You say men's iPad case. I say chic, oversized clutch.

This is a repost from Luxe.ly, my lifestyle blogging project (2011).

When I was a child, my mother worried that I would become a tomboy. Examples:

In pre-school, I participated in temporary toy swaps, exchanging my toys for Matchbox cars, and in elementary school, I religiously watched Transformers, Voltron, and He-Man (but who didn’t?!?!).

Yes, I sometimes have an infatuation with dude things, and this iPad case by Gareth Pugh proves the point. I love the geometric stamped leather and chevron innards. In fact, I was surprised to find that it was designed with a man in mind. Call me clueless.

Fast forward 30 years - I never became a tomboy (to my mother’s delight). After all, I would pair this “men’s iPad case” with a great pair of stilettos, a gold cuff, and skinny jeans.

Jessica Craig-Martin for 20x200: The well-to-do are people too!

This is a repost from Luxe.ly, my lifestyle blogging project (2011).

Peer into the world of the rich and unguarded with society photog Jessica Craig-Martin. I personally love the campiness (is that a word?) of these prints but knowing the back story makes them even more delish! It seems Jessica’s specialty is capturing the “1%” in rare form - those socially awkward moments when the proverbial hair comes down.

The photographs that work best for me have a sense of human fragility. Unrealized dreams; our perverse optimism as we swim upstream like salmon in order to mate, find love, security, money, power, to retain youth against all odds and evidence. One is never so naked as when dressed for a party. - JCM

Peel back the veneer, not matter how decadent, and people are people. They get tipsy, smudge their makeup, and accidentally step on someone’s dessert plate. And thanks to Jessica Craig-Martin, it’s captured on film!

At $50 for an 8x10, these prints would make a great addition to a powder or dressing room. Buy them online at 20x200.

Image credit: Cougar Friends and Let’s Party, Jessica Craig-Martin

Juxtaposed: The Square Nine Hotel's modern mark on historic Belgrade

This is a repost from Luxe.ly, my lifestyle blogging project (2011).

Introducing the Square Nine Hotel, a luxurious contemporary hotel in the heart of Belgrade, Serbia. The hotel’s owner snagged one of the last sites in this historic neighborhood permitting new construction. The result, a delightful dialogue between old and new.

“The Square Nine Hotel’s architecture speaks a remarkably modern language and does not clash with or overshadow its neighboring buildings. On the contrary, it follows their scale, the rhythm of their facades…and even the moderate hues of their color palette.”

Architect: Isay Weinfeld

Images: Square Nine Hotel by way of Yatzer

P.S. If you're a sucker for hospitality design (like moi), you may enjoy these past posts about Hotel Frank and The House Hotel.

The Glamorama Office Mama

This is a repost from Luxe.ly, my lifestyle blogging project (2011).

I’ve always envied fabulous ladies with ultra chic offices. It embodies a lifestyle to which I aspire - “All is right and lovely and stylish in the world! And when I come to work, the feeling continues!” I had my own office for about two years, a space to decorate as I please. I never completed the vision but I did purchase some key pieces for a great work space (i.e., marble tray, lucite lamp, an amethyst geode… you know the stuff). The foundation was there but I routinely strolled in wearing t-shirts and jeans. Fail. I wanted to be comfortable when I worked. Another fail. Who says you’re suppose to be comfortable?

And so, I envy fabulous ladies like Camille Miceli, Christian Dior’s Creative Director of accessories, who make working in an office seem like the most glamorous thing ever.

Camille Miceli in her Paris studio, 2011
Images: Daniel Riera

via Nowness