Bon Weekend

"Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty 

outvalues all the utilities of the world."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1844

Photo by me via instagram

May

The world's favorite season is the spring.

All things seem possible in May. 

- Edwin Way Teale

photo by me via instagram

March

It was one of those March days 

when the sun shines hot 

and the wind blows cold: 

when it is summer in the light, 

and winter in the shade.  

- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Photo by me via Instagram

Thanks Aerin!

Big thanks to my style and business idol Aerin Lauder for including me on her list of twitter accounts to follow during fashion week! I love being sandwiched between NY1 Weather, very important to follow when getting dressed each day, and legendary fashion designer Michael Kors.  

Twitter:
NY1 Weather: @NY1WeatherHeather Clawson: @HabituallyChicMichael Kors: @MichaelKors


Instagram:Carolyn Murphy: @CarolynMurphyLauren Santo Domingo: @TheLSD


While I might have complained about the weather in LA recently on twitter, I try not to complain about anything during fashion week (except maybe when someone steals my seat) because I know a million girls (and a few boys) would kill to be there. The fun starts for me on Wednesday afternoon and runs though February 14th if you want to follow along too. 

You can check out the full list of "ten social-savvy industry insiders and the Twitter and Instagram accounts that, in addition to @voguemagazine, they love to follow" here. 

High Point Here I Come

I'm off to North Carolina today for the High Point Furniture Market.  You can follow along in real time on twitter and instagram as I scope out the showrooms for the chicest new pieces for the home.  I'll also be posting while I'm away so you won't be left alone.  If you're at High Point, I hope you'll stop by my book signing for Creativity at Work on Sunday too! The book won't be released until October 30th so this is your chance to snag an advance copy!

Habitually Chic Book Signing & Celebration

Design Legacy Showroom

126 Virginia Place

High Point, NC 27262

(behind the BoBo building)

Sunday, October 14, 2012

4:00 - 6:00pm

Photo by moi, bag by Celine and carry-on by Hartmann Luggage.

Virtual Vacation

The travel industry should start figuring out ways to leverage Instagram because all the vacation photos make me want to hit the road.  Recently illustrator Wayne Pate posted these amazing photos and his art from his stay at Castello di Vicarello in Italy.  I was hooked from the first one and a little investigating led me to realize that I blogged about it in January 2011 in the post Under the Tuscan Sun.   While I enjoyed the virtual vacation via Wayne, I clearly need to book my own trip to Italy soon.  Just wish the sky high airfares to Italy would come down a little.  Sigh.

Photos and illustrations by Wayne Pate

Paint it Black

I posted this photo on Instagram (my new addiction!) last night but thought it warranted a blog post as well.  Many of you have mentioned that I haven't been posting any new photos of my apartment.  That's because a magazine came to look at it and I wasn't allowed but I figured one photo of my bathroom wouldn't be a problem.  

I've lived here for eleven months and in that entire time, my plain white bathroom door has bothered me.  Since this is a rental, I wasn't going to spend the money to replace it with a nicer option so I finally decided to pull out a paint brush.  I measured two sections, taped them off and painted them black to mimic moulding.  I'm not the best painter and I pulled up the tape before it was completely dry, so it's not perfect but it looks more interesting than it did before. It also now coordinates with the black and white tile floor, shower curtain, and black and white photos. As well as the Diptyque candle and tissue box cover. (Notice a theme?) Now I just need a new doorknob.  

It's always something. 

Freeze Frame

I didn't get a chance to write a proper post today because of a long meeting to go over the color proofs for the book.  (It's almost finished! Hooray!)  Then I was off to a cocktail party to celebrate the Kips Bay Decorator Show House with blogger friends Slim Paley and Architect Design.  But this gives me the perfect opportunity to remind you that the house opens tomorrow, May 16 and will run through June 14, 2012.  Unfortunately tonight's weather was grey and dreary which obscured the amazing view above which I was lucky to see on Friday when I photographed the house, or apartments, as is the case this year.  It is honestly the best Kips Bay Decorator Show House in years and is filled with lots of great shades of green and amazing art.  I am not allowed to post my photos until after The New York Times on Thursday but it will definitely be worth the wait.  

This post also gives me the opportunity to share the sad news of the death of my beloved BlackBerry.  (RIP little keys.) I have finally moved over to an iPhone and while I am still not used to typing on the screen, I do love taking Instagram photos as seen above.  It brings to mind a lyric from the J. Giels Band, "snapshot image froze without a sound." You can follow me and my photos at habituallychic. (Yes, I'm everywhere.) Please excuse any typos until my thumbs get acclimated.  And rest assured, we'll be back tomorrow with our regularly scheduled program.  

Later skaters!

Photo by moi