last minute packing for labor day

If you are about to head off for the long weekend check my classic beach packing guide on Passported, a great site for stylish travel with little ones.  Pic above - Lisa B espadrilles

stella mccartney resort 2016 in elizabeth street garden

Stella does it again, love these shapes. See more pics here from the party in Elizabeth Street Garden, a great spot in Little Italy. We love this one hidden away in the village. You've got to love a secret garden when you live in this city :)

*image via popsugar

secret cities - shanghai and chinatown, new york by luru home

My ongoing obsession with cushion (pillows) collecting (yep, true) led to the discovery of Luru Home. The founders Claire and Lisa met in Shanghai, spied the beautiful indigo textiles and Luru Home was born. Claire is now back in Brooklyn and they've kindly shared their secret cities below...pass it on...

Shanghai 

Boutique Pilang Palang - bold yet classic Chinese design for the home

Bar Mokkos - shochu cocktails too easy to toss back

Restaurant Xibo - scrumptious Xinjiang fare

Coffee Farine - Paris of the East

Beauty Zen Massage the perfect nightcap

Chinatown, New York

Boutique No6 store - vintage and contemporary

Bar Leadbelly - might we suggest the Burma Shave?

Restaurant Nom Wah Tea Parlor - dim sum with a mid-century vibe 

Coffee Dimes - quirky Canal Street breaky joint 

Beauty Mian Tian Sing - known for its no-frills, no-fuss, fantastic blow-outs

more secret cities here from Poppy Delevingne, Stephanie Phair from The Outnet, Elizabeth Blitzer and Annie Taube...

stylish travel...new paltz, upstate new york

I go a bit bonkers if I don't get out of the city every so often. We love heading upstate and are always on the look out for unique and stylish places to stay. The Stone House is gorgeous. Beautifully restored and modernised, but still very cosy. Ideally located, it is just a short walk into New Paltz, there's hiking nearby, live music in town and its close to Woodstock and Saugerties.

We wandered around Water Street Market (I could have gone completely mad in the antique shops, some great prices compared to other towns upstate)

 We grabbed Mudd Puddle coffee and very runny cheese at The Cheese Plate

My little man played the guitar at Root Note Music

We loved The Village Tearoom and Mexicali Blue for eating out

Have a great weekend

x

happy weekend

I hope you have a lovely weekend, a few things for you to browse around…

Isabel Marant does it again (note the one earring look - epic)

One of my favourite brands Loeffler Randall is 20% off until Monday thanks to Jo (see the bottom of the post)

I just discovered Escape Brooklyn and got lost for a few hours

 Currently reading this

Had brunch here this morning and remembered how good it was, hilarious music too 

Going to try and get to this show before Sunday 

Very cute mothers day gift

*image via style.com

teddy coats…bits & bobs…crazy sales

Completely freezing here so I plan to hibernate this weekend. Here are some links to keep busy with…ish…

Are you tempted to buy a teddy coat? 

so much sequin love here (they have shorts and a dress too)
trying not to lose the plot with this loeffler randall sale

my girlfriend just launched her new site, more coming soon

everything designed here is yum

misbehave at the 40% off sale on my-wardrobe or saks presale

ate here last week and loved it 

where will you go?

some more restaurants to try on this fathom away list

will you rock over the knee boots? 

tom ford helps out with boys names (and lipsticks)

*image via pinterest

stylish finds...shelter island and greenport

If you fancy the seaside but not the crazy hammy Hamptons I'd give Shelter Island and the little fishing village of Greenport a try. Here are some of the gems I have discovered there...

...Shelter Island...

Marie Eiffel is officially taking over the island...pop in for coffee/ croissants/ lunch/ ice cream and sit outside on the pontoon at Reddings

Her boutiques up the road stock kaftans, dresses, sandals, jewels and home wares to die for
A drink at Sunset Beach is worth it for the people watching and Vine Street Cafe is apparently the best foodie spot on Shelter

...Greenport...

Jump on the ferry and enjoy chocolate croissants and very strong coffee at Aldo's (put the kids on the carousel opposite)

Do not miss Beall and Bell antiques, some amazing finds and really good prices (open Thursday and through the weekend)

Pop in for a chat with the lovely Elizabeth at her store The Times Vintage, I picked up some great vintage tops and just missed an epic lace dress

Try Goldy and Mac for well priced dresses and tops in stylish prints and Lido for stylish beach bags, linens and throws
Book dinner at the Frisky Oyster or the famous Noah's
Make sure you try the tacos and tequila at Lucharitos and the Fork and Anchor for yummy sandwiches

Enjoy x

stylish miami?

I escaped to Miami for some warmth and sleep (ha ha!) a few weeks ago

we stayed at the Delano, which is basically a nightclub with a hilarious pool scene, but the decor is entirely grey and white so I was thrilled

apparently New Yorkers stay at the Standard (very chilled), Soho House or the amazing raved about Raleigh

food at the Delano was great, the Raleigh is a great spot for brunch, lunch and cocktails

for other (non NY branch) restaurants try Michaels Genuine, Gigi's, Mandolin

I wasn't there to party this time, but if you are try FDR at the Delano, Wall or Liv 

to fully embrace south beach pack outrageous bikinis, lots of gold hot pants, tight leopard print and heels like stilts

alternatively...head to an area called Wynwood and soak up the street art and galleries

start at 29th and NW 2nd and head south

grab coffee at Panther Coffee and try Joey's for incredible pizza

enjoy x

flora pringle from cracked candy shares her brooklyn tips

The lovely Flora lives in Brooklyn with her babe Bram and clever advertising hub Nick. She has just launched Cracked Candy, a sweet treat which is actually good for your teeth... really???, she's also rather stylish so I asked her to share her fave spots around town...

Restaurant Brucie, a delicious, unfussy italian

Boutique Barney's if I could afford it. I can't so probably Bird and By Brooklyn (for gifts)

Kids the re-developed waterfront piers are incredible, there's a giant sandbox and a great little toddler playground with views of Manhattan

Coffee Cafe Pedlar does great coffee and the best brownie bites I've ever tasted

Beauty sadly I don't have much time for preening, but I get my hair cut at Dvir Salon, they're always super friendly in there and my last stylist bought a tin of candy from me for her toddler son when she heard about Cracked Candy

the graham & co - catskills boutique hotel - hillside schoolhouse

Currently dreaming of going here this summer, The Graham & Co...and also quite fancy this inn, the Hillside Schoolhouse, plus you can buy the look here...(all images of The Graham & Co)

charleston style

Charleston. Very chilled, pretty streets and amazing food. Particularly loved...

sleeping at Charleston Place (Zero George Street next time)

eating shrimp bog and brunch at Hominy Grill

coffee in the courtyard at Kudu

wandering down King Street below Broad Street to the Battery 

tucking into a Poe's Tavern burger 

taking my little man to Two Boroughs Larder 

cupcakes and iced tea at Sugar 

lobster and cocktails in an old bank The Ordinary 

...yep we mainly ate...

(images from hominy grill, zero george street, the ordinary and zero george street)

a trip to hudson with airbnb

last november we stayed at this beautifully rustic old farmhouse
we drank wine seated around the wood burner

pottered around warren street checking out the vintage stores and antique shops 

ate at swoon, and drank coffee at swallow (fish & game next time please)

took a trip to the katerskills falls

and on the way home we popped into stone barns
I can't wait to go back...

(for more ideas around the hudson valley check out this guide by design*sponge)

secret cities london | stephanie phair | the outnet

Stephanie Phair is the super stylish Director of The Outnet. A native New Yorker, now based in London, here she shares her secret spots around the city...

Restaurant - Centonove, a small Italian, great value close to Portobello

Bar - Soho House or Montgomery Place

Boutique - 1^st dibs.com for amazing “window shopping” for interior décor

Coffee Spot - Sacred in Westfield

Beauty Haven - Adamina Spa on High St Kensington

kid & coe - stylish family travel

Happy new year! We all know the only way to get through January is to plan your 2014 travel adventures. This post might help...

I met up with the lovely Zoie from Kid & Coe recently, her company offers stylish abodes all over the world for those of us with little ones. We stayed here the weekend before Christmas, so close to Marylebone High Street, super stylish interiors and everything you need for the babe. I nearly moved in.

secret cities new york | elizabeth blitzer | interior pr guru

Elizabeth Blitzer (or Biddy as she is affectionately known) is a very stylish friend of mine who runs her own interiors PR agency. She can be found 99% of the time in Cafe Cluny in the village, or rocking sparkly jumpsuits in LA. She wears so many bracelets (evidence below) you can hear her coming for miles. I love her style, so will you, so enjoy her top NYC tips...

Favourite boutique - Jesse James (true, but she actually finds the most amazing things in Loehmann's on 7th Ave, just don't venture there when hungover) 

Bar - The Rusty Knot 

Restaurant - Waverly Inn

Coffee spot - Cafe Cluny

Beauty haven - QQ on Christopher St

seeking stylish places to stay

It seemed fairly easy to find cool places to stay around Asia. America is proving tougher. I've seen a lot of naffness and crazy prices. I normally search blogs or sites such as iescape and Mr & Mrs Smith, but I just stumbled upon this site called Boutique Homes which has chic homes, quirky cabins and small hotels with heaps of character. They feature places all over the globe. I could have posted a million more photos but you get the idea...amazing...problem solved.

where to shop (and more) in new york + new shops opening in hong kong

I am suffering from a rather good night eating and drinking too much at Beauty & Essex (another Avroko stunner), they serve champagne in the restroom (note the new lingo) which is rather fabulous. So I thought I'd share some NY shopping tips which I have found...

Jo of Cup of Jo has put together a fabulous series of where to eat/stay/shop and much more in New York. I plan on trying all the restaurants and shops over the coming months and working on my own little list too. From her mentions I know Catbird in Williamsburg is a must and so is Madewell. See her guide here for eating....sleeping...and most importantly...shopping :)

I also found this rather good list on Racked NY of The 38 Essential New York Stores.

In Hong Kong look out for new store Polkadot Boutique which is opening this weekend, we'll be checking it out and reporting back next week, and watch out for Avec Amour, a new lingerie boutique which stocks the very pretty brand Mimi Holliday, they will be hosting an opening party next Thursday...

*Random Twiggy image (from here) because I love her style

sneak preview...madeleine thompson on net-a-porter

Maddy has done it again, whilst planning her Phuket wedding she has simultaneously managed to launch an exclusive collection of her covetable cashmere goodies on Net-A-Porter. They arrive on August 1st, but in true secretstylist fashion...you get a sneak preview...

langkawi

I popped over to Langkawi for a few days, like you do, and stayed at Temple Tree which is the younger sister of the infamous Bon Ton Resort. I could have moved in. They look after abandoned cats and dogs from around Malaysia so there are gorgeous cats everywhere (I dream of being a crazy old cat woman, rocking back and forth on my veranda), the food is delicious and the whole place has a super relaxed, friendly atmosphere. The owner Nurell has done a fantastic job, its pretty obvious she is an interior designer, I wanted to ship every piece of furniture home and the old Malaysian houses are just stunning. I did some Yoga with Dorothy of Langkawi Yoga, she runs retreats on the island and holds classes at the resorts. Of course, I also found a shop (at Bon Ton Resort), and bought my 28 millionth jumpsuit, for only HK$450, bargain. Here are some pics, make sure you stay there if you ever go to the island, it is so unique and homely compared to those giant branded hotels.

Temple Tree

Cat coma

Sunbathing jumpsuit

Poolside at Temple Tree