Breakfast At Tiffany's

Cannes - 2008

2008-05-16T14:45:22Z

Yesterday I was having lunch on a yacht when a crowd started going crazy. Angelina Jolie and Jack Black were walking up some stairs for a photo call to promote Kung Fu Panda. Everyone was screaming, “Angelina! Angelina!” No one cared that Jack Black was with her. Later, at our hotel, we were wondering why everyone was starring at the huge screen on the wall in reception. Why it was Angelina again, this time walking down the red carpet on the Palais for the Kung Fu Panda premiere with Brad Pitt. She was wearing a simple chartreuse silk dress. The shade of green didn’t really suit her, but the dress was pretty and had two straps that crossed in the back and a sweetheart neckline that showed off her massive breasts. Because the screen was so wide, it looked she was carrying triplets.

My favorite star sighting of the day was when I saw Harrison Ford at The Hotel Du Cap—so hot! He was hanging out with Calista Flockhart. She was wearing a tomato red sundress that was fitted in the bodice and then flowed out. Seeing her in person, I definitely think she is ana. Cali doesn’t look very healthy and has bad skin. The Du Cap is where most of the stars stay, but it’s in Antibes which is a 45 minute drive from Cannes. I finally had one of their infamous, overpriced Bellinis. The white peach puree was really lovely, but there wasn’t enough champagne. If there had been, it would have gone down as the best Bellini I’d ever had.

Last night I dressed “strictly glamorously” in Stella McCartney heels—so comfortable-- and a Willow LBD (Little Black Dress) for the “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People” party sponsored by GQ . It was at a villa in the hills. Simon Peg and Gillian Anderson were there (not that I care). Mischa Barton was wearing a decent flowy, white dress—Rachel Zoe had pity on her. While waiting to leave, she was mobbed by three paps and that was enough to make her run back into the villa with her minder. WTF? It’s a good thing that she’s not a movie star—‘cause three paps is nothing to freak out over. She’s here promoting some film called You and I where she plays a lipstick lesbian. Do we care about Mischa besides what her last stupid outfit was? I’m going to the “You and I” party tonight, so we will see if she can dress decently two nights in a row. The Gorillaz were spinning records at the party and the vodka that was being served is distilled over real gold and costs over $1,000 a bottle. I drank as much as I could. TBC…

Two Perfect Dresses

2008-05-12T17:21:06Z

I found two perfect dresses in one day, both at Barneys. How lucky is that? The first is a James Perse maxi dress. I've tried on so many maxi dresses that were all way too big, so I was ecstatic to find this one. It's a really great wardrobe stable in black or white that you can dress up or down. The Velvet dress is another great option. These dresses are especially good if you have a petite upper body, though they will work for a lot of body types. They are both very flattering. Trust me; you should buy one of these options or both before they sell out. These can be found online at Shopbop.com, Nordstrom.com, Net-a-Porter.com and NeimanMarcus.com.

My Favorite New Sandals

2008-05-08T18:47:16Z

I went to Madison is Malibu and found these gorgeous leather sandals made in Brazil. They run true to size and are designed by Matt Bernson. He has a lot of other cool designs, including the trendy gladiator sandal. You can buy them online here (hurry, 'cause they will sell out) or look for a list of retailers here. I can't wait to wear mine in Cannes.

Pamela Keogh Interview

2008-05-07T04:54:34Z

Pamela Keogh always wanted to be a writer and grew up with very stylish parents. I was excited when she told me that while she was an editor at US Weekly, she was the one who introduced fashion to its pages and covered parties for the magazine. How cool is that? She also had a stint as a producer on Extra. As an established freelance journalist, the next obvious decision was to write a book. Pamela had a friend at The New York Times who referred her to her agent, and of course they signed her since she’s a great writer. But at the time she didn’t know what to write a book about. The name AudreyStyle came to her and she ended up writing a biography that included some never-seen-before glossy photos of Audrey Hepburn and information that had not been previously published. After the success of that book, she went on to write JackieStyle and Elvis Presley: The Man. The Life. The Legend.

I had a lovely chat yesterday with Pamela, who by the way lives on the Upper East Side and is friends with the owner of the townhouse that was used for the exterior shots of Holly Golightly’s apartment in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Yes, I’m jealous ‘cause I so want to see the inside of that house. I had to know what Pamela had for breakfast on the day that What Would Audrey Do? came out, and she didn’t disappoint: a brioche, oatmeal and cappuccino at Balthazar. The management even sent her a couple of glasses of champagne to celebrate.

Unfortunately, Pamela was unable to meet Audrey before she passed away, but I was curious about what question she’d ask Audrey in heaven. “Did you like it [What Would Audrey Do?]”, Pamela answered. She would have also liked to discuss politics with her since we’re in such an interesting time. I asked Pamela how she was able to interview so many people who were close to Audrey and garnered such amazing insider information. It was largely in part due to the generosity of Audrey’s companion who survives her, Robert Wolders, who opened his rolodex to her. While the book covers Audrey and all her family, I was surprised that there wasn’t much information about Audrey’s youngest son, Luca. Pamela explained that he is a very private person and currently lives in Paris.

The book took Pamela three to four months to write and research. I was very curious about which Hollywood celebrity she thinks would benefit the most from reading What Would Audrey Do? After a long pause she said, “Every single woman on “The Hills.” I couldn’t agree more. The book has a lot of good advice on how to emulate Audrey’s classy approach to being famous. All aspiring actresses (and famous ones) could really benefit from reading her tips. As Audrey said once when asked if she had ever had plastic surgery, “I’ve earned every one of my wrinkles”.

A few fun questions that I asked Pamela follow:

BAT: What are you currently reading?

PK: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.

BAT: What was the last movie you saw?

PK: “Shine a Light” [The Rolling Stones documentary by Martin Scorsese]

I’m very excited to do a giveaway, because I know you all are going to love this book. Please e-mail me at TiffanyStone@gmail.com with what question you would ask Audrey Hepburn if you could. Use AH Giveaway in the subject line. I will be picking a winner and e-mailing them back by 6:00 pm PST Thursday.

[Images via Charlotte Moss NYC]

What Would Audrey Do?

2008-05-06T20:46:37Z

[Breakfast: low-fat apple bran muffin from Grateful Bread. Green tea.]

I’ve been waiting for a book like What Would Audrey Do? Timeless Lessons for Living with Grace and Style by Pamela Keogh for a long time. It’s a book that gives biographical information, new anecdotes about Audrey Hepburn, combined with great advice on style, dating, décor and other tips for any modern woman (or certain men) of all ages. It’s light enough reading to take to the beach, but also has substance so you won’t feel brain-dead. You could buy it for your mom for Mother’s Day or your sister or friends for their birthday.

Did you know that Audrey Hepburn’s typical breakfast was a poached egg and toast with jam? That she loved feeding her dogs’ buttered toast, or that she didn’t wear makeup at home? She flew coach when she went on trips for UNICEF. I can’t picture Angelina doing that, though she probably uses her private plane at her own expense to shuttle everyone.

This is a great book for women who want to figure out how to have that Audrey Hepburn IT factor. It gives practical advice on how to live like Audrey no matter if you’re rich, poor, young or old. Later today I will be posting an interview with author Pamela Keogh that is a must read. Did I mention that yours truly is mentioned in a list of “Very Audrey” people on page 197? I will be doing a giveaway in conjunction with the interview post, so check back if you want a gratis copy of this fabulous book.

Brunch With Tiffany

2008-05-06T19:14:24Z

I waited a few weeks to try Rustic Canyon’s new Saturday breakfast/brunch. Frankly I was nervous that the main draw was pastries. If you’re ever in San Francisco and go to Tartine, you’ll understand this fear. When I’m surrounded by luscious looking confections that I know are going to taste as good as they look (a rarity) I want to try everything, but those calories are deadly.

Rustic Canyon’s adorable pastry chef, Zoe Nathan, used to work at Tartine and is one of the few people taught to make their famous bread. (Too bad I’m not friends with her and can’t ask her to make it for me for my birthday or something.) You can taste her delicious pastries like lemon pistachio coffee cake, my favorite coffee cake ever, or a new pastry that I didn’t know existed, Kouign Amann, that tasted like an elegant apple fritter with lots of buttery goodness. The Nutella croissant (with or without bananas) was also good. I liked the croissant more than the filling. I think it would have tasted amazing out of the oven. It’s very hard to get a good croissant in LA, and this one was the perfect consistency.

Rustic Canyon's owner, Josh Loeb, said that Nathan is such a fan of pastries, that it was her idea to start a Saturday brunch. Thank you, Zoe. DK and I also shared a savory dish: Lily’s Farm Fried Egg Sandwich with Niman Ranch bacon, gruyere, wild arugula and aioli. It was so fresh and satisfying. Next time I want to try the grilled cheese sandwich with pickled ramps, fontina and Niman Ranch bacon. There are enough savory items for those who don’t like pastries or need some savory with their sweet. The slices of frittata were popular, and we had a crispy rosemary potato bread with caramelized onions that rocked. The brunch is very casual—no need to make reservations. There was no wait for a table, so go before it gets super-crowded. It’s also a great place to bring kids and their communal tables in the middle are perfect for large groups of people.

Rustic Canyon
Cafe-Style Breakfast: Saturday, 9:00am - 1:00pm
1119 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA, 90401
phone. 310.393.7050

I Need one of These...

2008-05-06T18:05:12Z

Time Warner Cable is really awful. The internet has been down since yesterday afternoon! It's semi-fixed now.

Here's a Holly Golightly inspired cocktail from Dale DeGroff who wrote The Craft of the Cocktail. It can be found in Pamela Keogh's new book, What Would Audrey Do? that I will be reviewing later today on BAT.

Miss Golightly's Champagne Passion

1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce passion fruit puree
4 ounces Champagne

Assemble the Cointreau and the passion fruit puree in a cocktail shaker and shake well with ice. Strain into a Champagne flute. Fill slowly and carefully with cold Champagne. Garnish with a thin spiral of orange peel twisted over the top of the drink, then dropped into the drink.

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

2008-05-05T17:57:14Z

I like Cinco De Mayo because I love Mexico and why not celebrate their freedom? Of course, you should not drink and drive and there's no need to drink more than one or two margaritas--they are fattening and being really wasted is not sexy. DK and I celebrated early last night at Border Grill. They have drink (try the mint and cucumber margarita--soo good!) and food specials all day today, so go there for somewhat healthy Mexican food and slamming margaritas.

Yesterday was Audrey Hepburn's birthday. To celebrate, BAT will be doing a sweet giveaway later on today and will be reviewing something very Audrey-esque, so keep checking back. There will probably another giveaway this week. Next Wednesday we're off to the Cannes Film Festival and will be blogging from there.

Fashionista Du Jour

2008-05-01T19:02:41Z

Click Photo to Enlarge

Here is Nicole Richie working the maxi dress trend. I really like the dress, but the accessories don't work--that is except for her breasts. I know that as soon as she stops breastfeeding they will disappear. She should really think about gaining enough weight to keep them.

Gwyn is Looking Good

2008-05-01T18:55:54Z

[Breakfast: a hard-boiled egg]

Click Photos to Enlarge

I've never been a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow. I find her bland and don't think that she's a good actress. Plus I've heard a lot of being-a-slut-to-get-ahead stories about her and don't like the fact that she allegedly screwed Winona Ryder out of her role in Shakespeare in Love. It also makes me mad that she has a $20,000 hammock at one of her houses that I want. The worst thing about her used to be those disgusting hair extensions that she had f-o-r-e-v-e-r. They made her look older instead of younger. However, I've got to admit that she's looking fabulous these days. She’s been doing a ton of promotion for Iron Man.

Click Photos to Enlarge

Dress Du Jour

2008-04-30T20:33:09Z

I love this Sass and Bide dress. I've been looking for a nice evening dress that I can wear in Cannes for the film festival and this would be perfect. If only I could find it in a store. It's sold out at Sass and Bide online and Satine. I have the $500 that I won in Vegas ready to spend. I'm also thinking about buying a maxi dress and saw a Julie Brown one that I liked. Tomorrow I'm going to check out a few stores around Melrose Place before I head to the W. Third Street spring party @ 6pm. Drinks, food and shopping!!

I could buy a pair of designer sunglasses with my winnings, but I always lose them after six months. My cheap sunglasses last until they break. There's some kind of weird karmic sunglasses law. I'd also like a pair of designer shoes or another handbag. Hmm....if you have any ideas, please leave a comment.

Happy Hour @ The Wilshire

2008-04-23T20:25:10Z

Did you know that The Wilshire was recently re-reviewed by the LA Times and given 3 1/2 stars?

I decided to try Happy Hour at The Wilshire after having to figure out a place where my newly pregnant friend could eat. Usually, we would go to Sushi Roku or Border Grill in Santa Monica. The Wilshire is my new favorite place, because if you sit at the back bar you aren't sandwiched in like a sardine. When we got there at 5:30 the front bar was empty, but we left around 6:30 and the front bar was crazy busy. The back bar has a nice lounge area as well as comfy bar seats that aren't claustrophobic. Single girls take note: Guys in suits favored the back bar.

I had the most wonderful pomegranate and patron cocktail while Preggers had a virgin pomegranate concoction. The Kobe beef sliders were tasty, but I could have sworn were short ribs. I was too busy catching up with Preggers to ask the bartender what the deal was. Our favorite was the burrata and arugula pizza, though the grilled artichoke was pretty good. Did you know they make their own burrata?? All these Italian restaurants I go to fly in their burrata from Italy—which is not environmentally PC. Next time I’ll try the chimay ale marinated skirt steak that the bartender highly recommended. Sure, the specialty cocktails are $9, but they are normally $15 and the food deals are totally worth it. Good wines by the glass are $5. I can’t stand having gross wine or cocktails at Happy Hours, even if they’re super-cheap. I can’t wait to go back to The Wilshire, especially on balmy summer nights.

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T19:21:39Z

Above we have Adrian Grenier hanging out in a hammock in Hawaii in-between filming scenes for Entourage.

OK. I decided not to drive anywhere today. (Have I mentioned lately how much I love my Prius?) I wouldn't mind hanging out in a hammock today, but I wouldn't get any work done. Recently I was in Manhattan Beach and noticed a guy who had tied his hammock up to some volleyball poles...so you don't even need a yard to enjoy a hammock. Hanging out with a hammock and reading a book is pretty earth friendly. Reading a library book saves trees. Here are some easy things you can do to help the earth and your own sanity:

Get Rid of Junk Mail:

www.catalogchoice.org
www.dma-consumers.org/cgi/offmailing
www.41pounds.org (subscription)
www.greendimes.com (subscription)
www.optoutprescreen.com or call (888) 567-8688 (get rid of pre-approved credit card offers, don't give your SS information at the prompt if you call, just stay silent and it will skip ahead)

*please recycle any junk mail that slips through

(Sources: Martha Stewart Living and LAT)

Basic Things that you Should Already be Doing:

---Recycle, recycle, recycle

---Using totes or reusing plastic and paper bags for ALL of your shopping

---Cleaning with environmentally friendly products

---using recycled and non-chlorinated paper towels and toilet paper

---shopping at your local farmers' market and not buying vegetables and fruit out of season.

---Only using earth friendly products that go into the water supply (soap, detergent, shampoo, conditioner, etc.)

--Buying organic (there's even cool organic cotton and bamboo clothing now).

--Driving a small car/ car that gets good gas mileage (how many of you really NEED an SUV?)

--Unplugging things when they're not in use

--Switching to green bulbs when your light bulbs burn out

Fugly

2008-04-16T17:44:36Z

OMG, it's a Mom and her Goth teenager. Wow, Uma Thurman should really stop dressing like she's 60 and Evan Rachel Wood should get over trying to look like a cross between her beau Marilyn Manson and his ex, Dita Von Teese. Enough already!

Fashion Accessory Du Jour

2008-04-09T21:58:25Z

It's always best to be a step ahead of trends. Let's face it: By the time you buy what your favorite celebrity is wearing its shelf life is often limited. Over the weekend, I picked up a groovy Eugenia Kim headband at Satine. They don't sell it online, but they can be found in solid colors here. Mine is in different shades of blue. If you live in LA (or even if you don't) go check out Satine or its website. I know that I've read that celebrities like Nicole Richie shop there. I've always liked Satine because it's a small store that's well-edited, unique and the salespeople are cool. It's pricey, but I poured myself a mimosa and that helped. Actually, I poured a cup of champagne and DK called me out on it, but it was like 5:30 on a Sunday. I guess he thought I should have poured less? All boutiques should have free alcohol, duh! The super-cool owner was there, and after I admired a belt on a mannequin, she informed me that she buys vintage American clothes and accessories in Japan because they have a better selection. Isn't that crazy?? She recently opened a second Satine in Japan. LA and Japan are the places to be.