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 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  

autumn inspiration: orange interiors

images via {here} and {there}

perhaps it's the perfect crispness of the new england air today & a school bus sighting & the prospect of college football tomorrow, but i am adoring the splash of orange in these martha stewart living interiors, tempered by grey and cream.  i'm always cautious about using orange, whether in decorating or dressing, for fear of looking like halloween {eek!}, but these photos indicate that the perfect perfect balance is possible.  the most lovely september to all! new beginnings & leaves turning; autumn is my favorite by far.  xx hillary 

summer sweet: just peachy

image via pinterest

hello mes chéries!  it's late august & can't you just smell the peaches ripening? they are perfect & irresistible & so beautiful in their blushing innocence.  the star of so many dishes, sweet & savory, it's difficult to decide with which recipe to begin.  shall we start with dessert?  here are some of my favorite ideas & recipes:

• grilled vanilla peaches: perfect finale for a simple bbq.  essentially toss with lemon juice & grill in a foil packet, then brush with the essential combination of brown sugar & cinnamon & vanilla, and serve over ice cream.
• lavender peaches over pound cake: peaches + lavender = divine.  stew peach slices with lavender & vanilla, spoon over tangy sour cream pound cake & top with whipped cream sweetened with the remaining lavender syrup.
• peach melba spoom: light & delightful.  frozen meringue = fat free ice cream. swirl it with seasonal pair peaches & blackberries for gorgeous contrast that begs to be served a clear glass.  night in with the girls?  yes, please.  
• peach ice cream with armaretti cookie crust: broil peaches with brown sugar & fold into softened vanilla ice cream, then pack into crust of the delicious italian almond cookie.  top with whipped cream & more crumbled armaretti.
• individual peach crisps: dinner guests adore their very own dessert {fact}.  use ramekins or little crocks, so widely available now.  top peach slices with buttery oatmeal crumble & bake until bubbling.  serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.  

peaches are so inspiring.  so many savory dishes as well: did you know peaches also pair beautifully with basil & proscuttio? oh & in white wine sangria!  & the peach palette generally, that beautiful blush... perhaps there are more peachy posts to come.  have the most lovely day.  xx hillary 

autumn inspiration: russian ballet & j.crew

images via {j.crew blog}

combining my loves for j.crew & ballet & an exotic destination was simply not fair.  and this ballet is not avant-garde ballet russe, but classicist, perfection swan lake & romeo + juliet {swoon. now.} how am i possibly supposed to resist the urge to buy everything in the new j.crew catalog, which greeted me upon returning home {along with the new bon appetit, joy!} today was in boston, chatting & long lunch {bin 26 in beacon hill} & frozen yogurt & paper source for new marigold thank-you notes & a petite present {could this day get any better?} with friend & former co-worker & mastermind of halcyon style, so wrapped up in chatter that we failed to notice the east-coast earthquake.

but how striking & delicate these photos are.  for me, the ballet infuses j.crew's new season with elegance & grace & romance, and the st. petersburg location dons an old world exoticism that is simultaneously fresh & clean & open.  i do long to jet off to st. petersburg, for the winter palace & a glimpse into the world of fused european & eastern extravagance.  the photos also make me strangely excited to bring my turtleneck sweaters & leather boots & wool skirts & my perfect belted trench out of storage. perhaps i can translate this russian glamour & suffuse lighting to my very own autumn in new york.  any thoughts on j.crew fall?  xx hillary 

p.s. j.crew used real ballerinas from the st. petersburg ballet for studio models. lucky lucky.  

images via {j.crew blog}

p.p.s. merci beaucoup & enchantée to lots of new readers aujourd'hui!

autumn aura: new essie hues

clockwise from top left : carry on : case study : power clutch : glamour purse : very structured : lady like
images via {here + purchase too}

hello lovelies!  what a lovely day i had today.  a {very close to} teary-eyed quick visit back to my alma mater for a dissertation text, browsing bloomingdales with mom, a perfectly portioned lunch {and fro-yo} at their restaurant, 40 carrots & a relaxing mani-pedi at my most favorite ever nail spa, miniluxe.  it's a cross between the local nail salon & a day spa, and the result is just brilliant.  so clean & fresh & girly & with options for extended massage, oh and such fun retail things, the miniluxe experience is positively uplifting.  i had truly missed it!  and although today i chose a summer hue {orangey-red geranium by essie}, i also got a sneak peak at the essie fall collection, which is just divine, inspired by glam travel bags.  which is your favorite?  i am loving loving wine-y carry on, grey-green power clutch & burnt siena-ish very structured & the slightly muted glamour purse, case study & lady like would be parfait for weekday workday.  perhaps i should buy all six. goodness i do love essie.  the early evening air is getting cooler and its mum season.  autumn is on its cusp.  & if its nail colors are any indication, it is bound to be perfectly magical.  xx hillary  

oh & c'est absolument official.  hello christie's september. 

real simple: the power of color

images via {real simple}

flipping through the august issue of one of my favorite american magazines {which i do not believe is at all available in the uk.  trés triste}, suddenly this brilliant article, demonstrating the power of color to transform the very same space.  j'adore the painting of the crown moulding and the ceilings & particularly appreciate that juxtaposed with each space is a beautifully arranged set of objects in the same palette that can also be used to bring the colors to a space {especially for those of us sans walls to paint in apartments}.  which is your favorite palette?  i've always been drawn to sunny yellow, but i also appreciate the calm of the blue & grey, the femininity of sage & light pink, & the festive, traditional qualities of the blue-green & burgundy.  

the transformative power of color is often something we are often forced to imagine without comparison & i was just floored by the clear illustrations here.  bravo, real simple!  also, would you ever actually paint your ceiling and crown moulding? it's quite bold, non?  may your late-summer saturday be perfectly lovely.  xx hillary

enchanted image: today's hermès

"Someone far away is thinking of you - thoughts filled with blue skies and dazzling colors…"

today's hermès ad.  doesn't the thought of receiving {or sending} a handwritten letter from the french riviera make your heart melt?  je t'aime, hermès.  & happy tuesday.  xx hillary.

hidden treasure: bamboo table

hello lovelies!  yesterday i had the most incredible find: on the side of the road {on the way to the movies to see the help.  have you gone yet?  you must!}, deep in the suburbs, a 'FREE' sign leaned up against a coffee table.  upon further inspection, quite dusty, but in perfect condition, asian-inspired with bamboo-sytle legs & spaced apron rails, elegant cusping & a rattan-textured shelf, brass hardware, and a glass top.  do please forgive the images, as my beloved camera is sans screen and iphone camera must do for now.  but i am beyond thrilled about the table!  the first step will be to give it a thorough clean, and then i'm considering painting it: black, white, mint-green or blue.  or should it be au natural? 

i've included some bamboo pieces and interior inspirations below.  i'm loving bamboo at the moment, as its presence seems to infuse an air of both the natural world & exoticism {perhaps this was why the bamboo form was incorporated into some chinoiserie-style pieces by 18th century rococo designers, too}.  and can you believe it was free?  i'm now inspired to scour local furniture consignment shops & even the salvation army for furniture that, with a little tlc, can become useful, beautiful & unique pieces to cherish for years to come & can fit my budget in the meantime.  have you ever bought a piece of furniture on the cheap and re-furbished it?  oh and what if i painted it gold?  in desperate need of your advice here!  xx hillary  

honestly the most similar piece to my table i could find on the internet.

quite reminiscent of my table with double bamboo legs  

love love the bamboo in an exotic yet functional form 

bamboo seating

sample of painted colors and natural

cream colored outdoor set with similar table in wicker

cream colored bamboo love seat.  don't love the brown, however.

love love bamboo shades

too bright?

love the exotic touch of bamboo molding on this traditional vanity

should i go with black?

one chandelier, two hues.
images via pinterest

le week-end: to dissertation or not to dissertation

image via pinterest

does your weekend look anything like this? relaxing in soothing green on a balcony overlooking the aegean coast?  if so, i am jealous.  but i shouldn't complain, today in new england the weather is beautiful beautiful & the beach is beckoning.  how could my supervisor possibly expect me to be dissertation-ing when the summer is perfect? happy weekend.  xx hillary

charming trend: rose gold

hello lovelies!  while in new york, i was struck by the ubiquitous use of rose gold in designer jewelry.  introduced to rose gold a few months ago via the {this is glamorous} blog, i recently acquired my first piece, the kate spade women for women bangle that i discussed here.  smitten by it's pinkish hue, i was immediately enchanted by the way the metal looked against my tannish summer skin, and developed a curiosity regarding its origin.

as many of you may know, gold is quite a soft metal, and is generally combined with an alloy to create the harder substance out of which jewelry is crafted, the percentage of pure gold in the metal indicated by karats {i.e. 14 karat, 18 karat, 22 karat}, and in its pure state at 24 karats.  pure gold is generally mixed with equal amounts of silver and copper to achieve a yellow tone {for 14 karat gold, 14 parts gold : 5 parts silver : 5 parts copper}, white gold made by adding more silver, and our rose gold by adding more copper, commonly 75% gold to 21% copper to 4% silver for a lovely pink color.

due to its popularity in the region, rose gold was known as russian gold in the nineteenth century, and although a 'red gold' is fashioned by a ratio of 1:1 gold to copper, 'crown gold,' or highest quality rose gold, combines 22 parts gold to 2 parts copper.  interestingly, highest-quality flutes are often fashioned out of solid rose gold.

i absolutely adore my rose gold bangle, and am very much open to acquiring some other rose gold pieces, such as another michael kors watch {perhaps this one with contrasting navy blue}, but would be apprehensive to purchase a more expensive or important piece in the metal, for example, an engagement ring.  what are your thoughts on rose gold?  do you think it is simply a current fashion trend or worthy of enduring admiration?  during my search for jewelry i also fell in love with the general rose gold palette.  what do you think?  i would love to know your thoughts!  xx hillary

images via pinterest