Friday, August 30, 2013

Anthony Kiedis Buys Petite Sunset Strip Villa

BUYER: Anthony Kiedis
SELLER: Waldo Fernandez
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $3,650,000
SIZE: 2,679 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: A little birdie we know on the down low that's often in the know about celebrity real estate doings recently chirped in Your Mama's ear that the new owner of A-list decorator Waldo Fernandez's latest property flip above the Sunset Strip is none other than Red Hot Chili Pepper lead singer/lyricist Anthony Kiedis who just shelled out $3.65 million for the petite and pedigreed villa. The walled and gated residence, built in 1940 and nestled into a steep down slope on a curvaceous and narrow street just above the Sunset Strip, was originally designed by architect F. Pierpont Davis and re-worked by Hollywood Regency honcho John Elgin Woolf. The house has popped up in the glossy pages of Architectural Digest "at least thrice" according to the kids at Curbed.

In late June, 2012, after a couple of years on and off the market with a cornucopia of price tags as high as $3.695 million, the property was purchased for $2.4 million by the renown and regularly published Waldo Fernandez, a Cuban-born decorating dervish who's worked over rooms and homes for a panoply of celebrities like Brad Pitt, Darren Starr, and Tobey Maguire.

Mister Kiedis—now fifty, fit, and still sexy in that dangerous, middle aged rock star sort of way—spent his early years in Grand Rapid, Mi with is mother and teen years in Los Angeles with his bit-part actor father, Blackie Dammett. Poppa Kiedis, whose autobiography, Lords of the Sunset Strip, was recently released as an e-book, moonlighted as a drug dealer for rock stars (and others). He famously palled around with high profile peeps like Cher and Sonny Bono, the latter of whom, may he rest in peace, was named young Anthony's godfather. How's that for a whackadoodle Hollywood pedigree?

As Mister Kiedis grew up fast and loose on the gritty streets of Los Angeles he eventually hooked up with his future Red Hot Chili Peppers band mates. In classic rock star fashion, Mister Kiedis dabbled in drugs—okay he more than dabbled he developed a raging addiction, and, along with his band mates, earned a special kind of notoriety in the early 1980s for performing in nothing but a jock strap and boots or, even more suggestively, wearing nothing but boots and a tube sock tied around his junk. Naturally he bedded and dated and hooked up with a beautiful battalion of lithe and lusty young models, musicians, actresses, and other female hangers-on. There was Nina Hagan, Ione Skye, Sinéad O'Connor, supermodels Heidi Klum and Jessica Stam, actress Laura Prepon, and, most recently, a stunning and very young looking brunette usually identified in the tabs and gossip glossies as model Helena Vestergaard. Along the way Mister Kiedis, sober for more than a dozen years, and his Chili Pepper pals won three AMAs, eight VMAs, one BMA and seven Grammys. Last year (2012) the band and all is members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The most recent digital listing details for the Sunset Strip property recently acquired by Mister Kiedis don't indicate the square footage. The L.A. County Tax Man puts it at 2,679 but that may or may not be accurate. Listing do, however, show the sophisticatedly staged, two-story Euro-style villa has three bedrooms, four bathrooms, three fireplaces, and garage parking for two cars.

High walls, locked gates, and a closed circuit t.v.-equipped security system that will record your ass if you so much as slow down in front of the house enhance the privacy and security of the residence that sits below street level down a serpentine, wrought iron-railed brick stairway.

A compact foyer leads into the main living room that isn't particularly large but is undeniably grand and voluminous with a 14-foot hard-carved ceiling imported from a cathedral in Europe, a 10-foot tall solid limestone fireplace that was probably snatched from some old building in Europe, too, and an arched window that extends to the floor and almost reaches the ceiling is flanked by normal-height glass doors that lead out to an awning-shaded and wrought iron-railed dining balcony with a perfectly lovely but hardly overwhelming over-the-tree-top city view.

A archway—it looks to be the exact same height as the arched window in the living room—leads into the groin-vaulted dining room where Mister Fernandez replaced a ticky-tacky wall of mirrors with an aged-looking mural that depicts what appears to Your Mama to be—but is surely not—a Victorian-era Florentine street scene.

The adjoining kitchen is oddly shaped and quite tight given the property's $3.65 million sale price, but it is well-equipped with high-quality stainless steel appliances, rough-edged stone counter tops, and cabinets that appear to be—but may not be—constructed of—or maybe faced with—some sort of rustic, reclaimed barn wood.

At the bottom of a stair well that looks dark and narrow in listing photos, there's a library/den/possible bedroom outfitted with a quaint corner fireplace and a spine-tingling, sky-lit 16-foot ceiling. Elsewhere there's a small guest bedroom and a second, much larger bedroom with a private sitting area, an awning-shaded Juliet balcony, and a full wall of windows—floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall—that overlook the swimming pool. The third bedroom suite is smaller and cozier with a fireplace, private terrace accessible through two sets of French doors, and an en suite abutting facility.

The lower level of the house opens at the tree- and shrubbery-ringed backyard where a series of wrought iron-railed red brick terraces step down the hillside. A corkscrew spiral stair links the dining balcony off the upper level living and dining rooms to the plunge-sized dark-bottomed swimming pool and spa.

As one might expect, often mustachioed and sometimes soul-patched Mister Kiedis maintains a rock-star size property portfolio that in addition to his latest acquisition above the Sunset Strip also includes: a gated mini-estate with a blade-shaped swimming pool in the Point Dume area of Malibu purchased in October 2005 for $4,825,000; An ocean front house near Hanalei Bay on the North Shore of Kaua'i picked up in April 2005 for $2.6 million; A two bedroom and 2.5 bathroom townhouse type residence in a affluent guard-gated development in Las Vegas that he snatched up in December 2005 for $570,000; And a lake-front residence on the outskirts of Grand Rapids, MI bought way back in 1996 for $220,000.

listing photos: Everett Fenton Gidley for Westside Estate Agency

LBD With A Twist

It's Friday, so what better way to end the week than with a little black dress?!  I will actually be wearing this out tonight for one of my friend's birthday parties.  I honestly don't go out much anymore, so I am really looking forward to a fun night with my friends! 









Dress: C/O H&M (similar)/ Shoes: Steve Madden (similar)/ Bag: Aldo


Whenever I would hear the words "little black dress" I always pictured something short and tight but as I've gotten older my version of the LBD has changed.  I love pieces that are sexy but in a not so obvious way, if that makes sense.  For example, with this dress, the cut outs and low neckline add sex appeal and the rest of it is really flirty and playful.  I like having that balance.  Adding a red lip and red high heels is another great way to bring more of a sexy feel to the dress.  What's your version of the LBD?

I am really excited about fashion week but I also feel so overwhelmed and honestly a little nervous because it's my first time and I really don't know what to expect.  This is still all new for me!  So far I am confirmed for several shows and I also have several events, including the one that I am hosting. I'll be staying in NYC the whole time to make it easier on me.  Just thinking about it is making my head spin.  I don't know yet how I am going to blog during this time.  I still need to figure it all out but I will definitely be posting tons of pics to my social media, so make sure to follow me on instagram for updates.  Now I need to spend the entire weekend figuring out all my outfits lol

Enjoy your weekend and thanks so much for all the love this week! Make sure to enter my GIVEAWAY!
<3



Thursday, August 29, 2013

José Reyes Keeps a Real Estate Toe in New York

BUYER: José Reyes
LOCATION: Old Brookville, NY
PRICE: $4,578,000 (list)
SIZE: 7,669 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 6 full and 2 half bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Just because Dominican Republic-born professional baseballer José Reyes now plays for the Toronto Blue Jays* doesn't mean the former New York Met doesn't plan to keep a significant real estate toe hold in the New York area.

In 2007 Mister Reyes and his wife, Katherine, shelled out $3.25 million for an approximately 5,000 square foot house in a gated enclave in the affluent Long Island community of Manhasset and now, thanks to a real estate canary we'll call Harry Hasthedish, we've learned that the deadlocked four-time All Star shortstop is about to buy a bigger house in the wealthier (and more waspy) Long Island village of Old Brookville where the (2010) median household income surged above $245,000 per year. As of this morning property records don't yet reflect a transfer of ownership so we can't say how much Mister Reyes agreed to pay for the place but our brief research shows the the estate-sized spread was originally listed in mid-2011 at $4,999,000 and last listed with an asking price of $4,578,000.

Of course, Your Mama don't know a thing about professional baseball so we had to consult the internets and our boozy, ball crazy b.f.f. Fiona Trambeau for a little background on Mister Reyes who, turns out, really knows how to hit the damn ball and steal bases. He hit more triples than anyone else in the major leagues in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2011 and he stole more bases than any of the other professional baseball jocks in 2005, 2006, and 2007. In late 2011, after eight seasons with the New York Mets, Mister Reyes signed on for a six year stint with the Miami Marlins in a package deal worth $106 million. Just a year later, in an effort to decrease their overall payroll, the Marlins traded Mister Reyes to the Toronto Blue Jays who assumed the same pay package as he had in Miami.

Listing details for Mister Reyes' new residence in Old Brookville that Your Mama teased out of the interweb clearly show the red brick and cedar shingled quasi-colonial was built in 2006 on just over 3.5 acres but it does not indicate the square footage, which the Nassau County Tax Man puts it at 7,669 square feet. Listing details do show, however, that the two (or more) story house has six bedrooms and six full and two half bathrooms as well as 10-foot ceilings, extensive mill work, custom wood floors throughout, and a fully finished basement.

Formal living and dining rooms open directly off the double-height foyer and adjoining stair hall, the former with a fireplace and French doors and the latter with flesh-toned walls above a waist-high chair rail and a glimmery, palace-worthy crystal chandelier. Also in the general vicinity of the front door are a den with fireplace surmounted by a flat screen t.v. and a dark paneled library with another fireplace surmounted by a flat screen television.

The nearby kitchen is certainly large and well equipped with a Subaru-sized center island, granite counter tops, two-tone distressed raised panel cabinetry, and top-quality appliances but—frankly—it looks like the high-end kitchen of about 400 million other high-end kitchens in upscale suburban mansions and macmansions across the country. An adjoining breakfast room is wrapped on three sides by large windows and looks out over the flat (and featureless) football field-sized backyard.

The master suite has a private sitting room with fireplace, roomy bedroom and a very beige bathroom with twin pedestal sinks, a glassed in steam shower and a free-standing soaking tub set below a strange and unnecessary raised fireplace. Think about that fireplace, children, who wants to flip that thing on and sit in the tub where you can't even see it? Pleeze.

A finished basement, which probably adds a couple thousand more square feet to the total size of the house, includes a wine cellar, a small (carpeted) room the sellers used as a fitness suite, and a gigantic (barely furnished) game room with a carved wood bar that looks like an expensive (but boring) replica of a bar in an Old Timey saloon.

listing photos: Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes and Estates

Purple Rain + OIA JULES GIVEAWAY!

I swear I have the worst luck with New Jersey weather.  It started raining in the middle of shooting these photos, hence the "my hair was once curly and then it got flat" look. haha :) So I thought it was appropriate to name this post after Prince's song!








Shirt(old): H&M/ Skirt: Forever21/ Shoes: Forever21 (similar)/ Bag: H&M 
Necklace: C/O Oia Jules


It's been so long since I last wore this top and I've been debating on whether or not to hold on to it.  I styled it the last time over pink jeans but today I wanted to focus more on the purple.  I wore this skirt to my Smashbox meet & greet a couple of months ago with a floral blazer.  I've been wanting to style it in a different way so I thought it was a great match for this look.  I went with my nude heels to balance it all out.  I've had the same couple pairs of shoes on rotation lately.  I always fall into this habit of wearing the same ones even though I have others to choose from, but I think it's a great way to show the many different ways to style them! So hopefully you don't mind :)

  This necklace blends in more with the print than standing out in these photos, but in person it looked so pretty because the purple reflected in the stones. I wish you could see the way it really looks!
Speaking of this necklace, I have partnered up with the lovely OIA Jules to give one lucky winner the chance to choose from 4 of her amazing pieces. See below!


Sparkle Cuff



RULES

1. You must be following my blog.  You can do so by clicking "join site" on the left hand side
2. Must be following both @oiajules & @natybaby on instagram
3. Simply leave a comment on this post with the piece above you would like to win, your email address and instagram name

Open to US & International
Winner will be selected via random.org on Monday Sept 2nd.  

Good luck loves!
<3







Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Those Crazy Quaids Do It Again in Pacific Palisades

BUYERS: Dennis and/or Kimberly Buffington-Quaid
LOCATION: Pacific Palisades, CA
PRICE: $5,100,000
SIZE: 6,114 square feet, 5-7 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Thanks to both real estate yenta Yolanda Yakketyyak and our eerily well-informed informant Lucy Spillerguts, Your Mama has learned why the soon-to-be-divorced May-December duo Dennis and Kimberly Quaid—he's 59, she's 45—unexpectedly flipped the contemporary Pacific Palisades pad they'd only purchased seven months earlier* back on the market two weeks ago with a fifty thousand dollar mark up: In early July (2103), through a vexatiously named trust, the estranged but co-parenting couple surreptitiously shelled out $5,100,000 to acquire a 1920s Spanish-style mini-mansion set privately and securely behind high hedges and an electronic drive gate on a sweeping curve of Sunset Boulevard in the ritzy Riviera area of Pacific Palisades.**

Property records indicate the 6,114 square foot residence has three bedrooms and nine bathrooms but digital listing details Your Mama scrounged up show there are six bedrooms and nine bathrooms. Making matters more confusing, the listing description parsed the bedrooms count as such: four bedrooms suites on the upper floor including a master suite with dual closets and bathrooms (shown above) and a fifth bedroom suite on the main level plus two additional staff rooms. As all of the children who can perform basic arithmetic can easily figure, that makes for a total seven bedrooms. Anyways...

The gated motor court at the front of the property has grass growing between the flagstone pavers and can accommodate up to ten cars, according to online marketing materials. A stout pair of mature palm trees frame the stained glass window flanked front door that opens into a circular foyer that steps down to a reception gallery. The hotel-lobby sized space sports an unfortunate and vaguely Medieval style with stone flooring, an ill-advised faux-stone wall treatment around the front door, numerous stone-framed doorways, and antique chandelier and half a dozen or more matching sconces, wrought iron stair railings, and what appear to Your Mama to be at least three—three!—stone and/or tile encrusted fountains.

An ever so brief hall with arched niches connects the foyer to the grandly proportioned step-down living room with dark brown wood floors, large windows on three walls, a colossal carved stone fireplace and chimney breast, two antique chandeliers, and a vaulted, exposed wood ceiling. Multi-paned glass and steel doors join the living room to the formal dining room where an over-sized, essentially square-shaped stained glass window sits colorfully between two tall and narrow ten-pane leaded glass windows.

The roomy, center island eat-in kitchen is fully updated with a vintage vibe and is dressed with marble counter tops and white subway tile back splashes the extend all the way to the ceiling and expensively equipped with two glass-fronted fridge/freezers, two dishwashers, a super-sized commercial-style range set into a subway tiled niche, a built-in coffee maker, a built-in vegetable steamer, and at least one under-counter wine fridge.

Double arched doors at the back of the reception gallery open to a small but state-of-the-art media room with terraced seating, a high-def projection system plus a large flat-screen t.v. set in to the wall, and a giant, pane-free window that overlooks the backyard.

Other notable features and creature comforts include a snazzy home automation system, a restored powder room with vintage tile work, a circular second floor sitting room, a ground level yoga/work out room (that was probably originally designed as a staff room). Listing details indicate there are two laundry rooms, a compact one just off the kitchen and another much larger one on the lower level that's kitted out with two washers, two dryers, two side-by-side slop sinks, and a stainless steel topped table in the center of the room.

The house sits tightly on a .37 acre sloping parcel but, none-the-less, outdoor living spaces are many and include a sun-baked tiled terrace atop the attached two car garage, a central courtyard embraced on three sides by the towering rear façade and at least one more dining/lounging terrace plus a flat patch of lawn ringed by a thick wall of trees and shrubs and a large swimming pool and spa girdled by a basket weave pattern red brick terrace.

*At least one report from the time of the purchase indicates that although title was held in both their names Missus Quaid, a real estate agent in Texas, and the couple's five year old twins retained exclusive use of the property until the children turn 18.

**Your Mama has no idea if Mister and Third Missus Quaid plan to reconcile and cohabitate in the Sunset Boulevard mini-mansion or if, more likely, the acquisition is part of soon-to-be-third-ex-Missus Quaid's settlement.

listing photos: Coldwell Banker (via Hot Pads)

Edgy With OOTN

Happy Wednesday loves.
 I wanted to wear these shorts again before the summer ends.  I still can't believe it's about to be September in a few days!










Shirt: OOTN Magazine/ Shorts: Choies (here)/ Jacket(old): H&M (similar)
 Shoes: C/O Charlotte Russe (similar)/ Mirrored Sunnies: Furor Moda
Bracelet (gifted): Rebecca Minkoff (here)/ Lipstick: 69 Urban Decay 


If you're on instagram then you've probably heard of @OOTNMAGAZINE.  It stands for "outfit of the night" and they featured different people's style every single day.  It's a great way to give recognition to the fashionistas and it's also a great way to find some new people to follow for inspiration.  All you have to do is tag your photos on instagram #ootnmagazine for a chance to be featured.  I definitely love what they're doing and truly support their movement.  I've been following them since they started on IG and they have definitely come a long way.  They have featured me before so wearing this shirt of theirs is just another way of showing my support. You can also sign up on their site to gain access to their digital magazine! 

You all know how much I love my graphic tees so this time I decided to pair it with my high waist distressed cut offs and my all time fave faux leather moto jacket.  I don't think I will ever part with this jacket.  It's going to be such a great transitional piece for me this fall.  It's been awhile since I wore these mirrored sunglasses so I wanted to add them to this look to give it a little something extra. About two weeks ago I went to the Short Hills Mall to meet Rebecca Minkoff for her event there and some of us were gifted with her pave link bracelet.  Such a sweet thing to do and I love it. The final touch was my red lips of course!

Have a great day <3


Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Did Y'all Hear...

...that in 2008 an as yet unidentified 40-something year old Belgian art dealer bought the last home of Spanish surrealist Pablo Picasso in the historic village of Mougins, about 20 minutes from the Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes, for between 10 and 12 million Euros—that's $13 to $16 million U.S. dollars—gave the well-situated Provençal pad a striking minimalist make-over and popped it back on the market with a hair raising and hoopla-ensuring $220,000,000 asking price?

Current listing details and previous reports in the newspaper Nice Matin (via the hardworking kids at Curbed) show the stone-walled 35-room hillside villa, once known as Mas de Notre-Dame du Vie and now dubbed Domaine L'Antre du Minotaure, stands three stories high, has 10 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms, a guest house and a guard house, two swimming pools, a tennis court, an extensive gardens.

Now children, this property has an impeccable pedigree and it is certainly something to behold even if the austerely finished and sparely furnished day-core ain't your thang but 220 million George Washingtons? Well...Your Mama thinks it's probably best to let the gloriously opinionated children and any prospective buyers decide whether the 14-17 time mark up over the reported 2008 sale price makes a lick of real estate sense, even with the no-doubt time consuming and costly renovation and restoration.

1,2,3...Go!

listing photos: Corcoran