Stella and Dot Giveaway!

Stella and Dot's fabulous line of jewelry has been featured in countless magazines and publications including InStyle, Lucky, Elle, The New York Times, and on the Today Show and is a favorite of celebrities and women everywhere. So what makes Stella and Dot special? It's their line of versatile, high-quality (the jewelry is made by the same people who make jewelry for Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Barneys), celebrity-coveted jewelry with many options under $50. They carry everything from bold statement necklaces to glamorous chandelier earrings, to delicate, customizable chains and charms. There is literally something to satiate any fashionista's desire to spruce up her fall wardrobe with a few new accessories.

The Gorgeous Natasha Embroidered Bib Necklace

All of Stella and Dot's embroidered pieces are made by hand at their couture house which also services Lanvin, Prada, Dior, and Jason Wu. Talk about affordable luxury!

The Darling Garden Party Necklace

Debra Messing wears the stunning Delilah Necklace which is made with amazonite, new jade, and glass beads.

Penelope Cruz wears the appropriately-named Penelope necklace.

Ali Landry in the Happy Flower Necklace


The Natasha Bib Necklace is featured in the October 2009 issue of InStyle!

The Happy Flower Necklace was featured in Lucky.


The Giveaway:


La Dolce Vita has partnered with Stella and Dot to give one lucky reader a pair of the gorgeous Garden Party Chandelier Earrings. They happen to be my one of my favorite Stella and Dot pieces. Rachel Zoe can't live without her wide-legged jeans and I can't live without a big pair of gold chandelier earrings! I seriously wear them with everything. Nothing adds a little touch of glamour to even the simplest of outfits like a great piece of jewelry, especially a beautiful pair of earrings like these.

Giveaway Details:

1. To enter the Stella and Dot giveaway, click here to check out their jewelry and leave a comment on this post telling me which piece is your favorite. Be sure to include your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you should win!

2. Leave ONE comment on this post between today and Wednesday, October 7th Midnight, CST. A winner will be announced on Thursday, October 8th.

3. Link to this post on your own blog (include the url in your comment) and receive an extra entry.

4. Twitter about this giveaway with a link to this blog post for another entry (follow La Dolce Vita on twitter in order to show me your tweet).

5. Anonymous entries will be ignored, so please include email with comment. Your e-mail address will never be used for anything other than to notify the winner. Good luck!

Personal Style, Defined: Velvet and Linen

I am thrilled to share Brooke Giannetti’s “Personal Style, Defined” with you today. Not only does Brooke write the beautiful Velvet and Linen blog, she also works as an interior designer. Her soft aesthetic and immense talent have produced some incredible interiors. Brooke and her architect husband, Steve are the proprietors of Giannetti Home. Can you imagine having all of that talent in one family? Be sure to check out one of their most recent projects, 219 North Cliffwood. To say that this house is amazing would be a complete understatement.

When Paloma asked me to do this post I was a little nervous. You see, I tend to design from my gut. Very little thinking goes on (and since I have 3 children there is very little thinking left!). I spent a few week looking at my portfolio and trying to analyze what my design style is.

So, here is what I found:

1. I like to play with scale. The clock face is way too large for this space in my stairhall, but that is what makesthis space interesting. It's unexpected.

2. I love rooms with a lot of natural light. There is nothing better than a room that is illuminated by the sun.

My home in Channel Islands Harbor glows from the natural light that comes through our two story windows.

3. No recessed lighting! If possible I light all of my rooms with chandeliers, sconces and lamps.

4.I re-use antiques in unexpected ways. My friend Stephan who owns Lief antiques here in Los Angeles was a bit horrified when I told him that I was going to use this Gustavian cabinet as a sink base. I think he'll get over it!

 

5. Less is more. Limit the amount of stuff. If I put too many items in a room, I get agitated. I’m better off having a few wonderful objects (like my pewter tub and Swedish chair) to focus on.

6. Use architectural elements to add interest. Our home in Channel Islands Harbor has not architectural details so we added old french shutters as a focal point on the wall.

 

We also turned old doors into our closet.

7. Use slim lined slip covered upholstered pieces. They look fantastic with the antique pieces that I love.

The furniture that we design are inspired by Belgian design, but they also feel very Coastal because we slipcovered them in cream linens.

8. I surround myself with what I love. Steve's paintings just make me happy. I feel the same way with the Claremont fabric pillow that is on the couch.

9. Bring the outside in. When the hydrangea season comes to an end my beauties come inside.

 

These rose trees look fantastic in this space. Yes, I will have to take them outside for a while, but it's worth it.

Instead of using cut flowers, I stopped by my local garden store to pick up some inexpensive annuals.

10. Add texture naturally through baskets and natural fiber rugs. I love our Abaca rug that we used in this space.

11. A limited palette is very serene. Keep the pieces neutral. Add pops of color in pillows and accents.

My vintage turquoise depression glass really makes a statement.

I limit my palette when designing gardens as well. Most of my gardens only use greens, pinks, whites and lavenders.

Thank you Paloma. This was a gift you gave me. I have a much clearer vision of my design style than I had before!

xo

Brooke

Share the Love!

La Dolce Vita was recently nominated for a Divine Caroline "Love this Site" Award in the Style category! I am so excited to be nominated and truth be told, it would be really nice to win in order to spruce things up a bit on the blog. Thank you to those of you who have already voted. The competition is fierce...so many fabulous blogs are nominated. As of right now, La Dolce Vita is in seventh place, so I would really, really appreciate your votes! You all are the best readers a blogger could hope for and I so appreciate your continued support.

In order to vote, you have to register on Divine Caroline first. Don't worry, it's free and they won't flood your inbox with junk. You can vote by clicking on the little button on the upper left corner of La Dolce Vita, or you can simply click here. Thank you!!


Image via Domino

This Week's Quote

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Book Review: Jan Showers' Glamorous Rooms

Jan Showers' stunning new book, Glamorous Rooms is a showcase of the designer's exquisite taste and attention to detail. Showers may venture from style to style, blending French with modern or Hollywood Regency with elegant minimalism, but there is an ever-present factor: glamour. Showers' aesthetic and the rooms she designs are all quite glamorous. They feel decadent and opulent with their mixtures of rich textures and fabrics, gilded finishes, and mirrored surfaces. They are fit for Hollywood royalty, whether of this generation or generations past.

Glamorous Rooms serves as a showcase of the beautiful rooms Showers has designed. The book begins with a foreword by fashion designer, Michael Kors, which I find incredibly appropriate. Ms. Showers designs glamorous rooms and Michael Kors celebrates American glamour through his designs. Kors says of getting to know Showers in the 1980s: "I loved Jan's style, which was particularly American: restrained, smart, and always glamorous."

The foreword is actually quite touching and chronicles the parallels and similarities of the two designers' careers. Later, Kors goes on to say "I make real clothes. Jan creates real environments. We're interested in what people really do, and how they live their lives. Design like Jan's fuses great taste and an expert eye with the reality of life as it is actually lived. That's why people are always so astonished at her glamorous touch- because it's built into designs that are functional and comfortable and fun." I think that best summarizes Showers' work. Despite the level of polish and glamour, the rooms she designs never feel off-putting or off-limits. They are welcoming, gracious spaces that are truly lived in. And what's life without a touch of glamour?

A Glamorous Foyer

This casual living room features more relaxed fabrics, but details, like the venetian mirror add a hint of glamour.

I love the symmetry in this room. It feels so polished and modern. The lamps are just fabulous!

This is my favorite of all the rooms in the new book. I love the deep blue of the walls and the high gloss finish, along with the variety of colors and textures in the room.

Classic Jan Showers Style

Beautiful, Casual, Inviting, and Glamorous

What is more glamorous than a canopy bed lined with citrine silk? This is so decadent and luxurious. I love it!

This room is just so lovely. I love everything from the linens to the tufted lucite bench.

Fabulous Room Friday 09.25.09

This week's Fabulous Room is part of the full floor in downtown Manhattan's Urban Glass House belonging to fashion designer, Jill Stuart and her husband. The entire apartment is featured in the October 2009 issue of Elle Decor, but it was the living area that stood our the most to me. It has such a light, ethereal quality with its clean minimal palette reminiscent of the sky.

The living room features Vica armchairs upholstered in Rogers & Goffigon fabric, a Geisha painting by artist Julian Schnabel (he's originally from Houston), a Gabriella Crespi Table, and FontanaArte floor lamp. The sculpture is by Donald Baechler and the painted milk-glass panel is by Dan Christensen.

A vintage daybed by Poul Kjærholm in the perfect shade of whiskey sits in front of the granite-based fireplace on which Ghada Amer’s Noires hangs.

When I first saw this feature in the magazine, the dining room was my favorite room right off the bat. I think it's because my parents used to have some chairs like these and it reminded me of my childhood. The dining room is just on the other side of the fireplace from the living room and features light fixtures by Carlo Scarpa, a custom-made table, and a painting by Sue Williams.

P.S. Thank you to those of you who have voted for La Dolce Vita for the Divine Caroline "Love This Site" Awards. If you haven't voted yet, please do. I can't tell you how much your support means to me! You can click here to vote or you may click on the button on the upper left corner of the blog. Merci beaucoup!

All images via Elle Decor

Sponsor Spotlight: Tonic Home

Tonic Home is a favorite of design enthusiasts everywhere. The Hunting Valley, Ohio store features an incredible array of furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories that are sure to appeal to a variety of design aesthetics. A sweetheart of the blog world, Tonic Home has achieved its popularity through it's fantastic website which allows you to access the store regardless of your proximity to Ohio. Tonic offers several popular lines including Oly Studio, Worlds Away, House Eclectic, John Robshaw, and Bungalow 5 among many others.


I think that owner, Linda Hayes' enthusiasm and passion for design is quite addictive and truly emanates through her store. She says "Yes, I admit it, I'm an enabler, but only because being a "home-a-holic" is a positive addiction. I dare you to live for now. Jazz up your space with lively home décor." A home-a-holic, don't you just love that? Linda "created Tonic Home out of her captivation with home decorating. Her absorption with finding unique, upbeat, home merchandise, led to the Tonic Home concept. Tonic Home represents the next generation of luxury: the combination of traditional techniques and quality craftsmanship to a fashionable and modern sensibility." The store is filled with unique, fresh, hip, and stylish options. You won't find anything that feels stuffy and almost every item has a hint of glamour, which of course I love. There is something for every taste, so you are certain to find something you will fall in love with.

A Vignette at Tonic Home

The following are a few of my current favorites at Tonic Home:

The Celestial Cloud Garden Stool is featured in the October 2009 issue of House Beautiful.


Worlds Away Studly Buffet
I would love to have this in my dining room!

Madison Antique Mirror Console Table
I love that the table is antiqued. Not only does it look fabulous that way, but it isn't as high maintenance.

Ava Mirrored Buffet in White, also by Worlds Away

Tess Gold Leaf Coffee Table

Nora Round Side Table

Fabulous with lots of storage!

I love the lines of the Alter Bar Cart.

This Pagoda Cabinet is bananas! It would go with so many types of decor despite its Chippendale / Regency roots. The way it is styled here has sort of an Eddie Ross quality, no? So lovely!

An outright, Hollywood Regency look featuring the Pagoda Cabinet. It really is so versatile.

This gorgeous Trelliage Mirror is available in Nickel and Gold Leaf finishes.

The Trapunto Mirror in Mustard is a great alternative to a traditional sunburst mirror.

Lily Pad Mirror as seen in a bedroom by Palmer Weiss

The Grayson Chandelier by Oly Studio is all glam, all the way.

This unique Monogram Chandelier is available with turquoise or coral beading. You can't go wrong with either color. I think it could be a cool addition to a more personal space, such as a child's bedroom or a master bath.

Oly Studio's Isa Chandelier is a favorite of many designers.

This Donna Bed with its monogrammed headboard is so special. It would be so sweet in a child's bedroom as shown here, or romantic in a master bedroom.

These Imperial Trellis Slipper Chairs are currently on sale.

I love the grey used in this Pemberley Rug.

I really like the weathered look and antique quality of these Square Cement Finished Planters. They're a steal at $55 for the pair!

The Zebra Painted Wastebasket and Tissue Holder comes in an array of fun colors.