Many ideas have been suggested as to what the cover of the book might look like. If I think back to my first visual of this book, let alone its cover, it has changed so much from what I had originally thought. It has been an evolving process that has taught me that it important to explore all ideas. The original concept has morphed and grown in so many ways that I have outgrown my earlier ideas. What I have learned is that “simple” is best and that inspiration and ideas are often best when presented in a subtle manner. We all live in layered homes. Ones that are a mixture of ourselves, those in our lives and the journeys we have taken. There lies the beauty, in the details of our lives.
Some of our favorite spots on our journey were Shareen Vintage, Palace Costumes, American Rag, Warner Bros Cotume Dept, Walnut and Poshgirlvintage.com
After scouring Los Angeles and the internet for dresses we did finally find 3 candidates to shoot for our cover. In our search here are some of my favorite contenders that deserve honorable mention. Part of the puzzle for finding all the right elements was to be able to match the dress to a wallpaper sample. We wanted to show the relationship between fashion and home décor as simply and as beautifully as possible. To show you how it is all connected. That beyond color there are many other ways in which fashion influences our home décor style. From pattern to texture to details they can all be found in our closets and living rooms in a design that reflects our own unique style.
Setting up proved to be a styling challenge. Getting the dress to lay right on the mannequin. Trying to get the wallpaper as smooth as possible. No creases… hard to do. In the end our stylist Hannah, photographers Karyn Millet and assistant Bret Gum captured the perfect shot. Our cover was done.
It has been a great journey putting together the visuals for “The Well Dressed Home.” Thank you to all that helped make this possible. I look forward to the second half… getting the book on the shelf and sharing it with all of you. Look for my new book in September 2009 from Clarkson Potter and see what dress made the cover and the events that will follow with its release. 
The warmth of plaids and the many color combinations they come in are fantastic. They can be dressed up or down. From a simple horse blanket to a worn Pendleton shirt to the couture style of Ralph Lauren and Hermes. Plaids can be used everywhere from fashion to home accessories.
In order to prepare for the Full Moon dinner , I took the children to Chinatown in downtown LA. I don’t think I have ever been, it was fantastic! The Thein Hau temple we visited was incredible with its colors and motifs and I loved the ceiling in this space. The use of red, orange and pink… lots of lanterns made everything magical. The attention that fashion designer 
The history of Chang E, and the belief that she “floated” up to the moon has brought about the use of lanterns to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival. They are symbolic in that children often use lanterns lit with a small flame that when released floated up in the air much like Chang E did when she drank her potion. (As a side note - while checking out all of the spring 09 fashion runway shows on 
The ubiquitous fare at any Chinese celebration of the Full Moon festival, mooncakes are a flaked pastry stuffed with a wide variety of fillings. Egg yolk, lotus seed paste, red bean paste, and coconut are common, but walnuts, dates, and other fillings can be found as well. Most have characters for longevity or harmony inscribed on the top. Special cakes can reach almost one foot in diameter. For the party I wanted each guest to be able to have a mooncake. So when I was in Chinatown I found Queens Bakery which was full of them and decided on lotus paste, red bean, green tea, and nuts and dates. I have to say they were not bad... kind of like a fig newton. The giving of mooncakes is a very serious business in China and as you can see they come in many different packages and colors. Depending upon where you buy a mooncake will also determine its price. Ours were $2.50 each but they can cost up to $500.00 from a top hotel in China. Along with the traditional mooncakes I had cupcakes made from my favorite shop, 
As our guests approached the house the moon was just rising over downtown LA. It was big and full. Did you ever wonder why the moon looks bigger as it rises and by the time it is high up in the sky it is smaller. I included a description of what the Mid Autumn Festival was about as part of the place settings along with chop sticks and a fortune. The dinner was for 45, family style, sit down. I used my favorite Chinese blue dragon fabric as a table runner and with the fish alive and swimming it really was a great effect. Along with the moon and the celebration everything was perfect. Attention to detail was the fun part of planning this party. Fashion designer 
Our trip took us to Hyannis Port where we spent a lovely week in a traditional Cape Cod style home overlooking the water. The small town of Hyannis Port is made up of a series of small streets where kids can spend the summer riding up and down the lanes without supervision. The water is always close by for quick dips and long sails.
Sailing across Nantucket Sound on our friends fifty foot, one hundred year old wood yawl, you can almost feel the curvature of the earth. The coastline village towns are filled with architecture that looks almost fairytale in its uniformity. The light at this northern latitude is so much different than home and you can sense winter around the corner, encouraging everyone to enjoy what’s left of this incredible season. I love all the details and functional references that make up the design of a life by the sea. Shell motifs are on fabrics and decorate treasure boxes. Rope details and nautical reds outline safety and style. Small reminders like a ship-in-a-bottle find themselves randomly sprinkled as a theme everywhere. Just as 
On our arrival the sea was as warm as bathwater because of the Gulf Stream water flowing north, but only a five days later the temperature had dropped more than 10 degrees. The cooler evenings brought out polar fleece and blue blazers, almost worn interchangeably no matter how casual or formal the affair. The texture of the fabrics seems almost woven in the weather and landscape. While a casual first look leaves you thinking this style here it is mostly driven by its conservative culture, when you emerge yourself in it, you see how authentically it is spawned from the life style. Like the beach inspired accessories from the 
