RT @tweedandvelvet “The Style and Design of TIME Magazine”

I told you I adore Kenyatte. He always posts the most amazing information on his blog Tweed and Velvet.

The Style & Design of TIME Magazine

I’m a huge fan of the seasonal supplement to TIME magazine calledTIME Style & Design – essentially a global look at what is driving the world of fashion, travel, design and all things luxurious.

Every issue has a list of quotes from fashion and design luminaries, on various “popular” topics of discussion.

The Fall ‘09 supplement was interesting as it showcased quotations, from many popular designers, on the current economic crisis.

….”Yes” it is ironic that people who sell luxury goods are talking about the loss of trillions of dollars of market value and…”Yes” they had some interesting things to say…

“The crisis is the time when one should create new ways of doing things…find solutions…and put even the most basic things into question.” -Jean Paul Gaultier, designer

“I don’t know anything about the financial crisis. We’ll make a recovery by everyone loving their life, each other and being positive.” -Roberto Cavalli, designer

Read the rest HERE.

Defined and Refined Style Needs

Great Accessories

Vintage Chartreuse Frames

Saxophone Cufflinks

Fragrance

4711

Creed

Healthy Skin and Hair

My Must-Have Cashmere Pieces for Fall

I love cashmere. Over the years I’ve created a style for fall and winter that to some is plain but to others is quite timeless. Grown up Robbie emerges and thrives in the fall with her wardrobe. Here are the cashmere items I’ll be pulling out and/or buying for the new season:

4-ply Cashmere Wrap, GiftsCircle.com, $99

Autumn Cashmere, Bluefly.com, $138

Newsboy Cap, Saks.com, $65

Cashmere PJs, Overstock.com, $149

A La Main, Pour Le Monde – Shame on @CPLPastry

Karen Parker called me on Memorial Day talking faster than usual. Karen generally speaks slowly and quite beautifully, I will add. However, on this night I couldn’t keep up with her, so I asked, “K, have you been drinking?!” She replied, “It’s interesting that you should ask,” which is how she prefaces a statement before answering in the affirmative or sharing a story. She did both.

Our Miss Parker was lit up on Puddle Brownies, a creation of her cousin Ayanna Parker who owns Patisserie Lafayette in New York City. Ayanna is a gourmand who specializes in the most decadent and lovely pastries. Patisserie Lafayette services a number of restaurants and individuals in NYC and is beginning to ship out their fabulous food from an online store. 

To this day, I have no idea what’s in those Puddle Brownies but I’ve tried them and they are potent. They are amazing and addictive and will make you talk fast. That’s all I need to know.  And this is what is left of my gift (thank you, Ayanna) of my very own Puddle Brownies.

If you’d like to win some Puddle Brownies of your own go HERE and play the game! 

~Luxuriously moi! 

RT @glamazonsblog Glamazon Exclusive! Anna Sui for Target

Please follow The Glamazons Blog on Twitter. I love the information they dispense on sales, fabulous finds both resale and regular retail, and fashion.  It was on their blog that I learned that Anna Sui will be debuting a capsule collection at Target beginning in September. I love Anna Sui trendy pieces but really don’t think I’ll find anything at Target but I’m still excited. Click on the link below for more information.

Glamazon Exclusive! Anna Sui for Target

Bon Appetite!

If there is ever a Mr. Luxe Redux, the love of my life, my hope is that he gives me two options. He’ll say, “You can have a state-of-the art kitchen, but you’ll have to use it.” That would mean I’d have to learn how to cook – well. “Or,” he’ll say, “you can have a really  nice, functional kitchen and hire a personal chef.” I will take the latter option though I think I’ll get both because he’ll adore me and want to do whatever appreciates the value of the home – in domestic tranquility and in equity.

A personal chef is an excellent time-preserving option for busy professionals as well as for anyone who has to manage a home and obligations of a business and social nature. If you have the resources to hire someone who works in the home from morning to evening, then I’m extremely happy for you. But there are many of us who only need a personal chef a couple of days out of a week or even daily for the main meal. 

In researching the how-tos of hiring a personal chef, I learned the following:

• You can hire a personal chef to come in for one full day a week and prepare meals that last a week  or longer. 
• You can hire a personal chef to cook in his or her own facility and deliver your menu for a week to your home. A sort of Luxe Meals on Wheels.
• You can hire a personal chef for the occassional dinner party or in-home event.
• You can hire a personal chef to come in for two or three days a week for main meals. 
• You can hire a personal chef to do some combination of the above.

Call a culinary school in your city and request a referral. And yet, another quite luxurious option is to call a local culinary school and offer employment to a student. (I love that idea!)

Here are some tips on the work you should do before considering a personal chef:

•  Know your eating habits. Do you eat out a lot? If so, how often? Do you eat leftovers or take them for lunches? Are you given to three meals a day or do you eat several small meals a day? 
• Prepare a list of foods that you are allergic to and/or just do not like.
• Type out your special dietary needs.
• And KNOW your budget. Just like any luxury expense, a personal chef can become a spending addiction. Stick to the budget.

For information on choosing a personal chef visit The Personal Chefs Network and the American Personal & Private Chef Association.

Lastly, understand that most personal chefs love to shop for the food they will use to prepare your meals. They have a far better grasp on quality than the average cook.

Bon appetite! ~ Luxuriously moi! 

Time to Rise & Shine!

Wake up service is the one service I take full advantage of in hotels. I will forget the soap and freebie toiletries on the counter in the bathroom. I will refuse daily housekeeping during an extended stay, because (1) I think it’s safer and (2) I can make a mess – just because I can make a mess. That’s what I pay for, right? No, I really pay for that luxury of a wake up call, because I tend to be a hard sleeper.  Thinking it would be a great at-home luxury too, I found the following services, and if you read their sites you’ll see that they also offer reminder calls, group reminders and BILLING reminders. And all have FREE trial services. 

  When you sign up for your free Snoozester account you will receive 10 free Snoozester credits (no credit card required). You can use these credits to give Snoozester a try. Each Snoozester credit is good for one Snoozester wake up call or reminder call. After you’ve used your free Snoozester credits, you can continue using Snoozester by signing up for a monthly plan or purchasing prepaid Snoozester credits. 

 FREE Month Trial - WAKE123.com Monthly Wake-Up Service

• The Wake123 Free Trial allows prospective customers to try Wake123 Monthly Service for one month free. If the customer decides to keep the monthly service beyond the first 30 days, his credit card is then billed at the normal rate of $11/month($14/month in Canada). Customers can cancel at anytime via www.wake123.com or by calling the toll free number provided via email upon signup.
• With the 4 digit PIN feature, WAKE123 calls you back up to 3 more times, separated by 5 minute intervals
• Weekly Wakeup Schedule repeats every week until you change it. (extra nice for those customers who have a set weekly schedule)
• Your WAKE123 schedule & account can be accessed anywhere via Internet or telephone
• You can change your wake-up number to any phone within the continental US & Canada (switch from home phone to cell (e.g. travel)
• Our customers have told O&R Digitel that the WAKE123 Monthly Service is the ONLY way they can regularly get to work on-time (many people find a phone ringing more effective than anything else, couple that with the WAKE123 3-time call back feature and you have the superior wakeup system!

 Free Wake Up Calls by TelePixie Everyone needs a fast and reliable way to start the day. Whatever your occupation, it’s important to wake up on time each day. We provide the most reliable wake up call service available today. Whether you need a one-time wake-up call or would like to schedule recurring calls, we have you covered. TelePixie employs the latest in automated digital technology to deliver premiere telephone wake up call services. We currently service all US area codes and will be expanding to 35 other countries soon! Anyone with a phone can take advantage of his or her own personal wake up call every day! Try the service for free. Click the button above to take a No Obligation, 20 call test drive today!