late-autumn hues: nature & nail color

hello dearies!  sorry not to be checking in as often as i'd like, but things seem to be hectic hectic everywhere.  work & fun & such a wonderfully successful post-war and contemporary evening sale on tuesday. but tomorrow i know that after a morning at the met, i will stroll peacefully down fifth ave, basking in the filtered light created by the avenue of overarching tall oaks overhead, bursting with autumn, possibly similar to the photo above.  this is reminiscent of last year's treks through hyde park & the path in st. james & green park leading eventually to the palace ... long strides & deep breaths in my tall riding boots. 

isn't this just magical?

and this reminds me of photos i've been dying to share for a full year now ... a perfect autumn saturday in the english countryside, at the most magnificent chatsworth.  a great duke's 'attic sale' hosted by sotheby's followed by hours of romping about the grounds, snapping photos of remarkable vistas, the house a picturesque masterpiece, & in the house, gasping at its beauty & extravagance, and hoping just hoping that mr. darcy would appear around every corner.  all coming soon, tomorrow perhaps?    

but now, head out of jane austen & back in new york, i think i have found the.perfect.nail.color for november pre-thanksgiving.  downtown brown by essie.  described by essie as a chocolate brown with deep red undertones, it is quintessentially late autumn, moving away from the apple reds of september & october & preceding the jewel-tones and sparkles of the christmas season.  & now two manis in a row.  thoughts?  what are your go-to colors for november & december?  so happy for my walk down 5th tomorrow.  surely instagram pics are in the making.. happy almost weekend.  xx hillary 

so obsessed .. my contribution to a thanksgiving table?

{all images via pinterest}

enchanted event: artists for haiti at auction

hello lovelies!  just a quick message to let you know about an amazing charity event that occurred on thursday at christie's: the artists for haiti auction.  headed up by ben stiller, the auction consisted of only 26 lots by both established & up-and-coming contemporary artists, & all of which were donated & sold, four for record prices, including one purchased by jennifer anniston & her beau.  the auction was headed by ben stiller, who was sighted last tuesday giving interviews in the christie's galleries.  the total $13.7 million raised at the auction will go directly to non-profits to rebuild schools on the island devastated last year in the earthquake.  check out the e-catalogue here & press release here.  isn't so lovely to hear about something both glamorous & incredibly charitable?  xx hillary 

enchanted object: 'the vivid yellow' at auction

images via {christie's}

hello darlings!  had a most lovely day first day of work today & am so excited for the months ahead.  waking up to the {strong} pitter-patter of rain on the city & a breeze of cool air through an open window, it was if the weather purposely shifted just in time for the coming of autumn & new beginnings, and my belted trench triumphantly re-entered my wardrobe. 

& here is something quite exciting that i learned about today & could not wait to share with you ... 'the vivid yellow' diamond that will be auctioned off by christie's new york on october 18, the star of its magnificent jewel sale.  at 32.77 carats, the pear-shaped stone is highly unusual in its bright yellow hue & is expected to achieve between $6 - $8 million, surpassing the current record price per carat of $203,000, set by christie's for 'the golden drop' diamond in 1990.  i learned that colored diamonds are generally rare because the color represents an instability in the famously hard & stable stone, most are pale & light, the shade of color demonstrating relative instability.  a yellow tone is caused by an irregular quantity of nitrogen in the highly pressurized area within which a diamond is formed, the quantity of nitrogen around this example so high that it is considered a gemological 'freak.'

christie's is selling & allowing the stone to be viewed sans mount, so that a potential buyer may be able to envision it as a ring, necklace, or even tiara, although this piece may very well ultimately be purchased for financial reasons, as the value of these extraordinary gems has recently proven to be stable & growing, making them an excellent investment.

but what are your thoughts on colored diamonds?  and particularly colored engagement rings?  would you prefer a greater number of carats of an uncolored diamond, or an unusual hue in your ring of choice?  & will you be at this sale, or saving your pennies for the elizabeth taylor auction later in the seasons? hope you had the most lovely tuesday {possible}.  xx hillary