MoCo Paused

I admit it. I've flown the coop. I've been enjoying the gorgeous state of New Mexico and just need to share with you some of the sights of Santa Fe. Years ago, when I first came to the capital city, it was nothing more than a traditional plaza surrounded by simple stores for tourists offering not much more than beaded belts and kachina dolls. By now it has exploded into an arts and tourists' mecca drawing an international crowd to its summer festivals, markets and renowned outdoor opera. Here are a few sights from around town. I'll be back in MoCo tomorrow night and will hit the ground running to get you all caught up on exciting, upcoming events.

Sculpture on Canyon Road

Folkloric art in the park

The fabulous painted glass windows surrounding a door at La Fonda Hotel

Folk art

Segways heading toward the Cathedral

Little faces beckon from a window

Fashion meets art

When artist Maggie O'Neill was painting outside Ginger boutique last week it looked like a scene from Montmartre. Finished paintings surrounded the artist busy at work while her mother handed out brochures to curious passersby. Usually found at her Kensington decorative painting company, O'Neill Studios, Maggie made an appearance during Bethesda Lane's Front Row events to display the art she says is her "real love." Her brightly colored paintings with names like "Girls Night Out" are on display at Ginger for another month. Check out more portraits and paintings by Maggie on her website: www.oneillstudiosfineart.com.

Dreaming of La Dolce Vita

Last week during the slew of events on Bethesda Avenue, cookbook author Maria Liberati made an appearance in Bella Italia, a gem of a store featuring all things belleza from Italy. Maria, a former model, signed her book, The Basic Art of Italian Cooking, and talked about her passion for Italy, the wonders of simple, good Italian cooking, and the pleasures of eating. Her passion was catching and the beautiful atmosphere of Bella Italia made me want to book a flight right away and start picking fresh tomatoes for my own spaghettata (spaghetti party). Luckily for us, store owners Suzy and Bill Menard bought a historic farmhouse in Cannara, near Assisi, they're willing to share (rentals by the week) with us Diane Lane wannabes. Also check out the fab trips: In July attend a jazz fest and in October sample drippingly fresh olive oil during the Umbrian Food and Wine Tour.

Falling in love with Max

Am I already thinking fall? Yes. I. Am. Especially because Bloomingdale's Chevy Chase now carries MaxMara, best known for their wonderfully tailored coats in cashmere, alpaca and camel hair. Luscious. Included in the fall collections are pencil skirts and blazers to layer underneath just in case you must take off the coat. But don't overlook the fabulous dresses like this elegant silk print to wear right now. A long, cool drink to beat the heat. www.bloomingdales.com

Hair transformation

I've been thinking about a "hairstyle" lately, going from layered, mid-length hair to something structured that would act as an accessory to an outfit rather than a tired distraction. After seeing Craig Miller of Salon Cielo dress the models' tresses before Bethesda's recent fashion show, I decided to give him a whirl. Why not? He's in the neighborhood and the salon frequently offers specials. Anyway...I asked him if he could do anything to my forlorn locks, what would he do? The first thing he said was "give it a base" in other words soften the color (he's a specialist in color, and though I've had highlights, I've never colored my hair) add a subtle touch of "sun" up top and then shape my unruly grown-out layers into a basic cut. Presto! Miraculous. For my readers: here's the before and aft. The rest can just go on thinking it's so naturally me.

Sweet sights of summer

I recently chatted with Mauro Farinelli, former owner of Bethesda's Denim Bar, now owner of Farinelli's in Clarendon who says he's trying his hardest to improve the landscape of the DC area fashion scene but is feeling a little dejected. The fashion-forward Farinelli wants women to please break out of the knit-dress-khaki-capri box and try some clothes that say summer in a fresh, new way. And he's got the goods on hand. Let's throw him a bone and check out a few of his faves--especially because he's having a Memorial Day sale with reductions of up to 40 percent. I like the peachy Chelsea bohemian froth with a touch of rhinestone glitz. And what says summer like navy blue and white stripes? Catherine Holstein's tailored jumpsuit is classic. (Oh, and by the way, he says the menswear is flying out of the shop. Are we going to let them actually beat us at shopping?) Above : Chelsea dress.



Bowtie dress by Francis

Georgette dress by Chelsea


Jumpsuit by Catherine Holstein

MoCo's Crooked Monkey

Any of these look familiar--including the guy in the sunglasses? If they do, then you already know about T-shirt company Crooked Monkey, or at least maybe heard that Ryan Seacrest recently wore the company's "gardener" tee on his show. If not, then you need to know about Potomac's Micha Weinblatt who founded Crooked Monkey four years ago at the University of Maryland and now sells his shirts at Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, Fred Segal, Lord & Taylor and so on and so on. I like his dad, Stuart Weinblatt, who is founding rabbi of Potomac's B'nai Tzedek and allows his son to spew forth shirts from the family's basement, where Micha runs the biz. Micha recently gave back at a celebrity auction in support of Put Your Best Foot Forward that raised over $3,500 for the charity. He and Elliot Totah were auctioned off for a cool $350 as dates for a bachelorette party, which included a table at Lotus Lounge and a bottle of Absolut. That's just how he rolls. Look for him Friday on People.com's StyleWatch.