A Piece of SoHo in Chucktown

Cheap and Chic
May 14, 2013

As most of you know, I moved down to Charleston from New York last September. Charleston is absolutely wonderful, and I wouldn’t have left New York for a city any less fabulous. That being said, going from living on the Upper East Side and working in SoHo to living in Charleston, I find that I miss some of the shopping opportunities that I had in the Big Apple. This is why I was quite pleased to learn that C. Wonder will be opening a location on King Street in Charleston this summer.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with C. Wonder, it is the brainchild of Christopher Burch, a longtime fixture on the clothing/lifestyle brand scene, who also happens to be Tory’s ex-husband. C. Wonder opened its first shop on Lafayette Street in SoHo when I was working just a few blocks away on Greene Street. As much as the clothing and accessories are cute, it is the home decor section (surprise) that I find most exciting. I am so looking forward to seeing how Burch arranges his space here in the Holy City. For those of you unfamiliar with the brand, below are a few of my current favorites at the store.

Bamboo Salad Servers $44

Embroidered Linen Cane Pillow Cover $54

Cane Tumbler Glass $10

Monkey Rectangular Ceramic Plate $38

Lacquer White Trim Box $58

Wicker Picnic Basket $128

That is one of the best things about the C. Wonder store – the prices are so reasonable! Perfect for that Lacquered Life Cheap and Chic look. Looking forward to shopping for some decorative accessories when C. Wonder comes to town. All of the items featured here are currently available on CWonder.com

Photos courtesy of C. Wonder.com

Sailing Aboard The World

Places
May 13, 2013

Back from Jamaica, and what a trip it was. The perfect amount of time to relax and unwind and get some sun. It was absolutely wonderful. So upon returning from Jamaica, I opened up the latest issue of Departures Magazine, hoping to extend my Jamaican serenity while sitting in my kitchen, and I came across an article on The World. What is The World? It is a 644 foot yacht, with 165 private residences aboard. The concept? Travel without leaving the comfort of your own home.

The putting green on The World is visible in this photo. They have a golf pro on board, as well as a simulator that allows you to play hundreds of courses all over the world.

The tennis court on The World is the only one of its kind.

So what do we think of this? They have golf, tennis, a pool, a spa, a gym with classes, 4 restaurants, and a wine cellar – to name a few amenities. The ship includes homes as small as studios, and as large as three bedrooms. Each apartment has its own kitchen and outdoor space. Studio apartments start at $700,000, and there are a few units currently available. The routes that the ship will travel are determined two years in advance by the shareholders, and none of the routes reflect those of a typical cruise ship. According to Departures, when they stayed on the ship, fewer than 50% of the owners were aboard, however, even in the high season it is never crowded. Even so, is it still a cruise ship? Or is it truly a floating home?

Photos courtesy of Departures Magazine

Island Time

Life
May 1, 2013

Do you all see a theme here this week? Does it seem like I am ready for the beach? Well this weekend it will be our one year wedding anniversary, and to celebrate, we are headed to one of our all time favorite places … Jamaica Inn. It is just outside Ocho Rios in Jamaica and it is absolute perfection.

Jamaica Inn has been open to guests since 1950. Pictured above are Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller on their honeymoon at Jamaica Inn in 1957. According to the Jamaica Inn, icons such as Katherine Hepburn, Errol Flynn, and Noel Coward have stayed there. Ian Fleming, whose famous home Goldeneye is nearby, was often to be found at the bar drinking the rum punches that the Jamaica Inn is so famous for. Teddy, the bartender at Jamaica Inn, has been mixing rum punches there for fifty-four years.

In the photo above, Jamaica Inn’s longtime mixologist Teddy is on the right, and Rupert, the resident croquet expert, is on the left. Grabbing a rum punch from Teddy while getting a croquet lesson from Rupert is always one of the highlights of our trips to the Inn. In getting ready for our trip, I thought I would highlight some of yesterday’s birthday shopping finds – clearly I had the beach in mind.

First, this Sail to Sable Blue Buoy tunic. Now in its fourth season, Sail to Sable was founded by a classmate of mine from Darien High School, and I am constantly impressed by Jennifer’s designs. In the photo above, this tunic is being modeled by a dear friend of mine – isn’t she beautiful? Looking forward to throwing on my Sail to Sable tunic for a quick game of croquet or a stroll to the bar for one of Jamaica Inn’s famous rum punches.

Next, these Trina Turk Monie pants. Dinner on the terrace? I think so.

Finally, this Lilly Pulitzer Sea Island Tunic. On their website, Jamaica Inn is described as a place of “relaxed glamour and timeless elegance.” I think this just about fits the bill – don’t you?

In 1959, All the Best in the Caribbean had this to say about Jamaica Inn, “Jamaica Inn, with its secluded beach setting … has won itself a reputation for friendly exclusiveness, if you accept paradoxes.” Yes, yes I think I do.

Photos courtesy of Jamaica Inn, Sail to Sable, Trina Turk & Lilly Pulitzer

For more information on Jamaica Inn, visit www.jamaicainn.com