Ciao, Bella!

Cool Shops: En Soie

Nina — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:00:03 +0000

I love this new boutique in the hip area of Silverlake in Los Angeles. Stocked full of their own gorgeous silk dress designs, custom jewelry, ceramics and even wine. Check it out if you’re in the area!

En Soie
3333 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California. 90026
store-la@ensoie.com
tel. +1 (323) 662 0985
opening hours: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Photography: En Soie’s lookbooks

Sunday Morning: 3/17/2013

Nina — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 18:12:14 +0000

Date: Sunday, March 17, 2013
Soundtrack: Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walking”
Reading: The New York Times Sunday Styles
Tea: Earl Grey by Two Leaves

Photography: Nina Isabella & Instagram

Friends Who Rock: Ruffian

Nina — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:20:45 +0000

Going to The Oscars is like going to a big publicized prom. Lucky for me, the talented and sweet Ruffian boys provided me with a fabulous dress & necklace that held its own. Check out some looks from their Fall 2013 Ready-To-Wear line, inspired by the opium dens of the Lower East Side…

And of course, congrats to my love Shawn and everyone who helped make Curfew a beautiful reality. You all deserve this win.
x, Nina

Photography: Ruffian Fall 2013 RTW photos by Alessandro Viero / Curfew crew at Vanity Fair party by Contact Music

Sunday Morning: 03/03/2013

Nina — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:29:15 +0000

Date: March 03, 2013
Where: Chateau Marmont
Who: The lovely Nina B & crew
What: Coffee, croissants & berries

Photography: Nina Isabella

New Year, New Look!

Nina — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 02:26:45 +0000

I know, I know…I start a lot of my posts off with “I’m so excited…” but honestly, isn’t that what a blog is all about? Sharing? Indeed. So as per usual…I’m so excited to finally share my new branding with everyone! This has been a long time in the making but when your super talented graphic designer is also working with the Obama campaign, it’s your patriotic duty to let the President come first. Lee & Dave of Kiddo Collective are a dream team – creative designers who always delivered A+ work & the kind of guys you just want to share some beers with (while they simultaneously make fun of the fonts on TV commercials).

I hope you like and enjoy the Ciao, Bella blog facelift & my new website that you can check out here. Feel free to poke around and check back often – I have a lot of fun, new design inspiration & projects to show off in the months ahead. A big thank you to Kiddo Collective, my family, friends & you readers for your continued support!

Check out some of Kiddo Collective’s work here and here and here.

OCHRE Showroom Styled

Nina — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 23:32:33 +0000

I had the pleasure of working with the lovely and talented staff at OCHRE last year. I’m constantly inspired by their gorgeous furniture designs so it was great to learn more about the pieces of furniture and the story behind the brand. I love contrast so I had the idea to style their Soho showroom by mixing their beautifully subtle designs with a bit of rock ‘n’ roll. My dear friend, and trusted photographer, Charlotte and I spent a Sunday afternoon doing what we do best – creating & photographing little moments, eating cupcakes & blasting music. I’m excited to finally share the photos we created that day.

Where: OCHRE showroom in Soho, NYC. Check out their beautiful furniture, lighting & unique gifts for the home here.
What: Beautifully designed furniture showroom gets styled with a little rock ‘n’ roll.
Photography: My good friend – the lovely & talented photographer Charlotte Jardat-Katz. Check out her work here.
Screen-printed posters of Bob Dylan & Edie Sedgwick by Doug Groupp, a talented artist that sometimes sells his prints on Greene Street. Check out more of his work here.

LA Living – Goodbye NYC, Hello Los Feliz!

Nina — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:19:50 +0000

Friends know that every winter I complain…endlessly…every…single…day… about the cold. This winter, Shawnyboy and I are living in Los Angeles and I couldn’t be happier to boycott a bitter NYC winter. I get so excited about the little things – the warm sun, lots of green plants and trees, exploring a new neighborhood, new shops & restaurants… I’m happy to share my finds with you here and hopefully, if you’re somewhere cold, you can live vicariously through me. Sending everyone lots of sunshine! x, Nina

Photography: Nina Isabella

Sunday Morning: 1/20/2013

Nina — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:08:45 +0000

Date: January 20, 2013
Record: From A Basement on the Hill by Elliott Smith
Reading: The New York Times Sunday Styles
Coffee: Starbucks French Roast in a beautiful mug from Heath Ceramics

Photography: Nina Isabella & Instagram

The Painted Ladies of San Fran

Nina — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:06:15 +0000

Hello lovelies! Things have been good but busy so I appologize for the radio silence! I wanted to share photos of some wonderful Victorian homes from a recent trip to San Francisco. I am such a tourist in this town! I love to just walk around (really slowly), admire all the beautifully ornate Victorian homes and just take it all in. The attention to detail, creativity and hippie dippie vibe make this one of my favorite cities.

A little history – From 1849 to 1915, about 48,000 houses in the Victorian and Edwardian styles were built in San Francisco. Many were originally painted in bright colors. The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 destroyed a lot of the homes. During WWI, many were painted battleship gray with surplus Navy paint. Then in 1963, SF artist Butch Kardum began combining intese bules and greens on the exterior of his home. Many neighbors began to copy the bright colors on their own homes and he and other colorists began transforming dozens of the gray houses into Painted Ladies. By the 1970s, the colorist movement changed entire neighborhoods and continues to this day…

Photo credit: Nina Isabella using my iPhone

Buttermilk Falls Inn

Nina — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:05:10 +0000

Living in NYC, I have a constant desire to escape the city, breathe some fresh air & just get away from all the crazy. One of my favorite places to occassional visit is Buttermilk Falls Inn. Just about an hour and half north of the city, it’s a self-contained retreat with just about everything you need to unwind & leave feeling refreshed. Located on the banks of the Hudson River, there’s 75 acres of grounds to explore, a beautiful spa, a farm-to-table restauratnt & beautifully restored houses to stay at on the property. Just revisiting some of my photos is enough to help me breathe a little deeper. Wishing everyone a beautiful weekend! x Nina

Photo credits: Nina Isabella + Shake It App