A Blue and White Chinoiserie Caftan

Kate Spade in a Mexican Peacock Caftan

 

This photo is of the late Kate Spade in one of her favorite pieces, a peacock embroidered caftan she brought back from Mexico.

The Turtle Ring

Frances Valentine Pearl Turtle Ring

I love animal motif jewelry and have many pieces. This ring is a luminous pearl set in a sculptural turtle design, finished in white and gold tones. The Pearl Turtle Ring brings a touch of whimsy to refined styling. Designed to bring an unexpected statement that feels both timeless and playful.

Kate Spade

Kate Spade

I bet many of us remember well our first Kate Spade handbag. Mine was a leopard calf hair with red wool lining. I still have it and every Kate Spade handbag I ever bought and still love them all. My closet has many of her handbags, shoes, clothes, and jewelry. I loved her style so much - I can't believe she's been gone 7 years. What a shame.

A Big Yellow Taxi

Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell

Do you remember the classic song Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell? 

… Listen, late last night, I heard the screen door sway

And a big yellow taxi took my girl away

Now, don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone?

They paved paradise to put up a parking lot

Kate Spade X Target Kudos

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I had such a fun experience online and in store with the Kate Spade X Target collaboration. And I got every single item I wanted.

 The online shopping went very well without any glitches despite what I am sure was huge volume on their website. Everything shipped within hours and will be delivered on Wednesday.

Pink and Red & Kate Spade/Target Sale is Live!

Kate Spade X Target Pink and Red Wicker Crescent Handbag

 

I was up at 2:45 am and all ready to pounce when the sale started at 3:01 am. They were one minute late starting! I got everything I wanted and will be at my Target store at 8 am when it opens for the in store only piece I want. This is my my favorite piece I just bought, but I will post tomorrow on more. See my post from yesterday on the launch. The thrill of the hunt....

Sneak Peek - Kate Spade X Target

Kate Spade New York X Target

I have been a Kate Spade fan for decades and I love Target's designer collaborations. Great news! Target is launching a Kate Spade collaboration on April 12 featuring fashion, home and entertaining items. The limited-time collection features more than 300 products, including women’s, kids’ and baby apparel in extended sizes and adaptive styles. The line will also offer handbags, home accessories and larger items, such as a tent and a bicycle.

Prices start at $5 and more than half the collection will cost $15 or less. (Wonderful in these crazy economic times). The line will be available in-store and online, but some items — such as a small capsule of Target red handbags — will only be available for in person shopping.

Gift Guide - The Preppy Pampered Pet

Kate Spade Pet

 

I have two pups - Harper and Beatrice who are my best buddies. I love finding great Christmas gifts for them. These are all Kate Spade and are too cute - preppy, classic, and very Kate Spade. And perfect because my wardrobe and home are filled with Kate Spade.

A Friendly Alligator

Kate Spade Swamped 3d Wicker Alligator Bag

For years Kate Spade has been creating highly collectable and coveted whimsical wicker handbags, mostly animal designs. I have a collection including an elephant, a monkey, and a frog. They are so fun. One of the most sought after is a wicker alligator that came out several years ago. It would sell on the resale market on places like eBay for up to $2,000 and more.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Kate Spade 

 

I love floral prints for spring and summer dressing, especially pieces with a fun, graphic, and modern approach. Here are some great new choices from Kate Spade.

The Chinese Year of the Rabbit

Kate Spade Faux Fur Rabbit Handbag

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This Lunar New Year also known as the Chinese New Year is January 22, 2023. It is the year of the rabbit.

The rabbit is the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac. In Chinese culture, the rabbit is known to be the luckiest of all the twelve animals. It symbolizes mercy, elegance, and beauty. People who are born in the year of the rabbit are supposed to be calm and peaceful. 

Holiday Accessorizing

Kate Spade

I have always loved dressy gloves and have quite a collection. I was even married in gorgeous long white kidskin gloves from Neiman Marcus. Fancy gloves are a great way to jazz up an outfit for holiday parties and especially New Year's Eve. You can take a simple sheath and have quite an Audrey Hepburn moment with a dramatic pair of gloves. 

Spring Has Sprung

Jumpsuit with Skirt Rococo Vine

 

Since I of course wear spring/summer clothes all year round in South Florida, I get excited when spring clothing lines comes out as I obviously am not buying from their winter lines. Perhaps my favorite brand is Frances Valentine, the last venture of Kate Spade before her death. Interestingly, I always loved Kate Spade handbags and shoes and accessories, but never felt that her clothing line ever captured her style. If you don't own her little book Style, you really should get it. I have probably read it a dozen times.

Chinoiserie Chic Fashion

Frances Valentine Peacock Caftan

I was the hugest Kate Spade fan. Her personal style and brand really captured my own fashion sensibilities -  happy, preppy, colorful, feminine, retro, and fun.
My closet is filled with her handbags, shoes, clothes, and jewelry. I even have in my collection handbags from her very first collections.

Blue and White Tropical Chinoiserie Christmas

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 Amanda Lindroth added these cobalt blue wicker hurricanes to her collection for the holidays and I just bought a pair. These will definitely be staying out all year long.

And two more new additions to my table - an Amanda Lindroth mini Birkin basket handbag and a Kate Spade wicker elephant. 

I have always loved wicker, but absolutely adore all the new fun ways it is being used.

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Saturday Inspiration

Kate Spade

 I ordered this Kate Spade "The Rumors Are True" straw hat and it arrived yesterday. Not sure if I will leave it out our not, but I am tempted to. It makes me smile every time I walk through the front door. 

Amanda Lindroth is a big fan of displaying her beach hats.

Amanda Lindroth

Amanda Lindroth

Amanda Lindroth

It's fun, whimsical, and beachy - it might even remind me to wear a hat outdoors - I have become very blond from the sun here. But as they say, "beach hair, don't care." And the rumors are true.

Wicker & Chinoiserie

Sarah Bartholomew

With both Sarah Bartholomew and Amanda Lindroth introducing their collections of wicker home furnishings, this staple of preppy and timeless decor is definitely having a resurgence. When I was at Bryn Mawr undergrad, my fiancé and I spent our summers in the Hamptons and we collected antique wicker. When we started law school in D.C.. we rented a U-Haul to drive our wicker down to our new Georgetown home. He is long gone, but I still have a favorite wicker chaise with a Mario Buatta covered cushion. Today's wicker tends to be natural, whereas vintage wicker was more often painted white.

Wicker combines so well with Chinoiserie!

Amanda Lindroth

Amanda Lindroth

Amanda Lindroth

Amanda Lindroth

I have this arriving today from Amanda Lindroth's collection. It is wicker with navy blue leather handles. I love that it has a glass insert. I plan to use it on my bedside table.

Amanda Lindroth

I also have some vintage Kate Spade wicker handbags that would be a perfect look here in Florida. I'd love to start using them if we ever get to go out again. Any wicker fans out there?

Stay At Home Shopping

Brass Palm Tree Sculpture

I have been trying to to enjoy shopping online as an alternative to shopping in person at stores. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention....

I have been looking for a great palm piece for my coffee table and fell in love with this brass and lucite palm sculpture at Williams Sonoma Home. It was even on sale. So I put it into my shopping cart and starting checking out and it tells me that it is not available online, but just in stores, and all their stores are closed. A corona conundrum. Customer service confirmed this. I tried in vain to find someone selling it on eBay or Poshmark or elsewhere. Have you had the experience of finding something you just had to have and it was discontinued or out of stock or whatever? Very frustrating.

Brass Palm Sculpture in a room

Brass Palm Sculpture - 2 sizes - Williams Sonoma Home

Years ago, Lonny featured the bedroom of Lonny founder Michelle Adams with the Kate Spade Cloverdale Rose Bowl. People went nuts over it. Unfortunately, it had been discontinued. Bloggers were posting their own DIY hacks, and bidding wars erupted on eBay when one was listed.

Lonny

I was patient, and kept checking eBay after the sensation calmed down, and eventually found a brand new one on eBay at a great price. It took me five years of hunting, but I finally got one.

Kate Spade Cloverdale Rose Bowl

In the meantime,  I found it in its other cylindrical style at HomeGoods. Here it is in my previous home office.

My Office

These are my favorite vases and two of my favorite pieces. Hopefully, I will have the same sort of experience with the brass palm. At least I am safe at home. Have you had a similar experience hunting down an elusive piece?

And I am making progress in my walk-in closet as promised. Here is my bracelet drawer -

Blue and White

Luxe Furniture and Homewares

This is such a simple idea, but so pretty. Fill a blue and white ginger jar with blue hydrangeas. Speaking of hydrangeas, have you seen this new one called Strawberry Sundae?

Strawberry Sundae Hydrangea

I am a bit south for it, but I think it would be fine in the right spot. Such a beauty! Imagine a huge blue and white ginger jar filled with these.

For flower arranging, I love roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and Oriental lilies. I really dislike mixed bouquets. I almost always use blue and white Chinese porcelain with the exception of my two Kate Spade Cloverdale vases that are great favorites.

Do you recall when Lonny magazine featured the bedroom of Lonny founder Michelle Adams with the Cloverdale vase on her bedside table? It was long discontinued at the time, and bloggers went nuts trying to find one or create a DIY. I was fortunate to find one on eBay and the other at HomeGoods.

Michelle Adams - Lonny

My House

Kate Spade in My Home

Kate Spade lion on my coffee table

These are just a few of the many Kate Spade vignettes in my home.

Kate Spade vase and candle on my desk

Kate Spade posy vases on my dining table

Kate Spade heels in my dressing room

Kate Spade posy vases in my kitchen

Kate Spade posy vases in my kitchen

Kate Spade card I framed