Fabulous Fridays: A Tribute To Friendship, Cleopatra and SATC2

Last night I attended the premiere of Sex and the City 2 at New York's famous Ziegfeld Theater.

I'm not going to delve into a full out review, I'll save that for others. But I will say that the movie was FABULOUS!!!! You'll laugh your asses off and leave with a smile. In between all the humor and the guilty pleasures, the movie did address several modern day topics like couples who are childless, the importance of intimacy in a marriage, rearing children and working under a tyrant troll boss. Of course, the movie was full of fierce fashions and the strong bond of the dynamic foursome. That's the premise of Sex and The City, the brilliance of friendship and how each day our friends step up and show us what's possible.

Part of the joy of going to see the movie is getting dressed up in something fabulous and getting your girlfriends together. Tina of The Occasional Cook, Stacy of Taffeta Darlings, Alyssa, myself and a few others had an extra reason to be dazzled with the movie. Our shining star of the evening, our friend, the amazing Miss Wendy Brandes has one of her truly unique and beautiful pieces of jewelry in the movie. Samantha (Kim Cattrall) wears the dramatic gold and diamond Cleopatra earrings from Wendy's own jewelry line. During the scene when the earrings made their film debut, we all burst with pride for our friend and applauded. After all, for a designer it doesn't get better than having it appear in SATC. It's like having a line on Broadway.

We celebrated while drinking some Prosecco while Wendy lent each of her friends a pair of Cleopatra earrings of our own to wear during the movie. We were on our way for some fun!

I really loved the movie. I laughed the entire time. For me, the best part of the movie clearly was looking around and seeing my friends wearing the Cleopatra necklaces and earrings along with Miss Samantha. It just made the whole movie night feel more special. And obviously the worst part of the night was giving the earrings back. I mean, on hold.

Stacy, me and Wendy wearing the Cleopatra earrings last night at the premiere of SATC2.

Stacy and Wendy getting ready for their close-up.

The whole beautiful gang. Can you see the earrings on everyone?

If you want to take home a little bit of the movie, you will certainly enjoy Samantha's earrings. These shoulder-grazing beauties are truly very lovely and they certainly did look fabulous on everyone last night. Short or long hair, these earrings made everyone feel and look simply spectacular. Click here for the gold pair and here for the silver pair.

Samantha wearing Wendy's Cleopatra earrings

Here's a close up of the gold Cleopatra earrings...

...and the silver version.

I had a such a blast last night basking in the brilliance of my friendships, both new and old. Hope you have a happy and safe weekend. Anyone make any special plans? If your plans include SATC2, make sure look for Samantha wearing Wendy's earrings.

Wishing You A Very Stress-less Holiday Season

I made a slight dent on my holiday shopping. Of course, I'm kicking myself for not starting earlier. The holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of year. Yeah, right! The thought of buying all these gifts stresses me out. But dealing with the hoards of people in midtown Manhattan is downright frightful. Hello!!!! This isn’t the mall. There is no reason to walk five across. It’s a working sidewalk and I have things to do. I was body slammed countless times this afternoon. Isn’t this the season of joy and peace? Where’s the spirit?

Here are some common sense tips for giving you a little relief from the holiday stress and hopefully even give you a lift this season:

Shop online: Shopping with a cup of coffee in your comfy pajamas right from home is always a plus. In addition to the convenience, you can sometimes get better deals online and you get to avoid the lines and crowds.

Make a list, check it twice: Make a list of everyone you need a gift for and jot down a few gift ideas. Of course family and friends are on it, but don’t forget smaller gifts for people like your babysitter and hairdresser.

Buy yourself something: Yeah, I know the holidays are about giving gifts, but you deserve something special. Go ahead, reward yourself. I bought this plaid shirt from Urban Outfitters to keep my comfort level in check.

Add something sweet smelling : When I was at Saks Fifth Avenue, I applied a dab of Laura Mercier’s ultra-rich Soufflé Body Cream in Creme Bruleée to my hands. As the afternoon wore on, I would take a whiff and instantly felt calmed. I also have dabbed some Buddha Nose to the back of my ear lobes to instantly melt away any stress.

Take some time out for yourself: It may be only 15 minutes, but make sure there is some time in your day for you. I’m talking about reading a great book, taking a bath by candlelight, getting a massage, doing some knitting. The holidays aren’t only about pleasing others, make sure you have enough TLC.

Exercise: The holiday season really throws your whole routine out the window, but make sure you save time for a little bit of exercise. On top of the added energy exercise gives you, it also reduces stress and helps to avoid weight gain.

Meet friends for a night of laughter: It’s simply the best medicine.

Share your feelings: And if all else fails, blogging wonder and jewelry designer Wendy Brandes has something that will really make a statement, the exclusive Wendy Brandes for Francis Swear Rings. Now, if you are experiencing some really rude person, you can really express yourself.

Now relax and enjoy the season. I accept all presents!

Fabulous Fridays: Spooky Jewelry by Wendy Brandes

Just in time for Halloween, and always in style, are a whimsical and eye-catching collection of mummies, bats and skull created by my gorgeous friend, witty blogger and talented jewelry designer, Wendy Brandes. Wendy has some pretty amazing pieces in her collection. I know this because I wore her earrings and necklace the night of my wedding. The entire collection is inspired by Wendy’s influence of fascinating women, whether they lived in the 16th century or the Swinging ‘60s. Her main collection, Vivat Regina, is Latin for “Long Live the Queen.”

Wendy, who has been designing jewelry since 2004, first caught my eye with her far-out lockets and poison rings, her specialty. I love them for the surprise inside.

The Juana Peekaboo Skull Ring has crossbones highlighted in diamonds on the outside and a skull with big white sapphire eyes on the inside. Inspired by Queen Juana "La Loca" of Spain., also know as Joan the Mad. 18K yellow gold. $8,750.

Anyway, I’m talking about Wendy today because she has a really impressive, frightfully beautiful collection of one-of-kind, hand-made pieces that are perfect for Halloween or for a subtle touch on the rock ‘n roll trend.

I know some of you can’t get enough of vampires. You need to check out Wendy’s interpretation of those bloodsuckers.

This upside-down bat has his eyes on you in 18k yellow gold. $815.

This one is in sterling silver. $315.

Here are some other amazing pieces of jewelry from Wendy:

This onyx skull ring is a one-of-a-kind, hand-made 18k ring with large onyx skull at the center, surrounded by pave tsavorites. Diamonds are set on the inside of the ring. Price upon request.

The Matilda sword necklace was designed as a tribute to the strength and determination of Empress Matilda, the rightful heir to the English throne in 1135. The elaborately engraved sword, made of 18K white gold, can be pulled out of its scabbard.

Aren’t these just fabulous?

Wendy just rolled out her newest piece, her new mummy locket in sterling silver. Hello Dearest. The sarcophagus is about 1 1/4″ long and hangs from a 16″ chain in its current incarnation. The mummy itself is finished on both sides and has diamond eyes. So sparkly. It’s chained to the sarcophagus so you won’t lose it. This piece is $500.

She even has spooky pieces for your man. These sterling silver cufflinks appear to be sleeping, but really the eyes will be watching. $515.

You can alway find these incredible beautiful pieces and whole lot more at WendyBrandes.com. Not only will you find yourself wearing a unique piece, but you will have a wonderful history lesson about the person inspiring the work of art to share. Now that's impressive.

And if you’re in New York this weekend you need to visit Wendy (and me) at her sample sale tonight, October 23, from 5 PM to 8 PM, and Saturday, October 24, from 12 PM to 6 PM. It’s being hosted by boconcept, which is at 105 Madison Avenue and 30th Street. Everything will be marked down from 30% to 80% off retail, so bring your friends.

How To Dress With Style, Without Looking Trendy

One of the better benefits of turning the big 4-oh is our new found confidence and sophistication we have rightly earned. Through the trials and tribulations of life, we’ve lived long enough to know what we want and who we are. We’re smart and sassy and want to invest well in ourselves but without having to submit to a fashion trend.

While I want to stay stylish, I definitely don’t feel I have to be fashionable anymore. I want to find clothes that fit, that make me look well put together, but I’m certainly not ready to dress like my mother nor do I want to wear clothes that I have to stuff myself into. And I definitely am not embracing the trends (hello neon, padded shoulders and leggings) that I wore back in high school. I know there are plenty of chic options out there.

I asked style expert and author of Style Rx: Dressing The Body You Have To Create The Body You Want, Bridgette Raes, how women in their 40s can take the trends today and make them suitable for us.

“It’s all in the accents,” Bridgette said. “It’s the best way to go after a trend and how to finish your look.”

Style expert and author Bridgette Raes:

Bridgette said while it is essential to keep the core of your outfit classic, accessories are the key to keeping your look fresh and up-to-date. One of the ways to incorporate fall’s trends into your wardrobe is by adding a little accent piece. For example, a green-hued necklace or cuff bracelet with rock n’ roll flair, a fun, colorful jacket or a pair of nude shoes can easily be added and take a blah look and make it fresh and exciting.

“What I’ve found is women tend to get dressed 75% of the way,” Bridgette said. “Who’s not bored with black pants and a colored top. Don’t forget to add personality and finish it.”

Bridgette refers to this style, or lack of, as a chicken outfit. “Chicken in pot of boiling water is only as good as what you do to it,” she said. “Most women get dressed like a chicken, bland, and don’t add any flavor.”

To avoid this, a woman can add some spice to her look by changing the component she adds to her base outfit. She can wear an interesting shoe, add a pop of color or don unusual jewelry versus wear the uniform of black pant suit and a string of pearls.

“It’s the best way to liven up an outfit and it’s the one place where we don’t have to worry about fit,” Bridgette said.

It is also the one place that’s all about you and adding your personality to the outfit.

“What is great about accessories is they can make an outfit look five different ways, saving you money and what is going to separate you from everyone else,” Bridgette said.

To pick the best accessories, Bridgette said to think about what colors are in your wardrobe and find colors that work with it. When in doubt, the stylist said to go green. “Green is a colored neutral, meaning it goes with every color” she said. Other style solutions to create interest for classic dressing include metallic and nude shoes, leopard prints and fishnet stockings.

The leopard print on these classic ballet flats from Lauren Ralph Lauren adds chic style when wearing either jeans or pants.

I love the tailored shaping of this jacket from Nanette Lepore. Plus the forest green plaid can be worn with jeans and black pants and a great pair of boots.

This whimsical skull necklace with white sapphires by Wendy Brandes adds the right amount of rock 'n roll edginess to any look.

The rich green hue on this leather satchel from Valentino will add interest to all your great classics.

These nude pumps from Kate Spade are so versatile and will look great with any outfit.

“If you’re wearing black pants, go for an interesting shoe,” Bridgette said. “It’s a much more elegant look and can elevate the look of black pants from the cubicle to the corner office.”

One of the key differences to dressing your age is achieving a look that is youthful, but not young. “If she dresses too young, she looks older,” Bridgette said. “If she is wearing a short, tight skirt, leggings or a tight top, she’s going to look older. If you modify the look so it is youthful, you’ll actually look younger.”

At this point in our lives, we have really hit our stride. While there are so many things that are more important than clothing, we still want to look good. We have reached a point where we want to put ourselves front and center, and that shouldn’t be about clothing. We need to emphasize this in our style, and to separate ourselves from our younger sisters. We are women who are seasoned and one of the best ways is by dressing for ourselves. It’s a real confidence booster.

It almost seems silly to worry if something is trendy or to wonder if you’re wearing something right. This is your life and it’s looking good.

More importantly, I think it is wise to invest in really good classic pieces that you can mix and match and build off it.

According to Bridgette, a good classic wardrobe should include the following: A good pair of basic pants in neutral shades, including black, brown, camel, olive and charcoal, a few great blazers, that have some personality, that you can wear as an outerwear piece in the spring and fall and as a jacket in the winter. She also says one good “go to” dress that is basic. It doesn’t necessarily have to be black, but a neutral shade is smart because the look can change easily with an outfit change. She also mentions you should have in your classic closet good basic knit tops that be be worn as layering pieces in basic colors. Other items your closet needs is one good handbag, preferably in a camel shade that can be worn with either black or brown shades, one pair of tall boots that can be worn with skirts or pants, in either black or brown and one good scarf, pashmina in size, that be be worn as a wrap when it’s cold.