Penny Luxe | A Luxurious Life

A Little Side Project

by Penny on October 13, 2011

Hiya folks! I wanted to briefly share a little side project that I’ve started on the sly. It started with drawing a tractor for Tate’s room, and evolved into a series of vehicles. I thought I might give selling on Etsy a whirl, and am excited to have a creative side project to work on. My work is creative and my home is creative, how lucky am I?

I have a lot of ideas simmering, but I wanted to test the waters. I am hoping that I can get a modest little business going, but we’ll see how it works out.

I will share more as the project progresses, but for now you can see the few items I’ve put up in my shop.

PS – What are you thinking about the new iPhone? Normally I wouldn’t give it a thought, but it has a virtual assistant! I NEED THAT.

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The 90′s

by Penny on October 7, 2011

I got to thinking about the 90′s earlier in the week, after hearing Tavi Gevinson on Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me over the weekend. Tavi, as you know, is a teen, and thinks the 90′s were oh-so-awesome, much in the way that people from my generation idealized the 80′s (mostly thanks to John Hughes). It’s not as if we were there (or if we were, we were really young), but we felt connected to it nonetheless. Tavi mentioned, understandably, My So Called Life. Which, at nearly 32, I am still in totally love with…I may more may not own the complete series on DVD. I’ve found that girls from my peer group either very much connected with the Angela Chase character or or found her annoying. I was in the former group–I even had the prissy mom, who looked like Patty, and the way cooler BFF (that would be James). I still find the show comforting, even though you’d think it might cause some teen-angst-PTSD. The Christmas show! It makes me cry, every damn time.

I found a box of photos buried high in my closet and dug through to spark my 90′s-era memories. I turned 10 at the end of 1989, so my “formative” years were neatly placed within the decade. In ’92, at age 12, we moved. I was lucky enough to have four years of junior high, as my former town had a middle school (6-8 grade) and my new town had a junior high (7-9). And, of course, we moved right smack in the middle. I still remember, clear as day, walking into school on my first day of the 8th grade. All I could think about was whether I should carry my backpack slung over one shoulder or with both straps.

I’m not one of those people who hold tight to high school. I mostly feel “meh” about it. I skipped my 10 year reunion and have no plans on going to any future gatherings. But, I had a really good high school experience. I suppose it was just a time in my life I’ve moved on from.

Some things that remind me of the decade….

Braces. I had them for 4 years.
Emotional breakdowns in the bathroom while getting ready for school.
The Supers.
Smashing Pumpkins.
CK t-shirts.
Vans.
Contempo Casuals.
The Allman Bros. Band (my first serious boyfriend always listened to southern rock because he went to Vanderbilt).
Football players. Don’t ask me why, but I think I only dated football players the entire decade, from junior high to college. What’s embarrassing? My first ATM pin was a combination of two jersey numbers of ex boyfriends and that number STILL lives in my stand-by password. It’s totally ingrained.
Jessica McClintock. Prom dresses!
Laying out topless at my friend Kaitlin’s house and drinking gin with sparkling juice. She is the only friend from high school I remain close with.
Woodstock’s pizza and Noah’s Bagels.

There’s probably a gazillion other things that I can’t think off, and what’s sad is that because I was a teen and totally focused on myself, I can’t really remember what was happening around the world at the time.

Did you grow up during the 90′s? What do you remember?

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Goodbye, Steve Jobs

by Penny on October 6, 2011

“Jobs has passed” is the text I received from my mom yesterday as I stopped to pick up Tate from daycare. It was announced seconds later on NPR.

It’s hard to articulate the immense influence Jobs had–on the world, on the computing/hardware industry, on people like my dad. I woke up early this morning and lay in bed thinking “what can I say that could possibly do justice to him or fully explain his importance?”

I always land on one thing. The man was an artist. This much isn’t really up for debate. But he was also an incredibly disciplined business-person, and the combination of the two is a rarity. He exemplified staying true to oneself, building a hugely influential modern, even futuristic, brand while maintaining a kind of hippy-dippy ethos. That seemingly odd mix really defines the Apple brand, and explains its vast influence.

I am what you might call an “early adopter” of Apple products. This is due entirely to my father, whose first computer (and by extension mine) was a Mac. I typed out my first computer-generated (yes, I am old enough to have used a typewriter) school paper on a Mac. I first experienced the Internet on a Mac. The interface and operating system of Apple computers is so ingrained in my experience that, if put in front of a PC today, I have trouble figuring out how to use it. And, not to sound smug, but I think it says a lot that Todd can easily sit down at my iMac and dive into using it, although he would argue that’s because he’s smarter than I :-)

My dad gave me his Mac to take to college, and soon replaced it with the first iMac. It was pink, and I loved it. Not as much as I loved my next iMac incarnation, however; what I called the ET model. I still think that machine is incredibly beautiful. Now I have two personal computers, an iMac and iBook, and I also use an iMac at work. As I have evolved as a creative professional, I look to people like Jobs to remind me of two things, passion and intuition. One of the things that amazed me most about Jobs was that he did not make creative decisions by committee–something that, 95% of the time, is an absolutely horrible idea. Developing creative ideas on a large scale requires a delicate balance of multiple heads and not too many hands in the pie. Jobs had the kind of vision, however, that allowed him to not only drive the creative process but, amazingly, not look to his own customer to evolve his brand. He told Business Week in 1998, “”It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” I’ve always felt that this kind of arrogance is obnoxious….unless you have the talent and the execution to back it up. Jobs did.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. … Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

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Laura Amiss { Affordable Art }

by Penny on October 3, 2011

City living print, Laura Amiss.

I discovered Laura this year via her Etsy shop and have partnered with her on projects at work, where she has become a fast favorite. I thought I might share her work because I absolutely adore her style and she’s a lovely person. Laura is an illustrator based out of Amsterdam; she creates amazing figurative and architectural illustrations and also works with textiles. I encourage you to take a peek at her website and explore her Etsy shop.

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{ viva l’italia }

by Penny on September 29, 2011

Vernazza, Italy { via }

We are close to booking a flight to Italy and I am so excited! Todd’s parents are going to rent a place for around 6 weeks and stay largely in the Tuscany region. Todd, Tate, my parents and I are flying over early next September. No details as of yet, but Todd and I will probably spend time in Italy and then he will head back home while I go to the UK with my parents and Tate. I’ve been wanting to go back to London since I studied there 10 years ago–and my parents, who so generously sent me abroad, have never been. I’ve always wanted to go with them.

The only things on my list so far are a visit to Lucca (I know someone from there) and a stay in the cinque terre region. It’ll be perfect for my mom, who loves to hike.

So, I have a whole year to freakishly plan and save up lots of money for LONDON SHOPPING!

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Penny’s Fall Must Haves

by Penny on September 27, 2011

MAKITO HIDDEN WEDGE, H&H PLAID SCARF, FOSSIL WOODEN OWL CHARM, TOPSHOP SHIRT, H&M HAT, ZARA WAXED JEANS, TANO LEATHER BAG

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Happy Birthday Halfpence Baby Tate!

by Penny on September 22, 2011

Happy happy happy birthday Tatey boy, we all love you bunches.

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The Rapture

by Penny on September 21, 2011

I’m so excited y’all–I was flipping through the Sept issue of Elle at lunch, and saw that The Rapture came out with a new album this month. YESSSSSS. I love The Rapture! I was obsessed with Sister Savior back in the early 2000′s when I was a little club rat. My old friend who was my city’s resident clapping-hipster-electro DJ used to make me mixes and one had a great remix of this song, a bit more dance-y.

I feel old.

In any case, I’m all over this album.

Also, Radiohead is finally planning a NA tour for next year. I want to take my dad. Last time I saw them was the Hail to the Thief tour and it was awesome. And, Yorke’s album with Atoms For Peace is coming out sometime in the near future, shaka.

Any new music to recommend? I’m always in the market…

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Unexpected Beauty At NYFW { S/S 2012 RTW }

by Penny on September 19, 2011

Some rather strange beauty trends emerged from the NYFW collections–painted hair, insanely-colored lips and orange shadow.

Think you’ll try any of these out come spring?

Photos via TFS, Vogue.com.

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Spring 2012 RTW Early Trends { NYFW }

by Penny on September 18, 2011

New York Fashion Week wrapped up late last week, and some early trends emerged from the collections. We’ll soon see how they carry through to the London, Milan and Paris shows.

Mixed Patterns

Plentiful patterns at Thakoon, Diane von Furstenburg, Jen Kao, Nicole Miller and DKNY.

Pattern mash-ups have been everywhere for the past few seasons and continue to dominate, and it’s almost certain that the trend will carry into the Fall 2012 season. While the faint of heart may initially be put off, this is a trend that can work for the daring and the subdued. For more subtle styling, classic black and white stripes paired with a bold floral always looks sharp. Or, try complimentary patterns in the same color palette to create continuity.

Seen at…Thakoon, Preen, Jen Kao

Sheer Highlights

Through the looking glass at Charlotte Ronson, Tracy Reese, Marc Jacobs, Y3 and Alexander Wang.

A lot of sheer emerged on the runways, with an emphasis on sheer overlays, often in the form of skirts or jackets. On the sportswear front, open-weaves were common, and some designers (most notably Marc Jacobs) experimented with new materials. The lace from the S/S 2011 season could still be seen, but this season featured blacks and deep inky colors.

Seen at…Charlotte Ronson, Marc Jacobs

Sea Foam, Mint & Sunset Shades

Fruit and mint at Michael Kors, Costello Tagliapietra, Derek Lam, Diane von Furstenburg, Tibi and Jill Stuart.

Sea-foam and mint infiltrated the runways, showing up in most collections. Sometimes paired with neutrals such as coffee brown and often shown in monotone, this has definitely emerged as the color of the season. Also common were warm sunset shades, from earthy oranges to dusty rose. Fruity warm hues were popular, most often in lemony citron, and watermelon.

Seen at….Michael Kors, Derek Lam, Diane von Furstenburg, Jill Stuart

Columns

Stunning architecture at Ports 1961, Reed Krakoff, Doo.Ri, Tibi, Sophie Theallet and Jeremy Laing.

Column dresses, from wispy long slips to billowy short shifts, were a huge trend. Another look that works well on multiple body types, they can be nipped into the waist, worn as a loose maxi, or as a more conservative sleeveless shift.

Seen at…Tibi, Ralph Lauren, Reed Krakoff

Monotone Neutrals

Life in mono at Doo.Ri, 3.1 Philip Lim, Vivienne Tam, Bibhu Mohapatra and Calvin Klein.

Earthy, warm neutrals were forecasted for the season, and they certainly popped up. From light peach to dark beige, slate grey and light coffee, this palette was often shown monotone but also paired with brights.

Seen at…Calvin Klein, 3.1 Philip Lim

Metallics

Shine on at Chado Ralph Rucci, Suno, Zac Posen, Theyskens’ Theory and Prabal Gurung.

Where the neutrals were warm, the metallics were largely cool–most often seen in light silvers and even pops of teal green and violet.

Seen at…Chado Ralph Rucci, Theyskens’ Theory

Peplum Tops

Sweet flings at Karen Walker, Ruffian, Rodarte and Vera Wang.

This is another silhouette that looks great on virtually all body types. Ladies with curves can accentuate with a nipped in waist while those with less curves to show off look great in a looser, less tailored style. Blazers are also made sweeter with this cut.

Seen at…Vera Wang, Rodarte

Some other trends to keep an eye on include separates in matching patterns, dresses w/hems longer in back, short-shorts, shades of bright and deep blues, stripes and clever takes on plaid. My favorite collections were Marc Jacobs, Suno, Derek Lam, Edun and Rodarte…to name a few :-)

What did you think of the collections? Do you have any favorite trends you may want to try out come spring?

Photos courtesy of Vogue.com, TFS and Style.com.