Jason Wu and J. Crew Steal Fashion Headlines Once Again with the First Family!

Photo credit: Rick Wilking / Reuters

Photo credit: Win Mcnamee / Getty Images

The first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha looked absolutely stunning during the Inaugural festivities.  I was thrilled that Mrs. Obama picked Jason Wu once again to design her gown for the evening balls.  The ruby-red gown was made with chiffon and velvet.  She looked gorgeous.

Photo credit: Jason Reed / Reuters

During the day, she wore a custom-made Thom Browne dress & coat accessorized with J. Crew accessories (sparkle sash, shoes and leather gloves).  I thought this outfit was smart and polished.

I love how she can pair something beautifully designed for her such as Jason Wu or Narcisso Rodriguez along with very accessible fashion such as J. Crew and even H&M.

Malia Obama also wore J. Crew's coat and scarf for the day festivities.  I adore J. Crew's coats because of the beautiful colors and while we may not get the exact color that Malia wore or the exact accessories that the First Lady chose from J. Crew, there are so many gorgeous options from the retailer that look very similarly. Sasha wore a Kate Spade dress and coat.

See these beautiful ladies and some of the inaugural footage from ABC News.  Also, fashion coverage from Natalie Morales on the  Today Show footage featuring discussions with Thom Browne (00:57), Jenna Lyons (4:38) and Jason Wu (2:29).

A special day was had by all.  And for those designers who were chosen for this event, their pieces will go down in history.

Cheers!

Treasure of a Planner...

Happy New Year everyone! I love when the new year is fast approaching, because all the planners line the shelves promising us to get better organized.  I am fairly sure that this is one of the most wished for resolutions.  I however cannot figure out whether or not it is the enthusiasm to get my life more organized or to lust after favorite planners with beautiful papers, inspiring quotes, areas to doodle or to simply take stock of one's life -- all of these things draw me to the bookstore as if I'm looking for the book of the year.

I have really never found a planner that does everything, for me personally.  So my yearning comes from the overall look, added vision or quips to keep my attention.  I thought these planners would become a thing of the past with the onslaught of iPhones, Droids, Blackberry's.  I had similar thoughts about fashion magazines, but I am one of those folks who loves the digital age enough to subscribe to my favorites online, but I also like to have a beautiful magazine right here in my hands.  It becomes more personal in my opinion.

Kate Spade 2013 Calendar

So it is January 13th and I am almost embarrassed to say that I have 3 beautiful calendars to plan my life, but I do have a favorite.

One of the planners I buy ever year is the Kate Spade yearly spiral bound calendar marked with illustrations and words to inspire. In her 2013 planner it is all about "A Year of Things We Love".  The calendar is quirky and fun and makes a great companion inside one of Spade's binder/agenda covers where you can customize with your favorite fillers.

I also picked up a desk stand calendar called 365 Days of Shoes, 2013 Calendar by Workman Publishing - New York.  My draw to this was that each day marks a beautiful shoe photographed against a white background.  The upper right corner of the page illustrates the shoes details including year, designer, materials used.  If you are a shoe lover you can't pass this up.  It makes a great desk accessory.

Many of you are familiar with Ines de la Fressange who was Karl Lagerfeld's muse at CHANEL from 1983-1990 and then she went on to be an artistic director for her own name brand. She crafted a book called "Parisian Chic"gives away some of her beauty, fashion and personal tips which are delectably French.  The book is also great with references for the best French restaurants, unusual places to visit, etc.  So it would only be fitting to have a little red planner which offers 54 weekly tips in this chic calendar. The planner is called the Parisian Chic Weekly Planner 2013. There is a year's worth of brand-new style, fashion and beauty pointers from France's "icon of chic." The illustrations are delightful and stylish and plenty of room for your own doodles or thoughts & appointments.  This is my little red treasure and favorite calendar which I cannot leave at home.  This is a real treat for followers of Ines or just fashion-obsessed.

So get out your pens and make some resolutions, one being to pick up a fabulous calendar that you can call your own.  Sometimes, it is just great to have some old fashioned paper to draft your thoughts, lists or to-dos!

Cheers!