{runway inspiration: derek lam, new york}

"I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity - all I hope for in my clothes."

~ Yves Saint Laurent

. . . a little sad to gracefully decline so many new york fashion week invitations as we've only just returned, but still and always wonderfully exciting to pore over the spring 2011 ready-to-wear collections for new work by favourite designers such as derek lam . . . there were clean lines and floaty dresses, linen twill blazers and silk crepe blouses, but most of all, there was that wonderful seventies sophistication that am so adoring these days . . .

{p.s.} more sexy seventies style:
* blouses & blazers
* scarves & pencil skirts
* fedoras & leopard print
* stripes & secretary blouses
* turlenecks & tweed

{images: vogue}

{happy weekend!}

. . . this weekend is windswept hair and toes in the sand, picnics on the beach and the city behind us . . . ahead: the last golden days of summer . . .

Have a beautiful, beautiful weekend, everyone!
xo

{p.s.} a few lovely links:
* fun, fun, fun {via here}
* seeing hearts
* rock 'n roll chic fall collection
* back to school
* video: friends forever

{interviews + guestposts:}
* summer musings at automatism
* question & answer with sesame magazine

{images: 1 - Chloè Spring Summer 2007; model: Trish Goff; photographer: Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin; 2 - Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris duplex on the Rue de Babylone; YSL original logo hand-lettered by graphic artist Cassandre, 1961; photography by Pascal Chevallier, Vanity Fair}

{have a gorgeous summer weekend}

. . . another few leisurely days and it's away, away again, out of the city and to the countryside, guests from out of town and saturday morning flower markets, champagne and the last of the world cup matches, wild strawberries and late dinners in the garden, and a little shopping & sunday morning lattes . . .

wishing you an extraordinarily wonderful weekend, and hope it's beautiful where you are,
xo

{a few lovely links:}
* travel: london, paris, copenhagen and stockholm
* beautiful rebranding: petite alma
* for dessert: jeweled macarons
* sequins: shorts & ponytail
* for wood nymphs: amazing tree houses {via lynn}
* a countryside picnic: here & here
* lovely, lovely: music box ballerinas
* summer inspiration: lake house

{as always, a few things you may have missed:}
* room inspiration: always de gournay
* shoes, shoes, shoes: sergio rossi
* hello: & a few things
* storage inspiration: pretty jewelry display
* two lovely things: mirror, mirror
* wedding inspiration: little white dresses

{new for the weekend:}
* in the bedroom: summer whites
* colour inspiration: shades of citron

{one last thing:}
. . . in the event you're arriving here for the first time, this week's glamorous give-away: a herman miller eames chair!

*** click here *** to enter xo

{image: a previous post}

{give-away: cable & heart bracelet}

today's give-away is an impossibly romantic cable and heart bracelet from chicago-based jess lc jewelry, who is celebrating a brand new site re-design, just in time for spring

a wonderful infusion of tough & sweet, it's perfect for late lunches on breezy terraces and candle-lit dinners on sultry summer nights:

to enter, {click here} to visit the brand new jess lc website, or {here} to view the fun new lookbook, then leave a comment below

{bonne chance!/good luck!}

* choice between all gold, or gold heart with silver chain; one winner will be randomly selected and contacted by e-mail after wednesday, april 14, 2010; if you do not have a blog or contact e-mail on your blog, please include it with your comment for notification; open to all readers; top image: viviana volpicella by tommy ton of jak & jil for style.com via definitely golden; yves saint laurent large leather clutch

{fashion inspiration: yves saint laurent}

. . . the holiday decorations have been taken down, and there's nothing left to do but dream of open-toed shoes, and especially silver ysl cage heels with navy velvet ribbons . . .

{p.s.} more spring things:
* the garden collection
* pretty pastels

{via the cherry blossom girl}

{holiday inspiration: black glass + crystal}

. . . really quite taken with this yves saint laurent black glass bead and crystal necklace, and especially with the golden clasp . . .