First Rose of the Summer

Where did the summer go? It's almost September already with labor day around the corner. We usually drink Rose all summer long, but this summer, we've mostly stuck with beers because I can only fit in a glass a day because of little k, so we don't open bottles of wine as often. Beckman's 2010 Grenache Rose: a more full bodied Rose, which I prefer, though not a lot of complexity of flavor. Roses are meant to be drunk young, so this one may have lost its flavor a bit, since it has been refrigerated since last summer and probably should have been consumed then.

Classic Checkered Shirtdress and Ankle Boots

Steven Alan shirtdress, Jerome Dreyfuss chainlink leather purse (borrowed from mom), Isabel Marant Dicker Boots, Hermes reversible belt, Raybans, love gina necklace

We had a semi-business related dinner tonight which was the perfect opportunity to break out this Steven Alan shirtdress that I bought from the Steven Alan sample sale at the beginning of summer. Love that it has pockets! Just polished enough to be business appropriate, but casual enough for a Saturday night dinner.

A relaxing afternoon

A glass of Rivers Marie (my favorite pinot maker) 2009 Summa Old Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and a sleeping baby. Nice Pinot, but not my favorite from Rivers Marie. Beautiful layered nose, lots of cherry and fruit but just a little too acidic for me.

Jinya Ramen Bar: Another Westside Ramen Newcomer

I had eagerly been anticipating the opening of Jinya Ramen Bar after hearing all the raves about the Studio City location. It was under construction for quite awhile, and I finally made it last week. We ordered both the chicken broth based ramen as well as the tonkotsu based ramen. I thought it was only ok; I like the firmness of the noodles but the tonkotsu broth, while rich, wasn't particularly deep or complex. I prefer the broth and noodles of Tsujita and the broth (but not the noodles) of Yamadaya (which I visited again this week). It's nice to have all these Westside ramen options though!

Preview of Fall: the Western flair

Mango dress, Isabel Marant Dicker boots in Gris, Louis Vuitton bag and Prada sunglasses

This seemingly never ending heatwave in Southern California has me yearning for the cooler temperatures of fall (although the months of September and October can often be the hottest months of the year). One of the big trends for fall is the Western look, based on runway shows from labels such as Hermes and Isabel Marant. I wouldn't call this look exactly Western, but it's got a little prairie thing going on. A functional outfit in the scorching heat for a one year old's birthday party in the valley today.

Louis Vuitton purse circa 1985 from my mom. The bag that inspired my love for designer purses.

Eye Candy: Jewelry from Love Gina

My friend Gina designs and makes lovely jewelry pieces right here in Santa Monica. She is a total sweetheart too, she is one of S's closest friends and also a wine club member. The best place to find her pieces is through her etsy shop. I love her simple but elegant designs which really showcase the natural beauty of the stones. I particularly adore her big statement pendant earrings which a lot of my friends have, but since I don't wear earrings that often, I opted for a custom order for a necklace for my first love gina piece. I wanted a long necklace with asymmetrically spaced stones of different shapes and colors and this is what she came up with using various stones including amethyst, quartz and chalcedony. I love it! As someone who is accessorizing challenged, it is perfect as it is such an easy piece to throw on with any outfit for a little sparkle. Next on my wish list are matching bracelets and earrings. I am terrible at taking pictures of jewelry, it's hard to capture the sparkliness and facets of the stones but here's my best shot using the iPhone. Will try and post more pics later!

Dapple Dandy

My pick from the farmers market yesterday. A pluot (plum apricot), perfect combination of sweet and just the tiniest bit of tart from the skin, juicy, with a nice firm texture. Need to pick up more as the season is almost over.