Yesterday, I left the balmy shores of Miami and returned to Manhattan’s cold, gray bosom. Somewhere between the mid-flight turbulence and the Midtown tunnel, it hit me — 2014 is almost over. It was a little disarming, since I adore the pageantry and ritual of New Years. My favorite part of the holiday? Taking stock of the past year’s […]
Month: December 2014
Outfit on Loan from the Mom Collection
Whenever a vacation lumbers toward its conclusion, depression sets in. The real world starts nipping at your heels. Office e-mail wails its siren call. And with unwashed laundry spilling from your suitcase, it can be a Herculean task to pull together a coherent outfit — which is exactly why 75% of today’s look came from my mom’s closet. The dress is […]
Citrus-Flavored Graffiti
Back when I was still living in Miami, there wasn’t much civic pride in the local art scene. “Culture” was limited to the city ballet and J. Lo’s frequent appearances on South Beach. In the decade that’s followed, Miami’s undergone a major transformation, becoming an international hub for creativity, entrepreneurship and design. Nowhere is this turnaround more evident […]
Catalog Police: Sears & Roebuck 1902
It’s Friday, and that means another installation of Catalog Police. Normally, I critique bizarre styles in current mail-order catalogs. But since I’m in Miami — far away from my mailbox — I asked my mom if she had any catalogs lying around. She had only one: a 1902 Sears & Roebuck catalog she picked up at an […]
A Miami Christmas in Photos
If you asked me to choose a favorite between Miami (my hometown) or Manhattan (my adopted home), I’d typically choose NYC in a heartbeat. But Miami ALWAYS gets the edge in December. I’m aggressively recharging, but I’ve compiled some snippets of my hometown sojourn below. In the meantime, I’m taking Christmas off — but I’ll be back on […]
The Best Store in Miami: C. Madeleine’s
Every holiday season, I head to my parents’ place in Miami. Yes, the heat and sunshine are fabulous this time of year — but my favorite part of this seaside retreat is the annual trip to C. Madeleine’s with my mom. Since childhood, my mom and I have spent countless hours trawling antique shows and […]
The “You’re Outta-Time” Gift Guide
Every year, 97% of shoppers are afflicted with the seasonal disease of Present Procrastination. Like clockwork, the symptoms appear come December: forgetfulness, denial, panic and despair. Skip the drama. Here are three different gift guides that pack a punch for the personalities in your life — and if you don’t know anyone fitting these exact descriptions, hopefully it […]
The 5 Kookiest NYC Holiday Windows
Happy Friday! Typically, Fridays typically mean another installation of Catalog Police — wherein I critique and review mail-order atrocities. But today isn’t just any Friday — it’s the Friday before VACATION. And as my special gift, I braved the cold temperatures, mean streets and hordes of tourists to review NYC’s holiday window displays. Here’s my list of […]
- Closet Design
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The New Closet is Revealed
Two weeks ago, I shared some photos of our super-crammed, over-crowded closet. The tiny alcove was so squeezed, our hangers regularly broke and our clothes seemed permanently squashed and creased. (The “before” photos are here.) The first wave of renovations are complete, and I’ve learned some important lessons along the way. Here are 5 things I wish I […]
- Fast Fashion
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What to Wear at the Office Holiday Party
The office holiday party is consistently one of my favorite nights of the year. I view it as a relaxing celebration with creative collaborators and colleagues. But I am keenly aware that for many, an office party is rife with behavioral and sartorial land mines. I can’t do much to ease your apprehension about the former. (Although I never, […]