July 16, 2010 by Simone
Oh readers! What’s on your list this weekend? Here are a few pics from my neighborhood stroll out in the amazing little town of Bolinas… have you been? The drive from San Francisco out to this little coastal town is gorgeous. I come here for an afternoon of
Hog Island oysters, crisp rose, and a true escape….
Next – we’re heading out to Williams, CA to hit
Wilbur Hot Springs for an evening. 1800 acres of land to explore! Will keep you posted and many updates from my SF weekend to come! Hope you relax, and are able to escape this weekend as well…
Tags: san francisco wilbur hot springs hog island oysters bolinas
Categories: travel, weekend •
July 16, 2010 by Simone
If you have window shopping on the mind or are in the mood to treat yourself, a must when in SF is Gimme Shoes in Hayes Valley. They have a brilliantly curated selection of designers - A.F. Vandervorst, Zero Maria Cornejo, Bernard Whillhelm to name a few. Great sales as well! Next stop should be MAC (Modern Appeal Clothing) which is just around the corner. No website, but you can enjoy some time with the knowledgeable owner Ben, and surely find many a Lanvin or Margiela to lust for…
Tags: gimme shoes mac margiela af vandervorst zero
Categories: fashion+style, travel •
July 9, 2010 by Simone
Oh weekend! You bring me a few days closer to my getaway next week…I’ll be heading up North to beautiful SF, and on to Wilbur Hot Springs, a turn of the century hot springs and lodge on 1800 acres of natural preserve. More on that trip next week, and some secret rejuvenation ideas for your minds and bodies as well! Until Monday, enjoy these beautiful summer days!
Tags: wilbur hot springs
Categories: travel, weekend •
June 11, 2010 by Simone
Ohhh, I’m absolutely loving the clean crisp leather goods from WANT. Their city bags are just the perfect thing to tote your life from here to there and back again. With pieces for all of the modern lady & gents needs, including ipod & laptop bags (soon Ipad bags I’m sure), you’ll find some great pieces to toss all your goods in and instantly feel buttoned up for your daily adventures. Quite enticing don’t you think? If the leathers aren’t in the budget, they offer some ultra chic organic shoppers as well. From their site:
‘A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.’ – Lao Tzu
available at oak, opening ceremony, and other fine retailers
Tags: leather goods, travel bags, WANT
Categories: fashion+style, travel •
May 14, 2010 by Simone
This past week I have been living vicariously through Garance’s posts on the magic of St. Tropez in summer, the periphery of Cannes Film Fest., and oh yes, the barefooted models at the Chanel resort show. Her shots of early evening spontaneous gatherings have left me so ready for summer and my next getaway…(location TBD!) Some favorites are her shots of Diane Kruger having a blast with boule as day slowly turns to evening. I’ve spent quite a bit of time with Boule – not only playing it when I lived in France, but searching for the perfect bespoke set for a project last year. And alas, I did find one in Geoffrey Parker’s collection. You may have also seen by now the Chanel boule – (certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, but a new fave for many)
So! We may not be in St. Tropez this weekend, but I am nonetheless inspired to call up my pals and play a game in my garden!
Borsalino hats (found via Oh Joy), Moscot Eyewear, Rachel Comey satchels, Mymu Espadrilles, Geoffrey Parker bespoke garden boule, Kikkerland Danish Boule Set.
Tags: bespoke garden boule, cannes film fest, chanel, Danish Boule Set. Geoffrey Parker, Diane Kruger, Espadrilles, eye glasses, Kikkerland, Moscot Eyewear, st. tropez
Categories: fashion+style, travel •
May 11, 2010 by Simone
With a ready to wear collection launched in 2006 after studying at Central St. Martins and interning with Marc Jacobs, Araks designs are based on the principle that a woman’s beauty should be effortless and is most evident when she is comfortable. In Spring 2008 she added an organic lingerie line constructed with certified organic fibers and colors produced with natural vegetable based pigments. Beautiful.
Tags: araks, organic fibers, vegetable based pigments
Categories: fashion+style, travel •
May 4, 2010 by Simone
I had a laugh the other day as I remembered how kids used to tease me about my name – that it was actually “Simon Le Bon” not “Simone LeBlanc”. In my mind, this surely just meant that someday I’d be married to lead singer of Duran Duran, and I’d be laughing in the end. My family is French/Cajun – both sides of my family: Plaisance on my mother’s side, LeBlanc my Father’s. As a California kid, I was enamored by our summer trips to Southeast Texas bayou and to the family tombstones, crawfish farms, and road-side antique stores in Louisiana. These trips would be heightened by the countless stories and memories told by my Grandparents. These tall-tales and visits to the secret, mystical spots of the old South has given me a lifetime of creative inspiration. Have you been to New Orleans?
My Papa on my Mother’s side (also known as Frenchy the Demon Barber, famous for his moonshine – but that’s another story), would serve us the chickory coffee from the original Cafe Du Monde in the French Market, established in 1862. Back in the 1920′s he was just a kid in New Orleans eating beignets. This place has survived fires, of course the Hurricanes, and probably outlived a hex or two as well:
Another spot I’ve always loved to visit is Hendley Market on the little island of Galveston. It’s full of history, mystery, and incredible old Victorian homes. Galveston suffered so much from not only Katrina, but the follow up Hurricanes Rita & Ike. I’ve not been back to the island since Ike, but have heard that’s it’s slowly bouncing back. And Hendley’s is still thankfully up and running. Walk inside and you see an extremely well curated mix of antique books, medical instruments, Victorian sundries, and textiles:
More on the old South soon!
Tags: French, inspirational crafts, lifestyle
Categories: gift guides, travel •
April 16, 2010 by Simone
Check out the gorgeous Maison Couturier, found via 2 or 3 things. It’s an old estate in Veracruz built by French immigrants in the 19th C. A 9 room guesthouse/farm surrounded by banana plantations, offering artisanal cheeses, wood-oven baked water bread and certainly calming peace of mind. Let’s go! I’d like to spend the weekend here, with a group of my nearest and dearest….do you have anything planned this weekend?
oh! and here’s my fantasy outfit thank you very much:
L’Wren Scott hat, Alexander Wang tank dress, Opening Ceremony sandals, Rachel Comey cardigan, LemLem cotton bag
Have a beautiful and hopefully relaxing weekend – pull out the bicycles and picnic blankets!
Tags: fashion+style, lifestyle, travel
Categories: fashion+style, travel, weekend •
April 5, 2010 by Simone
Being a gift buyer and stylist means friends, clients and family inevitably ask me for new ideas to give to the significant people in their lives. Whether it be something unexpected for their new sister in law who really, truly has everything she could ever need, or what’s appropriate to give to their new boss for Christmas, the questions keep on coming. Thankfully, I absolutely LOVE these requests and I have an ongoing list of answers that keep growing. Recently, a girlfriend was looking for a simple & considerate gesture gift to give to her new boyfriend’s mother. They had shared a coffee and the woman (who was a bit of an eccentric) told stories of her past travels and adventures abroad. My friend wanted to show her gratitude for the afternoon they had spent, and somehow let her know that she felt a kinship without seeming to forward. I suggested this fantastic coffee table book: “Women Travelers, A Century of Trailblazing Adventures 1850 -1950″ by Alexandra Lapierre.
“An award-winning novelist brings to life the stories of the greatest women adventurers in history. From deserts and jungles to mountains and icebergs, they faced unimaginable dangers as they crossed all five continents, often armed with little more than a corset and an umbrella”
Well, any woman that can travel the world with a mere corset and an umbrella is a better woman than I. Needless to say, there are a TON of inspiring ideas in this book that have the stylist in me clamoring at the bits to create modern outfits for all of these trailblazin’ ladies! Let’s start with Nellie Bly, who in 1889 attempted to turn the fictional Around the World in Eighty Days into fact for the first time. She circumnavigated the globe in 72 days almost completely unchaperoned, bringing with her only the dress she was wearing, a sturdy overcoat, several changes of underwear and a small travel bag carrying her toiletry essentials.
Here’s my take for the modern Miss Bly:
Globe- Trotter Safari collection luggage (LOVE), Belstaff for Jcrew bomber jacket, Brenda Lyn fedora from Barneys, Lanvin Wouters sunglasses and Golden Goose boots from La Garconne. Bon Voyage!
Tags: fashion+style, lifestyle, luggage, stylish women, travel, vintage
Categories: fashion+style, travel •
Next – we’re heading out to Williams, CA to hit Wilbur Hot Springs for an evening. 1800 acres of land to explore! Will keep you posted and many updates from my SF weekend to come! Hope you relax, and are able to escape this weekend as well…
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