H is for Hermes

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Letterman sweaters are back this year, reports the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443437504577545170576324442.html" target="_blank"><em>Wall Street Journal</em></a><span style="color: #0066cc;">. </span><span style="color: black;">Personalized bags, shoes and skirts are popular as well. Fashionable women will be wearing monograms this fall, but well-dressed rooms have showcased the "H" of Hermes blankets for years. These wool and cashmere classics provide both warmth and style on the arms of couches or folded across beds.</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQbFq33qhMFhed2nyH_ipFwtoMhcTk5tGG4YIwmdO1yd2U0JR-h3ucavCtobsOMo9dWR0c32yah6ct9tN5ufCeBDxBiXxt9wc1vcqriwA-xww2f8YB2r2CsRk0hNmyCr_EMWXf_4y9-g/s1600/BlogHermesDominoStephenShubel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQbFq33qhMFhed2nyH_ipFwtoMhcTk5tGG4YIwmdO1yd2U0JR-h3ucavCtobsOMo9dWR0c32yah6ct9tN5ufCeBDxBiXxt9wc1vcqriwA-xww2f8YB2r2CsRk0hNmyCr_EMWXf_4y9-g/s400/BlogHermesDominoStephenShubel.jpg" width="385" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Studio of designer <a href="http://www.stephenshubeldesign.com/" target="_blank">Stephen Shubel</a>.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by William Abranowicz.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Domino (May 2008).</span></div><div align="center"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWw1iHhh7jR4jFJ6YZFUsyhh2cIVwDSw1p5cq_aWsCGtqrmkncEclZu3713KYumYLd1Eq-qMgZwOVx1_4A_ORdz5DUbhQkXAxNwruuoaCIHfVp7CYkDb4HxfFgN5HWLX9PxfUm6FjFXI/s1600/BlogHermesEDMay2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWw1iHhh7jR4jFJ6YZFUsyhh2cIVwDSw1p5cq_aWsCGtqrmkncEclZu3713KYumYLd1Eq-qMgZwOVx1_4A_ORdz5DUbhQkXAxNwruuoaCIHfVp7CYkDb4HxfFgN5HWLX9PxfUm6FjFXI/s640/BlogHermesEDMay2012.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Home of Eric and Holly Montgomery in the Berkshires, Massachusetts.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Design by Holly Montgomery and Paul Fortune.</span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photography by William Abranowicz.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Elle Decor (May 2012).</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPn6Hf-oHgV4T8iGrEgyjPMxFqpffxIpj6aMZAZHboPSDrPuUftH-0xmi20j2brwBUJmfSJw05sqtaY0R5GOox7YgnFD2R2XmiicZMi1w5DNAXK_CMt2UDA5txqGT_TYlckR7XB_LfuY/s1600/BlogHermesHBDecJan2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihPn6Hf-oHgV4T8iGrEgyjPMxFqpffxIpj6aMZAZHboPSDrPuUftH-0xmi20j2brwBUJmfSJw05sqtaY0R5GOox7YgnFD2R2XmiicZMi1w5DNAXK_CMt2UDA5txqGT_TYlckR7XB_LfuY/s640/BlogHermesHBDecJan2012.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Home of Mark D. Sikes and Michael Griffin.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior design by Mark D. Sikes and Michael Griffin.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Amy Neunsinger.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">House Beautiful (December 2011 - January 2012).</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-QnAb_PanRT31hyvRPeCtf6pPl8Z8bVeK21FguJwWgMYhInfg4i660bbShPtXuHBSTM47OmPGNryOVaHXWKNv3x0cjpTT0cEbhDAeUAGfQIn99ZcJo-lSHTnHOF_jmNSGwcg-CgucJI/s1600/BlogHermesHBJune2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-QnAb_PanRT31hyvRPeCtf6pPl8Z8bVeK21FguJwWgMYhInfg4i660bbShPtXuHBSTM47OmPGNryOVaHXWKNv3x0cjpTT0cEbhDAeUAGfQIn99ZcJo-lSHTnHOF_jmNSGwcg-CgucJI/s640/BlogHermesHBJune2011.jpg" width="528" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vacation home on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior design by Sally Markham.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Thomas Loof.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">House Beautiful (June 2011).</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6iL_Gyq66U6b_wc-f0UDF0R3tWEQ6e7sVkJHfnxRzn0OH-7qzId9y4Dl7bmS5VlVdNvJSVHZR3xTOo9cOtbqVPXQo8rI8frjSqrrVGzC8HbovJNokaDzn76MmGfm9t3eFKpafGizy0o/s1600/BlogHermesVerandaMarchApril2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6iL_Gyq66U6b_wc-f0UDF0R3tWEQ6e7sVkJHfnxRzn0OH-7qzId9y4Dl7bmS5VlVdNvJSVHZR3xTOo9cOtbqVPXQo8rI8frjSqrrVGzC8HbovJNokaDzn76MmGfm9t3eFKpafGizy0o/s640/BlogHermesVerandaMarchApril2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior design by Suzanne Kasler.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Interior detailing by Thierry Francois, John Oetgen and William T. Baker.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Architecture by William T. Baker.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photography by Thibault Jeanson.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Veranda (March - April 2012).</span></div><div align="center"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Cad_OryuqC9mY1OBuQLcer3rwQrh_4eKTL1dXUcHYK7ILZ2pgRN6a4MIhcjyV58ra9yLKBI7QhyfQq0RyUsxKqGsW7rMQ8nDILn0UW0Sg8Fk9riXWKx5EuSIdO_os0cpuOgUWlMCnkM/s1600/int-watersound-7-L%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Cad_OryuqC9mY1OBuQLcer3rwQrh_4eKTL1dXUcHYK7ILZ2pgRN6a4MIhcjyV58ra9yLKBI7QhyfQq0RyUsxKqGsW7rMQ8nDILn0UW0Sg8Fk9riXWKx5EuSIdO_os0cpuOgUWlMCnkM/s640/int-watersound-7-L%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Watersound".</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interior design by Suzanne Kasler.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo from <a href="http://www.suzannekasler.com/" target="_blank">Suzanne Kasler's website</a>.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWrgrRU7XPn9IpbICQsGeQCr7iDl1yqt08ITaUC-53YlkgzrfkNMW_hTF-1nfcleKfTpnRiM9aWR_2Sqbu2sLga9MUwLNCNtcKJQEcgiKtz3FpZfUZjDrRZTr025fXidsaAFLj6eDlY4/s1600/item3.rendition.slideshowWideHorizontal.ellen-degeneres-portia-de-rossi-beverly-hills-home-04-living-room%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWrgrRU7XPn9IpbICQsGeQCr7iDl1yqt08ITaUC-53YlkgzrfkNMW_hTF-1nfcleKfTpnRiM9aWR_2Sqbu2sLga9MUwLNCNtcKJQEcgiKtz3FpZfUZjDrRZTr025fXidsaAFLj6eDlY4/s640/item3.rendition.slideshowWideHorizontal.ellen-degeneres-portia-de-rossi-beverly-hills-home-04-living-room%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Avalon blanket by Hermes.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Living room of home formerly owned by Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Architecture by Buff & Hensman.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Decorator: Melinda Ritz.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Architectural Digest (November 2011).</span></div>

H is for Hermes

Letterman sweaters are back this year, reports the Wall Street Journal . Personalized bags, shoes and skirts are popular as well. Fashionabl...

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Coach Bags: Revisiting a Classic

<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">An article in today’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wall Street Journal <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303644004577521072256706462.html" target="_blank">("Coach Comes Around to Reclaim Its Iconic Look")</a></i></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> discusses Coach handbags and the debut of some of the brand’s revamped classics. I used to love Coach. It was my go-to choice for classic leather bags that were tasteful and well-made. They were a quality investment, not a guilty splurge, and the rich leather aged beautifully. Then cheaper purses plastered with the Coach logo began to appear everywhere. Coach had become crass. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I still own six “classic” Coach bags, including this navy case that I use to transport my laptop.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGGIct4FydyvzeC-aY1NaNuFGWjxT7XP_hHyoraKTvIRjUfAlZg9UVGM_jN4g-TAAHbjmmTN7oHfTWkUBnaWFWr2QwvVCc4dkRTqhWZl7031l19ZtK_SZl_-brLBaMcsGwM9DQsjZBG8/s1600/IMAG0166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGGIct4FydyvzeC-aY1NaNuFGWjxT7XP_hHyoraKTvIRjUfAlZg9UVGM_jN4g-TAAHbjmmTN7oHfTWkUBnaWFWr2QwvVCc4dkRTqhWZl7031l19ZtK_SZl_-brLBaMcsGwM9DQsjZBG8/s320/IMAG0166.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicO-76LZvoaEqjqT47cp7vCQ8LeH4Sdfh2-LccT2m4R-zDaZI60mulOY1SZ77aWSuP51O1la5xJRtaiDQIgbdbGJdvwWw9ZgoZtkDJrcLC0TSxgPrgyCiCh-JQztZXpdL_uSo-IyJykAc/s1600/IMAG0167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicO-76LZvoaEqjqT47cp7vCQ8LeH4Sdfh2-LccT2m4R-zDaZI60mulOY1SZ77aWSuP51O1la5xJRtaiDQIgbdbGJdvwWw9ZgoZtkDJrcLC0TSxgPrgyCiCh-JQztZXpdL_uSo-IyJykAc/s320/IMAG0167.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wall Street Journal</i> article pictures the original and the updated “duffel” bags. Here is mine in mahogany. I bought it in the 1990s. The new version features a cell phone pocket, which should be handy. My Droid always falls to the bottom of my classic duffel.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-IC7A_-WFmIL3Z6AH6_eBiEyggqalchXTSdwzuxD3R2LrMx4NKtnGdC3iSJaLurR5UPOMIHgIFae1pBcXnBUcDjgvgWmiXKa9SEhoNDE_HiMZ-zYasAn0JqggjsbiCjdZt9_EEwV9lE/s1600/IMAG0168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-IC7A_-WFmIL3Z6AH6_eBiEyggqalchXTSdwzuxD3R2LrMx4NKtnGdC3iSJaLurR5UPOMIHgIFae1pBcXnBUcDjgvgWmiXKa9SEhoNDE_HiMZ-zYasAn0JqggjsbiCjdZt9_EEwV9lE/s320/IMAG0168.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWMEA5LQVGTBY5kxQWVsoLMHbLzPnQki77y-72w3Wvw-g9T3jc-JiOpgFY1EdL5Muiw2x9c3wLM0ip4QvINe8LTkdZdaZg8C6SVat60ykdD44glN9i1kJVzxhftr1PlbbqTLEt8bQ6ro/s1600/IMAG0169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWMEA5LQVGTBY5kxQWVsoLMHbLzPnQki77y-72w3Wvw-g9T3jc-JiOpgFY1EdL5Muiw2x9c3wLM0ip4QvINe8LTkdZdaZg8C6SVat60ykdD44glN9i1kJVzxhftr1PlbbqTLEt8bQ6ro/s320/IMAG0169.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I always loved the colors of the Coach bags. Mahogany was a favorite, as was British Tan, the color of my two bags pictured below. I have not been a fan of the newer styles, but perhaps the updated classics will tempt me once again. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxrI7O49YhB2V4JIKYPlltx2wJDsKJHM1jOerQd9YYeeBTfVo4OirWlnAPRm6EM5hfnYvythK3XUffslcEjlIMpnUiegikgT7bKYxopcAX0yTH7NQ_AsWr_6aUmoV8oaDe2Roycz1rlE/s1600/IMAG0176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxrI7O49YhB2V4JIKYPlltx2wJDsKJHM1jOerQd9YYeeBTfVo4OirWlnAPRm6EM5hfnYvythK3XUffslcEjlIMpnUiegikgT7bKYxopcAX0yTH7NQ_AsWr_6aUmoV8oaDe2Roycz1rlE/s320/IMAG0176.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDevPSX9wg3pDqJa4hBcT3Vy-CIoV9w7ckYdNdocAiUQrmO8vnmydpcDmIZB6wL1sXhDUq7PjHtQWZtADNcl3YWvhuh6FVCSG0lm4G6AR8RKDYC3qngwxREoWOocmvWVVc1QYLgx_vNU/s1600/IMAG0177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDevPSX9wg3pDqJa4hBcT3Vy-CIoV9w7ckYdNdocAiUQrmO8vnmydpcDmIZB6wL1sXhDUq7PjHtQWZtADNcl3YWvhuh6FVCSG0lm4G6AR8RKDYC3qngwxREoWOocmvWVVc1QYLgx_vNU/s320/IMAG0177.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIuWU6KCYd7K3mJih-J55fUZSKTd_-f50msf9IQPxuJkwyPlYyLXx8jbVDyyqnojRX0LrA5KW-iiM1auu_I1wxhDm1Z0KLoVBVBRnDflMulSUFuM1wCTJB3zAI45U6-Qsadoi26J6en8/s1600/IMAG0174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIuWU6KCYd7K3mJih-J55fUZSKTd_-f50msf9IQPxuJkwyPlYyLXx8jbVDyyqnojRX0LrA5KW-iiM1auu_I1wxhDm1Z0KLoVBVBRnDflMulSUFuM1wCTJB3zAI45U6-Qsadoi26J6en8/s320/IMAG0174.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK0cXHiifPRzNTivL86OI6yojNLoUc74QCdXdeRTN3rLjel_zgxLkXhZX2d77zK3Dx0tBFS6gkKIfwKv_PG8bYIGgvcr0D-GuPdfTIWOlgAlWA7PCBk2fQilX5gdehZmSQUH5SSdZ1SI/s1600/IMAG0173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK0cXHiifPRzNTivL86OI6yojNLoUc74QCdXdeRTN3rLjel_zgxLkXhZX2d77zK3Dx0tBFS6gkKIfwKv_PG8bYIGgvcr0D-GuPdfTIWOlgAlWA7PCBk2fQilX5gdehZmSQUH5SSdZ1SI/s320/IMAG0173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think of Coach?</span></div>

Coach Bags: Revisiting a Classic

An article in today’s Wall Street Journal ("Coach Comes Around to Reclaim Its Iconic Look")  discusses Coach handbags and the debu...

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