Miami Party Photos

I just received the pictures from my event last Tuesday at the Sagamore Hotel on South Beach. The Sagamore is known as the Art Hotel and for good reason--the lobby and lower-level restaurant is littered with provocative sculptures, collectible photographs and abstract paintings. I wish I'd taken pictures of my room, which melded sleek design with old world pieces--think antique marquetry commodes encased in a glass front closet--and the view to the gardens below and beach beyond was breathtaking. Anyway, enough about the hotel. The party was marvelous, many thanks to my hosts, a bevy of local beauties, and the swimsuit designer, Red Carter, who outfitted the gorgeous models above.

Miami, Author-mania, and Other Things I've Been Up To

The last couple weeks have gone by so fast!

First there was a fantastic party in celebration of Gigi Lavigne Grazer's excellently titled new book, Queen Takes King, where I met the gorgeous author (you should see the arms on this woman) as well as some industry folks I'd give my left bicuspid to work with on a project. Anne Dexter Jones, otherwise known as the matriarch of the Ronson clan, was also there, and showed me some jewelry she designed. I have this to say about Anne: She is one cool lady. And warm. And beautiful. I want to be just like her when I'm older. I also have this to say about that night. I drank too much on an empty stomach, so if you happened to have been there and heard anything I had to say that night, please forget it. Really.

Then last week I met up for drinks (ssss) at Buddakan with one of my favorite authors, Jen Lancaster. Yes, she of Bright Lights, Big Ass, Such a Pretty Fat, and her latest, Pretty in Plaid. Jen invited some her other friends--Stacey Ballis (Inapropriate Men), Elizabeth Flock (Emma and Me) Karyn Bosnak (Save Karyn), and Sarah Grace McCandless, (Grosse Point Girl)--and so now I have a lot of their books piled up on my bedside table. (Yay!) That night reminded me of one of my favorite aspects of being a novelist: You get to meet other novelists.

The following morning I woke up at 5 a.m. and took a plane to Miami for my book party at the Sagamore Hotel. It was so much fun-- my good friends who live down there, including author Karen Quinn (Wife in the Fast Lane) came--and I even had time for a little pre-party run on the beach. I'll post some pictures from that event when I receive them from the photog.

And one more thing. This past weekend I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with Max. It was a beautiful love story in the same spirit of The Time Traveler's Wife, one of my all-time favorite books. The movie left me sobbing, and made me want to stop time. Life is so short--I see that now, watching my children grow--and death comes too fast. I wish I could just hold on to Max and my kids and never ever let go. But that's not the nature of life, is it?

My Must Haves

Lately I've been reading a lot of "must" lists: must-haves for your closet, must-read books for summer, must-see movies. I'm going to be posting my must lists from time to time over the next few weeks, and to kick off the series I'm starting with my must have beauty products.

Body
1. Rodial Tummy Tuck
2. Orlane Systeme Minceur Slimming System
3. Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil
4. Curel moisturizer

Skin
1. SkinCeuticals Clarifying Cleanser
2. DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask
3. Natura Bisse's Diamond Eye Cream
4. 3Lab's Perfect Mask
5. Biore Triple Action Astrigent

Hair
1. Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner
2. John Barrett Elementage Be Healed Styling Masque

Does Anyone Else Think?

Does anyone else think that John Krasinski looks like the guy in the circa 1960's Joy of Sex book? Now every time I see him on The Office I'm going to picture him licking a woman's armpits, which apparently was popular back then, along with sporting copious amounts of facial hair.

Still, I can't wait to see the movie.

Does that make me weird?

Don't answer that.

A New Milestone

Recently it was brought to my attention that my blog is kind of (okay, really) boring. Basically I've been using it more as a photo album than as a place to express my opinions and share anecdotes from my life. Starting today, that's going to change.

First, a little background to put this post into perspective:

Ten years ago, when I moved back to D.C. from Brussels, I stumbled past a jewelry store in Georgetown that did ear piercings. On a whim I decided to get a small gold hoop in the upper cartilage of my left ear. I'd always wanted one, but never had the nerve to actually do it. I was raised primarily in the South, by a mother who prioritized propriety, particularly when it came to the appearance of her daughter. She made sure my hair never grew past my chin, and that my clothes were impeccably clean, starched and totally uncool. Even in high school.

It took me until I was 21 to realize that I could wear whatever the hell I pleased, and that I could get my ear pierced if it made me happy. In the end, my mother had more to say about a multi-colored crocheted scarf I took to wearing that winter than the earring, but even so, the piercing was a real milestone, and in hindsight, it kick started one of the happiest periods of my life.

When I moved to New York two years later, I took the earring out. Don't ask me why; I can't remember.

But recently, after a couple of unfortunate run-ins with the New York Post, I started missing the earring. It represented the side of me that the press has completely missed, and that, I now realize, only my close friends get to see. It's the side of me that's vegetarian on a good day, can do a headstand and other tricky yoga moves (flying crow, anyone?), believes in karma and the power of music, love and positive thinking. It's also the side of me that's free, happy and doesn't give a lick about what other people think.

It's my inner bad ass. And she wants out. Which is why I got my ear re-pierced when I was in Denver for my book signing.

It didn't even hurt.

Okay, maybe just a little.

But it was pretty exhilerating, too.

A Night at the Museum

On Tuesday night Max and I attended a dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrating the unveiling of a new line of watches from the Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin. Max isn't always excited to put on his tux and mingle with the fashion set (and this was one of those kinds of parties) but I was able to entice him with the prospect of dining in the Temple of Dendur. And, great news, Hedge Fund Wives is in Star magazine as a great beach read. Yay!