Decorating on a dime

I was helping my brother plan an event in Sonoma, CA last weekend that was taking place in the middle of a vineyard. Gorgeous setting, but we were left with the task of bringing in everything else to create a special and enchanting atmosphere for the guests. Lighting was going to be the main issue to tackle and I was tipped off that Pier 1 carried some great lanterns. I was very impressed by some of their offerings and most importantly the price points! You have to search around as some items can be a little too obviously "cheap", but it is worth it when looking for some great finds!


Lanterns galore! The fun colored lanterns are great for a beach setting ($30), I would love to hang the outdoor metal pagoda from a tree- gorg! ($18), the black lanterns are classic and chic - perfect for inside or out ($15-$50).

    

If you are more of a hurricane fan, I am a big fan of the branch wrapped hurricane

Super fun lamp...($99)

Some small things that can spice up any space...

Genius! Never forget which glass is yours again - write it in with chalk ($3/each)...

Price Wars

One dress...3 prices. I have been contemplating buying the below Of Two Minds zebra print dress for a week now and was shocked to see that it is being sold for 3 different prices at 3 different stores. I have noticed before that certain boutiques consistently sell products for $5-$10 more than others, but this dress is being sold for $42 more at the West Village boutique, Castor & Pollux, than it is on shopbop.com and $28 more than Intermix. While Castor & Pollux is not a chain and may need to raise prices to stay in business I find this to be kind of crazy and slightly shady. Obviously, shopbop will be receiving my business. Remember it is good to shop around!

$306 on shopbop.com

$320 at Intermix

3 days to NOLA!

With 3 days to go until Jazz Fest - the countdown to NOLA is on! I am pulling out clothes for the trip and looking into what may need to be some last minute purchases. A few good tips: keep it comfy and keep it light, the heat can be insane! But of course you still want to keep it fun...some ideas of what I am bringing are below. NOLA here I come!

Great daytime option for kicking around at the fairgrounds:

Perfect for a night out on the town and plenty of Pat O's hurricanes:

Good for transitioning from day to night:

Must Read!

I had the pleasure of meeting Wes Moore a couple years ago when his book was still in the works.  He will soon become a household name once his book launches next week, the same day that he appears on Oprah. As history has shown Oprah + books = magic. I can't wait for my copy to come in the mail and encourage you all to pre-order your copy here. When Wes gave me the background story for the book I was captivated and I know you will be too... check out his website here.

Two kids with the same name, liv ing in the same city. One grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar, dec o rated com bat vet eran, White House Fel low, and busi ness leader. The other is serv ing a life sen tence in prison for felony mur der. Here is the story of two boys and the jour ney of a generation.

Get it while it's hot!

Bloomingdale's and Saks are having promotions - let the shopping begin! A great time to buy those things you really want, but couldn't justify the price tag. With 20-30% off everything is looking very enticing. I'm interested in the Alexander Wang and Kain t-shirts, incredibly soft and light and tees I would never buy at full retail price. Everything is on sale, so check it out!