Fashion Forward

Giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroach Brooch


These insects come in varied patterns and are decorated with the finest Austrian Swarovski crystal. Each roach takes about an hour of painstaking work to achieve his final magical glory. All roaches come complete with a leash set. This consists of a gorgeous pin you attach to your clothing with a chain that clasps to the cockroach's carapace to keep him from running amok. The lifespan of these animals is approximately one year if housed and fed properly. Keep him in a little terrarium in the dark and he will love you and be very responsive to your touch. Um, okay.

I actually saw this 'jewelry' used in a fashion show and it was quite revolting - however, given the 'fashion sense' of numerous designers - it's rather apropos to their collection...

All that for only $80 - hurry while supplies and your gag reflex last.

It's back!!

I've never been so happy to see that white blanket roll in over the golden gate, commencing the back and forth of the foghorns. Finally - a little relief from what has been a torturous few days of record-breaking heat...

Team Kaia

The coffee table/side tables arrived yesterday and they look fantastic. Truly. I am surprised at how big (almost double) the coffee table is from my last. I ended up giving my old tables to the moving guys - what they do with them - i don't care. So in the process of selecting what goes back on the table - what goes away - what is thrown away - etc, i end up doing a massive redo of my apt. Well, at least a massive redo of my living room. Completely reorganized and moved around all the things on my bookshelves, switched out and put away numerous books, pulled out objects i've been hoarding away for this particular moment, de-cluttered, de-junked and streamlined my life. It feels great. And, to be honest, looks fucking fantastic.

I need to have a cocktail party - STAT.

Lots of fabulous changes i haven't mentioned - i was elected PR Chair for the board of directors i sit on for the museums. And, AND...even more fabulously, i'm chairing the gala ball for the fashion and costume exhibit of an AMAZING designer. As soon as i heard we had a fashion exhibit - i was all over that. Me me me!! Yes please. So - i'm going to need a sick dress to wear - and as my mom and i were discussing - seriously fierce hair for the night. We were thinking big - bold - curly - gigantic piled upon hair. I cannot wait!

It's, ahem, my birthday on Sunday. No age divulged so bugger off. Hopefully heading for cocktails this weekend with a few friends for a bit of champagne. The calls are out and it looks like a few of us are meeting up with a few others - so it's going to be a fun group of people - ready to play and party. Most likely, we'll take residence at the Redwood room for a bit and then end the night at Balboa. I'm supposed to be heading to the W tonight for an event, but i'm not in the mood so we're passing - but booked for next Thursday for another event. On a lesser note, i was planning a relaxing day at home tomorrow - finishing up a few deals - and i'm told that i have 'mandatory attendance' to a 'pizza and bowling' party for work - team building. I'm not a huge bowler because the idea of sticking my foot into the footwear of literally hundreds of other wearers - well, frankly, gives me the willies. That and it completely destroys my manicure. But i have to be a team player... so i'll go, and smile, and bowl. Yeah me.

Birthday lunch at Neiman's with a few on Sunday followed by a mini-spree throughout the store. YEAH ME. Go Team Kaia!

Must go - meow - K

Retail Therapy for the Home

I made a few purchases over the weekend - a bit of upgrading for my apartment.

New "Gayle" coffee table and matching nesting tables

I'm leaning toward these lamps - the "Brett" collection - the floor and table lamp. I love the lines in these lamps - they're incredibly graceful and elegant while still modern.

My next purchase after my coffee table/nesting tables arrive on Wednesday is a new couch. I want something modern with clean lines but maintaining a traditional feel. I'm not one for lots of pillows and fuss - but the one i've found - i think is as near to perfection as i'll get.

I'm in love with the Seabury in "Wheat Lavish" velvet. Meow.

While my apartment doesn't necessarily need any upgrades - every now and again it's nice to surround yourself with new things. For me, it's time.

Cheers darling

C and i went to a party for the Symphony on Wednesday night at the new Mercedes dealership in SF. It's so gorgeous - very modern - sleek - 2 stories - with a very soothing bubbling water fall. We arrived, valeted, and checked in. Both C and i used to be extremely social - we were out 4-5 nights a week at different parties and functions. I chaired one of the largest balls in SF - sat on boards, etc. I eventually 'dropped out' because SF is a very small city - and if you make it even that much smaller by primarily going to only the society events - it ends up being even smaller. Everyone knows your business - who you're dating - who you're not - who you want to - etc. I'm working my way back 'in'. But i digress... we arrive and there are a bevy of faces i hadn't seen in ages. We grab cocktails and do a lap. We stop by the beautiful McLaren SLR - amazing gull-winged mercedes. It was the only one roped off in the event - all the other cars were open and people were trying them all on for size.

We sip our cocktails and of course i spy my ex. He was there with one of his best friends David. I gently elbow C - make her aware of his presence and we turn on our heels and disappear into the crowd. When we emerge from the throngs of stiletto clad women we run right into them. Of course. We say hello - he's had a few drinks so he's very 'friendly' - C immediately announces that i just returned from 2 fabulous weeks in NY. MY ex promptly grabs my ring finger to see if i'm engaged. I pull my hand away and shoot him a nasty look. We chat for a little bit - and then say we're going to get cocktails. Ciao! We cruise upstairs - nibble a few hors d'oeurves - and C is ready for another pomegranate martini. We head back downstairs - run into an old friend - mid stairwell - chat and cause a traffic jam for a few minutes - promise to email and do lunch soon and then we're off for that martini. We successfully secure C another martini - i'm drinking sparkling water now - it was dreadfully hot in there. We meet several 'guys' - chat with them for a few - and then decide we've milked this party for all it's worth. We head outside toward the door - grab our goodie bag (filled with a mini croc embossed leather martini shaker' - a mini bottle from the vodka sponsor - and some mercedes swag) - and are stopped by a photographer for a picture - we pose - cheekily with our goodie bags held up - give the photographer our names - and head out to valet. We dump the business cards we collected and head off to dinner.

We head to Balboa for dinner - and run into the mayor. Our very handsome and very single Mayor. C knows him from events and we chat with him for a bit before sitting for dinner. C had the steak and i had the seared tuna. Both were wonderful. We discuss the event for the following evening - a charity auction at a design center and decide to pass - opting instead for an event at the W next thursday. Dinner was great as always - Balboa never fails. We ended up seeing a ton of the people from the symphony event at Balboa by the time we finished dinner. We head out - and i drop her at home.

I ended up working from home yesterday (and today) and it was truly crazy. I ended up finishing 5 deals yesterday - 2 were fire drills. I had one scuffle with a sales exec - and he ended up - literally - groveling for forgiveness by the time i got done with him. So that was fun. Today should be a little less stressful and hopefully i'll have time to get my nails and toes done before dinner tonight. A group of us are going to Jardiniere for dinner. I haven't been there in several years - but it's an amazing restaurant and i'm really looking forward to seeing everyone.

Other than that - i'm buying a coffee table this weekend the Pottery Barn 'Gayle' table. It's really lovely. The new couch is next. I want the Seabury - but am still open to other options. So we'll see. On a side note - NY was amazing - as always - we had the best time. Only down point was that i got the stomach flu and ended up giving it to Rich. I spent the last few days of my trip indoors and not feeling well. Not fun. We did get to dinner the night before i left with Matt and Jeremy at Jane. It was Fantastic. I miss NY. I miss everything about NY.

Meow - K