the world according to sherimaven

We interrupt our regularly scheduled post as I move my office today...moving
to the other side of the building- movement is good, as is change. Maven
will return on Monday with the usual muses, thoughts, and visual delights.

See ya next week, darlings. Have a lovely weekend. XO

Hi, Thursday. Closing in on the weekend- nice.

So this bag. The Lanvin Happy bag. In pony printed Leopard. At the not so
happy price of $2500. I can't deal. And I can't find words to describe my
love for this bag so I am posting the lyrics to an old Troggs (of Wild Thing
fame) song, which sums up my feelings for said bag of joy. Sometimes a good
bag leaves me speechless and slightly in pain. Merci beaucoup, Troggs, for
saying it for me.

I want you, I said, I want you
I can't stand it alone on my own
I want you

I need you, I said, I need you
And I hope that you need me too
I want you

I want you, I said, I want you
I can't stand it alone on my own
I want you

I need you, I said, I need you
And I hope that you need me too
I want you, oh

And that's what's up this besotted Thursday in the MIA. XO

Hi, gang. Happy Wednesday. I'm listening to the Stevie Wonder channel on
Pandora and feeling wistful.

So Facebook in all of its infinite networky wisdom recommended I become a
fan of a shop called Pollyana, based in the UK. When I went to their
website, I decided that if I ever go back to the UK, this may very well be
my first stop, empty suitcase in hand. The store rocks, the website is way,
way cool, and I saw a pair of YSL boots on sale for under USD$200 on there
yesterday. Sold out of course, but still....buying a pair of YSL boots for
that cheap had me thinking this store was living up to its name- Pollyana of
children's literature- she of unbridled optimism and joy.

I love the marketing on the site, and love the rocker chic vibe (Brits do
that better than anyone) of the items in the store. All the greats are
there- YSL, Rick Owens, Lanvin. You name it. But there's some more emerging
types too. The store is owned by Rita Britton, who recalls "ringing up Ossie
Clark" back in 1967 when she realized her "days at the local paper mill were
numbered". A great fashion success story, I would say- wherein girl escapes
the drudgery of factory life to secure a place in the avante garde retail
pantheon. I love a success story, especially when it's as chic as this one.

Enough of my yammering, go see for yourself. It's too good to miss.

http://www.pollyanna.com

And that's what's up this super shoppy hump day in the MIA. Maybe a little
retail therapy will help you get over that there hump...(and I love how
Smoky Robinson's "Second that Emotion" just came on. It's confirmed that you
should shop today).

XO

Oh Tuesday, what do you have in store for us? Hopefully all good things.

So I tried to dry my hair and watch the "Today" show at the same time today,
thus the ponytail. More important than my frizzed out follicles was the
announcement of Vanity Fair's Best Dressed list, brought to us by a rather
reedy (or muscular- hard to tell on skinny people sometimes) Amy Fine
Collins as presented to Matt Lauer. Nothing new to report- usual people
there with the expected Gaga addition. Sigh. BORING.

I went online and perused the list- everyone you would expect was there- the
rich and famous who have every designer and hair and makeup teams at their
disposal- most of the people on the list probably work with a stylist too. I
was curious as to why some bloggers (Sea of Shoes chick, Tavi, Garance Dore,
etc.) didn't make the list as they are influencing fashion big time or some
more eclectic types. Yes Hope Atherton was there, but everyone else pretty
expected.

Except for the square peg known as the Countess of Alba, she of Spanish
royal lineage. I have never glimpsed this "creature" before, but apparently
she is as blueblood as they come, used to have affairs with flamenco
dancers, and is a heavy supporter of the fashion industry. Not sure really
how she made the cut, but she looks fun, no? If not slightly mad. (All the
fun ones are PS).

She is the really the only one besides Gaga on this list that really just
goes for it, whatever "it" may be. I kind of love her. I incessantly googled
her and hoped to find her looking chic, but she looks very much like a Boca
bubby in most shots, if your bubby never went to the hairdresser again. True
she is as old as the hills, but she sticks out on a list that is
predominantly safe in terms of fashion trailblazers. I guess if we're
talking about true style, well she sure has that. Bless her aristocratic
heart.

Check out the list for yourselves- was not terribly exciting, but always fun
to look at.

http://www.vanityfair.com/style/features/2010/09/the-international-best-dres
sed-list-slide-show-201009#slide=27

Hi, gang. Monday is here and I'm feeling motivated from a weekend of rest
and relaxation. Husband had a work outing on Saturday from am to late pm so
I had time to work out, shop a bit, cook, and READ. I haven't read a book in
a long while but had the time so committed to one I was jumping out of my
skin to read. I was beyond excited to read Bret Easton Ellis's sequel to "Less Than Zero",
"Imperial Bedrooms" (the title once again taken from an Elvis Costello
album). As you know, my love for LTZ and Ellis in general knows no bounds-
the alienation and conspicuous consumption and knock you in the head pop
culture references he excels at have always had me craving more. Until this
book.

There's always a danger in writing a sequel, especially to a book that was
so much more than zero. "Less Than" was a perfect book for the time in which
it was written- and reading it in my teens was a powerful experience as I
went through my own period of isolation, loneliness, and slight nihilism.
The alienation of LA, the often unglamorous portrayal of glamorous lives,
and the music references made this book my generation's "Catcher in the Rye"
in many ways. But times have changed and here's why the sequel didn't cut it
for me, although I did enjoy Ellis indulging us in a bit of the noir.

The book begins with a classic Ellisian line: "They made a movie about us."
Boom, I'm in. We're in on the joke- and Ellis is taking a jab at the movie
of the book, which was a brat packy wet dream- Jami Gertz, Andrew McCarthy,
James Spader, an awesomely awesome Robert Downey Jr. playing his fucked up
self. We are now back in LA with Clay, where he is now in his 40s and a
successful screenwriter. I will admit that Ellis's visual references are
spot on- one can picture Clay's bachelor lair in Hollywood, the details are
fantastic as is his always beautiful prose on LA and its incredible scenery-
still serves as an amazing backdrop to this work. But in terms of
characters, we get to see where Trent, Blair, Rip, and Julian all are now-
and it ain't pretty. Ellis's characters have always been vapid, shallow, and
empty, but in this book they almost don't exist in any kind of humanity. At
least there's a plot to follow.

I realize we're not supposed to like these characters, but I was rooting for
Clay in the original book, and this time he's a simply vial human being. I
don't know if Ellis's point is that LA and the "business" is so toxic as to
turn people into human devils, but I had a hard time feeling at all
sympathetic for anyone's plight in this book, but maybe that's the point.

In typical Ellis "American Psycho" form, we get brutality- over the top
violence and sexual deviance. When "Psycho" was written, the book was beyond
shocking and very troubling. Or maybe again I was much younger when I read
it and its graphic depiction of violence was disturbing, yet I still found
it to be an amazing tour de force of indifference, greed, and the corruption
of the MTV generation.

So as I write this, I'm wondering if "Imperial Bedrooms" really sucks, or if
it's just me that is older and wiser reading it. The characters in the book
are as empty as ever- they have not grown at all but just get more money and
more arrogant. I would have liked to see somebody turn out ok, and tackling
middle age with themes that we all encounter- wrinkles, having children and
being parents, marriage. There is no deep investigation of any of these
themes, rather the characters seem to be in some sort of arrested
development. And then I realize why reading it is such a drag. Because I've
changed so much and grown so much as I approach that age, it's hard to
imagine that these people have not grown up at all, not even a little. It
just doesn't ring true to me. I also missed some of the musical references
he almost always employed in other books, for instance I found it hard to
believe that Clay, as "cool as he is, would not listen to Arcade Fire or
even the Killers- he could have reeled in some new readers with some updated
references. (And I couldn't stop thinking of the Talking Heads classic 'Once
in a Lifetime' while I read this...'same as it ever was...same as it ever
was'}

To me, the book just felt lazy. Like an afterthought. But most of all, it
felt like Ellis wrote the sequel as a way to cash in on a celluloid sequel
to the original. I almost feel like the book would be more interesting as a
movie, especially with the now hyper successful Downey as Julian. Recasting
all the original players would be genius- and I think Ellis is very aware of
how marketable this book is as a screenplay, so why try so hard with the
book when a huge payout awaits?

I wanted so much to love this short little tome (about 160 pages), but
couldn't. As someone who is very Generation X, I could not at all identify
with these sleazy characters at all, as I did back in the day with the
original. Maybe it's Ellis who needs to get out of his insular LA microcosm
and explore some other themes, so that his characters can develop too, and
he too, can develop as the brilliant writer I know he is. Or maybe I should
just except that the things I loved as a teen may not hold the same weight
now, and I can no longer relate to this level of apathy. I say skip this
book and go see the movie, which will surely come out. No doubt in my mind.
Looking forward to it, as I bet Ellis is, even though he takes more than a
few jabs at the original film.

And that's what's up this bookish and sequeled Monday in the MIA. Enjoy your
day. XO

Yo, Friday. Nice to see ya.

I wasn't going to post today because I got some sad news about a business
acquaintance yesterday. I'm not going to go into details, but I have been
feeling super confused and frustrated since I heard about her. Life is
beyond hard- it can be brutal and scary, especially in a city like New York.
I remember thinking many times how I wasn't going to make it, and the only
thing that saved me were my friends. The importance of having people around
you that you can feel vulnerable around can't be underestimated. I think we
tend to internalize things- a lot of us are "fixers" and don't want to
bother other people with our problems- we're more the listeners when our
friends break up with their beaus, when they vent about work, or when their
mother is driving them crazy.

But once in a while, we all need a hand. It's very brave to share your
issues with people who care about you- family or friends. To show
vulnerability is not a weakness, it's a soft side of us that is beautifully
human and alive. You simply can't be a person on this Earth without
acknowledging how tough it is to be here sometimes.

I have talked about how Facebook and blogging and all of those things allow
us to serve up an edited view of our worlds- we show what we want to show.
It is of course easier to talk about what you ate for dinner than talking
about how stressful your life is. Maybe it's more important to have 1 or 2
great friends in your life than it is to have 1000 Facebook friends. Because
even though you're sharing on a grand scale, when you're hurting it's
private and only meant for a select few who are there to help you carry the
load.

I wasn't even going to post today to honor this acquaintance of mine- it
certainly didn't feel right posting about shoes or clothes or quaint
restaurants. But I chose to because I phoned a friend and chatted with her
about this huge loss and after about half an hour puzzling over this
tragedy, we ended up laughing about shows on Bravo and how cab drivers in
New York refuse to turn on the air, even in 95 degree heat. I needed someone
to help me come out of my sadness, and she was there for me. For this I am
grateful.

My point of this post? Never ever think you have to solve everything alone.
You are all beautiful and special and should not be afraid to talk to
someone you love about what's on your mind. Don't worry about judgment or
perception- we all want to help the people we adore. Even with all of this
social media and constant "connecting", we can still feel so very alone. So
be a bit analog and pick up the phone or meet for a coffee or a margarita or
a grilled cheese and talk to someone. There simply is no substitute for
that.

Much love to you all- that's what's up this pensive Friday in the MIA. XO

I was reading Oprah mag this morning as I was waking up (guilty pleasure)
and saw this great look on Nora Ariffin, VP of Halstead Property. Clearly
this is a powerful woman taking the boho look to the workplace. Note the flow
of the pieces mixed in with a classic aesthetic. Top is Donna Karan New
York, skirt is Jones New York, and boots are Max Mara. Really love seeing
how this look can translate to office life in such a pretty and confident
way. Lovely.

XO

Happy Thursday, you lovely people.

Sometimes we all need a change. The amount of things you want to change can
be really overwhelming, but I say start small and the other things may come.
Maybe you start with your hair, or moving your bedroom furniture into a new
spot, or learning how to tango. It could be anything really, but I do
believe if you start taking baby steps, the big changes you want to manifest
will come organically. You can't change everything at once nor does real
change happen overnight- but start with the small stuff and you'll be
surprised how the other stuff falls into place. And making little changes
helps you realize how alive you really are, and preps you for all the new
things coming your way.

For example, I started keeping this blog and rediscovered my love of
writing- I made a promise to myself to post five days a week and be super
dedicated to it. I started the blog not at all thinking how I could profit
from it or where it could take me. Now I see that doing something for the
sheer love of it will get you very far along the path to change.

That's my thought for this here day. It's not easy to make real changes, but
it's worth it. You don't have to do something radical either- do something
that feels good to you and good things will surely come. And that's what's
up this hopeful Thursday in the MIA. XO

Hi, Wednesday. Nice to see you...looking sexy.

By now you know I am a bit of a fashion schizophrenic- I am influenced by
many different styles and icons and experiences. I call it "Sybil Chic".

The last week or so I have been frantic for classic American sportswear and
a sort of preppy Valhalla aesthetic. But today it all changes. Today I want
to celebrate that arbiter and matriarch of gypset chic, the one and only
Stevie Nicks.

Not sure if there was a bigger American band than Fleetwood Mac back in the
day- you really couldn't walk two steps without hearing a track off of
Rumours when I was but a wee lass. Fleetwood Mac- they of the turbulent,
sordid, hazy, druggy, sexy Seventies. Now their music is more often played
on "lite" FM but no matter. At the time, they were killing it and were the
epitome of California 70s style. (If you ever go into Planet Blue in LA,
Stevie's influence is all over that store. It's one of the reasons it's a
must stop whenever I'm in the 310, much to my checking account's chagrin.
That and their insane collection of tee shirts...)

Stevie Nicks, before the bloat and the coke and the weird witchy thing, was
super duper hot. Looking through these photos is proof positive of that. I
love the hair, the peasantish and diaphanous fashion, the high heels. I have
a bit of the Nicks inside of me- have always been drawn to hippie clothes-
they suit my need for flow and comfort and relaxed chic. It's not a look for
everyone, it's very Bohemian and not at all office friendly if you are in a
game that is not terribly creative focused. But it has always been
flattering on me and I am most at home in a flowy frock, which I usually
rock with some heels for drinks or dinner just to keep things from reading
too much like I just left a pottery class with an IPodful of Janis Ian.

Behold the magic of Stevie in these gorgeous photos. I so adore her style-
maybe one piece of it may be enough for you- rocking a breezy top with
stovepipe trousers and some stilettos may be all you need. I love that she
always managed to look California sexy without looking cheap. And her and
Lindsey Buckingham were a scorching couple. So enjoy the visual Stevie
compendium I've posted here, and hopefully you'll be inspired to channel
your pretty inner gypsy. Just don't mix it with preppy- the result could be
lethal.

And that's what's up this gold dusted Wednesday in the 305. Have a lovely
day. XO

(PS- found these amazing photos on http://blog.hippiecouture.com/- awesome
site for all things hippie chic).

Hi y'all. It's Tuesday. And you should all say good morning to everyone in
your path today and here's why:

I work in an office where people say good morning to each other. I love this
about my office. It starts with the front door, where we are all greeted by
an amazing woman who says good morning to each and every one of us. It's a
nice thing to do and a great way to start the day. Regardless of what's
happening in your over zealous or multitasking brain, take a moment to say
good morning to people in your trajectory- whether a coworker or Starbucks
employee or maintenance man. It sort of sets the tone for the day-so why not
spread around some warmth and good vibes before the coffee kicks in?

Makes sense to me. I know I need some warmth and good vibes in my life. (And
so do you, PS). Of this, I am certain.

And if you say "good morning" to enough people (and mean it), maybe it will
actually be so. After all, today may very well be THE day, so why not start
off wishing it and everyone well? That is all, and a very good morning to
each and every one.

XO