Off the cuff

I have a thing for cuff bracelets. Blame it on Lynda Carter--all those Wonder Woman episodes left their mark on me.

As long as your clothing is relatively simple--a long column of a dress, for example, or an all-black simple top and pants--
the addition of matching bracelets on each arm is a bold, stylish statement. Think Diana Vreeland, circa 1962. They need not be "good" jewelry...this classic transcends carats.

Please don't mind if I share a couple from my collection...along with one that is so beloved, it should have a twin, but alas, is a solo act...

A pair of Kenny Lanes...


Some vintage enamels...


And finally, my lonely fox, consoling himself by a close association with his own tail...his gaze two gorgeous cabochon emeralds...


Two is better than one,
ABL

Brief me

So much work lately...hence my absence from the blogosphere. And so, my aesthetic senses are somewhat blunted by thoughts of profit margins, new business pitches, and the like.

Thus no surprise that my style thoughts are centered on the brief case...so named for the legal profession whose mandate to carry about voluminous reams of paper gave genus to the valise-like tote of today.

I vary my brief case choices based on season, client, and outfit. I have had four of them for about twenty years or more which have served me well in all situations...



The versatile LV tote, a tad flashy but fitting for luxury client visits...




The newer Vera Bradley quilted hard case, for those casual needs...




An ancient Dooney and Bourke suitable for the old-school prep situation...




And a similarly aged Mark Cross, a vibrant emerald choice that proves that a classic leathergoods brand is never out of style...




Carrying on,
ABL

Opening the latches

I have a lot of keys. And so, the choice of a key fob is...well...key.

My lifelong go-to solution has been the trusty Tiffany ring...
but it's nice to have a few other alternatives when the mood/season/outfit strikes...

Kiel James Patrick

Ordinarily I do not blog about things to buy. I focus on things one already has.

HOWEVER, occasionally I make exceptions. This super-cute preppy boy's sailing-inspired headbands, bracelets, key fobs and other items are very unique.

Check it out!

Kiel James Patrick.

In denial

With three feet of snow outside my door, I am transported backward mentally to Summer 2009...

Door pillows

I just love these, don't you? I have them on every bedroom and upstairs room door. It makes entering each chamber much more fun and somewhat subversive.

The one shown is particularly apropos on a day when we have three feet of snow and counting...

Hob-knobbing,
ABL

Am I blue

A long-standing staple of the gracious home is collections.They can be many things--silver cups, Halcyon Days enamels, Herend figurines, Staffordshire, et al...there's no limit. One of the most popular kinds of collections is the color-based one...and blue seems to be the go-to shade.

I have long been a blue--particularly a blue-and-white--fan. Our master bedroom is blue toile, our upstairs hall is Williamsburg blue toile, and on and on. Downstairs I have a collection of blue export which I adore. Most is original and inherited, a few other pieces have been acquired by moi the traditional way: American Express!

Are you a blue buff? Please share!

Plus d'un peu bleue,
ABL

True beauty

It sometimes takes Mother Nature to show us what the great masterpieces in visual arts truly are. No...not a Louboutin shoe...not a vintage David Webb necklace...(although these are purty darn great, too)...not a Louis Quinze sofa nor a St. Laurent dress...but the simple majesty and transformative glory that can occur overnight in our own backyards.

For those of you living in the Northeast, this may be redundant, and to you I apologize. But for all others...I submit the unsurpassed artistry of the snowflake and all it can do...

Chilled and thrilled,

ABL

O d'Eau

With a blanket of fresh snow on its way, I am content to await the deluge and contemplate the delights of the olefactory sense. I have a cake baking, cookies to follow...filling the house with the delicious aroma of chocolate. What else could smell as divine?

Hermes Rouge comes to mind. (Of course, discontinued now, as many of my Hermes faves are.) As does Caleche Eau Delicat, Chanel Numero Cinq, Jicky by Guerlain, and a host of others. I survey my silver parfum tray with a nose somewhat compromised by culinary pursuits, but nonetheless appreciative of the wide range of trailing scentsations I leave in my wake.

Nosey me,

ABL