Our most recent road trip was to Williamsburg Virginia to spend some time at Wedmore Place at the Williamsburg Winery. What a great experience it was. Getting there was not a great experience! It rained for the entire trip and there were multiple accidents which caused us to arrive after dark. Not a great place to arrive without daylight. The inn is ON the vineyard property and there is very little lighting. Without a GPS we would have wound up who-knows-where.

The inn and winery are privately owned by the Duffeler family. The history given at the hotel says that it all started in the 70’s. Patrick Duffeler was associated with a Geneva based investment group that had a participation in an old winery in Beaune, the capital of Burgundy. Consideration was being given to the acquisition of a building in the center of that medieval city. A large portion of that building was to be transformed into a small upscale hotel designed to be part of the international association of the Relais & Chateaux. During his years of heading the Marlboro motor racing sports program, Patrick traveled the world and stayed in a variety of hotels. He became well aquainted with Relais & Chateaux and their uniqueness for quiet surroundings, private ownership, good fare and comfort. The story goes on to say that the investment project did not happen and the group was restructured and Patrick accepted a position as CEO of Fragrance Selective.   Along the way a decision was made to return to the US. The family settled on 300 acres in Virginia in 1983. The Duffelers and their son moved onto the farm which was 3 miles from the restored Williamsburg. The goal was to create a winery and to develop a country hotel reminiscent of old European properties. The first planting of grapes was 1985 and the Williamsburg Winery released its first wine in 1988. After this came the development of the “country hotel”.

Wedmore Place is located in the middle of the farm,  as it is a place of quiet surroundings, “far from the maddening crowd”. It is quiet and peaceful. There are many antiques  from all over Europe. Stone that was also imported. The guest rooms are designed to reflect different cultural heritages.

The building near the inn is where the wine is barreled in oak or steel or concrete “eggs”. They also filter and bottle here. There are tasting rooms and tours given throughout the day. The wine was really quite good and we came home with a case to enjoy. There is also a place for lunch, The Gabriel Archer Tavern, but we opted to drive to Colonial Williamsburg for lunch.

The dining experience was exceptional. The restaurant is the Cafe Provencal. The chef is very talented and creative. The meals were the kind that you wished would not end. The small restaurant is open to the public for dinner. A continental breakfast is served to guests. The croissants melted in your mouth.

I loved walking around the inn looking out at the courtyard with its stone walls and fountains. I felt like we were somewhere in France. The fact that it rained the entire time we were there only added to the romantic ambiance.

I would recommend a visit to the Williamsburg Winery. And we would definitely recommend dinner at Cafe Provencal.

This was the only indicator of where you had to turn! 

 

 

 

 

 

The front entrance to the inn                                               

The court yard and pool area

The library

Wow. September already!

There are so many trends being thrown about for Fall 2016 that if I went into each of them you would think that no one wants the responsibility of  taking a stand. I have read lots of reports and opinions on this season’s trends. This is what I see as the best of what you will be seeing at most of the stores and the best for what you can look for to update your wardrobe.

One of the biggest trends in apparel is the loose and  comfortable multi layer looks. For lack of hearing a name for this category I will call it Street Lounge. These pieces have all the comfort of loungewear, but they are also worn outside. I would love to think that I am one of the women that editors talk about when they say “she comes home from a busy day and changes into a fabulous looking lounging ensemble”. I don’t know any women who do this.  It would require that you have multiple wardrobes. There are many designers and apparel companies who are joining in the race to get their market share in this category that lounges AND heads out of the house.  On the shopping channels you have Logo by Lori Goldstein on QVC (who I think has been working this category successfully for the longest period of time.) And there is Lisa Rinna with the Lisa Rinna Collection which is also doing well in this category. Now QVC has added Cuddl Duds which is a fabulous comfort line and the best priced in this category. A more expensive line is Barefoot Dreams. Both of these companies have their roots in sleepwear/loungewear.  There is also AnyBody which is a QVC private label.  It is well priced and adorable, but in my opinion should stay inside your home.  On HSN you can see Lisa  Kline’s line of “loungewear that’s meant to be seen”. Lysee is another one of the designers working this category for HSN.  It is so much easier for home shopping to sell this kind of merchandise because they have the luxury of grouping the styles and selling a lifestyle. In a department store many of the components would wind up sitting in various places in the store. Components in this category are leggings, ponchos, vests, tanks, tees, and cardigans. All in soft fabrications, mostly knitted. I am a really big fan of this category because it completely suits my lifestyle right now.

Capes, capelets and Ponchos continue to gain momentum this year. You will see styles for outerwear and ones that are suitable to wear inside, all day. Fringe comes into play perfectly for capes and ponchos.

If you need a coat this year look for a trench coat. They will be everywhere in both long and short lengths.

Asymmetric cuts and uneven hemlines continue on skirts, tops, dresses and jackets. And now you can add asymmetric shoulders which take the cold shoulder to another level. You will see single shoulder dresses and open shoulder sweaters. Showing off the shoulders continues into fall.

Leather and Suede (as well as synthetic substitutes) will be BIG and will cross over many categories. Velvet and velour will be seen. Tufts of faux fur will be seen as trims for hoods and lapels. The most fun is in the colors.

Denim. That’s all I’ll say. Nothing else needs to be said.

TREGGINGS. This will be THE pant silhouette for Fall. WhoWhatWear tells us that it is the next step from a legging. The material is thicker. It is slim, but not skin tight. This is a cross between trousers and leggings. This is  showing up everywhere from H&M to Topshop, J Crew, Zara and Rag &Bone.

That’s my overview to get you started.

Next up will be my Haute Pops for shoes, bags, scarfs and jewelry.

 

Yes, it is that time of the year. All of the fall merchandise hits the floor at my favorite stores. My favorite shopping channels start with broadcasts of what you absolutely Must Have for a perfect fall season!!

The biggest kick off for me is the Nordstrom Pre-Fall sale. There are many items selected from new fall offerings that are put on sale prior to the actual fall season. When the catalog for the sale hits my mailbox  I start to feel the excitement. There is usually one item that knocks me out and I know I have to pick it up. Since I am a “regular” I get to purchase the sale items before they actually go on sale. This year took some extra planning on my part because we were leaving on a trip the day after the presale started. But, I worked it out to get there the day before we left.  The item is a light weight denim zip front poncho from Treasure&Bond. Regular price $98.00, sale price $59.90. What a steal! When I got to my local Nordstrom  I looked for it and could not find it. I asked for assistance. It had sold out.  The sales associate told me she would get it from another store and ship it to me. Phew! that was a close one. The next morning I checked my emails before we left and there was a note from Nordstrom telling me all the other stores were sold out too. I figured this was either a very hot item or the manufacturer was late in getting their full order shipped to the stores. Lucky for me it was also in their on line catalog and they had stock. I am the happy owner of this denim poncho purchased at the pre-fall price. Now I can’t wait for the temperature to drop so that I can wear it.

There was also a good selection of neck wear in some new looks for this season. The skinny scarfs are back and looking fresh. There was a rayon ombre loosely woven fringe scarf made by Collection XIIX that is now part of my accessory collection. I saw a triangle sueded fringed item with embroidered ribbon trim that looked great and I did like this look that was popular many, many years ago. Nordstrom had it for $48.00, but I thought this was a bit steep. But, lucky me. I went into JCPenney next and there it was. The exact same neck piece selling for $28.00 and on sale  for 20% off and I had a Rewards Coupon. Made my day!

Another department that I stopped where a friend is the department manager, was kids’shoes. Such high fashion for the little girls. Hot items for the pre-season sale were boots by Stuart Weitzman and Michael Kors. There are biker boots and wedges just like mom will be wearing. But my favorite one is a pair of mary janes. One foot has the head of Minnie Mouse, the other foot has Mickey Mouse, and when the feet are next to each other the characters are puckered up for a kiss! Wish I had a little girl in the family.

In the home department I always find some items that are must-haves for  gifts. The barware was really good and we picked up a gift for a friend. LED Marquee Letters are on sale again this year ($35.00 per letter). They were a very big decorating item last fall too. Another item I saw was Readers Digest Books ($8.90 for the presale, $15.00 regular price).  The covers were decorated with artsy motifs such as initials and hearts. Why didn’t I think of this when we cleaned out my parents’ home and disposed of hundreds of these books!!

LOVE the start of the fall season. Next I will share some of the trends for fall 2016.

 

 

Fall 2016 is raring to go! The colors for the year were Serenity (light blue) and Rose Quartz. The colors for Fall 2016 give a nod to the colors from that palette. Pantone has given us 10 colors to define fall 2016 and they look fresh and very salable to me.

Riverside is a strong blue that is cool and calm. “…to be more exact in the definition, just take any navy or cobalt blue, blow some cigarette smoke on it and you will get what the Pantone Color Institute has contrived to call Riverside” (Fashionisers). This color works for all skin tones as denim always does.

Next in the palette is Airy Blue. This shade is closer to the Serenity blue we have seen this year. This beautiful shade of blue will combine well with Riverside as well as the Lush Green and Warm taupe and Dusty Cedar. Many designers are working this color to set a tone.

Sharkskin is a gorgeous gray. Both bright or muted colors sit beautifully with Sharkskin.

Aurora Red is bold, warm and wonderful.  It “gets the metaphoric blood of the palette pumping” (Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone). This color exudes confidence. It will make a glorious lip color for fall. I bet bags and shoes will be everywhere.

Warm Taupe is a very organic, pleasing neutral that goes with all of the fall colors. You will see lots of coats, leather and knitted pieces in this beautiful neutral.

Dusty Cedar is the fall nod to Rose Quartz. This is a dusty toned pink that is very warm.

Lush Meadow is a rich green color like foliage. It is vibrant, sophisticated and elegant.

Spicy Mustard is a splash of spicy zesty yellow. Very exotic. This color “bounces elegantly off other colors in the palette” (Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone). This color is showing up head to toe as well as in prints and accessories.

Potter’s Clay is a brown/rust with orange undertones. It is very earthy and a strong foundation. Think leather, suede, boots and outerwear.

Bodacious is the last color and the palette exits with a vibrant personality. This color is a pinky purple. Bodacious lends itself to vibrant combinations. Think about how gorgeous this will be in satin or velvet. It will be also be showing up in tweeds and lace as well as sporty dresses and fur!

Have fun  with all of the colors presented for fall. Let color express your individuality.

This month we met a group of friends for our summer reunion which was held at the Finger Lakes. What a great place to vacation. There are all kinds of things to do. Lots of boat rides and activities on the lakes, viewing a bunch of falls (all of which were dry when we were there because of a drought and they did not start “falling” again until the day we left after there had been some rain!) The wineries are fabulous and the New York Finger Lake wines are really coming on. All in all it was a fabulous trip.

And on one day I got all of my creative juices flowing! Our first stop was at Note Fragrances.  Note is a perfumery where you can make your own scent. Last June I wrote a blog titled A Woman’s Good Scents. In it I discussed my love for fragrance and my interest in the fragrance notes. This place was made for me.  Here one can go through scent families and the note classifications. I was able to “discover your scent story”.  First you sit down and go through the various categories of scents: floral, sweet and spicy, earthy/woody, herbal, citrus, fresh and clean, fruits and berries. Then you decide what notes should be: top notes are “the first notes you smell”, middle notes are “the heart of the fragrance”, base notes are “the depth and longevity of the fragrance”. Then I got to work.  Knowing all of the scents that I like (and like me!), I selected each scent. Mark told me the best way to test it out was to dip the stick into each of the scents and clip them in a holder they use and fan out the sticks. Then you fan away and see how you like the result. Both my husband and I liked my combination and I was ready to turn it over to Mark to blend. Your personal scent is registered and numbered with them so that you can reorder as needed. I named it “Elaine’s Mix” .  Not terribly original, but I will remember it. Here is my scent Top Notes: bergamot and sweet orange; Middle Notes: lemongrass and chamomile; Base Notes: sandalwood and amber. I was so excited with my creation. Note Fragrances is located on the East Shore/Seneca Lake, 5930 State Route 414, Hector, NY. Well worth a visit if you like fragrance and are looking for originality.

From there we went to The Corning Museum of Glass. Here there are many exhibits of glass art, history and technology. We went to a live narrated hot glass demonstration which was fascinating. But, here comes the best part. My friend Julie and I made our own glass with the help of their glassmakers. We both made pendants. We each picked the colors we were interested in and then, like a real glassmaker, we made the piece melting it over an open flame blending the colors and determining the shape. So exciting! I can’t wait to get the piece I made. It had to cool for a 24 hour period and then they mail it to you if you can’t get back to pick it up.

In one day I got to experience two of my passions, creating my own fragrance and making a piece of jewelry. And then to be able to come back to our hotel (La Tourelle in Ithaca) and share my day’s experience with our friends over dinner made it to my “best days” list.

Life is good.

This summer we were in Italy, France and Spain. I thought for sure I would have lots to write about what was worn on “the street”. To tell you the truth, I feel there is more inspiration and interesting outfits seen in New York and New Jersey!

But, this was not a complete non-event. There were several items that I saw repeatedly and I thought I would share this with you.

Dresses, dresses, dresses!! Maxi’s were all around. Many were strappy or had cut outs in back. The look was good! Very flowing and a lot of white.

Stripes- everywhere-mostly black/white, navy/white. Stripes were in dresses, skirts and tee tops.

Lots of skirts with high/low hems. I have been talking about that as a big look here too.

Lacey short shorts- on the right legs this is a fabulous look

In shoes a popular look is caged styles. Heels, wedges, sandals and even a gladiator or two (why am I surprised since I was, after all, near the Colosseum!!)

Accent color for accessories was Yellow. Loved that. Very fresh.

One of the most interesting looks was in hair color. You see lots of red in Europe. A particularly good look was brunette chin length loose curls with deep red only on the tips of the curls. Looked really good.

Fashion is becoming so universal now with global coverage and availability. It is fun, though, to see how different countries interpret trends.

 

 

We had an absolutely fabulous trip this month. It was technically our long overdue honeymoon. We wanted to make this trip 4 years ago, but my dad’s illness changed our plans. It was now finally a good time to make this trip.

The trip started with 4 days in Rome, Italy. This was an appropriate start since it was on my last trip to Rome in 2002 that I made a wish and threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain. Tossing a coin, according to legend, will guarantee a return trip to Rome. I took my coin tossing very seriously because I had gotten a divorce and was throwing my coins with the added wish to come back again with the love of my life. And here we are!! I took Tom to Trevi fountain and we threw a coin in as a thank you for granting my wish!

Rome was alive with tourists from all over the world. Our first full day was spent at the Vatican. This is a must see for everyone. The art is spectacular. And for me everything the Vatican represents is important. We had a great guide, Massimo, who was fun and informative. We walked and climbed so many steps that my husband called the Vatican a spectacular stair-master!!  The next day we also did a lot of walking seeing many sights that Rome is noted for. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Beverly Hills which is located in a more quiet area near Villa Borghese.  We discovered some “neighborhood” restaurants that were so good.

Then part two of the adventure began! My friend (since the 7th grade!) Carol and her husband Tony joined us and we left on a Mediterranean Cruise. The cruise on Oceania’s Riviera left from the Rome port (Civitavecchia). The ports were Livorno, Italy (which was access to Tuscany- 2 hours drive to Florence and excursions to Lucca and other areas of interest), Portofino, Italy; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Saint Tropez, France; Marseille, France; Barcelona, Spain; Ibiza, Spain; Amalfi/Positano, Italy; and back to Rome. Wow!! We covered 1743 nautical miles.

The beauty of all of the architecture and cathedrals and art put your mind on overload.  Everything is so OLD and majestic in Europe. Then there was the contrast of Monte Carlo. You could actually smell the money! There were magnificent yachts docked there and there was no such thing as a normal car…everywhere you would see a Rolls Royce, Lamborghinis,  and cars that  I could not identify because they were zooming by.  The Principality of Monaco is still very much in love with Princess Grace Kelly. We visited the Prince’s Palace and the Monaco Cathedral. And of course, we had to stop for a wine and Monaco’s own beer (very good by the way). I wanted to go into the casino so that in any future James Bond movies I would be able to identify the location, but, they have a separate casino in the casino for tourists.  I was only interested in the real deal and since we were not interested in gambling we passed on that.

Each of the places we stopped had their own special personality and the weather in this region is glorious. Even though this region is a higher latitude than we are here in NY/NJ, the weather patterns are very different. Much less of their weather comes from the polar regions and they get trade winds that are milder than ours. This results in a drier and hotter climate. This gives way to palm trees, lemon trees and orange trees. Portofino, the second stop made in Italy, is a very picturesque spot. As you approach from the sea your eyes view multicolor villas all along the waterfront. This was once a quiet fishing village which is now full of boutiques, restaurants and beachside cliffs.

Stops in France were Marseille and Saint-Tropez. Marseille is France’s oldest city and a very busy port. The Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde is here. There are 200 steps to reach the Basilica. If we are ever back here we will choose an excursion that involves wine trails! And, I think I’ll remain loyal to Paris as far as French cities are concerned.  Saint-Tropez is another “playground to jetsetters, fashion models and millionaires”. This is the place where Brigid Bardot was “discovered”. Saint-Tropez played a major role in the history of modern art. Paul Signac “discovered this light infused place and inspired painters like Matisse, Bonnard and Marquet to come here”. Saint-Tropez remains an interesting site for painters. Quite a few very classy yachts hanging out here too.

This was my first trip to Spain and it definitely will not be the last. I fell in love with Barcelona. It is a gorgeous, lively city.  Barcelona is a province of Catalonia. It is the capital and largest city. This is the home of The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia.  This basilica began in 1882 and is not yet complete. This soaring basilica was designed by moderist Antonio Gaudi. It is simply incredible. The Poble Espanyol (the Spanish Village) is an architectural museum and a lovely place to walk around and  have lunch and shop in the boutiques. I plan on coming back to Barcelona and exploring the entire city. Our next stop in Spain was Ibiza. Ibiza is part of Spain’s Balearic Islands. The island is 8 miles wide and 25 miles long. In the summer months Ibiza turns into a huge scene for partying and dancing. They say 2 million young clubbers descend on the island to party. Disco is alive and well.

The trip wrapped up in Amalfi and Positano. I have to say, there is NOTHING like approaching the Amalfi coast from the water.  It is truly one of the most breathtaking views you will ever see. There are dramatic cliffs and beautiful scenery. We anchored off the coast and tendered to Amalfi. From there we motor-boated to Positano.  One of my favorite movies is Under The Tuscan Sun.  Positano is where she went to find Marcello (I think that was his name). I saw the apartment balcony where it was filmed.  Got in some shopping in both spots. Did I mention that lemoncello is produced in Amalfi? The size of the lemons are like grapefruits!  And the lemon gelato was delicious!!

Leaving the port, our ship had a very romantic departure. Bellinis were served on the upper deck and Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman were singing “Time to say Goodbye” full blast over the loudspeakers!! Do I have to even say there were tears flowing down my cheeks?? We arrived the next morning back in Rome.

A Mediterranean cruise is one of the most romantic trips you can possible take. It enables you to see so many places and you don’t have to pack and get to the next stop. I recommend Oceania. It is a very classy cruise line…no midnight buffet…no roving photographer wanting you to to buy a picture he took of you!  I highly recommend the voyage and all of it’s experiences. Enjoy.

 

Upcycle– verb: to process (used goods or waste material) so as to produce something that is often better than the original.

I have recently been introduced to a line called Retro Remix Pass It On.

A very talented artist, Dawn Lipman, has been “upcycling” vintage handbags and belt buckles. She combs through flea markets and thrift stores to collect vintage “treasures”. Dawn started RETRO REMIX in 2014.  Her studio is filled with vintage handbags, vintage jewelry , remnant trims, ribbons, tassels and lace. She creates original artwork and photo montages for the handbags on the computer. Then they are printed to paper and run through a laminating/adhesive machine.  These graphis are applied to the bags and she finishes the edges with vintage trim remnants. Dawn also crafts one of a kind belt buckles.  The blank buckle bases are filled with vintage jewelry, skeleton keys, and watch parts and watch bands. Each buckle is sold with a snap on leather belt.

The result is nothing short of spectacular. Barbara Lattoz is the sales consultant for the line. When I recently had a house party for Touchstone Crystal Barbara also brought a representation of the RETRO REMIX line. The women attending my party were so excited with what they saw and many went home with a new “old” bag!!!

The concept is just so great! The styles are very glamorous and some are kitsch. There are hollywood icons laminated on bags as well as cartoon super heros!! The entire thing just generates energy and individuality. And in addition to your upcylced product, you can create your own story about the original owner of the bag.  The bag I purchased was made in France! I have been having fun wondering about the original owner.

Dawn will be on LBI , NJ 5/29/16 at the Viking Village Art & Craft Show. She will also be at the Spring Chester Craft Show and in September on the 4th back on LBI at the Viking Village Art & Craft Show and then on 9/18 she will be at The Fall Crafts & Art Street Fair in Ridgewood, NJ.

Barbara Lattoz can be reached at barbaralattoz@aol.com. Her # is 908-963-1654.

Parties are a natural for these products. Enjoy!

Here are a few of styles:

A friend of mine has recently become an Independent Consultant for Swarovski’s direct selling division, Touchstone Crystal. Of course, as any good friend and fellow jewelry lover would do, I hosted a party.

There is something to be said for how far social selling has advanced since Tupperware! My party was “Crystals and Cocktails”. And we sure had both going on at my home and as my guests arrived I could see that they were ready for both.

Barbara had transformed my dining room table into a sea of sparkle. The merchandise exceeded my expectations and my guests were thrilled with what they saw and heard about the product. Imagine…a 90 day product guarantee and lifetime warranty. Where do you see that? And the personal connection of social selling  guarantees the guarantee!

Each woman reviewed the catalog  and then approached the table “store” that Barbara had arranged. You could see the sparkle jump up off of the table and and start dancing in everyone’s eyes. Pens fast and furiously started to write down numbers. Cell phone calculators were assessing the damage. One by one we sat with Barbara to place an order. One of my friends said it is like we are lining up for confession!! But, the beauty of this line is that it is affordable…and sooooo glamorous…and sooooo sparkly that it does not require asking for forgiveness to make the purchase. The phenomenon about social selling is that one has a captive audience. An audience that is focused AND socializing at the same time. You don’t find that in a department store.

The evening eventually wrapped up with a bunch of happy people  heading home to think about what they will be wearing with their new purchases and oh, how fabulous they will look.

If you would like to know more about this product and would like to shop my party go to Barbara Baselice-Lattoz’s site:  https://sites.touchstonecrystal.com/barblattoz/myevent?e=52274

You will not be disappointed…and you might even consider joining Barbara’s team. Then you can help to bring “sparkle” into the lives of many people.