact that I bought bedroom furniture with an eye for function and not style.  Ideally, it should be both.  You want something that serves its purpose but is also a reflection of how you want the room to look & feel.

I want my bedroom to feel warm and sexy. I found some inspiration at Elle Decor (of course! I love that magazine).

This bedroom feels tropical sexy to me, but only in an ideal world where I have a live-in house keeper.  Because that much white requires a lot of care.  I suppose that's what lends the room sexiness - it's breezy, yet luxurious.

 

What I love about this room is the combination of the very bright yellow with the stark metallics.  It feels very fresh and sophisticated.  The browns add warmth to the space.  It is a very NYC bedroom.

This room is very cozy, it does have a snooze factor to it (not the good kind of snooze), but the fireplace outweighs any blandness.  A roaring fire by the bed is the ultimate sexy.

I love, love, love this bedroom.  It is so young, fresh and colorful. The green tufted sofa adds some soft luxury to the room and the charcoal artwork adds a nice touch of edginess. I love the monogramming on the bedding.

How awesome is this room?  A bit over the top, yes; but a gigantic mirror as a headboard =  much sexiness. I love the bright red comfort and touch of zebra print on the bed.  I am not sure what's the thing at the top of the mirror.  It could be a projector or a lamp... hmmm.  I am also digging the nude artwork.  ;-)

{Images via Elle Decor}

So much inspiration and so limited by budget.  *Sigh*

Amor

It is the week before Valentine's Day - the cheesy, manufactured holiday of Hallmark, florists and jewelers the world over.

But in honor of love and the color pink, I found a few rooms that help shed some much needed warmth on the stark and ugly day that is Valentine's (bear with me, I am single):

I love that pink sofa!!  Love it.  And the curve of the windows made taller by the curtains hung from the ceiling.  Que romantico.

I love how the pink tones in the rug soften the room without making it too feminine.  Que classico.

What is it about crystal, black accents and pops of pink that feels so girly and so sexy?  Que delicioso. 

 {images via High Gloss Magazine}

I personally think a pink cashmere throw brings love to any room.  Que femenino.

{Image via Lonny Magazine}

Balance

Dear Readers,

Last month I did not do a good job of maintaining balance in my life.  Work kicked my butt for a solid four weeks.  I have never worked that intensely before and my entire life revolved around work.  The few hours I had off here and there I felt drained and exhausted.  Mercifully, I had a few days off last weekend and I flew down to Miami for a mini spa vacation.  It was awesome and I feel recharged and focused.

I missed this blog. I missed reading my favorite interior design blogs and magazines.  I had frequent dreams last month that I was designing people's homes.  

I wonder how hard it would be to transition my legal practice to a design themed career.  Could I be in-house counsel for a shelter magazine?  In house counsel for an interior design firm?  Start my own business? 

Before I start leaping from idea to idea, I should focus on simply maintaining some balance in my life.  Readers, a life that revolves around work 24 hours a day is not a life worth living.

While in Miami, I alternated my spa time between the Delano and the Ritz Carlton.  The decor at each place was delicious eye candy for me.

The Delano Hotel:

The Rose Bar.

Blue Door

This was my favorite - the spa terrace where you can lounge & drink champagne between spa appointments.

The very chic lobby.

The Ritz Carlton South Beach:


My favorite lunch place is the Di Lido at the Ritz.  It's ocean side and has gorgeous views.

 

 

 The gorgeous pool with views of the ocean.

The art deco lobby - there is a super classy art deco style bar in the lobby. I wish I could find pictures of it!! Maybe for another post.

London Calling

I am in love with this townhouse featured on Elle Decor.  The home was decorated by Steven Volpe, a designer based in San Francisco.

I love the layout in the room and especially that settee flanking one side.

Designing a small room or nook like the one below can be a challenge.  I like that the furniture is floated in the room.

How gorgeous is that banquette?  This is perfect for having cocktails before dinner.

I love the neutral, soft color palette of the house.  Those curtains are beautiful and so are the upholstered chairs.

I love the velvet sectional, coupled with the graphic rug and that curvy chair.  So elegant and chic.

I love the drama of this bathroom and the steps leading up to the tub.  So sexy! 

{Images via Elle Decor}