Fashion Friday: BLB Tees off with The 19th Hole Magazine

Today's Fashion Friday spotlights The 19th Hole Magazine! Founded by Ian Lawrence, The 19th Hole Magazine is the first publication in the United States to focus exclusively on golf and high fashion, an unlikely pair, but so irresistibly fresh and new! Here is a preview of the 1st issue (also available digitally on their website, click here).

'
What you see is a unique blend of style, substance, and attitude that speaks to 21st century players both on and off the course.

The 19th Hole Playbook features stylish items for the jet setter "that cover longitudes and latitudes all over the world." The only thing above par should be your fashion game!



I had the opportunity to speak with Leah Wells, The 19th Hole Magazine's Strategic Events Manager, about their upcoming event, Golf Rocks. The event is a celebration of the fusion of golf, fashion, and music cultures. Attendees are guaranteed to experience the "life well played on the edgier side of golf." I can hardly wait to "tweet all about it."

Who: Golf Rocks (presented by The 19th Hole Magazine)
When: October 17, 2009 9:00pm - 3:00am
Where: Primal Nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia
For more information visit: www.the19thholemag.com

Hope to see you there...in the meantime, have a great weekend. Ciao!

Taking a Moment to Give Thanks!

Today I received a short note from Mr. Darryl Carter thanking me for my support. See yesterday's blog post. So, I wanted to dedicate a special post to ALL my readers for supporting me. Reader's comments are very encouraging and I am truly thankful for you taking the time to share.

Thanks also to fellow bloggers:

Jennifer Ramos @ MadebyGirl
Tricia @ Simply Sophisticated Design

TamStyles @ GetItGirl Style

Ashley @ Decorology

Joi @ Nuestra Vida Dulce

Diedra @ Noir Mommies

Sarah @ Real Estate StyleMizz Jenna @ Mi Vida Bonita
Rebecca @ White Floors

Elise @ The Royal Ballet

Last but not least, the blog mentions!!

Melisa and Pam @ Project Nursery

Andrika @ Nursery Notations

Thank you also to my Facebook Fans and Fellow Twitter Peeps! If you haven't commented before I'd love to meet you, too! Let's socialize!

Tastemaker Tuesday: Darryl Carter

"Furnishing a room is like hosting a good party. Gather interesting, different characters and let them mingle."

- Darryl Carter

Washington, D.C. based interior designer, Darryl Carter has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary designers. I first fell for his furniture line developed for Thomasville and later became enamored with his lighting collection for The Urban Electric Company. His style transcends time making his pieces the perfect heirlooms. "One of the outstanding hallmarks of our design is its longevity which is produced by honoring classical elements of the past and present, from the modern to the antique," as stated on his company's website. I found a few of my favorite Darryl Carter pieces featured in O at Home and Traditional Home magazines.

Feast your eyes on these:

This dining area is so crisp and tailored with a hint of Swedish design influence.

This kitchen is so stylized, yet unpretentious.
It appears to be small in size, but packs loads of panache!

The Lafayette Hang fixture provides a sophisticated, high end look

to this otherwise ordinary salon.

I just recently spec'd this nightstand for a client's master bedroom and she absolutely loved it.

What are your thoughts on Darryl Carter's quiet palettes and time-honored designs?

Smitten by the Haymarket Hotel - London

"There is magic...in the deep-jewel-colored room, warm and mysterious, where you discover its many beauties as you sit, seduced slowly." - Billy Baldwin

I am completely smitten by The Haymarket Hotel in London! It was love at first sight...The building is an historical landmark designed by the great John Nash (also the master architect of the Buckingham Palace) and decorated by Kit Kemp. The decor is the perfect marriage of modern and traditional style and the icing on the cake would have to be the use of bold color!

Each of the 50 bedrooms and suites have been uniquely designed and are said to be some of the larges rooms in central London.

The atmosphere is so welcoming and appears to look more like one's home
instead of a hotel room.
Find design inspiration in the fresh, contemporary color palettes. It's obvious each room was designed with such care and given much attention to detail.

With fabrics as my first love, I adore the mix of vivid colors and bold, geometric patterns.

Even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich would be divine while dining in this room.

Haymarket Hotel

1 Suffolk Place
London SW1Y 4BP
SW1Y 4BP

Have you ever had the pleasure of being a guest at this sophisticated boutique hotel? Especially you Londoners out there...is it as beautiful as it appears in the photos? Until next time, Ciao!

Fashion Friday: The Runway Palette by Cargo Cosmetics

Today's Fashion Friday post is really geared more towards makeup and beauty. The jumping off point...The Runway Palette by Cargo Cosmetics. Talk about adorable! This limited edition palette, available exclusively at Sephora, takes the guesswork out of applying Fall 2009's hottest runway looks. How clever are the button-embossed eye shadows and the "cable knitted" bronzer and blushes? The center palette is what Cargo calls the "Essential Palette in Gray." What are the runway makeup trends for Fall 2009? Try smoky gray eyes (using the essential palette), bronzed cheeks, nude lips, and pops of jeweled toned colors on the eyes...exciting enough to make you find somewhere to go. And my favorite look for all seasons, a full well-manicured brow.

The smoky eye can be a bit tricky and requires a bit of practice. I'm planning an honest attempt at this for my event Saturday night! A wrong move and I could be donning the raccoon look or even worst look as if I lost a boxing match. I'm planning to follow the instructions below. The first is an easy-peasy tutorial straight from the Cargo Cosmetics website. The other is a video I found on the New York Magazine site. Wish me luck and HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND. Ciao!
Watch the video below to learn how to recreate the smoky eye look at home.