Out and About

I'm out seeing the world.

Miss me not, I will be back in 3 weeks.

Wrong wording, please miss me dearly...

Cinderella Syndrome

As you can see, I've worn a lot of shoes in my life...

As a matter of fact, too many shoes.

I'll just go barefoot for a while...

Until I find my glass slipper,

mine and mine only.

Miu Miu Forte Dei Marmi Shop

41 Via Giosuè Carducci,

55042 Forte dei Marmi

LU, Italy

Isn't this Forte Dei Marmi Shop the Cutest Miu Miu Store in the World?

This Miu Miu store is so cute, it feels unreal. But it is, Miu Miu opened up their Forte dei Marmi Store which is in a sea town that is part of northern Tuscany where the wealthy and fabulous—including Andrea Bocelli and Giorgio Armani—keep villas.

The space on Via Carducci was designed by architect Roberto Baciocchi, features women’s collections of ready-to-wear, bags, accessories and footwear. Design elements include interior passages of walls upholstered in damask offset by mirrors and screens. The layout is supposed to be casual yet feminine and elegant. Also, natural features are interspersed with palm and iroko wood. The space spans towards a garden featuring large benches and cushions for a more summery atmosphere.

The opening of the Miu Miu flagship is part of an overall brand strategy to expand and strengthen the luxury brand’s worldwide presence. By the end of this year, Miu Miu plans to open 13 more stores worldwide, with 4 of them set to debut in the Italian market.

Elle Collections

Whether you are revamping your wardrobe for fall, looking for some fresh inspiration or creating a mood board, you would be well advised to pick up an issue of UK Elle Collections. While Elle Collections is worth buying for the cover alone (hundreds of Fall 2010 runway shots have been placed together to create a Missoni-esque rainbow collage), the contents are, of course, the biggest hit.

The issue includes a rundown of fall’s biggest trends, must-have pieces and most notable collections, as well as a series of fashion week photographs by street style photographer Tommy Ton and a color coordinated pull-out of Elle’s favorite looks. The real drawcard: a specially comissioned tribute to late designer Alexander McQueen, designed by artist Rob Ryan.

The UK Elle Collections Autumn/Winter 2010 issue retails for £6 and can be found at most newsstands, as well as at book stores like WH Smith. For those in the USA, Elle Collections can usually be found around one month after the UK release.

Got Milk?

Your mother told you to drink your milk, (you didn’t).

Your doctor encouraged you to take calcium supplements, (you didn’t).

Now what?

"Your body will lay down bone mass until your early 30s, so if you are in your teens or 20s, you have time to reverse the years of inadequate calcium intake and start building stronger bones,” says Nikki Tierney, a registered dietician in private practice in Quincy, Massachusetts. “If you've passed this age, all is not lost. You may have missed the opportunity to build bone mass, but it is never too late to prevent more bone loss.”

Women who are 19 to 50 years old need 1,000 mg of calcium per day;

those 51 or older need 1,200 mg per day.

“You absorb calcium best from food sources, so be sure to include these in your diet,” she says. “The easiest way to get your calcium is to get three servings of milk or yogurt each day. If you are looking to add in a supplement, get something with 500 to 1,000 mg, such as calcium chews.” In addition to dairy, you can get your calcium from the following sources: ½ cup firm tofu (204 mg), 3 oz canned salmon (181 mg), 1 cup pinto beans (103 mg) or 1 cup cooked kale (94 mg).

Mad for Miu Miu

Miuccia Prada launched Miu Miu in 1992 as the visionary sister label to fashion power-house Prada. Since then, the sophisticated yet diverse collections have become one of the hottest runway shows securing a host of A-list devotees from Chloë Sevigny to Nicole Kidman.

Blending classic cuts with avant-garde detailing, the brand's aesthetic is all about eclectic cool. This season look out for embellished mini dresses, playful '60s silhouettes and vibrant patent accessories. Pinafore dresses with plunging U-fronts were worn with bandeaux that exposed the flesh under the breasts; shifts had cutouts at the ribs; and miniskirts flipped up suggestively at the outer thighs. All of this was done in fabrics that had an odd, incongruous solidity.

After all, Miu Miu show wouldn't be called Miu Miu without a little—or a lot of—provocation!

Deeper Friendship:

When we're full of fear and anxiety, we don't get close to each other. We back off from each other. We're afraid of being rejected, manipulated, vulnerable, hurt, or used. All of these fears cause us to disconnect in life.

We're afraid, so we hide. We hide our true selves. We don't let people know what we're really like. We don't let them see the inside of us. Why? Because if we let people know what we're like and they don't like it, we're up a creek without a paddle. Tough luck. Why am I afraid to tell you who I am? Because if I tell you who I am, and you don't like me, I'm in for it. I have no alternative. So we wear masks and we pretend.

Fear does three terrible things to relationships:

1. Fear makes us defensive.
We're afraid to reveal ourselves. We defend ourselves. When people point out our weaknesses, we retaliate and defend ourselves.

2. Fear keeps us distant.
We don't let people get close to us. We want to withdraw, pull back. We want to hide our emotions. We don't want to be open and honest. We become defensive and distant.

3. Fear makes us demanding.
Whenever we're insecure, and the more insecure we are, the more we try to control. So we try to have the last word in a relationship. We try to dominate, control. It's always a symptom of fear and insecurity.

Get your confidence and courage to take the first step in connecting with someone, to go into a deeper intimacy. When you're more courageous in your relationships; you love people, you enjoy being with them.

a Lady in the Making...

If you can keep your head

when all about you

are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

but make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet not look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - but not make dreams your master,

If you can think - but not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two imposters just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build them up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on, when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings, yet not lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything in it.

And, what is more, you’ll be a LADY, my girl!

[inspired by Joseph Rudyard Kipling}

Green Day!

Kermit the Frog once said that it wasn't easy being green. But going green doesn't have to be such a serious affair; a green palette spells fun because it's bright and cheerful yet soothing to the eyes. After all, it's Mother Nature's favorite hue, too.

The most effective way to save the planet is by doing our bit and we can start at home. No need to go monstrous in your efforts and whack your entire savings into a solar power system. But what if it's as simple as saving water? Or surely you can try driving less and taking public transport instead. Or what about next time you go grocery shopping buy locally grown and manufactured products that weren't transported great distances.

The point is all about balance. You do what you can, when you can. If the thought of going green is overwhelming and you don't know where to start, then you may be going about it the wrong way. It's all about the small things that each of us do in our daily lives that counts.

*Remember Me

A romantic drama

set in New York City

during the summer of 2001,

where Tyler,

a rebellious young man,

meets Ally

through a twist of fate.

Love was the last thing on his mind, but her spirit unexpectedly helps him heal after a family tragedy and inspires him. Through their love, he begins to find happiness and meaning in his life; though soon the circumstances that brought them together threaten to tear them apart.

Fate sticks its foot out to trip all the characters in "Remember Me," a grave romantic drama with grandiose thematic intentions. Framed in a portentous manner with a calamitous ending, the modestly scaled film delivers some moving and affecting moments. It is a story about the power of love, the strength of family and the importance of living passionately and treasuring everyday of one's life.

Overall, it's a gently bittersweet and affecting portrait. The scenes between Pattinson and de Ravin exude genuine charm.A piece of art.

McFancy, Eat Drink Chic

Is there a happy median between fast food and fashion? Apparently there is and it's called McFancy.

The people at The Cool Hunter came up with this amazing concept of a temporary luxury McDonald’s eatery that’ll be set up at fashion weeks all over; London, New York, Paris, Milan, Sydney and Hong Kong. "It is part art installation, gathering spot and, of course, a restaurant that offers a traditional McDonald’s menu but packaged in a way that makes a playful yet stylish nod to the lifestyle of the highly desirable, influential consumers that attend Fashion Weeks."

They’ll be serving up things like the Burberry Burger, Chanel Fries and Paul Smith Sundaes; all contained in packages with the designer brand’s trademarks. Burberry with the plaid and Paul Smith with the colorful stripes. Waiters in tuxedos will be serving you with silver service in private dining areas or in one of the chic booths.

Weekend Wonderment.

This weekend is going to be...

D

Wait for it...

Delightful!

Let's Get the Party Started...

Want Some More?

Extended!

Okay, enough dose of stupidity.

Have a fantastic week off, everybody!