Thursday Style Obsesssion: Prabal Gurung JCrew Capsule Collection

Ahh . . . the capsule collection, a fashionista's dream.  This time one Prabal Gurung is teaming up with JCrew for a summer collection.  The styles are being featured in a few select stores and also are were available for pre-order on the site.  (All of the styles that I looked at are already "pre-ordered" out!)

While I love the entire collection, these are my favorites:

*Swoon.*  Seems like I'll be saving this month and trucking it to a JCrew store to try to scoop up one of these beauties . . . crying in my room, because I can't have these lovely pieces.  In some cases, only 50 of a certain item was made.  Get them if you can . . . Anyone have any idea or predictions which stores these will be in?  I think I'm going to be calling JCrew to try to find out.  Maybe King of Prussia?

XOXO,
Ladycakes 

Local Inspiration

I stumbled across a featured interior designer and some lovely photos in the May Philadelphia magazine.  The picture of the living space below is the home of Kevin Derrik, a designer who lives in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood of Philadelphia.  He commissioned the chandelier in the photo by the artist Warren Muller and it is called "Hey Sailor."  I think that the combination of a classic nautical theme with a bit of an irreverent twist is genius.  I want a chandelier like this for myself!  (Not to mention that I am obsessed with his pink walls, though I don't imagine Mancakes would approve.) 

Kevin is also a vendor of "made-around-Philadelphia one-off art" and furnishings, via his e-shop shopkellydrive.com.  Several other designers and artists also sell their pieces there.  The following are some of the pieces you can find on the site.

Another inspiring home I found is one that was featured on nakedphilly.com.  This home is also located in the Graduate Hospital area of Philadelphia.  It is defined by its open an airy twelve foot ceilings and the beautiful art placed throughout the home.  I especially love the the kitchen:  the vintage chandelier, the pop of pink roses in the blue vase, the delicate framed photos and the touches of gold.  The entire space has the feeling of vintage (perhaps Parisian?) romance.  Can you tell that recently I have become obsessed with chandeliers?

Look at all these books!  I love books, both because I love reading and I love the aesthetic of them, and wish I had this many.  Sadly, I think the era of the book is over as many are moving over to Kindles, Nooks, etc.  I guess it's better for trees, but I will miss the aesthetic quality of the home library and bookshelf.

It is so wonderful to see such gorgeous and clever style inspiration right in my backyard!  In other news, tonight I go to my first Philadelphia Racquet Club event of the summer.  I am really looking forward to it.  I hope to tell you about it after a.s.a.p.!  Wish me luck.  Hoping to make new friends and have some fun!

Until next time, loves . . .

XOXO,

Ladycakes

Happy Tuesday! And the fabulous Tom Scheerer . . .

Hello all.  Today I bring to you interior decorating style inspiration.  If you read one of my earlier posts (Emily Henderson I Am Not . . . ), you know that my style is a mass conglomerate of many different elements.  I have to say, though, that I think one of the primary elements is American prep.  What I love most about prep style is the use of color.  Life is too short to be all black and white!  In fact, one of my new friends, Miss Jackie O. Minus Marilyn (just Jackie O. for short), has a personal vendetta against beige ("She's so beige . . ." she says accusatorily and emphatically), and I couldn't agree more.

The photos below are definitely not beige.  They are of the interior of the Lyford Cay Club, a notoriously exclusive club in the Bahamas.  The decorating was done by the fabulous Tom Scheerer, and strikes me as whimsical prep, incorporating earthly elements into classic brights. 

These photos were featured in April's Town and Country and I also found them via a wonderful new blog I stumbled upon, Dwellers without Decorators.  http://dwellerswithoutdecorators.blogspot.com/  Enjoy!

Until next time . . .

XOXO,

Ladycakes

Weekend Recap: Miss Einstein in Philly and the Radnor Hunt Races

Hola, amigos.  I had a fabulous weekend, and I was so sad to see it go.  But it is fun to relive it as I tell you about it now. 

First, my dear friend super smarty Miss Einstein, who went to law school with me, was in Philadelphia for the weekend.  She currently lives in NYC and works for a large firm, so we don't get to see her much these days.  It was wonderful to see her smiling face and hear her voice again.  Me and Miss Independent got together with her on Friday night at El Vez for some delicious and much-needed margaritas.  Then I saw her again on Sunday before she went home for lunch at Philly's newly opened Le Pain Quotidien.  I realize that Le Pain is old news by now, but this was actually my first Le Pain experience and I thought it was so yummy!  I loved the praline almond butter Brunette's.  I'm not familiar with it, but all I know is that I can never ever have this in my house.  It is so delicious and I would consume it in one fell swoop!

I was so sad to see Miss Einstein go, but super happy that I got to see her at all.  Hopefully the next time we meet, it will be in her stomping grounds!  I really want to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the MET (http://www.newyorkspacesmag.com/New-York-Spaces/May-2011/-quotAlexander-McQueen-Savage-Beauty-quot/), and what could be better than seeing Miss Einstein at the same time?

Saturday, I had the opportunity to do something I have wanted to do for so long - go to a steeplechase race!  Specifically Mancakes and I went with Soon-to-be-Mrs. Sophisticate and Mr. Sophisticate to the Radnor Hunt Races in Malvern, PA.  One of Soon-to-be-Mrs. Sophisticate's friends grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and her family used to go every year.  Now, she organizes a get-together herself by reserving a plot and getting catering for the day.  It was fabulous and was the perfect introduction to steeplechase racing in general and especially the Radnor Hunt.  It was an absolutely beautiful day and everyone there was a lot of fun to be around.  Apparently, it's a large event in the Philly 'burbs and everyone plans for it well in advance.  Below are some pictures from the event.

My Photos:

Me and Mancakes!

Professional Photos from Philly.com:

 Magnificent.

You can read more about the event here on Philly.com:  http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/homepage/122135929.html. 

Well, my dears, we are through Monday (or almost through, depending).  Let's kick this week in the bee-hind!

Until next time . . .

XOXO,

Ladycakes

Happy Birthday, Senor Fussybutt!

Our baby is one year old today.  Mommy and Daddy love you!

That's Yonanas!

Hello, friends.  Today I am dedicating my post to something that I love a lot . . . food! 

In the past year that I have been out of school and working, I have begun to suffer from a lack of fresh-tasting, prepared meals.  (Actually, I think I've been suffering from this for more than a year and it has in fact been since I left home 8 years ago to go to college, but the fact that I had previously been in school distracted me from this issue.)  Don't get me wrong, Mancakes and I enjoy a lot of nice, fabulous dinners out at many wonderful Philly restaurants.  But when I come home from work and stare into my refrigerator, all I want is a simple, fresh meal.  Yet, there is nothing I want to do less than turn anything in there into something actually palatable.  I usually end up making a salad or an omelet or popping soup or a freezer meal into the microwave.  Then Mancakes comes home and laments that I have been completely unwifely and have not made him anything to eat. 

Unfortunately, none of this is going to change with this post!  While I am exploring new food and cooking options, I haven't yet gotten into anything close to a routine.  For now, I am going to tell you about a wonderful gadget I have discovered and an eatery that I love . . . I think both are going to help me fight the battle of me v. fresh food!  (Believe me, I want fresh food to win.)

The amazing eatery I speak of is none other than Animo Juice in Haddonfield, New Jersey.  This little restaurant has not only wonderfully tasty, healthy food, but an equally wonderful mission of promoting health and sustainable living. 

As the Animo website explains (http://www.animojuicecafe.com/), the word "animo" in Spanish is an exclamation people use to lift one another’s spirits and encourage increased energy.  The word literally means spirit, energy, and vitality.  On Animo's menu are many varieties of vegetable and fruit juices, burritos, salads, frozen whipped fruit and "shots" of healthy condensed vegetable-like liquids such as wheatgrass and spirulina.  I feel healthier even just walking in!  The space has a laid-back vibe, with bright green walls and the smells of cooking chicken or beans wafting through the air and alternative music playing through the speakers.  Every time I go, I immediately get the desire to move somewhere in California and open an Animo.  I'm convinced life would be so beautiful . . . Animo-owner, if you are reading this, do you franchise? 


Well, onto my second topic, which actually is an extension of my Animo discussion.  You know the frozen whipped fruit I talked about above?  I have tried it at Animo and it is delicious.  Animo whips bananas until they are the consistency of frozen custard.  It's like eating yogurt with more health benefits.  Well, apparently, you can do this right at home!  The Animo people told me that their "fruit-whipping" machine cost them about $250, but recently I saw an advertisement on TV for the "Yonanas" machine.   

http://www.yonanas.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1   

The yonanas machine is only $50 and comes with a recipe book.  Looks like I have another thing to add to my kitchen wishlist.  If I get it, I'll report back and let you know how it works.

One last quick food discussion for you.  This one comes to you via Hungry Girl on the Food Network (http://www.hungry-girl.com/). 

This one is in-reference to said freezer dinners listed above.  One major problem I have with freezer dinners is that I often don't feel full after eating them.  Genius Hungry Girl apparently has the same problem and had some recommendations for extending the freezer meal:

1.  Roast broccoli and mushrooms to add to meals such as balsamic chicken.

2.  Add bean sprouts to Asian-inspired meals.

3.  Add tofu shiratake noodles to pasta dishes.  I previously had never heard of shiratake noodles, but apparently they are very healthy and low in calories and look like this: 

 

And voila!  Your portion size is doubled!   

I hope some of these stories and recommendations are helpful for you.

Until next time . . .

XOXO,

Ladycakes

Rachel McAdams at the Cannes Film Festival

I wanted to take a moment to share these photos with you.

Awards' show and film event fashion watching is like a sport for me.  I always DVR the Oscars, the Screen Actors' Guild Awards, the Emmys, etc. just to see the beautiful clothing and jewelry that the actors wear.  Then, if my want of beautiful style is still not satisfied, I turn to publications like Instyle for photographs.  In the past 5+ years that I have been following fashion more closely, Miss Rachel McAdams has never disappointed me.  She, or her stylist, has an impeccable sense of style and always gets it right.  She combines a mixture of feminity, classic lines and risk to make every outfit interesting yet occassion appropriate.

Here she is looking fresh and ready for summer in a flawless white (or is it light cream?) colored dress. 

And again in a breath-taking illusion lace number . . .  Recently, the look of bright-colored lace over a nude underlay seems to be in fashion, and when Rachel wears it so effortlessly and gorgeously, it is easy to see why.

Via Instyle.com

I don't know about you.  But seeing the lovely Miss Adams simultaneously makes me want to go to the gym, get just a hint of a tan, buy a luminous white summer dress and attend a chic city roofdeck party.  It invokes romance yet fresh summer love . . . and who's not ready for that?  Bravo.

XOXO,

Ladycakes   



It's a "Let's Move to the Country and Start a Goat Farm" Kind of Day

Hello loves.  Happy Monday!  I don't know about you . . . but today has been "one of those days" for me.  All I want to do is go outside and play in the sunshine, but all I have is work!

Mancakes and I have an inside joke anytime one of us is having an especially frustrating or bad day.  We always say, "Let's just move to the country and start a goat farm."

This inside joke started from an elaborate conversation we had about the joys we perceived would be inevitable from living in the country and owning our very own goat farm:

1.  You see, Mancakes and I are generally city folk.  (In fact, Mancakes was actually born and raised in Philly.)  However, every once in a while, we tire of the stinky sewer smells and hot pavement and yearn for some green grass and fresh air.

2.  Next, we figure that you could get a lot of nutrition just from drinking goats' milk and eating goats' cheese, not to mention that we looove goats' cheese, and you'd never have to even leave the farm to get it!  My favorite goat products come from Redwood Hill Farms in California:  http://www.redwoodhill.com/.  Everything I've ever gotten from them has been so yummy, AND if you read on their website, the whole farm is run sustainably.  (Of course Mancakes and I would make our goat farm sustainable, too, to benefit the environment . . . and be super trendy like many green-living Californians!)

3.  Farming would be an active life style and I could cancel my gym membership - see, it would save money, too!

4.  According to many, goats are actually quite amusing pets.  We would give them all preppy names like Elizabeth Taylor and Bitsy and Biff, which are all names that I legitimately love but Mancakes would not let me name our human children, and treat them like our four-legged children.  And according to those who own goats, our (hypothetical) goat babies would keep us honest:

"Goats are always testing you," says a character in Tom Robbins' novel, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. "They can tell instantly if you're faking your feelings. So they play games with you to keep you true. People should go to goats instead of psychiatrists."

5.  Goats chew and eat A LOT.  We'd never have to mow grass on our spacious country grounds! 

6.  Last, they are just so darn cute:

Now, don't get me wrong . . . I realize there are many flaws in this reasoning.  We don't own land, you can't wear Lilly Pulitzer in the country and a lot of farm air is not actually that fresh . . . buuut, on my fantasy goat farm, all of these problems disappear.  Everyone is dressed in bright-colored, patterned clothing and it smells like Dolce and Gabbana's citrusy Light Blue (my favorite perfume)!  After all, isn't what the farms look like in Vogue when they feature ex-models, -stars, etc. who now live in the country?  They are always perfectly coiffed and styled to feed hens and muck horse stalls.  Yes, this is what our farm would be like . . .

Do you think people when people who own goat farms have especially bad days, they say, "Let's sell this darn farm and move to the city!"?  Hmmm . . .

Until next time . . .

XOXO,
Ladycakes

Saturday Shopping Adventures in Prepadelphia

Happy Easter!  I found a few minutes before Mancakes' parents come over to sneak away and write a little about some fabulous shopping finds I discovered yesterday.  Mancakes and I originally headed out looking for wall decoration for our living room.  We stopped in several antiques shops and home stores along Pine Street, but, in typical Ladycakes fashion, I got distracted  by all of the cute boutiques along the way.  Mancakes was gracious enough to indulge me, and I found some wonderful new stores. 

First, Mancakes and I stopped in a store called the Crystal Cage located at 1116 Pine Street in Philadelphia.  The inside is a shopaholics' dream.  Some of the items, such as shiney purses, were downtown chic, while other items such as cashmere wraps and cute belts (one of which I ultimately bought!) leaned toward the preppy genre.  The owner Kelly was incredibly nice and fashionable and added to the total shopping experience.  She even had a leather "man chair" in the store which Mancakes was all too happy to take advantage of while I oogled my way around the store. 

Now, I must tell you about the belt I bought.  I had never heard of the designer before, but after being introduced, I immediately became hooked!  The designer is Terry Stack.  http://www.terrystack.com/  Instead of having holes, all the belts, which are made of Italian leather, have velcro.  This is perfect for me, because my waist size always seems to be inbetween the holes.  The velcro will be perfect to help me get the belt around my waist "just so," and I can gain a few pounds or lose a few pounds without worrying that I'll lose my precious belt in the process.  Next, Terry Stack also creates various separate buckles, which are sold separately, that you can mix and match to change up your look.  You just slide the buckles over the section where you velcroed and, voila!, you have a beautiful and unique brooch-style buckle.  Among the buckles that Kelly had in her store were a gold owl, silver ships, and a silver horse.  I ended up choosing a white leather belt with a silver horse buckle.  I am already deciding how I can incorporate it into an outfit and am so excited to wear it soon.  You can see more options for belts and buckles on the Terry Stack website here:  http://www.terrystack.com/cart/.  Kelly told me that the stores is having a cashmere event soon with beer and brats.  She said the beer and brats are for the men, but I don't know . . .  I think this woman has secretly discovered the way to my heart - beautiful fabric and wonderful food to boot?  Done and done! 

The next store that Mancakes and I went in is a store that I've heard about before, but never realized where it was:  Halloween.  And after seeing the storefront, I think you'll realize why I was confused as to its whereabouts.  Here it is: 

  
Halloween, a concept costume jewelry boutique, is located at 1329 Pine Street.  The store is unassumingly located away from other stores and nestled inbetween residences.  No sign adorns the store from the outside.  Mancakes and I almost passed it up, but noticed a couple in front of us ring the doorbell and enter, the door cracking open just a sliver to reveal a magical parallel world inside.  We were intrigued and had to follow. 

The inside of Halloween is decorated in a romantic gothic style, with dark wood, seemingly hundreds of jewelry displays and various gargoyle or whimsical garden statues placed around the store.  Halloween does not remind one of Hot Topic, but instead of Harry Potter.  The darkness is not foreboding or in any type of defiance, but magical.  I myself love Harry Potter and have always wished, not so secretly, that I could attend Hogwarts.  Halloween may not be Hogwarts, but in my opinion is as close as you can get in Philadelphia. 

The jewelry collection itself in Halloween is massive.  They have every type of upscale, antique costume jewelry you can imagine.  My favorite part of the store was the "pearl corner," with multitudes of pearl earrings, necklaces, bracelets and brooches displayed on rope nets and around mermaids busts, evoking a mystical "Pirates of the Carribean" effect.  None of the jewelry was "junk jewelry," with prices hovering around $300 and up.  However, the jewelry was all unique and most of it contained real gemstones, so the pricing is reasonable in my opinion.    Philadelphia magazine, as well as other Philly blogs and publications, have featured articles about the owner Henri David.  David seems to be a real character and hosts an elaborate Halloween ball every year.  I can only imagine how incredible it is.

I will leave you with pictures of the inside of Halloween.  Take care, loves.

Until next time . . .

XOXO,
Ladycakes
 

Derby Style, Part 1

The Kentucky Derby is soon approaching, friends!  This year it is the same day as my birthday and as Soon-To-Be-Mrs. Sophisticate's bachelorette party, so I probably won't get to watch it.  But I will enjoy looking at all of the pictures of the event after.  Horse racing events are one of the few situations in American culture where it is not only acceptable, but preferrable, to wear a hat.  I love this!  I really wish that there were more occassions where ladies could bust out their inner Southern Belle.  Come to think of it, maybe there are more occassions in the South, but there definitely aren't in the North.  Then all of the brightly colored dresses, ties, suits - Love.  It's even expected that the men dress brightly and it's a rare opportunity for some who wouldn't otherwise to have fun with fashion.  Today I'm mainly focusing on the ladies, but I hope that I have time over the next few weeks to focus on the men, too.

Hats - A Staple of Derby Fashion 

Just look at a picture of what the crowd looks like:

And celebrities turn out, too!

I love Ashley Simpson and Pete Wentz's old-school society take on derby style.  It adds a cheeky twist to preppy glamour.  (from 2010)

And not to be left out, the lady of fashion herself wouldn't miss the Derby:

That's right - if we were taking score, I think Barbie has the winningest look of the day!

There are so many stores right now that have looks that would be incredible for the Derby.  Lilly Pulitzer's Franco Dress in Hotty Pink Hot to Trot is adorable:

Throw a hat on with the dress and voila!  You're ready to go.

 

Vineyard Vines even has their own Derby Collection:

 

 

And of course, I think the ever fashionable Kate Spade would be apropos for the event as well.  This is just one option from the 2011 summer collection:

Love the pearls and the pop of color on the shoes . . . Again, just add a hat, and you're ready to Derby!  (Can that be used as a verb?)

Well, loves, I must be off for now . . . but this will be continued.  Until then, practice making the perfect Mint Julep.

XOXO,

Ladycakes