New Year's Eve Plans?

{Photo Credit: Terry Richardson for Harper's Bazaar}

New Year's Eve and I have a love-hate relationship.  Some of my best memories were made on NYE- like ringing in 2009 in Aruba, 2010 in the middle of Times Square, and 2011 in Las Vegas. Other years, the night was a lackluster experience and I barely made it to the strike of midnight.  This year, I plan to go out with friends here in Houston and even bought a new dress for the event in hopes of making it special.  I also curated a splurge outfit and a save outfit, just in case you need some last minute ideas:

Splurge: J Crew Lattice Necklace $228/Alice+Olivia Red Peplum Dress $377.19/3.1 Phillip Lim Handbag $750/L.A.M.B. Oxley Pump $295

Save:  The Rebecca Clutch $59/Dorthy Perkins Gold Sequin Shift Dress $35/Mod Cloth Break Out the Baubly Necklace $17.99/Nine West Nude Pumps $44.99

{Photo Credit: Terry Richardson for Harper's Bazaar}

What are your plans for the evening?  Are you doing it up big or keeping it low key?

Wishing you a happy 2013!

Rediscovering Simplicity

I'll admit it- I'm just a neutral kind of girl.  I think neutrals (beiges, whites, linens, wood, etc) get lots of bad press in the blog realm.  Some consider them "boring" or "drab"- but not me.  And you know what?  They endure.  They stand the test of time.  You may remember me posting my living room a while back, showcasing just how much I love my neutrals:

My love was rekindled when I picked up a new coffee table book at one of my favorite stores, Memorial Antiques and Interiors.  The book is called Segreto: The Secret to Finishing Beautiful Interiors, and was written by Leslie Sinclair, a local Houstonian.  Leslie owns Segreto Finishes, and does some of the most beautiful work I've seen.  With a staff of 25 artisans, the company has become a well-known finish design firm with work featured in most major design publications.  The entire book is full of architecturally rich homes to drool over. 

 Just to give you a tasting, here is some of the work of Segreto Finishes:

French country details+soft woods+Turkish and French pots+plethora of neutrals?  That sounds like my recipe for divine design.  Speaking of French pots, how fabulous is this one, in a dining room designed by Pamela Pierce and walls and ceilings by, you guessed it, Segreto Finishes!

{featured in Antique Shops & Designers November 2011 issue}

Those drapes just do it for me.  I love full, pooled drapes. 

Essentially, if you love traditional design with timeless elements, then you will love this coffee table book as much as me. Read any good coffee table books lately?  You know I am always on the hunt!

Happy Thursday!

The Pussy Bow Blouse

No, I didn't just use a profanity in my post title.  I promise.  I'm talking about the chic girly blouse that has seen a resurgence in the last two seasons.  And if you don't trust me, you are more than welcome to look it up.  It's called the Pussy Bow Blouse!  And it's ever so tres chic!

{Fab Sugar}

{Lookbook Nu}

{9 to 5 Chic}

{Dust Jacket Attic}

{The Virginia Belle}

{9 to 5 Chic}

{Olivia Palermo at the Mango fashion show}

{Sunday Cross Bow}

As with any outfit, wearing a pussy bow blouse properly means paying attention to balance.  If you want to wear it loose, be sure to pair it with skinny jeans or a tight skirt to give yourself some shape.  If you plan on wearing it tucked in at the waist, pair it with wide-leg trousers or an A-line skirt to create an hourglass shape.  Here are my favorite neutral-toned bow blouses:

Chloe Pussy-Bow silk blouse/Asos Pussy Bow Denim Blouse/Feminine Bowknot Navy Blue Shirt/Mulberry Tippi Bow Blouse/Similar- Rosetta Blouse/DVF Edde Blouse

Which one is your favorite?