Kenneth Cole's Spring 2011 Line

Last week, we were lucky enough to attend a dinner for select NYC bloggers at Kenneth Cole's showroom. We've been to a fair amount of these events throughout our years in the industry, so know that we mean it when we say that this was a really special evening.

In addition to previewing the spring line, we had the chance to chat briefly with Kenneth and at length with Kenneth Cole creative director, Ingo Wilts. That's Kenneth addressing the table, above.

Ingo shared with us that his inspiration for the line is the rain forest, the desert and the mountains. He said it wasn't any specific region, but when pressed, allowed that South Africa is a favorite retreat. The line features plenty of whites, a twist on cargo pants and a few pops of bright hues including tangerine and yellow.

And, of course, since it's Kenneth Cole, the bags and shoes were a main focus points. Expect more wedges, zip up shoes and mesh next spring!

To view more photos of the collection and the evening, check out the Kenneth Cole Facebook page.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Owl Ring

You should always collect something when you travel. It makes shopping fun--and kitschy items like snow globes, do not disturb signs or magnets always look better as part of a collection than on their own. We collect owls. It started when our friend Charlotte gave us one carved out of wood for our new apartment. Owls bring health and happiness into a home, so they make a perfect housewarming gift if you're ever in need.

While this Marc by Marc Jacobs owl ring can't sit on our bookshelf or remind us of a trip, it adds a touch of whimsy to any outfit in any city, day or night.

Available at Nordstrom.com.

Lori Goldstein's LOGO Instant Chic "re-chic" Event

Who could turn down the chance to get "re-chiced" by Madonna's first stylist, Lori Goldstein? On Wednesday, Lori, fresh from styling the Vera Wang show, turned her talents to a group of fashion bloggers and updated our outfits with pieces from her Logo Instant Chic line, available on QVC. To spice up my army green shirt dress, Lori added a faux snakeskin belt and a fun rhinestone bracelet. Lori's tip: Wear a bracelet on each arm this season. One is not enough!

Lori's pieces are available on QVC.com.

This review was based on a free sample.

H. Stern and Why We Love to Shop for Jewelry on Girls Getaways

One of our favorite things to shop for when we travel has always been and will always be jewelry. It's the best souvenir, because you'll have it forever and when you get compliments on a piece, you can say, "This old thing? I got it in Santorini, Santa Fe, Paris..."

So naturally it follows that one of our most treasured memories is touring and shopping at the H. Stern headquarters in Brazil several years back. In Brazil, you literally can't turn the corner without tripping over an H. Stern outpost, but the workshop in Rio de Janeiro is something else entirely. You learn about the history of the brand, the natural gem stones of Brazil and watch the jewelry makers in action. Then, you're set lose to sip cocktails and shop. Our little square necklace from the Rainbow collection bought at the H. Stern store in Rio is one of our prized possessions.

Fast forward a few years to last week. We were invited to a blogger breakfast at the H. Stern store. Despite our appreciation of H. Stern, we had never set foot in the New York City store before. It's near Rockefeller Center, so we had surrendered the store to tourists. That was a mistake.

We had forgotten the H. Stern heritage of using nature, movement and dance in the jewelry collections--and all at good value. No wonder that H. Stern is a celebrity favorite, including Rihanna who is wearing H. Stern rings, above. Similar to the folks working at the David Yurman Townhouse, everyone who works there was happy to help and let us try on all the pieces we wanted.

Diane Von Furstenberg fans that we are, we gravitated towards the DVF H. Stern collection. The Sultra Sport Watch is sexy, elegant and functional:

and we also love the Rock Crystal Bracelet from the DVF collection.

The next time you're in NYC shopping at Sak's or the original NYC H+M, be sure to stop by!

FTC Disclosure: I attended a press-only breakfast at the Townhouse, where I was gifted with a piece of H. Stern jewelry.

10 Best Summer Flip Flops

One thing we left off our summer guide: Flip flops! We're so grateful for Betty Confidential for picking the 10 Best Summer Flip Flops and doing the work for us. Our fave are these gladiator-style flips from Old Navy.

FEED bags by Lauren Bush

One of the activities I most look forward to when planning an overseas vacation is shopping! The feeling of finding exotic items like a scarf in the indigenous print, tribal jewelery, a wooden decorative mask or a beautiful embroidered blouse and bringing back a piece of the destination is exciting. Lauren Bush brings us a little piece of Guatemala with her FEED Guatemala bags created in partnership with UNICEF and Lord & Taylor.

The FEED Guatemala bags are handmade a nonprofit organization called Nest, that empowers women and female artists around the world. The Guatemalan Nest artisans are using their traditional Ikat fabrics to make these bags the colors and woven patterns which reflect the vibrant Guatemalan culture. In addition to empowering women, the bags generate funds to help UNICEF provide micronutrient supplements to Guatemalan children who are stricken by poverty.

Because of its exotic look, carrying this bag around town will make you look like you just got back from vacation and you will feel great about it knowing the lives of those women who helped to create it, is better off because of your purchase. The FEED Tote bag is available at Lord & Taylor for $39 and the pouch for $19 and FEED will donate $10.50 or $3.50 respectively to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to help support UNICEF’s nutrition programs in Guatemala.

Contributed by The Stylester.

This review was based on a free sample.

Aviator Pillows

We have a new item to add to our collection of map-themed decor: these silk aviator pillows from Alex Jowett. Each pillow is unique and made out of old silk maps that his uncle, who was in the air force, used to navigate with during actual flights.

Available at Atelier6888.com.

The Standard Limited Edition Scarves

We're kinda hoping the spring scarf trend never goes out of style: We love our scarves for layering on rainy days, at night and on our plane rides. Here are three new ones to add to the collection: The Standard has commissioned three artists representing NY, L.A. and Miami to design limited edition silk-cashmere scarves. The artists, RoStarr (for NY-shown left), Thomas Campbell (for CA-shown right), José Parlá (for Miami), and  are each known for their graphic styles. Each scarf is

• Thescarf is 24.5” x 70” in size and is made of 50% Silk and 50% Cashmere
• The scarves have hand-rolled and hemmed edges, lightweight for the season.
• Think the scarf is too pretty to be worn? We agree! Frame it and hang it on your wall.

Each scarf is $225 and available at The Standard hotels and online.