It’s 9pm on New Year’s Eve (NYE).  It's also snowing in Gstaad, Switzerland.  By now the majority of the hotel guests have left for various fetes around town.  After a week of wraps, hot and cold waxing, pummeling and sulphur body treatments, I am alone and feeling almost meditative as the new year approaches.  Well, almost… Truly, it is impossible to participate in an internal dialogue when every 15th minute, Jean, the bartender offers me another drink. This one is pink gin and gifted by a financier who a moment later raised his arm in salute from the safety of the lobby bar.  After 2 quick sips, the fizzy, like the champagne cordial delivered earlier was soon discarded in a nearby potted evergreen.

I don’t for a minute imagine that my sparkling personality contributed to all of the furtive looks and generous compliments that I received during my NYE (lobby) vigil.  Most assuredly, I had intentionally curated a specific aesthetic for the occasion.

Not exactly dressed for dancing, I was wearing an elaborate deep black body suit of stretch nylon with fasteners by Suki Cohen (Sarah Cohen).  For once, Sarah’s sculptural foundation pieces with clean cut-outs suitable for outer and under wear were discreetly hidden beneath a floor length modernized tea gown trimmed in silver mink.  (Find more on Tea Gowns here)

My crystal slippers were discarded at the foot of the navy blue settee. This move enabled me to easily slide my left leg up and over my right knee revealing crystal seamed Wolford stockings (Bergdorf’s, of course) that twinkled in the flickering candlelight.  When the New Year finally made her grand entrance, she found me and my epic To Do list scintilating with gusto in front of a roaring fireplace.

The theatricality of my NYE’s celebration makes me want to laugh out loud.  When you style your life with intentionality, even your miniscule efforts are rewarded.  

It’s finally 2015.  If it's gold you want, start the spinning cycle now. 

Waltzing along Fashion Avenue was not even the highlight of our most recent jaunt to NYC.  This go 'round we spotted an opulent lady ostrich wearing rouge and jeweled cashmere leg warmers.  She was completely out of her element, though, being 7900 miles from SE Africa.  But really, is anyone dressed to the nines ever completely out of place on 5th Avenue?  It wasn’t like she was traveling solo.  Perched 6 feet up, atop a mass of white feathers, sat an enchanting ballerina quite erect dripping in creamy pearls.   Perhaps that is what I’ve lacked all along?   An ostrich accomplice - whose keen eyesight coupled with her outrageous height and super spectacular plumage can identify, enchant and out race any would be adversary.   On second thought, me thinks we’re time enough for any would be FRENEMY.