I don’t know if any of you noticed, but we’re getting some serious snow today. I thought I’d put a couple of pictures up. This is the view from our office window.

My Dad built this house from a water tower he bought for $300 in Westchester. He took it apart and reassembled it in northern Monmouth Maine. It was our summer house since I was 3 years old. You can see the water tower there in the middle.

I would spend 3 months a year in Maine and the rest of my time in Brooklyn. At the time it was very untraditional to live in a round house. People would stop their cars in amazement and watch us eat in the living room.

My parents now permanently live in Maine. I went up to spend time with them. Here are some pictures from my trip.

This is inside one of the additions to the water tower.

A frozen lake near our home that I was waking on.

These are wild turkeys that were introduced to Maine 10 years ago. They have completely taken over.

This is my Mom.

This is my Dad. He and my Mom are one of the most extraordinary couples I know.

My Dad is very proud of being an individual. One example is his ability to take something unwanted and find a use for it. Here he found a wheel barrel at the dump and repaired it. He makes me smile.

This is a back road near my house.

I went on a Sunday afternoon to The Met for some inspiration and a relaxing afternoon. The Met is one of my favorite museums to go to (I’ve been going since I was a little kid). The one thing I miss is the old cafeteria location. It was incredibly stately and had this very chic drop floor seating area. But surprisingly enough the new cafeteria, while the decor is not as nice, has much better food. It’s a fair trade.

Any way, here are some photos of pieces (and people) that stood out to me.

This is an amazing Indian Grandma who had just come to NYC with her extended family. She looked beautiful and incredibly noble with her 20 or so offspring surrounding her.

This is a beautiful Art Nouveau pattern with a great balance of color.

Ceramic sculpture, 1910

On this one- the juxtaposition of color with the delicate pattern stood out to me.

A gorgeous example of Art Nouveau glazed ceramic work. I love that during the Art Nouveau Era the idea of nature and it’s wild ways was so glorified.

Beautiful baroque metalwork.

Painted glass from the late 1800′s. The combination of the strong crosshatch with the delicate flower work was appealing. It seemed kind of dreamy the way it was transparent as if you were looking into a garden.

Amazing example of 1800′s wood work. This is ivory inlaid into wood.

An example of painted ceramic to imitate pietra dura.

Fabric from 1900-1920. It has a slight combination of Egyptian revival with Art Nouveau.

Because of the buzz about the Joan Collins ads I thought I should talk a little more about her and why she was the perfect choice…

Almost three decades ago, Collins arguably became the most celebrated television star of the 1980s through her legendary portrayal of her character Alexis Carrington on the hit show Dynasty. In 1981, it is rumored that Collins swaggered onto the set of Dynasty eating spoonfuls of beluga caviar and wearing improbably large shoulder pads, driving a pink Thunderbird. She roared around Hollywood in chinchilla stoles and emerald bracelets and was rarely seen without a lover.

The ‘80s were an exciting time for women.  And it was in this decade that Joan became a symbol of the modern woman.  She blended power, position and authority without losing her femininity. At a time when “power suits” were taking over, Joan (Alexis) let it be known that style and glamour were tools of  a clever strong woman.  (And to prove the point, she could, when challenged, wrestle her opponent to the ground in a sequined ball gown and still be fabulous! ).

Joan Collins continues to mentor  a cult following among those who remember the vivid style she demonstrated as the strong beautiful Alexis Carrington.

Joan is a icon of the 80’s excesses. And it was Collins’ style that drew several links to the recent couture shows such as Balmain. Joan consequently served as key inspiration when designing this latest collection. Not only does Joan embody the bold sensuality of the brand, but more than any other style icon, she represents the flamboyant glamour of the 1980’s and exudes an unparalleled confidence that makes women of all ages feel empowered.

The idea of using Joan was incredibly exciting. When I look at advertising in the marketplace, the majority of  models are 18-24. And these same ads are designed to appeal to older women.  It was enticing to reject the current advertising formula and embrace a new  reality -   a 76 year old woman can exude confidence, strength and represent a modern generation and style. An exciting phenomenon surrounding  Joan is that at 76, she has broad inter-generational appeal.   That appeal is based on both her legendary cult status and her  iconic image which continues to inform the modern American woman. In hindsight, after witnessing the explosion of excitement around the ad, I can’t help think that a large part of this energy has to do with the fact that people are amazed to see a mature woman of 76 be the glamorous face of a trendy modern jewelry company.

In regards to the photos, there’s been quite a lot of talk on the internet about how Joan’s photos were photoshopped and worked on during post-production.  I’d just like to say that while yes, some photo-shopping was done, (as it is after most photo shoots)  it was very limited, particularly on the black and white photos. It is very important to me that we set the record straight.  Joan  Collins is a beautiful woman.  Her photos are terrific and she looks just like that in person.  As I mentioned before, her age and maturity are part of what drew me to her. And for those of you who love a tan, Joan said that she attributes her fair skin and youthful appearance to her lifelong avoidance of sun.  She also has a motto that’s served her well, “Base. Not Botox.”

I’ll be at my Bleecker Street store to sign your Valentine’s Day gifts. Come by and say hello! Get 20% off during the event and enjoy complimentary champagne and sweet treats.

Just wanted to post a few quick pictures of Jennifer Hudson on the red carpet at the Grammys. Not only does she look amazing, she’s wearing two clear lucite bangles designed by me. Thanks Jennifer!

imges via justjared.com

images via justjared.com

I haven’t done a post yet on New York City and thought I’d give a list of my favorite places to eat. Here’s a list, in no particular order:

Chinese

Grand Sichuan- 24th St and 9th Ave (Their soup dumplings are amazing.)

Italian

Le Zie- 7th Ave and 21st St

Convivio- 45 Tudor City Place

Arabic

Al bustan- 53rd St b/t 1st + 2nd Ave

Indian

Havelli- 2nd Ave b/t 6th and 7th St

Pizza

Patsy’s- 23rd St b/t 8th and 9th Ave (Get the peperoni)

French

La Luncheonette- 10th Ave and 18th Street

Here are some other general favorite choices:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Sometimes I go just to eat)

Blue Ribbon for just about anything.

Burgers and Cupcakes for… well, exactly that.