Saturday, December 29, 2012

SWEET NOTHING

So I put my faith in something unknown/ I'm living on such sweet nothing

Christmas candy specially ordered by my Hubby for his parents. Every piece of chocolate is hand painted! They are from Mariebelle.


But I'm tired of hope with nothing to hold/ I'm living on such sweet nothing

And it's hard to learn/ And it's hard to love/ When you're giving me such sweet nothing


Sweet nothing/Sweet Sweet nothing
You're giving me such sweet nothing

Lyrics by Calvin Harris, performed by Florence Welch
Makers of the sweet decadent clothes I am wearing are as follows:
Top-Equipment
Skirt- J Crew pink sparkly pencil skirt
Flesh colored pumps by Manolo Blahnik
Earrings- J Crew

In case you are wondering why I am posting another pic so soon, I thought I will try to redeem myself from my prior week's laziness.

XOXO

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Happy Holidays!!!!

I apologize for the lack of posts but I came down with a mean case of blogger's block while on vacation. I promise to do better next year  (resolution# 199,999,999,999,999) but in the mean time, greetings from Crystal Mountain, WA.  This is what I have been up to...

The fam and I; it seems my mother in law was playing hide and seek with the camera.  As cunning as she is, she was never found.
On the ski lift 


Here I go, I tried to make a turn but instead landed on my butt. My butt continuously paid homage to the ice god during this activity.  I am still in pain.

Christmas trees en route to the mountain.
 XOXO

Sunday, December 9, 2012

DALLAS...MY INSPIRATION

Let's hope the Ewings are at least tickled


 Vintage coat dress by Jacqueline de Ribes. I snagged this fabulous 80s number at a store called Cheeky Vintage, located in Houston. I am seriously in love with this store, you walk in and you feel like you stepped into Willy Wonka the Fashion Factory!
Jewels: Earrings from J-Crew ala Net-a-Porter, broach from a jewelry store in Korea town (NYC)

I straightened my hair for date night. And like Cinderella's fairy tale night, it went back to Brillo pad when the clock striked workout time...
XOXO

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving All!

It's over, I am currently in my sweat pants (which are a little snug right now), all is absolutely well!
The sun was shinning a little bright today
Our T-DAY contributions , Pecan pie from scratch.  It was amazing.
I am not quite sure what this champagne tasted like because I was already drunk when I popped the cork.   But really... can you ever go wrong with champagne?



Hope you all had a good one.
XOXO

PS: Outfits are Helmut Lang charcoal top; American Apparel skirt, Christian Louboutin shoes

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Random Pics of Christiana

We were going out for drinks one night and as a self appointed papparazzi of my friends, I bugged Christiana until she posed for me.  Enjoy!
 I just loved the loose fit of this dress on her
Another semi fruity drink directly from Paris for our cocktail hour, thanks Nnenna!
--This drink had a fruity aroma, and when I took a sip, it was like a burst of roses in my mouth. That is, if roses were edible.

Blue steel stare
XOXO

Sunday, November 11, 2012

PUSS in BOOTS

Or shall I say Pegs in Boots? From browsing images on the web, it seems even Puss filled out his boots-- No one to commiserate with.  Just scroll down to the second pic to see what I am talking about. I was trying to break you'll in first with a non-peg picture...


Silk Kimono from Blu Moon 
And now Pegs in Boots--be kind...
American Apparel dress, gold cuff necklace from Nordstrom and Burberry Motorcycle boots

Happy Veteran's Day and hope you have a good week!
 XOXO

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Velvet Clad in Wool


Cross necklace from Express years ago
Sweater from Urban Outfitters, Alexander Wang dress

Cocktail hour-- This one is for people that love semi sweet drinks.  It tasted like watered down fruit juice. It does have an after taste, a little bit of a bite. Think spritzy, champagne with fruity coloring.

Have a great week everyone!!!
XOXO

Saturday, October 27, 2012

IT FINALLY HAPPENED!


No, not Halloween and definitely not Beyonce's new single--I don't really like it (it looks like Solange will be the only Knowles representing our city this time around--check out her new video, LOVE IT!).  Anyway, I digress.
The IT that happened is... wait for it...  Fall.  The almighty heaven finally decided to throw down a bucket of ice (maybe just an ice tray) on our good 'ol state of Texas.  

And for the occasion-- I wore a Zara dress as a vest and a Zara leather jacket as an under shirt.

Giuseppe Zanotti boots, socks borrowed from hubby-- I refuse to purchase my own socks, and of course, bare legs.  After all, this is Texas and we do not respect the cold enough to actually wear tights.   This is the same kind of thinking that cowboys around here have when they continue to wear wranglers in a 100 degree weather. Or the thinking that college students around these parts have when they refuse to let go of their flip flops and khaki shorts even in December.  No respect for the weather!

Tiger brooch






If you could not already tell, it was an extremely windy day.  I definitely did not need to use my hired fan blower for these pics:)
Hope you have a nice week and happy Halloween. If I do end up celebrating, I shall be parading around town as a lumber jack; mustache, mullet, et al.  And my motto for the night will be a phrase from one of Geico's "award winning?" commercials, "Hey Woodchuck, quit chucking my wood"

Until next time...
XOXO

Sunday, October 21, 2012

COCKTAIL HOUR---Just in time for Sunday Brunch


Some might say a woman’s best friend is her very own Louise (i.e. Louise in Thelma and Louise). Others, in an attempt to be cheeky, will spew out mundane best friend equivalents such as shoes, chocolate, ice cream, cats, Ryan Gosling (see “Hey Girl” series), or Italian men when asked this pertinent question. But for those who have really lived or aspire to REALLY live, it’s firsthand knowledge that a woman’s true best friend can only be one thing— an Alcoholic drink.  Let’s break this down, shall we? 

When you cannot get the girls together for a night out, who stands in and with you when you decide to let loose and practice the dance moves from the movie Coyote Ugly—in public?!

Who is there for you after a frustrating day’s work when even picturing a tornado wiping out your entire office building does not bring a smile to your face?

Who is there for you with a bucket full of confidence, albeit misplaced, when you have eaten too much and cannot possibly suck in your stomach to a publicly accepted level?  

When you just need someone to talk to, who does this better than alcohol? It’s certainly more attentive than your cat and gives you less talk back than your very own Louise. And if that isn't enough, you get the added benefit of a woozy understanding feeling in the pit of your stomach during the entire conversation.   

And lastly, who is there to console you or congratulate you during whatever crises or celebratory event the universe decides to bring your way?  Champagne does not cork on its own ladies.

So here at Ava Drake’s, instead of bombarding you with pictures of food and weekly recipes like I have seen other bloggers do (just go buy the damn cupcake!), I decided to feature a blog series to pay homage to a woman’s best friend.  A series I will like to call, drum roll please…. COCKTAIL HOUR!

Women of the world (well... maybe just of the blogosphere), lets dial down on the mini-quiches and double down (my favorite over used word from this election’s presidential nominees) on drink recipes and picking out good wines.

Let's begin this series with a french wine I picked out for the weekend:

This a 2002 Bordeaux wine. I will spare you all the frou frou wine descriptions, wine connoiseurs like to give and instead say this:
--If you are into sweet wines this wine is not for you
--It's a heavy wine but it does not have the alcohol taste that some heavy wines have.  In other words, you don't need to drink this with chocolate to help it go down. Remember to let your wine breath when you first open it; this helps with the alcohol after taste that some heavier wines might have. However, if it is a $9 bottle of wine (i.e. you buy cheap), you will just have to live with that hotness, almost metallic taste going down your esophagus...
--This wine did not have a bad after taste
--Overall verdict: this wine, like most Bordeaux, are for people that prefer dry wines. Its full bodied taste is definitely an acquired one.

XOXO 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Cartier Fashion Show--Spring/Summer 2012

Yeah... these are certainly not your average Topshop accessories. I asked Nnenna how it felt to have the entire developing world's GDP on her finger and she laughed and said, "It was quite heavy". 
Grecian goddesses with Nnenna at front and center.

Sorry about the blurry pics, Nnenna was sneaking in these pics for me when she was supposed to be working.
XOXO

Sunday, October 7, 2012

La Chamade--The heartbeat

"Girls have such silly reasons for doing the most serious things" (Roman Fever, Edith Wharton) 
This was certainly not the case for below nuptials. After ten plus years together, Christiana decided to finally say yes to her lovely beau. And what a lovely yes it was.  Enjoy!
A pensive moment before all the make up and hoopla of the event began.
Inspiration for hair was the roaring 20s; think Daisy Buchanan or even Marion Cotillard in Midnight in Paris
A woman's right to shoes...


Ring: something blue and borrowed; I have yet to get it back:) 
Dress worn at reception. She literally looked like a cloud; a female version of cotton candy, decadent enough to command a diabetic crowd. And diabetics we were...

And finally, pics of the lovely couple
XOXO

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The Advantage of Bob Hair??

Here is a flash bulb moment for you all, it definitely was one for me-- According to one of my friends, and I quote (this should be read with a Samantha Jones type intonation):
" There is long hair power and then there is short hair power.  There is no such thing as bob hair power.  Other women are nicer to you now because you have your weave out, and you now have this cute not going to steal anyone's husband bob. You are no longer deemed threatening or overtly sexual." 
Case in point, same woman...
Pic 1: I admire such a woman from a distance.  Her stare alone is enough for me to give her 50 feet
Pic 2: Awwwww, she just looks so cute. I feel she and I can go grab a coffee and yap about our natural hair regimen...

XOXO

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Ava From The Block

A dear friend gave me a beautiful Pucci scarf as a gift and I immediately felt a JLO scarf moment coming on (I'm just, I'm just, Jenny from the block, I used to have no scarf now I have a Pucci, no matter where I go I know I should scarf on...
Unfortunately, when I tried tying my scarf like Ms Lopez’ in below pic; my head ended up looking like an upside down mixing bowl--damn my big weave!  And since I was already thirty minutes behind for Sunday brunch, I took the easy way route and went for the 80s dance instructor head band look…   


80s dance instructor reporting for duty: Pucci scarf, Liz Clairborne white button down shirt, Lanvin Khaki trousers

Hello lovahhhh...
Celine bag



Chloe pumps
Have a lovely week everyone!
XOXO

Sunday, September 23, 2012

SUIT UP BIRDIE

A Tale Of A Maybe Fashion Addict
I find that I am getting tired of the ordinary. Much like a pill head's expected descent into taking the "stronger" stuff, I now refuse to purchase anything cotton or jersey and I no longer swoon over silk and chiffon when it comes to purchasing an outfit.  Instead, I am salivating over feathers, ornament encrusted garments, metallic gold shields made into bustiers, t-shirts made with leather... really, I am just loving the "too much" when it comes to picking out clothes these days.  I am terrified a meat dress will be in my near future...

Whatev... if that happens, I blame my parents. You know... for not giving me enough birdies and fake diamonds when I was a kid. 
Alice and Olivia Feather Skirt, Zara white blouse, Pencey Jacket

Purse from Modalistas in NYC
Tom Ford sunglasses, Salvatore Ferragamo sandals (if you have not noticed, I really love these shoes)
XOXO