LIGHTS. CAMERA. PARTIES.

Come for cocktails, stay for dancing.  We're having a party this month on Style Maniac and you're all invited.  What are we celebrating?  The elements of entertaining itself, as both a hostess and a guest.  LIGHTING:  How to create a killer ambiance, with tips from one of the world's premiere lighting designers.  CAMERA:  How to look great in photos.  PARTIES:  What to wear, what gifts to bring, and how to enjoy your own soiree.  Hang on to your hats, girls, it's going to be quite a ride.

Photo above and in this month's masthead via iPhone Backgrounds app. Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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RED, SHE SAID

"Girls in red dresses?" he said
"With new social networks and couture fashion houses," she said.
"Romance and flowers?" he said.
"Stacks of books, abstract art, movie idols, chic sunglasses," she said.
"Wonderful blog posts to bring us from winter to spring?" he said.
"Red," she said.

{This month, on Style Maniac}

Photo here and in February masthead:
Gordon Parks for LIFE via My Vintage Vogue
Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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BLOG BIRTHDAY: Style Maniac Turns Two!

It's hard to believe that two years ago I had barely read a blog, didn't own a digital camera and couldn't have told you SEO from XHTML.  Most of all I had no idea that the joy of creating something that combines my  love of words and images, planning and serendipity, style and soul, could be made ever so more amazing because it's shared with each of you--a community of smart, fun and stylish women around the world.  So, on Style Maniac's Second Birthday, I'm tossing virtual confetti your way, releasing bundles of balloons and raising my glass in a toast of thanks and appreciation for stopping by here and making my days brighter.  Cheers!

(For one lucky reader there will be an "in real life" gift as well.  Stop by next month to enter Style Maniac's first ever Giveaway ... it's a good one!)

Vintage beach photo via Rainbow Armour on FlickrSource URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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OPERATION BEAUTIFUL

When Domino Magazine unexpectedly closed, Conde Nast mystified design-crazy subscribers even more by fulfilling the remainder of our subscriptions with Glamour magazine. Huh?  Though an avid Glamour reader in my teens and twenties, I've long since passed the point of needing boyfriend advice.  Still, I'll give any magazine a try, and I do find at least a few features a month that make it worth reading.  The best of those finds: Operation Beautiful.  No, not beautiful homes, but beautiful you.

Founded by Caitlin Boyle to end negative self-talk, Operation Beautiful has grown from one "YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL" message on a public restroom mirror to a website, book and nationwide movement of utter simplicity: a pen, a post-it and a random act of encouragement.  To find out more visit OperationBeautiful.com  Then, go ahead, tell a stranger she's gorgeous.

Brooke McCallion's New York City message via Glamour Magazine, September 2010Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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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/style
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PEN & PAPER

Despite technology--and sometimes because of technology--I still like to put my ideas down in ink on paper. In a pinch I'll take a scrap magazine subscription card and chewed up Bic ballpoint to jot down swirling thoughts in the middle of the night, but the process becomes that much more enjoyable when employing tactile tools such as the smooth silver Cross pen (only with the porous point refill) I was given as a gift when I left my first job many many years ago, or Elsa Peretti's sleek red lacquer pen for Tiffany (which I have gifted, with great response) and witty, well-designed journals, like these "I Had/Met And Liked" Archie Grand Notebooks from Jasper+Black.  Write on.

Image from House Beautiful magazine.
Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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WORK & PLAY

Work & Play.  In your life, do they merge and blend? Or remain distinct?  And do you like it that way?  No matter where you land on that spectrum, there's ways both bold and subtle to make any job just a bit more delightful.  Such as this frothy concoction of a desk.  So absolutely fabulous, it would perk up the dreariest of tasks.  Stay tuned all month for more ...


Tutu Desk by Black & Spiro via Absolutely Beautiful ThingsSource URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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EL PESCADERO

Isn't it lovely when one wonderful find leads to another?  Back in April I asked Style Maniac's readers to recommend their favorite artists. Carrie from Style Statement shared her favorite, Patricia Larsen, and I instantly fell in love with Patricia's work, which I featured in this Online Art Show.  While perusing her website, www.patricialarsen.com, I came across Patricia's amazing home on the coast of Mexico and just had to feature this magical, mystical place where the desert meets the sea.

THE BEACH:  El Pescadero, South Baja, Mexico
While surfers flock to El Pescadero's Playa San Pedrito for its world-class waves, artist Patricia Larsen loves the colors. "The desert stretches for miles like scratchy linen, while the Pacific Ocean changes from icy turquoise to waxy gray.  The sky often has a hazy light which filters all the colors of the hills and mountain in the distance."

THE BOOK:  Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen 

THE LOOK: Spare, relaxed, rustic and natural in both decor and dress.

LET'S COOK:  "I love to cook fish on an open fire, often Ahi Tuna with papaya salsa; and make simple no-fuss tacos" says Patricia.  "I usually make up recipes as I go along, but find a lot of inspiration in Donna Hay's cookbooks and magazines."

Okay, when can we all come visit?

Beach collage & patio photo by Patricia Larsen.  Book and outfit photos by Janaki Larsen.  Interior photo by Klee Larsen.Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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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/style
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THE BEACH, THE BOOK, THE LOOK, LET's COOK

THIS MONTH JULY & AUGUST ON STYLE MANIAC: Beautiful beaches, ravishing reads, fashion fun, decor delights and easy entertaining.  Stop back every week for a new waterside destination and feel the cool ocean breezes sweep away this sweltering heat.

While you're here, check out the great summer book selections recommended by Style Maniac's smart and stylish readers.  Thanks Lee, Susan, Trish, Lou, Cassidy & Andrea for getting us started. (If you haven't added your pick yet click here.  For the full list go there.)  Enjoy!

Photo by Tony Cenicola via The New York Times.com
Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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BACKYARDING with MRS. LILIEN

Oh the joys of blog- and twitter-land:  they deliver you to such delicious discoveries. Thank you, Mrs. Spade, for introducing me to Mrs. Lilien, a  fashionista decorista Dr. Seussian delight.  Not only are her images pure perfection, but her witty words are simply divine.  Click here for her Styling House of treasures. Mrs. Lilien, you're invited over any time.

Images courtesy Mrs. Lilien Styling HouseSource URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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FIESTA

Some Cinco de Mayo celebration inspiration.  Salud!  {To hear some of the tracks on my Creede Cantina playlist visit twt.fm/stylemaniac.  For my favorite Mexican cookbook click here. And to raise awareness of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill share this.}


Images 1, 3, 4 from InStyle Magazine.  Image 2 by Doreen Creede..  Image 5 by Doreen Creede/The Redecorators LLC.  Image 6  from Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic.  Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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SPRING STYLE IN ANY WEATHER

Although spring in my corner of the world oscillates wildly from wintry coolness to summer sultriness, this year I'm determined to celebrate spring before rushing headlong into the next season.  So come visit this month and discover Spring Style in flowers, music, art, special celebrations and the first ever Style Maniac Spring Gift Guide.

Photo from A Passion for Flowers by Carolyne RoehmSource URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS

And so we say au revoir (for now) to our virtual visit to Paris.  I hope you've discovered some wonderful art, romance and outdoor cafés in your own town, and brought a touch of la vie française home.  Although I don't often post photos of myself on this blog, I had to include this fave, above.  The scarf, the book, the locale,  and that perfect moment during a family trip when my then-toddler niece Kelly and I gleefully plotted where we would wander to next.  It captures so much of what I love about travel ... style ... life ... and Paris.

Photo by Denise Schwemmer Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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THROW ON A SCARF

I can't say my love of scarves comes from being French, because I'm not.  But I have been collecting and wearing scarves for more than two decades.  The patterned silks and cottons slink their way in and out of my closet seasonally, sometimes taking a vacation on a guest room shelf for a few years before returning to regular rotation.  The bright colors bring life and variety to a wardrobe made up mostly of dark, solid colors.  When it's cold, a scarf knotted close around your throat can keep you incredibly warm.  Folded long and narrow they can take the place of a headband.  Larger pieces become shawls, or even throws for the living room sofa.  And just the other day a strategically tied scarf let me transform a loose and very low-cut bathing suit cover-up into a top suitable for city shopping.  Voilà!

Photo  from the Hermes Spring/Summer 2010 campaign "Life as a Tale."  Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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JUST LIKE MADELINE

My sister Denise and I with our Grandma Jean, in Easter capes made by our Grandma Lydia (of course).  I just recently noticed how much our outfits resemble those of a certain French girl in one of my favorite storybooks.  Happy Easter!Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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MINI MOO MAKEOVER

Give a boring business card a makeover with these adorable Moo Minicards--about the size of a stick of gum.  Choose up to 100 images on 100 cards for only 20 bucks. Either feature your own photos and designs or pick from a great selection of stock graphics.  For my new Style Maniac cards I chose images from favorite posts. Still trying to decide which one is my favorite!

Moo Minicards, along with a lot of other goodies, available online from Moo.com. Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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FRESH

In the mood for something fresh and clean today.  This masterful example of sustainable luxury architecture fit the bill.  Turns out the architect, Rob Mills, and the house both hail from guess where? Yes, apparently my Aussie enthrallment continues.

Image via Brocade Design Etc.Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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EVERYDAY STYLE TIP: Change Your China Wardrobe

Get a fresh look for not a lot of money by switching a few of your dishes seasonally. If you keep your main set of china neutral and simple, you can mix up and mix in fun finds like these colorful chandelier tea cups and lunch plates from Rosanna, which just shout "Spring!" when you open your cupboard.

Chandelier set from Style Maniac's collection.  For current styles visit Rosannainc.com
Photo by Doreen Creede. Source URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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A TOUCH OF SPRING

Mercurial weather makes spring wardrobes a challenge.  (Yes, I did say spring--officially less than two weeks away!)  One moment it's blustery cold; the next sunny and warm.  My solution: start with the same black turtleneck you've worn all winter, switch to lighter black pants or leggings, top with a great spring coat in a wild pattern or Popsicle-bright color, add a lightweight scarf if needed and finish with one bold accessory, like my whimsical cocktail ring, above.  Everyone asks:  "Christian Dior?" but it's actually an affordable score discovered while--ahem--shopping for a client.

Ring from Matthew Izzo, 151 North 3rd Street  in Philadelphia.  Photographed on indoor/outdoor version of the fabric for the Trina Turk coat mentioned above.

Photo by Doreen CreedeSource URL: https://thesoap-box.blogspot.com/search/label/style
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