My Mid-February Fantasy

Roatan Island

I know that with Valentine's Day coming up I should be thinking of about the kind of jewelry that says "I Love You" all rubies and sparkle and all things romantical,

but with the weather so cold and miserable I can't stop thinking about taking a little vacation in a sunny sandy spot like the Maldives, Reunion, Belize, Roatan or Phuket.

Since warm weather resorts make me think of turquoise water under a golden sun, my picks for what I would want to wear if I could find the time to squeeze in a little island get-away would be turquoise and yellow gold jewelry.

Turquoise Ring in 22k from Beladora2.com $595

Turquoise Earrings in 14K from Beladora2.com $395

Multi-Gemstone Bangle Bracelets in 9K from Beladora2.com $1950

Just add a bathing suit, sarong, sunglasses, flip flops and a passport and I'm ready to go.

Is Gilt Guilty of Mispricing?

Do you shop at members only websites like Gilt, Haute Look and Beyond the Rack?

I don't typically shop at timed flash sales because of my inability to make a purchasing decision when I am under a time constraint. Any time that I am told that I only have 24 or 36 hours to buy something I back away. But I can see the logic in this from the vendor's side. Create some arbitrary time limit pressuring the buyer to make a purchase.

Also, I won't purchase anything, anywhere, that is not returnable. In my opinion if a store sells quality merchandise at the correct price they should be willing to take it back for any reason.

That's Beladora's policy, so why would I trust a vendor who's not willing to take back their merchandise.

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting article this week about one of the issues with these sales, primarily the question of correct retail pricing.

It's 50% Off...Well, Maybe 35%
How good are the deals on members-only Web sites?

Restricted shopping Web sites—which pitch steep markdowns on designer goods to its members for brief time periods—are soaring, growing by more than 400% last year despite the economy.

But there are complaints that some of these sites, which typically promise markdowns anywhere from 50% to 70%, are relying on an old sleight-of-hand: inflating retail prices to make their discounts larger than they really are. Because these Web-only sales last a short time, usually 36 to 48 hours, shoppers feel pressure to make a quick decision. And as with most sharply discounted sale items, purchases on these Web sites are often nonrefundable.

Recently, members-only site Beyond the Rack offered a pair of suede Adalene pumps from the two-year-old designer label Pour La Victoire for $129, posting a "compare it" price of $275 for the shoes. Gap Inc.'s online retailer Piperlime simultaneously offered the same pumps for $149.99, but with a suggested retail price of $220. (Piperlime has since lowered the price to $109.99.)

There have been issues with Gilt Groupe also.

Recently, shopping blogs and forums have been abuzz with complaints about instances where an original price was inflated or misrepresented on a members-only Web site. Last fall, category leader Gilt Groupe, which is expected to ring up $400 million in merchandise sales this year, was targeted in an episode since dubbed "Scarf-gate." It began last October, when a blogger noticed that Gilt was pitching a neck warmer by SofiaCashmere, a label based in New York, for $128, a deal versus its shown $300 "original" price.

After a bit of online research, the blogger came upon a nearly identical SofiaCashmere tube scarf for sale at the e-commerce giant NeimanMarcus.com for a full price of $195, or $105 less than Gilt had claimed. On her blog, The Vie Society, she accused Gilt of inflating the original retail price of the scarf to make its discount seem more attractive. A flurry of angry postings ensued.

Leave it to a blogger to get to crux of the matter

"It's particularly unfair," the blogger, who publishes anonymously, says in an interview, that most accessories, such as the neck warmer, can't be returned to Gilt.

The article goes on to say that Gilt explained this as an honest mistake, and I can believe that because when you handle so much different merchandise, mistakes do indeed happen.

Miss de Ville is a such a big fan of Haute Look that she checks it every morning before her email!

She's been very happy with what she purchased from that site.

But careful and conservative me, I'm going to stick with shopping with sites that will allow returns and not pressure me with a time limitation. Yes, I will probably miss some great deals but I will be more comfortable with my buying decisions.

What about you? Do you shop on these site and have you had any issues?

Superbowl 2010 aka The Drew Brees Show

Well, this is how these things go
Goodbye Peyton Manning
Hello Drew Brees

Yeah, I totally heart this guy. He played like a God and then was so adorable holding his baby son while waiting for the Lombardi Trophy.

Superbowl 2010 was awesome with the Saints coming back from being 10 points behind and trouncing the Colts.

Not to mention THE WHO for the halftime show!!!

Getting Out Of Email Hell

While Jill has been cleaning out her closet, I've been cleaning out my email. I have 5 active email accounts and it's overwhelming. I literally deleted over 3,000 emails and I have 2 more email accounts to go.
God, it feels good to delete.
Maybe next week I'll tackle my closets.

Oh...and if you have sent me email and I haven't responded, I sincerely apologize. Your email got lost somewhere amid the Viagra and Russian sex girl spam.

Superbowl 2010 - Go Colts!

Game Day

Ah, Peyton Manning. Some people call him annoying. I just call him a great communicator.

I wonder, does this superstar stock his hotel rooms with hookers and drugs like Tiger Woods?

Fear The Boom And Bust

Here's the story behind this brilliant video.

You can read more by Russ Roberts, the economist behind this video, at Cafe Hayak.

Storm Of The Century In The Capital?

Is this the storm of the century for Washington DC?
I don't know but I just heard that one of my daughter's friends was trapped in the DC Metro for 20 hours and posting about it on Facebook.
That is almost as bad as being trapped in the chunnel.

Historic snowstorm rages on...

Paralyzing nation's capital...

200,000+ without power in DC metro...

Nearing all-time storm total snowfall record for Baltimore...

Snow measurements for DC/MD/VA/WVA...

Multiple Roof Collapses Around Region...

Up to 30 inches in parts of Philadelphia...

Severe Winter Storm Striking Mid-Atlantic...

Watches/Warnings...RADAR...

I'm very glad that it is only raining in LA.

Around Town - Another Week Of Dine LA

Bad economic news, continued recession, growing unemployment
how does the restaurant business in Los Angeles deal with all of this?
Dine La restaurant week, of course.

What's the idea behind dineLA Restaurant Week?
dineLA and dineLA Restaurant Week were created with two goals in mind-driving business for our local restaurant community; and building awareness for Los Angeles as one of the premier dining cities in the world.

and

What are restaurants offering during dineLA Restaurant Week?
Participating restaurants will opt into one of three dining categories and present a specially priced three-course meal for lunch and/or dinner. Diners will be able to choose from three choices for each course including appetizer, entrée and dessert.

So last week's dine LA event, with special prices, was an opportunity for me to try two new restaurants, and so I did.
Both were full, obviously the dineLA concept was working.

Wolfgang's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills

I liked both my dinner and the ambiance at Wolfgang's steakhouse, with no nonsense food and a chi-chi Beverly Hills crowd....was that Mickey Rourke in the hat? Perhaps the best thing about Wolfgang's was the fact that it was on Canon Drive, an easy 2 block walk from my office.

Upstairs 2 in West Los Angeles

Upstairs 2, was the opposite of the platinum triangle located Wolfgang's.

A wine bar situated above a warehouse wine business, The Wine House, located in an industrial area next to the 405 freeway, it was a foodie retreat with delicious food and an incredible wine by the glass menu. It may just become my new favorite hang out.

The restaurant business is huge in Los Angeles, and it employs a lot of people...yes, many of them wanna be actors. I'm very glad to see that DineLA is having a positive influence on local business.

This city has weathered the recession fairly well in spite of the real estate meltdown and all of the economic problems with the State of California. It makes me happy to know that LA isn't going the way of Detroit.

I Heart This

So on a rainy Friday afternoon
Examiner.com has shown a little love to Beladora.com
with this article by SF women's fashion editor Parmeeta Ghoman
Jewels from around the world brought to us via the internet

And what's not to love about these

Breuning White and Yellow Diamond Heart Ring in 18K $2250
Diamond Pave Heart Ring $1050

A Happy Friday indeed!

Weekend Reading - A Recommendation

A week before I saw the film 'The Young Victoria' I read, or rather listened to, Paul Johnson's Napoleon: A Life on my ipod.

There was such a contrast between the two most influential leaders of the 19th Century. The legacy left by Victoria was one of an Empire of economic growth and stability. The legacy left by Napoleon was one of an Empire lost. In spite of his 21 years of war, from his participation in First Coalition in 1793 to his final defeat at Waterloo in 1815, the net gain from Napoleon's leadership was negligible. In fact, after years of famous battles, some brilliantly won like Austerlitz and some terribly lost like his tragic Russian campaign, Napoleon's wars led to the unification of the German States and to their growing belligerence and military capability.

Without Napoleon, there couldn't have been a Hitler.

But I won't go into all of that here.

Napoleon: A Life by Paul Johnson

Let's just say that Napoleon was a fascinating yet deeply flawed man and I recommend Paul Johnson's book. (Actually I recommend all of Paul Johnson's books)

Napoleon Crossing The Alps by Jacques-Louis David

My interest in Napoleon was sparked by this cameo. From the book I learned that there was a huge amount of Napoleonic memorabilia created in the 19th Century and this cameo is part of that memorabilia.

Vintage "Napoleon Crossing The Alps" Cameo from Beladora.com $1250

If straight history isn't for you, I recommend instead these two books by William Dietrich. They are historical thrillers, if you will, Da Vinci Code-like stories that are set in the midst of Napoleon's military campaigns in Egypt and the Levant.

Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich

One of the most interesting things about Napoleon's Egyptian campaign is the fact that he was accompanied by 167 members of the French Academy who studied everything from ancient science and mathematics to history and language. Among their discoveries was the Rosetta Stone.

These Academy members play an important part in these books along with the main character, an pragmatic American, who gets drawn into intrigue, eventually solving a mystery that began over a card game and a murder in post revolution Paris.

Other historical characters who appear in the book are Admiral Nelson and British super spy Sydney Smith.

The Rosetta Key by William Dietrich

These books, are generously sprinkled with both actual history and utter nonsense, and they are very amusing. In fact they would make great films...*hint Ron Howard hint*

So if it is raining or snowing where you are this weekend, I suggest staying home with a cup of tea and one of these books.

2010 Grammys Red Carpet - The Good, The Bad and The Crazy

The Good: OK, I'm not crazy about this Prada dress but Nicole Kidman looks soooo happy
This is possibly the first photo that I've seen of her with a natural smile.

The Bad: This Stephane Roland gown is so unflattering on Beyonce. And what about those frightful earrings. She needs to fire her stylist.

The Crazy: Lady Gaga in Armani Prive looking totally awesome...but in an insane kind of way

Tell me these outfits aren't like Disney colliding with the Jetsons.
Brilliant.

John Edwards and Fun With Sex Tapes

Can we talk about John Edwards for minute or two....and hubris.

Unquestionably one of the smartest lawyers in the country and on the fast track to Vice Presidency.

How...no really...how could this man have had so much hubris as to impregnate his mistress and worse leave a sex tape out there for all to eventually see. Wasn't it enough for him to nail the young blond, did he have to record his exploits on video for posterity?

Yeah John, there are two Americas; the one where men have enough respect for their wives who are actively campaigning for them while suffering from cancer to keep their private live private and the other one where men who claim to be "family' oriented, frolic with their baby mamas and then worse, tape their exploits.

It's a good thing that you have a 28,000 square foot house so that your wife can get all of it and the assets to support it.

John, you couldn't have just had a discreet affair? At your age couldn't you have managed the withdrawal method? John, god knows that you are photogenic but was it that awesome...was it worth it?

To Find Value - Know What You're Buying

Vintage Jadeite Brooch in 18K on Beladora2.com $895

Now that we are on countdown to Valentines Day I want to recommend two excellent posts by our intrepid Canadian blogger, Duchesse at Passages des Perles, on getting value from your jewelry purchases.

Buying Jewelry, part one: The Components of Value
and
Buying Jewelry, part two: What is 'Overpriced'


I could go into a long post about this subject but Duchesse covered all the points beautifully.

Because she has kindly mentioned Beladora.com as one of many quality jewelers in her well written post, her blog has gone onto the Recommended Websites on the Beladora Press page.


If you've mentioned Beladora on your blog, hopefully in a good way, Beladora would like to link to your blog. Please let me know.


Beladora has been working on its in house affiliate program. Yeah we know about commission junction and all the rest of the firms that manage these things but we are reluctant to get into one of these corporate programs because of the costs involved. We would rather pay commissions directly to our affiliates than spend money on the sign up fees and additional charges that would add additional expenses. Team Beladora runs a very tight ship (yeah it's like three people working in an office the size of Jill's closet but not as well designed) because we want to keep expenses down...and keeping expenses down keeps our jewelry prices low.


Also, I want to mention the Already Pretty blog that you have probably already read with the great post on What To Do With Brooches. I'm a huge fan of vintage brooches and wear them myself and I want to encourage you to consider wearing vintage brooches. They aren't just a piece of jewelry for grandmothers.

Vanity Fair Beauties and Vintage Beladora

Just out, the picture that I've been waiting for
the young actresses group portrait from Vanity Fair
photographed by the Annie Leibovitz
with jewelry from Beladora.com
worn by Amanda Seyfried, Rebecca Hall and Anna Kendrick

Yeah, I'm happy
really happy
And the choice of jewelry for these beautiful young actresses couldn't be better
Since you can't see the jewelry in detail in this photo
I do hope that you will buy the magazine

This opportunity to have Beladora vintage jewelry in this photo wouldn't have happened without the deskside interviews in New York last November made possible by the very capable, diligent and charming Jackie Feldman, of PR firm extraordinaire Fifteen Minutes, founded by the brilliant Howard Bragman.

Thank you Jackie and Howard

and stylist Michael Roberts, and Vanity Fair

Film - The Young Victoria

I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to go see 'The Young Victoria' in a theater or not. It seemed, at least from the trailer, more like a Masterpiece Theater production, something that I would rather order on Netflix. But since I'm fascinated with 18th and 19th Century history especially the art, architecture, furniture, clothing and jewelry of those periods, I thought that this was certainly a film to see on a big screen...at least on a cold Sunday afternoon.

Emily Blunt's performance in 'The Young Victoria' didn't have the fire of Kate Blanchett in 'Elizabeth', the gravitas of Judi Dench in 'Mrs. Brown' or the purposefulness of Helen Miren in 'The Queen' but that was due more to the script than to her acting.

And I felt that the script was incomplete in the sense that there wasn't enough back story explaining the situation in England. How many people today have an understanding of this historical period and the fragility of the British monarchy after the Revolutionary War, the madness of King George, the French Revolution, the years of war with Napoleon and the pressures of an expanding empire. The film didn't give us any of this historical context.

But what the film did give us was the importance of royal marriages in terms of strategic alliances, and what made this story extraordinary was the fact that the marriage of Victoria and Albert, was not only a brilliant strategic alliance, but a true love match.

Historical and Romantical!

But let's face it, I really saw the film for the costumes and the jewelry like these silver gilt (silver and gold) diamond earrings and diamond riviere necklace.
And what isn't seen in this photo was Victoria's wedding ring, a gold snake symbolizing eternal love. Something similar to this.

Here we have the riviere again

The swagged necklace and hair ornament

The earrings either in pietra dura or cameo, I can't tell from this photo

The gemstone necklace and earrings with gold cannetille

And the all important wedding parure

The wonderful thing about well made Victorian jewelry is that much of it is wearable today, particularly the earrings and the bracelets. A week ago in Miami I was going to purchase a Victorian suite, in the original box, with natural pearls in a pair of bracelets, a necklace and a tiara...the perfect gift for a bride, but I hesitated. But now after watching 'The Young Victoria' I'd like to have more Victorian jewelry not just because it is rich in history but because it is beautiful.

For more about Victorian and other period jewelry take a look at Gemgossip.com...thanks Danielle, I snagged the photos from your post!

Dior Couture Spring/Summer 2010 - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

John Galliano for Dior Couture is always a master of the narrative
And I'm certainly loving his Belle Epoque Equestrienne narrative for 2010

Seriously...what's not to love here

and here

and here

These gorgeous riding habits make me think of Sher and her sidesaddle!

But with the good comes the bad

and the ugly

but Galliano as Cavalier is always part of the narrative

Doesn't he look like he just stepped away from his four in hand?

Pork The New Viagra - Who Knew?

Yeah, I really have to admit that I'm impressed with Christiana Ferndadez, the President of Argentina.
This woman really knows how to sell a product...pork.

Many people in this beef-loving nation reacted with surprise Thursday after Cristina Fernandez promoted pork in a speech during which she not only said pork is better than Viagra, but suggested she's personally proven it.
"I didn't know that eating pork improved sexual activity," Fernandez said in a meeting with representatives of the swine industry late Wednesday. "It is much more gratifying to eat some grilled pork than to take Viagra."

Naturally the head of the association of pork producers had something to add
Juan Luis Uccelli, supported Fernandez's speech by saying that Denmark and Japan have a much more "harmonious" sexual life then the Argentines because they eat a lot of pig meat.
"In Osaka, Japan, there is a village in which the people who reached 105 years old and ate a lot of pork had a lot of sexual activity," he told radio Mitre.

Admittedly, Ferndandez's speech was a bit tongue in cheek
but who believes this hard sell nonsense from Uccelli?
Denmark....really?

Well we all know that in advertising sex sells
So now I'm wondering should I change the marketing message for Beladora to
Estate Jewelry....better than Viagra!

Recession Dressing - Designer Denim

Can someone please explain to me this whole designer denim trend?

It's not just the gorgeous Jessica Biel modeling designer denim by Ralph Lauren on the front cover of Vogue.
She models depression era worthy Ralph Lauren denim patchwork overalls in the feature article.
We are seeing more denim patchwork clothes on the runway with a distinct lowbrow look.

On the high end we've got Dolce & Gabbana denim handbags at Neiman Marcus for $1295

Is this some kind nostalgia for the great depression or some kind of 1970's recession based style signifying that we are ready to go to work?

What's your theory?

OMG - The Oprah Magazine and Patti Smith!

Things have been busy these last couple of weeks chez Beladora.
Between the red carpets, travel and sending out jewelry for photography
I've barely had time to catch up will all of your blogs.
Hopefully I'll be able to catch up with all my bloggy reading this weekend.

One thing I've been busy working on is loaning jewelry for major magazines
like the February issue of The Oprah Magazine.

I don't know how the O magazine stylists do it, but they make Oprah look not just fresh but absolutely stunning on every single cover shot.
Can those people come over to my place and dress me every morning.
But I digress...
The magazine had the Coming Into Their Own feature with Vanessa Williams, Rachel Roy, Brook Shields, Kelly Wearstler and Patti Smith.
From the magazine
"These five striking - and strikingly different- women have never looked better. Here they reveal how they sidestepped the unfortunate trends and nagging insecurities of youth to arrive at their celebrated personal styles."

So here is Patti Smith rocking an antique Edwardian diamond horseshoe brooch from Beladora.com
How cool is that?


And here is the detail shot of the brooch
which was one of my favorite antique brooches with 5 carats of old cut diamonds
Luckily, a Beladora client is now happily wearing it!

Jewelry Biz - The Miami Beach Estate Jewelry Show

Happily I'm home for the Miami Beach Antiques and Estate Jewelry Show
and I do now understand the appeal of Miami

the weather was warm and tropical
the beaches were white and the water was turquoise

I was sorely tempted to spend my days in a chaise lounge next to the pool at the Loews Hotel or on lying on the sand on the adjacent beach

but this is what I was up to

looking at piece after piece of estate jewelry like this David Webb gold link bracelet with diamonds

and this Tiffany gemstone bracelet by Paloma Picasso

and this Tiffany "XO" cuff bracelet

So did I buy any of these gorgeous bracelets?

No I did not.
Prices were ridiculously high at this show

to the point where dealer to dealer trade prices were in most cases higher than what Beladora charges for the same jewelry.

For example, this Retro gold bracelet priced at $4650 on Beladora.com would have cost me at least $2000 more to buy with a trade price from a NY dealer at the show.

But overall the trip wasn't a loss

I did manage to find a few nice pieces and I reconnected with some of the dealers that I like to do business with.

And I got to see the fabulous South Beach scene and Art Deco architecture at night

and have drinks in a poolside cabana at the way hip Delano Hotel

But mostly it was long days at the show and then early dinners at the Loews hotel followed by discussion of the day's events with cognac and cigars for the gentlemen and a glass of Cabernet for me outside on the terrace where the palms were swaying in the tropical wind.

In Sunny South Beach

Being from Southern California I never understood the whole Miami Beach thing. It is so built up and crowded and just not my idea of a vacation destination. I had never been particularly impressed by the few times that I had been in Florida before. But now that I realize how nice the weather is in mid-winter, I would so want to vacation here if I lived in the snowy North East.

And today after staying out a little too late last night I would just love to lie on the beach and sleep in the sun....but it's back to a day spent indoors at the antique and estate jewelry show.

Shopping Spree Miami Style

And I'm off today to Miami Beach to shop but with prices so high...trade prices not retail prices...I'm probably going to come home empty handed. The usual gang will be there, the 47th street guys, the Europeans and the South Americans...all with overpriced stuff.

Golden Globes - The Bling

The Golden Girl wearing vintage gold earrings.

Seriously...does this woman not have the most incredible genes

She's something like 75 years old and wearing a diamond dominatrix choker!

One online commenter called her a GILF!

Mariah should know better than to wear earrings that balance on her shoulders

I don't know what these are but I think that they are just wrong

I ADORE this vintage VCA piece but not with this dress or for this event

These earrings are competing with the neckline of this dress

These simple emerald and diamond dangle earrings are lovely

Hair ornaments...love them! and those Georgian diamond dangle earrings I would die for

Courtney Cox = Cougarlicious

In my opinion, this was the best jewelry look of the red carpet. These diamond and pearl tassel earrings fit her dress and her proportion perfectly.


Now here's the official run down of who wore what from National Jeweler

Sandra Bullock, who grabbed a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama for her role in The Blind Side, was hard to miss in her deep purple gown and jewelry that was no less dramatic. She wore Lorraine Schwartz's gray diamond earrings, weighing 40 carats, which she paired with a white and yellow diamond ring in blackened gold.

Vintage jewels were a popular choice this year. The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies, who won for best actress in a television drama, went for a timeless look in Fred Leighton's 19th century, pear-shaped diamond drop earrings. Also dipping into Leighton's vaults was A-lister Nicole Kidman who broke from the crowd in the brand's 19th century diamond bow brooch, plus platinum bracelets with diamonds and emeralds.

In its roundup of the most dramatic diamond looks, the Diamond Information Center called out the retro look worn by Carey Mulligan (a best actress nominee for the film An Education) who donned Fred Leighton jewelry, including 3.5-carat, pear-shaped, old-mine-cut diamond drop earrings; a 19th century diamond riviere necklace with 20 carats of diamonds, which she opted to wear in her hair; a 19th century, pear-shaped diamond crown ring; and a 19th century diamond swallow cuff bracelet.

Golden Globe best supporting actress winner Mo'Nique, who won for her star turn as the mother in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, and chose Everlon Diamond Knot Jewelry, including drop earrings and a pavé diamond circle link bracelet featuring 15 carats of diamonds.

Actress Marion Cotillard must have kept the jewelry security transportation team on its toes with her ensemble: She wore a pair of 53-carat, trillion-cut diamond bracelets, an Asscher-cut diamond bracelet, an emerald-cut diamond ring, and 12 carat trillion-cut diamond hair clips, all from Chopard.

Many actress went for modern diamond looks set in platinum, including Drew Barrymore, who won best actress in mini-series/motion picture for her role in HBO's Grey Gardens. She chose 20-carat diamond stud earrings and a diamond and moonstone ring, 80 carats total, by red-carpet regular Lorraine Schwartz.

Big Love actress Chloë Sevigny, who won for best supporting role in a TV series, broke the mostly white metal trend by wearing diamond and 18-karat yellow gold ear clips by Buccellati and the brand's marquis-shaped diamond ring.

Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, co-stars and supporting actress nominees for Up in the Air, also seemed to be dueling with diamonds: Farmiga opted for a diamond cuff bracelet and diamond flower earrings by Chanel, while Kendrick chose Cartier's "Triple Orchid" diamond drop earrings.

United States of Tara star Toni Collette was one of two actresses that wore one of designer Neil Lane's "million-dollar looks"--although for Collette, it was actually $1.5 million. The winner of the best actress in a television series award for her role in the Showtime series, Collette was aglow in Lane's diamond and platinum drop earrings, two wide diamond and platinum bracelets, and three colored diamond and platinum rings.

January Jones, nominated for best actress in a drama for her role in the award-winning Mad Men, wore a "one million dollar look," by Lane, which included two huge diamond and platinum bracelets, which she paired with a black gown and a black headband. Neil Lane also equipped Big Love actress

Ginnifer Goodwin, who has frequently scored points for her sense of style, with red-carpet jewelry. Accenting a vibrant blue dress, she chose Lane's big ruffle and diamond and platinum cuff, diamond and platinum ring and diamond and platinum chandelier earrings.

Screen newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, who starred in the movie Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, wore a green gown, and platinum jewels by Kwiat, including the brand's diamond "Legacy" necklace, its "American Beauty" diamond bracelets, and diamond studs, all of which totaled 100 carats of diamonds. Breaking from the diamond-centric looks were several actresses who donned colored stones.

Emily Blunt, a nominee for her role in the film The Young Victoria, wore blackened platinum and colored diamond bracelets and earrings totaling 30 carats by Lorraine Schwartz plus a platinum and diamond engagement ring by Neil Lane. (Blunt is engaged to John Krasinski, who stars in The Office.) Similarly, several actresses broke from the crowd with colorful vintage looks from Van Cleef and Arpels.

Julia Roberts, a best actress in a comedy nominee for her starring role in Duplicity, wore a black cocktail dress that she paired with a long, vintage necklace plucked from the vaults of Van Cleef and Arpels Private Collection. Dating back to 1972, the sautoir with statement pendant features 29 citrines surrounded by diamonds and is set in 18-karat yellow gold--a rare departure from the staggering quantity of platinum jewelry that prevailed on the red carpet. Although strapless gowns seemed to be everywhere,

Kristen Bell, a presenter at the show, was one of the few stars to accent her exposed neckline with a necklace. She wore Van Cleef and Arpels' "Folie de Pres" necklace of blue sapphires and diamonds, diamond cluster ear studs and a "Cosmos" diamond ring. Among the men, jeweled cuff links abounded.

As usual, Lorraine Schwartz and Neil Lane were the big jewelers on the red carpet

And what happened to the Beladora bling?

Well...the talent chose Chopard over Beladora

and that's the way these things go

I stepped into Chopard yesterday to see the necklace and bracelet, and they were indeed stunning

There is still the Oscars coming up....

Tag You're It

So many questions, so little time

Last week by Wildernesschic at Life the universe and all thats in it

so voila

1. Your Hair? ...... Long, unruly, naturally mousy brown but dyed dark blond to cover some gray.

2. Your Favourite Food......Cuisine Francais, bien sur.
3. Your Dream From Last Night?....something lovely but I don’t remember the details
4. Your Favourite Drink?....it depends on the occasion, a glass of champagne for cocktails, a fine red Burgundy with dinner.
5. What Room Are You In?...my home away from home, aka my office.
6. What Is Your Hobby?......does blogging qualify as a hobby?
7. What Is Your Fear?...any type of sickness for those I love.
8. Where Do You Want To Be In Six Years Time?....in a place with a slower pace.

9. Where Were You Last Night?....at home listening to the rain.
10. Muffins? Never!
11. Last Thing You Did?.....solved a problem.
12. What Are You Wearing?......brown cords, plaid shirt, brown cardigan…hey I’m don't have any appointments today, I don’t need to impress anyone.
13. Your TV In Your House?.....it works and is best for recording movies and watching them later.
14. Vehicle?.......small German, charcoal gray, and very basic.
15. Your Favourite Store?......Beladora.com, Neiman Marcus and any book store.
16. Your Favourite Colour?.....blue of all shades.
17. When Was The Last Time You Laughed?....yesterday afternoon, at myself of course!
18. When Was The Last Time You Cried?...during the movie “Up” which I saw last week.

19. Your Best Friend?....someone I’ve known from my earlier life and who is still there for me even though my life has changed entirely.

20. Favourite Place To Eat?.....California: at my mother's house. Abroad: Geneva Switzerland, the cites and mountains surrounding Lac Lehman in the winter and Aix en Provence at the house of friends in the summer.

OK...now I'm sending out the love to Just Another American In Paris, Inspiration in Italy, Savvy Mode, Miss Cavendish, Miss Cavendish, and My Style Thrifting.

Golden Globes - The Gowns

Golden Globes wrap up....yeah, everyone has opinion

Sandy Bullock looks like the star that she is...after so long, this is her definitely her year

For some reason I adore Tea Leoni's outfit

I don't have much good to say about her recovering man whore husband

but she looks very happy

Given the fact that Julianne Moore is styled by Tom Ford

I'm a little confused about what is going on here

Does the dress not hang like a sack

and what the hell is hanging from her ears?

Zoe Saldana looks zany in something that looks like

a discarded table cloth that got soaked in wine

Patricia Arquette sadly attired in the worst gown on the red carpet

Strange that I find Tracy Morgan's white dinner jacket to be so wrong in February

Yet I think that Kate Hudson was the best dressed at the event

Why do I find a white gown in February to be correct

and a white dinner jacket to be gauche

Despite the buff guns, I think that Glenn Close should have gone for covered arms

a la Meryl Streep.

She just seems a t'wee bit old to be going strapless

Cougerlicious Courtney Cox, on the other hand, can still rock a strapless gown

Unfortunately her friend Jennifer Aniston looked like a hot mess

Penelope Cruz dressed appropriately dramatic

and Cameron Diaz couldn't have been cuter

I'll leave the jewelry for another post

Winding Down From A Week Of Extremes

What a week of extremes

from the the utter devastation of an already impoverished country

to the non-stop activity on Rodeo Drive

specifically red carpet looks for this weekend's Golden Globe awards.

It's hard to think that these things matter in the grand scheme of all things

but they do for an industry that is extraordinarily important for Los Angeles

Yes, the Big Entertainment beast must be fed!

Gowns must be chosen and fitted

and the appropriate jewels borrowed

I'm actually looking forward to seeing who is going to wear what.

Maybe we will see a star in one of the stunning gowns that

Carrie posted this week.

My favorite of Carrie's gowns being the aqua dress by Jenny Packham,

a Georgian confection worthy of an Assembly Ball,

but alas, I've no need to buy it as the closest I'm going to get to any red carpet is hopefully seeing some Beladora bling adorning the neck of someone at the event.

Andrew Gn

Jenny Packham

Douglas Hannant

Graeme Black

A serious amount of my time this week was spent with CBS stylist

for Entertainment Tonight/The Insider

Anya Sarre

who is hardworking, talented, incredibly nice

and has les yeux de biche like you've never seen

In addition to styling the talent, Anya does her own segments ET/Insider including the Lara's Look For Less

Yes, team Beladora hearts Anya.

Part of me feels that that all of this red carpet stuff seems wrong in light of what happened in Haiti this week

and then I remember that this is where Hollywood and the entertainment community can really do some good. Sandra Bullock, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney and so many more have stepped up to donate funds to relief efforts.

Hollywood is rallying to help Haiti in its time of need. With hundreds of thousands feared dead, George Clooney will host a telethon a week from Friday that will be broadcast by MTV, with Sting reportedly signed on. George's pals Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have pledged $1 million in humanitarian relief, in addition to approximate $10 million in relief The American Red Cross is releasing Thursday. The Red Cross has also opened its warehouse in Panama to provide tarps, mosquito nets and cooking sets for thousands of families. They say that clothes are not helpful right now because there is nowhere to store them, no one to sort them, and it would be difficult to transport the items to Haiti.

Entertainment Tonight, along with actresses Olivia Wilde and Haitian born Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, has put out a request for funds for the American Red Cross

Here is the info

How you can help: Financial donations can be made at www.redcross.org, 1-800-REDCROSS 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or mail your donation to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or to your local American Red Cross chapter. The public can also help by texting "Haiti" to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross, through an effort backed by the U.S. State Department. Funds will go to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.

After such a long week I was very happy to finally settle into cocktails and dinner with friends at Fig Restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica and to remember how lucky we are to live in LaLa Land.

Help For Haiti

Haiti Before

Haiti After

From the Daily Beast

Why Haiti's Earthquake is France's Problem

When it came to Haiti, France was first a brutal colonizer, and then a usurious bully. Tunku Varadarajan on why it’s time for reparations.

A little history

Haiti's chronic impoverishment began at its birth in 1804, when, having overthrown its French rulers in a bloody, 12-year slave revolt, the newborn nation was subjected to crippling blockades and embargoes. This economic strangulation continued until 1825, when France offered to lift embargoes and recognize the Haitian Republic if the latter would pay restitution to France—for loss of property in Haiti, including slaves—of 150 million gold francs. The sum, about five times Haiti's export revenue for 1825, was brutal, but Haiti had no choice: Pay up or perish over many more years of economic embargo, not to mention face French threats of invasion and reconquest. To pay, Haiti borrowed money at usurious rates from France, and did not finish paying off its debt until 1947, by which time its fate as the Western Hemisphere's poorest country had been well and truly sealed.

And the suggested solution

France must now return every last cent of this money to Haiti. In 2004, at the time of the 200th anniversary of Haiti's independence, the Haitian government put together a legal brief in support of a formal demand for "restitution" from France. The sum sought was nearly $22 billion, a number arrived at by calculations that included a notionally equitable annual interest rate.

In this era of multibillion-dollar bailouts of private banking institutions, $22 billion should scarcely raise a Gallic eyebrow. But to Haiti, the sum would be a godsend.

But this story is not one of law and legality alone, nor even one of wealth and poverty. (France's GDP is $2.85 trillion, while Haiti's is a mere $6.95 billion.) It is, rather, one of historical justice and political morality: No one can dispute that an extortionate and bullying treaty, concluded at a time when France was an imperial hyper-puissance and Haiti a friendless fledgling, is an ugly stain on France's national conscience.

While I agree with the moral argument, I disagree with this article on two points.

First, Haiti is not France's problem alone despite the historical relationship. As a country in the Western Hemisphere, the OAS nations need to step up with immediate monetary and physical aid. Haiti is in our backyard, so to speak.

Second, sending a $22 billion dollar check, like writing a aid check to a banana republic, is just asking for the funds to get squandered or absconded.

I think that France should spend the money on infrastructure in Haiti. Rebuild the ports, roads, bridges, airports and water treatment facilities....and if there is any money left over hospitals and schools. These are things that France does very, very well. Using the funds this way would bring jobs and technical know how to Haiti and stimulate the local economy.

While France's immediate response in terms of humanitarian aid has been strong.

La France envoie 400 membres de la Sécurité civile
Paris a dépêché d’Istres un Airbus A310 avec à bord une soixantaine de membres de la Sécurité civile. Trois avions de transport militaire emportant une cinquantaine de personnes et du 12 tonnes de matériel humanitaire sont arrivés de Martinique. Le dispositif va être complété avec l’envoi d’un hôpital de campagne, d’une soixantaine d’infirmiers, de 400 membres de la Sécurité civile et deux navires militaires, qui apporteront des équipements de terrassement et des hélicoptères Puma.

Eventually, I hope that France will find a way to invest the $22 billion in infrastructure projects and help rebuild the country that has suffered so much for so long. Haiti should be an island paradise not an island hell hole.

Jewelry Biz - A Momento Mori for Martha

One of the many reasons why I love estate jewelry is that each piece has a story behind it. And most often, a love story.

Admittedly sometimes you know the story and sometimes you don't, but even not knowing the exact provenance of a piece of jewelry there is a sense that you are holding something meaningful.

Historically, jewelry was not commissioned or purchased in a casual way. There was almost always a specific reason that jewelry was created, gifted and worn.

With the exception of engagement or wedding rings, jewelry today has become primarily a fashion item. Prior to the 20th Century most jewelry while a form of adornment, had some specific significance such as a signet ring with a family crest or a tiara or practical purpose such as a fibula or chatelaine.

On occasion we can still see signet rings and tiaras...especially if we accustomed to attending formal events with European Royalty. But today one never sees a category of jewelry that was so commonly worn during the Georgian and Victorian periods, Mourning and Momento Mori jewelry, typically a locket or brooch often with a lock of hair, worn in memory of of a loved one.

Which brings me to this:

Christie's to auction Thomas Jefferson's watch key

New York--Christie's upcoming Americana Week 2010 sale in New York will feature a rare keepsake owned by much-revered American president Thomas Jefferson--a watch key that contains a lock of hair belonging to his wife, who died at the age of 33.

Conceived as a "memento mori," the engraved gold watch key contains a braided lock of hair from Jefferson's wife, Martha Wayles Jefferson, who failed to recover from illness after giving birth to the couple's sixth child and died on Sept. 6, 1782, according to a Christie's press release.

It is believed that Jefferson, who never remarried, likely commissioned the watch key as a poignant reminder of his young wife in the years following her death. Two months after she passed away, Jefferson's grief is documented in a letter to the Marquis de Chastellux in which he described how he was "emerging from the stupor of mind which had rendered me as dead to the world as [she] was whose loss occasioned it."

The front of the key is engraved with Martha Jefferson's birth and death dates, and the reverse bears a clear case through which the braided lock of hair is visible. Made in England or France, this watch key could have been acquired abroad, when Jefferson served as commissioner and minister in Paris from 1784 to 1789, or from an American retailer who imported European watches.

The watch key is estimated to sell for somewhere between $40,000 and $80,000 at the auction, which is slated for Jan. 21, 22 and 25 at Christie's in New York.

Today it is difficult to think of Thomas Jefferson without thinking of his complicated personal life and his extended family. But this watch key, like so many pieces of antique jewelry, has a story of deep devotion behind it.

Romantic isn't it?

The Shame of the Western Hemisphere

In my mind a Caribbean Island is supposed to look something like this
all soft breezes and swaying palms, turquoise water and white sand.
A vacation at said island would be all about floating in clear warm water, lounging on the beach with a novel or two, drinking sweet rum drinks, and wearing brightly colored resort outfits and jewelry.

Turquoise and Zircon Earrings from Beladora2.com $495

Turquoise Bead Necklace from Beladora2.com $495

What it is not supposed to be about is massive devastation in the country that already is the shame of the western hemisphere.

Haiti has been plagued for decades, if not centuries, with poverty and squalor, a result of gross corruption, graft, mismanagement, despotism and crime. The worst third world African nation has a better economy that this pathetic place....and neither the UN nor the NGO's have improved the country...at all.

Now it has been hit by a huge earthquake.

I suspect that every Californian breathes a secret sigh of relief when they read about a 7.0 magnitude quake hitting another area because we know that we live on the edge of the abyss and at anytime 'the big one' could hit here.

We used to talk about how any major disaster led to an improved economy in that region because of the massive influx of disaster relief dollars and technical know how.

Unfortunately I'm pessimistic in this case. I think that the majority of the disaster relief money, that will undoubtedly get sent to Haiti, will end up in the Swiss bank accounts of the corrupt ruling class. I don't think that Haiti will turn into an island paradise any time soon.

Although I do hope that I am wrong.

Man Creates The Perfect Woman - Robosexual Roxxxy

THE world's first "sexbot" — a life-sized rubber doll named Roxxxy who can chat about football — has been unveiled.
Owners can customise Roxxxy's features and change her race, hair colour and breast size.

Obviously she can be tailored to any man's taste
Prospective owners can pick from the five different "personalities" depending on their individual preference.
There is Wild Wendy - who is outgoing and adventurous, Frigid Farah - who is reserved and shy, Mature Martha and S&M Susan - available for more adventurous types.

Mr Hines said: "She can't vacuum, she can't cook but she can do almost anything else if you know what I mean.
Um yeah Mr. Hines I think that we all know exactly what you mean.

Even better she's a girl with a personality!!
"She's a companion. She has a personality. She hears you. She listens to you. She speaks. She feels your touch. She goes to sleep. We are trying to replicate a personality of a person."
Mr Hines, from TrueCompanion, said the doll could carry out simple conversations and was designed to "know exactly what you like".
He said: "Sex only goes so far, then you want to be able to talk to the person.
"She knows exactly what you like. If you like Porsches, she likes Porsches. If you like soccer, she likes soccer."

And she's a lot less expensive than a real wife
The doll costs between US$7,000 (£4,350) to US$9,000 (£5,993), and was unveiled at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas at the weekend.

Yep, she's every man's dream...and she never ages!!!

Jewelry Biz - Cadmium Carcinogenic Charms For Children?

AP IMPACT: Toxic metal in kids' jewelry from China

LOS ANGELES – Barred from using lead in children's jewelry because of its toxicity, some Chinese manufacturers have been substituting the more dangerous heavy metal cadmium in sparkling charm bracelets and shiny pendants being sold throughout the United States, an Associated Press investigation shows.
The most contaminated piece analyzed in lab testing performed for the AP contained a startling 91 percent cadmium by weight. The cadmium content of other contaminated trinkets, all purchased at national and regional chains or franchises, tested at 89 percent, 86 percent and 84 percent by weight. The testing also showed that some items easily shed the heavy metal, raising additional concerns about the levels of exposure to children.

Cadmium is a known carcinogen. Like lead, it can hinder brain development in the very young, according to recent research.

OK...I'm going to show my age here

(but not in a Rachel Zoe kind of way)

When I was growing up little girls did not wear jewelry...ever.

Or at least I didn't

It was deemed inappropriate and unnecessary.

Of course I also wasn't allowed to wear nail polish or make-up either until I was a teenager...Perhaps the only accessory that I owned as a child was a pair of white gloves.

(you see...I really am old)

Maybe it was just part of my mainstream middle class WASP background, we're talking low WASP here not high WASP a la Privilege.

But as far as I can remember from my childhood, only Hispanic girls had their ears pierced

and the over adornment of children....especially the dressing of little girls in age inappropriate clothes and accessories, was considered the height of bad taste.

Naturally, I carried my cultural bias over to the way I raised my daughter. There were certainly no manicures of make-up for her. She did though have a gold charm bracelet that was only worn on special occasions maybe once a year. It was meant to be something that she would have as a child, but not actually be worn until she was a teenager.

So now we have a market for cheap children's costume jewelry that is carcinogenic.

You know how I feel about costume jewelry

Not only is it an utter waste of money...

now it can even be dangerous.

The New Rachel Zoe Project - Food

Helen Mirren at 60 something

Rachel Zoe at 38

No comment necessary except

I think that the Rachel Zoe Project needs a new project: food

Can somebody at Bravo please give Ms Zoe a steak and a baked potato

before she ends up like Brittany Murphy.

Is China Due For A Correction?

Contrarian Investor Sees Economic Crash in China
by David Barboza Friday, January 8, 2010

James S. Chanos built one of the largest fortunes on Wall Street by foreseeing the collapse of Enron and other highflying companies whose stories were too good to be true.
Now Mr. Chanos, a wealthy hedge fund investor, is working to bust the myth of the biggest conglomerate of all: China Inc.

As most of the world bets on China to help lift the global economy out of recession, Mr. Chanos is warning that China's hyperstimulated economy is headed for a crash, rather than the sustained boom that most economists predict. Its surging real estate sector, buoyed by a flood of speculative capital, looks like "Dubai times 1,000 -- or worse," he frets. He even suspects that Beijing is cooking its books, faking, among other things, its eye-popping growth rates of more than 8 percent.

Apparently this "master of the universe in his own mind" doesn't agree with Chanos

"I find it interesting that people who couldn't spell China 10 years ago are now experts on China," said Jim Rogers, who co-founded the Quantum Fund with George Soros and now lives in Singapore. "China is not in a bubble."

But Chanos, a short seller, has an incredible track record and has identified multiple problematic businesses, Enron of course being the most infamous.

At any rate read the entire article

Promises Promises or Obama's "Read My Lips" Moment

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Stealth Care Reform
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Apparently, the only things that are going to be transparent in the near future are our clothes as we walk through transportation security at the airport.

Around Town - Dinner Al Fresco In January

So last night at about 7:30 I closed up my office and headed down Rodeo Drive to have dinner with friends at Two Rodeo And just when I was crossing Dayton I asked this young man who was wearing shorts, probably a tourist from Alabama who was here for the football game, if I could take his picture.

Then I proceeded to have dinner at a table outside, wearing just a cashmere sweater on a January evening.

With apologies to my fellow bloggers, Miss Cavendish, K-Line, Sher, and all the others who are dealing with snow!

Cuisine Francais - a la "Old School'

I have an affection for 'old school' style restaurants and I remember having, maybe not great meals but great dining experiences at places like the "21" Club and the Rainbow Room. Los Angeles is all about the new new thing when it comes to food and there are very few traditional 'old school' restaurants left. So voila, New York.



This is the second time this week that I've read about this very traditional Manhattan restaurant Le Veau d'Or. Thanks to The Trad I found this video of Anthony Bourdain enjoying an old fashioned french meal. The Epic liked it so much that he dined there several times on his holiday vacation.

Definitely it will be on the top of my list for my next trip to New York.

Do you have an 'old school' favorite?

Big Bling For The Big Bang Theory Babe

I admit that I have absolutely no idea who this cute young actress is
but she does look rather adorable in the 2 carat diamond studs and Henry Dunay diamond ring, both in platinum, from Beladora.com.

OK...I've been enlightened.

This is Kaley Cuoco from the show 'The Big Bang Theory' which won the People's Choice Award For Best TV Comedy.

I've never seen the show and I doubt that you have either.

Up In The Air about "Up In The Air"

I saw the screener of "Up In The Air" last night and thought the film was 'meh'.

It was very much serious movie about a serious subject. It was character study with the story told in dialogue, almost like French movie in the way that it was concentrated on dialogue rather than action (which was probably a good thing because I felt that the camera work was choppy). But all that talking made the film a bit tedious.

Clooney and Farmiga's performances as the casual hook up couple were subtle and Anna Kendrick as the neophyte consultant was well acted in the way that she was sufficiently arrogant in her naivete. (I kinda felt that the true star of the movie was American Airlines)

One review that I read about the film called it a"coming of age story for a middle aged man" which seems suitable. Clooney's character's emotional dislocation is juxtaposed against his physical dislocation as a man always on the move and mentally and physically unable to put down roots.

What I liked was the way that it dealt with the issue of corporate layoffs and the reality of the fact that people can spend decades working for a firm and be downsized so effortlessly, a sad but true byproduct of corporate and government mismanagement at the best and malfeasance at the worst.

I'm glad that I saw the movie, but I wouldn't desire to see it again.

Have you seen "Up In The Air" and did you think that it is Oscar worthy?

Quality and Style

Vintage Cultured Pearl Cluster Earrings in 14K from Beladora2.com $395.00

Wendy B is on a roll this week with

Get Smart about Quality

complete with quotes from smart girls like me!

And Privilege is posting about pearls and asking the style question

Can you wear a simple pearl strand with a simple pearl stud?

with some vintage cultured pearl jewelry from Beladora2.com

Don't miss these posts!

Chart of The Day - Why Not Seek A Sinecure

From Clusterstock

CHART OF THE DAY: How The Government Payroll Replaced Goods-Producing Jobs

In the just-so story of the evolution of our economy, our old manufacturing based economy has been replaced by an innovative knowledge economy.

That's not quite true

In fact, the decline of the jobs in goods producing sectors of the economy--construction, manufacturing, mining and agriculture--has largely been met with an increase in jobs on the government payroll. We've gone from providing jobs in profit-making private industry to providing jobs in profit-eating government work. Toward the end of 2007, the total number of government jobs exceeded the total number of goods producing jobs. Welcome to the government payroll economy.

Another interesting fact

The average salary for a federal government employee is somewhere around $71,000. If that is the average, imagine what the government equivalent is of what a private sector manager or executive earns.

It makes you wonder why you would encourage your kids to get a private sector job when they could get a government job and earn more than they would in the private sector...and not have the risk of getting laid off. And in this economy who wouldn't want a job for life...also known as a sinecure

From Instapundit.com

STIMULUS! Average Federal Government Worker Pay $71,206. “The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data. Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession’s first 18 months — and that’s before overtime pay and bonuses are counted.”

And here's an example of a high paying government job

GENEROUS PAY for new Freddie Mac CFO. “The government-controlled mortgage finance company is giving CFO Ross Kari compensation worth as much as $5.5 million. That includes an almost $2 million cash signing bonus and a generous salary that could top $2.3 million.” It’s okay to pay him a lot. He works for the government. “Freddie Mac is not just another company. It’s alive today, and nearly 80 percent owned by the government, only because almost $51 billion in taxpayer funds were pumped into it over the last year. More bailout money also may be needed in the quarters ahead as losses from its troubled mortgages mount.”

Are you aware of any of this? Do you think that having government payroll replace goods producing jobs is good for our economy in the long run? Can this economic trend be changed and does it even matter?

Cold Enough For You?

Winter Could Be Worst in 25 Years for USA...CHILL MAP...Britain's big snow shuts cities...GAS SUPPLIES RUNNING OUT IN UK...Elderly burn books for warmth?Army drafted to rescue 1,000 snow stranded motorists...Vermont sets 'all-time record for one snowstorm'...Iowa temps 'a solid 30 degrees below normal'...Seoul buried in heaviest snowfall in 70 years... 3 die in fire at Detroit home; power was cut...Midwest Sees Near-Record Lows, Snow By The Foot...Miami shivers from coldest weather in decade; Florida Gov Signs Emergency Order ...Cold snap spurs power rationing in China...

Jewelry Biz - Strength Of Money Forged In A Knot

Where does design end and copyright infringement begin?
I'm not really sure but the ubiquitous Everlon diamond knot jewelry, by DeBeers, which was sold EVERYWHERE this past season is going to find out.
De Beers' Everlon knot could get tied up in court
Los Angeles--U.S. jewelry manufacturer Orogem Corp. has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against De Beers, claiming the diamond giant's Everlon Diamond Knot Collection too closely mirrors one of its own designs, court papers show.

According to documents filed Dec. 8 in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Burbank, Calif.-based Orogem holds copyright registrations for what it calls the "Larkhead" pendant, a necklace featuring a knot motif design. It claims to have sold "thousands of the Larkhead pendants" all over the United States since 1999, when it registered a copyright for the design.

In September, De Beers unveiled its own line of knot-themed jewelry via the Everlon collection, which is based upon the Hercules knot and is marketed as the "strength of love, forged in a knot."

I just love the irony of this story

Diamond Trading Co. sightholders and retailers that were interested in manufacturing or carrying Everlon had to pay De Beers to participate in the trademarked program and to thereby benefit from the marketing prowess that De Beers put behind it. In the suit, Orogem claims that the advertising budget alone amounted to $20 million.

First retailers had to pay DeBeers to get in on the whole Everlon deal and then they get named in the suit

Also named in the suit are retailers J.C. Penney Co. Inc., Macy's Inc., Zale Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Helzberg's Diamond Shops Inc., the Ben Bridge Corp., Samuels Jewelers Inc. and Fred Meyer Jewelers Inc., and manufacturers Rosy Blue Inc., Stuckey Diamonds Inc., Universal Pacific Diamonds and Jewelry LLC (d/b/a Pluczenik) and JB-DM Jewelry LLC, court papers show.

Then DeBeers who borrowed the design to being with, went after other firms that copied the Everlon

In November, De Beers told National Jeweler that it was sending out cease-and-desist letters to companies believed to have infringed on the Everlon design, and that two of these companies agreed to stop selling the offending jewelry.

Now DeBeers is getting sued

My prediction, DeBeers will dig into their deep pockets, pay off Orogem and the whole thing will settle out of court.
Hopefully, this will finally mean that we can now stop seeing those silly Everlon ads everywhere.

Legislating Behavior a la Francais

From the Daily Mail
France to introduce new law banning 'psychological violence' in marriages

France will become the first country in the world to ban 'psychological violence' within marriage later this year.
The new law, which would also apply to co-habiting couples, would see people getting criminal records for insulting their loved ones during domestic arguments.
Electronic tagging would be used on repeat offenders, according to the country's prime minister, Francois Fillon, who announced the law.

The law is particularly aimed at protecting women who currently suffer the worst attacks of this kind, ranging from off-hand comments about their appearance to threats of physical violence.

While I totally agree with this in sentiment,
how exactly does a country enforce such a law?

Sociologist Pierre Bonnet said: 'The next step will be to make rudeness a criminal offence. The police and courts will be over-stretched trying to deal with the numerous cases.

Making rudeness a criminal offence in France???
We're talking about France here, a country where rudeness is a feature not a bug.

Incroyable et peut-être un peu con, non?

Can government ever effectively legislate private behavior?

When Wendy B Gives Us The Why

Marie Antoinette Ring by Wendy Brandes

Wendy B has brought us another well written and educational post on why fine jewelry, particularly intricately designed American made jewelry, like Wendy's, is expensive.

Here's her post

I applaud Wendy for creating her own fine jewelry line, which isn't easy to do, and for choosing to have her jewelry manufactured in America. Good for her for choosing American expertise and craftsmanship and not outsourcing the manufacturing process to Asia.

2010 Trends - Back Away From The Bakelite

So here we go again...a new year with new trends.
According to Bazaar in the list of top twenty trends
the new look in jewelry will be Lucite and Bakelite bangles
like this one from designer Mark Davis.

Mark Davis Lucite and semi-precious gemstone bangles $1600-$3200 (yikes!)

Here are the other overpriced Mark Davis pieces at Barneys

OK...so call me a boring traditionalist but I just can't see spending over $1000 on Lucite, Bakelite of any other plastic type material that has zero intrinsic value....semi-precious stones or no.

UnoAErre tri-color gold cuff bracelet in 18K $1250

I'd much rather have this tri-color 18k bracelet by Italian design house UnaAErre

Would you consider buying $1600 Lucite or Bakelite Bangles?

Resolution Road or Sunk In The Slough of Indolence

"The man who will not execute his resolutions when they are fresh upon him can have no hope from them afterwards; they will be dissipated, lost and perish in the hurry and scurry of the world, or sunk in the slough of indolence"

Mary Edgeworth

Every New Year I come to the same place of taking stock of everything that I did over that last year and analyzing whether I did my best to assure that it was a year well spent.

Of course I always come to the same conclusion and adopt some series of resolutions to better my behavior which I then proceed to ignore.

This year I am setting aside all my usual resolutions...going to the gym, going on a diet...blah blah blah... and concentrating on changing just one part of my personality, my tendency to be reclusive. I am a loner by nature which makes me seem anti-social.

Maybe my tendency to avoid people has to do with the fact that I spend all day in an office that is akin to a fishbowl where I am surrounded by a wall of glass amid a lot of noise and commotion. Maybe it has to do with some level of ptsd resulting from a series of events that occurred over the last two decades. Probably it is a combination of factors. I don't really know, but I came to realize this past year, that I missed spending time with my friends. Oh I see them on the odd occasion if they are nice enough to include me in something, but I rarely initiate an invitation.

I'm also a lousy communicator. Not only do I refuse to have a phone at home, I am horrible about even answering my cell phone. Somehow I've become a text only person. If you want my attention, text me. And my lack of communication extends to my email. There are old friends and new friends that I owe emails to from many months ago.

So maybe today I can start implementing my resolutions to be more communicative and social by reaching out to my friends through email...and still get in a solitary hike up in the hills with only my ipod for company. It's a start at any rate.

Your lives are certainly as busy as mine, with work and family demands. How do make sure that you stay in touch with your friends and have an active social life?

New Year's Weekend in Monarch Beach

A clear sunny day, 75 degrees, a walk along Monarch Beach....the perfect start to a new Year.

For 2010 - A Little Luck With A Vintage Van Cleef Alhambra Pendant

I'm a natural skeptic by nature. I think that Astrology is a lot of nonsense...although I haven't told that to my dear friend who trades commodities according to charts based on planetary lines...and don't anybody tell him, he'll be so disappointed that I don't believe in his Woo-Woo investing strategies.
Obviously it goes with out saying, I'm also not superstitious.
But for some reason last night, instead of wearing my dangling black diamonds or boho glam bangles, I opted for this vintage Van Cleef & Arpels open Alhambra pendant with flush set diamonds. It couldn't hurt could it if I wore a four leaf clover on New Year's Eve?
Besides, I'd rather be lucky than smart.

Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Alhambra Pendant

Hopefully in 2010

I'll be both lucky and smart.

A New Year's Day

Ah, finally the whole Christmas thing is over.
The wreath and tree are gone, the ornaments are boxed, the poinsettias have wilted and the the children's Christmas stockings that I painstakingly needlepointed what seems like a million years ago are carefully put away.Looking at those stockings just leaves me with a feeling of wonder...that my children have grown up so quickly and my days of needlepoint are long over.
And that time is passing so quickly and it is already 2010.

Ring In The New

May all of you and your loved ones have abundant health, happiness and prosperity in 2010

Black Diamond Dangles And Champagne Cocktails

New Year 2010 by belle de ville featuring BELADORA

OK...so I'm not really going to be wearing this outfit tonight...But I think that the inexpensive outfit and shoes from Forever 21 paired with the fur cape and black diamond dangle earrings is a perfectly acceptable look to celebrate the New Year.

Cynthia Sliwa's Jewels on Jewels

Diane de Poitiers

I know that we all have lot's of fabulous blogs on our blogrolls to peruse daily and so little time but I'd like to introduce you to one of of the best style blogs out there.
JCK's Jewels on Jewels extremely well written (unlike this humble blog) by Cynthia Sliwa

Here's a fine example of her writing about modern day trophy wives and Diane de Poitiers, who was alas only a kings mistress not his wife

Gold in Jest & Gold Ingested: A Cautionary Tale of Two Gold Diggers

And another great post with circular motifs in jewelry and Kandinsky

More on Circles & Spheres: Synchronicity & Snow Globes

While I should have been reading the JCK blogs all this time I actually found out about Cynthia's blog from my favorite client Sherry who reads about all things jewelry-ish and is even a bigger authority on estate jewelry than I am!
Sherry just emailed me an told me that Cynthia's blog was named one of the Top Ten Blogs To Read in 2010 by Pierce Mattie PR.
Congratulations Cynthia!

I'm sure that you'll agree that her blog is worth adding to your blogroll.

Is Avatar A Movie About Alien Porn?

"When we would draw Neytiri and she had fins on her back and gills and all kinds of weird protuberances and so on in odd places, the question was, well, would you want to do her? No? OK, let's back off from that." -- James Cameron

The best Avatar review ever
by Mark Morford at SFGate
Please mount my hot blue alien

I think it is so hilarious that I am posting the whole thing


Some say the greatness of "Avatar" lies in its lush visual grandeur, the sheer madhouse spectacle, the revolutionary eye candy that only $300 million in computer graphics and 10 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms can buy.

Others have pointed out how the story itself is terribly thin and actually rather stupid, the dialogue is all sorts of corny, and the entire thing's pretty much a direct rip-off of "Dances with Wolves" (all true, by the way; I've seen it), but none of that really matters when the special effects are so awesome and brain-drenching that you might as well tear off part of your id and toss it in a blender when the movie starts to roll.
To which we can all effortlessly scoff: bulls--t.

Let's just say it outright: This is a movie about alien porn. It's about the great, timeless, hypererotic white man fantasy of the Other. Inhabiting it, having sex with it, becoming it, moving inside it, running and leaping and fighting and taking spectacular risks just before falling into a bed of florid vines with your significant -- and incredibly hot -- alien companion to fondle her tail as the planet smiles in happy bioluminescent munificence all around you.

Let me be clear. I don't mean "hot" in the typical sci-fi sense. The Na'vi are not cheeseball pneumatic fantasy creations, the males all bloated, vein-popping muscle-bound meatheads and the females sporting Volkswagen-sized breasts and giant firedragon swords and asses from here to Lara Croft. They are not the generic, infantile, 10-year-old boy-lost-at-Comic-Con kind of hot. Not completely, anyway.

No, this is adult hot. Kinky hot. Exoticism wrapped in virile prowess slipped into a giant sheath of sexy blue lizardleather. It would appear that James Cameron and his nefarious crew of kinkhounds probed every nook and cranny and orifice of Freud's extraterrestrial fantasy handbook to invent the dreamiest blue lustcreature imaginable. Yes, this is a movie about fetishism.

Evidence? Plenty.
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Let's start with the obvious. The Na'vi are 10 feet tall. They are like every godlike basketball player, Amazon warrior and magical stiltwalker. Did you know nearly every human on the planet wishes and dreams he/she could be taller so as to be more dominant and godlike and reach the top shelf at Pottery Barn with ease? Well, they don't. I just made that up. But I bet it's not far off.

The amazing thing is, despite their tremendous height, the Na'vi are not gangly or slow or heavy. They have no dexterity issues or joint pain. They are not constantly bumping into things with their gawky six-foot limbs. They are phenomenally graceful and fluid. There is no wasted motion. They have zero body fat. They move like featherweight gazelles when they should move like lumbering gibbons. Mmm, tasty.

Let's talk about those tails. Oh, honey. Did you know animal tail fetishism is one of the biggest sexual fetishes in all of fetishdom? Well it's not. Or rather, it might be. I really have no idea. I just made that up, too. But it sure sounds right, doesn't it? A tinge of bestiality? A hint of exotic animal play? Face it: on the right kind of creature, tails are sexy as hell. Just ask a mermaid. Catwoman. The devil. I mean, come on.

What about those catlike eyes? Wide set, twice as wide as normal humans. And they're huge. Japanese anime huge, and bright yellow/green. Like moonstones. Like sea creatures. Like Japanese anima sea creature catpeople from the moon. Did you know large eyes and dilated pupils trigger a nurturing and protective instinct in humans? True. Do you know when you add that to sexual kink, it's downright perversion-ready combustible? Doubly true. You ever seen any hentai? You ever read "Bondage Fairies"? Oh my God.

span style="color:#000099;">Of course, the Na'vi are deep blue. They are not red. Red would have been too angry and perhaps sparked protests from Native Americans. Yellow is too creepy and urinary. Green too slimy and frog-like. Black too flagrantly racist. Purple too fairy princess. But everyone likes blue. It's sky, it's oceanic, it's blueberry pie. Blue is downright dreamy. Wet dreamy.

And the Na'vi sparkle. Or rather, they have bioluminescent spots that light up and dance and look all magical and nightlighty and tasty. Do you know what else sparkles? Another creature we've excessively fetishized like drunk cheerleaders on meth lately? That's right: vapid teen vampires. Mmm, suck me now, sparkling blue bioluminescent anime sea creature Amazon basketball player moonlike catperson of my dreams.

But wait, there's more. What about the ears? Oh, hell yes. Riding high, small and pointy, just like we like 'em. Just like ... an elf. Did you know elf porn is the second most popular fetish in America? Well it's not. I just made that up, too. But it might be. I mean holy hell, do you know how many fantasies were spawned by the Elfin robe-wearers in "Lord of the Rings," with their high pointy ears and their Orlando Bloom/Liv Tyler immortal hotness? Elfin! High, pointy ears! Done.

a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QKwwR3v3bcA/SzqEumlV-cI/AAAAAAAAFUs/HoM5Fbgd09w/s1600-h/avatar+pair12-29-2009+2-35-53+PM.png">
What else? Oh right. The African thing. I mean, obviously. Tribal. Dreadlocks. Full lips, long, sloping, wide noses, neck beads and loincloths and running through the jungle at top speed, barefoot, never cut or bruised or tripping over some damnable branch like a dumb lumpy white person. The exotic African (racist?) connection is strong and obvious, except for when it's something else, like maybe Maori or Native American warrior, with the ponytails and the tribal markings and the fierce eyes. Baby, the Na'vi have it all.

But wait, we haven't hit the best part yet. Because in this movie, you don't merely get to fantasize about the Other from afar or even just indulge in interspecies sex. You get to literally become one of them. You enter into their bodies and actually move and hunt and breathe and fight and screw and kiss and talk like them, fuse your DNA to theirs forever and ever. It's just like "Cocoon," only far less creepy and geriatric Steve Gutenbergian!

Behold, the ultimate in guilty colonialist fetish fantasy epic porn filmmaking, ever. Flawed, broken white man can, with his righteous modern technology, fuse his DNA with super-hot exotic sexually flawless alien species and become the Other and save the world and then score the hot chick from "Star Trek."

Dude. Mr. Cameron sir. Just stop your silly overblown movie right there. You don't even have to have them fight the bad guys or run from monsters or stage ridiculous epic battle sequences. What's the point? Just have a lame white dude become a giant gorgeous blue sexhotsuckerbeast Na'vi, and film him walking down the street and ordering a latte from Starbucks. Watch humanity share one giant, collective Lacanian psychospiritual orgasm. Perfect.

Yeah, I admit, I'll probably go see this film this week...
Where else can I get all that otherworldly sexiness surrounded by bioluminescent munificence

Trending Towards Turquoise

Thank God that style guru Imogen Lamport and vintage style crusader Mary Kincaid have informed me of the fact that turquoise is going to be the dominant color of 2010...because I'm always late finding out about these things.



I love the vibrancy of turquoise, it is certainly one of my favorite colors and while I don't often wear the color in terms of my clothes, I do accent what I wear with plenty of vintage turquoise jewelry.

Here's one of my favorite peices because of the blue on blue motif.

Beladora Vintage Turquoise and Zircon Ring in Platinum

Do you wear the latest trend in color in your clothes, accessories, both or neither?

De Gustibus Non Est Disputandum

So these are the hot boots of the season...
who knew?
From the WSJ
The Shoe That Kicked Off a Frenzy
Despite a $1,295 price tag, the Otway boot sparked a craze
The boots in question, which didn't hit stores until September, are called "Otway," and they can fairly be called the "It" boots of the season. Made of supple suede, the cuffed booties are adorned with rows of circular studs and are held up by a four-inch triangular heel.
Those who are still interested in owning them can forget about it. With the exception of a few pairs on eBay, they are out of stock nearly everywhere, despite a $1,295 price tag.

OK...so call me crazy but I'm going on record to say that I think they are hideous for $1295 but they might, and I mean might, be wearable at $295. And didn't we already have boots like these back in the Mid- 1980s?

Right now I'm only interested in what's comfortable on my feet and I'm looking for flat brown boots, not necessarily the OTK kind
Here's what's on sale at Bergdorf Goodman

Prada OTK Boots reduced to $910 from $1300

not exactly a bargain

Michael Kors Fallon Flat Boots $315 reduced from $450
I'm not loving the zipper

Prada riding boots $595 reduced from $850

I'm really liking these but can't I get actual riding boots for less?

Joie OTK boots $315 reduced from $525

I like these but aren't OTK boot going to look so 2009 in 2010?

So the search continues.

But what I certainly won't be searching for are those silly Otway boots.

So not my style

Alpen Avalanches

I'm not happy to read this
Italy avalanches kill 7, including 4 rescuers

Especially because my brother and his two sons are snowboarding in the Italian Alps this week.

This doesn't make the invitation that I just received to go skiing in France next month seem very appealing....cold, ice, avalanches, potential broken bones. I'm such a wuss, maybe this is why I haven't skiied in ten years.

The Millionaire Murderer Next Door

From the Independent
a view of the
Wealthy, quiet, unassuming: the Christmas Day bomb suspect

Like the 9/11 terrorists, this guy wasn't from the underbelly of some 3rd world Moslem country. Abdulmutallab, 23, had lived a gilded life, and, for the three years he studied in London, he stayed in a £2m flat.
Abdulmutallab's father, Umaru, is the former economics minister of Nigeria. He retired earlier this month as the chairman of the First Bank of Nigeria but is still on the boards of several of Nigeria's biggest firms, including Jaiz International, a holding company for the Islamic Bank. The 70-year-old, who was also educated in London, holds the Commander of the Order of the Niger as well as the Italian Order of Merit.
And here's Mark Steyn on the subject
So once again we see the foolishness of complaceniks who drone the fatuous cliches about how "in this struggle, scholarships will be far more important than smart bombs". The men eager to self-detonate on infidel airliners are not goatherds from the caves of Waziristan but educated middle-class Muslims who have had the most exposure to the western world and could be pulling down six-figure salaries almost anywhere on the planet. And don't look to "assimilation" to work its magic, either. We're witnessing a process of generational de-assimilation: In this family, yet again, the dad is an entirely assimilated member of the transnational elite. His son wants a global caliphate run on Wahhabist lines.
Do you think that he went to a strip club too before he embarked on his mission to meet his 72 virgins?

And how about this man of action, Jasper Schuringa?


Yeah, and I'm kinda in love with him
Watch his inverview on CNN via Huffpo

Bringing Out The Rubies For The Boxing Day Bash

One of reasons that I love the Christmas season is my friend Marcella's annual Boxing Day Bash held at her very cool architectural house in the Hollywood Hills.
Marcella, is a renaissance woman. In addition to being an artist and an attorney, she is involved with the arts and decorative arts at the Getty Museum and LACMA, and with the historical and cultural preservation of historic Los Angeles architecture. Where most private parties in Los Angeles tend to be clannish, you know the same group of people that only socialize within their narrow range of friends, Marcella's parties are put together with an eclectic group of guests, from filmmakers to socialites to curators to business tycoons and then random people like me thrown into the mix.
At any rate I always have a good time.
And this year in the spirit of the colors of Christmas I wore the big ruby and diamond parure that was purchased from a princess....because why should all that pretty sparkly stuff just stay in the vault.

Unfortunately I didn't get a good photo of the house but here is her view of Hollywood to the east

And her view of the Sunset Strip to the west with the Chateau Marmont in the foreground.

But I couldn't stay outdoors for too long with the camera because it was a frosty 50 something degrees last night...

Thank God I have a quiet week until the next party on New Years Eve.

Vintage Value Venture - Couture Allure On Sale

OK people pay attention here
The holidays are always about finding just the right gifts to please our family and friends. But the post Christmas week is a good to time find something wonderful for ourselves.
I know you all have some post holiday cash in hand....or you will as soon as you return that holiday sweater that you received as a gift that you will never wear, back to the department store.
Well Couture Allure Vintage is having an after Christmas Sale!
For me it's kinda a toss up for me between the vintage Oscar de la Renta evening gown with matching coat with mink collar and cuffs...because god knows that I lead such a formal life of galas and black tie events that I need an evening gown...
and this very wearable 1950s Mr. Blackwell cashmere and wool dress for $175!

Certainly the simple black dress will go better with a double strand of south sea pearls and my new favorite pair of south sea pearl and diamond earrings.

South Sea Pearl and Diamond Earrings

So this is what I've picked out....what are you going to get?

(Oh, and don't forget that Beladora's discount code is HOLIDAY09

till the end of the month)

So What Was Your Old Email Address?

Cute girl in a cute video linked by Instapundit.com

( I like the way that this girl is so young that she's talking about hotmail.com addresses being old....especially when she's not even old enough to remember anything as ancient as a compuserve or netscape email address.)

Christmas Cuteness

So cute, enjoy.

Merry Christmas

The prettiest Xmas tree - ignore the bad focus

How it all comes together

It must be the miracle of Christmas

A full day at the office

then the rush to buy Christmas gifts at the very last minute on Xmas Eve

How I ever threw together a boeufe bourguinon, roasted potatoes with Herbs du Provence, salad and Cote du Rhone

at the last minute for my small family of two adult children I'll never know...

maybe it has something to do with 2 decades plus of practice.

With no time to pull out the fine china and sterling silver it all seemed rather pedestrian

But it worked for our simple family of three.

A Very Simple Family Christmas Eve Dinner

Our small family of three enjoyed a simple evening a trois together

and I hope that all of you who celebrate Christmas enjoyed your family too

Wishing all of you and yours a wonderful Christmas

Christmas Music Medley

No More Maison Du Chocolat!

The best thing about finally reaching Christmas

is that business associates and friends

will finally stop sending baskets and boxes

of chocolates, cookies and chocolate covered strawberries.

Seriously...enough already with the Maison du Chocolate, Godiva, Mrs Fields etc...

Does your office fill up with fattening treats every Christmas too?

Guy Style - Off The Cuff

When it comes to women's jewelry my basic attitude is anything goes...

from dainty little hoop earrings to huge diamond pinky rings,

from vintage pearl sautoirs to tremendous tiaras

it's all good

When it comes to men's jewelry I'm all about subtlety.

IMHO a wedding ring, a watch and cufflinks are all any man needs

But since men need so little in terms of accessories

(let's face it they are pretty much perfect without accoutrements)

they should have the very best

a straightforward platinum or 18K band

a Cartier, Patek or Jaeger LeCoultrer dress watch

and of course

interesting cufflinks for his monogrammed Turnbull and Asser french cuffed shirts

Since blue is my favorite color I tend to favor sapphires

and here are my choices from Beladora.com

Sapphire Cufflink in 18K $2250

Sapphire Bar Cufflinks in 18K $2050

(made by Charles Gold & Co, who manufactured the Van Cleef cufflinks)

Sapphire Square Cufflinks in 18K $3250

Sapphire Cufflinks in 18K $2250
(Charles Gold & Co)

Sapphire Cabochon Cufflinks in 18K $1850

Maybe the man in your life needs a little Beladora box in his Chrismas stocking

...or maybe a special gift after Xmas but in time for New Year's Eve...

Don't forget the discount code HOLIDAY09

Still Need To Shop?

Still haven't found that special gift?


At Beladora.com there is a huge selection of jewelry under $1000

And at BeladoraII.com
a big selection of vintage fine jewelry under $500

with free shipping and Xmas delivery

Don't forget the 15% discount on all items over $1500
Discount code HOLIDAY09

Appaloosa Betting On The Banks For Big Bucks

At the end of the year we typically look back and determine whether or not we made progress over the past year. We analyze what worked and what didn't work, given the economy, and then we make assumptions about the future and conservatively formulate plans for the upcoming year.

Then we wonder how hedgefund master of the universe, David Tepper of Appaloosa Management, had the temerity of take huge positions in Citigroup and Bank of America at the bottom of the market and earn 7 billion in profit in 2009.

Fund Boss Made $7 Billion in the Panic

Mr. Tepper's hedge-fund firm has racked up about $7 billion of profit so far this year—with Mr. Tepper on track to earn more than $2.5 billion for himself, according to people familiar with the matter. That is among the largest one-year takes in recent years.
Behind the wins: a bet worth billions of dollars that America would avoid a repeat of the Great Depression.
Through February and March, Mr. Tepper scooped up beaten-down bank shares as many investors were running for the exits. Day after day, Mr. Tepper bought Bank of America Corp. shares, then trading below $3, and Citigroup Inc. preferred shares, when that stock was under $1.
So there he was buying against the tide
"I felt like I was alone," Mr. Tepper recalls. On some days, he says, "no one was even bidding."
And it paid off...big
After he was repeatedly passed over for a partnership, Mr. Tepper left Goldman to start Appaloosa in 1993. By 2008, he had a track record of annual gains averaging about 30% and a net worth estimated at about $2 billion.
And, oh the irony of his being passed over for partnership at Goldman
Mr. Tepper entered 2009 cautiously, with more than 30% of his firm's assets in cash, or more than $2 billion. He itched to do some buying. Mr. Tepper explains his investment philosophy with a line from Allan Meltzer, a professor at his alma mater: "Trees grow." In other words, growth is the natural state of economies, so optimism usually is rewarded.
And going forward
Mr. Tepper says the worrywarts have it wrong: "If you think the economy will be fine, as we do, then we're going to do very well."
Of course with billions in personal assets it's a t'wee bit easier to be optimistic
And I do, of course, hope that he's correct

Decollete and Diamonds

I was so looking forward to going to a holiday party tonight until I delved into my little closet of cocktail dresses and found that none of my holiday party clothes fit!

After an immediate state of panic I found one black velvet outfit and modeled it for Miss de Ville to get her opinion. She kindly told me that I looked like a fat nun.

Not good.

I will have to overcompensate for that with decollete and diamonds.

For Friends In Cold Climates

I have to admit that I secretly envy my many friends who will have snow for Christmas

Saturday Silliness - Are You Deaf Or Just Stupid?

And you thought that you had relationship problems...

Happy To Be Home For The Holidays

Another reason why I'm happy to be home for the holidays

Thousands freed from Channel Tunnel after trains fail

Where to put this story? In the global warming department, in the French hospitality department, or in the let's-turn-everything-over-to-government-run-services department?
More than 2,000 people spent hours trapped inside the Channel Tunnel after five Eurostar trains broke down due to cold weather.

The trains failed as they left the cold air in northern France and entered the warmer tunnel.Some passengers were evacuated via service tunnels to car trains, while others were kept on their trains. Many have faced gruelling 15-hour journeys.

…Lee Godfree, a passenger evacuated from one of the stranded trains, said he and his family had arrived in Folkestone at 0500 GMT, having left Disneyland Paris at 1837 GMT.He said their journey had been a "complete nightmare"."We were without power. We ran out of water, we ran out of food and there was very, very poor communication from the staff," he told the BBC."We lost air conditioning when we lost the power. We had to open the emergency doors ourselves."The evacuation procedure we followed was one that we set down ourselves."

ht/no pasaran

A Little Holiday Offer

One of the problems with getting on an email list is the constant barrage of email.
Take Bluefly for example. I get about 5 emails from them a day.
Naturally I get Gilt and Hautelook emails everyday too, but they do time based flash sales so I understand the need for daily communication.
But what about Nieman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and the rest of the stores whose mailing list I find myself on....isn't their email one step away from the viagra spam that I get everyday too?

At Beladora we didn't want to become that annoying store that is always popping up in your inbox. Jewelry isn't something that you purchase daily. It tends to be an occasion based product, so we don't have a daily, weekly or even a monthly email marketing strategy.


But this year we sent these email cards to our clients with a special offer of 15% off on all jewelry over $1500.

I think that the cards came out quite nice, don't you?

And, I like to extend our Holiday discount offer to all of you

because after faithfully reading BHB

you definitely qualify as 'friends and family'

The discount code is HOLIDAY09

and it is good until the end of the month

You might have a special birthday or anniversary coming up

or maybe you've had a your eye on something special for a while

so come on over to Beladora.com and BeladoraII.com

and tell your friends!

Around Town - Sabrage At Christofle

If you are in Beverly Hills
Thursday December 17th
the CEO of Christofle demonstrating the Art of Sabrage

Yeah...I bet you CEO can't do this!
History of Sabrage:
This technique became popular in France when the army of Napoleon visited many of the aristocrat domains. It was just after the French revolution and the saber was the weapon of choice of Napoleon's fearsome cavalry (the Hussar). Napoleon's spectacular victories across all Europe gave them plenty of reason to celebrate. During these parties the cavalry would open the Champagne with their sabers. Napoleon probably encouraged this and is known to have said: "Champagne! In victory one deserves it; in defeat one needs it."

Hollywood Skankdom - Not Only for Teenagers

What's wrong with these people
no seriously
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE

Who would dress a 9 year old girl like a complete skank

the lipstick, the mini dress and those S&M ish platform boots

So here we have Noah Cyrus, the 9 year old sister of Miley Cyrus

Can we talk about the early sexualization of children here
Not only tasteless
Thoroughly disgusting

Vintage Value Venture - Never Pay Retail

I just thought that I would point this out

Henry Dunay Diamond Sabi Ring in PLATINUM from Beladora.com for $5750

Henry Dunay Diamond Sabi Ring in GOLD from Bergdorf Goodman $15,600

NOTE: The ring from Bergdorf's has is in gold and not platinum

has about half the diamonds, and is about 3 times the price

as the ring from Beladora.com

Bergdorf's would probably sell the Dunay platinum ring for about $30,000

It just blows me away that anyone would pay retail