Lucky 13!

Farewell, 2012. (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

I know, this post is a teeny tiny bit belated. But see that balloon in the above photo? I brought it home with me on New Year’s and it’s still floating! (I even have photo evidence, taken this very evening – see below!) And since we all know that helium balloons never last, it can’t be too long after New Year’s, can it?

New Year’s Balloon – still kickin’ over 3 weeks later!

Even though it’s a bit late in the telling, I feel like I got the year kicked off on the right foot. For New Year’s Eve dinner, my husband and I made a lovely dinner consisting of shrimp cocktail, homemade bread (made by my husband – he’s an excellent baker!), and an avocado, grapefruit, and watercress salad. Plus a bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc – a favorite introduced by our friend Rich.

New Year’s Eve dinner

And then we headed off to Davies Symphony Hall for the New Year’s Masquerade Ball. We went last year and had such a fabulous time that we decided it should be a tradition.

I donned a coral Armani Collezioni silk chiffon gown that I found several months ago at Nordstrom Rack and hadn’t yet worn. It’s one of those things that you’ll never find if you’re looking for it . . . I just happened across it one day, tried it on a whim, and found that it fit beautifully and felt lovely. And, at over 90% off, it was totally affordable!

Decked out at the Masquerade Ball (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

Pat wore the tux he bought last year, along with some vintage octagonal studs and cufflinks. (FYI – if you’re looking for studs, check out Etsy! There are some great, really affordable vintage sets – often more interesting, higher quality, and lower priced than what you’ll find in most men’s formal wear stores.)

My dashing escort.

We had a wonderful time listening to the symphony, eyeing the gorgeous gowns (okay, maybe I was the one really eyeing the gowns), and enjoying the high spirits of the crowd.

Well hello there! (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

Before 2012 ended, we danced to the tunes of the Peter Mintun Orchestra . . .

The Peter Mintun Orchestra

. . . and I had the honor of meeting the enchanting Susanna Phillips, the Symphony’s soloist that evening.

With the lovely Susanna Phillips. (Photo by Pat Zimmerman.)

Soon enough it was midnight – heralded by a balloon drop . . .

New Year’s Balloon Drop at Davies Symphony Ball

. . . and celebrated by balloon clutching!

AHHHHH it’s 2013!!!!

Happy New Year! I hope y’all have had a fabulous 2013 so far!!

What I wore:
Dress: Armani Collezioni silk chiffon gown, an absolute steal at Nordstrom Rack
Shawl: pashmina via Nordstrom
Necklace: vintage Coro
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet

[All photos by me except where otherwise indicated.]

Spring-Summer 2012 Dinner Party with Diesel and SOMA Magazine

What’s more fun than getting together with a bunch of awesome women, enjoying cocktails and a delicious dinner, and celebrating the launch of a new clothing line?

At the Diesel & SOMA Magazine S/S12 Housewarming & Dinner Party

A couple of weeks ago I attended a dinner party hosted by Diesel and SOMA Magazine. The main event was an informal fashion show highlighting jeans from Diesel’s Spring/Summer 2012 line, I Am Who I Am.

But before the main event, we socialized over cocktails . . .

Cosmopolitan cocktail and beautiful table setting at the Diesel & SOMA Magazine S/S12 Housewarming & Dinner Party

. . . and browsed the existing collection – I particularly loved the colored jeans!

Diesel colored jeans

In the new collection, my fave was the high-waisted jeans (shown in the bottom left image, below). It’s a welcome change from the low-waisted jeans that dominate the market!

At the Diesel & SOMA Magazine S/S12 Housewarming & Dinner Party

I had a fabulous time – the people at Diesel and SOMA Magazine who organized this event did an amazing job! And receiving a Diesel watch (one was wrapped around each napkin at the dinner table) was an incredible surprise.

With Kivalani, who shows off the Diesel watch wrapped around her napkin.

I left the party feeling not only inspired by the fashion, but also by the dinner party! I totally need to throw one of my own soon – though I’m afraid I won’t be able to give everyone watches!

Dresses, Drinks, and Dungarees: Diesel Launches “Our Glory”

Last week, Diesel celebrated the launch of its new men’s denim line, “Our Glory”, with a party at Industrie Denim in San Francisco.

Diesel's "Our Glory" line, inspired by 1950s workwear. The denim is created using traditional shuttle looms and dyed with vegetable indigo.

The scene at Industrie Denim

I joined the bloggers and media gurus who came to check out the line, sip cocktails, and mingle. My cocktail of choice: the Spicebox Ginger, which involves a jigger of Spicebox Whisky (I’m a gal who enjoys whisky) in a Collins glass filled with ice, a lemon slice, and ginger beer. The only other drink I’ve had before with ginger beer was a Dark & Stormy, and I have to say I liked this mix better!

With Whitney of Britt + Whit and Lindsay of A City Undressed. I didn't get the memo that navy & aqua were the colors of the evening!

And later in the evening we listened to PAPA rock out!

PAPA

What I wore:
Dress: Blogging Molly Dress in Wallpaper, Effie’s Heart via ModCloth

Celebrating 20 Years of Glamour by Louboutin

Sky-high heels. Extraordinary designs.

Red soles.

I can really only be talking about the fabulous shoes by Christian Louboutin.

Hot pink platform heel by Christian Louboutin

Neiman Marcus hosted a blogger event to introduce Louboutin’s 20th anniversary line, and I absolutely swooned over these shoes!

Check out these killer Louboutin boots!

Showing off a glittery Louboutin heel. Photo by Eli of Thrift Eye.

Cage-y heel by Louboutin

But the shoes that captured my heart? A pair of beige patent leather Pigalle flats with the word “love” spelled out in rhinestones across the toes.

In love with Louboutin's Pigalove Flats. Photo by Eli of Thrift Eye.

A closer look at Louboutin's Pigalove Flats in Nude

Besides admiring the shoes, I had a fabulous time hanging out with awesome SF bloggers!

Chandamheer of Pancake Stacker, Eli of Thrift Eye, and Sarah of Sarah's Ambitions

Sweet manicures by Angie of The Hotness Your Momma Warned You About, Adiel of It's because I think too much, and Eli of Thrift Eye

The whole crew! Photo from @neimanmarcus

So we sent up a toast to Louboutin, and a toast to fun people!

Cheers!

What I wore:
Dress: vintage Shelton Stroller dress (early 1960s)
Belt: vintage
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs (alas, no Louboutins for me – yet!)
Bracelets: black & white bangles from Senegal; the silver cuff was a gift

Spring Beauty at Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus hosted a blogger event at their Rotunda Restaurant to introduce a few of their newest beauty products. Of course, some of the loveliest bloggers in San Francisco attended!

SF Style Bloggers at Neiman Marcus

Everyone loves polka dots!

Eli of Thrift Eye and Jes of Ryzenberg On

Punam of Nothing Broken being photographed by Chandamheer of Pancake Stacker

Love the bold yellows and reds here:

Eli of Thrift Eye with Whitney and Brittany of Britt and Whit

And what I wore? Stripes (a fave) on a 1940s-inspired dress by Stop Staring!, an exclusive Be the Buyer pick at ModCloth. Plus some yellow and fuchsia accessories because I can’t stay away from color. :)

Sweet on Stripes by Stop Staring!, via ModCloth. Photo by Eli of Thrift Eye.

There were some delish drinks and tasty treats to enjoy while we heard about the newest offerings from Creed, Clinica Ivo Pitanguy, Fresh, and Tom Ford Beauty.

Had to take a photo of this tongue-in-cheek sign next to the buffalo chicken bites:

Buffalo Chicken Bites. Allergy Alert: Calories

After the event, we left with goodie bags filled with beauty products to try at home:

Neiman Marcus Beauty Goodie Bag

My personal fave? Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino Eau de Parfum. It’s a lighter, crisper scent than I usually go for (normally I’m one for spicy, woodsy scents), but I enjoy how it evokes a fresh spring day. The top note smells like fresh honeysuckle blossoms, right off the vine. As a kid (and, who am I kidding, even now), I picked honeysuckle blossoms to taste their nectar. They always struck me as magical flowers, and I guess I’ve fallen for Neroli Portofino because the scent carries some of that magic.

And who doesn’t love a little magic?

Dress: Sweet on Stripes Dress, Stop Staring! via ModCloth
Earrings: vintage
Purse: Longchamp Planètes Tote Bag
Shoes: The Chosen Fuchsia Heel, Chelsea Crew via ModCloth

Seen Style: Polka Dots, Stripes, and Unicorns

Spotted at the Social Media Week San Francisco closing party: an awesome outfit consisting of a few of my favorite things — polka dots, stripes, and bright color.

Polka dots, stripes, and color.

This is Margaux, a social media program coordinator. And not only was she wearing a fabulous outfit, she also has a totally awesome tattoo:

Margaux rocks a unicorn!

A unicorn! (I’m totally jealous.)

Shirt: gifted
Skirt: Coral skirt from H&M

Retro Revamp

I had a rather fun morning – got to be a hair model for a DIY to be posted on the ModCloth blog. The only downside was that I had to let my hair set all day. But ModCloth has a stash of vintage scarves (used for other DIY posts), so I was able to grab a silk scarf and wrap up my ‘do.

Showing off my super-fashionable head wrap ;)

Okay, totally not my usual style, but it was kinda fun. And went pretty well with my outfit.

It seems I’ve had a thing for patterns recently – this dress is another Trashy Diva fave.

Retro Revamp Dress by Trashy Diva, via ModCloth

I wasn’t actually planning on taking pics while my hair was still up, but went out with Santina to snap a few photos of her because her outfit was adorbs.

Santina strikes a pose

And as you can see, I somehow managed to convince her to ham it up a little. I think it suits her, even if it’s not really her MO. Check out this sweet kawaii pose:

Santina’s Kawaii Pose

After work, Santina and I headed to the San Francisco Center for a party hosted by Madewell and Fabsugar. This was, of course, after my ‘do was finished: a tightly curled 1920’s hairstyle.

Santina and Kate @ the Madewell & Fabsugar Party

The party was all about shopping, meeting other bloggers, and talking fashion. Not a bad way to unwind after work. :)

Shopping and socializing @ the Madewell & Fabsugar Party

Lovely bloggers at Madewell.

One of the coolest parts of the party was the Fabsugar style contest: anyone who wanted to participate had to style & model an outfit using Madewell clothes. And I’m happy to take advantage of any excuse to play dress up!

Participants in the Fabsugar Style Contest

It was a little tricky, because most Madewell pieces are cut for thinner, straighter figures. Their skinny jeans? Not gonna work on someone like me. But I found this awesome green dress and managed to whip something up that’s totally my style: retro & colorful.

Kate à la Madewell – or Madewell à la Kate?

Two outfits in one day? Not bad!

Have you had an opportunity to play dress up recently?

Outfit #1:
Dress: Retro Revamp Dress, Trashy Diva via ModCloth
Cardigan: Button-Up Basics Cardigan in Brown via ModCloth
Shoes: Tippytoes Heels, Seychelles via ModCloth
Scarf: vintage
Belt: thrifted
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet
Tights: Hue
Purse: Un-Teal the End of Time bag, Magnes Sisters via ModCloth

Outfit #2:
Dress: Madewell
Tote bag: Madewell
Belt: Madewell
Necklace: Madewell
Shoes: Madewell
Bracelet: Victorian mourning bracelet
Tights: Hue

My outfit photos taken by Santina of Style by Santina.

A Magical Night at the Symphony Ball

New Year’s Eve is supposed to be a perfect, magical night – a night that sets the stage for the rest of year.

Of course, with expectations like that, it’s not surprising that people get stressed out planning for it, and the night itself can be something of a letdown.

Last year I was super excited for New Year’s Eve. My husband’s parents gave us tickets to the San Francisco Symphony Masquerade Ball, and I had plans to wear a fabulous vintage deco-era fuchsia gown. Pat, my husband, and I would go to the East coast to visit my family for Christmas, but we’d be back in San Francisco a few days before New Year’s. Plenty of time to get ready! Right?

And yet… not. Due to horrible winter weather, our return flight was cancelled and we were stuck in D.C. for three days – rebooked onto an early morning New Year’s Day flight. So heartbreaking! I had never gone to a ball before – and everything turned to rags before I even got to go.

(I should mention that there was a bright side – we got to stay with a friend in D.C. Being stranded in a city isn’t so bad when it means you get to catch up with a good friend!)

Thankfully, the Symphony was understanding, and gave us gift certificates in place of the ball tickets we were unable to use. So we set the gift certificates aside to use for the next year’s ball. And in the meantime, I did some investigation and found the annual Art Deco Preservation Society Ball, which was scheduled for May – so I didn’t have to wait a whole year to wear my fabulous deco-era gown to a ball. :)

Alright, back to this year. As planned, we used our Symphony gift certificates to buy tickets to the New Year’s Eve ball. And since we weren’t traveling this year (after previous transportation debacles, we figured we could use at least one year off!), we had plenty of time to prep. I helped Pat choose a tux (he decided it was time to own one), and we ended up finding a fantastic deal at Jos. A Bank. For Christmas, I bought Pat a vintage Krementz cufflink and tuxedo shirt stud set. And I decided to wear my wedding dress – a vintage 1970s ivory gown that’s perfect for dancing. Of course, because it was a masquerade ball, we picked up a couple of Venetian masks to go with our ensembles.

The evening had a lovely start, with cocktails and live music in the lobby.

With Pat, upon our arrival to Davies Symphony Hall

Cocktail hour was followed by the concert, conducted by Michael Francis. Most of the pieces were waltzes – a perfect way to set the mood for dancing later.

In the concert hall

After the concert, we enjoyed free prosecco (supplied by La Marca) and desserts in the lobby.

Revelers in the lobby of Davies Symphony Hall

And then the most wonderful part – dancing on the concert hall stage to live music played by the Peter Mintun Orchestra.

Dancing with Pat

There was a balloon drop at midnight, followed by more dancing and revelry.

Balloon drop at midnight

Dancing on the Davies Symphony Hall stage

It was, indeed, a magical night – well worth the wait!

Happy New Year!

Wishing you health, wealth, and happiness in the new year!

What I wore:
Dress: vintage 1970s formal gown
Mask: costume Venetian mask, via Fantastico
Necklace: vintage 1950s Coro necklace
Cape: Tulle, via ModCloth