This summer is already gearing up to be a highly anticipated movie blockbuster season – with one of them being The Wolverine. This past week, a teaser trailer and stills were posted on Entertainment Weekly, which featured Japanese models Tao Okamoto and Rila Fukushima, who play Mariko and Yukio respectively. The Wolverine marks their first Hollywood production (as well as Okamoto’s first foray into acting). I’ll admit, while Tao Okamoto is one of my favorite models, Rila Fukushima looks pretty badass. Check them all out!
The winter chill is almost gone and Spring is here! The recent warm weather in Los Angeles made me think of one thing: it’s about time for bathing suit shopping! While the stores haven’t fully stocked on the latest swimwear collections from multiple brands, some online retailers are rolling out their two and one pieces early on already. I found this cute little gem for the Sanrio lovers out there: a Chococat swimsuit (priced at $22.80 at F21). Readers, what do you think? Is this too much Sanrio – or would you rock this on the beach for the upcoming warm seasons?
On a side note, I found it really amusing that they styled the outfit with the furry salmon colored boots (?) with a pastel-like baroque scarf. Because, you know, that’s how I roll to all pool parties.
We talk to Everly’s designers – the sisterly duo Adriana and Fabiana – about the line’s latest collection. Read on to find out their inspiration and what’re digging for spring!
Xiao Wen Ju for Neiman Marcus.
Xiao Wen Ju for Neiman Marcus.
Summer may bring to mind barbecues and pool parties, but why sacrifice style for a warm weather fête when all it takes is a few details to lighten up any look? Here, some experts show us how we can bring summer to two very different décor styles.
ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: Audrey Living
PHOTO: Callaway Gable
STYLISTS: Carpe Diem Special Events and Designs; Rrivre Works, Inc.
FLOWERS: Mille Flori Floral Design
VENUE: Rrivre Works, Inc.
“When you’re thinking of a summer dinner with friends, it is always nice to give your guests the unexpected,” says Slomique Hawrylo, who runs Carpe Diem, an event planning company, with partner Alice Chung. Always consider your surroundings when planning your tablescape, says Hawrylo. If you’ve got access to a great outdoor setting with a breathtaking view, you’re practically done. But if you’re working with an indoor venue, Hawrylo suggests an eye-catching print accenting the wall behind your table setting, like a bold damask design. Setting up a striking backdrop is easy to achieve, she adds. “Just purchase a large amount of fabric from your local fabric store and hang it flush to the wall accenting your tablescape.”
Against a sophisticated black and white backdrop, Hawrylo finds it important to make sure accent pieces are “wow pieces.” She suggests “sprinkling in a little summer brightness with a crisp apple green,” like vintage-inspired stemware and napkins. Don’t be afraid to mix and match modern and vintage styles of stemware in varying shades of your accent color. “Your guests will be impressed by the wonderful play on colors,” she says.
Florist Gina Kim-Park of Mille Fiori Floral Design continued the apple green theme by accenting each table setting with green cymbidium orchid blooms. She also used “modern baroque-style” mirrored trays for the charger. “You can purchase any cool picture frame to use as chargers for any dinner setting,” she adds.
To play off the bold damask backdrop, Kim-Park created an oversized garland with white and black paper flowers. She created one centerpiece with a white paper flower bloom accented with green moss balls, and another utilizing white akito roses meandering down a tall ceramic vase. As for setting up the layout of your dinner party, never feel that you are confined to the conventional table, says Hawrylo. “If you have a unique bar at your home, and you want your guests to experience a modern way of having a dinner party, have the entire evening themed around the bar. Your place settings, conversation and, of course, drinks will all take place at this unconventional table.”
If you’re working with a more traditional dining setting, bring summer inside — in an enchanted-forest- midsummer-night’s-dream type of way. This dreamy tablescape was created around the Montage Table, which features a magnolia tree at the center, by Rrivre Works, an event design and rental company. “Bring the outdoors in with living foliage, and accent with florals in the colors of the season,” says Rrivre Davies, owner of Rrivre Works. If your dinner is outdoors, he suggests building a table around your favorite tree.
If you don’t happen to have a tree in your dining room, “consider a potted tree for your next centerpiece,” says Hawrylo. “Big or small, it can provide an unexpected wow factor.” Kim-Park used oversized glass balls with candles for a whimsical yet modern touch — a crystal garland would work just as well against the hand-distressed texture of the table. She added large succulents with accents of fern greenery “for a more organic feel.” 
“We like to take our themes to the max,” says Davies. “Sweet bird dishware and natural linen napkins take the stuffiness out of a formal event without compromising elegance. Layering multiple textures gives the setting a unique, eclectic look.” Pair vintage-inspired “found” dishware from flea markets and estate sales with your existing china to add personality to your table. And never underestimate the power of a napkin, says Hawrylo. “The right color or detail on a napkin can make a table pop. An easy way to add a little flavor to your napkin is by taking two napkins with two different colors and folding it to accomplish a two-tone napkin. This adds character and a little charm.”
Finish off the tablescape with fresh seasonal blooms. For this particular look, Kim-Park used ranunculus, peonies, tulips, fruitilaria and green viburnum in a gold alabaster glass urn, but she says natural florals in miniature vases spread throughout the table work, too.
With the warm, quintessentially L.A. summer still upon us here in Southern California, there’s no doubt that I’ll be finding my way to a few more barbecues before the summer comes to an end. With some days at the park on the horizon, check out a few outfit options – for all less than $100!
Feline Sunglasses, Courtesty of Need Supply Co.
Did you miss our Days of Summer Guide? Read up on our hotspots, beauty and styling tips, best summer dishes, and our favorite products!
After moving back to Los Angeles from a long stint in San Francisco a couple of months ago, I’ve been anticipating my first summer back in SoCal for quite some time now. I’ve already embarked on weekend trips to Vegas and San Diego, planned future bbq’s and bonfires at the beach, and been enjoying the warm nights sipping cocktails with friends at our favorite outdoor/rooftop lounges. My calendar’s been filling up with plenty of fun activities, but what’s my top event of the summer? The 10th Edition of Plate By Plate Los Angeles!
Here’s another great summer dish from my Nai Nai’s kitchen. This dish is cool and refreshing, and is perfect for those hot days when you don’t want to warm up the house with cooking heat. “Liang” means cool and “ban” means toss, and that describes this dish perfectly because the preparation is all cutting and assembling—easy and simple. This recipe uses a couple ingredients only found in Chinese super markets. Zha cai are pickled vegetables that add a great crunch to the dish. Century eggs are preserved duck eggs that look really funky, but taste great. This dish is a wonderful combination of flavors and textures and is also extremely healthy. The tofu and duck eggs make this dish almost entirely protein and will keep you going during the summer. Enjoy!
Photo courtesy of hungerhunger.blogspot.com.
