BHB

Man Oh Man - Michael Fassbender in W!

2012-01-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

Every so often I think that things are going to slow down and that I'm going to be able to take a little break from my real life and catch up on all the blogs that I've missed over the past few months...
and then things speed up even more!
Such is life, non?
But being busy means all good things in my life.

While my time to blog has been drastically limited to a few minutes here and there I wanted to share with you something special.

Michael Fassbender photographed by Jeff Burton for W Magazine

Yeah, I thought that you would think that this was special too!

Miss de Ville was lucky enough to get to deliver the Beladora jewelry to this photo shoot and get a glimpse of Mr. Fassbender in dishabille.

Here is the ring that he was wearing in this photo.

Crest Signet Ring in 14K

As I've mentioned here before, we send out copious amounts of jewelry for magazine photo shoots, but we never know whether or not our pieces will make it into print...until we see the magazine.

So of course we are thrilled to see our estate jewelry in W, ELLE, Marie Claire, Vanity Fair, InStyle and other major fashionista magazines.

(Thank you editors and stylists...we LOVE you!)

Outside of all things Beladora I've been busy reading all the George R.R. Martin and Diana Gabaldon books. Because of my minor amount of obsessive compulsiveness, when I find an author that I like, I tend to read their entire oeuvre.

Do you do that too?

Luckily, with my trip next week to the Miami International Antiques and Estate Jewelry, I will have plenty of time on the cross country flight to read.

What are you reading right now?

Can you make some suggestions?

While I love Martin and Gabaldon...I'd like to find some books that have less than 700 plus pages!

Soap Is Good - SOPA is bad

2012-01-18T18:08:00.000-08:00

Naturally, I would have an opinion on this issue.
Seen today at purseforum.com

If you are not following the SOPA situation, you should be.

Americancensorship.org

And as Dash reminds us on her blog French Sampler
We owe thanks to Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the internet...
you know...the real one...
who gave it to the world for free.

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed

2011-12-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

Ah, Christmas is finally here.

Happily this year our family will celebrate Christmas at my son's home in Brentwood.
It's wonderful to see the traditional family dinner now passed down to the next generation.
In addition, the highlight of this holiday is my son's engagement to the lovely lawyer Laura.
Today I will meet her family which arrived this week from New York.
So, this is a very special holiday for me.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.

Christmas Comes Early For Korea and The World At Large

2011-12-22T08:33:00.000-08:00

As you can imagine I have been busting it out this week.
There has been so much to do at the office and at home to get ready for the holiday this weekend.

But, I just can't let the busiest week of the year pass without posting the best news of the year or perhaps of the last few decades.
Kim Jong Il will finally face his final judgement.

I don't think that I've ever mentioned it here before that I love Korea.
Why you ask? I don't know it's complicated.
But like my being a Francophile, an Anglophile, a Switzerlandphile and an Australiaphile,
I am a Koreaphile too.
And, if you watched as much Korean drama (K-dram) as I have
you'd be a Koreaphile too.

But back on topic.
Kim Jong Il was evil. Yes, there I've said it.
He was so bad that he made Middle Eastern tyrants and African despots look like nice guys.
Like Stalin with his failed agricultural policies in the 1930s which caused the starvation of millions,
Kim Jong Il's policies caused the starvation his own people.
You can read about it in this article from The Atlantic
How Kim Jong Il Starved North Korea

Oh, and if that isn't bad enough,
Under Kim Jong Il, dissenters and others were forced into prison/concentration camps.
In fact entire families, with small children, were sentenced to hard labor and starvation.
There is ample evidence about the conditions in these camps on the internet including in this article from the Huffington Post
North Korea: Behind The Veil

"In this country, one can die from uttering one wrong word; people starve to death; one cannot go anywhere without a public pass. In this country, there are modern-day Auschwitz concentration camps; no religion exists; the regime supports production of illegal drugs, counterfeit bills and cigarettes. In this country, the whole population is classified into twelve hierarchical groups; millions starve to death while the dictator spends close to a billion dollars for his father's memorial; there is neither radio nor internet. In this country, one has to serve at least ten years in the military; there is the biggest income gap in the world; and the monthly wage is less than a dollar for most people. This country is North Korea."

I don't know what is going to happen in North Korea now, but I pray that Kim Jong Il's death will bring a new openness and an amelioration in the harsh conditions that the people of that country have been living under at the whim of their tyrannical totalitarian leaders.

Yes indeed, Christmas has come early for some 24 million people.

RIP Hitch

2011-12-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

I am very sad to read about the passing of Christopher Hitchens.
I didn't always agree with him but I always appreciated his intelligence, wit and well researched writing.
Ron Radosh has a nice tribute to him,

And here's a link to his many articles in Vanity Fair

Oh La La - La Peregrina Pearl

2011-12-15T15:58:00.000-08:00

Monday night we were glued to the computer watching the Christie's auction of Elizabeth Taylor's magnificent jewelry collection. For months everyone in the trade had been talking about how the numbers in this auction were going to go through the roof...and they did.

Tuesday morning one of my dealer buddies from New York stopped by my office to say hi...not really, he came to collect money.

Anyhoo, we discussed the results of the previous night's auction. How could we not?

My dealer buddy had a little story to tell me apropos the auction.

Back in 1969, his father, the world's foremost dealer in natural pearls, had sold a beautiful teardrop shaped pearl pendant, La Peregrina, at auction for around $38,000.

Richard Burton was the buyer.

This week La Peregrina sold over $11,800,000 at Christie's.

Imagine that.

I wonder who the buyer was.

We have been so busy for the last few months that I have not any time to blog.

Hopefully, after the Christmas rush is over, I can get back into blogging swing of things.

Who Are These People?

2011-11-26T10:22:00.000-08:00

No really, I want to know
Who are these people?
from Drudge
Woman pepper sprays other Black Friday shoppers to 'gain upper hand'

'Girls punching each other' over yoga pants sale at Victoria's Secret
Literally, girls were punching each other,” said shopper Liz Wentling. “They threw little bags in baskets and they were just like, ‘Here.’ Girls were literally shoving each other, moms were getting into it.”

Mayhem over $2 waffle maker

Grandfather smashed to the ground as he tried to protect grandson from crowd

and the ultimate

Man dies shopping on Black Friday; unfazed shoppers walked around, stepped over body

Really, what does all this Black Friday nonsense say about us as a society?

How did we become a society of consumers who are afraid
that we can't import another bazillion big screen TVs from China
or that there will ever be any scarcity in yoga pants
Has consumerism pushed our collective IQ to the left end of the bell curve?

Every day of my life I am thankful to work in an internet business with clients who are smart, gracious, grateful and all around classy.

Never Too Early To Go Gucci

2011-11-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

$250 jeans?
$825 backpacks?
Who pays these prices for children's clothes and accessories?

Well, I guess wealthy New Yorkers do.

$3,800 biker jackets and $500 handbags: Gucci opens first standalone CHILDREN'S boutique in New York

A white 'faux-wrap' dress costs $495, and a baby winter quilted down coat, complete with fur and a hood, will set a new parent back a cool $795.

But the king of the crop is an adult-style biker jacket in powder pink - a pretty penny for any princess at an eye-watering $3,800.

With stylist Rachel Zoe's eight-month-old son Skyler already getting a taste for $1000 Gucci jackets, he may be in line for some of the store's newest offerings.
The fashion house last year donated $1 million to UNICEF's Schools for Africa and $50,000 to Lopez's Maribel Initiative to celebrate their children's line.

It amuses me that the article would mention Rachel Zoe's son and his $1000 Gucci jacket....as if she had had to actually purchase it. It had to have been donated swag....which is pure marketing for the brand.

I'm also amused by the timing of this store opening
and a little surprised that we don't have a "Occupy Gucci"

The Song Remains The Same - Stairway To Heaven Turns 40

2011-11-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

The most overplayed song of my youth
and indeed the most overplayed song ever
turned 40 this week
for some reason this makes me feel both nostalgic
and really old

"and it makes me wonder"
does anyone out there know how much money Led Zeppelin made from this one song?
It must have been bazillions

I love this cover
and Dolly's outfit in this video

And for those who prefer 60's style music to 70's metal rock
here's another version of the song

All Kinds Of Awesome

2011-11-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

What I'm crazy in love with now

Antique Diamond Bracelet in 18K and Silver

history and art combined
it is all kinds of awesome

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T20:46:00.000-07:00

Yes people, this is our pumpkin
photographed, obviously, in the dark
in full glowering glow
HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Ka$hing In With Kim Karda$hian

2011-10-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hi...remember me?
Yeah, I know, it's been a while since I posted anything on BHB

I've been busy, really busy
But I just couldn't not comment on this

The celebrity wedding of the year
rumored to be putting over a million dollars into the pockets of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries
was apparently a full on hoax planned and executed just for Kim$ reality televi$ion $how.
I don't believe everything that I read on Radar online and neither should you
but somehow this doesn't surprise me

She wore a lot of serious jewelry for a non serious occasion

Don't you agree?

Around Town - The New and Improved Hotel Bel Air

2011-10-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

Why is it that September seems to pass by with not much going
then October hits and it's nonstop activity
It's like the universe sends us a message to come out of hibernation from the heat of the Summer months
and then get back into the swing of things

I've been busy this week with little time for blogging
Already I've been to a private preview of the newly redone Hotel Bel Air
and a viewing the Elizabeth Taylor jewelry being presented by Christie's
So I'll get on with the Bel Air and post about the Liz Taylor loot later this week.

Purchased by The Dorchester Group a few years ago, the Hotel Bel Air was in definitely in need of refurbishing. (The Dorchester Collection includes The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Dorchester in London, The Hotel Plaza Athenee and Le Meurice in Paris, and the Principe di Savoia in Milan)

So, after 2 years and 100 million dollars, the hotel will finally reopen tomorrow.

To me the old hotel was like an aging dowager, elegant and classic.
In fact it was my favorite hotel in LA just because it wasn't too new and shiny.
Way, way back in the day my husband loved the clubby atmosphere of the bar with it's roaring fire and piano player crooning the standards. And I used to love the restaurant which was charming for lunch outdoors on the terrace overlooking the pond. It was an especially heady place for a power breakfasts way back when power breakfasting was all the rage amongst Hollywood honchos and hedgefunders.

Now my classic dowager has had full facelift by way of New York interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud.
Goodbye traditional California Spanish Colonial style
Hello Old Hollywood Glamour with a twist

Here's an example of one of the rooms.

What do you think?

I appreciate the details such as the heated flooring in the bathrooms and the ipads for ordering from room service.

And here is the new Wolfgang Puck restaurant which will serve...

are you ready for this...

California - Mediterranean cuisine...

what a surprise!

Here's the bar.

It's still kinda clubby....kinda.

A new La Prairie has been added

are you curious about the prices for the treatments?

A manicure is $60

a microdermabrasion facial is $270

and

a white caviar illuminating facial is $1,000

So serene but I won't be booking spa services there anytime soon.

At least the pool and and the gardens look pretty much the same.

(my photos.... that's why they are blurry)

The hotel will be open this week for guests and the restaurant and bar will be open to the general public in November.

The hotel's website says the usual stuff about corporate responsibility including low resource usage and core values, but there is a rumor that the Dorchester Group laid off all of the old employees who had worked at the hotel for years and replaced them with younger workers. I hope that this isn't the case.

I will miss the lovely blond lady who was the hostess of the restaurant. She always remembered me and would greet me with "Hello Mrs. R, it's so lovely to see you again".

Certainly beautiful rooms and amenities are important for any high end hotel

but nothing beats personalized service.

Don't you agree?

Because Winter Is Coming

2011-10-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

For those of you who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder
may I make a humble suggestion?

Bring a little sunshine into your life with the Sun-Drop Diamond.
to be auctioned by Sotheby's Geneva this November.
The diamond is a mere110 carats and VVSI of Vivid Fancy Yellow color
and I can guarantee that it will brighten up even the darkest days of Winter.

The stone was exhibited earlier this year at London’s Natural History Museum. The rough for the Sun-Drop Diamond was discovered in South Africa in 2010, and was cut and polished by Cora International, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of exceptional diamonds, with its headquarters in New York. This stunning diamond comes to the market with an estimate of $11-15 million.

So who will buy this magnificent diamond? My guess is swift bidding between secretive collectors, society jewellers, oligarchs keen to impress their women, and maybe, just maybe, interest from Prince Albert of Monaco who has showered his bride Charlene with gems.

We had rain here this week and there is already snow in the Sierra Mountains.
It's going to be an early Winter.

Have a great weekend!

Steve Jobs - One Of The Best Of My Generation

2011-10-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

‎"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future, You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."- Steve Jobs 2005.

How Steve Jobs Made Business Cool Again by Virginia Postrel

It's a Wonderful Life by Richard Fernandez

In Praise of Entrepreneurs by Rand Simberg

For statements on the amazing Steve Jobs by President Obama, Bill Gates, Michael Dell and more.
see this post on MacRumors

Mid-Week Miscellany and R.I.P Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Are you already starting to make your plans for Christmas?
I am. This year has really flown by, hasn't it?

I didn't want to let the week go by without sending a big congratulations to Parisian blogger Tish Jett for her article in More Magazine, A Crime of Fashion Narrowly Averted. Well done Tish.

Also, I was thrilled to see Wendy's post on the creative process that goes into making a piece of jewelry.

If you aren't reading the weekend Wall Street Journal, you should be. It's a great paper. Last weekend's issue had a great article on the Death of the Playboy.
In his day, a playboy didn't shout he was a "playah"—he just . . . was. What the deuce did he care if anyone else knew it?

Included in the list of long lost playboys was the playboy of the century, Porfiro Rubirosa. Polo playing dilettante Rubrirosa managed to marry not one but two of the wealthiest women in the world, Barbara Hutton and Doris Duke. Imagine what kind of charm he must have had to pull that off. When is someone going to make a film about his life?

I also enjoyed reading about Luca Cordero di Montezemolo
La Bella Vita,
Meet the uncrowned king of Italy, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo,chairman of Ferrari,multimillionaire entrepreneur and champion of Italian culture. Is he ready to give up his charmed life to save his troubled country?

All I have to say after reading this article is... run Luca run!
Italy needs you.

More miscellany regarding Italy
don't you just love the fact that Fiat has recently introduced the Fiat 500 to the US.
Fiat's haven't been sold here is like what, decades?
Here's a couple of photos of the one of the Gucci versions that I saw on Rodeo Drive

It's like a Mini...but with a little more.
Loving Italian design, jewelry and of course food
it only makes sense that I would love Italian wines too.
My fabulous Italian client Giulia suggested that I try these
Nero d'Avola, Greco di Tufo and Fiano d'Avellino
Have you tried them?
Opinions?

On the topic of wine, closer to home I can recommend Salus Cabernet from the Staglin family vineyard in Napa Valley.

I just tried it a couple of weeks ago and it was delicious.
Last weekend I met the Staglins at an event and learned that they are serious about their philanthropy. A portion of every sale from Salus wine goes to mental health research so not only do they make amazing wines they raise a huge amount of money for mental health charities.
On my Roku I'm just now getting around to watching the second season of Mad Men but honestly I'm having trouble staying interested.

While I love the production value of the show and the attention to period detail especially with the clothes, architecture and dismissive attitude towards the women, I find that most of the characters are just so obnoxious that I get annoyed with the show.
Right now I'm more interested in reading about the advertising business from the perspective of a real ad man.

Pickett, Plunkett and Puckett was written by my friend Larry Postaer who's ad agency has created so many memorable ads.

OK, so I really can't finish without blogging a little for Beladora.com.

If you are perusing this month's Marie Claire magazine, be sure to check out he jewelry worn by Reese Witherspoon.

Vintage English Retro Link Bracelet from Beladora2.com

Cute bracelet, isn't it?

Addendum

Steve Jobs RIP

How To Wear Estate Jewelry or Not Your Grandmother's Pearls

2011-09-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

Pearls, as we all know come in a variety of sizes.
So...what is the correct size to wear?

Our favorite pearl expert at Passage des Perles blog addressed this question today
She likes her classic pearl strand in size 9 mm and larger,
and agree with her that larger sizes are appropriate for women of a certain age
like me.

I like all pearls, the classic single, double and triple strands as well as opera length.
Who doesn't?
Some my find them boring, but I don't.
But that's not to say that I don't also adore pearls used in edgier more contemporary jewelry designs
such as this Tahitian Pearl negligee pendant necklace

Here's the close up

The necklace is designed with faceted fancy colored diamond beads from which two large Tahitian pearl drops (16 mm), hang unevenly and thus the name negligee...as if this was the base of a bow tied loosely.

Totally wearable or over the top...

What do you think?

Finally - Coming Down From The Stratosphere

2011-09-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

Gold sees biggest slide in decades...
and why is this not a complete surprise...it had the biggest gain in decades too.

From the JCK
The drop comes less than three weeks after the metal hit a new record of $1,920. At one point in overnight trading on Sept. 26, the metal’s spot price sank to $1,535.

Analysts called the decline a reaction to the belief that it had been “over-bought” and the market is seeing a “gold bubble.”
Even so, the price of gold has logged impressive gains this year. It remains up more than 10 percent since Jan. 1. The gold price increased 29 percent in 2010.
The price of gold first hit $1,600 in July.

There has been so much recent speculation in gold that prices skyrocketed up,
especially in the last 2 months.
Such speculation pushed everyone in the jewelry business to raise prices on their inventory.
In addition, prices were so high that manufacturers were being driven out of business...and that's not good for anybody.
A much needed correction has finally started, profits are being taken and gold is finally going back to a more reasonable level.
And this is a good thing.
It would have been one thing to have had a steady increase over a period of time, but it was another thing altogether to have had a level of speculation that move prices so quickly in matter of only a couple of months.

My clients have been asking me when we were going to have a Summer or a September sale.
Obviously, any sale was impossible as gold was going up.
Now hopefully, gold will stay at a reasonable level and we will be able to buy a lower prices...and sell at lower prices. And that's a win-win for both for us and for our clients.

Millicent Rigers Style - It's All In The Mix

2011-09-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't read this article from last week's Wall Street JournalThoroughly Marvelous Millie
Life and style lessons from the rebellious, glamour-to-the-gills icon Millicent Rogers
Biographer Cherie Burns gives us a how-to on living like the over the top Standard Oil heiress
including
Wear what you love. Millicent Rogers was known for mixing it up and bending the rules in the days when fashion was dictated by editors and designers. When she liked a simple local style, whether it was a Tyrolean look or the squaw skirts she saw on Native Americans in New Mexico, she still relied on good tailoring to pull it off. She bought or sketched the item and then sent it to her couturiers—often Charles James, Elsa Schiaparelli or Mainbocher—to make a version to her measurements out of fine fabrics. When she liked the lines of an Italian truck driver's jacket, she had it recreated down to the bright orange lining, but as a ski coat. Then she added a red fox collar.

Buy in multiples. Ms. Rogers ordered four dozen nearly identical Charles James blouses.

and

Make the most of accessories. Ms. Rogers altered the buttons on dresses to achieve the look she was after. She always wore gloves a size too large. She added her own monkey muff to a navy wool suit and eschewed popular cloche hats for Tyrolean toppers with feathers. She dyed a moleskin cape, muff and hat bright red.

Searching For Beauty

The magnificent Millicent had money, tons of it, or should I say oil wells of it, and she wasn't afraid to spend it on multiple men, mansions and mainbochers.

This is a woman who did things her own way, especially when it came to her sartorial style.
She was considered one of the best dressed women of her time and pulled off an traditional Tyrolean dirndls when she was married to a near do well Austrian aristocrat as easily as she wore Southwestern get-ups in her adobe home in Taos.

Accept for maybe Daphne Guinness, we don't see trendsetting heiresses like Millicent Rogers anymore.

I love the way that never did anything in a small way, whether it was decorating her houses, amassing her art collection, travelling with her seven dachshunds or piling on the turquoise bracelets.

Millicent set her own fashion standards and easily mixed Southwestern silver jewelry with her formal silk gowns making her the boho chic fashionista of her age.

I like her style

First Lady Fashion - Finally Fine Jewelry

2011-09-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well it seems as though the First Lady's stylists have been paying attention to BHB and finally dressed Mrs. Obama in genuine diamond fine jewelry by an American jewelry designer instead of blinging her up in costume nonsense designed by a Brit.

It is the First Lady's job to represent the United States and to promote American designers,
which she has deftly done with her clothes.
Now I'm so happy to see her finally wearing fine jewelry, especially these beautiful diamond bracelets by couture designer Katie Decker of Houston.

OK, some may not like the fact that the bracelets are seriously expensive at $42,000
especially in a double dip recession
but people the bracelets have been borrowed...not bought by the Obamas

Congratulations to Ms. Decker.

Next, I'd like to see the First Lady in jewelry designed by Wendy B.

And oh... if we can only see the First Lady wearing estate jewelry to her next fancy fund raiser...

Wednesday Weather Miscellany and a Walk On The Wild Side

2011-09-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

You might think that it is always sunshine and blue skis around here
like in this photo of Rodeo Drive

This is what it actually looked like this week

only a mile or so west of Beverly Hills in Brentwood

Fog blanketing Santa Monica and Brentwood as seen from the 25th floor

How heavy the fog can get here in Los Angeles

And, when we are not braving le brouillard

we are fighting off wild beasts

Yes people, that is a wild bobcat drinking from a swimming pool in Bel Air
The photo was taken last Friday and posted on the Bel Air blog
OK...so maybe we haven't suffered from Old Testament style weather and conditions...like some people...but the more that we encroach on mother nature, the more that she reminds us that we aren't the only animals in this urban jungle.

Faux Furry Fall Fashion...I Think Not and OMG...Jackie O's Opinions

2011-09-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

I know that all of you know that fur is everywhere this season,
not just by collection but by physical placement; on hems, on cuffs, on shoulders, on hats, etc.
And following the couture designers, the trend has dissipated down stream...as it always does... to the faux fur used in the ready to wear - bridge level of apparel.

Speaking of Faux, last Fall my Aussie peep, Faux Fuchsia, sported a fabulous black fur vest.

Here she is from last November looking so ultra glam in her fur gilet vest thingamy
and so put together...note the way that her nail polish matched the border of her Hermes scarf...amazingly chic.

Since I saw her photos I've wanted to find a fur vest to wear this Winter because it seemed like a practical solution for staying warm in Los Angeles. I have quite a few fur coats, but honestly they aren't that easy to wear in LA.

So...onto the internet I went in search of Faux Fuchsia's fabulous fur.
But sadly, this is what I found at Bloomingdales.com.

These vest look like something that the cat dragged in, don't they.
I am so perplexed...why would any designer think that these were attractive?
I don't know about you but I wouldn't be caught dead in any of these fashion faux pas.
So...if anyone knows where I can get something like FF's vest, which I assume is mink with a fox collar please let me know.

By the way, there is something else that I am perplexed about.
Why did Caroline Kennedy release the audio tapes of her mother's interview from way back in the day? Was it a FOIA thing?
Here are some of Jackie Kennedy's quotes.
On MLK: “A Phony.”
On Charles De Gaulle: “An egomaniac.”
On Indira Gandhi: “A real prune — bitter, kind of pushy, horrible woman.”
On Clare Booth Luce and Madame Nhu, sister in law of Ngo Dinh Diem, South Vietnam’s president: “I wouldn’t be surprised if they were lesbians.”
On why “violently liberal” women preferred Adlai Stevenson to her husband: “Because they were afraid of sex.”
video platform video management video solutions video player

Personally, I rather liked reading the personal opinions of the real Jackie Kennedy, post her Camelot period and when she seemed to be off her meds.
She put up with a lot being married to Jack Kennedy and she was always gracious in her public role as First Lady. She was certainly entitled to her snarky private opinions.
But Clare Booth Luce a lesbian?
Where did that come from?

September Stories and Garden Galas

2011-09-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Over the summer I like to take a break from serious reading.
What about you?

Here are some of the books that I've read in the last month.

The George R.R. Martin series starting with the Game of Thrones.
If you like an epic story with political intrigue among competing clans, characters with unbridled ambition who are willing to destroy all in their paths in their lust for power, kind of like Washington D.C., these books are for you.
Consider them to be a sort of a Lord of the Rings type fantasy, except darker, much darker.
Jill, has read these books too and she's as anxious as I am for the final book to be released.

The 19th Wife, is the story of Eliza Young, the apostate renegade wife of Brigham Young who publicly denounces polygamy, cleverly interwoven with a murder mystery involving a contemporary 19th wife of Fundamentalist LDS cult member. Ebershoff combines the development of Mormonism in 19th Century with the cult's bizarre behavior in the 21st Century. Of particular interest to me was the history of "hand cart" migration of European immigrants. Their treatment was deplorable.

If you enjoy well written historical fiction you will like Cleopatra's Daughter. Did you know that Roman women worried about stretch marks from pregnancy? I didn't either.

I'm a huge fan of the New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva. He writes amazing international thrillers centered on a main character who is an artist and art restorer. I recently finished The Rembrandt Affair and Portrait of a Spy. If you like thrillers, I highly recommend these books, but start from the beginning of the series because the story and the characters evolve with each new book.

When not reading it's been all fancy pants parties and soirees for me.

Well not really but I was happy to attend the 100 anniversary gala for the Friends of Virginia Robinson Gardens. It was a beautiful event held in the gardens of Viginia Robinson's home, the first estate built in Beverly Hills in 1911.

Look how pretty the tables were under the lights suspended above the lawn. And I loved the way that pink shawls were provided for all the ladies because it was a little chilly after the sun went down.

The guests were treated to a water ballet as pre-dinner entertainment which I thought was charming until the silk chiffon of the hem of my dress sopped up water left by the swimmers on the brick path next to the pool. Luckily, no permanent damage was done, because I really loved my dress.

You might think that my gown was a little too 'mother of the bride-ish', but I thought that it was rather Edith Wharton-ish.

My peeps from Patrick McMullin liked it too...and why will they only sell hard copy prints instead of digital jpegs?

I thought that the french blue color of my dress was perfect for this suite of moonstone and diamond jewelry as you can see from the before photo.

And here is the after photo...specifically after a couple of glasses of wine photo.

The jewelry looks good but what's up with my shiny forehead?

We've been busy buying at Beladora and hopefully I will be able to show you some awesome Art Deco pieces soon.

Because 10 Years Later I Have Not Forgotten

2011-09-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

and neither should you

For Carolyn Beug, Rick Rescorla and all the others who died on September 11, 2001.

Starting Off September With A Sofreh

2011-09-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

So September has finally arrived
and so by the way, has Summer.
Finally, we have what I have longed for, hot sunny days and evenings so lovely that you can sit out doors comfortably without a sweater.
Of course this late summer heat has had its drawbacks too with the power outage that affected large parts of San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties. That's millions and millions of people without air conditioning in temperatures in the high 90s and low 100s. But as one blog commenter wrote, the power outage was taken in true laid back Southern California style. Instead of riots in the streets, neighbors came together for barbecues and beers.

Well anyhoo, getting back on topic, I had the pleasure to attend a full on Persian wedding last weekend. It was amazing and kudos to Mariam, the mother of the bride, who organized this lovely event. Layla, the bride, a school friend of my daughter, was lovely.

Obviously, the wedding was very different than a traditional Catholic or Protestant wedding that I am used to so I wanted to share some photos, but do forgive my lousy photos from my iphone. So instead of the bride and groom standing before and alter they are seated next to a dressed up table with the traditional Persian sofreh which holds specific symbolic items.
The wedding ceremony was conducted in Farsi and I have no idea what was actually said. An interesting element was when the female relatives held a lace cloth over the bride and groom and did this thing with large cones of sugar which was meant to sweeten the marriage.

So after the approximately hour long wedding ceremony I made my way up to the bride and groom to congratulate them and to check out all the ceremonial stuff which sits before the mirror which symbolizes bringing light and brightness to the future.

The table was decorated with lots of frippery and frou frou

So here are the contents of the sofreh.

A specially baked and decorated flatbread "Noon-e Sangak" with blessing "Mobaarak-Baad" written in calligraphy on it. The writing is usually with either saffron "Zaffaron", cinnamon, Nigella seeds, or glitters. This symbolizes prosperity for the feasts and for the couple's life thereafter. A separate platter of this flat bread, feta cheese and fresh herbs are also present to be shared with the guests after the ceremony, to bring the new couple happiness and prosperity.

A basket of decorated eggs and a basket of decorated almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts in the shell to symbolize fertility.

A basket of pomegranates and/or apples for a joyous future. Pomegranates are considered heavenly fruits and apples symbolize the divine creation of mankind.

A cup of rose water extracted from special Persian roses "Gol-e Mohammadi" to perfume the air.

A bowl made out of crystallized sugar "Kaas-e Nabaat/Shaakh-e Nabaat" to sweeten life for the newly wed.

A brazier "Manghal" holding burning coals sprinkled with wild rue "Espand" a popular incense. Wild rue is used in many Zoroastrian ceremonies, rituals and purification rites. It is believed to keep the evil eye away and bring on plenty of health.

A bowl of gold coins representing wealth and prosperity.

A scarf or shawl made out of silk or any other fine fabric to be held over the bride and bridegroom's head throughout the ceremony by various happily married female relatives (mostly bride's close family members).

Two sugar cones "Kalleh Ghand" made out of hardened sugar to be used during the ceremony. These sugar cones are grinded together above the bride and bridegroom's head (over the scarf held above their heads) throughout the ceremony to shower them in sugar (symbolizing sweetness and happiness).

A cup of honey to sweeten life. Immediately after the couple is married they each should dip one pinky finger in the cup of honey and feed it to the other one.

A needle and seven strands of colored thread to figuratively sew up the mother-in-law's lips from speaking unpleasant words to the bride! The shawl that is held above the couple's head throughout the ceremony is sewed in one corner by the needle and threads.

A copy of the couple's Holy Book is placed on the spread. For Christian couples, it would be the Bible, for Zorastians Avesta, For Muslims Qur'an, .... This symbolizes God's blessing for the couple. Some couples use a poetry book such as Khayyam's poetry collection or Hafiz poetry collection instead of a religeous holy book. Traditionally "Avesta" the ancient Zoroastrian holy book was used by the majority of Iranins and Bible by the Iranian Christians during the ceremony and readings were made from it. Eventually Qur'an replaced Avesta for most wedding ceremonies after Iran was attacked by Arabs and forced to accept Islam.

After the wedding there was a hour long reception with hors d'oeuvres served and then the guests moved into the dining room. The tables were set simply except for the elaborate flower arrangements.

After about another half an hour, the bride and groom entered and did some kind of Persian-ish dance thing and then they had their traditional first dance. And so commenced a few hours of dancing to both Persian and American music. (FYI, I love Persian music and dancing. It's so sexy.)

Meanwhile, the bride and groom worked the room and greeted their guests.

Here is the lovely Layla with my daughter.
I loved her emerald and diamond necklace and earrings.
(Did I mention that not only is Layla lovely, she is super smart too and just took her medical boards)

Persian women dress to impress and we did too...or at least we tried.
What can I say, we are joiners.
My daughter wore a long bronzy-gold gown with a jewel toned silk shawl.

And gi-normous diamond jewelry.

Unfortunately, I was utterly under dressed in my blue silk suit

and I hate to say it but even my sapphire and diamond jewelry was understated.

Next time I will know to pull out all the stops when it comes dressing up for a Persian wedding.

And speaking of dressing up...I sashayed around Rodeo Drive a bit on Thursday night for Fashion's Night Out. Bvlgari, Breguet, Cristofle and Etro hosted special receptions for the Beverly Hills Women's Club and I managed to make it to the Bvlgari party, then it was off to dinner at Mortons. Every once in a while, it's great to go to dinner at some place traditional like Mortons....don't you agree?

Personally, I think that the whole Fashion's Night Out concept is a little lame. What do you think?

Tonight, I'm off to the gala dinner for the 100th anniversary of the Virgina Robinson estate and gardens in Beverly Hills.

Tomorrow will be a quiet day at home, god willing, with plenty of down time for remembrance of those we lost a decade ago.

What are you up to this weekend?

Finally, A Reason For Space Travel

2011-08-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Astronomers discover a planet made of diamond

Astronomers have spotted an exotic planet that seems to be made of diamond racing around a tiny star in our galactic backyard.
The new planet is far denser than any other known so far and consists largely of carbon. Because it is so dense, scientists calculate the carbon must be crystalline, so a large part of this strange world will effectively be diamond.

"The evolutionary history and amazing density of the planet all suggest it is comprised of carbon -- i.e. a massive diamond orbiting a neutron star every two hours in an orbit so tight it would fit inside our own Sun," said Matthew Bailes of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.

That's a lot of rough...
do you think that DeBeers is developing a space program?

And for something closer to home
The jewelry collection of Elizabeth Taylor will be on display prior to the December auction by Christie's.
Here are the locations
- Moscow: Sept. 15 – 16, GUM, Red Square 3
- London: Sept. 24 – 26, Christie’s, 8 King St., St. James
- Los Angeles: Oct. 13 – 16, venue to be determined
- Dubai: Oct. 23, Jumeirah Emirates Towers
- Geneva: Nov. 11 – 12, Four Seasons Hotel, 33 quai des Bergues
- Paris: Nov. 16 – 17, Christie’s, 9 avenue Matignon
- Hong Kong: Nov. 24 – 27, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center
- New York: Dec. 3 – 12, Christie’s, 20 Rockefeller Plaza

I can't wait to see this collection

Meanwhile, according to IDEX, a 32.77 carat yellow diamond is expected to fetch some $18 million or so.

According to Christie’s, the diamond's color is highly saturated. “The vivid yellow literally blazes with color, unlike any yellow diamond I’ve ever seen,” said Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s Head of Jewelry for Christie’s Americas.

Yellow diamonds gain their color from nitrogen replacing carbon atoms in the diamond’s structure. The level of nitrogen determines the intensity of the color. The vivid yellow offered by Christie’s absorbed an unusually high level of aggregated nitrogen, giving it a superbly saturated golden yellow color, the firm said.

I won't be bidding...in case you were wondering.

Have a great weekend...and to my peeps on the east coast, stay dry!

Ca$hing In Like A Karda$hian - Princess Style

2011-08-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

Outside of the British royals aka Windsor Inc., has there ever been a family so brazenly branded as the Kardashians? No, I didn't think so.
And not surprisingly, the brains belong this brilliant branding campaign belong to the power mom, Kris Kardashian Jenner.

This woman is a genius. No really she is. There should be case studies written for the Harvard Business Review about how she turned her B list brood into the big buck$. I have nothing but admiration for her marketing skills which begat a very successful and long running reality tv show making her girls into superstars. And now the biggest star of them all, Kim Kardashian, has just had her celebrity all star wedding.

In case you weren't invited to the ceremony, here's the exclusive video. I wonder if the amount that she made by selling the exclusive film rights to E! paid for the cost of the wedding...I bet it did and more. Kim, like her mother, is seriously savvy (product endorsements, business ownership, self promotion, etc.) and honestly I admire her business acumen.

Kim is a truly beautiful girl, a true Hollywood princess. Don't you agree?
And doesn't she make a radiant bride?

And I am so thrilled that she chose to grasp the trend that we've been tirelessly promoting at Beladora. Yes, you know what trend I'm talking about...jewelry worn on your head, princess style. We've been wearing necklaces on our heads for years, no really we have.

Here's a photo from a couple of years ago of Miss de Ville wearing our Queen of the Nile emerald and diamond necklace on her head. Seriously, there isn't a fancy necklace here at the HQ that doesn't at one time or another end up draped across a forehead or perched across the top of a head tiara style. So perhaps now, after the Kim Kardashian wedding photos, this trend will finally catch on.

So, if having your forehead draped in diamonds isn't your style, what about wearing a brooch that belonged to a Grand Duchess?

This story that we have on this diamond brooch was that it belonged to the Princess Juliane Henriette Ulrike of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld who married into the Russian royal family and became the the Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna of Russia.

Here is her portrait by Elisabeth Louise Vigee LeBrun.

The Grand Duchess led quite a life. Married at the age of 14, she was miserable in Russia and returned to Coburg after three years in 1799. After a brief reconciliation with the Grand Duke, she left him for good. Later, like Germaine de Stael, she led the kind of libertine-intellectual life that was only available to women of her class.
According to Wikipedia

On 28 October 1808 Anna gave birth to an illegitimate son, named Eduard Edgar Schmidt-Löwe. The father of this child may have been Jules Gabriel Emile de Seigneux, a minor French nobleman. Eduard was ennobled by his mother's younger brother, Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and assumed the surname von Löwenfels by decree on 10 January 1818.

Later, Anna moved to Bern, Switzerland, and gave birth to a second illegitimate child in 1812, a daughter, named Louise Hilda Agnes d'Aubert. The father was Rodolphe Abraham de Schiferli, a Swiss surgeon, professor and chamberlain (French:Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, German:Oberhofmeister) of Anna's household from 1812 to 1837. In order to cover another scandal in Anna's life, the baby was adopted by Jean François Joseph d'Aubert, a French refugee.

Two years later, in 1814, Constantine, accompanied by her brother Leopold, tried to get Anna to return to him but her firm opposition prevented this attempt from succeeding. That year, Anna acquired an estate on the banks of Aare River and gave it the name of Elfenau.[5] She spent the rest of her life there, and, as a lover of music, made her home a center for domestic and foreign musical society of the era.

I love her story and I can't wait to learn more about her.

Some Thoughts on Blogging

2011-08-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

This week is the 10 year anniversary of Glenn Reynold's Instapundit.com which I have been reading daily for the last decade. How Glenn, a husband, father, constitutional law professor, author, interviewer and commentator can also put out the most successful aggregating blog for 10 years is beyond me, but he deserves some crazy kudos. That man is a god, no wonder they call him the blogfather!

Recently I read a report about the correlation between the hours spent watching television and life expectancy. You probably saw that article too. What I wonder is what is the correlation between time spent blogging and life expectancy? I would guess that is it is something similar. I can personally attest to a correlation between time spent at my computer and middle age spread....and so can my derriere.
Which brings me to my point of asking this question...
Is there a optimal amount of time that you can spend blogging before all hell breaks out on your body?

My guess is yes, but it depends on your lifestyle.
If you are an active person, an hour a day is probably alright. If you a working person, comme moi, who spends an average of 10 hours a day at the office in front of the computer, any amount of additional time spent blogging must be detrimental.
So what does a working person do? Stop blogging? Blog only on weekends? I don't really know the answer.

Blogging has opened up my world in many ways.
I've put Australia, Scotland, Wales, Belgium and the Pyrenees high on my list of places to visit...just because I've enjoyed all the posts by FF, Tabitha, Ruth, Greet and Dash. I couldn't have predicted this when I started BHB.
I've also learned a lot about my favorite subjects, history, art, literature, gardening and decoration through reading blogs.
And, being an anti-social person by nature who avoids social interaction whenever possible, I believe that I have a better understanding of people by reading about their lives and interests. More importantly, I've learned that there are people out there in the blogosphere that I would love to hang around with....so much for my being anti-social!

Blogging has also helped me to accomplish my primary goal of making people aware of the benefits of buying estate jewelry versus paying retail for new jewelry, and of course about Beladora.com. Let's face it, when you are starting a business and you don't have a budget for advertising or PR...blogging is one way to go. I look at it as the DIY of branding. But BHB has also co mingled some of my personal opinions with my brand, which is not what I set out to do. (Fortunately, I am in the process of upgrading the Beladora website with new code and such, and adding an actual Beladora blog to the site which will solve that issue.)

Blogging has certainly been a worthwhile experience, both personally and professionally, but I've decided to cut back on posting to one day a week.
I know that my general health, and my derriere, will thank me for it.

Away To Rancho Bernardo For a Wedding in a Winery

2011-08-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the slacking but it's been one of those weeks...and it's only Tuesday!

Last weekend while Tabitha was off grouse hunting and FF was celebrating her birthday with her fellow Leo's, I was off on a road trip to the Rancho Bernardo Inn.

To be honest, it was nice

but it didn't look anywhere as awesome as in these photos that I snagged off of the interwebs.

I certainly never saw a pool that looked anything like this.

Nor did I see a jacuzzi that looked like this.
Somehow I missed all these scenic spots.
Well no matter, I wasn't there for spa vacation. I was there for a late afternoon wedding at a local winery.
I took some nice photos of the reception on my iPhone but I've been unable to download them, so all I can show you is this bird cage thingy table decoration. Pretty isn't it?

This was my summer wedding in a winery garb, a Tracy Reese silk chiffon dress, a vintage Celine handbag and some new strappy sandals from the Kitson outlet store in Beverly Hills.

I wore some pink sapphire and diamond jewelry too.
It was pretty.

It's hard for me to believe that the summer is almost over. It seems to have flown by.

It's Only Teenage Wasteland

2011-08-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

Well, as more and more reports come out about the riots in the UK I'm not surprised to read about who some of the young looters were
The middle class 'rioters' revealed: The millionaire's daughter, the aspiring musician and the organic chef all in the dock

Take this young lady on the left in this photo

According to the Daily Mail
this cocktail dress clad young lady is the desperate, downtrodden and obviously disenfranchised
Laura Johnson who lived a Dikensian existence

at this horrible country house - tenement with a tennis court

Millionaire's daughter Laura Johnson, 19, was charged with stealing £5,000-worth of electronic goods, including a Toshiba TV, Goodmans TV, microwave and mobile phones.The goods were allegedly found in a car being driven by Miss Johnson after a branch of Comet in Charlton, south-east London, was raided.Bexleyheath magistrates heard that a 'public order kit' of balaclava, gloves and a bandana was also found in the car.Miss Johnson attended St Olave's Grammar School in Orpington, Kent, the fourth best performing state school in the country, after transferring from its sister school Newstead Wood.
She achieved A*s in French, English literature, classical civilisation and geography A-levels, and is now studying English and Italian at Exeter University.

Yeah, the millionaire's daughter probably needed another microwave oven...
don't they all...

opportunistic looting by so many well fed but obviously not well bred students
they should be ashamed

Teenage Wasteland indeed

Fall Fashion 2011 - More Mid-Century

2011-08-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

I know that those Aussie babes FF and SSG are all over the Missoni thing this Fall
but I'm kind of excited about the Mad Men trend at Banana Republic

After seeing this new B-Rep ad campaign

and Beladora vintage brooches all over the September issue of ELLE it seems apparent that Mid-Century looks will be in style this Fall and Winter

And do I ever love this look!
But why do the B-Rep hemlines have to be so high?
Two inches longer would have been so much more chic.

I kinda of think that B-Rep copied my Adriana Papell dress

Don't you?
I wonder if they are borrowing my estate jewelry looks too?

Mabe Pearl and Diamond Earrings in 14K from Beladora2.com

Blue Topaz and Diamond Ring in 14K from Beladora2

Banana Republic clothes and Beladora 2 vintage jewelry make a good pair
Are you starting to shop yet for Fall?

But since Summer is still here, I'm hoping for a hot and sunny weekend.
What are you up to this weekend?

Fall 2011 Jewelry Trend - Vintage Brooches

2011-08-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

I just opened my new issue of ELLE magazine
and look what I found!!!!

Vintage Brooches from you know where

Check out the Beladora Press Page to see more jewelry in the fashion press

and on the red carpet

And, there's going to be more coming up this Fall!

Around Town - Blonds and Bombs on Rodeo Drive

2011-08-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

The usual view on Rodeo Drive

and the unusual view

Here is a photo of the corner of Brighton Way and Rodeo Drive
where the street is blocked to traffic because the police found a suspicious suitcase with wires

So far no loud booms and all is quiet
we're good to go!

OK...so I got the rumor on the bomb scare.
Inside of the mysterious suitcase there was a script that had been delivered to a literary agent to read.
The agent thought it was not worth reading and tossed it in the garbage in the alley...but missed the giant trash receptacle and the case ended up on the side of the alley.
Bomb Squad Blows Up Movie Script Meant For Agent In Beverly Hills

London - Letting Barbarism Win

2011-08-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard the audio of these riot girls bragging that is attached to this BBC video you need to listen to it now.
Showing the rich we do what we want

Oh yeah girls, you really showed them didn't you!

Linked by Instapundit.com
Brian Micklethwaith on Samizdata.net has this to say about self defense and the trouble with letting the UK police handle the situation.

One of the more depressing things about these riots is the way that the only thing that the Police can think of to say to us non-looters and non-arsonists is: “Don’t join in” and “Let us handle it”. If the bad guys start to torch your house, let them get on with it. If they attack your next door neighbour, don’t join in on his side. Run away. Let the barbarians occupy and trash whatever territory they pick on and steal or destroy whatever property they want to.

There was a fascinating impromptu TV interview with some young citizens of Clapham last night, not “experts”, just regular citizens, one of whom stated the opposite policy. Law abiding persons should get out of their houses, he said, en masse, and be ready to defend them.

The trouble with “letting the Police do their job” is that in the precise spot in which you happen to live, or used to live, their job probably won’t start, if it ever does start, for about a week. In the meantime, letting the Police do their job means letting the damn looters and arsonists do their job, without anyone laying a finger on them, laying a finger on them being illegal. This is a doomed policy. If most people are compelled by law to be only neutral bystanders in a war between themselves and barbarism, barbarism wins. The right to, at the very least, forceful self defence must now be insisted upon.

Here in armed Los Angeles we know something about self defense.

Do you know who these guys are?

These are Korean shop owners and employees defending their business during the LA riots in 1992.
K-town wasn't going to put up with wholesale looting and arson.
Either was Beverly Hills where the local police basically shut down access into the city.

A curfew was implemented and the National Guard was called up
and the US Marines were brought in to patrol South Central

Even with the police and National Guard, there were 53 deaths, a thousand some injuries and more than $800 million in property damage.
I can't even imagine what the damage will cost in the UK.

Here's another interesting comment about self defense on Instapundit.com

The problem with comparing London and Korean shopkeepers is two fold. First, all the property owners and law abiding citizens have been disarmed. So unless a man is going to stab all these felons to death, there really is no self defense. And it’s hard to defend against flying molotov cocktails. And Second, the British Government has made it perfectly clear that they’re willing to incarcerate anyone who defends himself. They have proven this time and again by prosecuting the law abiding citizens who are afraid for their lives.

So in essence, the British government has effectively defanged their first responders in favor of their own police forces who are obviously inadequate to deal with this circumstance.

So what does a business owner do in London, Croydon or elsewhere when they don't have the right to defend their homes and property
and when the police do basically nothing?

Utter Insanity in England

2011-08-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

Watching the BBC
What can I say, I'm blown away by the images of the rioting in the UK
Forget the police, where is the army?

I hope that all of my UK blogger friends are safe.

Going Short and Long This Fall

2011-08-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

I bet that you think that I'm talking about shorting US bonds and going long gold
but I'm not.
I'm talking about two fashion trends that I can finally get excited about
shorts and longer hem lengths for dresses!

I would totally wear this pair of shorts this fall

See by Chloe shorts at Neiman Marcus $260

and this dress

David Meister dress at Neiman Marcus $390

What trend are you looking forward to this Fall?

(As you can imagine, chez the HQ things have been going a little crazy with the price of gold rocketing over $1700 today. Is gold going to $2000? Who knows...but I wouldn't be shorting it right now.)

Music - Split Endz

2011-08-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was another sunny summer day in Laguna Beach
where, in spite of the shaky economy,
the sky was so clear, the sun was so bright and the water was so blue
and all the shiny happy people were having fun.
It was the perfect Southern California summer day for a family get together

Even the long drive on the traffic filled 405 freeway didn't seem so bad when we could plug in my daughter's ipod with its 6000 or so songs and listen to music from the 1980s

I'm not sure why she had this song on her ipod
especially given the fact that this it came out in 1982
and she wasn't born until 1985
How could she possibly know this random song?
Do you even remember it?

Nevertheless, driving to Laguna Beach with my daughter,
singing Eighties music in the car,
and spending the day with my family
was pretty much the perfect way enjoy a sunny summer Saturday.

Face Palming Like It's 1929

2011-08-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Just proving that there is pretty much a blog for everything

broker photos from

The Brokers With Their Hands On Their Faces Blog

Meanwhile our President celebrated his 50th birthday with 5 separate birthday parties including the one at the White House where, according the the news, danced for house and lead the conga line.

(I do hope that the news report was an exaggeration...)

Don't get me wrong,

I have absolutely nothing against President Obama celebrating his birthday

with his family and close friends

but was a celebrity filled blow out barbecue at the White House appropriate

in the same week as the US was being downgraded by S&P?

Are you getting that 1929 kind of feeling?

cause I am

Brokers 1929

Problems With Blogging

2011-08-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Last week there was an article on Drudge stating that internet addiction was as difficult to kick as drugs or alcohol.
Why do I find this difficult to believe?
I spend virtually all day long in front of my computer
so stepping away from it seems like a vacation.
Forget social networking and twitter
I haven't even logged on to facebook in over 2 months.
But I do follow a lot of blogs and I read them everyday.

This year I have been so frustrated with Google blogger because of the problems with my profile disappearing when I'm trying to comment on a blog post
and as you know by now, I am opinionated...and I like to leave comments.
Because of this frustration I assume that I could easily give up blogging
without an intervention or a 12 step program
so no addiction here.

Have you been having the same frustrations with Google blogger?
If so, how do you handle it?

Is this Google issue or maybe an Explorer issue?
Should I be using Firefox?

Oh, and I appreciate everyone who takes the time to leave a comment on BHB
If I'm not commenting on your blogs, it's not because I'm not reading them
it is because blogger is on the blink.

Well We All Slog On...

2011-08-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know

This week there's not much to be happy about

Wall Street is Crashing...again

US faces a downgrade on debt

Europe is on the brink of a major financial collapse

Consumer spending is down for the first time in two years

Gold Prices reached another record high

Unemployment is through the roof

$13 Trillion Dollars of Debt will soon overtake the US GDP

So why am I smiling in my vintage silver jewelry?

I'm smiling because it's summer...still

and because my brother and my nephew will be in California this week
and because my entire family is getting together for a barbecue

and because while we are always in some sort of economic crisis or another
we just get used to it and slog on

I'm also smiling because at Beladora.com we are in the unique position of being able to offer
jewelry by uber trendy designers
whose jewelry is sold at Barney's New York
such as Pippa Small, Renee Lewis and Aurora Lopez Mejia
at a fraction of the Barney's price
(the jewelry is not uploaded to the website yet...but I'm telling you about it first)

Aurora Lopez Mejia jewelry in 18K

and because at Beladora2.com we've got fabulous vintage sterling silver jewelry which looks great and is priced for these tough economic times

Vintage Silver Jewelry

On we shall slog

Because Five Minutes Early Is On Time

2011-08-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

Thank you Lisa for doing the serious work of reminding us all that
Five Minutes Early Is On Time

And if anyone needs any help with making sure that you can get to where you need to be on time
Beladora.com is just beginning to feature vintage timepieces and clocks.

And right now I'm liking this watch

David Yurman Diamond Watch in 18K and Silver

Do you still wear a watch or do you depend on the clock on your cell phone?

Lorenz Baumer - The Making Of Princess Charlene's Tiara

2011-07-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

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?

Saturday Morning Miscellany - Of Set Ups and Shenanigans

2011-07-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well we all know by now why this man is smiling

As he should be now that his accuser, the African immigrant chamber maid,
has been found to be a liar, a money launderer and an all around salope.

A month or so ago I was told by my French Connection,
who knows all about these kind of things,
that the rape accusation was a set up by Sarkozy's people to put DSK out of the running.
The report that I read involved a cozy relationship between a New York Police commissioner and Sarkozy. It was too convoluted for me to believe, but at this point who knows the truth, I certainly don't.
Maybe it was a political set up or maybe it was just the criminal maid acting on her own to try to extort DSK at any rate his DNA was found and he was up to some sort of sexual shenanigans with the maid.

DSK had his defenders right from the beginning, his wife Anne Sinclair first and foremost.

And of course BHL, who leaped into the defense of his accused friend, now has the last word to say on the subject with this article from The Daily Beast.

End of the DSK Affair
The Dominique Strauss-Kahn affair isn't over. And won't be until his honor is restored. Bernard-Henri Levy on the lessons of the case.

Certainly his honor and reputation will be restored...as will his amour-propre.
But is it truly too late for the Presidency?

And You Thought Diana At 50 Was Bad

2011-06-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

I love Vanity Fair magazine...have I told you that before?
They wasted no time on one-upping Tina Brown's tacky Newsweek cover

with their own take on dead royalty

This made my week.

Around Town - Larry Crowne Premiere in Hollywood

2011-06-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

Julia Roberts on the red carpet for the Larry Crowne premiere last night in Hollywood.
She wore a beautifully tailored Gucci suit with in navy blue, a vintage Jean Mahie triple strand emerald bead necklace and diamond stud earrings from Beladora.com and a megawatt smile.
Totally simple and non-fussy but totally chic,
don't you think?

Jean Mahie Triple Strand Emerald Bead Necklace

Is this film on your must see list for this summer?

Looking For Our 15 Minutes Of Fame

2011-06-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for months to see these photos of Penelope Cruz in the UK edition of GQ magazine
and here they are

Ms Cruz, or should I say Senora Bardem,
was styled by the amazing George Cortina and photographed by Mario Sorrenti.
We were hoping to see some Beladora jewelry in the photos, as we provided some goods for the shoot,
but, as you can tell by the images, her beauty was enough and no additional adornment was needed.
That's how these things go sometimes.

At any given time (like tonight) we will have jewelry out on loan for an A list star event or for a magazine shoot but we never know if the goods will will actually make it into a photo.
That is just the nature of these things.

Next time, perhaps.
Fingers and Toes!

Playing With Polyvore - Portofino Summer Style

2011-06-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Portofino Summer by belle de ville featuring glass shades

H M flared dress
£25 - hm.com

Turquoise shoes
£12 - office.co.uk

Marc by Marc Jacobs leather clutch
£175 - net-a-porter.com

Emilio Pucci straw hat
€70 - lindestore.com

Juicy Couture glass shades
$98 - endless.com

Ring
beladora.com

Ippolita 18k jewelry
beladora.com

Saturday Morning Miscellany

2011-06-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I started planning a summer vacation in Italy. and you know what they say about the best laid plans....
So instead of traipsing around the Italian countryside and islands
I'm reading (and vastly enjoying) the Gervais de Bédée blog written by garden designer Paul Gervais
With posts about villas of Perugia, small hotels of Sardinia and gardens of Chianti
I'm getting my little fix of the beauty of Italy
just look at the photos

Luscious, aren't they?

Have a great weekend!

A Random Walk Down Rodeo Drive

2011-06-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while taking a random walk down Rodeo Drive,
this is what I saw.

LOOKING

FOR A SPONSOR
FOR MY AyseByzanzCrazy
SEXY ALIEN
CATWALK SHOW!!!

A woman in the back of a foil wrapped pickup truck with a weird red, white and blue dress constructed out of foil.
Yes, there goes the neighborhood.

Note: Tish gives us street photography of lovely Parisiennes
BHB gives you the local fashion fringe freaks...just because we can.
Happy Friday

How To Wear Estate Jewelry - Shades of Gray For Summer

2011-06-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not ignoring you...really I'm not.
It's just that I've been busy, really busy.

For some reason it's been a celebrity filled week
and...I'm still waiting for Lady Gaga's people to get back to my people...
you know how those things go.

I had wanted to post about the new Chanel collection
a Byzantine beauty if I ever saw one

but Tabitha beat me to it...and added poetry!
So go read her post.

Here at the HQ, we love to see jewelry worn on the head
so the diadems in these ads are especially appealing.
Also, have you noticed the recent Harry Winston and Van Cleef ads for diamond barrettes?
That is the trend in jewelry
along with vintage brooches
You heard it here first.

Summer may have officially started but it is still gray, foggy and cold every morning
and while I'd love to whip out the summer whites and pastels,
I'm still wearing winter colors like this charcoal gray

Luckily, it matches my Beladora pearl jewelry

Mikimoto Tahitian and Akoya "Pearls in Motion" Earrings in 18K $1250

Mikimoto Tahitian and Akoya "Pearls in Motion" Necklace in 18K $2250

Van Cleef & Arpels Mother of Pearl and Diamond Butterfly Brooch $4250

God I look old and tired in this shot

Hopefully botox and a beach vacation will be coming up in my near future!

Catching Up With The Kennedys

2011-06-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

I know, I'm kinda slow about these things but I finally got around to watching The Kennedys miniseries.
Have you seen it?
I thought that the production value was excellent and that the acting was superb.

I was particularly impressed with Tom Wilkinson as Joe Kennedy Sr. and Barry Pepper as Bobby Kennedy.
And who knew that Katie Holmes would make such a great Jackie.

Appreciate the Kennedys as a political dynasty or not
you can't help but be impressed with Jackie.
That woman was a study in grace under pressure.
In spite of putting up with a lot of tawdry nonsense from her husband,
she always kept up appearances and was an excellent First Lady.

It's no wonder that 50 years after Camelot, Jackie remains a style icon.

And on the topic of tawdry
I rather enjoy these Marilyn vs Jackie videos

The Evolution of Style - Another Reason For Optimism

2011-06-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I blogged about Interior Desecrations, James Likeks book about hideous interior decoration from the 1970s. We've evolved from that time and thank god for that.
This week Maxminimus, natty gent and writer extraordinaire,
has brought us a great post First Car - First Girl,
a reminiscence of his 1970s youth, a time when printed nik-nik shirts and platformed famolare shoes were all the rage for trendy men. Even the Allman Brothers looked bad in nik-nik shirts.
Be sure to read his post.

And today designer/blogger Scott Wood brings us Patrick Grant getting dressed
and proving that at least when it comes to men's fashion,
things have evolved from the sartorially shamefull 70s.

Note Mr. Grant's attention to detail even with the color of his cufflinks and the way that he coordinates the color of his watch strap, belt and shoes.

When it comes to men's fashion I'm unabashedly a trad.
I appreciate well tailored clothes, quality shoes and coordinated colors.
I'm a trad when it comes to men's jewelry too. A watch, wedding ring and cufflinks are all the jewelry, in my opinion, that a man should wear. Even with this limited range there can be plenty of opportunities for a man to show his individualism.

So here are some cufflinks
have at it

And have a Happy Father's!

Too Good Not To Share

2011-06-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that most of you have seen this already
but for those who haven't, I just have to share

Lost in Cyberspace

2011-06-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Can someone please explain to me why on certain blogs
*cough Bourbon & Pearls cough*
my profile name, email address and blog URL disappears.
I'm having a blogger identity crisis and I'm lost in cyberspace.

Why blogger why????

Lately Tabitha has been channelling more Carolina Herrera than Highland Lass,
but I'm still dedicating this Polyvore set to her.

Highland Haute Couture by lifeinthefashlane featuring lace up boots

Boat neck sweater, $396
Chloé short mini skirt, £1,235
All Saints lace up boots, $315
Balenciaga leather bag, $1,895
Brooch
Cuff bracelet
18k ring

Angela Bassett Rocking The Red Carpet In Baubles From Beladora

2011-06-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Just look who was looking gorgeous last night...
yep, it was the lovely Angela Bassett on the red carpet at the Green Lantern premier.

She was rocking a custom made gown by Mandalay

check out the detail on the back

and she was wearing estate jewelry from Beladora.com
which made me very happy

Diamond Vine Earrings $3550

Pave Diamond Bangle Bracelet in 18K $3450

Diamond Link Bracelet in 18K $3250

I loved working with Angela's stylist who was super professional and unbelievably nice

I hope that we can do more with her in the future

It's been a really great week all around
in spite of the gray fog that I see as I look out the window
I celebrated my daughter's birthday with a family dinner at Wolfgang's in Beverly Hills
(steak, lobster macaroni and cheese and cakebread cellars cabernet...yum)
all kinds of great stuff happened at the Beladora HQ
and I'm looking forward to seeing my father this weekend on Father's Day
and maybe even the sun will come out.

What's on your agenda for this weekend?

My Daughter The Blogger

2011-06-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

I suppose that it was only a matter of time before the beautiful Miss de Ville started her own blog chronicling her impressions of life in LA with irreverent commentary and arty photography.

3 Guides and a Girl
Armed with a selection of guide books, good shoes, a collection of cameras and a terrible sense of direction, a single girl decides to see everything worth seeing in Southern California.
From the bizarre to the beautiful, the quaint to the quackery, no sight is safe.

I love her photography

and of course I enjoy reading about Los Angeles from her perspective

The Spadena house on Carmelita in BH is a really superb example of storybook architecture. Also known as the witch’s house, this spooky building is smack dab in the middle of a bunch of colonial and neoclassical monstrosities. I drive by on my way to work and it always makes me smile. As a kid, I lived a few blocks away and I distinctly remember that you couldn’t trick or treat there (they had cops outside the gates) which, frankly, is bullshit. Fun fact: this is the house Alicia Silverstone walks by in her pouty, epiphany scene in “Clueless”.

My beautiful girl turned 26 today....where did the time go....

The Beautiful Angela Bassett in Beladora - OMG!

2011-06-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

This week has started out well
especially because the lovely and talented Angela Bassett has been hitting the New York daytime talk show circuit to promote her new film, The Green Hornet.

Don't you think that Ms. Bassett is looking awesome in our drop dead gorgeous gemstone cuff bracelet and diamond dangle earrings from Beladora.com?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sapphire, Diamond, Mother of Pearl and Black Onyx Cuff Bracelet in 18K

Diamond Dangle Earrings in Platinum

Around Town - Artspace Warehouse

2011-06-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

I finally made it to the Artspace Warehouse
the gallery for fine art at a reasonable price
and you know how much I appreciate quality at an affordable price

With galleries in Cologne, Zurich and Los Angeles

the galleries showcase works by emerging European and US artists

There were several pieces that I liked
and I might have purchased a painting... or three
by the Swiss artist Zanre

I told you that I was going to rock the vintage 1970s jewelry from Beladora.com
and I did!

Happy Monday

Boys Behaving Badly - Here...There...Everywhere

2011-06-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

I know that you've been waiting for me to weigh in on Weiner
but he is just so pathetic that it's almost not worth commenting on

I do feel bad for his anorexic and now pregnant wife Huma
She didn't deserve a sexting scumbag for a husband

I'm so very tired of the ruling elite,
Republicans and Democrats both
with their 'do as I say, not as I do' behavior
How do these elected officials have time for the sophomoric silliness of sexting, online flirting with underage girls and posting their photos on twitter and craigslist...
to the even more serious impregnating their of housekeepers and then keeping them under the same roof as their wife?

Unemployment is at Depression Era levels, the dollar is crashing, the deficit is exploding and the economy is imploding and yet these men seem to have all the time in the world to frolic around like overgrown frat boys while picking up a generous paycheck (and benefits) care of the US taxpayers.

Government boys behaving badly isn't just just an American issue
as we all know from Dominique Strauss Kahn.
And once again, it isn't a Left-Right issue
it's all about getting away with it
Take Italy's Silvio Berlusconi

He makes Dominique Strauss Kahn look like a light weight!
Do not miss Vanity Fair's All Broads Lead To Rome
Not only does the ancient Berlusconi have a posse of women who pander for him
providing a nonstop carousel of young (and some underage) hookers,
he then places these women in positions of political power.

here is a photo of one of the women Berlusconi nominated to the European Parliament

she certainly looks qualified doesn't she?

I believe in karma so I can sleep easier knowing that there is a special place in hell for such detritus
but I do feel sad for the citizens of Italy who don't deserve such a leader.

Saturday Morning Miscellany And Some 1970s Style

2011-06-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

I suspect that you read all the major shelter magazines

Architectural Digest, Veranda, Elle Decor, etc.

And I'm pretty sure that you too have noticed the creeping trend towards 1970s style

big prints, color block palates, graphic and metallic wallpaper, low slung furniture and more

As one who appreciates a vintage vibe in clothes, accessories and design

I rather like the return of 1970's decorative details

like the metallic wallpaper, shiny tubes and mirrored walls

used in Daphne Guinness's NY apartment

and god knows if anyone can pull off groovy it is la Guinness

Daphne's NY apartment

But 1970s style can go wrong, very wrong.
Are you familiar with author, blogger, humorist James Lileks?
If not you should be

Interior Desecrations - Hideous Homes From The Horrible '70s

Lileks, in his clever book sprinkled with images taken from actual 1970s interior design magazines,

shows us the horror which was 1970s decor.

And sorry but I just have to quote

no really I have to

from his book introduction

This is what happens when Dad drinks, Mom floats in a Valium haze, the kids slump down in the den with the bong, and the decorator has such a desperate coke habit he simply must convince half the town to put reflective wallpaper or he's going to lose his kneecaps to his supplier's enforcer. Just say no? They couldn't. They didn't know why they should.

No, I am not saying your mom was hopped up on goofballs. But all it takes is a few trendsetters who fall for this stuff and set the styles for the rest of Middle America. Soon the rest of the nation finds out it has no choice - it's rotten-avocado-colored fabrics and shiny-foil wallpaper or nothing.

from his website

Sweet smokin’ Judas, what were they thinking?
Welcome back to Interior Desecrations, a brutal examination of the unlovely, unattractive, unlivable and unforgivable homes of the 1970s. All eras have some bad taste, of course – but it took the 70s to make bad taste triumphant and universal. It took the 70s to convince everyone to stick foil wallpaper on the wall, paint the bathtub purple, smother the floors in shag so deep it tickled the tops of your ankles, and hang art that managed to clash with everything, including itself. I mean, look at this picture – what is that? A dissected Rubiks’s Cube attempts to threaten a potted plant and his child, I guess.
Love the rug, too. They didn’t even make AMC cars in those color combinations. They didn’t dare.

and more from his book

If you lived here, you'd be laid by now. If it was 1973, anyway. It's the lair of the Tasteful Swinging Batch - the mezzanine lined with unread books, the guitar to indicate your sensitive troubadour side, the TEAC reel-to-reel to show off your collection of progressive jazz, the TV sized just right for watching Kojac while you blow a number of primo Colombian (hey, Kojak man be the Man, but he's solid cool). There's even a recessed ladder in case you're upstairs and your date catches on fire and you have to get down quick.
Her lost the house in the divorce in '79. Oh, she said it was because of his quaalude "problem" but she'd been planning this way before he ever took some Vitamin Q.
What do you mean paranoid? Now you're sounding like her.

and

For the Bond Supervillian on a budget.

It has a ledge, so your minions can topple off when shot. It has a ladder down which you can escape. It has fussy furniture whose old-world charms contrast with your Nehru-jacketed sense of icy-cool nihilism. It's not the sort of lair you'd be proud to show 007. But one of the lessor double-oughts? 002? 003? They'd hardly notice that the paintings are actually lithographs. And for that alone they deserve to die!

Well anyhoo, I find Lileks amusing
and I was sporting a little 1970s fashion vibe myself yesterday at Beladora HQ

Note: earth toned hippy-ish dress and big jewelry

Lapis and Gold Coin Pendant on Long Chain in 21K and 14K $3950

Gold Double Hoop Earrings in 18K $1850

I like this big bold gold jewelry so much that I might even adopt it as my signature style for the summer.

If Marc Jacobs could bring back the Jody Foster Taxi Driver look with flared pants and floppy hats,

I can rock the big gold pendant can't I?

Have a great weekend.

Bilderberg Conference or Another Invitation Lost In The Mail

2011-06-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

You know it was bad enough that my invitation to the World Economic Summit at Davos was lost in the mail and now this...

I didn't receive an invitation to the Bilderberg Conference being held at the Survretta Hotel in St. Moritz Switzerland.

How is this possible?

Here's the list of attendees from the US

Alexander, Keith B., Commander, USCYBERCOM; Director, National Security Agency
Altman, Roger C., Chairman, Evercore Partners Inc.
Bezos, Jeff, Founder and CEO, Amazon.com
Collins, Timothy C., CEO, Ripplewood Holdings, LLC
Feldstein, Martin S., George F. Baker Professor of Economics, Harvard University
Hoffman, Reid, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, LinkedIn
Hughes, Chris R., Co-founder, Facebook
Jacobs, Kenneth M., Chairman & CEO, Lazard
Johnson, James A., Vice Chairman, Perseus, LLC
Jordan, Jr., Vernon E., Senior Managing Director, Lazard Frères & Co. LLC
Keane, John M., Senior Partner, SCP Partners; General, US Army, Retired
Kissinger, Henry A., Chairman, Kissinger Associates, Inc.
Kleinfeld, Klaus, Chairman and CEO, Alcoa
Kravis, Henry R., Co-Chairman and co-CEO, Kohlberg Kravis, Roberts & Co.
Kravis, Marie-Josée, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, Inc.
Li, Cheng, Senior Fellow and Director of Research, John L. Thornton China Center, Brookings Institution
Mundie, Craig J., Chief Research and Strategy Officer, Microsoft Corporation
Orszag, Peter R., Vice Chairman, Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
Perle, Richard N., Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Rockefeller, David, Former Chairman, Chase Manhattan Bank
Rose, Charlie, Executive Editor and Anchor, Charlie Rose
Rubin, Robert E., Co-Chairman, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Secretary of the Treasury
Schmidt, Eric, Executive Chairman, Google Inc.
Steinberg, James B., Deputy Secretary of State
Thiel, Peter A., President, Clarium Capital Management, LLC
Varney, Christine A., Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust
Vaupel, James W., Founding Director, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Warsh, Kevin, Former Governor, Federal Reserve Board
Wolfensohn, James D., Chairman, Wolfensohn & Company, LLC

Come on now...if there's going to be a New World Order
I want to be in on it, don't you?
And besides, I think that it would be so much fun to have cocktails and chit-chat with the director of the NSA and the co-founder of Facebook. I bet those guys can par-tay!

Instead of dealing with my buddies in the NWO
I've been busy making sure that the Beladora goods are out there on display

like this vintage watch chain being worn by Peter Facinelli at the MTV movie awards.

Naturally, I don't even know who Peter Facinelli is...
I heard a rumor that he's in some series called Twilight....whatever
But I am really liking how he rocks a 3 piece suit!

Happy Friday!

Music - A Whiter Shade of Pale

2011-06-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

From the Morton Report
On this day in 1967, Procol Harum went to #1 on the UK singles chart with a song that over 40 years later would be named the most-played record of the past 70 years (with more than 900 known recorded versions by other artists).

I just thought that you needed a little music trivia today.

Vintage Jewelry - Why Not Wear It, Sell It or Restyle It?

2011-06-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

Since I've been away in Las Vegas, partying it up and dancing on tables all night long
I've fallen way behind on catching up on all of your blogs.
why does FF love cooking?
where has our world travelling Tabitha gone on her latest vacation?
what fabulous things has Reggie been collecting?
who is worth quoting according to Christina?
when is David going to temp us with more vintage travel posts?
how was Pseu's trip to Paris?

Yes people, so many questions, so little time
there are things that I need to know
and to comment upon
but until then
I want to recommend
this informative post by our Canadian jewelry expert
on how to restyle vintage fine jewelry

If you own a piece of fine jewelry that you are unlikely to wear
you can either sell your jewelry
or restyle it.
Unlike costume jewelry, fine jewelry isn't static.
It can often be transformed into a more wearable item.
For example, at Beladora2.com we like to restyle vintage bar brooches into pendants.
Here's a Montana sapphire bar brooch which has been restyled into a pendant.

Another real life example of a restyled piece
is Lisa's art deco diamond brooch which has been added to a gold bangle bracelet
This bangle is totally wearable and brings the best of old and new jewelry together.
I'd wear this piece in a New York minute, wouldn't you?

Cirque du Soleil - Different Show, Same Shtick

2011-06-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Last night I saw the Cirque du Soleil's oh la la cabaret style show Zumanity.

I was sitting in the front row where instead of individual seats,

they had little red velvet loveseats for two...perfect for a short nap.

Except for the flying midget act and the hula hoop girl,

the naughtier the show got, the more I nodded off.

Seriously, I think that Donny and Marie or Penn and Teller would have been more entertaining.

Is there anyone besides me who is just so over the Cirque du Soleil?

Seeing The City From The 70th Story

2011-06-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

OK, so every once in a while there is a welcomed alteration in my Vegas routine.
Last night I was invited to a soiree in one of those uber swanky suites with the wraparound terrace on the 70th floor of the new Cosmopolitan Hotel.
I didn't even know that there were buildings that high in Las Vegas
It was pretty impressive.

There is no question that the view was superior

but I was also duly impressed with the fur lined hammock in suite's living room

You know a giant jacuzzi for 8 is one thing, but a fur lined hammock...

Really, how many hotel rooms do you know that have one?

After a quick stop at the party it was off to dinner at Joel Robuchon which I will write about in another post.

Another Saturday at the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry Show

2011-06-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning in Las Vegas.
Only two more days of the antique and estate jewelry show...thank god.

Trade shows are exhausting, both physically and mentally.
For someone like me who spends the majority of my work day sitting in front of a computer, being on my feet from 10am to 7pm is difficult. I have to admit that I'm totally impressed by the chic NY and European dealers who show up everyday in high heels. How do they stand in heels all day long?
Honestly, I dress for comfort and practicality at these shows...so if you see a middle aged woman in a boring black skirt and shirt and fugliest birkinstocks ever...yes that would be me. And no, I don't care what anyone thinks about my ugly shoes.

Then there is the mental challenge of dealing with the dealers. Don't get me wrong, there so many awesome dealers at this show. If you've never seen an Indian or an Israeli dealer negotiating on the price of a loose diamond, let me tell you, it is a thing of beauty. They will just stand there and offer a price that they know is well below your asking price just to see if they can wear you down. It's not even about the money when it comes to a matter of a couple of hundred dollars on a 13 carat diamond...it's about the game. These dealers have superior negotiating skills and they are charming and fun to do business with. You can learn a lot by observing them in action.

Here's the view from my room at the Bellagio. Luckily, the Bellagio is conveniently located across the street from the show which is being held at the fabulously faux french, Paris Hotel. Seriously, could theParis hotel be a little more stereotypical? The only thing missing is a man on a bicycle with a beret and a baguette.

So what are these shows all about?
Buying and selling of course...and making contacts and seeing who has what, and understanding where prices are going in the trade....and if you haven't guessed...that would be up.

My days are spent looking at case after case of amazing estate jewelry. Imagine a huge convention center room just filled with showcase after showcase of bling. I always wonder why anyone would buy brand new jewelry when there is so much pre-owned jewelry out there.

Anyone need a strand of South Sea pearls....or twenty?

Or how about an humongous diamond collar necklace?

Leaving the major bling aside, I concentrate on my niche product which is signed jewelry that is actually wearable and affordable...because really, how many opportunities do you have to wear a humongous diamond collar necklace?
Here's a cool piece from Cartier that I looked at yesterday. I didn't end up buying it because it was priced too high...note the calculator beneath my hand. I have to buy below a very specific price point in order to be certain that Beladora can offer the most attractive prices on the internet. It's getting more and more difficult with the rising prices of gold, gemstones and manufacturing. But, we've picked up some great pieces and overall I'm happy with the show.

The day ends with coming back to the room and getting gussied up for dinner.
Here I am in my room, gussied up, sort of.
At least the birkinstocks are off and the ballet flats are on.

Not being the adventuresome types, we don't even bother to the leave the hotel at night.
We have a routine and we stick with it.
Besides there are enough restaurants at the hotel that we can try a different one each night. I recommend Yellowtail for sushi and Prime if you want good food with quiet ambiance.
After dinner it's off to the Fontana bar terrace to watch the water show and discuss the business over cognac and cigars.

At about 11pm we go our separate ways. Since I'm not a gambler, I avoid the casino like the plague.

The others, I suspect, end up at the black jack tables until the late hours...but I wouldn't know because I'm in my room with a book. I definitely require a decent nights sleep if I'm going to be 10% as sharp as the diamond dealers!

One of these days I'd like to come to Las Vegas when I don't have to work. I think that spending the day basking in the sun by the pool and going to a show or two might be fun.

Las Vegas - Dealing With The Dealers

2011-06-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Well it's that time of year again
yes, it's the week for my annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas
not for gaming in the hopes of acquiring the ever elusive mammon
but for serious shopping for little shiny baubles made of gold and gems

This year there might be a little selling too
maybe

As all the world's jeweler's
descend on the city of sin
for the five big trade shows
jewelry, watch, gem, couture and antique and estate jewelry
wish me luck
It's not easy dealing with the dealers

Memo: Everything Old Is New Again At Harper's Bazaar

2011-05-31T07:10:00.000-07:00

To: The Editors of the June/July 2011 issue of Harper's Bazaar

Stella McCartney

Louis Vuitton

Dolce & Gabbana

Michael Kors

Note: I already managed to make it through the fashions of 1980s once...

please don't make me do it again

Memorial Day and The Santa Monica Mountains

2011-05-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

Unlike in northern climes where the seasons are clearly delineated
there is generally some question about what the true seasons are in Southern California
Some say Flood, Fire, Mud, and Drought
Others say Fire, Mudslide, Earthquake and Riots
Yesterday, while strangely cold in the morning it began to feel like early Summer
aka early Fire season in the afternoon
One wouldn't say that down in the flats of Beverly Hills or Brentwood
where roses and jacaranda trees are blooming profusely
but up in the hills there are already signs of the start of a dry hot Summer

These are my photos from my hike in the hills yesterday

you can see how close the trail is to the ocean

which brings so much moisture from the marine layer
yet dryness is everywhere
in another month most of the green on the hills will be gone

It amazes me that some wild flowers can be in full bloom and lush

amid other plants that are utterly dead and dry

don't they both have the exact same exposure to both water and sun?

With a book to listen to on my ipod, I can hike alone on the trail for hours

and I do

It is Memorial Day today

and I am sincerely thankful for what so many others have sacrificed for this country

so that I can spend my weekends wandering in the hills.

Saturday Morning Miscellany and Music

2011-05-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

A little of this...a little of that

From Discover, Kissing and Cancer

From WSJ, Eternal Sunshine of the Springtime Mind

From WSJ, Modernism's Austrian Rebels

From Bloomberg News, Virginia Postrel on Oprah, American Girls and Binge Dreamers

From Businessweek, Tyler Cowen America's Hottest Economist

Amid Privilege for Professor C's post on Ethan Frome

Une Femme d'un Certain Age for a Taxonomy of Tourists

and for your listening pleasure
Air and Au Revoir Simone performing Left Bank

Around Town - Beautiful Balboa Island

2011-05-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

It's snowing like the dickens in mountains of Colorado.
Meanwhile it's bright and sunny in Southern California.
I was fortunate to be able to spend the morning at a beautiful house on Balboa Island in Newport Beach
It was gorgeous.

There is nothing like being on the water on a sunny day to make you feel like summer is finally on the way!

Let the weekend begin!