Nana Banana

New York Fashion Week 2010

Hi hi friends,

I'm going to be covering fashion week again for AOL's Stylelist. Today I talked intellectual property law with Diane von Furstenberg and underwear choices with Bloomberg, so it's already shaping up to be an interesting week.  If you want to take a gander at the posts as they roll out, you can click here.  And I will have the trusty camera along in the hopes of catching some gems like last year's Fashion's Night Out-Rageous favorites Botox Skeletor and the Weeping Widow of Chef Boyardee (see below).

 

Smooches friends.  And to all you purty young catwalkers out there, EAT A BURGER.

-Nana Banana

New Design Piece for Manhattan Magazine

Hey there kids,

Just wanted to share a piece that I recently worked on about three Manhattan interior designers. You can click each page to zoom in for easier readability...or just look at the purty pictures.

Best,

Colleen

The joy is in giving

So about that last post.  I was just joshing you, kids.  My friends and family were more thoughtful and generous than I could even handle this year (and every year, for that matter). The best gift of all though was the sense of security that their presence brought in the face of 2010's horizon of uncertainty.

And in that spirit, I'd like to share a few of the things given and received around my house this year.

Gift 1: Reclaimed vintage cake plate

My sister inherited my Mom's gift for baking. We're talking pumpkin whoopee pies, bacon-pretzel-chocolate cupcakes, Nutella poundcake.  The works.  When I found this cake stand back in September, I ordered it right away. It just seemed so her -- homey and creative and cheerful and ready to take on an entire tray of warm chocolate chip cookies.  This particular one was just right because it was made with a New York souvenir plate from the 60s.  Stylegarden has similar offerings available in her etsy shop for only $32.  My current favorite is the sunny Hawaii stand:

Gift 2: Handmade quilt

Every year, after Christmas Eve mass, Dorito salad with my cousins, and a rowdy drive home, my Mom distributes the annual Christmas PJs.  This year, my sister decided to give back by piecing years and years of pajamas together into a quilt for my parents.  She worked tirelessly, and it's just such a special way to display so many good memories.

Gift 3: Unicorn Rock

My friend Wes Burdine let us all benefit from his family's handmade gift exchange by passing along copies of the children's album he wrote and recorded for his niece.  There are unicorns, there is a bug that sings like Tom Waits, there is an imaginary brass band.  It is more amazing than a one-horned mythical creature. Behold:

06 A Bug's Life

Gift 4: Assorted awesomeness

Forgive the crappy picture, but my G10 is in the shop, and all I have is my iPhone.  Anyway, I spent Christmas day chatting with my grandmother about the 40s, how she met my grandfather, and elbow length gloves.  It turns out we're the same size, so she went to her drawer and gave me these beautiful gloves as well as a soft mink collar.  Speechless.  Also fun: a YSL eye shadow set made to look like a vintage luggage tag (thanks Colleen #2!), and a glass CB2 globe that I've used to display feathers I collected in Africa.  These are a few of my (new) favorite things.

Gift 5: Graceland Blue Christmas Champagne

This might be the best present I've ever received.  Sister, you are the best.

Gift guide: The rest of the cool shit

We're coming into the home stretch kids.  Time to buy, buy, buy before you board those buses and planes for your holiday homecomings.  I have one more roundup of awesome stuff to spend the rest of your cash on.  These are the things that I'm praying go on after-Christmas firesale, so I can blow my dough and head into 2010 all fancy-style. 

I judge books by their covers.  And this has an awesome one.  Alas, it's out of print and only available used.  Must be snatched up before it goes to that great publishing house in the sky ($59.43). 

It's funny, because I do, indeed, take the biscuit.  I would like to peruse my pretty Africa book, while sipping hazelnut coffee out of this baby.  And then a plate of Arcade biscuits and gravy would be magically teleported from Memphis and I could die a happy person.  Help my dream come true ($38 for the mug, teleportation extra).

I am a firm believer in the maxim that the best gifts are those that you'd never buy yourself.  Like, say, graphic printed stirrup woolen thigh-highs...for $110.  They're pricey but they're amazing, and how great would they look when I'm all cozy with my biscuit mug and my teleported Arcade breakfast and Elvis shows up to croon a little "In the Ghetto," while I contemplate my dire financial straits?  I mean, a girl's gotta look her best in a situation like that.

So after Elvis and I finish breakfast, he invites his friend Dolly, who arrives in her magical butterfly tourbus to pour me a cup of ambition.  We sit around and customize these necklaces ($85) with hot pink thread and then do a dance number with lots of hair flips and jazz hands.

Ok, ok.  If I'm not gonna have Dolly and The King to guide me through the stormy months ahead, I'll have to stay calm and rely on myself.  TCB and all that business.  I think one of these yoga mats would help me keep things in perspective ($45).

What do you think kids?  What's left of your holiday wishlists?  Hmmm???

Gift guide part 1

As usual, I'm more than a little behind on my holiday gifting.  I'm guessing more than a few of you are in the same boat, so I figured I'd spend the rest of the week offering up some items from my wishlist and ideas for you and yours.  Here are today's pics:

Cleaving, the newest book from the author of Julie and Julia, $16.95

Hilarious mustache salt and pepper shakers $28

A cheery terrarium $28 

Cowboy stationary set $45
 

Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea sets come with adorable limited edition prints.  Such a great gift idea! $27

Man Candy Monday: Get your mo' on

My friend Forster...

 

...generously spent the month of November growing this sick 'stache to raise money for prostate cancer.  In celebration of his mad accomplishments, we went to the Movember gala on Friday night.  Y'all KNOW how I feel about facial hair (where my lumberjacks at?), so I thought I'd give you a taste of the range of beards and bros on offer.  And if you like what you see, please consider donating some cash to Movember.

Sample sale madness

Everyone remembers their first.  For me it was the Botkier Trigger.  I would go visit it weekly at Muleh, the boutique around the corner from my apartment in DC.  Up to that point, it had never occurred to me to spend more that $50 bucks on a bag. But then I became acquainted with the supple buttercup leather, the gleaming silver zippers, its sharp yet welcoming lines.  It was my first purse love.  But I never caved and bought it.  Now, all these years later, I hear of a sample sale with every Botkier bag under $250 (195 Lafayette through Sunday).  I feel my budgeting resolve weaken, I'm immediately transported back to those weekly Muleh trysts, when I'd clutch that soft leather to my skin, all-consuming sartorial lust.  Someone keep me away (and/or buy me these bags). 

 


Oh and while you're at it, please keep me away from the Dolce Vita sample sale (156 Ludlow through Sunday).  Because these shoes have been calling my name.  And I totally NEED them for my funemployment attempts to solicit free drinks.  You hear me?  NEED.

Dolce Vita Aerie booties

Wild thing, you make my heart sing

I've never been particularly down with animal prints. I mean, I'm totally into animals printed on tees. And I'm all up in the fur biznas.  Mink stoles, rabbit fur coats, the whole nine. But leopard dresses?  Zebra print tees?  It's always just felt a little happy hour at Applebees.  But lately, I've found myself warming to the look.  Check out these amazing street style shots.  Thoughts?  Should I take a walk on the wild side?  Should I make another bad animal joke? 

Welcome to the jungle!

Nana Banana

 

Man Candy Mondays: The Slumber Party edition

Nana Banana is still recovering from a bit of a weekend bender involving pack-your-own cocktails, Cowhican sweaters and a Mexican Jesus. Please busy yourselves with the eye candy from last week's Pajama Party while I attempt to hydrate myself back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Smooches,

Nana Banana

Cutie pies, right?

All photos taken by Barbara Cleveland.

Take that Opening Ceremony!

Apologies for the late posting, but Nana Banana was up way past her bedtime covering the Creative Times slumber party for style.com. While there, I nearly took out a tray of macaroons leaping across the room to get a closer look at a seriously rad Pendleton-for-Opening-Ceremony-esque cape (and the obsession continues).

Turns out the fabulous woman wearing it was Lindsey Thornburg, the designer herself (photo above by Barbara Cleveland). Thornburg combines silhouettes inspired by her travels through Peru with her love for vintage wools (Pendleton included). You can buy them online here or at Oak.