TEA FOR TWELVE

Kid birthdays. I'm over them and I've only had one. My daughter never wanted to have any parties because she didn't want to share any of the cake. Fine by me. Store bought Cinderella cake, stuffed animals as guests, a few balloons. Done. What a difference a year makes. By the time she turned 4 she wanted a party. With real friends. 

Now I would love to be the mom who can have 12 4 year olds in my house eating cake, dropping cake, touching furniture with frosted laden hands, but I'm not. So we needed a venue that could accommodate a girlie 4 year old who likes to dress up, drinks tea and  loves cake. A lot of cake. The Wenham Tea House in MA was just the place. Little tea sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries, tea, and a beautiful, delicious pink cake. For party favors we got little straw hats and decorated them with ribbon and flowers and voila,,, a tea party. And all I had to do was show up,, no set up/clean up required. Happy Birthday to me.

www.wthexchange.com

CONSCIENCE CLEAR

Recycling, buying organic food, using those weird looking light bulbs and using natural house cleaners. Makes you feel like you're helping the planet a little bit, right? Well why not take it a step further? Organic clothes. 

Yes, they used to be made out of hemp and worn by aging hippies. And while they may have been eco friendly they weren't fashionable nor did they try to be. But times have changed. Clothing made of organic cottons and factories blessed by the Dalai Lama for their nonviolent treatment of silkworms are cropping up and the clothes are chic, fashion forward AND sustainable. No patchouli in that.

www.bodkinbrooklyn.com

GOLDEN GIRLS

It's that time of year again. Time to  break out the gold. But instead of the usual gold jewelry,, how about spicing up your rolled shorts/peasant top with a gold metallic bag a la JCrew or some python metallic bangles by Ted Rossi? Both will add summer glow while still keeping it casual and fresh. Jackpot.

www.JCrew.com

www.tedrossi.com

THAT SHE WORE FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY

Summer is officially here. And that means beach and bathing suits! Depending on what shape you're in that could be cause for celebration or slight anxiety. Don't fret. You can still be stylish and super cute this summer no matter what that tummy looks like. Michael Kors retro yellow polka dot suit is so flattering,, well,, even if you don't have Madonna's bod you'll want to wear it.

One, two, three, four, tell the people what she wore.........

TRUCKIN'

You've heard of matching your purse to your shoes,, your your belt to your purse, your lipstick to your shirt (please don't) but what about matching your car to your house? I mean, if you live in a country house is it really a good match to have a red Ferrari in the driveway? I've decided I'd like to have my house go with my car,, or in this case, truck. I don't care about fancy and I don't care about labels. I like color and I like vintage. I like authentic. What could be more authentic than an old Chevy truck in robin's egg blue? It's functional---hauling leaves in the Fall and peonies in the Summer would be a snap. It's rugged. It matches my antique chandelier. And it only seats 4. Perfect. 

DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES

So what are some of the prettiest things you own? What has shimmer and shine? What doesn't get worn enough or looked at enough? Your jewelry. It really never has enough air time considering how pretty it is and how much it costs. It needs a stage. Pick a table, vanity, or chest in your bedroom and decorate it with jewelry. Collect beautiful dishes and bowls,, ones with sentiment, ones from flea markets,, ones from your local design shop. Just collect and fill with all the beautiful baubles you have. If you're not wearing them they can at least be part of the decor.

JEAN DAY

The day of the jean needs to come to an end. When every suburban mom is wearing the go-to outfit, i.e. jeans, cute top, heels and cute bag,, you know the look is over. I'm not saying to never wear jeans again,, but let's put them back where they belong----casual events,, cookouts,, soccer games,, running errands. But for a big night out? Graduations? Brunch in the city? No. no. no.

How about a dress, a skirt, a pant made out of something other than jean? Try it and get away from the boring jean pool.

WALLPAPER GIRL

Yes, that's Blake Lively from Gossip Girl but the real gem in this Upper East side apartment is the wallpaper. Nothing gives a space dimension, style, boldness like a gorgeous wallpaper. Chinoiserie hand painted papers from Gracie Studio in New York are as luxe as they get. Use it in a foyer or a bathroom or even a designer closet. Until next time...

XOXO

Sparkle Girl

www.graciestudio.com

BABY MAMA 12 WEEKS-LOOK 2

Going to a girls' brunch is a snap in an Empire waist GAP dress and Kate Moss leather jacket. Coach flats keep it comfy.

www.GAP.com

www.topshop.com

www.coach.com

VINTAGE PROM

No matter what town you're in,, prom is special. And next to your wedding day, finding a dress for prom is just about as important. You DO NOT want to get to prom and have someone else wearing your dress. It's hard to do these days unless you go vintage. Posh Girl Vintage has so many dresses to choose from,, you can be Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe or Lucille Ball. I love prom.

www.poshgirlvintage.com

BABY MAMA 12 WEEKS-LOOK 1

Hello Mama! With sickness gone, pregnancy gets fun. Still a tiny bump so no need for maternity wear. Old Navy jersey dresses, GAP cardigans, Chloe belts and J.Crew flats. Daytime pregnancy is a snap.

www.gap.com

www.oldnavy.com

www.jcrew.com

www.chloe.com

HATS ON

Summer is coming and so is,, thank goodness, the SUN!! But with the sun comes sunburns. But how unnecessary is that? Stay protected AND wear a hat that'll fit right in at the local beach or on a stroll down Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. Hats ON to that.

www.peterbeaton.com

GIVE 'EM THE FINGER

When your little ones act like rock stars it can be annoying. The theatrics, the stealing of your sunglasses, the off key tune sung loudly, over and over and over. But there's no sense in fighting it,, so you might as well embrace it. A good way to do this is stockpiling on rocker duds,, at least you'll enjoy THAT. Little Fashion Gallery carries an enormous amount of cool and current frocks (I only wish they made this stuff in my size) and the design house of Fashion in the Nose tops the list. For girls and boys,, this is one finger I don't mind being given.

www.littlefashiongallery.com

I'VE GOT A CRUSH

Sallow. Not quite green, not totally yellow,, not white either. Sallow. Rosy cheeks? Never had 'em,,  except after an 8 mile run in the middle of summer. But who has time for that anymore? I needed a way to get that look without exerting any energy. Stila's Cherry Crush. A stain that can be worn on cheeks and lips and DOES NOT disappear after your first cup of coffee. It's also completely sheer so even on bare skin it's undetectable. Now that's cheeky.

www.sephora.com

FREE TO BE YOU,,,,,BUT NOT TO BE ME

One of the things that makes you stylish is creating your own look. If you think about fashionistas you'll recognize that they are unique. Sarah Jessica doesn't dress like Madonna who doesn't look anything like Kate Moss. They each have a style which is part of their essence. It's ok to draw inspiration from these fashion icons, and even your friends, but simply copying someone else's style is just plain lazy. Embrace your individuality and create your own look. 

It is said that imitation is a form of flattery, but I disagree. Imitation is just a form of ripping someone off. Don't be a style thief.

COTTON CANDY

Dresses that look like cupcakes? Shoes that look like candy? What can I say? Sweet is cute. And these are adorable. It's got bows, it's got pink, it's got stripes. But somehow it manages to not look like a 3 year old on her way to Sunday school. 

Pair it with your skinny white jeans and a soft tank and you're good to go.

www.piperlime.com

www.betseyjohnson.com