Ferragamo Varina Flat

Salvatore Ferragamo's varina flats are bright and cheerful. I like wearing flats despite my height and can't get enough color. The Matters of Style ladies so kindly announced that Belk was having a sale on varinas to expunge their Ferragamo inventory. Then Alice from Summer is a Verb posted about her newly attained navy varinas.

All of this varina news was too much too bear...I called Belk and they had a size 6 in pink. This was the only remedy for my varina envy. These shoes are cut narrow...so if you have wider feet I would go a half size up.

Special thanks to Alice for constantly alerting me to items I didn't even know I needed. Hopefully JCW doesn't get wind of my lack of self restraint and pull a babe and bust me!

Philadelphia III

After breakfast we went to the Liberty Bell. This bell was rung on July 8, 1976 to call the citizens of Philadelphia together for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Sometimes I step back a take a moment when I see an American flag being blown by the wind.

The Assembly Room was where the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were signed. The mantel was the only thing in the room that was original.

EAS & JCW in front of Independence Hall.

We couldn't head home without a cheese steak...Jim's Steaks it was.

The line was out the door.

I decided to walk around South Street while JCW held our place in line. I met some Mummers. The Mummers Parade has been a New Year's Day tradition in Philadelphia since the 17th century.

After investing so much time in line...the food is going to taste that much better.

I am superstitious so I made sure we had black-eyed peas later that night.

Special thanks to JCW for a fun filled weekend and here's to another wonderful year! xx

Philadelphia II

It was wonderful waking up in a new decade.

I had an early morning date with the treadmill.

After my run I went upstairs to check out the court tennis.

Court tennis is completely different from lawn tennis. The court is a lot more complicated and you play with different balls and racquets.

You can score a point by hitting a ball into the grille. The grille is the box in the upper right hand corner...it is equip with a bell so the point is not up for discussion.

Butter mints are the kings of all mints.

I had to poke around in all the rooms.

When it came to the club logo...I thought the one in the rugs was the most clever.

The red room was the main sitting area off the foyer.

We packed it up and hit the streets.

A friend of JCW's recommended Honey's Sit 'n Eat. We were very pleased with the food and service.

The eggs benidict were served on challah toast...which gave them the right amount of sweet and savoury.

JCW opted for the breakfast bomb...it was a gaint pancake filled with eggs, cheese, and sausage.

Philadelphia I

We went to Philadelphia for New Years and stayed at The Racquet Club of Philadelphia.

After checking in we headed to Good Dog for lunch.

I got the goat cheese & beet salad and JCW ordered the Good Dog burger. The burger was stuffed with roquefort cheese.

After lunch we decided to explore the club.

First stop...the squash courts.

The logo was on everything.

The pub/beer on tap was located between courts.

Wooden shelves filled with members mugs lined the walls.

It's hard to image playing with a wooden racquet...it's also hard to imagine how many broke against the walls.

Second stop...the pool.

The pool is on the third floor of the club...which was unheard of during the time it was built.

A rather pleasant man gave me a tour of the men's locker room...he made sure the coast was clear first. During the tour I learned that some scenes from the movie Philadelphia were filmed at the club...one in particular was the steam room scene.

There is nothing like fresh white hotel robes.

The club doesn't use lockers. You call ahead and they place your laundered clothes in one of these dressing rooms.

The gear and clothing is stored in numbered boxes and pulled per your request.

Members don't have to go far for a hair cut or shave.

There was some time to relax before we needed to be ready for NYE dinner.

We had dinner at The Prime Rib.

JCW ordered the prime rib. It was a lot to eat...even for him.

Happy 2010!

Nantucket Red

The Nantucket Red is a delightful cocktail made with champagne, cranberry juice, and framboise. It's the perfect refreshment for a holiday toast, a Valentine's dinner, or a summer soiree. When it comes to drinking champagne I can always find something to celebrate!

Big Window Challenge

Eddie Ross designed a window in Bloomingdale’s Big Window Challenge for Elle Decor. The two other windows in the contest were created by Apartment Therapy, and Bloomingdale's. The windows are currently on display at Bloomingdale's flagship store in NYC.

Photos by Addie Juell & Kristy May

The designers were asked to design the rooms for a specific person. This element of the competition created compelling stories that painted a picture of someone's life. After reading about Eddie Ross and Elle Decor's media mogul and mother of two the room really came to life. Not only did I want to meet her, but I understood more about the design of the room.

I have already cast my vote several times for the very talented Eddie Ross. You have until January 28th to vote and you may vote up to two times a day. You may login and vote online or text 1 (for Eddie Ross) to 89800.

Special thanks to Eddie & Jaithan for always inspiring me. My fingers are crossed that your window wins the challenge!