{hello + a few updates . . .}

. . . as the week's posts have been sporadic at best, thought it might be a little easier, [especially if you are just arriving], to include the events of the [much too short] stay in nyc below . . .

m o n d a y
mimosas with tory burch on madison ave // ladurée // an early lunch & lattes with laily

t u e s d a y
the tory burch runway presentation at the lincoln center // the chadwick bell show at the standard // lunch with laily at pastis // kelly wearstler & bergdorf goodman soirée [fun photos to follow] // architectural digest & tiffany & co. soirée

w e d n e s d a y
meetings // a stop by blue bottle for a quick latte & catbird in williamsburg, for a few pretty things, including a nallik by jean balk necklace [similar to this one], a stunning satomi kawakita bar ring, and a gold heart ring // a stop by brook farm general store in brooklyn [p picked up a waxed canvas book bag]

. . . and then, before we knew it, it was on the way out of the city to the utterly charming lakeview lodge in the mountains for the rest of the week . . .


{image: via vogue}

Friday's Fancies: When in Doubt

 (Images via 1, 2, 3)

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Friday always calls for a certain level of celebration, if you ask me. And after the week that's been had around here, make that a double. Step one in my hopes of overcoming this week, is sharing a new Friday's Fancies with you. This week's theme is 'red,' and honestly, that says "kick up your heels, let down your hair, paint your nails, and hit the town" to me! I've found that red can truly be a girl's best friend- there are tons of ways to style this vibrant color to fit your personality. Seeing as I usually subscribe to the more is more philosophy, here are a few simple tips for making quite the impression in your favorite shade of red!

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(Image via Matchbook Magazine)

Red lips will always be classic and pack a punch.

(Be sure to read the Matchbook Magazine article (page 40-41) featuring their 12 favorite shades.)

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(Image via)

Red nail polish is a tried and true staple in any girl's styling repertoire.

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(Image via)

Red shoes (flats or heels) manage to spice up any outfit that falls a little short of fabulous.

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(Image via)

An LRD is a showstopper no matter what.

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(Image via)

Make it yours, and own it. Incorporate red into your wardrobe to fit your personality. Isn't that what fashion is about anyway?!

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My favorite way to wear red?
With other vibrant colors and gold accessories.

(Set via my polyvore)

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"When in doubt wear red."

-Bill Blass

{style inspiration: pretty polka dots}

. . . the boldest colour ever worn was perhaps an iridescent turquoise raw silk blouse with pretty sleeves; and with that exception, nearly always classic black, crisp white and every shade of pale & pretty neutral imaginable, from fluttery nude to blush and champagne -- that is, before happening upon navy and polka dots, with a dash of perfect red for that elegant and effortless parisian je ne sais quoi . . .


{images: sandro spring/summer 2011 lookbook, discovered via eclecchic, images from sunrainey}

{favourite five: denise porcaro}

"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers."

~Claude Monet

. . . to enter the world of denise porcaro is to be swept away into an enchanting realm you only thought possible in the secret garden . . .

denise, the founder and owner of the alluring flower girl in nyc, has taken floral design to new heights with her exquisite eye for beauty and ethereal arrangements -- a delicate bundle she creates with dainty garden roses, ravishing wild flowers, or lavish peonies wrapped with the prettiest of ribbons will whisk you away into the romance of a bygone era

with a client list that includes stella mccartney, chanel and the illustrious plaza hotel of manhattan {and a blooming career that has graced the pages of vogue, instyle and elle} we will definitely be paying close attention to denise's:

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{five favourite pieces of advice for running a business}

1. dedication is key: know that if you're going to go for something, it should envelope your whole life; you're married to your business in a way, and you should know that going into it

2. have a business plan: you don't need a big business plan -- it can even be written on the back of a bar napkin -- you just need to write down your goals and visualize them happening

3. do what you love: if you're doing what you love, it is that much easier; it cuts all the work in half when it is your passion

4. read your client: cater to your client's unique taste; listen to them, their budget, their likes and dislikes -- that's what we do at flower girl -- we don't give our clients “package a” or “package b”, but really sit with them and figure out exactly what they want and do our best to give them exactly that

5. don’t sweat the small stuff: this is much easier said than done; when you're a perfectionist and you're doing this sort of work, it's hard not to sweat the small stuff, but you have to keep perspective and remember the big picture

~ laily



{images: vogue, february 2010, dress by jason wu, boots by dolce & gabbana; inset, vogue, may 2008}

{coming up roses}

. . . once the glitter of the holidays and the sparkle of new year's has faded {just a little}, sometimes january's overcast skies can be a little gloomy, calling for extra bouquets of coral-coloured blooms scattered about, or better yet, flirty & foral sweaters strewn with roses . . .

{p.s.} poppies in the french countryside

{colour inspiration: scarlet, crimson & vermilion}

. . . have been known to wear red lipstick nearly everywhere -- on early morning walks with the dog, at the shops and in the rain, and sometimes even to the gym, but very rarely, if ever, decorate with or wear the colour red . . . and yet, somehow, and only next to gold {an all-time favourite}, shades of scarlet, crimson and vermilion, always elegant and wonderfully festive in the form of short and stylish party dresses, are perfectly and utterly irresistable at this time of year . . .




earrings by janis savitt via gilt | yves saint laurent rouge pur couture lipstick | valentino couture bow d'orsay pump | chanel no 5 | dorothy perkins red velvet bow clips | red wine via jaipur, inverness | chanel le vernis in dragon | kelly wearstler brass kaleidoscopes





{chanel no 5 via the inspiration board, red dress via a glamorous little side project; eniko mihalik by camilla akrans for vogue nippon, august 2010 via fashionising; marion cotillard by ellen von unwerth via a dustjacket attic}