STYLE MANIAC's NEW FALL WARDROBE

Perhaps you've noticed: Style Maniac has a whole new look for Fall.  And by Style Maniac I mean the blog! She's dressed for autumn, inspired by the fiery russet of a velvet jacket, leopard boots, bags and wallpaper, my favorite coffee cups and the touch of magenta in an October leaf.  Her signature yellow color now shows up as gold and toffee in the text links.   And she has a few lil treats for you: scrolling updates from Twitter, Facebook and the website; an extended list of Links I Love (both in sidebar), plus a showcase of great reader quotes (scroll down to footer for this clickable link).

And this is just the beginning.  Just as the blog posts--and my own home and wardrobe--celebrate the change of season, so will the blog design.  So, dear email & RSS subscribers, don't forget to click through every so often and enjoy the full pretty picture. And to all of Style Maniac's smart, fun and stylish readers: thank you for visiting, commenting and letting me share my mania day by day and season by season with you.

Special thanks to my friends Andrew & Lee.  Our recent Media Bistro Cocktails chat helped focus so many plans for this blog. Stay tuned ...

Leaf image via Backgrounds.  All other images by Doreen Creede. 
Leopard boots: Wilbur Vintage. Leopard wallpaper: Ralph Lauren.  Gold wallpaper: Donghia. Gold coffee cups: Marc Blackwell New York.Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/ralph%20lauren
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GLAMOUR IN THE SAND

When it comes to entertaining at the beach casual simplicity rules.  Still, wouldn't it be fun if one balmy summer eve you surprised your friends with a glamorous dinner by the dunes like this?

Ralph Lauren Home image from Style Maniac's print archives.Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/ralph%20lauren
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WESTHAMPTON BEACH

THE BEACH:  Westhampton Beach, NY  Many people think of The Hamptons as celebrity-centric and somewhat surreal.  But the Hamptons I know, thanks to my husband's family, is all about casual, low-key living:  Mornings spent on a deck overlooking a sliver of the bay, steaming coffee in hand and The New York Times at your feet.  Afternoons on the uncrowded beach just over the dunes, where the water gleams in ribbons of sapphire and jade.  Evening cocktails followed by a meal everyone helps assemble--something simple, uncomplicated and very very good.

THE BOOK:  Jaws by Peter Benchley  A visit to Westhampton cannot go by without a reminiscence of the year this classic tale literally swept the beach.

THE LOOK (fashion):  The cover-up is a bit of a fantasy given its price point, but the wide-brimmed, crushable/moldable white Scala hat and silver Cobian flipflops are two of my beach essentials.  THE LOOK (decor): Though the porch and dining room images above come from a stylist's imagination, they capture the relaxed, eclectic ambiance I associate with Long Island's East End ... and they'd fit perfectly inside one of the charming shingled fisherman's cottages that thankfully still survive.

LET'S COOK: Kitchen Express by Mark Bittman  Suggestions more than recipes, none longer than a paragraph, all that can be put on the table in 20 minutes or less, leaving lots of time to enjoy a spectacular sunset, animated conversation and the distant sound of crashing waves as dusk turns into night.

For more on Westhampton Beach & summer style join Style Maniac's Facebook Page and follow @thestylemaniac on Twitter.

Photos 1 & 6 of Westhampton Beach by Doreen Creede.  Jaws image via MoviePoster.com.  For details on THE LOOK (fashion) go here (thanks, Kelly, for your help finding the chic tunic and bikini).  Porch pic from La Plage collection, RalphLaurenHome.com.  Dining room  from archive issue of InStyle magazine.  Books available through Style Maniac's Amazon Boutique. Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/ralph%20lauren
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PILLOW TALK

Don't have enough seating for a gang of friends? Throw some pillows on the floor. It's also a great way to add seasonal color and pattern to a room.

FROM TOP: Scalamandre "Polka Dot" in Brick & Beige from the Island Cloth indoor/outdoor collection and "O'Marra" in Brick, Glass & Gold available through The Redecorators LLC, 215-429-2000. Raffia pillow from Ralph Lauren Home a few seasons ago. Red floral from City Chateau.

Photo by Doreen Creede
Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/ralph%20lauren
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LEOPARD QUEEN

Can I possibly not yet have featured something leopard?? Those who know me well must be shocked. So, to rectify the situation: a picture of my first floor powder room wallpaper. This Ralph Lauren pattern entered our home ten years ago and we haven't tired of it yet. I highly advocate trying something bold or crazy in small rooms you don't use often. It creates a delightful surprise every time you open the door.Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/ralph%20lauren
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