Random Blog Posts I Never Wrote

Not a day goes by when I come across something that I would like to write a blog post (rant) about.
Unfortunately, as the day goes by and I barely have the time to answer all of my email, let alone get much of anything else done, the potential post is lost in the recesses of my mind.

But every once in a while, something reminds me of blog posts that I didn't have time to write
such as:

A Year Of Crafting Dangerously -
The rise of crafting in a time of recession.
From Etsy to Pinterest - I haven't seen this much interest in DIY crafty stuff since the Seventies.
Is this a short term trend or a long term reaction to too many brands and consumer goods?

Boxy Is Not For Babes -
What's with all of the boxy cut clothes.
They have never been, nor ever they will be flattering on 99.9% of women.

Freedom From Facebook -
More and more of my colleagues are moving away from Facebook.
Especially those who work in computer or internet businesses.  
Personally, I love to be able to catch up with the goings on of old friends and new friends,
but I'm not going to add a Facebook app to my phone.
I am overwhelmed by "Too Much Information".
Aren't you?

Fashion Designers - Why Do They Hate Us?
Why is it almost impossible to find a Winter dress that isn't 3+ inches above the knee and sleeveless?
BHB FACT: 
Few woman over the age of 36 looks chic in a mini dress. 
Few women over 46 look good in a sleeveless dress.
Besides...with widespread air conditioning in offices, why are women supposed to wear clothes better suited to 85+ degree temperatures.

That's just the silly stuff....Thank God I don't have time to post about politics.
 I can't wait until this election is over.

With that I'll leave you with a pictures from the backyard of the house that I stayed at last weekend on the North Shore of Chicago.

True Autumn, which we don't have much of in Southern California.

How To Wear Estate Jewelry - Amethysts With Gray For Workwear Everyday

Inspired by Lisa at Amid Privilege who gets to wear jeans and a sweater to work
(and she looks great in them)
I thought that I would post my work wardrobe today.

It won't be a surprise to anyone who reads BHB and who knows my uber thrifty ways
that I spend the minimum on my clothing
and on the kind of trendy accessories that will either wear out and/or go out of style in a matter of months.
Since simplicity is the key to my work wardrobe, I tend to wear only gray, navy and black clothes at the office and accent those clothes with scarves and jewelry.

So voila, my outfit du jour
a charcoal gray suit by Calvin Klein ($39 at Ross), a purple t-shirt by Anne Klein ($12 at Marshalls) and a purple floral scarf by Mango ($29 at JC Penny).

But I do invest in things that are durable and that have actual intrinsic value, such as estate jewelry.
(Costume jewelry may be on trend but it has zero intrinsic value, trust me on this)

I love purple and gray as a color combination so I tend to pair amethysts with my gray wardrobe.

Amethyst and Diamond Ring in 14K from Beladora2.com $495

Amethyst Collar Necklace in Silver from Beladora2.com $395

Do you have a a particular color combination that you favor?
And, does your work wardrobe tend to have a different color palate than the rest of your clothes?

Starting Off September With A Sofreh

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?

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

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

Strict, Sotto Voce or Just Plain Anti Diva Armor

Considering the Duchesse's post today on "Sotto Voce" style and her previous post on "Strict" style, I thought that I would show you what shoes I am wearing today. Purchased at Barney's many years ago these Italian fatta a mano shoes are a little bit beat up... but they are finally worn in and comfortable. I also have matching pairs in camel and black suede.

I don't know if these fall into the "Sotto Voce" or the "Strict" category in terms of style.

But I will say that my environment is fraught with Divas and I don't deal well with the whole Diva thing. So I just consider these shoes as part of my "Anti-Diva Don't F**k With Me" style.

Someday we can have a further discussion on the semiotics of shoes...

Glamour And The Power To Persuade

From author Virginia Postel on her Deep Glamour blog

The Deeper Meaning of Glamour: Powerful Nonverbal Rhetoric

Glamour, in short, is serious stuff. It can alter life plans, even change history. And as a broad psychological phenomenon, it holds intrinsic interest. While rarely addressed in C-SPAN discussions, glamour is the sort of topic to which such 18th-century titans as Adam Smith and David Hume often turned their attention. It spans culture and commerce, psychology and art.

Here's the entire article

A Power to Persuade - The Deeper Meaning of Glamour

2010 Calendar Girls - From Paris To Palo Alto

Euro fashion blogger Maison Chaplin brought us pics from the new 2010 Calendar by French Vogue

Question: What exactly is French Vogue trying to portray?
A. High Fashion
B. Crazy Horse Naughtiness
C. Sleazy Strippers

And isn't there a pole missing from these photos?

When did French Vogue slip
editorially speaking
into Maxim hot girls territory?

If I read another post about how chic the French are...versus everyone else
I'm just going to have to link to this post

because while this Vogue produced calendar may be many things
it certainly isn't chic

Another 2010 Calendar in the fashion blogosphere this week

is this one produced by Charity Fashion Show

and Art Directed by fashion blogger Glamorous Eccentric

So maybe it isn't quite as sleek in terms of production value as the one by French Vogue

But considering that the models are all Stanford students, this calendar shows a nice representation of beauty, brains and diversity.

Well done

Appropriate Office Attire - Dressing Up and Down

What is it with Halloween anyway?
It has always been my least favorite holiday
particularly because girls who are over 12 years of age
seem to wait all year long to revel in those slutty costumes
You know what I mean
slutty nurse, slutty french maid, slutty angel, slutty cat, slutty pirate...
Yeah, you've all seen The Real Meaning of Halloween video from the movie Mean Girls

But the young ladies in the office want to have some fun today
and celebrate by dressing up in something costume-y for work today
Luckily, they are coming up with clever rather than slutty costumes

Miss de Ville suggested that I dress up today like a "trophy wife"
I think that she meant for me to try and pull off something like this outfit
from The Sartorialist in Paris
big earrings, big rings, status bag, high heeled sandals
and maybe top it off with a fur coat.

But after a long week of work on a Friday with no clients or meetings
my style leans much more toward the casual
Something like this outfit from The Sartorialist in Milano
flat shoes, flowy skirt, casual jewelry
but leave the bike at home.


What is your opinion of Halloween?

Fashion is Danger

Shamelessly stealing this from Meagan's blog

Modern Minimalism - Sleek and Sculptural

Keeping up with Couture Carrie's post on Modern Minimalism

I snagged this one shouldered wonder by Jill Sander, from Carrie's post, specifically because of its sculptural style.

To wear with it, this sleek bangle bracelet in 18K

which I believe is a custom piece by designer Patricia Von Musulin.

OK, so these photos aren't so flattering...

(and no my arm isn't that short and fat...it's the camera angle)

This heavy gold bracelet is really more of a piece of art than an item of jewelry
Don't you think?
Only available from Beladora.com

Sleek Sculptural Bangle Bracelet in 18K Yellow Gold from Beladora.com

Seeking Style By The Book

Christina Binkley in this week's Wall Street Journal

Of Birkins and BlackBerrys: Essential Reading on Style

explores the latest books on style

Style books can be more than “how to wear this, how not to embarrass yourself in that.” If you define style broadly, there is nary a corner of our lives unaffected by style, from the cars we drive to how we text.

One book on Ms. Binkley's list is this book due to be released in August

“How Not to Act Old: 185 Ways to Pass for Phat, Sick, Hot, Dope, Awesome, or at Least Not Totally Lame,” by Pamela Redmond Satran (HarperCollins, $14.99).

Here's her take on it

Until I read this book, which is due out in August, I hadn’t actually realized that texting with one’s index finger is a sign of age. It also hadn’t dawned on me that it was possible to “Facebook old” (or even to use Facebook as a verb). Ms. Satran’s take on the latest generation gap is as insightful as it is entertaining—a comic blend of advice and anthropology that skewers both young and old.

The book is arranged as a series of rules, such as “#54 Don’t Fear Rap,” in which Ms. Satran offers nine “easy listenin’” songs, including Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat Dance” and Ludacris’s “Midnight Train.” In a section called “15 Cool Dead Famous People,” Ms. Satran suggests it is OK to name-drop Abraham Lincoln, Coco Chanel and Kurt Cobain in the same sentence.

By the way, your Birkenstocks are OK again: Rule #183 lists eight items of hipster gear that even oldies can wear, including

Ray-Bans with prescription lenses and, yes, orthopedic sandals from Germany.

In our youth obsessed culture this looks sure to be a best seller.

But now that I know that it's OK for me to wear my Birkenstock sandals...I don't need to buy the book!

Another book on Ms. Binkley's list

“Style Evolution, How to Create Ageless Personal Style in Your 40s and Beyond,” by Kendall Farr (Penguin Group, $22.50)

Author and stylist Ms. Farr picks up where “How Not to Act Old” leaves off—without the humor. “What does it mean to have reached middle age in a time of celebrity adulation, youth obsession, stripper culture and the Real Housewives franchise?” she asks.

This is a dual pep talk and primer for those of us whose style hasn’t evolved since our first full-time job. As with any fashion book—and fashion itself—the trend-conscious elements of this one will have a shelf life of only a few years. But the classic parts will remain. For instance, when buying a scarf, be sure the exposed ends are nicely finished.

I've been wondering about the personal style, fashion sense and taste. Can you learn any of this from a book?

If you've reached middle age and your personal style is say, matronly or frumpy, can you become even become more stylish?

Doesn't the fact that you are already dressing this way mean that your personal taste in terms of fashion is actually matronly or frumpy?

And I ask these questions fully admitting that I have some seriously frumpy taste myself when it comes to comfortable footwear.

Personally, if I wanted to sharpen up my look I'd probably work with an image consultant such as Karen Karlsen or Imogen Lamport (with a trip to Australia attached....).

If you wanted to sharpen your look would you buy these books, hire an image consultant or both?

Beladora For The Beauty Shoot

Gorgeous girls, a talented fashion photographer, a chic fashion stylist
and vintage estate jewelry from Beladora.com
and this is what you get
The Moulin Rouge beauty shoot
which you can read about at the Fashion Photography Blog

And here's the video about the beauty shoot

Beauty Story from Melissa Rodwell on Vimeo.

Savvy Shopping - Navy Is My Neutral

Years ago I used to wait until I had an important event to attend and then frantically shop until I found just the right outfit. This usually resulted in my finding something trendy and wonderful but at full price...and everyone knows how much I hate to pay retail.

Now, that I know exactly which type of clothes I prefer to wear, based on my taste and understanding of what's flattering to my stout figure, I will purchase clothes whether I have a specific event to wear them to or not....if they are priced right.

Like this charming little dress from Saks for $191.

the right cut

the right color

the right price

and in a neutral color that will match my accessories.

Laundry Dress at Saks Fifth Avenue $191.90

David Webb Stacking Rings in 18K from Beladora.com $3850

Emerald, Sapphire and Green Onyx Tassel Earrings from Beladora.com $1650

Sapphire and Diamond Bangle Bracelet in 18K from Beladora.com $2422

Promiscuous Belle Shoes at Zappos.com $59.00
(promiscuous belle...where did they come up with that name?)

And yes....I would actually wear these Lamboutin look-a-likes and save beaucoup bucks.

Phillip Lim Resort Collection - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

According to Style Spy Phillip Lim is the next Oscar de la Renta

Phillip Lim showed his Resort 2010 collection in New York Monday. I won't go so far as to say that it's my favorite collection ever, or even my favorite Lim ever, but it doesn't do anything to dissuade me from the fashion crush I have on this very talented designer.

I think I've stated before that I feel like Phillip Lim is our next Oscar de la Renta. He makes chic, gorgeous clothes that most every woman admires when she sees and looks good in when she wears. There is a definite, inescapable femininity and youth in Lim's designs, but he is very young himself and there's no reason to imagine that his clothes won't mature as he does.

I wish that I could say the same.

Looking for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly in Lim's 2010 Resort Collection all I could come up with was The Bad, The Ugly and The Hideous.

Even a pretty willowy blond model can't make these clothes look appealing.

I too think that Lim is very talented

but when designers purposely create clothes that are unflattering, as Lim has in this collection, they show disdain for their clients.

First Lady Fashion Faux Pas - Michelle Off The Mark

Can someone please tell me how our First Lady goes from this

to this

The Daily Mail may call it "confident off-duty chic"

but I call it a First Lady Fashion Faux Pas

both unflattering and in bad taste

Playing With Polyvore - Angelskin Coral