My mother has been gone now many years, but before she left she bequeathed me an extraordinary life lesson. She taught me that to be respected, one must possess the gift of curiosity and compassion. Truly one of the classiest woman I have ever known, my mother taught me that true beauty was in understatement and the ability to notice the quiet elegance visible in simple details. Every Mother’s Day, … Read More
Some of the members of my clan are just a little bit dachshund obsessed. It’s a legacy passed down through the females in my family over the past three generations. I grew up with these rambunctious, impish, wiener dogs whose curious and feisty personalities and funky body shape have been humorous fodder for a plethora of teasing ( mostly by the men in our lives). There has been Slinky, Sam, … Read More
A few weeks ago, I traveled to Washington state to visit a client’s store located in the Skagit Valley north of Seattle and close to the Canadian border. Although I have visited many places during my life, this is one area of the country I had never seen. I was mesmerized by the snow capped mountains that embraced verdant farmland just beginning to yield the fields of tulips for which … Read More
Last month I was walking around the eclectic Marais neighborhood in Paris trolling for interesting ideas when I spotted this orange shoulder bag in the window of the artsy Cecile & Jeanne boutique. I did not know that I needed a new handbag until it called my name. My first instinct was to buy it in red. I love red. It’s a fashion basic that speaks strongly and makes an … Read More
Last week, still in my pajamas, I was in the sunporch, enjoying my first cup of the day, at peace in an early spring sun. I was ruminating how the simple pleasure of this everyday ritual was really one of life’s luxuries. Coffee is an essential part of my morning routine. No matter where I travel, I have to admit, I crave this quintessential brew. Quality matters; smell, taste and … Read More
When I was young, buying bras was a fractious affair. Endowed, but not particularly fleshy, I had no real pretty choices in the intimate’s market. I was restricted to boring bras that I jokingly referred to as “erector sets”. It did not seem fair, especially when the curvier media legends of my youth, Sophia Loren, Lynda Carter and Raquel Welch managed to project sensuality and femininity wearing barely anything. I … Read More
What a surprise when, at The Curve Lingerie show last month, I bumped into two young designers who were just beginning their careers when they worked with me in a past life. Now, several years later, Courtney Newman and Erica Paul have propelled their personal retro style into a showcase of glamorous lingerie for women who are blessed with sexy curves. Inspired by the vintage under-things worn by burlesque stars … Read More