Bon Voyage

By the time you read this, my friend Stefan and I will be hitting the high seas.  After this awful winter, I don't have to tell you how excited I am to get away to warmer weather.  Thank you to everyone who sent me recommendations for Miami and Nassau.  If you want to follow our adventures in real time, you can always check me out on Twitter. But don't think I've left you high and dry.  I have written lots of fun posts that will upload while I am away.   Bon voyage!

Photos by Pamela Hanson

H in HOLLYWOOD

I am in need of some sunshine and warm weather so I've booked a trip to Los Angeles. I can't wait to luxuriate by the pool, shop and hang out with my West Coast friend Maison21. (Just wish I was going to look as good as this girl but oh well.) I will be in La La Land from March 18th to 22nd so if anyone has any suggestions for things to do or places to go, please feel free to share! Now I'm off to plan my outfits!

Ready for Take Off

I'm almost ready to leave for the airport and I wanted to thank everyone who sent all their great recommendations for Paris! I have no idea how many of them we will actually be able to see or do but I appreciate you all sending them to us!

Christian May of Maison21 has been gracious enough to blog sit for me while I am gone. I have prewritten a few posts that will publish while I am away. So if I have spelled anything wrong or if you smell smoke or notice burglars casing the place, contact Christian! I thought about asking people to guest post but my blog is my baby and I just couldn't do it. It's bad enough that I had to hand over the keys to Christian. I have a feeling he's going to redecorate while I am gone! He's been dying to redesign my blog header for ages!

I had someone leave a not so nice comment last night that I was making too big a deal about my trip and that people go to Paris everyday. Well, I am excited and why wouldn't I be. It's Paris! I also didn't take a vacation last year so I am mostly excited to just be getting away. I look forward to recharging my batteries and being inspired at every turn! I also am excited that I get to share this trip with Stefan of Architect Design, Mercedes and Alberto of Etos, George and Jon of Flair, Monelle of Williams-Sonoma Home, and Gabriella of Sarlo. I will even be meeting up with an old colleague who moved to Paris. I also know that many of my readers for physical, financial or other reasons will never get to enjoy Paris in person and I will be enjoying this trip as much for them as I will for myself. There are a lot of people just as excited about this trip as I am and I can't wait to recap our adventures next week!

If you are bored while I am away, then I suggest heading over to Maison21 for decorating advice with a sense of humor, Scented Glossy Magazines for hilarious reality TV roundups, Studio Annetta for glamorous interiors and the Neo-traditionalist for a little bit of everything! I might also Twitter so you can check out what we are doing in Paris in real time. Oh, and while you're at it, can you keep your fingers crossed for me that I get to sit next to a cute single guy and not a screaming baby! Merci!

Photos by Miles Aldridge

Planning for Paris

I'm a notorious overpacker but that's mostly because I always like extra options. One of the best ways to avoid overpacking is to plan out all your outfits in advance. This is especially helpful if you are attending an event like a wedding where don't want to forget your special shoes and accessories. In an attempt to prevent myself from overpacking for my upcoming trip to Paris, I've started laying out what I might want to wear each day. Of course, I can't finalize anything until I check the weather report a few days before I leave but this is a good start.

On the plane, I will probably wear my white JCrew jeans with a black silk tank from Rag & Bone and a cashmere cardigan (above). It's best to wear slip on shoes to get through security quickly so I'll wear my gold Louboutin flats. Accessories will include my new Phillip Lim necklace, bangle bracelets, Asha by ADM ring, and Prada bag. Inside the bag, will be a cashmere scarf, reading material, headphones, eye mask, moisturizer and Melatonin. I'd like to arrive looking chic and feeling refreshed! And if not, I will hide behind my Tom Ford sunglasses!

I'm not exactly sure about this orange dress since I've been advised to wear black everyday but it could be fun for when we attend Maison & Objet. I usually don't wear a necklace with it but it looked better with one for styling purposes. The bangles and ring will be the same as before but I might wear my Roger Vivier sandals if it's warm enough. Just in case it's chilly or wet, I am packing a pair of nude Loeffler Randall wedge flats that can work with neutral outfits or my black dresses for day.

For sightseeing and shopping, I am going to wear my old black Phillip Lim dress with my new Phillip Lim necklace. This dress looks better belted so I have to remember to pack one. On my feet will be my black Roger Vivier sandals. Yes I have them in two colors! When you find something you like and it's on sale, get it in every color!

I've been caught wearing inappropriate shoes, like opened toes Louboutin flats, to tour historic outdoor sites before which is the reason I bought the Hogan sneakers. We plan to spend many hours touring the chateau at Versailles as well as the gardens and Petit Trianon so I want to be prepared! My outfit will consist of white or blue jeans, little blush colored silk top with a JCrew striped cardigan. Jewelry will be bangles from before, blue stone ring, and pearl necklace on twine from Florence. And of course I can't forget my camera! I'm taking a small Canon for quick pics and my Nikon for when I want more professional looking photos!

I'm really excited to wear my new Ports 1961 dress while in Paris. It has a thin layer of tulle under the skirt so it will be the perfect day to night dress. During the day, I'll wear it with sandals or flats and I'll pack a pair of heels and different jewelry for the evening.

Depending on the weather, I might have to pack a thin raincoat. Before my flight back, I will have time to walk around so I was thinking about bringing a blazer to wear with a blouse and trouser jeans. It's better not to sleep when returning so you can go to bed at your regular time when you get home. Other helpful hints include packing bubble wrap which will fill up the empty spaces in your suitcase at the beginning and can be used to wrap your purchases for the trip back. If anyone else has some good travel tips or clothing suggestions, let me know! Bon voyage!

*Update: I just want to clarify that I don't leave until September 2nd! I decided to plan out my outfits early so I would be prepared in case I needed anything. When I wait until the last minute, I usually get too busy to plan and that's when I just throw everything in a suitcase and get to my destination missing a belt or without the right shoes!

Favorite Things: Resort

I skipped my winter Favorite Things post because it was all just too depressing to think about and by this point, I am ready to burn all my winter clothes so why not focus on resort. Besides, I'll need something to wear in St. Barths and I like to plan my outfits in advance, even if they are just for my fantasy getaway!

I am usually not a fan of pink. I think it's something to do with living in the city or growing up in a Peptol Bismol pink bedroom. But I make an exception for pink when it comes to vacations at the beach. It also looks good with a tan and although the color in the Milly Ikat Dress above is a little more mauve, it still fits my theme perfectly. I tried this dress on at Saks last week just for fun but I may have to go back and buy it. I just love the way it fits and it's flirty and fun without being too frou frou.

When I first saw these sandals on the J. Crew website, I was hoping they came in another color but now I realize the pink would be perfect compliment for my getaway wardrobe. And you know that I never never met a pair of gold shoes I didn't like so the gold straps definitely had me at hello!

Everyone knows that you can't go away without a great manicure and pedicure. I've already switched out my dark polish for Essie Potato Fields. It's the most perfect neutral color and also looks great layered over Adore-A-Ball if you need a little more coverage.

You need something to wear on the plane and I will probably wear one of my J. Crew Tissue Camp Shirts with the white jeans below. You can leave the sleeve down while traveling and then roll them up when you get to your destination. If you get chilly, you can always throw a cardigan over it. (Oh, and the orange one is already on sale!)

I love white jeans. I don't care if they make my butt look big or need constant washing since they get so dirty. They are just so easy to throw on and go easily from day to night. It's best not to spend too much money on them since they do have a tendency to attract dirt. I actually found a pair on sale for $10 at a J. Crew store recently but this pair is not too bad at $98. Now if I just had legs that long, I'd be all set.

I know most of the things I'm packing are from J. Crew but it really is one stop shopping there and everyone knows they have great swim suits so I had to post one from them as well. I usually stock up on them during the end of season sale but there is something about this new Italian Jersey bikini that I love. I think the Earth color is the perfect foil for all the pink and would also look fabulous with a white little cover up. I think I am going to give up carbs forever after looking at her body in it. Sigh. Let's move on shall we.

I tend to buy certain accessories that I know I will be able to wear forever so I don't really need a new pair of sunglasses. My Tom Ford gold Angelica's are still going strong but if I did need new sunglasses, then these Ray Ban aviators would be perfect. They are a classic and could also be worn forever and also won't break the bank.

I bought this Lambertson Truex beach bag very on sale at the end of last summer at Bergdorf Goodman so I'll be taking it along but you can find great bags at the Gap and even Target. The tote bag from the Gap that I wanted to post isn't online yet but it's been featured in all the magazines. It would be perfect so I'll keep checking for it.

There isn't much new fiction on my must read list but I've been hearing good things about Gilding Lily by Tatiana Boncompagni so I am looking forward to reading it. You definitely need a fun read for the beach so don't even think you're going to make it through War and Peace while you're on vacation. Trust me. It's been tried before and it never goes well. Just pick up the chick lit and throw it in your bag. You'll thank me later.

And don't forget your sunscreen! La Roche-Posay make the best although you may want to bring some Hawaiian Tropic along just for the coconut smell. Or you could just order a few Pina Coladas. Bon Voyage!

Bon Voyage!

Patrick Dennis: Is the English lady sick, Auntie Mame?
Auntie Mame: She's not English, darling... she's from Pittsburgh.
Patrick Dennis: She sounded English.
Auntie Mame: Well, when you're from Pittsburgh, you have to do something.

That's one of my favorite quotes from Auntie Mame! It seemed appropriate since I'm flying into Pittsburgh Sunday to spend Christmas with my family. They don't actually live in Pittsburgh but it's close and if I'm lucky, I might also meet up with another blogger who'll be in the 'Burgh for the holidays! Can you guess who?

Another lovely blogger, Hello Gorgeous, was so sweet and sent me a copy of Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escape by Patrick Dennis! I was very excited because I was wondering what else to take along to read besides magazines in case my flight is delayed. They better just not cancel my flight like they did on my birthday or lose my luggage. HC doesn't travel light enough for carry on but you probably already guessed that! I'll also be posting while I'm away! Bon voyage and happy holidays!