Coral Statement Jewelry

Tory Burch Coral Earrings

Headed someplace warm for a winter getaway? This collection inspired by the sea is a perfect choice. Tory Burch has the most beautiful new collection of coral jewelry. Sculptural and incredibly lightweight, this coral jewelry is inspired by Tory's love of the sea and a symbol of prosperity and protection. I love every single piece in this collection. Any of these would elevate any outfit. And they are all on her Semi-Annual Sale with an additional 25% off sale items.

Coral Statement Jewelry

Tory Burch Coral Earrings

Jewelry inspired by the sea is a very hot trend this summer. Tory Burch has the most beautiful new collection of coral jewelry. Sculptural and incredibly lightweight, new coral jewelry is inspired by Tory's love of the sea and a symbol of prosperity and protection. I love every single piece in this collection. Any of these would elevate any outfit.

Black Patent Leather

Tory Burch Black Patent Leather Continental Wallet

The other day I realized how silly it is to still be carrying a zillion credit cards for stores that don't even exist here. So I stripped my wallet down to the essentials and am left with a Continental style wallet that is way too large now. It is a discontinued black patent leather Tory Burch that I love shown above. BTW, Tory Burch is having their Semi-Annual Sale with an additional 25% off sale items, so I will see what I can find.

Spongeware and Chinoiserie

Tory Burch

 

Such a lovely tabletop - Tory Burch spongeware and Jardin napkins from her tabletop collection with blue and white Chinese porcelain and pink peonies.

Florida

Tory Burch Shell Statement Necklace

This gorgeous Tory Burch seashell necklace is sold out everywhere. I waited when I first saw it because it is almost $400 and now it is sold out. Maybe it will restock? It would be so perfect for here in Florida. Oh well....

Latest Crush - Coral Patent Leather

The Miller Sandal in Coral Crush

 

Coral is a neutral here in Florida. I love it in home decor and for my wardrobe. The iconic Miller Sandal by Tory Burch is available in a rainbow of colors. But this Coral Crush in patent leather is especially fabulous.

It is a great shoe for spring and summer and all year long here in Florida. This is also the perfect vacation shoe taking up virtually no space or weight in your suitcase. 

Blue and White Outdoors

Milieu Magazine

This is such wonderful blue and white inspiration in one of my favorite places, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. 

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. 

Needlepoint

Tory Burch NYC Offices - Architectural Digest

Tory Burch loves needlepoint and often includes pieces in her collections. Several years ago she did a wonderful collection of needlepoint pillows. Tory's father loved to needlepoint and taught her.

Candles & Cold Throw

Tory Burch

Does anyone else have very special candles that you use as decor and wouldn't think of burning? I definitely have several candles that will never see a match.

Setting The Summer Table

Charlotte Moss

 

This is such a pretty table setting with lots of wicker and leaf and lettuce ware. The colors are wonderful. I love setting a beautiful table and this is great inspiration. 

Decorating with Antique Quilts

Tory Burch - Mercer Street Store in SOHO

I love going to Tory Burch stores not only to shop, but to get interior design inspiration. Her stores are gorgeous. Her NYC SOHO store is wonderful, filled with wicker, ferns, topiaries, lettuce ware, spongeware, chintz and vintage quilts. My mother had a serious passion for collecting quilts and had an armoire filled with them despite their mid century modern home filled with Danish modern decor. She couldn't sew a button on, so she didn't make the quilts, but loved finding them and adding to her collection. 

Pappagallo & Tory Burch

Pappagallo Flower Ballet Flats

When I was a teenager, one of my prized possessions was my collection of Pappagallo flower ballet flats in a rainbow of colors that I would coordinate daily with my outfit. Boy did I love those shoes. They were all lined with a mattress ticking stripe that was a trademark of these shoes.

Tory Burch Private Sale

Island Scarf

The Tory Burch Private Sale has hundreds of stunning items and fabulous deals including things for the fall, the winter, and even for the home. Many Runway pieces too at deep discounts. Click here to see them all.

Here are a few faves -

My Summer Style on Sale

Embellished Dress $428 reduced to $149

 

I am a huge Tory Burch fan - the quality, taste, and style are always spot on. Here are my top picks on sale now. This is a great price on this beautiful dress above - I just ordered it. I will wear it off the shoulder. This can be dressed up or down. Also some great caftans that can be worn anywhere - definitely not just for at home. These are all timeless dresses that will always be in style.

Raffia Placemats High/Low

I posted recently about these very chic Tory Burch raffia placemats that are quite fab, but are $198 for a set of 4 which is a bit cray cray if you ask me. I set out to see if there are alternatives at a more sensible price point.

Another view of the Tory Burch placemats

The bad news is these are indeed pretty unique and I did not find any very similar. The good new is I found a few that are in the same genre that I like as well at great prices. See what you think.

These coral spiral woven placemats from Amanda Lindroth are $16.99 for a set of four. They are also available in blue or green. I think getting these is a no brainer.

I found these on Etsy and love them. They too are available in various colors. They are $18.00 each with free shipping on orders over $45.00. If you google raffia placemats on Etsy there are other sellers as well, and lots of different colors including all natural. These remind me a bit of juju hats that I love.

 

I really like these in all weather wicker by Bunny Williams for Ballard Designs. They are on sale for $44.00 for a set of four. They would be great to use outdoors or inside.

Williams Sonoma has these braided abaca chargers on sale for $5.99 each. 

 

Some great options out there.

CCC

From My Garden

 A beautiful hibiscus blossom in my garden. It looks like red velvet.

Tory Burch

Like everyone else, I adore this iconic Tory Burch sunroom. A favorite piece of mine is the quirky orb. When I was in HG yesterday, I saw this jute one. Not exactly the same, but very similar. And likely a fraction of the price as the things in her home tend to be crazy expensive. My lanai is becoming a favorite space in my home.

My Lanai

I mentioned in an earlier post getting a Dash & Albert Catamaran indoor/outdoor rug for the lanai. I had not seen this rug in person, and as luck would have it, I found a brand new Dash & Albert Catamaran runner on eBay super cheap and bought it. I really wanted to see the rug in person before deciding on a large one for the lanai. Now having seen it, I do think the quality is great and it does not look like an outdoor rug at all. 

My Foyer

Not sure if I will use this in the foyer or elsewhere, but it has convinced me to get a large one for the lanai. 

Yesterday at Lowe's I saw this amazing palm tree - it is Coccothrinax Crinita from Cuba - nicknamed the Old Man Palm because its trunk looks like an old man's beard. It it quite extraordinary and I have the perfect spot for it. My sprinkler guy is Cuban and his family in Miami is in the nursery business, so I will have him source it for me along with some other things.

Thank you for the advice on growing a gardenia. I am convinced to try one. I am very against using chemicals in the garden, so I like to make sure I am not getting plants that require spraying.

Setting the Tropical Chinoiserie Table

Caroline Gidiere

 I have been seeing these raffia placemats of late, and I like the way they are used here with bamboo flatware, leaf plates, Amanda Lindroth linens, and pink and green. I think I will research the placemats today and report back. These are Tory Burch and quite $$$.

Tory Burch

I have also sourced these wonderful seashell place card holders and yes, he is local and very nice. I am putting an order together. I like the ones with the sterling silver slits. I will include this in the planned raffia placemat post if anyone is interested. I will be all ready for my pretend dinner parties. Sad.

Bunny Williams

Chinoiserie Gone Wrong

Tory Burch - Vogue

These dining spaces are both stunning, BUT......... I have such a thing about tablecloths that do not reach to the floor. Please use either floor length or use beautiful placemats - I have a collection of really lovely placemats because of this tablecloth issue. I have everything from hand painted mirrored Chinoiserie, to leather hand painted with Greek key, to beaded crabs.

And it is even more egregious here because these are staged for photo shoots which by definition are styled for perfection and not always completely reality based. Let's face it, we don't all have floral arrangements all over the house and perfect bowls of fruit in the kitchen every day. Unless you are John Heilemann who has perfect bowls of fruit in his kitchen along with his gorgeous dogs for his pandemic from home interviews every day. Now that is staging. I am envious.

These tablecloths look wrinkled, don't hang well, and ruin the sartorial splendor of these rooms for me. Use what you like for every day - but give me a floor length tablecloth or a nice placemat every time. I know shorter tablecloths are more functional, but they are unattractive.

Meg Braff - Portfolio

In both these pictures, IMHO the tablecloths bring down the aesthetics of beautiful rooms. The Meg Braff photo is her own dining room BTW. Your thoughts? Do these look good to you? And please don't tell me about long tablecloths in people's laps - use elegant placemats if that is an issue for you.

Caftans and Chinoiserie

WSJ

Caftans, also spelled kaftans, were originally worn by men. Cut from airy material to sit off the body, it is one of the most comfortable things you can don in tropical climates. Long associated with Palm Beach and Florida, the caftan is as comfortable as sweat pants, but with elegance and sophistication.

Caftans are thought to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia and were worn in India, Africa, and Iran by sultans and high ranking officials (men) from the 14th to 18th century. Caftans became the rage in the sixties worn by women like Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, and Vogue editor Diana Vreeland.

Jackie Kennedy

Elizabeth Taylor

Grace Kelly

Since moving to Florida and especially now with quarantining, I have embraced this style full throttle. I have always worn dresses - I don't own a pair of jeans. You can get out of the pool and throw on a caftan, thrown on some statement jewelry and a pair of Jack Rogers, and go to the most stylish dinner party or restaurant - someday again.

And, how does this relate to Chinoiserie? Many of our favorite interior designers have espoused this attire in their tropical abodes.

Meg Braff - matching her Kips Bay room

Meg Braff

Amanda Lindroth

Amanda Lindroth

Tory Burch - a fashion designer, but she uses Chinoiserie throughout her gorgeous homes

Alessandra Branca

Alessandra Branca

Such a great look - comfortable, effortless, sophisticated, timeless, and looks great in the Chinoiserie home.