Mother of Style

Ankle Booties: Sam Edelman Louie

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:19:00 +0000

LOVE the fringe on these.

Thrifty Thursday Find

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:50:00 +0000

60s fashion was a fun time. Look at these bright colors. I also like the A-line shape of the dresses, that they are fitted and yet not tight. They still look fun and young in 2011 because they are made in such vibrant colors.

I found this sweater dress at a local thrift store not long ago and it's been fun to wear. I've paired it with burgundy penny loafers and also with a pair of black leather knee-height boots and lace tights. I also want to try it with a blazer sometime but it's actually a really warm dress and even in winter like this I don't need an extra layer except when I'm outside.

Have you found any good things lately at the thrift store? I walk away empty handed sometimes, but I really enjoy it when I find special pieces like this!

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Cheeses

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:35:00 +0000

Ankle Booties: Isabel Marant vs. DV by Dolce Vita

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:26:00 +0000

Wow...long time no post! Lots going on, but I don't want to give up on blogging!

I've been thinking about these DV by Dolce Vita Jamison booties for awhile, waiting to see if they will go on sale- at $120 dollars they are way cheaper than the $540 dollar Isabel Marant Dicker booties that they resemble, but I still hate to pay full price for things. What I really like about this style is the way the ankle is close-fitting and the heel is a manageable height.

DV by Dolce Vita:

Isabel Marant:

I am already envisioning how I would wear these, but I will just keep waiting until there is a sale I can take advantage of to bring them home :) Both brands also offer the bootie in black, but I am leaning towards the pale color as being the better choice.

Here is a dressier look with the Isabel Marant booties:

This set is more casual, and features the DV by Dolce Vita booties in black:

Boating.

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:22:00 +0000

Pan Am - Break Out Your String of Pearls!

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:51:00 +0000

I am finding the new Pan Am series to be inspirational. I just love this era of clothing, and the actresses are all so beautifully turned out. I've noticed I keep wanting to wing my eye liner out more, and I have tried to use more hot rollers and velcro rollers all in an attempt to experience the look for myself!

Wordless Wednesday: Horsing Around. Literally.

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:49:00 +0000

Shot with my new Canon :)

Marseille Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:50:00 +0000

Today is such a dark grey. The skies are full of rain clouds and the streets are slick. The one thing I do like about how it looks outside are the bright orange and yellow leaves of the trees as they change color. Driving the kids to school and looking at it all made me think of what a distant memory the sun feels like now. It brought to mind the beauty of Marseille.

Wordless Wednesday: Book of the Month Club

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:26:00 +0000

The Story of A Caboodles Lost, and A Caboodles Gained.

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:51:00 +0000

This purple Caboodles case has been my makeup case for the last 20 years. For a plastic case I think that's pretty impressive. It's got three good section that I divide up for Face, Eye and the Kitchen Sink. I bought it in high school. I looked at other cases on occasion over the years but never found one that was better than this one for me. It's been stuffed full of cosmetics for many years but finally it gave way after I tried to slam it shut one morning too many. The little plastic clasp broke off with a crack of indignation. "I'm old! I can't take any more- I die...."

I went to Target and Bartell's to find another like it, but there were none. Something as basic as replacing a makeup case shouldn't make a person break out in a cold sweat, but that is me: I like what I like and once I find something that works well I tend to stick with it.

I went back home and did what I should have done in the first place: I looked online and found the exact same model as my old case on Target.com. PHEW!! And in a hot, glossy pink, even. Rawrr!

So now all my make-up has a new home, and I even added a couple of new liner friends- a navy Urban Decay and a silver Stila, here with my old trusted stand-by liner, the L'Oreal "Le Grand Kohl" in Carbon Black.

Here's to another 20 years!

Nanette Lepore Spring 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Just wanted to share this video of the Nanette Lepore Spring 2012 ready-to-wear runway show because it's quite a feast for the eyes!

Ever since my husband bought a pair of navy-colored suede Adidas Sambas with neon yellow stripes I have begun to wish I had a little neon in my wardrobe. There's is plenty of it coming up from Nanette Lepore! I have always like her clothes because not only are they kind of fun, they also secial because they are made with such an attention to detail.

My favorite looks were these two:

Missoni for Target Meltdown

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:35:00 +0000

I was NOT expecting the launch of the Missoni for Target collaboration to be so crazy, were you??

I hate being in crowds of people going crazy rushing through store doors as they open to buy something... anything! There are planty of nice, normal people out but they get lost in the mob scene. I prefer online shopping anyways so I was happy to plan on doing my Target shopping that way.

Yesterday at 4 AM my dog started barking at a noise outside and woke me up. Normally I would check on him and then go back to sleep but the thought popped into my head that it was the 13th and I could see if the Missoni stuff was live on the Target website. Well, suddenly I was wide awake. I've been really looking forward to this collection because it's all so cute and pretty! I sat down at the computer and picked out a few things: A cardigan, the ballet flats and a dress, four blue zig-zag towels and 2 hand towels to match, a dress each for my girls. Then....

Target.com had different plans.

I figured I would go to a Target after I took my kids to school. There would be a few less choices on styles and sizes, but it couldn't be too bad, right?? I mean, it's not like I would be walking to the door and see women leaving with shopping carts piled high with the Missoni products that they bought. Not like the racks would be empty except for one lonely Missoni for Target thong. Not like the Target employees would all look scared and wide-eyed in the aftermath of the shopping frenzy unleashed upon them...That would be silly to think.

This was the scene that greeted many, many people across the nation. The website would work momentarily for some, for others it would fail just as they were about to finally place the order. I learned this from the Target Style Facebook page and their Twitter account as well as just by comparing notes with my friends.

What is going on?? Apparently there are two things happening: 1) People really like what they see and are buying some of everything for themselves and some more as gifts for others. 2) There are opportunists who want to make a killing on eBay who are listing things for $200 that were originally $50 (or higher mark-ups). It has gotten a lot of attention, but we will see if people will actually buy Missoni for Target at that price. I think if they don't then there will be more returns and then some shoppers will be able to belatedly get their Missoni fix that way.

For myself, I actually drove to a second Target after calling around to find one that wasn't wiped out and found a selction of what I was looking for, although not everything- the towels were gone. Just a single, lonely hand towel mocking me from a gaping maw of empty end-cap. On the other hand I did see the golden brown space-dyed cardigan and discovered that I really liked it- it looks better in real life than it shows up in the images. It's nice with a Tshirt and jeans or over a small-patterned dress, I think. I'm not into the crazy mismatching advocated by the ad campaign, but individually worn I really like these pieces in the collection. I also bought the dresses for my girls that I wanted. Later in the evening I was able to place an online order for the blue zigzag dress with short-sleeves, a cardigan and the ballet flats. I was holding my breath the whole time, hoping it would go through! I know many people have posted on the facebook page that their orders were cancelled, so we will see if mine comes through *fingers crossed* It is a nicely made collection and I'm looking forward to wearing it.

My last thought about this whole debacle has been that from a customer-service stand point, I don't think Target really came through for its customers. The tech situation should have been minimized by a contingency plan. Target says they were basing their forecasts on previous collections' performance but they should have expected that it could be higher since they increased the profile of their ad campaign building up the release yesterday. What's happened is that now a lot of people feel foolish for wanting Missoni for Target. Rightly or wrongly there is a negative feeling about how Target has ignored the unhappy and kind of abandoned them through lack of acknowledment of the disaster. It was kind of funny to watch the Today show this morning because as they kept teasing their bit about the Missoni Meltdown at Target, the commercials for Missoni for Target played every commercial break: Here's the stuff that's already all gone! When the segment came on, I was expecting that when the Target rep spoke she would apologize to their customers, but it didn't really happen. What do you think at this point?

Moving at the Speed of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:55:00 +0000

FINALLY some nice weather has kicked in for the Northwest. I was beginning to despair that we would ever have that feeling you get in the summer, when time seems to stand still and feels like all you have to worry about is what is happening in that very moment you are in. While much of the country has been hot, we have had lots of grey skies and rain, with a day of sun here and there to remind us of what we weren't getting.

Yesterday my daughter wanted to try sitting out in the sun with some lemon juice in her hair, and so I joined her. Then my 4 year old wanted to join in, so we were all chilling out, reading books and sipping water with ice cubes in it. With the start of school around the corner, these moments feel extra special.

I've been trying to go outside the box a bit with my beauty routine and try some new brands of makeup and some different techniques. No drastic changes, but it feels good to be adventurous, even if it's just in some small way :)...

One new brand I tried is Rimmel- they sent me some "Stay Glossy 6-Hour" lipgloss in "Captivate Me." It was a nice opportunity because I haven't tried any Rimmel before even though I was familiar with it due to their ad campaigns with Kate Moss, Coco Rocha and Zooey Deschanel. The lipgloss has a nice consistency- it didn't feel sticky and the color reminded me of Clinique's Black Honey Almost Lipstick. I like the brush applicator of the Rimmel lipgloss- I used to feel partial to brush applicators until I realized that they always become splayed out and weird, so they are a waste. Another thing I liked was that as it wore away it didn't make my kips feels dry. Next time I'm at Target I think I will stop by the Rimmel display and pick a new color to try since I liked this one so much. In the same envelope I also received some Rimmel "Match Perfection Concealer." It has a nice applicator brush incorporated into it. Earlier this year I started using a foundation brush to apply my foundation, so seeing the little brush on the concealer was a bonus to me since I think it makes for a nice finish on your skin. The Rimmel London website is fun- I liked their four bloggers from different parts of London because they enhance the feel of the website and brand with their chronicles of what is going on in their lives in London.

I have several more new things that I hope to write another post about, including eyeliners in navy and silver, a new eyebrow gel I love and fuchsia lipstick. Hope your summer is going well!

Soccer Moms Can't Get No Respect

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:05:00 +0000

I'm feeling a bit like Rodney Dangerfield after reading about Vanessa Hudgens' new haircut and her reaction to it.

"Oh man, it's really intense -- I'm still getting used to it," the actress, 22, told Access Hollywood on Monday. "Honestly, I kind of feel like a soccer mom, but we're going to let that go. There's nothing wrong with soccer moms, but I'm only 22! I miss [my hair,] believe me, I do, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Vanessa's comment hit a nerve with me, but am I overreacting? I mean, I want to take her aside- and sigh- and say, "Look, Nessa, you don't know how dumb and insulting this comment sounds now, but when you have crossed over to "The Other Side" you will get it."

I believe she doesn't mean anything bad by it, and I still like her, but...just her using the image of a soccer mom to imply something less attractive about her apearance shows how entrenched that idea is about moms. Having kids still means to many people that you become less attractive and womanly than you were before becoming a mother. And then on the other hand I think: Aren't I beyond caring about trying to prove I am just as pretty as the next girl? And what does that really matter for anyways??

When I read this quote I did feel a bit hurt and wanted to fiddle with an imaginary tie like Rodney Dangerfield, bugging out my eyes and beginning to break out in a sweat:

I'm getting all fixed up as much as the next girl and on top of that I run a household and take care of a family, so shouldn't that be admired instead of put down?

I tell ya, I tell ya, a soccer mom can't get no respect....

Summer Makeup

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:52:00 +0000

After years of being happy to stick with the same makeup I have decided to become a bit more adventurous. Every so often you have to try something new so that you don't get stuck in a rut. I have somewhat fallen into said rut: up to this point my choices for eye colors have been either a matte shell or a matte peach from Smashbox.

But when I saw this beautiful "Naked" palette from Urban Decay I thought, "I can do those colors!" There is really any shade a person could want, and I like that there is a mix of matte and shimmery colors ranging from light to dark. I'm having a lot of fun deciding what to use each morning. It's really easy to just pick one and sweep it across the eye lid- I keep my application technique basic.

The other two things I wanted to try out were an illuminator to put on my cheekbones and a peach blush. Since two of my favorite lipsticks are NARS (Red Lizard, below, and Cruising, not shown) I think it's a natural extension to try out some more products from the brand- I love the texture of the packaging, the depth of the pigments, and anyways, who hasn't heard of their blush called "Orgasm?" It's a nice peach color. The illumnator I chose is called "Copacabana."

I started watching some makeup tutorials from a YouTube channel for Pixiwoo, and they have really reignited my curiosity about makeup. What about you? Have you tried some new products that you want to share with the world, or do you go with less during the summer?

Red Hot "Fast Anna" by French Connection

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:06:00 +0000

I really like this red lace dress by French Connection. It's called the "Fast Anna," and it also comes in a teal color. I think the red is really fun and different. I can't seem to find it in my size, probably because it's not a new style anymore. It's on sale at the French Connection site as well as on Zappos and 6pm.com. It's a lot of "look" so I debate whther or not it would be too much to pair it with anything leopard print (since that's one of my favorite prints and I can't get enough of it).

The shape of the dress reminds me of something Audrey Hepburn would wear with a pair of chunky-heeled loafers and a string of pearls. I came up with two ways I would wear it:

The first is a casual look, and probably how I would wear it more often. I like the look of a fedora or any other short-brimmed hat because that helps it stay casual so that the flat sandals can work.

Casual Fast Anna by Mother of Style featuring a vintage fedora

The second look is how I would wear it to a party. I decided to give it more of a retro twist by accessorizing with a brooch on the shoulder and some simple black heels with exposed sides. A matte pink is also a nice lipstick choiuce because I think wearing red would be overkill. This shade is more the style I think of women wearing anyway in the era I'm trying to reference with the brooch, the late 50s/early 60s.

Dressy by Mother of Style featuring a silver brooch

How would you wear this dress?

Diner des Grands Chefs at the Chateau de Versailles

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:11:00 +0000

My husband and I share a birthday. One day in March we were talking about what we wanted to do for our birthdays this year. I said, "Why don't we throw a karaoke party?" He said, "Yes, or we could go to the Chateau de Versailles for a nice dinner?" His idea was much better than mine.

On April 6th we found ourselves at Versailles with about 650 other people for a dinner billed as the Diner des Grands Chefs celebrating the inclusion of French gastronomy on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World. Some of the proceeds were also ear-marked to raise money towards creating a permanent center of learning for French cuisine, called the Cité de la Gastronomie. It was organized under the patronage of President Nicolas Sarkozy by Relais & Chateau, an international association of unique luxury hotels and restaurants, and Les Grandes Tables du Monde, an international association devoted to promoting and maintaing high standards of gastronomy.

There was a lot of talk about the dinner in the French media because of the magnificence of the setting, the number of accomplished chefs involved (60), and the price tag (not cheap). I was even interviewed the night before the event by a news radio show on Europe 1 about why I was going to the dinner. That was a interesting experience- it was funny to hear myself on the radio later, because it was not at all what I thought I sounded like!

We drove to the town of Versailles and checked in at Hotel la Residence du Berry. We have stayed there four times now. It's a really lovely little hotel with sunny breakfast room and a friendly staff. If I'm not mistaken, it's family-owned and we like how cozy it is. A real hidden gem. After checking in we walked for maybe two minutes to the Chateau.

Once we arrived we waited outside the gates for several minutes taking a bunch of pictures, and then in we went! It was cool to see the Chateau without the crowds.

Inside the Chateau we went through a reception area where we checked in. We walked through the State apartments and the Hall of Mirrors on our way to the dinner. There was an exhibition underway showcasing thrones from around the world titled Thrones in Majesty.

How the King and Queen took their public meals, seated at the head of the table with an audience:

Looking out the windows:

The dinner was held in the Gallery of Battles, a museum created for the French people by King Louis-Philippe I to glorify the military history of France. Formerly it was the place of the apartments of the noted letter-writer Elizabeth-Charlotte of the Palatinate, sister-in-law of Louis XIV, among others.

After finding our table from the seating chart at the entrance we went inside the museum where champagne and passed hors d'oevres were waiting. I felt like a kid in a candy store, taking in the beautiful venue, the tasty tidbits being passed around and the champagne glasses being filled everywhere.

The table setting:

Once we were all seated there were speeches by Jaume Tapies, Chair of the Relais & Chateau Board of Directors and Jean-Robert Pitte, chair of the Mission Francaise du Patrimonie est des Cultures Alimentairs, introductions of special guests, including Minister Frédéric Lefebvre, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, Chairman of the Public Establishment of the Château de Versailles and Christophe Navarre, Chairman of Moët Hennessy. Once the speeches were finished, the chefs were introduced and walked in through the hall to applause from all:

The maitre des hotels and the sommeliers came through to more applause:

Alongside the tables were stations where the grands chefs and the junior chefs worked to plate each course. It was fun to watch. Almost all of us were taking pictures throughout the evening, something I was pleasantly surprised about- it was nice to see so many other people as excited and eager to document this special evening as I was. I really enjoyed talking with the people at our table. We were from America, France, Italy and Ethiopia. There was a lawyer and his lady friend, who were super nice. There were two Relais & Chateau public relations people at our table, which meant that most of the chefs came by to say hello to them and smile and wave at the rest of us. The other Americans at the table were Justin Cogley, Chef de Cuisine and Ron Mendoza, Pastry Chef at L'Auberge Carmel in California, who in France not just for the Diner but also to compete in an international dessert competition sponsored by Valrhona. They were great conversationalists- their excitement for gastronomy was really contagious.

We had a spectacular evening sharing food and wine, talking about what we liked of the courses- a natural discussion coming out of an evening based on celebrating cuisine. It was fascinating to learn about what people thought was important around the whole topic of food- in what ways it could sustain people- both in the physical sense and in a mental/emotional way, situations when food was important, how inclinations are created in childhood, what we thought was essential to include when preparing meals, and so on....

Some dishes were better than others, but overall it was very delicious. There were two sets of menus for the evening. I think it was just a matter of where you were seated that determined which menu you had. The 60 chefs were alotted a number of tables to prepare and plate the menu to be served. These are the ones which were served at my table:

Scallops -

The presentation was nice but the flavors fell a bit flat.

Morilles de Printemps with Raviole -

the sauce was heavenly.

Roasted Lamb -

the best lamb I ever tasted.

Rocquefort de la maison Carles

White Cake with Dense Caramel Center -

I don't remember what the real name was :)

Tarte Tatin and Millefeuille au Chocolat

The mothership White Cake with Dense Caramel Center being carried through the hall:

The wines and spirits served with dinner:

Dom Perignon Millesime 2002

Cheval Blanc Millesime 2004

Chateau d'Yquem Millesime 1996

Cognac Hennessy Paradis

The Diner des Grands Chefs was a special night and I couldn't have asked for better food or company. Mr. Mother of Style and I had so much fun together. It used to sound corny to me when I heard couples say it, but now I have to say sincerely: my husband is my best friend and his company was the best part of the evening.

In general when it comes to food I am motivated more by love for my family to give them good meals to see their enjoyment of those meals than by the love of gastronomy by itself. But coming away from that evening in Versailles I have felt more curiosity about food and to try to prepare things with more variety and distinction. I think that's a mark of a good evening.

After the evening wound down, around 1 AM, we walked out the way we had come in, through the State Apartments. It was so cool to be there at night! Everything was dim, it was so quiet that you could hear the floorboards squeak, and it felt really special- how many people get to see Versailles like that? I loved this visit to the Chateau of Versailles with my husband for our birthdays. It was such a treat. It is so fun imagining what it was like when this beautiful Chateau was home to the rulers of France. When you physically stand in a place like Versailles and walk through the rooms, or along the garden paths, you come away with so much more than just the cold hard facts that are found in a book. It becomes more personal and the stories in the books become that much richer as a result.

Someone's souvenir from the evening:

You can also visit my French history website: Life at Versailles

Marseille Photo Diary

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:36:00 +0000

Disneyland Paris- Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:50:00 +0000

Walt Disney Studios Park is part of Disneyland Paris and is probably most famous for the Moteurs...Action! Stunt Show Spectacular, where the audience sits back and watches an outdoor car performance of stunt maneuvers including driving backwards at high speeds and flying over a canal of fire. My kids also love the Stitch Live show, much like Turtle Time with Crush at Disneyland California. It's amazing how the technology is available to let the kids interact with an animated character in such a natural way.

We rode the Flying Carpets over Agrabah...

My 4 year old's jaw dropped when she saw this giant Buzz Lightyear statue. It was the gateway into an area that was new to us called the Toy Story Playland. It was super cute!

Tower of Terror in the background:

Slinky Dog Zig Zag Spin:

The RC Racer half-pipe rollercoaster had my older two kids giggling and screaming with delight:

Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop:

The Aerosmith Rock 'n' Rollercoaster is one of my favorite rides in the Walt Disney Studios Park. It looks like you are loading into a stretch limousine and then you are off on the rollercoaster into a Aerosmith concert turned into a ride, with lights flashing and smoke machines blowing. I really like that there are more than one Aerosmith songs used on the ride. My husband and I have to take turns on the ride because our youngest is too little for everyone to ride together and we each heard different songs.

Waiting for the baby swap :)

My kids' favorite ride is the Crush Coaster. It is so fun! You sit with two facing forward and two facing back, and in the coarse of the ride the direction changes and the positions are reversed and the front-facing two become the rear-facing two. It's a lot of twisting!

Sweet.....Dude.....Totally!

On one of our times riding the attraction broke down and we had to be evacuated out of the ride. It's amazing how different the ride feels without the lighting and sound elements. This is one of the fun parts, where the jellyfish are everywhere. Even though I know there is "magic" happening to create these effects, it was still funny to see that there were only a few jellyfish needed with a few mirrors to create that effect!

While the "big kids" ride the Crush Coaster, one of us adults take our little one over to the Cars Race Rally:

We ate lunch at the front of the park inside the hanger you see from the entrance. It's themed like old time Hollywood, and while we were there a band played big band music.

Good and fast:

Monsters, Inc. Scream meter:

Disneyland Paris - Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:51:00 +0000

Is there anything more fun than spending a day in Disneyland Paris? Yes: That would be spending 2 days, which my family and I were lucky enough to do this last April thanks to the kind people at Disneyland Paris.

It's almost a required part of our trips to France to visit Disneyland because when you are in Paris with kids it's close enough for driving, or you can take a short train to Marne-La-Valle for the day. Of course they also have several hotel properties that are nice to return to after a long day in the parks. There is also a shuttle available to take you there straight from the airport.

View from top of Alice's Labyrinth:

My favorite ride: Astroblasters, aka Buzz Lightyear's Lazer Blast.

After the millions of times we have ridden this, I still can't tell where my laser is pointing...

What kids doesn't love getting to drive the car themselves at Autopia?

Disneyland always has great parades with beautifully costumed dancers and special characters appearing.
While we were watching this parade my daughter's tooth fell out. She was so excited!

Ariel and Prince Erik say, "Salut."

The Storybook Boats have a really cool entry with a giant book a rotating circular walkway to load people into the boats (like the Grizzly River Run at Disney California Adventure in the States).

SO CUTE- Wall-E and EVA..

We love the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland Paris- it goes under the water and has with fun dips and turns.

A "Princess moment" with Tiana:

At Disneyland Paris the Indiana Jones attraction is a rollercoaster that loops upside down. Whee!

We also rode Star Tours with its French-speaking pilot robot who says my favorite line of the attraction in his tin-y little voice, "Vitesse...Lumiere!!!" We saw Captain EO, took several turns on it's a small world...It's amazing how you go, go, go when you visit the park- it doesn't even feel like it, but once we were all in the car at the end of the day I think it only took 5 minutes and both girls were nodding off.

Tomorrow- Walt Disney Studios Park

Cole Haan Boots Reborn

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Fri, 27 May 2011 16:58:00 +0000

I thought these Cole Haan Air Daughtry boots were a must-have item for my trip to France this past April. I initially tried them on at the Nordstrom Rack and fell in love with the leather- in the picture it looks stiff, but in reality it's very floppy and butter soft. In my mind I saw these as being perfect for walking aroundm for wearing with leggings or cute dresses. I imagine that over time they will break-in and look really cool. I usually wear a 10 but my heels were slipping out when I tried walking in the 10, so I ordered them in a 9 1/2 online instead and that's worked out well for sizing.

A week later we went on our trip. After a few days in Paris we took the kids to Disneyland Paris. My kids are 13, 7 and 4, so there are rides we can't all go on together such as the Space Mountain: Mission 2 rollercoaster. My son and I rode Space Mountain and then waited for the rest of our family to come back from the ride they went on instead. It was super sunny and beautiful:

And what did I do? I tripped and scraped off the toe of my new dream boots! You would think I had cut myself instead of the boots if you could feel the sudden sinking in my stomach that ocurred. Here it was the beginning of our trip! My new babies! I had like 2 more weeks to go with this flap of leather? Sigh. Oh, well. I had to regroup and decide that if I didn't want to take the time out of our trip to find a cobbler to fix them, I would just grin and bear it until we got home. Eventually a little hunk of the leather that had been flapping in the breeze came off and it wasn't that noticeable to anyone but me.

After we came home I went to the local cobbler. He examined the toes and held the boot back to look at it. "Why did you buy these?" He asked me. He continued on to explain that he didn't care for the contrasting soles and they would have been better looking if they were black. I think I might have gotten out an "Um" but truth is, it didn't offend me that he didn't like my boots. He fixed them! If he thought they were ugly, that is okay with me- I'm just glad I got my boots back good as new:

Chateau de Chantilly

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Wed, 11 May 2011 02:33:00 +0000

The Chateau de Chantilly was a nice part of our recent visit to France. We were staying in Paris and drove to Chantilly for the day.

Originally built during the 15th century, the Chateau de Chantilly was home to the noble Montmorency family, most notably Anne, the Duc de Montmorency (1493-1567) who served several kings of France as a soldier and diplomat. The Chateau remained a Montmorency posession until 1632, when it was confiscated by King Louis XIII after Anne's grandson, Duc Henri II de Montmorency, was deemed guilty of treasonous activities against the crown. After Henri II's execution, the property was given to his sister Charlotte-Marguerite and her husband, Henri de Bourbon, Prince de Conde. Charlotte and Henri were to become the parents of the most famous Conde of all, le Grande Conde, Louis II de Bourbon.

The Grande Conde, also called Monsieur le Prince, was a one of the highest ranked among all the nobility in the Court of France and a great general whose victory at the battle of Rocroi is still studied by students of military strategy. He fell from favor in the early part of Louis XIV's reign when he participated against Louis XIV in the French civil war known as the Fronde. He was exiled to Spain but eventually allowed to return to the Chateau of Chantilly where he remained until eventually regaining favor due to a successful plan to gain new territory for France in the region of Franche-Comte. The Grande Conde entertained and eventually spent much of his last years at the Chateau de Chantilly, although he did not pass away there.

The Chateau is very beautiful and richly decorated, with many impressive pieces of furniture, even some that had originally been at Versailles in the possesion of Louis XV, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. The Chateau is comprised of an older style building that was rebuilt due to damage that occurred during the French Revolution and a more modern half built by the Duc d'Aumale including a chapel and an extensive library. Almost every piece of art is original in the Chateau. Some photos of the older part:

Gallery of Battles

The Tribune

The Guardroom

The Cabinet of Books

The Chateau de Chantilly has over 13,000 rare and valuable books and manuscripts. According to the will of the Duc d'Aumale- a bibliophile- they are available to the public to look at upon approval of the curator of the Musee de Conde.

Many people know of the Queen's Hamlet at the Chateau of Versailles. Marie-Antoinette had this mini village built to be a place of refuge and enjoyment, complete with a working farm featuring perfumed sheep. (Visit my other site, Life at Versailles, and click on "Photo Albums" on the left hand side panel to see photos of it as it looks today.) But did you know that her vision was inspired by the construction of the Hamlet of Chantilly?

This Hamlet was built in 1774 by Prince Louis-Henri de Bourbon, the great-grandson of le Grand Conde. He was known as Monsieur le Duc. He served as Prime Minister of France under Louis XV from 1723-1726. Like his ancestor, he fell out of favor and was exiled to the Chateau de Chantilly. He made the remainder of his life there productive; he improved and enlarged the house and grounds of Chantilly, built the impressive Grands Ecuries which today houses the Living Museum of the Horse, and founded a porcelain manufactury.

In the Hamlet there is a little restaurant where you can have treats including the famed Chantilly Creme, whipped cream flavored with sugar and vanilla, which was invented here by Vatel, the legendary chef with a perfectionist streak.

Monsieur le Duc entertained so many guests at the Chateau de Chantilly he built the Chateau d'Enghien so they would have somewhere to stay. The name of this "guest house" is in honor of the late Duc d'Enghien, the last male descendant of the House of Conde. Newly married in Germany, the young Duc d'Enghien had taken from his home in near the Rhine by French forces under the direction of Napoleon and executed for treason based on questionable charges. He had been the only son of an only son, and with his death the House of Conde ceased to be. Today the Chateau d'Enghien is the residence of key staff members of the Musee de Conde.

When he was 8 years old, Prince Henri Duc d'Aumale inherited Chantilly from his uncle and godfather, the last Prince de Conde Louis Henri de Bourbon (father of the Duc d'Enghien). The Duc d'Aumale was the son of the King of the French, Louis-Philippe. By the time of his passing he had no heirs left as his two sons had already passed away, and he bequeathed all of Chantilly as a museum to the Institute de France, which administers many of the museums and chateaux of France open to the public.

During his time at the Chateau of Chantilly the Duc d'Aumale caused a beautiful chapel to be built on the location where a chapel once stood before it was destroyed in the French Revolution:

Resting place of the hearts of the Princes de Conde

Arms of the House of Conde

Grounds of the Chateau:

Leaving the Chateau:

Across the road from the Chateau de Chantilly is the Musee Vivant du Cheval, the Living Museum of the Horse. It was once the horse stables built by the Monsieur le Duc, great-grandson of the Grande Conde. It was also used as army barracks during and after the French Revolution.

This was the kids' favorite part of the day because they liked to seeing the horses in their stables, and then in the exhibition arena where a demonstration of horse riding techniques was given. Immediately after this part, in the same place, there was a short program from the current show, "Un Prince Russe." It was great.

Alongside the Living Museum of the Horse is the Chantilly Racecourse, which is known for the beauty of its flat course and the importance of the equine training center.

This was a fun day with my family. We all got a little bit of a history lesson, experienced some culture and then a lttle exercise walking around the grounds. Best of all for me is that now we have a lot of really sweet pictures of the kids with the Chateau and its grounds provided a beautiful backdrop for them.

Maxis Made Wearable

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:29:00 +0000

My love for the maxi continues unabated. I wrote about them for cool weather, but I think they really come into play for spring and summer. It's an easier time to wear them because it's not as hard to figure out how to balance the proprtions due to coats and warm footwear. Even still, Maxis can feel overwhelming to wear or just plain challenging to pull off. I had some fun on polyvore to illustrate the guidelines I'm following to make wearing maxi dresses and skirts easy:

A blazer gives your look an easy polish. It can be a nice strategy to keep yourself from feeling like you are dressed too casually or if you are shy about showing off your chest and shoulders this addition lets you control how much is shown.

Blazers by Mother of Style featuring a coral dress

What kind of top should you wear with a maxi skirt? An obvious choice is a simple Tshirt or tank top, but if you want to play around more with the look, you can do a flow-y or fitted top if you just remember to make it proportional: flow-y tops work best in my opinion if they are of a thin material so that they still define your shoulders or waistline. A good approach to finding a flattering fitted top is to focus on defining your waistline.

Tops by Mother of Style featuring a cami top

Finally, I always love it when the rain stops because then I can paint my toes red or bright pink and get out my sandals! I think they are the best choice for pairing with maxis because they represent the sense of relaxation and ease that maxis are all about.

Sandals by Mother of Style featuring flat shoes

So, that's my approach to maxis. What do you think makes a maxi wearable?

Dior Addict Lipstick

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:41:00 +0000

On my recent visit to Paris I saw billboards and ads everywhere for the new Dior Addict Lipstick featuring Kate Moss. The ad features such a pretty shade of pink, a little bit flourescent almost, and I just thought it would be a nice switch from my usual nude or red lipstick. I like to think I am not so easily swayed as to buy something solely because of who I see wearing it, but I do like DiorShow mascara alot, and the Kate Moss ads pushed me over the edge into trying out the lipstick. I had no choice but to visit the nearest Marrionaud (like Sephora) and get myself the Dior Kiss, #578. Even without adding some gloss on top, which I suspect is the case in the advertisementsm the color is shiny and vivd in a flattering way. But the best part, stragely enough, is applying it. It has such a nice, smooth consistency it feels like you're applying some buttery chapstick instead of lipstick. Have you tried Dior Addict yet? Maybe there's another lipstick that you love- tell me about it in the comments section!

Mother of Style is in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Candy) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:20:00 +0000

I will be taking a break on blogging regularly until I return from France in 2 weeks. I can't believe it's time to go already!

On the left hand side of this site there are options you can choose from to get the word when a new post goes up at that time. You can choose from Google Friend Connect, bloglovin' and a good old fashioned RSS Feed. I will be using twitter still, so if you haven't already, click here to follow.

Thanks for visiting :)