Lorenz Baumer - The Making Of Princess Charlene's Tiara

I am a huge fan of Lorenz Baumer.
Not only is he an extraordinary jewelry designer,
who can produce beautiful pieces with engineered precision,
he knows how to create true mystique.
And what is fine jewelry without mystique...

Weekend Reading - Sarah's Key

If you haven't already read Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

I recommend it highly.

It's a fast easy read about a serious subject.

I haven't seen the film yet but I'm looking forward to it.

It stars Kristin Scott Thomas, I love her don't you?

Also, when reading the book I noticed a strange coincidence.
The main character in the book is from the same town in Massachusetts that I lived in, she attended the same school that I went to...and she had a friend from that school by the same name as one of my friend's from that very same school, and the name was unusual. 
Isn't that weird?  

Around Town - A Midsummer Night's Art Opening

The highlight of last weekend was viewing some amazing paintings by Los Angeles artist, Lois Howard.

I'd seen a few of Lois's paintings before but never grouped together in a show

and they were sensational.

Her work is influenced by the time that she has spent living in Japan and in Europe.  Much of her work includes specific motifs such as fans and mandalas, representing the the circular nature of life

and jelly fish...and I have no idea what they represent

You can see more of her paintings here

Lois Howard Art

The show was held at the Harris & Ruble Art Gallery in Hollywood

Here are the gallery owners, Alan Harris and Marcella Ruble.
Marcella is an artist, sculptor, historian, philanthropist, gourmet cook and crack lawyer
yeah I know...how can all that talent be in one woman.

This was one of my favorite paintings.

and I adored this painting...unfortunately it was out of my budget

I wore my summer cotton cocktail dress by Milly
and yellow gold bangle bracelets from Beladora.com
As you can see, I'm still pretty dark thanks to plenty of Jergins self tanning lotion
I know, we aren't supposed to tan anymore...
but I'm contrarian and I still do

After the show it was off to dinner with friends at Pane e Vino in West Hollywood.
We sat inside but the restaurant has a very lovely terrace which is lovely for a summer night
The service was slow...so slow in fact that I think that they forgot our order
even so, I would go definitely go back
but next time I'm ordering a pizza!

Getting The Gist On Gold

So much in the news that I just can't explain...
insanity in Norway
a high speed rail crash in China
the US about to go into default
and
the price of gold making a new record high...again

At least, as far as gold is concerned we have blogger/journalist/vintage maven/jewelry designer
Wendy B explaining it all to us
go read her post Get Smart (About The Price of Gold)

Amy Winehouse - And She Said Blow, Blow, Blow

In my own contrarian way I have to admit that I am insufficiently sensitive when it comes to Amy  Winehouse's recent admission into The 27 Club.

It's not that I didn't appreciate her talent, I did.
And I do find it extraordinarily sad for any person, young or old, to be imprisoned by addiction.
But really, being found with heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and horse tranquilizer...WTF was wrong with her?

I've known young people who could barely come up with the funds to go through rehab.  They struggled not just physically and emotionally but financially to kick their habits. They had to quit their jobs spend months in treatment and start their careers all over again.
Winehouse on the other hand, leaving a 10 million GBP estate, she could handily afford the very best rehab program and long term treatment.
Sorry but like many others, she just didn't want to clean up her act.
From Lindsey Lohan to Charlie Sheen to Amy Winehouse, I guess that I'm just sick and tired of celebrities and their drug problems. 

Also, while watching the news on the TV at the gym over the weekend, I was amazed about how the major channels had virtually nothing to report about the tragedy in Norway and went on and on about Amy Winehouse. 

Now, you probably disagree with me and that's OK.
 Dash wrote a lovely and sensitive post about Amy Winehouse.

Oh No Not Norway

I've always felt that there are certain places in the world that are just pristine and peaceful
all green and blue and icy and clean
and safe
Switzerland would be one of those places
Another is Norway

A week ago there was a bomb attach in Mumbai where a group of diamond dealers were killed
I expect this kind of nonsense in places like that
but not in Norway
So I'm very sad to read about the senseless attacks that happened yesterday
and I'm sure that you are too

Women and Violence or Hot Times on the NY Subway

Look, I know that it is really hot and miserable
from the Mid-West to the East Coast
but...really, there is no excuse for this.

And, I never want to hear another idiot repeat this tired and utterly untrue adage
"If women ruled the world there would be no war"
what total BS

Don't Mess With Murdoch Unless You Want To Get Wailed By Wendy

I knew that Tabitha would be on this story in a New York Minute

Forget Tiger Mom - Here Comes Tiger Wife

Don't mess with Murdoch unless you want to get wailed by Wendy!

Fake But Fun

So this afternoon I was checking out the news on Instapundit.com
as I do every afternoon
and at the top of the web page was this banner ad from Saks Fifth Avenue
advertising the new collection of jewelry and accessories from Yves Saint Laurent.

and I thought to myself...hmmm...that ring looks familiar

YSL Iconic Arty Ring on Beladora2.com $100

(the same ring is $250 at Saks Fifth Avenue)

and here's another YSL ring

YSL Iconic Arty Ring from Beladora2.com $100

(the same ring is $195 at Saks Fifth Avenue)

As you know we typically wouldn't post
costume aka fashion jewelry on Beladora or Beladora2
but we just happened to think these rings were fun.

Savvy Shopping - Vying For Victoria's Secret

For the last couple of years I've wanted to buy a retro style swimsuit.

But with prices in the stratosphere
such as for this Rodarte Retro Style Bikini
featured by the Wall Street Journal
and priced at a ridiculous $345
I decided against it.

Instead, I opted for something affordable from Victoria's Secret
like this

and this



...which I could buy for less than $50 each.

While I've never been a fan of the Victoria's Secret brand
I can assure you that their bikinis are the very best in terms of fit, style and price.
So if you are looking for an affordable and flattering bikini
I suggest that you start with Victoria's Secret.
You won't be disappointed.

Back to Business and BHB and Beladora

Well, the much dreaded Carmageddon turned out to be really nothing at all
no 20 mile traffic jams, no wild west road rage shoot outs.
People stayed home, traffic was nil and
Los Angeles turned out to be lovely place over the weekend.
Maybe Caltrans should shut down the 405 freeway every once in a while.

Have I mentioned that I'm happy to be home
and especially excited to be back in Beverly Hills at the Beladora HQ
doing my estate jewelry thing
because I just love the accessory that keeps on giving
as these things happen
when gold reaches a new high of $1600.

Yes, I know you love your Jimmy Choo shoes and your Hermes belts
but I prefer an accessory that goes up in value while I wear it!


Being tan, rested and jewelry-less in Mexico was great
but now it's back to business.
Take a basic white shirt, a Michael Kors pin stripped pencil skirt, a deep tan
and add estate jewelry....gold estate jewelry to be exact.

I'm totally loving this Carlo Weingrill choker necklace

I love super comfortable flexible jewelry that doesn't have clasps or hinges,
don't you?

And I love to wear ancient coin jewelry
because it lets me channel my inner 1960's jet set socialite babe alter ego.

This necklace makes me imagine a life of lolling on the yacht

on the shores of Sardinia, Santorini or St Tropez.

And then there's the basic bracelet

This solid gold link bracelet by the French jewelry house Fred

is the type of piece that I would love to wear everyday.

Do you have one signature piece of jewelry that you wear everyday?

Leaving La Playa and Coming Back To Carmageddon

I would love to tell you that this is what my vacation looked like

 all sunshine, clear blue water and deserted white sand beaches along the Playa de la Ropa

But down in the tropical paradise of Zihautanejo - Ixtapa it was the rainy season
so while hot and humid, the sun only peaked out from the storm clouds intermittently.

The sky wasn't blue and the beaches weren't deserted...yet I endured
When not swimming
most of my time was spent with a book on this chaise under a palapa
hoping that it wouldn't rain...
and that if it did rain, at least the ever present viciously biting bugs would go away.

Rainy season on the Mexican Riviera isn't for the faint hearted or the fair weather traveller.
But it is for the thrifty since the rates at The Tides hotel go down significantly between June and October.  Even given the low rates. there were only about 30 guests in total at the hotel. Imagine that.

In terms of the overall quality of service, accommodations and cuisine, The Tides was not up there with the Palmilla in Cabo San Lucas.  I didn't expect it to be...after all, the Palmilla isn't a called The One and Only for nothing. But I wasn't in any way disappointed with The Tides. 

The suite was clean and comfortable, the grounds were lovely and lush, the food was good and the service was caring. For the adventurous sporty types, surfing, diving, snorkeling, jet skiing, sport fishing etc. could be arranged for.  I wasn't that adventurous.

A couple of highlights.
A charming young man, Juan Landeros, became something akin to my personal concierge, bringing me delicious margaritas at cocktail hour and filling me in on the ins and outs of the hotel and the local area.  The Tides needs to give that guy a raise!
Also, one evening's dinner on the beach was accompanied by lovely music by a local duo, Daleth & Antares. Daleth's soft soprano voice singing Bossa Nova and Mexican standards was such a upgrade from the typical Mariachi music that you hear at every resort.

Would I go back to The Tides, most definitely...but not in mid summer.

Happily I am home where the temperature is a mild 75 degrees without bugs and where I can occupy myself in the neighborhood all weekend and avoid Carmageddon, which you might or might not know is the two day closing of the 405 freeway, the carotid artery if you will, controlling the life blood of Los Angeles traffic.  A lot of hype has been made about our Carpocalypse, but I'm ignoring it.

What are you up to this weekend?

Zihuatanejo - The Report From the Field

It's hot and humid here
which is hardly a surprise since it is rainy season
and I'm not going to even discuss the bug bites...
what was I thinking coming to this location in the middle of summer?
Still, the sun manages to come out for a few hours a day
the ocean is warm
and this is what it looks like from the terrace of my room

it could be worse....

Summer Fun

Pseu has been to Paris, Tabitha has been to the South of France, David has been to Scandinavia

As I've mentioned before, I was so looking forward to taking a vacation in Southern Italy
especially because I had expected my bother to move to Naples this month.
I was so looking forward to plenty of  pizza, pasta and Prada.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out as expected and he will most likely be moving to a place where recently the streets looked something like this.

Obviously, I won't be visiting him in that part of the world this summer.

Instead, I'm off to place that looks like this

where there will be plenty of cerveza, seviche and sunshine
I'm hoping to get in some sports too,a little tennis, kayaking and horseback riding
then again, I may just lay hang out on the hanging beds on the beach and read my books

I was inspired to try this resort because Jill had written about it on her blog
god knows if it's good enough for Jill it will definitely be good enough for me!

Where are you going on vacation this summer?

 

Voloptuous Vixens in Italian Vogue and Gilded Greecian Goddeesses in French Vogue

Did you know about the new issue of  Italian Vogue?
I didn't but I read about it on The Sartorialist today.

I'm not so hot about the way the model was posed on the right side of the cover

But I do think that these girls are beautiful

What do you think about the magazine using voluptuous models?


Have you see this month's French Vogue?
I thought that homage to Linda Evagelista photographed by Mert and Marcus was rather clever.

I also liked the fact that the entire issue was devoted to Greece

especially now that the country could benefit by some increased tourism.

There were lots of shots like with models in bathing suits and major gold bracelets.

I don't know anyone who actually wears such big bling on the beach

but it makes for a beautiful image.

And then in perusing the magazine, imagine my surprise when I saw this exact image on one of the accessories pages featuring Greek Jewelry.

I was thrilled to see our image in print in French Vogue...

but it would have been nice for Beladora to have been credited.

Admittedly, I snag images for BHB all the time and I rarely credit the photographer or the source

so I guess turnaround is fair play.

4th of July Weekend on the Westside

This is not me...in case you were wondering

But this photo does remind me that for many years I spent every 4th of July weekend on the beach in Santa Monica where there were beach volleyball tournaments, paddle tennis games, barbecues, fireworks set off from boats offshore and mai-tai cocktails.

The 4th of July has always seemed somewhat forced for me, and not at all a true Southern California holiday.

Having spent some of my childhood and early teenage years in New England, I've always felt that Independence Day was more genuine in place of historical importance like Marblehead Massachusetts. 

Marblehead across the bay from Salem Massachusetts, was founded as a fishing village in the early 1600's.  In the 1700's it was the home of many men who fought in the War of Independence including the famous General Glover who fought under General George Washington.  It was General Glover's regiment who rowed George Washington across the icy Delaware River to the Battle of Trenton.

Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emmauel Leutze

Marblehead today is a charming town with houses and other structures that date back to the 18th Century.  It also has bragging rights as the Birthplace of the American Navy, the Birthplace of Marine Aviation, and the Yachting Capital of America.

While these titles may be disputable, what is true is that it is picturesque New England town that can boast a beautiful coastline, a historic city center, stunning estates, plenty of yacht clubs

and this famous painting.

The Spirit of 76 by Archibald Willard

At any rate, nostalgia aside, there is a world of difference in spending the 4th of July in a historic town that looks like this

and spending it at a Santa Monica beach club that looks like this

It's been a busy weekend.

Friday night I had dinner at The Tavern Restaurant in Brentwood

where the beautiful Brentwoodians come to savor the cuisine of LA super chef, Suzanne Goin.

The menu is limited but everything on it is delicious.

I had the albacore crudo with ruby grapefruit, avocado, lime and chilis followed the the chicken with braised leeks, onions and mustard breadcrumbs,

but the watermelon and heirloom tomato salad with ricotta salata and mint and the Niman ranch rib-eye with baked potato and blue cheese butter looked really good too.

But the food was the afterthought given that we were celebrating my son's 28th birthday.

As a budding art collector with his recent acquisition of an Alec Monopoly print I decided to give him a couple of paintings by Swiss pop artist ZanRe.

Here they are

and

I hope that he liked them.

The rest of the weekend has been busy.

Saturday night I went to a dinner party at a friend's house in the hills

and last night I saw Midnight in Paris

I thought it was a charming movie and that Owen Wilson nailed it.

What did you think?

OK, I was hoping to sit in the sun and read today since the last couple of weeks have been crazy busy for me but I have to go the office for an hour or so.

Holiday or not, the internet never sleeps. 

Then I'm off to a casual barbecue this afternoon.

How are you spending your holiday weekend?