Vineyard Times

Spending the summer on Martha’s Vineyard is just heaven.

I am so spoiled (in a good way), and can’t wait to return. Last year, I was fortunate enough to skate by sans job. I was a lucky duck, for the chances of this happening again under my parent’s watch are slim.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, the Vineyard is a small island off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It is a divine isolated place with so many things to do. The only way to get there is by ferry or air. There is no bridge. The marvelous quality about the Vineyard is that although it is only a few miles off of the main land, it seems so far removed. It’s so picturesque- so perfect- the photos below will never do it justice.

For me, a typical summer morning starts with the warm sunlight pouring through my east facing bedroom window that looks out to the sparkling ocean. After a hot cup of fresh brewed coffee and a gourmet breakfast of berry muffins and summer fruit salad (thanks, Leslie), it was time to make the most important decision of all…
Which beach should I go to today?

These were my choices.
South Beach
State Beach (which my house overlooks)
Chappy
Menasha
Aquinnah

As most New Englanders know, the weather there is not always ideal. Last summer there was what seemed like an eternal stretch of time when the sun refused to shine and thermometer outside of the kitchen struggled to climb higher than sixty degrees. When its too chilly for the beach, there are a zillion restaurants and shops to suit any taste. The nightlife isn’t too shabby either.

This is only a little taste of a subject that in the future I am sure I will write a lot about. Memories on this little island are etched in my heart. I can’t wait to get back.

The Legend of The Hermes Scarf

The Hermes scarf. I’ll never be without one.

Worn by royalty, celebrities, politicians, Hollywood starlets, and fashionistas, the Hermes scarf has graced the shoulders of some of the world’s most famous and glamorous women.

With spring quickly approaching, on an unseasonably warm Charleston afternoon, I tossed my cozy black cashmere pashmina into the closet. I carefully unfolded my blue and black one Hermes scarf out of my drawer. The great thing about a Hermes scarf, or any beautifully crafted silk scarf for that matter, is that it may be worn virtually in any climate during any season. However, I get the most wear out of mine in the spring and summer. Let me count the ways…

Draped around the neck with a Hanes white T-shirt and a great fitting pair of Jeans (my favorite).
Tied as a belt, cinching the waist of a favorite sundress.
As a headband.
Folded into a triangle as a dressy top to wear with some crisp, white jeans.
Knotted onto your favorite over-sized buttery leather bag.
Tied around a giant straw hat.
As a tent-like disguise for your hair rollers, whilst sneaking in a last minute mani-pedi at the nail salon before a big night out. Okay, maybe only my mother, Leslie, does that...

After running out of ideas, I consulted YouTube for some fresh ones. Searching “How to wear an Hermes Scarf,” I stumbled upon a wonderful video from Tattler Asia, of tying one in more ways I could ever have imagined- including making a dress out of two scarves, and braiding it into your hair (just like the Spring 2010 ad campaign)! Check it out below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhGqZoJNkNo

Eco Chic

While carousing the 14-day loan kiosk at the CofC library, I picked up “Gorgeously Green: 8 Steps to living an Earth-Friendly lifestyle” by Sophie Uliano. I’d seen it sometime before, for the life of me still cannot pinpoint where, but recalled rave reviews and the forward by Julia Roberts sold me (love her).

The idea of “earth-friendly” conjures up memories that reach back to high school of this dreadful uber-liberal feminist hippie dorm parent of mine (who will remain nameless, but for you Tabor alums, her last name rhymes with “kiss”), that refused to eat any food from the dining hall because it wasn’t organic, wore clothes mostly made out of hemp and refused to let her young daughters watch Disney princess movies for fear they would be brainwashed into the “fairy tale” and would grow up being dependent on men.

I like to think some of the things I do are eco-friendly. Every one does. No one likes to admit they are littering the planet, exploiting natural resources and contaminating our food and water supply. My three greenest habits, drum roll please…
1. Reusable canvas bags for groceries.
2. Energy saving light bulbs.
3. Recycling plastic bottles.
4. Drinking organic milk.
Okay, this is getting a little sad.

After a few minutes of flipping through the recycled pages, I figured reading some of the things this woman has to offer would behoove me. She divides the book into eight digestible different steps, hence the title: Beauty, Home, Fitness, Style, Food, Travel and Gardening.

Tips I found to be useful:

Beauty:
A laundry list of nasty chemicals that are horrible for us. They are in most cosmetics we use daily, such as makeup, perfume, nail polish, shampoo, mouthwash, tooth paste, face wash, lotions, sunscreens, soap and detergent. You name it, there is likely a harmful ingredient lurking somewhere. I’m not going to bore you with the scientific names, but I’m going to look twice at the ingredient list of the next bar of soap I purchase.

Shopping:
I don’t mean to rant, but the one thing I don’t understand is WHY PEOPLE DON’T BRING RECYCLEABLE BAGS TO THE GROCERY STORE. When I lived in France, the grocery store didn’t even offer you bags. Every one brought them own. I liken it to the diplomats flying to the environmental summit in private jets. Americans are always saying we want to help the environment, and eliminating plastic grocery bags is a simple step that would make a HUGE impact.

Home:
According to Uliano, many cleaning products contain petrochemical components that are harmful to people, animals, and the environment. Her simple rule about cleaning products is that if they are not non-toxic, they must go. That dreadful under the sink smell is not the scent of cleanliness, but that of poisonous chemicals. Fortunately, she mentions some great alternatives that aren’t as hazardous for your health.

She also bristles about the environmental and monetary expense of household habits. Acts that consume a lot of energy include keeping lights on, upping the thermostat to sauna like temperatures (guilty), blasting the air conditioning (guilty again) and washing clothes on hot heat. It turns out the cold cycle is slightly heated anyway. My roommates and I balked at our pricey electric bill last month, so I hope to put these suggestions to good use.

Gardening: I don’t have a garden. It’s a little tricky to have one living in an apartment in the middle of a city. But the idea of growing some of my own vegetables and herbs entices me. I’ll give it a try this summer on the island.

Ulpian’s voice is witty, charming, and her humor is quintessentially British. In the first chapter, she admits to sometimes being a “reluctant environmentalist” for wanting to be green, and make changes to her life but “dragging her feet on many occasions because she is a princess who likes the familiar.”

She dishes her wealth of eco-friendly knowledge with a baby spoon. I suggest this book to anyone who wants to make his or her life a little greener. It’s an easy read, and you can make what you like of it. While I’m not throwing all of my department store cosmetics into the trash, tossing my Marseille-milled lavender soap, or squeezing my Bain de Soliel down the drain, I am going to be more conscious of what I’m consuming and how.

Movie Musings: The Graduate

The Graduate, starring a young Dustin Hoffman, with and Anne Bancroft, is one of my favorite films.

Perhaps the most iconic film of the ‘60s, The Graduate is the tale of Benjamin Braddock (Hoffman), a fresh-faced college graduate who returns home from East Coast Ivy to Pasadena, California, and finds he having an affair with Mrs. Robinson, his father’s business partner’s wife. After he falls for their daughter, things go sour and well, I won’t spoil the end…

The reason a adore this film is not for the intriguing plot, but for being avant gard. It is rather risqué. And I find the culture of ‘60s California intriguing. It’s another world from any place I’ve ever seen in New England. I’ll have to make it out there someday.

The soundtrack is completely by Simon & Garfunkel. I can’t say I was much of a fan until I saw the film, but I’ve downloaded a few tracks from iTunes. If you haven’t been living under a rock I’m sure you’re familiar with the song “Mrs. Robinson”.

Throughout the film, Hoffman is almost always in a blazer and tie, a combination I love because it throws me back to boarding school where the boys dressed that way daily. I’d die to get my paws on pretty much anything Mrs. Robinson (Bancroft) wears. Notables include the leopard print coat in the hotel scene, any of the lingerie, and those famous thigh-high stockings. The daughter Elaine’s (Katharine Ross) wardrobe is a little more Jackie than Marilyn. She wears some beautiful coats. And that wedding dress from the final scene…

Oh, and my dream car! The Alfa Romeo.

Rent it.

I Want Candy

Saturday afternoon, my friend Shannon and I ventured up to Cannon street to stationery boutique Mac & Murphy for the Candy Shop Vintage Trunk Show. I have such a sweet tooth for vintage jewelry; I couldn’t wait to get my fix.

Wherever I am, at school in Charleston, at home up in Boston, or on Martha’s Vineyard, I am always on the prowl for good quality vintage jewelry. I cannot wait to continue my hunt on vacation in Palm Beach next week. Sometime in another post I will share some of my favorite finds with you all.

I heard about Candy Shop Vintage via word of mouth. It is a small company started by pretty young thing Deidre Zahl. Here is a bio from her site:

"I started collecting vintage jewelry after years of working with clients in the fashion industry and seeing costume jewelry experience resurgence in popularity. Candy Shop Vintage is inspired by the aesthetic of vintage candy stores and soda fountains and I hope that my jewelry elicits that same combination of nostalgia and excitement. I collect pieces that are affordable, chic, and have contemporary appeal. I visit estate sales, antiques stores and flea markets all over the east coast. Each item is a special, hand-selected treat and I never choose anything I wouldn't wear myself!"


Today I purchased the most delicious little bauble I had seen on her Esty website. I saw it at the show and had to have it. Perfect for Florida!

The amazing thing about vintage costume jewelry and accessories are the stories behind them. You never know who owned the piece beforehand, and the exotic places it may have gone, or the equally intriguing women who wore them.

Did she wear it…
Sneaking into an invite-only art gala in Spain?
Cruising the Nile in Egypt?
To a party at a plantation?
At a swanky martini bar in Manhattan?

The possibilities are endless, and that is the magic of it. I love to dream about that had the piece before me. I love collecting vintage jewelry and would love to share some of my finds with you all in a future post.

Satisfy your craving at candyshopvintage.com

Jade Is the New Green

Jade Is The New Green

Last Spring, while showing his Fall 2009 collection in Paris, Chanel mastermind Karl Lagerfeld, along with make up artist Peter Phillips, sent models down the runway adorned with Jade green nails to match the threading woven into Coco’s classic suits. Fashion and beauty editors buzzed about the shade. WhowhatWear, Fashionista, People, and InStyle, all published features on the polish. Within a month of its limited release, Chanel Jade les vernis, which originally retailed for $28, became the most coveted beauty item of last fall.

Wishing to acquire this little treasure straight away, one brisk October day, I phoned the Chanel counter at the King Street Saks Fifth Avenue. “Ohhhh no…” a flamboyant male voice responded to my inquiry. “THAT won’t be available anywhere until Holllliday.”

After years of being a consumer, from experience I knew better. I promptly logged on to Chanel.com, and ordered a bottle. It arrived at my doorstep in Charleston within a week.

Unlike the editorials, runway to real life didn’t translate.

The reviews were mixed. My roommates thought it was too light and sort of a rip off. My boyfriend asked me “Are your nails green?” as if I had been bored in class with a bottle of white out and a green sharpie. As much as I loved it and tried to manipulate myself into thinking I was “on the cutting edge of fashion”, I had my doubts.

One Friday afternoon, I dropped into a Charleston nail salon to get a manicure. When I placed the polish into the Vietnamese manicurist’s little hand, her face illuminated as if she had swallowed a light bulb, “The Jade!” She held it up to show the other manicurists in the salon. They gathered to awe, and one even brought over a copy of that week’s People magazine to show me Chanel had a waitlist for the mint green hue.

A few weeks later I was in Boston for Christmas break. I was at Chanel picking up a quilted bag I had repaired, and the man at the counter said, “I see you are wearing our Jade.” The Boston Chanel is a relatively small store and the beauty sales women daintily grabbed my fingers to look. “Did I get that for you, dear?” “No, I ordered it awhile back.” I chuckled internally thinking how much I love fashion, but this was getting a little ridiculous. At this point, mes Amis, this blog entry may be a tad much. But I love my Jade. More so than anything else, it was valuable as a conversation starter. The encounter at Chanel was not the last time it came up.

Recently, I’ve seen bottles of the shade on eBay for upwards of $150. I toyed with the idea of selling mine, used at a discount of course, and cashing in for whatever this season’s “it” color is (word is it’s taupe). Jade was tattooed to my nails through Christmas. Now I’m back to my good old Essie mademoiselle, a pale ballerina slipper pink. Maybe I’ll break out the Jade for St. Patrick’s Day. Heck, my nails are bare. I’ll paint a coat now.

The Mad Hatter of Nantucket

On a recent bone-chilling Charleston afternoon, while reading The Daily Mail Online, (the internet version of the UK newspaper,) I encountered a paparazzi shot of one of the English WAGs (Brit speak for “Wives and Girlfriends” of Footballers) modeling a particularly gorgeous straw hat while “on holiday” sunning herself on a beach of some excusive resort in Dubai.

Leslie, one of my favorite style icons as well as my mother, has always worn a similar hat. Since my childhood, she has lugged an overpriced wide brimmed tan straw hat with a thick grosgrain black ribbon tied ‘round it from what seems like every beach from Antigua to Antibes. This, with her matching Manuel Canvas bikini, has resulted her in being the most chic-looking woman on the beach. This photo not only reminded me of her, but of the delightful Peter Beaton Hat Studio in Nantucket. Located on swanky cobblestone Federal Street in historic downtown it is a little confection of a shop.

Off of the beaten path is a petite cape-style house. Dozens of beautifully made straw hats hang inside on rod iron racks just waiting to be bought. Each is named for a location on the island (beaches, lighthouses etc). The hats are made of the finest, most gorgeous straw and can be worn from the beach to the bar. A PB hat looks fantastic with a summer sundress, some chunky gold baubles, a pair of Jack Rodgers sandals and a tan. Classic.

Started by Darcy Creech, a divorcee in the ‘80s, as an alternative to a “real job”, the collection has evolved include candy colored ribbon belts, French striped shirts, sunglasses, umbrellas and Wellington Boots. The label’s namesake is her son’s first and middle name. One day I’ll stop pestering my mother to FedEx hers down for every vacation and Carolina Cup, and have my very own. Since they run for about $250 a pop, I’ll need my own income first!

Modern Marie

I supposed I should begin by blogging to you about the namesake of this site. If you’ve gotten this far, you must understand by now that I love anything to do with Marie Antoinette. I’ve been blessed with the privilege of vesting France a handful of times. Those visits have inspired my passion for its language, culture, cities, countryside, food, fashion, literature, architecture and art. Quand je sais petite (since I was little), I have been taught to love that country and every thing about it. France is engrained in my spirit, and always will be.

I’ve always been the girly-girl. I’ve had a life-long love affair with fashion since flipping through my mother’s Vogues and Harpers Bazaars when they arrived at our house monthly. From a young age, I’ve known what I’ve wanted and had an eye for how people look, and how they adorn themselves.

My love for France and fashion collided in October 2006, when I saw Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette for the first time. That film changed my life and my eye.

I understand why it was not the most popular with the critics; many examined it as what should have been a historical biopic and a reflection on her legacy.

But that would have vacuumed all of the fun out of it! In the confection of a film, Coppola literally shows Marie Antoinette and her ladies in waiting gorging on candy and cakes from the famous Paris patisserie Laduree, and drinking champagne and fresh raspberries. The women are adorned with pastel skirts as light as whipped cream, and strutting around in Manolo Blahnik shoes (custom made for the film, of course).

I became so interested that I set out the summer afterward to become a Marie Antoinette expert. I read various biographies to gain perspective on who this woman really was and why history hates her so much.

To be continued…

Bienvenue!

Bonjour tout le monde! We have to start somewhere. Je m’appelle Julia. This is my place to record my adventures in the dolce vita, la vie en rose, to be put simply: the good life.

I am a young twenty something Yankee living as a fish out of water in the South. I crave salty summers sailing on Martha’s Vineyard, basking in the sun on the beach in St. Tropez, and wandering through the streets of Paris eating macaroons and emulating some pretty young thing out of a Dior ad.

For now, I am living in Charleston, a whimsical little city in South Carolina where I am racing to earn my degree and jump into the rest of my life with a splash. This blog is a delightful little space to give you, my dear reader, a taste of my musings, influences, inspirations and champagne soaked adventures (and a few misadventures in-between).
Join me on my journey (and for some cake)!