And the Social Season is....Underway

September is for children going back to school, warm weather not turning fast enough, a bit of fall fashion and the startup of the fundraisers and charity events. We caught the Patron Party for Art for the Bridge, to benefit the Bridge Breast Network, and our friend Priscilla (also event founder) and her glam shoes (just click the heels and bet you won't be in Kansas anymore!). Alysa was my date and we had a fun evening for a great cause!

An Amazing New Collection from Cathy Waterman...

New Designer: Emily Armenta....

Summer is Officially O.V.E.R.....

I had just buckled my seatbelt for the flight home, when this reminder popped up. To everyone everywhere, wishing you a great school year!

10 Reasons Why I'm High on Whistler....

Top Ten: The 2X2 baby burgers at Araxi are divine; the Olympic fever is heating up; we love the inukshuk (Olympic emblem); you can hike on a glacier in summer; there is a perfect cappuccino around every corner; there is a swell Starbucks; the ski-lifts are amazing; the weather is divine; the homemade ice cream made tableside with liquid nitrogen and Madagascar vanilla beans at The Bearfoot Bistro is killer; and the beauty all around makes you grateful to be with family, even in the pouring rain.....

Up and Down in Whistler.....

Everyone got out of their comfort zones (except me): Jake (Biker Boy) was startled when he came down the mountain, to see others jumping over him; Alysa & Charles went ziplining at 70 mph and 500 feet over the rain forest, and Jake & I flew on a sea plane to Vancouver, conquering his fears of flying small planes. The glaciers, were amazing. (Please note that the pics of Alysa & Jake are an exception to my blog, as I was not there to take them).

Beary-Berry-Nice.....

The absolute highlight of our trip was a bear tour where we scored 9 sightings, including this mother and cubs. Our guide, Geoff, educated us about bear food (including these berries which we tasted), bear habits, and even a few named critters (stay away from the young males with the tags which indicate they have gotten into trouble). You will want to ask for Geoff or Mike, as they will be relentless in driving up and down both mountains to search for bears. And if trout fishing is your thing, Geoff can guide you through that too.

Farmer's Market Treats....

Alysa & Jake voted for the berry lemonade and kettle corn -- made the old fashioned way.

Whistler Farmer's Market

Every Sunday Morning in the Upper Village of Whistler, there is the most incredible Farmer's Market. I was soooo sorry that our buying was limited to non-perishables, since the fruits and veggies were amazing. The Farmer's Market rule is that nothing can be sold that is not home grown or home made. That being said, check out a few winners in the "I can pack this in my suitcase" category: Maison Cote, which has a deep selection of spices and herbal mixes (we snagged bags of the herbes de Provence, a family favorite); The Whistler Board & Block Company (my family said no, no, no but I said yes, yes, yes, on the greatest maple cutting board); and flavored nuts from Dvorak (garlic almonds, Canadian maple almonds, honey roasted cashews & citrus almonds) -- all sampled by our family and even brought back for our staff.

On Vacation in Whistler....

While watching the truly exciting Summer Olympics in Bejing, we took the family to the site of the Winter 2010 Olympics: Whistler, British Columbia, and the first thing I noticed were the flowers. Everywhere. They were amazing, and the town is so charming. Signs of Olympic fever were everywhere, and the building activity was in full swing. Will we go? I think with the prices we were quoted, not. But we will be watching every event, and remembering what each venue looked like this lovely summer.

Our Newest Designer: Lena Skadegard

My Friend Jenny.....

My friend Jenny has an amazing gift of bringing together the most interesting women...this time for a luncheon for no reason at all (maybe it was just pity on whomever was in town for the 106 degree heat?). Included were her mom; my favorite radiologist; an author of a new book on cancer (Does anyone have an Oprah connection? This one is a winner); an event planner; my friend who is chairing a major charity event; a friend who had a wealth of info on meditation, the head of consumer relations for a major company, and then there was Jenny, weaving us all together for what turned out to be a 3 hour lunch. 9 of us at Mercury Grill, and the table decor was divine. Executive Chef Chris Ward is extraordinary...and while I usually pass on desserts, I talked Jenny's mom into ordering the chocolate (left) so that I could taste it, while I ate every bite of the most amazing coconut souffle which is still lingering in my mind. Thanks, Jenny. It was really special.

My Baby Duck Blogger: Alysa Teichman

OK, forgive me for mentioning it, but I am proud of my baby duck Alysa and her blog entries when she interned this summer in New York for W Magazine, a favorite of ours. PS. Great boots, by the way....(and no, Alysa, you do not get a pair).....

Lucifer Vir Honestus & Sydney Evan....New!

I'm back, and am loving what has arrived in the store: stacks of Sydney Evan bracelets in new colors, and the most amazing shipment from Milan from Lucifer Vir Honestus, all one of a kinds in 18 karat rose gold, as only Luna can do it.

Time to Fly Away Home.....

Yes, it's time put New York in my rearview mirror and do a little selling to go with all the buying.

Two Wild and Crazy Guys in a New York Moment...

Even when hailing a cab, our oldest and dearest friends live New York to the fullest. Our trip would not be complete without their style, balance (or imbalance, whichever way you look at it), and their sometimes total disregard for the perils of NY traffic....

Ten Thousand Things Visit....

The absolute highlight of any trip to New York is visiting Ron and David at Ten Thousand Things. There is no greater lover of fine shoes than Ron, and I have to believe he must have considered several possibilities before our visit. The gold Converse lace-ups were a fine choice, but I also had to see the runner-up -- these Thom Browne wing tips. Niiiiiiice!!! PS. Just had to grab a stack of their new tiny wave stack rings with diamonds which are just amazing and a preview of their new work which will be presented at their personal appearance & trunk show October 2 & 3.

Viand Coffee Shop to Start Our Day....

Viand is an unassuming coffee shop (which some call a hole in the wall) at Madison and 61st, with great staff and a tasty breakfast with reasonable prices. Unlike most of the New York coffee shops, it has a strong cappuccino, and you can order a bit off the menu (my $7.65 omelet had real basil leaves). This morning was full of bicyclists, but the last time we visited, we were startled to see a line of black SUV's pull up and Mayor Bloomberg himself stroll in, obviously a regular. Highly recommended to start the day, when you need your caffeine to be real.

Tourists and Friends in New York...

Last week we attended the fall and holiday buying shows in New York and were knocked over by the new designers we discovered (stay tuned!). Alysa attended the show with us Sunday, and you know the story about the worker in the chocolate shop who was eating the inventory? That's our Alysa....buy some for the store and "don't forget me...I'm your greatest model". She has great taste and we are happy to say that you will see her influences in Fall. We were so happy to see our friend Cynthia O'Connor (shown with Alysa), who owns one of the powerhouse showrooms in New York and Los Angeles (she helped launch major collections including Me & Ro, Kate Spade, and many others, and were so happy to breakfast with our friend Rachel Barnett, another industry powerhouse. And that friendly driver? Just shuttling another busload of tourists; the city was swarming with them. Just another day at the New York zoo.

Balthazar: The Best Fries in New York....

We were in New York for a buying trip, and found our hungry selves in Balthazar's neighborhood. Hands down (or up), there are no fries like Balthazar fries: crispy and perfectly flavored, and served French style in wrapped paper. Can you believe we resisted? Yep, those fries which flew by our table were for some other "perfect fry aficionado". When you are in Soho, be sure and check out Balthazar, and if you can't score a table, the take-out next door (shown) is the next best thing, bench included