Grace and Moxie

How About a Day Cap???

2010-05-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

While I am a fan of day drinking, (under appropriate circumstances of course) that is not the kind of "cap" I plan to discuss.

I am, and have always been, a hat person. Summer chapeaus have been on the rise over the last few years and I couldn't be happier. Whether it was a baseball hat and some hoops to create a quick, post-P.E. fix in middle school or a tilted Kangol with pink-tinted night sunnies (sunglasses for the layperson) in college, I love the way a hat can instantly complete a look. Frizz can be tamed, dark circles can be hidden and an air of mystery rapidly infused.

Hats come in all shapes and sizes and I would argue that there is a hat out there for anyone. Next time you find yourself in one, tip it to a man or woman in uniform and thank them for their service...not only is it a lovely way to show appreciation for those who sacrifice to defend and protect our country, it is also the perfect excuse to draw attention to your cute topper.

What kind of hat drives you mad?

Eugenia Kim

"Craig 3"

Eugenia Kim

"Holly 4"

Eugenia Kim

"Muffy 7"

J Crew

"Panama Hat"

Gap

"Nautical Floppy Hat"

Bag and the City

2010-03-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing a city girl needs, it's a city bag.

New York City has it all...good food at any hour, world famous museums, every culture you can imagine and some you may think you actually are imagining, and the list goes on and on. What New York doesn't offer is that opportunity to pile everything you need for the day into your passenger seat and be off.

New Yorkers don't have the chance to reach into the glove box of a car to freshen lipstick or go into the trunk for a bottle of water that has been stashed. What New Yorkers have are GIANT PURSES.

I know what you're thinking: "lies." I know what I'd be thinking if I were you and not me: "She must mean New York women." That is not what I mean. Almost all New Yorkers (men, women and children) carry some sort of purse. When I see someone on the train carrying nothing, I get nervous.

Now that we understand the facts, my next statement won't seem so shocking...

A giant, functional, fantastic bag for walking around New York is

not what a girl wants, it's what a girl needs.

Who knows what might pop up on any given NYC day...a blister (you need band-aids), a sudden deluge (you need an umbrella), a subway line out of commission (you need flats), an impromptu night out with a B-list celebrity (you need make-up).....One never knows.

In order to be prepared for any eventuality, it is necessary to have a large but still chic bag. One that won't look nuts on your arm heading to the locker room at Equinox, but can also be carried to your table at Nobu.

Here are a few of my fave options...

Mulberry Patent Mitzy Hobo

Balenciaga Arena Giant Day

Proenza Schouler Large Leather PS 1

Givenchy Medium Old Pepe Nightingale

Ahhh...little bits of heaven for your shoulder!

Man Wanted

2010-02-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

Ladies, ladies, ladies...and some gentlemen. I give you the answer to your lonely nights. The Black Pepper candle from Molton Brown.

While this delicious smelling candle will not snuggle with you or help you unload groceries, it will give your home that comforting sense that there has recently been a man on your premises...one that has bathed and was, of course, invited.

There is something about this candle's clean and slightly spicy scent that makes climbing into bed alone much less daunting.

Just in time for Valentine's Day....

Love...

2010-02-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

So I have recently fallen in love...stay tuned, you may find this happens quite a bit.

Behold...the Chanel Ultra Collection rings.

I mean seriously.

They come in 18k white gold with either black or white ceramic, with or without diamonds and in 1 or 2 rows of links (said without taking a breath). The perfect ring for a cocktail party or an afternoon of tailgating before the big game.

A definite cure to the sads...

Visit them at the Chanel Site.

The View from the Edge

2010-02-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

So...I am very blessed.

I have a roof over my head, lots of people in my life who love me, a few more that like me and food to eat everyday...when I remember to buy it.

I am very blessed.

That being said, I also have very expensive taste. Very. I grew up being exposed to many of the "finer things" in life and as I grew, so too did my appetite for these things.

People have all sorts of opinions about women who care about clothing, bags, shoes, nice homes, cars, vacation destinations and all that comes with those things. I am not putting my desire for a luxe life on par with people's desire for clean drinking water or democracy or religious freedom. I understand that however beautiful these things I desire, they are still just things. I would never, for instance, choose a Burberry trench over a bottle of formula for my baby. The thing is though, that's not the choice. I don't have a Burberry trench right now. I also don't have a baby right now but my point is that when I do, I feel confident that my desire for beautiful things will not win out over my desire to protect my loved ones.

Because I feel confident that my priorities are close enough to being in order and because my credit card is TIRED from all the work it has done these last few years, I have decided to take to the web in order to exorcise my splurge demons.

Grace and Moxie are two words I love... different but not dissident ideas about how to walk through life.

This will be a place to explore all the things I so desire...certainly with moxie but also, I hope, with grace.

Do stay tuned.