Be Mine

Roberto Cavalli Dress, St. John Bracelet, Gianvito Rossi Pumps (available at Savannah Santa Monica), Mulberry Clutch, Celine Sunglasses, Robin Terman necklace (diamond bar) and earrings, Heart necklace; family heirloom

For me, a great dress comes with a great story; and so it goes for this one by Roberto Cavalli.  I first came upon this dress when I discovered it in a forest green color at The Scoop Brentwood store back in December. A woman was returning it, and rather than just stand there in silence, I told her that it was really pretty. She told me that she was buying it to wear to a wedding but thought that the place and time of year (San Francisco in December), seemed a tad too cold and wintry for this lightweight little dress, so she was returning it. Unable to resist the urge, I asked her if, since she was returning it, I try it on. She told me to go ahead since she was definitely not taking it. When I emerged from the dressing room, it was love at first sight. Comfy and pretty were what it had going for it, and I was definitely purchasing this dress, especially since it was marked down by 40%. What I didn’t realize is that the more I raved about it, the more the woman who was returning it softened towards the dress.  Inevitably, she changed her mind. I was quietly crushed, and with a smile, I reluctantly changed back into my clothes and handed it over to the original buyer. The sales people assured me that they would order me one immediately and not to worry. I drove off feeling like all was well in the world of shopping; only moments later, I received a call from Scoop telling me that the dress was sold out in my size. I scolded myself for having opened my mouth in the first place. Had I simply stood there, lips sealed at the time of the dress’s return, it would be in my car on its way to MY closet.

  Lucky for me, this story has a happy ending. While sifting through racks and racks of 75% off dresses at Saks, I came upon the same dress in red…more my color, and in my size. I took this as a sign from above (Jeff probably has a perplexed expression or is rolling his eyes as he reads this), and bought it. The feeling of vindication championed my emotions and I knew just when I would be wearing this dress. This would be my Valentines Day dress, because like my Valentine, Jeff, this dress was also “meant to be!”

FabuLesley Turns One, Party at Calypso!

RSVP HERE for Fabulesley at Calypso!

About 18 months ago, my dear friend, Orna, and I met for our weekly coffee clatch. I was lamenting over what I would do to fill my days once my youngest, Serena, then 16, goes off to College. Yes I would continue with my community service work and my music, but I was craving something else that would be creatively satisfying. Orna, who had just certified as a life coach, suggested that I write a blog. As she put it, “you are a source of information for all of us; from diagnosing ailments and referring to physicians, to who gives the best and cheapest blow dry in Beverly Hills, to what to eat when you want to lose weight, to what moisturizer and makeup work the best. People want to know these things, and you can supplement the posts with your love of fashion, food, culture, health and beauty.”

At the time, I didn’t really know what writing a blog entailed, so I began to do my research. I combed through many fashion, food, and lifestyle blogs. There were multitudes of these blogs, mostly written by 20-30 year olds. Rarely did I come across any blogs that were written by 45 plus year old women who weren’t already famous, that actually appealed to me.  

That is when it dawned on me that maybe my market wasn’t saturated; maybe there was room for a 45 plus year old fashion, food, culture, beauty and health obsessed Jewish woman in the “Blogosphere.” 

To that end, FabuLesley was born. What Orna and my other close friends find remarkable, is the vocabulary that this blog has spawned.  There have been "Fabuluncheons"  in honor of people’s birthdays,  as well as accolades for “Fabulicious” food. People write to me adding “Fabu” as a prefix to theirs as well as their spouse’s names! It is truly hilarious and fun.

I have no idea what will come of this blog, but right now I am having a great time creating each week’s posts. There is nothing I like more than to write about things that bring so much joy, significance and inspiration to my life.

I am both shocked and delighted to have gained so many followers on the web, and I continue to be overwhelmed by your support and encouragement.

To that end, I am celebrating in a Fabu-way. The wonderful store, Calypso St Barth has generously offered to host a party for me as way of marking this milestone. Everything in the store will be at least 20% off. Calypso has a well curated collection of beautiful cashmere sweaters, jackets and vests, dresses, skirts and jeans, as well as fabulous shoes, boots and bags. Their jewelry collection is off the hook.

Please join me on Monday, December 15 from 7:00 PM- 9:00 PM at the Westfield Mall in Century City. It will be a fabulous evening of food, fashion and fun!

I am tying this event to the SOVA food pantry, which provides food for homeless people in the Los Angeles area. Please bring at least one non-perishable food item to be donated to this wonderful and important organization.

 

RSVP HERE for Fabulesley at Calypso!

Sweater, Tank, Necklace, and AG Jeans all available at Calypso.

Hat, Sweater, Vest, Jeans, Boots, Purse, Necklace and Earrings all available at Calypso.