LE CATCH

Although I am looking forward to hanging close to home this weekend, we did manage a quick trip to visit some friends in Napa--St. Helena to be exact--earlier this month. I just downloaded the pictures, and thought I'd share. I have always enjoyed my far-too-infrequent trips to this part of California, given the amazing natural beauty, food, wine, and friendly people. But this time was particularly special, since our friends have put down roots there. With them as our gracious guides, we were able to imagine ourselves as locals, for a brief moment, living amidst the vines. Of course, part of what made that possible was that we were literally living in a vineyard (yes, those are grapevines surrounding the pool!), tractors full of grapes passing through our backyard periodically as the harvest was in full swing. We also traveled everywhere by bike, often through the vineyards themselves, which had the effect of making us more connected to the earth, and covered with it, in a good way.

We did take one car ride during the weekend over to Calistoga, since it was quite a ways from where we were staying. Once there though, we dutifully rented some bikes to get ourselves from town proper out to the Solage Hotel for this yummy lunch, above.

We also managed to burn off some of our indulgences by layering a couple of sets of tennis on top of our perpetual biking. Here I am in my tennis whites on our way home from Meadowood where we enjoyed a delicious locally produced rosé from Azur after the game. (Wine connoisseurs will tell you that there are no good California rosés, but this one they approve of.) Our mixed doubles match ended in a 1-1 tie; tiebreaker set to be played at a future date.

We had an amazing, wine-steeped (birthday!) dinner at Press in St. Helena. Fortunately, we also rode bikes to and from here, primarily through the vineyards, which was in theory safer and more legal than operating a motor vehicle.

It was a memorable trip. Have a great weekend, and if you are looking to mix it up, perhaps try getting on a bike!

$59, swell

Thanks to my surfer husband, I've been to plenty of surf shops--and I know that there is more than just wetsuits and boards to buy. I usually sniff out something cool for my own wardrobe. Case in point: this exquisite lace jacket from Billabong. It's more than just beach-ready. It's vintage-y-cool, Fleetwood Mac-spirited, gypset-chic, music festival-perfect, and even date-night-out-sexy.

1. Kain silk camisole, $155, netaporter.com
2. Madewell necklace, $42, madewell.com
3. Billabong lace jacket, $59, swell.com
4. Clare Vivier leather messenger tote, $363, shopbop.com
5. Givenchy calf hair sandal, $850, bergdorfgoodman.com
6. Superfine silk paneled jeans, $395, netaporter.com

Earlier today I came across this picture from Isabel Marant's Fall 2010 show and found myself falling head-over-heels once again for the high-glam yet insouciant friend that is the sequin pant. I then found this pair in black by Reiss that are pretty perfect, along with this silver version from French Connection as well.

$235, missselfridge.com

Nothing gets me in the mood like a pretty embellished party dress. This one has a retro feminine appeal--and just begs for a dirty martini! Do it up with...

1. Miss Selfridge embellished dress, $235, missselfridge.com
2. Kenneth Jay Lane aqua beaded earrings, $113, charmandchain.com
3. Emilio Pucci velvet clutch, $649, mytheresa.com
4. Tabitha Simmons button-trimmed T-strap sandal, $1495, bergdorfgoodman.com

I love a statement necklace as much as the next girl, but I am especially partial to ones that are subtle enough to wear everyday, like the silver chain-link choker, worn by stylist and fashion editor Giovanna Battaglia, above. It's a classic, super wearable piece, but the oversize links make it fresh and edgy. Here are other quietly cool (yet wildly versatile!) chokers from Forever 21, Avant Garde Paris, and Max & Chloe, plus a stunning gold version from Kenneth Jay Lane.

$142, warehouse

I am still deep into my feather obsession, and now that the holiday hoopla is coming down the pike, I will have multiple occasions to parade my plumage. I came across this insanely good feather skirt in London and imagined I'd whoop it up in...

1. J. Crew wool sweater, $79, jcrew.com
2. Balmain satin-trimmed stretch wool blazer, $3845, netaporter.com
3. Anthropologie leather clutch, $128, anthropologie.com
4. Alexander Wang ankle strap heels, $485, forwardbyelysewalker.com
5. Warehouse feather skirt, $142, warehouse.andotherbrands.com

My twin sister just bought herself a pair of Stella McCartney cat-eye sunglasses for her birthday. I am happy about this for two reasons: she no longer wears the same black Ray Ban Wayfarers as me, which means we confuse fewer people, and they look really good on her--very retro-glam, feminine-cool. The cat-eye silhouette manages to be very flattering on most face shapes, and designers from Acne to Gucci are offering up their own creative takes on the classic shape. The fiercely embellished ones pictured above are by Alexander Wang. Among my faves are these by Yves Saint Laurent, Marc by Marc Jacobs, House of Harlow and Asos.

$228, shopbop.com

I have a pair of camouflage jeans that I bought a few years ago, which have gone in and out of heavy rotation. They're getting lots of play now, and feeling especially fresh with...

1. Topshop crystal ombre sweater, $96, topshop.com
2. Asos mini drop earrings, $14, asos.com
3. Jerome Dreyfuss bag, $730, forwardbyelysewalker.com
4. Madewell boots, $208, madewell.com
5. Elizabeth and James camouflage jeans, $228, shopbop.com

It transcends trends and time. It adds a sophisticated, polished, Parisienne finish to your outfit, and it goes with pretty much everything in your closet. Every season the classic re-surfaces, updated in new cuts and shades, but the inherent elegance remains the same. The latest and greatest iterations include a leather-sleeved Burberry (or a less expensive take by W118), a sleeveless Asos, a double breasted Nasty Gal, and a spiky-shouldered Sam Edelman. I am also partial to the signature wear-forever Burberry. This fall, to make my trench coat look fresh, I'm wearing a jean jacket underneath it, or layering a leather or fur vest over it (for extra warmth).

$84, topshop

Finally, sweater weather has arrived in LA! (It was relatively cool and cloudy this past weekend and I loved every minute of it.) Bring on the plush knits--something warm and fuzzy like this...

1. Topshop sweater, $84, topshop.com
2. C. Wonder collar necklace, $148, cwonder.com
3. Madewell double breasted wool coat, $268, madewell.com
4. Jean-Michel Cazabat Olsen sandal, $275, barneys.com
5. Givenchy tote bag, $1600, kirnazabete.com
6. J. Crew white wool pants, $148, jcrew.com