le weekend

smile, the rain will come and go.

in paris, time to stroll, race, play, prendre un cafe, meme se marier...!

Happy Memorial Day!

why not?

sometimes an image leaves an imprint on me.

approaching cafe como no from the winding bend below its hilly perch

it is Mother's Day weekend and maybe because the city streets today were full of families strolling and sounds of giggling children and flowers flowers everywhere, what is on my mind is the joyful posada i witnessed in Punta Mita, Mexico late last year from the rooftop terrace of Cafe Como No (Cafe Why Not, in English).  my colleague and friend Cynthia took me there for a 'study break' from work one evening just before the sunset over Banderas Bay.  we wandered down the main street on foot past colorful painted restaurant and store fronts just feet from the beach below.

colors, shapes and textures on the varied doors and store fronts

scarlett is an artistic beach boutique with my favorite heart motif. its sister location is in sayulita.

we had to round a bend in the road and climb a small hill to access the cafe, just far enough off the beaten path and just work enough to find to make the ultimate discovery all the more sweet. then, the embrace of the plants and the welcoming iron gate signaled 'home'...

the simple charm of cafe como no

i remember that it was unexpectedly windy on the roof and we moved down to the garden courtyard, but not before the music sounded and the small band of children began their procession down the hill.

the children descend the hill

can you find the burro?

the posada passes by

what could be more innocent than the sight of children participating in a traditional Christmas festival, this the dramatization of the search of Joseph and Mary for lodging.

a quick photo looking out to the bay as dusk comes...

in the lush patio, we are safe from the wind. Cynthia orders the most amazing Pie in the Sky mini molten chocolate cake, a feature on the menu much to my delight. i have passed Pie in the Sky on the ride up to the resort for years now but never sampled the melt in your mouth confections firsthand.

the sweep of sunset through the bouganville; note the monkey...

a young couple joins us on the patio, but otherwise it is just me, Cyn, the monkey, and our sincerely conversational server with whom i managed to communicate almost in mime due to my non existent Spanish.

dusk falls and the lanterns go on

the charming wooden garden gate; there was a fountain, too...

we can hear one of the owners in the open kitchen off the main dining room, clanging pans in preparation for the dinner crowd to come, not too unlike the joyful noise of the children who paraded by...

Cafe Como No: www.cafecomono.com

Pie in the Sky : www.pieinthesky.com.mx

Scarlett: www.scarlettinsayulita.com

hold on to your hats!

whoosh! the wind!! 
up to 60 miles per hour this weekend! 

what kind of monkey business is this?
things have been so balmy and mild since Christmas!

even today, when the winds had died down, hats upon hats, all over town!

monkeys, bears, pom poms, berets

cloches, fedoras, beanies, fur, trappers, i say,

the hats have hit!

from west side to east,

there is no taming of the beast!

happy Sunday, New York!

and now, hats off to the Oscars!

my carriage awaits....

all that glitters is gold

on thursday night, i met a friend and her oh so sympa son, newly turned 11, at the intime fi:af (french institute alliance francaise) opening reception of a show entitled 'dressed for art' featuring fashion illustrations by jean-phillippe delhomme.


fashionistas will know delhomme for his work for barneys new york, or for his regular contributions to GQ, or for his own blog, the unknown hipster.  www.unknownhipster.com  (which of course means he is truly well known, super-chouette and hyper- cool)...


the crowd was cool, too, and the art amusant, from portraits of karl lagerfeld to witty quips and captions on the subject, and subjects, of fashion.


while i waited for my friend, i stepped out of the box, the small white box of a gallery that holds the installation, that is, and took a few snapshots of the most standout gold mary janes, mon dieu.



i believe they were repetto, and that the bag was vanessa bruno. 
no matter, glitter and sequins this good need no introduction....ooh la la!

reflecting, toe to toe ....

lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

iconic bag and shoe, jeans and a pea coat...

strike a pose...

the show runs from february 24th through april 14th. 

and visit www.fiaf.org/fashion for more information on Fashion at FIAF.


don something magical, click your heels three times, and you are there!

a tout a l'heure!

valentine

roses are red

sometimes friends with blue,

buds tipped in yellow

favor blooms of many hues...

Happy Valentine's Day and thanks to Spring fashion editorials by New York TImes T Magazine and by Marie Claire Magazine...xoxo

black and white and wow

we think of february as being all about pink and white and red but in the past few days on the go here in new york, i have picked up on another color story. take a look! and don't miss the hint of hearts, in less than obvious places!

happy fashion week, fashionistas!