Leading Lady: Princess Letizia of Spain

{Two Chic Leading Ladies: Princess Letizia of Spain and Carla Bruni Sarkozy of France}

I have long been intrigued by the royal families of Europe. From my obsession with Princess Diana (and Prince William) in my early teens to my interest in the Tudor dynasty to a modern-day admiration for the ever-stylish Queen Rania of Jordan, I find the royals fascinating. For the past few years, it is Princess Letizia of Spain who has been on my radar. Her marriage to Prince Felipe was not without scandal as she was a journalist and divorcée prior to becoming a royal. Several years later, the Prince and Princess of Asturias have what seems to be a strong marriage, two beautiful daughters, Leonor and Sofia, and Letizia seems to turn heads everywhere she goes. She tends to dress in a classic, conservative way. She is a royal figurehead, after all, but she infuses every look with chic, youthful touches that make her overall look quite modern and polished.

 

 

{Princess Letizia, Prince Felipe, and their daughters Infanta Leonor and Infanta Sofia with the Spanish National Soccer Team after Spain won the World Cup in July}

 

Are you a fan of Princess Letizia’s style? Is there a particular princess, queen, or first lady whose style you admire?

 

{Images via The Huffington Post and Zimbio}

Love It or Leave It: Olivia Palermo & Leopard Print

{Olivia Palermo looking completely fierce on the streets of New York- I love this look! Source}

{I am majorly loving leopard right now and this cardigan paired with a yellow skirt and that statement safety pin necklace makes for a very fresh combination! Source}

 

So, let’s hear it. Could you see yourself wearing either of these outfits?

10 Things I Can’t Live Without: Nicole of SoHaute

Fresh off of mentions in both Lonny and House Beautiful, the beautiful and talented Nicole Gibbons of SoHaute is here to share the “10 Things” she can’t live without today. Nicole is a New York-based interior designer with an knack for creating beautiful spaces combining classic touches and modern details. She also happens to be one of the most gracious bloggers I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with. Like Nicole, her “10 Things” list is thoughtful, charming, and fun!

My passport affords me the opportunity to travel the world and my absolute favorite vacation destination is the Caribbean. I've been seduced by the natural beauty of the islands...the colors, the crystal clear water, the lush tropical landscaping and the tranquil ocean breeze. There's no place on earth I'd rather be!

My idea of the perfect night out is enjoying a low-key dinner with friends. There's nothing better than great conversation, laughter, amazing food and plenty of wine. I'm a sucker for Italian and one of my favorite restaurants is Gusto Ristorante in the West Village. Their pastas are heavenly!

I love my best friends Lizzy, Evita and Deidra more than anything and I'm so lucky to have these three incredibly smart, talented and beautiful women in my life! I've known Lizzy & Evita since we were six and Deidra since we were 18 and I couldn't imagine life without them!

My friends jokingly refer to me as Martha because I bake something just about every weekend! I savor anything lemon, crave chocolate and recently I've developed a new found obsession with peanut butter cookies. I live for this recipe.

I love an old-school comedy and my favorite movie of all-time is Coming to America starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. I can recite just about every word line for line! No matter how many times I watch that movie, it's guaranteed to have me in stitches!

My favorite accessories are three gold watches (similar to the ones above) that I inherited from my grandfather after he passed away several years ago. They're hands down my most prized possessions. Not only do they remind me of my grandfather every time I put them on, there also incredibly chic.

Like Paloma I'm crazy for anything Greek key! I also love Chinoiserie and both of my decorative obsessions are captured in this lovely photo of Ruthie Sommers in her now defunct LA shop Chapman & Radcliffe Home. The desk, the framed de Gournay wallpaper panels...in the words of Rachel Zoe, I die!

I couldn't possibly function without the various gadgets that are a part of my daily life...my Macbook, iPad, Blackberry and Canon G10 camera enable me to blog, help me to capture inspiration, keep me organized and allow me to stay connected. I have to add the internet to this list too...I'd feel lost without the world wide web!

I thrive on inspiration and am inspired by so many things from architecture, nature, books and magazines to the work of interior design legends of the past, my travels, culture, blogs...you name it. I'm constantly surrounded by inspiring things which help fuel my creativity on a daily basis.

There's nothing like coming home every day to a comfortable home that I love. My apartment provides a quiet and relaxing respite from the hectic pace of New York City and is filled with beautiful things that have deep personal meaning. My reflects who I am and is a place that truly makes me happy.

Book Review: Peter Pennoyer Architects & The Irish Country House

{I love these amazing pocket doors and the perfect shade of blue in this dining room by Peter Pennoyer Architects.}

The generous people at Vendome Press recently asked if I would be interested in reviewing copies of their new books, Peter Pennoyer Architects and The Irish Country House. I always love to check out new design books so I agreed to take a look at the new books. Any time that I am sent something, I make sure that the sender knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will only write about it in a favorable light and the only way that will happen is if I truly love it. Luckily, there were no awkward moments to be had in this situation because I truly enjoyed both books.

 

Peter Pennoyer Architects focuses on twenty of the firm’s recently-completed projects including country homes, townhouses, and apartments. Each of Pennoyer’s projects is extremely polished, though the style ranges from very traditional to more of a transitional look like you’ll see in the pictures I’ve chosen for this post.

{While Pennoyer’s projects include entire homes and many beautiful, thoughtful details, my favorite rooms in the book are the kitchens the firm has designed.}

{This is one of my favorite rooms in the book! I love the cabinetry, lighting, and the contrast of the dark floors and honed black granite against the white cabinetry.}

{A Second Look at the Same Lovely Kitchen}

The second book that I was invited to review was The Irish Country House.  While my own design sensibility is typically more modern, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these fascinating old estates and the Irish characters who lived in them for generations. The homes are filled with antiques, mysterious relics, family photographs, and an endless amount of inspiration and intrigue. There is something about grand old castles and homes that captures one’s imagination in a way that most other things cannot.

{Each house has so many thoughtful details like these floors and arches. There is a storybook quality to each home featured in this book.”}

{I would have loved to see this kitchen in action 100 years ago!}

{This gorgeous, classic stationery was one of many thoughtful details in the book.}

 

{Images Courtesy of Vendome Press}

This Week’s Quote

 

{Image Source}

Your Napa Questions Answered

I’ve gotten a ton of questions about my trip to Napa last weekend regarding two specific things. The first question is whether or not the house we stayed in is a bed and breakfast or it can be rented out. Unfortunately, the answer is no. It is a private residence belonging to one of my friend’s family. It is such a beautiful, tranquil place and I wish you all could see it. The good news is that there are so many wonderful places to stay in Napa! We visited the Solage in Calistoga while in Napa and it looked so relaxing and was so well-designed. They even have some Nasa-designed chair that we were all dying to try! Apparently, you relax in it for 20 minutes and that is supposed to be equivalent to 2 hours of sleep. Erin of Elements of Style recently stayed at the Carneros Inn and loved it.

I’ve also gotten a lot of questions about the bag that I am carrying in this picture. It is from one of my favorite boutiques in Houston, a bientot. I really love it. I can carry it using the top handles like I am in this picture, it fits on my shoulder, and it has a long strap, so I can also wear it across my body. It’s big, but not too big. I was able to carry a bunch of magazines in it for my trip, which was great. The best part, is the fuchsia lining inside! Unfortunately, the bag is not on their website, but if you are interested, you can call and let them know it’s the big, black leather bag I carried in Napa.

 

I hope this helps! Thank you again for reading La Dolce Vita. I have the best, most supportive readers. What can I say? I’m a lucky girl! Have a great weekend!

Fabulous Room Friday 10.22.10

The wonderful Gwen Driscoll of the blog, Ragland Hill Social recently debuted a new interior design website showcasing her interior design portfolio. It is filled with beautiful, thoughtfully-designed spaces, my favorite of which is this charming little girl’s room. I love the combination of saffron yellow and lavender along with several accents that are reminiscent of the South for me: French-style tables and bulletin board, a fancy monogram, dramatic silk drapes, a crystal chandelier, and an elephant.

After last weekend’s activity-filled time in Napa, I am looking forward to being home and relaxing this weekend. Happy Friday!

 

{Image Credit: Gwen Driscoll Designs}