My (and now your) 10 Fashion Commandments!

I'm always late, but worth the wait. I'm so excited to be a part of this blog! I have so much that I want to share. But before I begin, Im going to set a foundation.

1. If you do not fit, you must (a)quit.
I know its cliche, but its the truth. If you have to ask if your outfit makes you look fat, then it probably does. AMEN!

2. When in doubt, wear black.
Whenever I dont know what to weat to an event, head to toe black always works. I always add a statement piece (bag, shoe, jewlery) to help differentiate me from the hired staff.

3. Gold, Gold, Gold and more Gold.
I LOVE GOLD!!! Its a good pop for any occasion. Some days I can give Mr. T a run for his money.

4. Eyewear
Never underestimate the power of eyewear. The right pair of sunglasses can bring so much to a look. Juse because you don't have a perscription doesn't mean that you can't wear a frame with clear lenses. Forget what you heard!

5. Good fashion is genderless.
Don't be afraid to cross the gender line. If I see a piece that I love in the women's department, Im going to make it happen.

6. Invest in the classics.
If your money is tight invest in the classics. I would love to buy the best of thebest ever season, but the reality is... I can't.

7. Embrace trends.
Trends keep me youthful. I like to refer to them as my "fashion fountain of youth". But be very careful with them, they're supposed to be friends but can easily become enemies if not handeled carefully.

8. Bags
Without it Im never fully prepared. Im able to create three different looks with the contents of my bag- day, night and of course, sexy!

9. Labels
If you can afford them- great! If not, who cares?!?!? Labels should be on the inside of the garment, not across your chest or butt!

10. More is more.
If you think your outfit is dont too much, then it probably is, so... WORK IT!

-M

What could possibly be next? Try, WHO...

So I LOVE the idea of coming home from a long day and sitting down to unwind in front of the crackling fireplace with a nice glass of wine. Is that weird? Ok maybe I do love the bottle a little more than I should, but there ARE far worse vises one might have. I mean, I could be a drug addict, or abuse my dogs, or spit... blugh! Spitting is DISgusting! Really!... Stop me someone, diarrhea of the mouth (perhaps another one of my vises?)!!! ANYWAY, the point being that I DONT indulge in that particular fantasy primarily because I dont have a fireplace AND because I wouldnt know a bottle of vinegar from wine! And I HATE that. But I have come up with a solution...! Coming soon, The FG Life will have our very own resident wino- ha! I keed! I mean, I have just confirmed that L____ _o__so_ (nope not gonna tell you her name yet- tee hee I like this game!) will be joining us as our very own Wine and Spiritis Contributor. She is FANTASTICAL. With no more than 2 questions, she knew exactly what I would like and poured me my first glass of liquid heaven (a certain Reisling- I know, I know, Ima pansy I need the sweet stuff) ever! I was in love and it was all thanks to her. She knows her wines and will help all of us less knowledgable types be more uh, knowledgeable! Ha! Now, if I could just get me someone to build a fireplace in my apartment... Cheers!

-J

Our November House to Remember- Martinez Residence!

Ok, so as I promised, at long last, here is the Martinez home! THIS IS our featured home for November. It is lovely, just lovely. The Martinez's are the perfect all American family- beautiful mom (Anne) and handsome dad (Brian) and 4 gorgeous girls (3-19 yrs). Their home is tucked into the hills of Orinda and, as you can see, is truly an oasis. Antiques and keepsakes from various travels overlap home/hand made artworks and heirlooms and funky finds fill every conner. Everything has a story or meaning and through carful placement and conscientious combinations each piece is showcased appropriately, coming together to create a super cozy and all together unique space. I live breathe and die for the Martinez's sentimental gathering of goodies. Yet a space like this can be tricky to tastefully add holiday decor to. The trick is to layer it in LIGHTLY. As Anne says, 'I can't handle too many notes.' Gurl, Im with you! But, a sprinkling of pumpkins and dots of color, a single arrangement of fall leaves and THAT'S IT! And look at how festive and fun it feels, right!?!?!? Right! I loves!!! Enjoy!

-J

The Living Room, which is an eclectic dream, is surrounded by a raised hallway/gallery. From here, with a peaceful almost maternal aire, a bronze Buddha, flanked by simple willow arrangements in mercury glass, sits gracefully atop an antique credenza. Is that a run on sentence? It IS isn't it? Lawdy, Im rambling Im so excited!

Clearly, the Martinez's have a special affinity for an Old World Style. This CAN BE a very, what the word, BORING genre. BUT, by punching contemporary pops here and there (i.e.: brass drum lamp) they've kept things fresh and currentlooking and avoided that grandma's house or museum feel.

Although there are lots of differing colors and textures, LOTS, pieces have been meticulously grouped to display and spotlight- you really can see and appreciate everything! Lets sigh in adoring awe together... le... sighhhh... me likey :)

Again, a careful balance of contemporary (cut glass mirror) and

old world (antique Buddha) keep things feeling relatable and honest.

Alright, so the nine foot long, Spanish antique dining table is not something most of us would

happen to have, but the lesson is not about what they have, but how it's been combined...

Upholstered benches (calm down, they're scotch guarded!) cozy up table side in the Dining Room. Beyond their obvious function, they help to lighten the heaviness of the table and color palette in this space.

Now yes I know, ery-body loves a dome- nothing new there.

But, group them in varying heights for more emphasis and statement making power!

Ah a tower of mirrors- heaven! Ok, one thing to know- please do not attempt a tower of mirrors in a room with eight foot ceilings! Be sensible! Maybe a train of mirrors in that sort of space might be better... or a... ugh(!!) tangent! Point being, utilize wall space appropriately.

So now, wasn't that fantastic!?!?!?! I know. I loved it too. Anyway, go back and look at how a passive approach to Holiday decor was perfect for what is already a very stimulating space. Some pumpkins on the mantle, a few on the table, an arrangement here, an autumn colored pillow there... AND PRESTO- FALL TIME DONE A LA FILTHY GORGEOUS! Yay!

Taylor's Automatic Refresher... a taste of times gone by!

Taylor's Automatic Refresher, located in St Helena, conjures up the nostalgic feel of the 1950's.  On this sunny day (ohh California...) my family and I decided to drive up Highway 29 just for a bit of one of their delicious burgers.  

As you can see we were a hungry bunch!  What you are seeing above is: a cheese burger, a grilled cheese, a bacon cheese burger (mine), garlic fries, sweet potato fries, and a cup of south western corn chowder.  

Bacon cheese burger?  Delicious.

Everything we ordered was amazing but the true standout of the meal?  The sweet potato fries!!! 

They dust the fries with a chili powder mixture (just the right level of spicy to offset the SWEET potato ) and then give you an aioli dipping sauce to finish off the flavor. 

Overall, we had a great dining experience, from the open outdoor picnic like atmosphere...

...to the classic American meal...

(We're big eaters!!)

We had an amazing time.  Want to really experience it right?  Turn up your Sam Cooke or Fats Domino music and let the nostalgia take over!

-G

The lonely little pumpkins

While at a friends dinner party this evening I snapped a pic (on the DL of course!) of their table, set as it was when I arrived- look at that lonely little pumpkin! Pitiful!

Can you even make these pics out???  Ugh!  What do you want, I had to take 'em on the sly!

Well you know me, I just couldn't leave that baby pumpkin to do all that work all alone! So I suggested they give him some friends. While this may not be perfect, as you can see, even on a small table, an appropriately sized grouping at the center looks MUCH better than a single piece!

I just had a lovely lady come in the Shop and purchase 3 of our small pumpkin candles- one in orange, one in green and one in cream. I LOVE these things! They’re so versatile and transitional and… and down right functional AND (not to mention) cute as can be! She told me that she wanted to use them to dress the center of her Thanksgiving table. Great! Fantastic! Sweet! I loves! And so on and so forth. I asked, her what else she was doing with them, or if it was just a very small table- she told me it sat 8! EIGHT! Eight PEOPLE! Ummm… for those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, that’s a good size table! In fact, I’d even say, that’s a large table. So, again for those of you who are having trouble keeping up, three small pumpkins running down the center of the table would just not do, not do at all! She then admitted to having some trouble with decorating and asked what I might suggest she do. I said, BUILD! Guuurl, build-it-up! This got me to thinking that there might be lots of little pumpkin candles out there this Thanksgiving that are left to shoulder the weight of oversized tables. And it just made me sad, really, really sad. Those poor little babies, lost all alone at the center of those big ’ole tables –single tear falls from corner of left eye- sad, right?!?!? Well, let’s not let that happen. Don’t be the person with the naked Thanksgiving table. Don’t shove off the burden of bringing holiday cheer onto a poor little pumpkin. BUILD IT UP! Add fresh greens (or fall colored leaves to be more specific), votive candles and pillars are ALWAYS good (battery operated if you’re a fire starter like me… don’t ask!), berry clusters in festive hues add pops of life, and mercury glass or bits of silver bring glitter (and WHO couldn’t use more glitter?!?! No really, who?). Bottom line, don’t be afraid to go all out! While I wouldn’t suggest incorporating figurines from your Precious Moments collection, a menagerie of natural pieces, generously spread is festive and when done on the dining table for meal time, will add to the feeling of bounty. So, play with it and have fun!

-J

November Inspiration Home...

The Martinez Home is our November home to Remember

Thanksgiving, or Harvest or whatever you chose to call it, time can be particularly challenging for design-istas (do you like that one? I made it up all by m'self). And, when you think about it, it IS a really obscure sort of Holiday (from a design perspective that is). I mean, what to go with- cutesy little turkeys dressed up in pilgrim styled top hats and boots, or the more general wicker woven cornucopia spilling out a menagerie of inappropriately selected produce? Well, my thought is to revisit our old friend, KISS. Member KISS? Keep It Simple Stupid! And I feel like KISS is saying, utilize color!!!!!! Though I know for many of you that is a very unnerving prospect, but trust me and we'll get through it together. Step one: Whether it be cornucopias crammed with crap or turkeys in top hats, keep the chachki-esque accessories consistent and don't over do it! Regardless of what Hallmark tries to tell you, DON'T OVER DO IT. Rather, this is step two people: create color blocks. Change out your usual throw pillows (where you can) to those in more fall time hues (deep reds, green, orange, and you might even throw in some plum here and there for pizazz) introduce simple fall-leaf arrangements, and don't forget the pumpkins- those which haven't been mangled by botched carving attempts can easily transition to Thanksgiving table tops and scatter throughout your space. In an attempt to illustrate what it is that I am saying (well... some of us are visual learners!), I want to introduce you to The Martinez Home. This place is a fantastic feat of fall time festiveness- did I actually go there? I did, child I did!- but seriously, it's pretty phenomenal! I will be posting a tour of the space in the coming days, but for now, check out their Living Room. Subtle, quiet, peaceful yet still very fall feeling! PERFECT! Can't you just smell the Turkey roasting in the oven?!?!?
-J

She's Heee-r!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, ok, its time for another announcement! Ladies and Gentlemens, I am SO pleased to announce that we have ANOTHER new addition to The FG LIFE Family! Coming very soon, one of the most innately talented and effortlessly inspiring ladies I know will be adding her two cents (and if we're lucky, even more) to our quest for the filthiest and most gorgeous-est life. She will provide advice, how to guides, reviews and commentary pertaining to food, wine and entretaining stuff (oh get over it, even I run outa cute verbage from time to time!). Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled... she's freakin fantastic!!!

-J