Lux Lotus

Windowlicker

When I was a child, my (impossibly glamorous) mother was a flight attendant and my (impossibly charming) father was a consultant to the aviation industry and one of my main forms of entertainment was tracking down the little notes and things they would leave in their absence, then waiting patiently for their hopefully gift-laden return. They had different styles; my mother would hide presents around the house (a tea set, a toy stethoscope with battery-operated heartbeat) for us to find once she left, while my father liked souvenirs. For years, he would often bring me back a charm from wherever he'd been, and I've had them loose in a sack at the bottom of the traincase I use as my jewelry box ever since. I've got France (a tiny Arc de Triomphe), Orlando (Donald Duck), San Antonio (The Alamo), Dulles International Airport, Seattle, Denver, LAX, Reno, New Orleans or San Francisco (a streetcar with driver whose head bobs as the wheels turn)... and since this is the year that I'm going to do everything I've always wanted to do (e.g. take an Isadora Duncan dance class, spend some time at an ashram, et al), I'm going to get that charm bracelet.

[Travel charm bracelet,  $495 at Tiffany & Co.]

Windowlicker - from the French for window shopping: faire du lèche-vitrine - appears on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10am EST-ish.

A Pot of Blue

I'll try, but really, words fail to describe the boundless joy I felt when, an hour or so ago, the decidedly Uptown lounge singer at Bemelman's (famed hotel bar of posh pied-a-terre, The Carlyle) did a cover of New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle. It was one of the most delightful moments of my life. (contented) sigh. 'Every time I see you falling...'

Windowlicker

I know, I know, what is the nature of time anyway, but so much sexier than looking at a phone, no? I remember when this design came out and there was a full range; I prefer the deep lapis and green and tiger's eye models but I like the oversized "boyfriend" feel of this style. This particular one might be a little too "When it comes to making bread, I've got the keys to the bakery" for my often minimalist taste, but that probably has more to do with how I feel about diamonds in general.

[La D de Dior Diamond Bezel Watch, $3,450 at eLuxury]

Windowlicker - from the French for window shopping: faire du lèche-vitrine - appears on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10am EST-ish.

La Nouvelle Smart Set + Further Afield

...est arrivée, and it's a doozy. I have so many things to do this week before I leave on a little (busman's) holiday Friday evening. I wanted to go somewhere exotic and glamorous but then I did the opposite. Just like a woman (or better yet). I'll be off smelling the roses and counting the stars (and only checking my Blackberry once or twice daily) until May 5th. Be good, doves! XXXXX.

P.S. guestblogging is so, no. While I'm away from Lux Lotus, why not read a book instead? May I suggest: The Drop Edge of Yonder by Rudolph Wurlitzer, Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee, Have You Found Her by Janice Erlbaum. They are all, to quote a friend, brazilliant. I am a big fan of creative visualization and daydreaming (see: my entire life), so let me know what you'd dress the protagonists in for your dream film version in the comments. I'll go first: Zebulon = Martin Margiela (MM's steadfast refusal to be photographed or interviewed suggests to me that he'd understand Rudy's brand of outlaw chic perfectly); Casey Han =  Doo.Ri, Ports 1961, Pippa Small, Eugenia Kim; Janice = Tiffany, Prada plus downtown designers like Daryl K and Built by Wendy, natch. Or better yet, how would you style the film version of your story? As always, do tell...

IMAGE SOURCE: STYLE.COM.

Butterflies

Pictured: Yours truly + Jami Attenberg (Instant Love, The Kept Man) and Janice Erlbaum (Girlbomb, Have You Found Her) at Sunday Salon at Stain Bar last weekend (credit: Nita Noveno). I ran into Jami again tonight at PRINT's party for its New Visual Artists issue, "a showcase of 20 top designers under 30" at Groupe 16 sur 20 in Nolita. She was with some friends, including Emily Flake of These Things Ain't Gonna Smoke Themselves fame. I met up with my pal Paddy Johnson of Art Fag City and from there she and I decamped to the far less crowded confines of Xicala, one of my favorite bars in the city for myriad reasons. New York is stellar, but flitting off this summer somewhere sunny, breezy and on water -- Monterey? Isn't that where they go? -- sure sounds nice. As does the night skiing scene at Saint Sauveur! How chic. As usual, I Feel It All.

Windowlicker

As I was walking home an hour ago, a man said to me, "Look at those legs-- I wish I had a red carpet to roll out for them. God bless you!" And there you have it: my new philosophy.

[Fornasetti "Bacio" Rug, $8100 at Neiman Marcus]

Windowlicker - from the French for window shopping: faire du lèche-vitrine - appears on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10am EST-ish.

Windowlicker

This weekend, I nearly bought (but didn't): some Fendi heels (not these, but perhaps if I'd succumbed), a vintage Valentino coat, and a necklace of five intertwined gold chains. I prefer to keep things in the realm of fantasy though, unless temptation defeats me, because as far as my bank account is concerned, black is the new red. I really like these, though, with their (Freudian?) Grecian allure. I imagine myself wearing them with some pooling, shimmering gown, unwinding a spool of divine thread and barely lifting an eyebrow as the Apple of Discord rolls right on by...

[Fendi Runway Metallic Cage Heel, $705 at eLuxury]

Windowlicker - from the French for window shopping: faire du lèche-vitrine - appears on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10am EST-ish.

Windowlicker

French novelist and Lux Lotus favorite Colette said, "If I can't have too many truffles, I'll do without truffles."  Speaking of that particular temptation, my favorites come from Upper East Side chocolaterie Debauve & Gallais. Next time I find myself in the neighborhood, I'll have too many.

[1 pound box of truffles, $120, available online or by phone]

Windowlicker - from the French for window shopping: faire du lèche-vitrine - appears on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10am EST-ish.

Hey Gwenda

... Re: sparkly, j'adore! Those are perfectly poised to usher in spring. And I've found that flats are so practical for spontaneous choreography as you stroll (I recall doing this 5-6-7-8 twirly thing while singing The Smiths quite out loud in Osaka; it must have been the post-Ferris Wheel thrill). And you know what they say about the shiny shiny...

Also, while we're talking style, this illo is so darling it makes me wanna go pixie for summer. Ill-advised? Possibly, but it would certainly be inspired.

Windowlicker

There are few things that I like better than a well-dressed man, especially one who can balance sartorial elan with self-expression. While I'd be the first to concur that there's a fine line between a sublime lack of effort and trying much too hard, I'm rarely disappointed by the winsome nature of a bowtie. Bold classicism is a welcome touch in this far-too-casual workaday world. Politics, psychology, and practicality aside, there's nothing quite so enchanting as a welcome touch, now is there? Besides, you can always fake it 'til you make it, anyway. And what could be more winsome than that?

[Marlene Dietrich Bow Tie, Alexis Mabille for Couturelab, $252 (approx)]

Windowlicker - from the French for window shopping: faire du lèche-vitrine - appears on Tuesday and Thursdays at 10am EST-ish.

Top image: Still from "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day."