Daily Whimsy

These hot air balloons from Paris Market in Savannah are perfect to add a little playfulness to your decor. They are old-world but...not. Not to mention they have an element of kismet for the owner of Paris Market; she saw them years ago in Spanish Vogue, and has finally brought them to Savannah after a game of retail cat and mouse. I would love these hanging over a child's bed or even in an outdoor reading nook. You can just daydream about floating away to some exotic European location in one. 

Easter Peeps

Since Easter is right around the corner, I figured we might as well put together an adult Easter basket of sorts. Some great ideas for you or others for little (OK, sometimes big) holiday remembrances! 

First off, above: stackable, customizable rings from Jane Pope Jewelry, her pieces are forever sophisticated. I love that this is a substantial yet delicate look; very chic, very understated-almost bohemian? 

Adorable elephant print (my favorite) dress for your lil angel! Part of Fleur's new Lifestyle collection!

 

One of my fave's, I've posted about this before-the DVF Maja dress. Great for an Easter service or brunch with the fam. Now available at Gena Chandler.

I love this sweet, perfectly Springy keepsake perfume bottle from the Paris Market in Savannah. A must-see shopping destination if you are ever in Savannah!

Kate Spade statement necklace from Charlotte's

Tory Burch colorblock wallets! LOVE! There are a couple of combos to choose from; they are super fun as well as functional! YAY! From Monkee's of Raleigh! 

I am forever obsessed with these hand-beaded Santi clutches from Fleur. Each one is different and they range from graphic metallic chevron patterns to this Easter-hued floral design. I want all of them unfortunately (for me). 

Insane. Someone should get this in their Easter basket. Be sure to mention it if you've been really well-behaved. Can you imagine finding this in an Easter egg? From Charlotte's. 

Beautiful handmade Gabrielle earrings from Fleur. 

From Mint To Lime, It's Green Time

Minty green Chanel bag

In honor of the upcoming St. Patrick's festivities I present to you: some green stuff. Really pretty green stuff! 

This gorgeous pale green ring from Jane Pope Collection jewelry, more  on JPC/Balboa and Marysia Swim in a post coming soon!

Piamita Jacqueline Dress, via Shopbop. Love this look. Hat and accessories are perfection. 

DVF Karin Large Paper Buds Dress, via Bleubelle

Tibi Cameo Shift Dress, via Monkee's Raleigh, (and don't even get me started on those shoes!)

"Come Around", by Michelle Armas, from ATL, with whom I am obsessed. 

Friday Faves

For those of us that aren't quite prepared to invest in a Celine bag (and I fully support you if you are), J Crew has a really amazing alternative, the Tillery bag (for about a tenth of the price). It comes in several colors as well as in leather. Check out the Ribbon Stripe Invitation Clutch too while you're at it!

I am in love with this Aussie line called Bec & Bridge. I have the top in this picture that makes me soo happy. I love this dress from Singer22's website; while I think our little model friend needs a touch of sun, I think it's a gorgeous shape and could be accessorized a million ways. 

You should get these! The Amber heel from Tibi! They have several versions, this being my fave! Van Jean has them in stock now. Such a great multi-purpose, multi-outfit sandal!

I love this swingy little fishy tank from Custard in Savannah! Our abnormally warm weather has sent me into full on Spring mode. How cute would this be with the pink skinnies from  Hudson (pictured below!) from Fleur and some tan sandals? (Side note: the top is a steal!)

Take A Tumble With Me

The Tory bag is perfection, add the amazing scarf to that sick Alice + Olivia blazer/bell bottoms combo and you. are. set.

I know, I know, I'm sure that outfit just made you black out. Refocus, and I'll tell you where to find it. These are some of the images from my new(est) obsession-BleuBelle Savannah's tumblr. I soooo don't really know what tumblr is, I can't even really figure out if I am supposed to be capitalizing Tumblr. My understanding is that at its most basic, tumblr is another platform for blogging. (I will let you know if I find out otherwise.) Anyhoo, I closely follow what's going on down at BleuBelle, Heather and the ladies there have impeccable style,  and their new blog has totally captivated me. Beautiful clothes, styling, etc. This is my favorite look, very much my style, but I have really loved seeing how they are styling things. It's always fun to see how someone else puts together a look, and how you can apply it to your own wardrobe (or just buy it from them and not think about it at all). I highly recommending taking a peek, and checking in with them on Facebook, they thankfully ship to just about any old place.

Ella Moss and Tory Burch, great Spring look

Vintage Louis from their Deja Bleu event. I can't.  

Perfectly Preppy

Milly Blazer & Bell Blouse with fab hot pink skinny Joe's. Oh, and Loubs. Duh.

Love this Waverly Grey skirt, with DVF top and oodles of necklaces.

That would be a Tory Burch leather jacket. Swoon. 

Friday Faves

Pierrepont Hicks camel hair tie, $140

I adore the idea of this tie, a play on the ever-classic and handsome camel hair coat. Definitely  a statement tie. One of the great gift ideas from Garden & Gun. Pierrepont Hicks has some gorgeous ties and bowties; they also have a tie case (?) that I was sort of fascinated with. 

Handmade, personalized bottle opener, $75

Another great gift idea from Garden & Gun. Handmade in the ATL by American Forge South. 

Ferragamo Tresha Biker Boot, Moda Operandi

I probably don't have to explain this. They're shearling lined, zip up Fall '12 Ferragamo biker boots for under $1000. My friend Lauren said she thought that wearing them would be like petting a unicorn. (Without the slightest drop of sarcasm.)

Native Union Pop phone, Nordstrom

This may be one of the greatest inventions I've ever seen or heard of; right behind electricity or the wheel. It's a "old-fashioned" handset that can be plugged into your iPhone. A totally weirdo friend of mine sent it to me a week ago (you know who you are, and I love you), and I thought it was great, now I'm seeing Oscar de la Renta and Andre Leon Talley using it. Comes in a bunch of kitschy colors and is super affordable. 

Alice + Olivia pant, Neiman Marcus

High-waisted, wide-legged, insane color. Sold. 

In love with this jacket from BleuBelle in Savannah. The fur collar detaches. I think everyone needs one of these. (Even if it's 75 degrees in December.)

Missing These Views

Clockwise from upper left: Changing Tides,  36" x 36", $1600; Verdant Morning, 36" x 48", $1850; Salt Creek, 16" x 16", $575; 

New Horizons, 20" x 24", $850, Fractus, 24" x 36", $1250; Tree Line, 12" x 12" $325.

I absolutely adore these paintings posted on the Paris Market's blog; Paris Market being one of the coolest stores in Savannah. They are by artist and interior designer Bert John. They really capture the low country's beauty. Some of my favorite vista's in that area are the marshes and creeks just like these. These moving works will be on display in Paris Market this week. If you haven't already discovered the Paris Market, check it out here, and learn more about Bert John's work here.

Rae Francis

One of my faves, Topher tank and Alexander pants. Yes mother,  I know I'm too short for the pants. I don't care. 

I lived and worked in Savannah for several years in a boutique on Broughton Street, which is sort of the "Main Street" of the downtown historic district. Savannah is a beautiful, sort of haunted city. There are so many beautiful buildings and parks and squares, but there is still a lot of work to be done to restore some of these lovely structures. One thing I think people may not realize about Savannah is that SCAD-the Savannah College of Art and Design-has been absolutely instrumental in restoring many of these gorgeous homes and buildings to their former glory. They've turned many of the buildings into classroom and admin facilities; I would say that they have been the single-most important entity in the revitalization of this port city. SCAD is a highly acclaimed art and design school, and in addition to their contributions to the infrastructure of the city, the school brings with it some of the most interesting and talented artists in the South. (Or anywhere, really). 

David dress, I want to curl up in this dress and wear it everywhere.

I happened to mostly employ fashion students at my store, all of whom were fabulously talented and always entertaining. One of these ladies has recently partnered with another former classmate to launch their own label out of NYC. (Obviously my guidance was instrumental in this!) The  line, Rae Francis, was founded by Ariel Lilly and Christina Coniglio, and is very much a clean "uptown meets downtown" kind of look. After perusing the lookbooks, I'm loving the sleekness of the line. A lot of the pieces could go from work to cocktails.  These are some of my favorite looks from their upcoming Fall and Holiday collections. 

Brody tunic

Adam coat, Topher tank, and Luke skirt.

Copper skirt

Landon dress, I love! 

Landon dress, back. LOVE!

You can check out the rest of the collection on their website:

www.raefrancis.com

and on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rae-Francis

Bonjour Friends!

On the heels of my second best friend getting engaged in Paris in the most ridiculous of ways, (yes, two friends, Paris, engaged, I know) I am inspired to share with ya'll one of my most favorite shops EVER! Nestled on a busy corner in historic downtown Savannah is The Paris Market and Brocante; part-cafe, part-boutique, part-living room, The Paris Market is one of the most inviting, charming nooks I've ever seen.

The store is gorgeous gorgeous stripped-down wood plank floors, bright windows to the ceilings, a beautiful old-fashioned bar to serve coffee and an assortment of sweets and confections.

There are chic little marble-topped bistro tables on the sidewalk where you can enjoy your hot cocoa and people watch all day. It feels authentically French: chic without trying, urbane with a sense of history, sophisticated and yet whimsical. It's almost hard to explain what the The Paris Market is, actually, but then you realize that it actually is a market. (Duh.)

It has this sense of bustle and organized chaos that you find in any market or street bazaar from here to L.A. to Portabello Road to India. First of all, the window displays of Paris Market are art themselves; I have seen some of the most elaborate, magical, even scary window dressings imaginable. They are award-winning.

The store is packed with the most mind boggling range of items. There are coffee table books, ornaments, aprons, jewelry, chandeliers, candles, bleached sand dollars, vintage clothing; meander down the staircase and the cavernous rooms are set up like a home. The furniture comes from all over the world and appeals to all tastes. I've seen gorgeous leather chairs, huge antique farmhouse style dining room tables, lamps, you name it.

At one point there was this elaborate carved structure that almost took up an entire wall and appeared to be either a playhouse or the most elaborate armoire I'd ever seen. It turned out (if memory serves) to be some sort of Middle Eastern altar, that they had had taken apart, sent to Savannah and reassembled there in the store. (Again, that's the explanation I remember.) But, this illustrates the philosophy behind The Paris Market; the owners Paula and Taras globe-trot and scour the flea markets, bazaars and antique dealers of the world to find these amazing treasures and one-of-a-kind pieces.

They have a passion for the unique and the beautiful. It's been my impression that they're drawn to things with a sense of history and soul. You can walk into Paris Market and leave with a cookie cutter, a shower curtain, an antique printer's desk, and a latte. Where else can you do that, I ask?

If you visit Savannah, you must stroll by The Paris Market and take it in yourself.

The Paris Market & Brocante
36 W. Broughton Street
Savannah, GA

Web:
http://www.theparismarket.com/

Phone:
912.232.1500

Facebook: Paris Market