nail polish + sparkle

perfume + sparkle

as a gemologist, I get really excited when I come across everyday items made from gemstones. when I heard dkny made a perfume bottle with precious gemstones I was very intrigued. then I saw the price tag--$1m! while I won't be adding this perfume bottle to my collection, it's still fun to admire the photos of all the sparkle. my favorite part is the flawless canary diamond on the cap. designed by martin katz, this perfume bottle is a brilliant marketing campaign for the launch of their new golden delicious fragrance. the bottle will travel around the world and then be auctioned off for charity this coming october in LA.

(photo, The Rich Times)

shout out in the southern eclectic!

a few months ago I posted about an exciting fashion discovery I made while visiting a friend in north carolina...sheridan french! her colorful, well-tailored dresses caught my eye and I knew I had found a real gem! as customary, I also immediately began to think about a necklace to make to pair with the dress :). I decided to create a wood and faceted jade necklace to add a pop of color but not distract from the great pattern. I made the necklace in several different colors--yellow, peach, and purple jade (I have other colors in the works!).

wearing my sheridan french dress with my necklace, kate spade clutch, alexis bittar cocktail ring, kate spade shoes

I also started following Sheridan's blog, The Southern Eclectic, and became totally obsessed with her design aesthetic and charming personality. she blogs about her love for interior design, her family, her lifestyle, and her overall fashion sense. my favorite section of the blog is "How I Wore It", where Sheridan mixes and matches fabulous clothing and accessories. I am so thrilled that my wood and jade piece has been featured in her most recent "How I Wore It" post!

here's Sheridan wearing my necklace!:

(photo, The Southern Eclectic)

check out the rest of her post (p.s. how adorable are her children?!): http://sheridanfrench.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-i-wore-it-playing-dress-up.html

my necklace can be purchased at my online store, http://www.katiebartels.com/purchase/

(wood and jade necklace, $140)

beach bliss

airport style

culinary adventures in the hamptons

as the hamptons portion of my vacation comes to an end, I've been reflecting on some of the wonderful seafood I have consumed (I'm going to go through such withdrawal when I return to manhattan...).

lunch in amagansett wins for the best salmon of the trip. I definitely had to go twice and wish I could bring some back with me, but alas.

we also had a great lunch at clam bar on the montauk highway. the corn on the cob, tuna fritters, and fried scallops were definite winners. and the atmosphere is great: complete with the table umbrellas matching the bold red and yellow ketchup and mustard bottles (very roadside food stand chic). this place wins for best classic beach town atmosphere.

meeting house in amagansett wins for best scallops. how can you top pan roasted scallops with polenta croutons, corn relish, and truffle vinaigrette?!

the best coffee goes to jack's stir brew. I am a huge coffee snob and the ambiance of a coffee shop is very important to me, even if I am only in the shop for 5 minutes ordering. jack's not only had excellent (and strong!) coffee, but the shop was also adorable and the staff was great (a nice change from starbucks in manhattan!). also, the mexican chocolate almonds are not to be missed--I stocked up before I left!

and last but certainly not least, best ice cream goes to scoops du jour in east hampton! I first went here over memorial day weekend and fell in love. I had to come back during this trip and have the health bar crunch again.

next up: adventures in nantucket!

wood necklaces + seafood

sparkle + sand

greetings from amagansett! I'm currently on the first part of my week and a half beach vacation (I head to nantucket later in the week), which is a welcome change of pace from manhattan. my plans for the next week and a half include: sand, sun, seafood, and sparkle! I am very excited to explore new restaurants and shops bc I always find the best accessories while traveling. I will post photos of exciting discoveries!

the best discovery of the trip so far is Lobster Roll, a great seafood restaurant in amagansett. the lobster mac and cheese and popcorn shrimp are not to be missed.

I have also been hard at work brainstorming and sketching my summer 2012 collection--this is the perfect setting to work on my ideas!

nail polish + sparkle

clothing + sparkle

one of my favorite things to do is pick a neighborhood in manhattan or brooklyn and just spend time exploring. I often make great restaurant/store discoveries during these trips and a recent trip to williamsburg was no exception. I came across a lovely boutique called Meg (http://www.megshops.com/) after wandering around the waterfront. the boutique is owned by a woman named Meg, who designs and hand makes ALL of the items in the store! I instantly fell in love her pieces, especially because they are handmade. here is the outfit I put together with my new Meg dress:

necklace: my design; dress: Meg; cuff: R.J. Graziano; clutch: Stephanie Johnson; shoes: Manolo Blahnik

august birthstone: peridot

peridot, an olive green gemstone, is the traditional august birthstone. "peridot" comes from the arabic word "faridat", meaning gem. egyptian priests used to drink from cups made of peridot to bring them closer to the goddess of nature, isis. peridot is also believed to symbolize vitality.

the best quality peridot is mined in myanmar. recently, peridot deposits have been found in pakistan. and peridot can also be found in lava or meteorites (some black sand beaches contain peridot deposits--so much better than searching for seashells!).

the color of peridot is also a very popular these days and is featured in the fall 2011 chanel nail polish collection

sneak peek: peridot will be featured in my spring 2012 collection!