Tuesday, October 5, 2010

On Trend: Animal Prints

Animal Prints have been making a comeback in the world of fashion in fresh, updated colors and designs. Snakeskin, cheetah, zebra...found on everything from shoes and clutches to blouses and dresses. A great way to pull of this look without crossing into "tacky" territory, is to pair the animal print with a solid color such as black, olive green, brown, or gray. The same rule can be applied to animal prints used in home decor - a little goes a long way! Opposite of fashion, I think this look is fairly timeless when it comes to interior design. I'll never tire of a cool faux zebra rug placed in a living room or a cheetah print throw pillow on an accent chair. When used the right way, animal prints are a great way to kick your outfit or home up a notch! How do you feel about this trend? Do you prefer it more in fashion or interiors design? Please share your thoughts!

All items via shopbop.com, in their Animal Prints section. Image on top right with (3) runway models via.














Monday, October 4, 2010

Quote of the Week

"To be truly romantic, a bedroom must be playful. It can be chic as can be, but it must have a bit of "come hither" to it."










IMAGE CREDITS: HOUSE BEAUTIFUL; HOUSE TO HOME; ELLE DECOR; DECOR PAD

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A happy Monday to you all.  Did you have a nice weekend? Do anything fun or exciting?  Saturday I spent the afternoon with my two best friends in downtown Ventura. We had the best time shopping the vintage stores! I scored a vintage leather jacket for $22 and an adorable BCBG dress for $16. We had lunch, shared a pitcher of Octoberfest beer (delicious) and talked wedding details for my bestie Michelle, who's tying the knot in January. October has officially arrived and I'm looking forward to the weather cooling down soon...it's been in the high 90's / 100's here and I'm really, really sick of this heat! Anyway, enjoy your week and thank you for stopping by belle maison :)

Friday, October 1, 2010

Cocktail Party with Jonathan Adler!

Finally, I have a moment to sit down and post all of the pictures from last night's event! I went with Sabina (designer and owner of Fleabag Bed) and a few other friends to a cocktail party celebrating the opening of the new Jonathan Adler & Elie Tahari boutiques at Fashion Island. Needless to say, it was fabulous! The new Jonathan Adler boutique is incredible - it's in huge space, filled with all of the chic, colorful, quirky JA accents we adore, along with inspiring room vignettes, and positive statements boldly painted on the walls. And what about Mr. Adler himself, you ask? Well, he was just as I hoped he'd be and more. Kind, fun, excited to be there (well, you'd hope so!), and very approachable. He mingled with everyone - made his way around the store to stop and take pictures with fans, sign autographs, and chat. It was jam packed and people were constantly surrounding him, but eventually I managed to snap a picture with him, which made me very happy! Here's an overview of the evening in a nutshell...


Smile! I wasn't leaving that place without a picture with Jonathan Adler! From left: Alisha, Jonathan Adler, Me, and Erika.





Love this statement!And right below are needlepoint pillows that spell LOVE.

Me and Sabina 



I had to take a picture of these two gentleman's outfits! The graphic patterns were so fitting for a Jonathan Adler event...they reminded me of something you'd see in his store (like the pillows in the image below!).


This guy just stood here with his little dog (who was sporting a doggie dress), like he was part of the room behind him. Not why he was just standing there staring, but I had to capture the moment! It was too perfect!

Of course, dogs were welcome in the store and this poodle named Carrie fit right in. Looked like she was posing for the cameras on that chair (something tells me she's used to this kind of lifestyle, attending cocktail parties, getting star treatment...it is Newport Beach, after all!). The other pooch had on a navy and red & white striped dress, naturally.



I'll take the bedding, headboard and chandelier please!



This quote was painted in the employees hallway / back of the store. I LOVE what it says, especially since I'm a huge believer in color, color, and more color! 

I can never get enough of the union jack pattern. It looked fantastic against the sexy gray sofa.

Top Left: Lara Spencer and Elie Tahari ; snapshots of the crowd in the store; me and JA 


Salt & pepper shakers, colorful linens and ceramics.


Each guest received a gift bag, compliments of the Jonathan Adler store. Inside was a set of Shoe Salt & Pepper shakers which are adorable! They're packaged in a mini shoebox and the bottom of the box reads: finally, a reason to put your shoes on the table... It doesn't get any cuter than that!

On our way out, we were able to snap a photo with Mr. Elie Tahari. He was so sweet and down-to-earth. And his new boutique, which is adjacent to J.Adler, is breathtaking. Gorgeous clothes in a beautifully designed setting. 

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Thank you for letting me share this exciting event with you! Have a wonderful weekend and  I'll meet you back here next week ! xoxo - Julie