{NYFW} Marchesa, my heart...

I was lucky enough to have my parents finally come visit me out here this past weekend. It was a trip almost two years coming - and I can't express how excited I was to show them around my New York and see them for the first time since Christmas.

We had a great weekend - a perfect balance of their uptown, upscale Manhattan of past visits, and my downtown day-to-day life. All the things we did piece together like a pretty great guide to wining and dining with a dash of culture and shopping from Soho to the Upper East Side:


{We dined.}

• Gotham Grill: White table clothes, amazing seafood and a very 90s New York vibe, like Gramercy Tavern and totally delicious (the seafood salad is unreal)
• The Modern: minimalist, fancy and contemporary - just like the museum (amazing duck confit)
• db Bistro Moderne: fancy and delicious
  
• The Standard Grill: great spot for an early breakfast al fresco
  
• Public: trendy, brunch-y, delicious lentil salad and great drinks
• La Piscine: on the roof of Hotel Americano; lots of delicious fried seafood with a side of DJ
  
• Brasserie Julienne: cute little french joint on 2nd Ave in the 80s, live jazz with your moules frites
  
• Morandi: loud, busy and seriously great Italian fare on Waverly and 7th Ave
  

{We drank.}

• La Piscine: Before dinner every night we had cocktails on the roof with an amazing view of the city
  
• Kingswood: After dinner at db, I brought my parents to meet up with friends and see one of my favorite West Village bars
  
• Public: a dirty martini for Mom, a bourbon iced tea for me and the Bloody Maria for Dad
  

{We saw.}

• The MoMA:the Cindy Sherman exhibit was cool and creepy, but the permanent exhibits are always refreshing and unmissable
  
• The East River Ferry: A fun and unique way to get between Manhattan and Brooklyn - especially on a warm day; we took it to and from 34th street to the flea market 
• Brooklyn Flea (Williamsburg): people watching, antique-ing and artisianal everything - of course
  
• The Met: My favorite museum in Manhattan, and the Steins Collection and Shiaparelli and Prada exhibit were crowded but truly wonderful (unfortunately the Cloud City exhibit on the roof was closed for weather)

{We shopped.}

• Uniqlo @ 53rd & 5th: picked up 4 shirts for my dad, but the crazy atmosphere and sheer amount of clothes is a little too much
  
• Treasure & Bond: cool, well-curated jewelry, gifts and apparel on lower West Broadway in Soho
  
• MoMA Design Store: so many unique and useful knick-knacks, and perfectly sized art prints for $10

{NYFW} so many more collections that pleased me...

What? What do you want me to say here? What can I say here?

The color, the movement, the volume, the elegance.

Someday, years from now, a stranger will see me across the room and whisper to her friend, "That's her. The woman in the Oscar de la Renta from Spring '12. I heard she's even funnier in person."

God bless Thakoon for bringing just a wee bit 'o' crazy to the runway.

But look at the two dresses on the far left and right, and I'll tell you that I would wear them both in real life. Love.

Love DvF's color scheme here. It all reminds me of a creamsicle. A sleek, early 1960s creamsicle.

 Speaking of creamsicle color palettes, I get the same vibe from J. Mendel, but with less pattern and more blocked panels. This was a stand-out collection for me.

 I'll say the same thing I always say about Marchesa, and it's not a bad thing: frothy, feminine and fancy. This season though, the girls added a bit of guilded shine and swing; which is all the more reason to celebrate their move from presentation to runway.

Tory Burch's collection, her first to show on a runway, transplants me to a 1920's French Riviera estate. I'd have my gowns and opera-length jewels for dinner parties, that little sweater and shorts look for tennis in the afternoons, and the striped dress for jaunts into town for pain au chocolat.

Ok, I'm exhausted. But guess what? There's more to come.

Give it time, friends. Give it time.

[All images from style.com, and compiled by me at picnik.com]

{Oscars 2011} my picks for best dressed...

Ah yes, the Academy Awards, or as I like to call it - the couture World Series. This year brought out many, many seriously gorgeous dresses, and, much like last year, a major lack of crazy. It makes me long for the days of Bjork and her swan. However, in keeping with my standing tradition of skipping the whole 'worst dressed' bash session, I shall now jump head-first into my favorite looks from the 83rd Oscar celebration. Who wants to talk about ugly dresses anyway? So here we go, with my pick for the very, very best dressed of the night:

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Couture! This is a very intricate and interesting dress, with cut-outs, architectural shoulders, beading and pleats... And yet. Blanchett makes it look like she might wear this to the grocery store. The fit is impecable on her, not many bodies could look comfortable in this dress. Her hair is just right, she looks elegant and confident - and not the least bit fussy. It's so chic it almost hurts. The best part for me in all this is that I actually hate this color of lilac, but I cannot deny the perfection of this look for one second.

Hailee Steinfeld in Marchesa. Can you even imagine being a 14-year-old Oscar nominee? How thrilling and nerve-wracking it must be. Steinfeld has navigated the challenges of mixing event-and-age-appropriate red carpet looks with incredible poise. Does she have a stylist? Probably. Does she dress this incredibly chic in her everyday, 14-year-old life? Probably not. Do I care? Not in the least. The top-knot and headband speak to her youth, and the major Louboutins and fantastic cropped length of the dress make it an elegant fairytale look fitting for the occasion.

Natalie Portman in Rodarte. This is how to be pregnant at the Oscars. I think Natalie knew she was going to win Best Actress, and definitely saved her best look for last. The color is gorgeous, the fit is flattering, and that's about it. Lovely.

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab. Originally, I was not crazy about this dress. I think it's a little complicated, and as I said earlier, I really hate this color. Upon seeing this photo however, I had to reconsider. She just looks wonderful. I think the hair is a little aging, and I wish you couldnt see through some of the skirt panels, but overall I have to give this a "Well-played, Mila." Afterall, the girl went from That 70's Show... to this.

Celine Dion in Armani Prive. Believe me, I am just as surprised as you are that I am putting Celine Dion on an Oscars best dressed list in the year 2011. But I mean, look at her! The dress fits like the chicest and sleek-est of gloves, her hair is gorgeous and simple, the necklace is stunning, and I am obsessed. I think the restraint and simplicity of this gown are the perfect way to encase her crazy diva woman personality.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein (left) and Michael Kors Fall 2011 (right). She was having her own golden statuette moment, no? Her performance was really only mediocre, but I thought both of these dresses, especially the Calvin Klein, were stand-outs of the night.

Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein Collection. She is a newcomer, and as such, I appreciate that she didn't show up in some kind of wildly poufy ball gown. This is just a really minimal and lovely choice.

Scarlett Johannson in Dolce and Gabbana. I hate that her eyeshadow matches her dress, and I think the look is a little more Globes than Oscars, a.k.a. a bit casual, and yet, here she is. I love the color, I love the lace, I love the fit.