Style Muse of the Week - Sandra W. and her house!

Hi everyone, I'm shaking things up a bit at the weekly Personal Style posting.  This week my Muse is Sandra W., with  whom I was lucky enough to share the same neighborhood and often admire her lovely home.  Sandra has a traditional style that cannot be mistaken.  Both herself and her home exude classic lines and she always deffers to good taste and quality.

Crisp and put together is the look that this petite powerhouse has developed through the years.  Sandra is very particular and methodical, and will avoid no expense to get the exact look that she wants.  Every choice is deliberate, and her attention to detail is unmistakeable.  I used to find excuses to go in to her guest bathroom just to admire the choices she had made... from the black granite and cabinetry to the shades on the sconces to the choice of art and crystal for that room and the special lighting on the ceiling.  I also love her extensive limoge and blue and white porcelain collections.

But, since Spring is almost here, and my mind is on backyard projects... I thought these pictures from her beautiful yard would be fun to look at as well:

Style Muse of the Week - Laura W.

Meet Laura W., my GORGEOUS style muse of the week.  She lives in Dallas and has four grown children.   I met her this weekend at Surfside, where we all enjoyed the warm weather and the beautiful seabreeze in February! 

Laura has a sophisticated, well travelled vibe about her.  Her demeanor and affability are as much part of her personal style as the clothes she wears.  This day she was wearing what I would call California Chic meets Mountain Luxe.  Laura picked the most fabulous scarf, with just the perfect shade of blush pink with touches of amethyst to complement her beautiful complexion.  You can't see this from the picture, but in addition to the scarf she had a very long and delicate silver looped chain around ther neck, which accentuated her long figure further.  To top it off, she wasn't shy about her fabulous purse.  An aubergine woven leather tote - surely Italian, probably Bottega.

What I really love about her, besides the welcoming attitude, is her platinum hair casually pulled back.  Gorgeous lady with a fantastic sense of personal style.  Not many of us can pull off this look you guys, but she did it flawlessly.  She had such glamour about her, that strangers wanted to know if she was a movie star.  (This happended even BEFORE we were taking pictures).

Talking about Personal Style...

Buff'd M'dona

Madona, yes! as in 51-year-old-rocking-bod-with-or-without-British-accent-Madona, is said to be "in talks" with none other than Macy's to launch a line that would include apparel, footwear, lingerie (I can see that) and accessories. Really? I wonder who her target audience will be?!

51 yr old Madona, just last year (2009)

Oh Lovely...

Personal Style Muse of the Week - Stephanie F.

Celebrating  the concept of Personal Style, I have started a weekly feature discussed at an earlier entry.  There is no better way to start this series than to showcase my fun loving, lovely, jetsetter friend, Stephanie F.  This lively mother of two gorgeous 20'something girls, must osmotically soak up the youthfulness of her kids.  Here she is comfortably dressed, straight out of a plane, but still looking fabulous!  Steph has a way with accessories.  Sometimes bohemic, like a stringy peacock scarf, always with sunglasses holding her tresses back.  Her style is preppy classic, with a twist -- she always wears at least one "of the moment" piece.  In this case it is the little find around her wrist.  Always hopping from one trendy location to another, Steph has got it together.  I love how her fun personality comes thru in the way she dresses.

Personal Style

Eric Zoolander

Over and over again, my readers/friends have contacted me requesting more 'Fashion' entries.  It seems that we are all so busy and engaged by other demands that it is that much easier to just go somewhere (maybe here?) where people have done the leg work needed to keep up with all of the trends and have it spelled out for us.  No muss, no fuss. 

Well, I could do an entry on the mixing of patterns for Spring or on Hollywood stars picking up a trend a couple of seasons before it reaches the masses.   Or I could be really cutting edge and give you a preview of what is to come this Fall by reviewing the designers presenting at NY's Fashion Week.  But I think I can do better than that.  I can direct you to a place uncluttered by the cacophony of flying by fads - I can help you find your Personal Style (PS).

Personal Style is a state of mind.  It depicts your likes, dislikes and life experiences.  It shows the world a bit of your soul.  It is easy, because it is innate.  It is a celebration of who you are. Unencumbered by glossy advertizing or someone else's idea of what you should look like.   PS is simply the outward reflexion of who you are.

To start, I'd like to share my own PS progression.  This is not about showing you how great I think I look.  But it is about showing that I can celebrate looking the way I do.  It all started in high-school. I met this girl who was always doodleing her fashion designs (she had talent)  and she always wore this heavy eyeliner.  Back then I wasn't into make up, but then I figured I should try it.  Guess what... It worked.  I find that I can look FABULOUS with thick eyeliner on. :)  The next natural step was the Geeky Computer Girl look... so I had short hair always with a hair pin to the side, thick framed glasses, tight tops and a little attitude.  Next was my China Doll period:  again short super dark hair, thick eyeliner and fun exotic prints.  And then there is my Dutch period (the look that I am about to go plant some tulips in my backyard), wich I seem to return to over and over... this might just be my signature look.  It is how I feel most comfortable.  It reflects all the stages of my personal style development (thick eyeliner, fit tops, exotic prints, plus a vest, loose pants and clog like shoes. 

If you know me personally, you have seen me strutting around wearing some variation of the above outfit. I love this line from the old series, Designing Women, used to comment on Julia Sugarbaker:  "She wears money like last year's clothes".  Well, I'd like to wear my clothes like last year's clothes.

I'd like to finish by borrowing from Martha, and presenting you with a few "Gentle Reminders":  dress your age, don't show too much skin, beware of color changes (dark hair and pale skin is not for everyone), evolve.

In the upcoming weeks, I will be sharing pictures of real people, just like you and me, who make their own choices on what works for them. They wear it with confidence and panache... I hope it will inspire you.