Easy Breezy

   I love the "easiness" that comes with summer....wether it be living in a swim suit, sun dress, or tennis skirt, it's so nice! Sadly this dream does not work with the working world and every morning I find myself moaning in bed as I hear my alarm go off, it is not because of the hour, but of the process I know that awaits me to get ready for work. I sit and stare at my hair dryer wondering if there is a way to skip the whole blow- drying/hair product part? Unfortunately the answer is no. Next, I stare into my closet wincing at the choices in front of me, the high heels and tights that go along with the usual suit... my feet hate me now.

  I am starting to realize that my perfect, "easy breezy" summer is changing. Nothing is nicer than living in a shift with nothing to do and  constant sun surrounding you. This is why I am antsy to move down to L.A. , to see if I can turn my "easy breezy" summer into a few more years. That would be nice! 

kiss 

Cool Girls

 So What's the Cool Factor? 

Attitude?

Mystery?

Edge?

Renegade?

Uniqueness?

Massive Confidence?

   The three models Erin Wasson, Daria Werbowy, and Stella Tennant represent to me the epitome of coolness. Erin and Daria are known for their love of extreme sports and and edgy style, while Stella is known for her "tom boy"spikey hair look, very British public school. I love the fact that they still look sexy and feminine, even when they deviate from the form. 

For Thought...

Little Things...

Apart for her obvious beauty, I like the little gap between her two front teeth....I have always found this charming on people...

Le Café

     On my way home from work I often pass by people enjoying their "after work appertif," which looks so lovely, but I always find myself hustling to catch my ferry. In the midst of my "hustling" I can't help but smile and think of how the weekend is sooo close, the sun is out, and how I must get home soon to join in and get my glass of wine! I guess we should all try to take that little break every evening at "le café" like the Parisians do and enjoy that little space of time between work and home. Whether you are in a Parisian café, San Francisco, or anywhere else in the world, have a great start to the almost weekend!

bisous

Red & White

   When I was younger, I used to be self-conscious about my fair skin and often wondered why my genes had been skipped over by the Greek vein that runs through my father's side of the family and found it's way into my younger brother, Henry.  I was endlessly jealous of him, olive skinned in the winter and beautifully brown the rest of the year, I,on the other hand,had to seek shady corners,to avoid heat rash and was embarrassed by my pasty zinc coated skin. My youngest brother also to join me in those corners as we represented the very Irish side of the family.

    Now that I am older I have come to terms with my pale skin and... actually like it now. I still have to watch my skin and lather sun block on, but my mother reminds me of how less sun equals less wrinkles. Fingers crossed! Sometimes this comment flies right over my head when I think of the many years I have ahead of me, but when I see the beautiful faces of Anjelica Huston or Costanza Pascolato of Vogue's Brazil, I understand more and more of what it means to take care of yourself when you are younger.

  Another bonus of fair skin is the, "red and white look." In the winter I take advantage of my skin at its fairest and add deep red lipstick and I love it. When I look at the pictures above all I can think of is how striking and fresh faced they look. Sometimes I am sad to see the winter go because it is often when i look my most striking. A nice benefit of avoiding the sun.

kiss 

    I have always preferred wearing long dresses, which has been a bit of a challenge since they only became popular in the last few years. Long dresses represent the most feminine part of a women's wardrobe, but they also add an elegant aspect. Another reason why I love them so is because I am tall and athletic and long dresses make me feel not only graceful, but comfortable. Truth be told my legs are also my least favorite feature, so when I am comfortable, I am at my most confident. 

If only it were sunny and warm all year round in San Francisco...

kiss 

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Brazil

   I have not been to Brazil, but my dear dear friend Mariana, whom I call Marni lives there, and it is on the top of my list of places to visit. All of the Brazilians I have ever met share a warm and joyous charisma that is contagious... it is so fun to be around them! Another quality that I have noticed about Brazilians is that they are always so well groomed and stylish. This is Marni exactly, she has a natural eye for putting the perfect outfit together. One day I asked her, "why do Brazilian girls always look so good?!" She agreed and told me of the Brazilians' love for femininity and curves and how weekly visits to the spa for nail and hair treatments are considered a "must." All the while I kept glancing at my own nails and touching my hair...hmmm....questionable?! Once you see how cute, stylish, and beautiful Marni is you can appreciate the Brazilians approach to style and grooming. 

Brazilian girls are undeniable!

Bisous 

http://www.garancedore.fr/

Smile!

http://streetfsn.blogspot.com/

http://www.style.com/

The Art of the Wrap

    I am drawn to these photos because of their unique and dramatic fabrics, yet the outfits are clean cut and simple. Another aspect that appeals to me is the varying "wrap" effect that they all share. The picture in the far left is from the Alberta Ferretti Resort 2012 collection, which expresses a dramatic side wrap while the middle picture from the Armani Privé Fall 2011 Couture collection uses  a simple skinny belt to cinch the "wrap." 
  
   My favorite "wrap" though, appears in the far right corner, Organic by John Patrick Resort, 2012 collection. Maybe I am in a summer state of mind, but the sarong style of wrap is so effortless, natural, and appealing. I am partial to this type of wrap and whenever I go to the beach or pool, I must have a sarong along with me...hmm I actually don't see many people using a sarong anymore? Well, I have this summer to change that!


Bisous xo 

Bonjour!

Greetings from San Francisco,

 I hope you enjoy my page and the things that interest and inspire me. I am hoping that they are the same things that interest and inspire you. 

-Madeleine

Bisous 

Dotty for Spots!

  

   I'm going dotty for spots. Cheetah and leopard add a bit of sass and fun to every outfit, a bit of fun for everyones wardrobe. My most favorite cheetah accessory has been my Lambertson Truex cheetah driving moccasins and sadly, as I seem to do with all the things that I love...I wore them to death, so... I now have a cheetah bag that  is in the beginning cycles of being loved to death. I guess one can say that yes, I really am dotty for spots! 

bisous xo

Summer

Top 10 favorite things about summer:

1. the smell of sunblock on skin 

2. letting hair dry naturally

3. cotton dresses and wearing less clothes

4. the smell of barbeques

6. how hair lightens in the summer

7. wearing less makeup

8. the sun setting later

9. margaritas  

10. daydreaming about other wonderful warm places for the future...Skopelos, Greece...

  

  Once again this is another place on my "bucket list," Skopelos, Greece. I admit that I was first drawn to it because of the movie Mamma Mia with Meryl Streep (where it was filmed). I have always wanted to go to Greece, but wanted to find a place that was less touristy than Mykonos or Santorini. The idea of being in a small little town while mingling with the locals sounds lovely to me + endless days of living in a swimsuit and eating the local cuisine. 

  

   Skopelos is made up of red roofed houses rising up a hillside of fruit orchards and pine woods. It is said that that there are so many chapels and monastaries in Skopelos that there is one for each day of the year... sounds so charming! 

  About a year ago my mother pondered the idea of opening a restaurant in Greece, maybe this was a wine induced?! This idea had disappeared by the next morning, but I am still for it and am constantly reminding her of it! :) 

hmmm....maybe I should just watch Mamma Mia in the meantime?!

bisous xo

The Beauty of Lace...

 Burano, Italy is one of the few places in the world that continues to make lace. Originally lace was only to be worn by clergymen of the Roman Catholic Church, but by the 16th century the making of lace widely spread throughout Europe. In the 19th century the missionaries brought lace making to the Indians. 

  Today, lace making is an ancient art, but still being in made in places like Burano or Bruges, Belgium (another place that lace making originated in). Despite the decline in lace making it is still just as revered for its beauty and craftsmanship. Once can see an example of this in Valentino’s Haute Couture Fall 2011 collection. 

 Not only is lace used on the fashion runways, but for the traditional religious and ceremonial purposes. Long before my mother knew she was having twins, my brother and myself, she bought a lace christening cap from Burano when she was on her honeymoon with my father. Years later my brother ended up wearing this cap while I wore a lace gown that was bought in Belgium decades before by my great grandmother.

It was my first taste of lace and I am hooked! :-)

Bisous 

xo

New York, New York

   One day I hope to be living here! Yes, New York City! I have so many "to-do"s" on my bucket list, but this is one of the tops. I love how this city makes me feel, as if a lightening bolt has gone right through me. Many people can't take the business, but I love it and how the city never settles down. I love waking up in the morning to get my coffee and hearing the cabs go by and the constant noise, ahhh such happiness..hmmm...or maybe I haven't stayed long enough yet. We'll see?


   Despite being ripped off by a cab driver ($140 cab ride from JFK to the upper westside), loosing my wallet, being stuck in a pitch black subway car for 30 min, or having the flu on New Years Eve night, I still always arrive back in San Francisco wanting more!


Here is to you New York City, and see you soon!
 xoxo

Pink Skies

During one of my stays in NYC. Love the pink skies!

Ooh La La List!

I guess you can say this is my "it" list at the moment. Yes, it is short, but some of it is très cher pour moi, so I will be admiring from afar or at least start off with the J.Crew bag ;-) On that thought...I should really examine how much I spend on lattes a month or even a week!!! :-/
kiss

Curves

Italian Vogue
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

It is so nice to see women not only appreciated for their beauty, but now their curves! Refreshing!  

xo

Keeping it Manly...

The saying "less is more," isn't always the way to go, but in this case...YES! I have always loved the basic look of a button up shirt or blazer on a girl, it is so simple! In the winter I live in button up collared shirts, cords, boots, and of course my biggg hoop earrings! Now that I am moving to L.A though I am going to have to reconfigure this look...uh oh! I live near San Francisco, which in the winter = 40-50 degree weather + rain and lots of fog, whereas L.A. seems to always be warm, beautiful, and sunny...no complaints here!

It is best when a girl keeps things natural and simple. A girls face and smile should say it all and shouldn't be overwhelmed by too many accessories and a busy outfit. The late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (bottom right picture) had this look down. She always appeared clean cut, chic, tailored, but most of all naturally beautiful! So yes, sometimes less is more and in this case looking more on the masculine side of fashion isn't bad either! Think of the look as a New England school boy, but with a fashion twist! ;-)
à bientôt! ♡

♥

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July!!! :-) I had such a lovely day, but now sadly the weekend is over. Well I guess that goes for most of us, so I will stop complaining! BUT, as I did say, I had a great 4th of July. I spent the day in Napa by a pool + the barbecue seemed to be constantly cooking...YUM!
I will admit that another part of why I loved about being in Napa (my pic in the upper right) and having great weather, was that I finally got to wear my brand new big floppy sun hat! I had always wanted one and a few weeks ago I found the perfect one at J.Crew ( J.Crew's picture in the upper left). Big floppy hats are so elegant and add a new dynamic to any outfit. Another added benefit of a big hat is the sun protection, which is perfect for someone like me with my fair Irish skin! No more sitting in the corner under an umbrella for me!
As one can see in the picture of Grace Kelly at the bottom, she used a big floppy sun hat as well! One doesn't need much persuasion after that! :)

Waves of Pink

Majorelle Blue

  Majorelle Blue is a color that is distinctive to Morocco, notable for its intense shade of blue...très jolie! This color was trademarked in 1924 by the French artist Jacques Majorelle. He is most famous for his work in the Majorelle Garden in Marrakech, Morocco in which he painted all the garden walls, fountains, and walls in this shade of blue. After the death of Jacques Majorelle, Yves Saint Laurent in 1980 purchased the gardens and restored them. The Majorelle blue color and Morocco even inspired a few of Yves Saint Laurent's collections.


   Speaking of things Moroccan, it has always been my dream to have a Moroccan themed house! I love the architecture and the beautiful rich colors that make up the country of Morocco. No, I have not been, BUT when I do I can assure you that I will be coming back with oodles of scarves, lanterns, and furniture to fill my future house! Most importantly though I will have Majorelle Blue walls! xoxo

Turbans

   I have always loved the look of head scarves/turbans with biggg... hoop earrings. I wear hoop earrings a lot, but have yet to wear a turban. A part of me feels that a turban looks best on an older woman; they have become wiser and have more confidence for such a dramatic look, they know exactly who they are and are relaxed enough to appear simply regal and poised...an empress? Or Elizabeth Taylor sexy?

   A few months ago I saw an older French woman at our tennis club doing laps in the pool...and she was wearing a turban... ET VOILÀ! She looked so striking and graceful as she did her laps! She pulled it off perfectly, better than anyone younger could! All I can do is strive to be like this in my years to come. A good goal...non?!?!

I love seeing women of any age who have the confidence to show their personal style....

kiss