Winter is Coming

At 75 ºF, it’s an unusually warm November day in New York City, but I’m no fool. Summer's over, the leaves have fallen, and Christmas-themed goods have already infiltrated the shelves. Winter is coming and it’s time to prepare.

I love my summer and I love my fall (Libra here), but there are still plenty of things I enjoy in the winter. Wine, mulled wine, white wine, red wine, to name a few. Okay, but honestly, I love seasonal cooking, holiday festivities, fluffy snow, cozy lazy days, and winter fashion. There’s just no getting through January and February (cringe) without a sensible, yet stylish, winter coat. Don’t get me wrong, if street style sleeping bags were socially acceptable, I’d be first in line, but there’s really no getting away with that in NYC. We need warm. We need fashionable. And we need it now.

December brings very exciting things, particularly a trip that requires “the coat”. So, I’ve been trolling the interwebs for days now, and contestants have been found. For the sake of variety, I've included other colors, but when it comes to coats, I'm always partial to black.

(Links in picture captions)

Aigle: Storydown Parka

Canada Goose: Victoria Parka

Penfield: Hoosac Parka

Mackage: Juliann Parka

Canada Goose: Trilliam Parka

Pajar Catherine Parka

Spiewak: Aviation N3-B Parka

   

Woolrich: Arctic Parka 

You may have noticed a pattern here. What can I say, I know what I like. The above contestants all drew me in for the same reasons:

1. Length (long enough to cover the booty for extra warmth)
2. Material (down insulation and REAL fur trim)
3. Aesthetic (supremely warm while maintaining a flattering feminine form)
4. Color (black, always)

Now for the hard part: decision making. It's never been my strongsuit (Libra here). I know, at the very least, no matter which coat I choose, this girl is going to stay warm in Deutschland.

Hasbeens are Now

As I've established in previous posts, Sweden rocks. Not that I've been, but it has damn good candy, comfy lounge chairs, svelte people and awesome shoes. If you haven't been keeping up with my blog, damn good candy = Sockerbit, comfy lounge chairs = Fatboy and svelte people = Alexander Skarsgård (I've never mentioned him before but it goes without saying). As for the shoes, read on.

You know when you see an item, convince yourself you shouldn't buy it, walk away and then can't stop thinking about it? Well, if you are familiar with this dilemma you also know that you return to the store days (hours) later, purchase, admire and convince yourself it was a solid buy. This happens all too often in my life and as of late, it was a beautiful pair of Swedish Hasbeens that defeated my willpower. 

These shoes are handmade, eco-friendly and draw inspiration from the fashion trends of the seventies. The high quality leather, construction and comfort of these Hasbeens make them a sensible investment. At least I like to think so.

  "Her name was Anita and she was the hottest mum in all of southern Sweden in the 1970's. While smoking Camel she screamed at her kids until her curlers fell out and just looked fabulous in her white high-heeled clogs."

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Also, I am dying to meet the creative mastermind in charge of their ad campaigns. The collections are always themed, Autumn/Winter 2013 is Victorian Gypsies, and below I've compiled a number of snapshots from previous years:

My beauties

Just Looking

It may be considered rude to peer into other people's windows while passing by, but if the curtains are open I see it as an invitation. I don't mean that in a creepy way; I really just like seeing how others decorate their homes. I think it’s a harmless hobby, so as long as the shades are open, I’ll be a browsin’.

Los Angeles based interior designer, MichaelS. Smith, has designed many a room that I would love to lay my eyes on. He is internationally acclaimed and creates a pleasant mélange of modern and traditional, and American and European styles. His portfolio includes both residential and commercial interiors and he is the current decorator of the White House. If fashionista Michelle Obama can get down with his décor, I certainly can too.

His fourth book, Building Beauty: The Alchemy of Design, hits shelves this spring. Just to get a taste of his style, here is a selection of his lush designs:

  

All photos via here

Decades of Decorating

    My love for interior design began with a random obsession with dentist’s offices at the age of eight.  I would draft said rooms over and over, each one differing solely in theme. The chair would always be in the exact same place, but its form would vary from watering can to giraffe to candy corn. The chair was the focal point, and from there came the inspiration for the rest of the room. The candy corn chair was surely accompanied by a lollipop stool, marshmallow cabinets and chocolate dental instruments.

After my dental period came the hotels and mega mansions. The blueprints were never large enough, and upon completion, they resembled unfolded road maps of taped together printing paper. I would work on these designs for hours with my friend Ashley; much of the time was devoted to the addition of plants. The two of us shared the philosophy that when it came to vegetation there was no room for moderation. Empty corner? Throw a ficus in it.

These days, my passion persists, but I no longer spend my time drafting dentist's offices and small-scale palaces. I prefer to keep a portfolio of rooms, styles and products that I have discovered via the Internet. One of my favorite types of decor is Moroccan, so I've included a couple examples of this welcoming style that embraces the warm hues of Western Africa and the blue-greens of the Mediterranean. 

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