Monday, January 31, 2011

Sneak Preview -- Toni Francesc

Spanish designer, Toni Francesc, is set to show his new collection GARUDÀ 
at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York



Toni Francesc will present his Fall/Winter 2011 collection during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and will return to Lincoln Center on Saturday, February 12, 2011, in The Studio at 9:00 p.m. This will be the fourth season Francesc will show his collection during New York Fashion Week. 2009 was the first season the designer was chosen to take part in fashion week in the U.S.


The upcoming collection, GARUDÀ, is Francescs interpretation of the Phoenix, an eagle-sized bird with red plumage burns in its own flames only to rise from its ashes every 500 years. The Phoenix has long been presented as a symbol of rebirth, immortality and renewal. The collection provides an into insight to each phase ranging from the fire to the ashes.


GARUDÀ is a collection that is focused on fire; its luminous and incandescent colors are the protagonists of the collection: intense golds, oranges and reds are the focus. The energy of the fire brings in ash grays and blacks and are combined with fabrics and silhouettes that represent the combustion and reemergence of the Phoenix. Garments are composed of luscious silks and wools. Generous, straight forms are combined with volumes that nip in at the waist and hug the body in clean lines that trace the female figure.



Francesc is at the forefront of breaking international markets for the world of Spanish designers and will continue to be successful this upcoming season.

check him out: www.tonifrancesc.com

Friday, January 28, 2011

the LOOK for LESS

We absolutely LOVE the look of this over sized Alexa soft buffalo bag from Mulberry -- one of their best sellers. But, with a price tag of $1,250 - it isn't on everyones budget this season.


Thanks to Forever 21 you can get a very similar style & feel for only $29.80! 
So it is a little different (black croc) but the style is very similar. What isn't to love for the price? 




Who wore it better?


Tell us: 
Who do you think wore it better? 


Get the dress now from Top Shop for only $154 - it is currently 50% off! 

Thursday, January 27, 2011

We are quite obsessed with.....WH Hostess - exclusive interview and giveaway!




We first were introduced to the lovely Kelly of WH Hostess by the amazing ladies at LaunchHER. We had a very special first birthday feature coming up and we knew exactly who could help - WH Hostess! Kelly immediately starting working on our custom designs from everything from beautiful invites to cupcake toppers to centerpiece sticks -- just wait, you won't want to miss how amazing her work is - and her turn around time, is ummm, like 2 seconds - seriously, she is amazing. We also adore how everything comes right to your door, printed on high quality stationary paper and ready to go -- this isn't a printable, this is true quality right to your finger tips. 




Next month we will be showing off her amazing work she did for cupcakeMAG but we have a little peek at the invite above! Isn't it a beauty? The perfect invitation for the shabby chic vintage meets sparkle princess party we are planning. Love right? Yes, we have fallen in love all over again with WH Hostess. Read on to get to know the genius designer herself and to win a $50 shop credit! 





{1} At what point did the light bulb go on to begin WH Hostess? Tell us about your baby & the name.

I have always had a love for all things paper, so now I look back at the path I have taken and say life has pointed me in the right direction.  But....the light bulb truly went off after about 9 months of writing/inspiring on my party-planning blog, The Party Dress.  I was pulling together party inspirations daily and people kept e-mailing me asking me to create or plan parties for them.  Pulling from my background in graphic design, I started playing around with designs and my first few collections were born.

I have nurtured WH Hostess this first year like it is truly my baby.  Although my biggest focus is on designing fresh, modern invitations and party goods, I also wear the hats of research & development, accounting, public relations and marketing, merchandising and quality control!  We have grown into such a wonderful little business in such a short time...I am thankful every single day that I found this new dream.

The name WH Hostess also comes from the blog's full name....The Party Dress ~ Inspirations from the Well-Heeled Hostess.  I have a love for shoes and fashion (and worked as a retail buyer for many years), and when it comes to planning a party one of the first things I think of is "what will I wear?!"  Almost always, my outfit is coordinated around a fabulous pair of shoes!



{2} What is your favorite item to custom design? 

The custom design process always starts with the invitation design for me.  I feel the invitation sets the tone and theme for a party, so it's important to create a high-quality, stylish invitation.




{3} What celebrity are you just dying to work with?

There are many ladies out there that I associate with style-wise....off the top of my head, I would say Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kourtney Kardashian, Tori Spelling, Jennifer Garner, just to name a few!


{we love these ladybug centerpeices}
{4} Where do you pull your inspiration from?

Everywhere!  In my fashion days, I did a lot of product development/swatch buying - so I would sit and play with swatches of fabric all day long.  Pulling together patterns, colors, and textures until I found the perfect assortment.  I find myself still pulling from that process when it comes to designing stationery and party goods.  My local fabric store is probably one of my favorite places to "get lost" for a couple of hours when I am looking for inspiration for a party or new collection.  I read a lot of magazines, look at a lot of books and listen to what people ask for....  Pattern plays a big role in all of my designs, so once I have the main concept down - I go back to my roots and start working in an assortment of patterns to compliment the collection.



{5} When you aren't working away, what can we find you doing?

Well, I work a LOT these days!  But when I am not working, you can find me either entertaining friends at home (I love hosting family dinners or small parties with friends), decorating my first house, shopping with my mother, helping my sister plan her upcoming wedding, or spending time with my best friends and their kids - I love being "Auntie Kelly!".



{6} What are your own personal party tips? Most important thing at the party?
  1. Brand your party!  Choose a color palette, a style, a pattern and carry it throughout your party....it will make your party look very stylish and cohesive.  
  2. Do as much prep work as possible, so once your guests arrive you are playing "hostess" instead of "worker-bee".
  3. Mix the high and low: pull out the good stuff (china and crystal) for everyday fetes, and mix it in with your dollar-section or IKEA finds to create a unique look.
{the cutest placecards}
{7} What are you favorite blogs to read?

I have always been a fan of Hostess with the Mostess, and I love following Amy Atlas's blog (especially reading the behind the scenes articles!).  I also love P is for Party, Eddie Ross, One Charming Party, Sharnel Dollar, Style Me Pretty and Celebrate at Home for party inspiration, and Belle Maison, Twig & Thistle and Coco + Kelley for home decorating.


{to-die for dessert table} 
{8} What do you never leave home without?  

My iphone.  I literally run my business and my life on it daily!

{9} So you are quite the multi-tasking queen - you have your biz, your blog & contribute to Project Nursery? Are we missing anything? How do you manage it all?

It's a balancing act and I am still perfecting it!  There are some days I get thru my to-do list, take a deep breath and say "okay!  I can do this!"  and then there are days where I could keep working thru all hours of the night and still not get everything done.  Each month I look back to review what I did well, and where there is room for improvement in the future.  The best part of owning your own business is that you control it's destiny!  I am trying to be better about taking some time during the day for myself.  Whether it's grabbing a quick cup of coffee with a friend, or doing a half hour of yoga, or running thru a local store looking for inspiration - it's good to put the laptop (or iphone) down for a bit and interact with people!



{10} And last, what do you think is the perfect outfit for a party?

I'm always a sucker for a party dress, but I like to be comfortable too!  You can typically find me in either a sweet little shift dress, or a fun, silk blouse and tailored pants.....with a fabulous pair of heels, of course!




Ahh, we just adore Kelly! Don't you? She is pretty perfect! Now, time to have some Kelly in your life - enter to win $50 to WH Hostess now. Read on to enter! 








Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Featured Etsy Shop -Pet Couture Edition- Ashley's Boutique!


If you are looking for custom pet collars or harnesses, then you must check out
Ashley's Boutique on Etsy! How cute are these collars? Lady Talulah Belle (Miss baby pugalicious) loves her custom "T" collar from Ashley! We love this Etsy seller and think that you will too, she is super fast and her products are of superb quality! 
Get your fur-baby something special from Ashley's Boutique today!


{valentine's day collar, $11}
{Birthday Tutu, $18}



Featured cupcakeMAG Approved Site -- Project Nursery!


PROJECT NURSERY 
dream | discover | design


We just recently launched our Site | Love where we feature the cupcakeMAG approved bloggers and sites we are daily checking and just loving. Our latest obsession is Project Nursery & we have just been dying to share our chat with Founder and Contributing Editor, Pam! Oh, how we love them and their beautiful filled-with-eye-candy site. 




{The site is so successful! We love it! How was Project Nursery born?}

Melisa and I have always had a passion for design. When we both lived in NYC we loved sharing ideas and inspiration and when we began to start families we started focusing on the nursery. we were surprised that there was really no place online to search for good design ideas for the nursery. Project Nursery started as a way for Melisa and I to keep all the resources and ideas we were collecting and then share it with others that were as obsessed as we are. 

{Do you have a favorite room featured on the site?}

There are so many fantastic rooms in our photo gallery its hard to pick just one. I've been very drawn to white, black and yellow these days. One of our readers uploaded pictures of their son's nursery, Max's Nursery, that has really caught my eye. The bold yellow and white stripes on the ceiling and black accent wall are so chic and fresh to me. I also like what Melisa has done in her son Chase's Nursery

{Max's Nursery}
{chase's nursery}
{Where do you shop for your own home?}

I love to mix it up. High end to vintage to inexpensive. You can find great things in all price ranges.  I have my go to sources like West Elm and Jonathan Adler and a few online favorites like ballarddesigns.cominsideavenue.com and of course good ole ebay! I also love to support small local shops. A favorite is Period George on Clement Street in San Francisco. 

{What is your personal favorite design tip?}

Start with a significant design element in the room as your source of inspiration and work from it to design the rest of the space. It can be the rug, an accent wall or a great piece of furniture. When you have a plan and a budget in mind you can get things done faster because you are more focused. 






{You both have children - as mothers how do you balance family and work? What tips do you have for other mommas trying to balance it all?}

Balance? What is that? No, in all seriousness we both juggle a lot in one day. We have been known to take conference calls en route to school pick ups and are never without our blackberries. Wi-fi and late nights are what keep Project Nursery rockin'. BUT, we love it and are truly motivated by the support of our readers. They share fantastic design ideas and photos and we are really proud of how far Project Nursery has come.


{check out their FABulous contributors, Annette Tatum and Kim of The TomKat Studio} 
{What is up next for Project Nursery?}

2011 is going to be an exciting year for PN. We are launching a new photo gallery with a lot more bells and whistles. Also look out for some amazing giveaways, product reviews and design tips. 

{What are your favorite sites, blogs, must-read stops?}

I try not to read too many other design sites that focus on kids rooms so i can maintain my own originality. some of my current favorite sites are Brooklylimestone.com, pinkwallpaper.blogspot.com, perezhilton (guilty pleasure), nymag.com


{awesome giveaways! currently they are giving away a design consult & crib set, check it out here}


1. I'm always striving to be more organized. It's yet to happen but I love the idea of everything having its place.
2. Current favorite color - Kelly Green
3. I love coffee. It's my one true vice.
4. I make really good chicken enchiladas and they are actually healthy!
5. I've been wanting the Crisp Console table from Conran Shop for 3 years but just can't pull the trigger.
6. Melisa and I both went to UCLA.
7. I'm a GLEEK.
8. Favorite food besides chocolate is Chinese Chicken Salad.
9. I wish I had invented Silly Banz.
10. I really like interior design but my first love has to be fashion.


We are so thankful that Pam took the time to chat with us and 
we are beyond thrilled to share with you one of our favorite sites! 




like (even though we LOVE) them: facebook.com/projectnursery I  
tweet them: twitter.com/projectnursery

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A Quick Catch-up with Denise Richards

Denise Richards isn' just a FABulous Hollywood star - she is an amazing icon as a Mother too. Not only is she a successful woman raising her 2 beautiful girls as a single mom but she does it all - with a new book on it's way, launching a hair care line and a scripted show - Denise truly does do it all! We should really take notes. 

Read on to see how she manages it all, tips she has a Mom, how she stays looking so FABulous and her brilliant New Years Resolution. 

Credit: Startracks

{1} Since we last spoke over the Summer, what is new?

I'm working really hard to finish my book, out April 19, launching my haircare line, and a pilot season so I'm focusing on looking for a scripted show!




{2} We are really missing you on TV - any chance you will return soon?


I would love to return to tv, I love it.




{3} You always look so great! Do you have a fitness regimen?


Pilates, and dance! My pilates instructor came up with this fabulous floor routine that we do before every workout. It makes a difference.

Credit: Startracks
{4} What can we find in your make-up bag?

Armani foundation, Tarte and Dior lipgloss , Cle de Peau concealer, Bare Essentials mascara, Obsessive Compulsive eye shadow and YSL blush.

{5} You are a super-hero Mom with all you have been through over the years. What tips do you have for Mothers who are managing it all?

Try to not do it all perfectly. I focus on a more harmonious home instead of balanced.

{6} And we have to ask - whenever we see your girls they have the cutest outfits on & bows in their hair. Where do you shop for them?


I shop at MFedric, and my girls love going to Target.




{7} You always looks so fabulous yourself! What is your go-to outfit for the day and go-to outfit when heading out for the evening?


My go-to outfit when its chilly is leggings, boots, and a great jacket. Evening - I love to wear dresses and a fab pair of heels!

{8} Did you make a New Year's resolution for 2011?

I did! once a week..I turn my phone off!

Denise is pretty amazing right? We just adore her. Stay up-to-date with all things Denise by following her on Twitter.
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