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.

A Lanvin Party

Sorry for the bad picture; as is the case ever since the arrival of little k two months ago, it is complete chaos whenever we try to get out the door. I've been wanting to wear this dress forever now; it is my favorite dress from the Lanvin x H&M collaboration. I love the bright fuschia floral print and the volume and construction, which is signature Lanvin. This dress also holds a special place in my heart as I bought it after waiting for hours at the launch (the other dresses I bought post launch). I've worn every piece that I bought from the collaboration, with the exception of this one. W&K's awesome wedding last Saturday at the Beach Club in Santa Monica was the perfect occasion. It was a great night with all of my childhood friends, some of whom I've known since pre-school. It was also our first night out without little k, and I am happy to report that we survived. I now really appreciate evenings like this which we used to take for granted.

Outfit details: Lanvin x H&M dress, Chanel purse circa 2005, and trusty gold Manolo Blahnik Sederaby shoes (which were cut off so here's a proper picture, from our wedding), and not that anyone cares, but K is in a Valentino suit, Zegna shirt, Fendi belt and Ferragamo duck tie that I got for him eons ago.

Isabel Marant Betty Sneakers

FW 2012 Isabel Marant Betty Sneakers in Black

Just a quick iphone shot, proper pictures to come! I exchanged my Isabel Marant fringe Sailor boots for the black Betty sneakers today at Barneys. I thought I had missed out on the Bettys this season as most places sold out immediately. I bought the last pair of 37s at the Beverly Hills store which must have been a return since they had none two days ago when I called, although there are a few left on the Barneys website I will get a lot more use out of these sneakers than the fringe boots as I do so much walking these days. They are super comfortable; I barely notice the wedge. As fun as the high top velcro Isabel Marant Bekkett sneakers are, these are more practical, low key, hardier (mostly leather vs. suede) and perhaps more enduring. They are a good complement to the Dicker Boots which I also picked up this season, I don't think I will be wearing any other shoes this fall. It's too bad that we are in the middle of a heatwave in Los Angeles right now; I want to wear my my new sneakers and boots.

edit: I wore these sneakers for a two hour walk today around Playa Vista and I'm happy to report that they really are comfortable! 

Road Tested: Isabel Marant Dicker Boots in Gris

Comfortable for an evening dog walk around the neighborhood. Still hard to capture the exact color of gris; in these pictures and light, it looks more brown than grey. Isabel Marant from head to toe (I usually try to avoid wearing all one designer, but this was just a coincidence): Etoile Hana romper from S/S 2012, Ed Jacket from S/S 2011, Dicker boots in Gris from F/W 2012.

Fatted Calf: Hog Heaven via SF

We had an indulgent brunch by the pool last Saturday courtesy of some good friends who brought us specialty goods from as far as San Francisco. JK flew into LA in the morning and not only brought us handcrafted artisanal sausage and amazing thick cut bacon from the Fatted Calf, but also freshly baked muffins that she baked at the crack of dawn before her flight. To complement the pork-y goodness, we also had delicious pan au chocolat, croissant aux amandes and danishes from Susina Bakery near Hancock Park. I've had a particular weakness lately for buttery flaky pastries. With some coffee and some fresh berries, a well-balanced meal in my book. A real gourmet brunch, and we didn't even have to leave the house!

Pastries from Susina Bakery

JK's freshly baked muffins from the Flour Cookbook