Help With Hidden Lilly & Ladurée’s Feline Friend, Don & Roger

Hello-Hello, welcome to an almost-weekend.

We’re all about some Friday Fun today, beginning with word of a Ladurée – Hello Kitty collaboration.  We first heard about the new collection on Luxuo’s Twitter feed.

Ladurée Facebook Page

Here is more from the company’s Facebook page:

“…this joyful cooperation will yield a variety of creations: a new chocolate, a collection of gift-boxes, and a collection of little accessories.”

Below we have a better look at the artwork via fab French department store Colette (left) and a charm bracelet from the collection featuring macarons and the famous Kitty.

Colette (L)/Ana Pettus Diaries (R)

As some readers know, yours truly finds the cute Kitty inexplicably appealing; combining her with Ladurée only serves to increase our interest level. There are some darling stickers in the line as well.

Via Just Lia

The potential for cute food and related goodies is very high, you can see all of the items in Ladurée’s most recent newsletter (scroll down to see the products and pricing, the monetary unit used is the Euro).

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Our other topic today involves that beautiful Lilly Pulitzer textile line from Lee Jofa.

Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

The company carried a fun blog post this week about the hidden signatures in Lilly fabrics.

The Lilly look is easily recognizable, but did you know there is a simple way to test the authenticity of a true Lilly Pulitzer fabric? The name “Lilly” is built into the design of each pattern. This is true both for the clothing patterns and the fabric available to interior designers exclusively through Lee Jofa.

We’ve made it easy to spot the Lilly in each print, take a look!

Up top we show a swatch of the Bimini print, below, Heritage Floral.

"Heritage Floral" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

You can see the signatures much better with their help, below Color Me Coral.

"Color Me Coral" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

Here’s one I *never* would have been able to find, In a Twist.

"In a Twist" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

Our last example, Racey Lacey, a print I really like.

"Racey Lacey" by Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa

We’ll make that our Pretty in Pink for the day.

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Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Finally, a reminder (as if it’s needed) about the return of Mad Men Sunday night.  Because I have been stalking occasionally taken a glance at the Mad Men website, we can share that there are new photos from the new season. Betty is too stern for today’s Pretty in Pink.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Roger is looking rather intense.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Peggy’s green frock is TDF.

Frank

I think every hour is the cocktail hour at Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

Much as I hate cluttering up posts with meaningless photos (cough cough), here’s one last image to hold you until Sunday.

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

(I’m a little concerned about Don’s cufflinks. They look, well… loud.)

Ladurée Does…Cosmetics? Also, Santa’s Preppish Traits

Hello-Hello, Happy Hanukkah to our friends who are celebrating, and Merry Almost-Christmas!

It’s wonderful to be back blogging. Between business obligations and other commitments it has been more than a little crazy here at The Prepatorium, a big “Thank You” to The Consort for his kind contribution Tuesday.

Once again we are brief, sharing a few tidbits we hope provide a modicum of entertainment, beginning with word that everyone’s favorite macaron company is planning an expansion; Ladurée will be launching a cosmetic line. Women’s Wear Daily has the story:

….the collection centers on 20 different blush colors in the form of cameos. Also in the line are liquid foundation and lip color.

The collection will debut in Japan early next year, prior to a European and US introduction.  It really isn’t that big a departure from the brand’s existing lines, they already offer the Ladurée Beauty collection: candles, bath salts and other goodies.

Ladurée

We always enjoy even the tiniest taste of the company’s macarons, and the packaging is always exquisite – how pretty is the new Houndstooth collection?!

Via Secrets of Style

We call that ‘bliss in a box.’

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Our other item also comes via WWD (subscription req’d.), and it deals with a familiar character.

You see, every week the publication selects a Man of the Week and dissects his style; to be honest, the critiques aren’t always flattering. But today’s feature looks at someone who is a household name and applauds his timeless look, here is a snippet from Man of the Week: Santa Claus.

• He’s ahead of his time: Beards are the “It” trend in men’s grooming.
• He rocks the red velvet leisure suit.
• Faux fur trim is the must-have of the season, but Santa has known it all along.
• White gloves are a little debutante, but necessary to keep his fingers clean after eating all those cookies.

It almost sounds as if Mr. Claus has some prep in his background: timeless style, practical apparel and accessories, a refusal to be dictated to by the fashion crowd….hmmm. You know what that sounds like to me…!

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We leave you with today’s Pretty in Pink, the American Retro Estate Wagon.

American Retro Estate Wagon at Barneys

We found this one at Barneys in the Girls department, clearly a classic.

Ho-Ho-Ho!

Another Tale of Two Posts & Kate Makes Her First Post-Wedding Appearance

Once again circumstances dictate what we refer to as a “tale of two posts,” with news events rendering a post entirely dedicated to lighthearted fare inappropriate.

Of course we refer to the situation in Missouri (although Minnesota was hard hit this weekend and people in Alabama continue to experience extremely difficult circumstances as they try to put the pieces back together again).  We use the words posted on Twitter by one of our favorite reporters, Brian Stelter, to go along with some of the photos.

Mr. Stelter writes about television and other media for the NY Times, and he was scheduled to be in Chicago yesterday for the final Oprah show. Instead, he volunteered to help with the paper’s coverage of the disaster in Missouri.  It was his first experience covering a natural disaster as a reporter.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

From Mr. Stelter:

(FYI, the Tweets we show from Mr. Stelter are not all in chronological order, please disregard the ‘time stamp’ shown on the graphic.) Below, Kyle Gordon looks out the window of what used to be his home.

Eric Thayer/Reuters

His wife Alicia managed to rescue her wedding bouquet from the debris.

Eric Thayer/Reuters

This used to be a Walmart.

Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo

This was a Home Depot.

Jeff Robersoon/AP Photo

More from Mr. Stelter.

Below, outside St. John’s Regional Medical Center Sunday night.

Ed Zurga/Reuters

And inside.

Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo

And a wider shot of the hospital.

Eric Thayer/Reuters

Another tweet from Mr. Stelter, followed by a photograph he took.

Another image from Joplin.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

One final tweet from Mr. Stelter.

And one final photo.

AP Photo

As one would expect, local and national non-profits need as much help as they can get, KMOV-TV has a lengthy list of such groups you can peruse if thinking about a possible donation.

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We move on to far more lighthearted fare, beginning with the Obama’s official visit to the UK.  Below, the Queen with the President and Mrs. Obama earlier today.

Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

Michelle Obama opted for Barbara Tfank, wearing a dress from this past winter’s Resort collection. Queen Elizabeth was in Peter Enrione, her longtime tailor.  (If interested in purchasing Barbara Tfank, Barneys carries her exclusively.)

Perhaps of more consequence to our readers, the First Lady and Mr. Obama met with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka William and Kate.

AP Photo via The Daily Mail

Kate opted for the “Shola” bandage-style dress by one of her favorite labels, Reiss. (One caveat for anyone planning to look at the dress online, the Reiss website crashed this morning from the crush of traffic it is experiencing and remains down as of this writing, 4pm EDT 5/24.)

Getty Images/Reuters via The Daily Mail

Not only was this the couple’s first official engagement since their wedding, it was also Kate’s first formal appearance as a member of the Royal Family.  Below, we have a better look at the dress as it was shown on the company’s website, it came in two colors, the camel and a royal blue.

Via Reiss

The Princess (we won’t go into the tedium as to why it is deemed acceptable to refer to her this way, it just sounds better than the Duchess) looked tan following her 10 day honeymoon.

Toby Melville/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

As always, the British media weighed in on what was worn by whom; the following is from The Daily Mail’s story:

• The Queen’s patterned white dress is a trademark look, but Michelle’s clashing outfit was a far cry from the pared-down elegance we have come to expect from the First Lady
• The faux-pas could perhaps be explained by Obama’s nerves as she probably erred on the side of caution, choosing an outfit she knew would please the Queen
• So perhaps nerves have got the better of Catherine Middleton, who looked thinner than ever when she met the Obamas at Buckingham Palace today.

Tonight we shall see serious party frocks at the State Dinner hosted by the Queen and Prince Philip. For more information than you could possibly want on the ensemble, visit our sister site, What Kate Wore.

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Yesterday we chatted about the fabulous news of the soon-to-open Ladurée store, but also asked for insight on the distinction between a macaron and macaroons.  A tip of the hat to the inimitable (and always gracious) Toad, of To the Manner Born fame, for he was good enough to share this story from Sauce Magazine addressing this very topic.

“Macarons – or “macs” as I affectionately refer to them – are French sandwiches whose shells are made up primarily of whipped egg whites, ground almonds and sugar. They rise in the oven and are paired together with a sweet filling. There are various methods, recipes and baking times that work for some and not for others (you can read all about the tasty tribulations of macarons here). Although finicky, macarons are delicious, beautiful and – to me – macarons vs. macaroons

the trouble.”

Via One Charming Party

Our friend Elle Marie is also an outstanding chef, and she verifies that the two are completely different creations, while also giving us some background on the confusion:

“There was a huge debate publicly after an editor for “BonAppétit” spelled the French Macaron “Macaroon” insisting that was the English spelling, but they are actually two different pastries….  I know it’s still a debate, but they are actually two different cookies, but some think they are synonyms.”

With thanks to both Toad and Elle Marie for their assistance, we say adieu until next time!

Ladurée On Its Way, + An Über-Prep at the Chelsea Flower Show

Hello and welcome to a new week, one that has suddenly become very busy here at The Prepatorium, so we are brief with our post.

Today we are hopelessly disorganized featuring a variety of different topics, beginning with simply wonderful news for those fond of the delicious confections found at Ladurée: the famous Parisian sweet shop is opening a New York store.

The company is best known for its macarons/macaroons.

“These small, round cakes, crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle, are made every morning in Ladurée’s “laboratory”. The pastry chefs measure out very precisely the required amounts of almonds, eggs and sugar, before adding one final ingredient, a pinch of unique “know-how”, essential to the making of such a delicacy. Once cooked and filled, the macaroons are put to one side for 2 days before going on sale, the time it takes to achieve a perfect balance between texture and flavour.”

The company is also opening a Covent Garden shop, here is a look at that establishment.

Via Ladurée

The store in the city will be at 864 Madison Avenue, it is expected to open in July.  As for how one should properly refer to the tiny treats, we have always been taught that (despite what Ladurée writes) a macaron is made of two crushed almond, meringue-based cookies with a creamy or fruit-based mixture, and that macaroons are those cookies made of a crushed coconut mixture, generally heavier and sweeter in flavor.  If anyone can offer additional insight, *please* leave a comment, we are surprised to see how Ladurée describes their most famous creation.

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Next, today was Media and VIP day at the Chelsea Flower Show,

Luke MacGregor/Reuters

The Queen was in attendance, she has only missed the show once in sixty years.

David Bebber/AFP/Getty Images

Also seen at the show today, Gwyneth Paltrow.

Reuters/Getty Images

The actress has been busy marketing her new book, “My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness.” She appears on the cover of June’s Bon Appétit, the first time the publication has featured a celebrity on its cover. The cookbook is selling well, but don’t look for Ms. Paltrow to launch her own food magazine, as has been rumored. From this story in the Post:

‘Don’t know how that rumor got into the papers. It could not be further from the truth. I literally do not have time to bathe, let alone start a magazine.”

The Flower Show is considered the premier venue to unveil new flower breeds, below we see the William and Catherine rose, making its public debut today.

Reuters (L) and Getty Images (R)

Another new rose will be launched by Vanessa Redgrave, created in honor of her daughter, actress Natasha Richardson, who died after a skiing accident.

Prince Albert was on hand to show off the Monaco Garden exhibit.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Dame Helen Mirren has the right idea:

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The actress was actually at the Borneo Exotics exhibit, showing a new plant named ‘Helen’.  Other celebrities attending included Barbara Bach and husband Ringo Starr.

Getty Images

The event also signals the start of the summer social season in London. The Queen is expected back at the show tonight along with Prince Philip, Camilla, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, and other members of the Royal Family.

But the real stars of the show continue to be the exhibits and those beautiful flowers.

BenStansall/AFP/Getty Images

On these bright and sunny images we say goodbye until next time!

Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images

We hope the flowers are blooming wherever you may be.